I seem to be dwelling on the fact that my time in Beijing is coming to a temporary close. I know that endings are an inevitable and assumed part of living temporarily somewhere, but I continue to be amazed with how quickly time seems to pass as I get older. It seems like just a matter of weeks ago that I was stepping onto the plane in Grand Rapids, unsure of just how this experience would treat me, what friends I would make, what would Beijing be like, how would I adjust to teaching...in just five short month I can no longer imagine my life without this set of experiences. I love it here and cannot wait to get back here after the fall. That said, I cannot wait to get back home and the comforts that this brings.
Reflecting on my time here, I keep coming back to the question of what would be a perfect day for me in Beijing...what would I do, what would I see, where would I eat if time and money were not of primary considerations...plus I would not get full since food plays so prominently into my idea of a perfect experience.
The day would begin with a trip to Steak and Eggs...one of the few places in Beijing to get a good American Breakfast. It is not nearly as good as Wolfgangs, but for here it is not too bad. After this I would make my way to the Old Summer Palace. I visited here for the first time just this past weekend, but it is one of my favorite places in Beijing. It was remarkably empty for a "tourist" attraction in Beijing. The palace that was on this site was destroyed by Anglo-Franco troops in the Second Opium War. The remains of the palace can still be seen. My feeling is that the site of the Old Summer Palace is nicer than the new Summer Palace. Both have their charms, but perhaps because of the relative lack of crowds, I preferred the old to the New.
For lunch I would eat at the Golden Peacock Dai Minority Cuisine restaurant. This is one of the best "bang for the buck" restaurants that I have encountered anywhere on earth. This is food that is so good I would easily spend 20 dollars or more for a meal with drinks...instead, I typically spend no more than 5 dollars, drinks included. It actually is only that much if I go there myself, with a group it is usually kept to 2 or 3 dollars per person. The highlights of this restaurant are really spicy beef, pineapple rice that is sweet and glutinous, potato balls with sesame oil and cilantro dipping sauce that are better than any french fry I have ever had anywhere, cheap beer, free appetizers that I would order as an entree if they were on the menu and a friendly and attentive staff (somewhat rare here in China). All told this is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere on earth, regardless of price. The fact it is so cheap makes it all that much better.
After time spent in the park, which is essentially what the Old Summer Palace is, and lunch, I would make my way to Nanluogu Xiang, a hutong filled with shops, restaurants, cafe's and similar small business' in a restored Hutong (old Beijing alley). This is a pretty calm street in the middle of the city, too narrow for much traffic to pass and a great place to spend a quite afternoon with a book, checking your email (most cafe's have wi-fi) and grabbing a good bite to eat. After relaxing for a while at a cafe the hutongs that surround nanluogu make for a great view of daily life in Beijing. The hutongs that surround tend to be less restored and commercialized, giving a glimpse into the daily life that is the reality of so many Beijing residents.
The late afternoon calls for a Massage which means Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat, one of the most peaceful massage places I have encountered. This place specializes in relaxation, which is sometimes great and others not quite what is needed. The massages can be out fo this world but occasionally fail to hit the mark. That said, more times than not I walk away a very satisfied customer, plus the price cannot be matched (in the United States, for China it is on the expensive side of massages) at just 13.50 for an hour long massage. As an occasional hedonist, I usually indulge in a one hour foot massage followed by a one hour body massage that puts me in a deep state or relaxation...
Dinner would follow that relaxation and there are numerous choices for a great dinner in Beijing. Since it is a piece on Beijing, my choice will be Beijing Duck. The flavor of this famous dish lives up the the hype and makes for a great day. A thin pancake with plum sauce, a few pieces of crispy duck, sliced onion, sliced apple and a bit of garlic and sugar make for a succulent treat that I am prone to stuffing myself with. An entire duck (which feeds two or three with some side dishes) goes for about 11 dollars, a bargain again for the levels of flavor that exist in this Beijing treat.
Following dinner and the massage, any level of relaxation goes out the window as I amke my way to the Fengtai Stadium to watch Beijing Guoan, my club team play a level of pretty poor soccer. The games are entertaining though, a great way to spend the evening with the Chinese (few foreigners attend the games). The level of play for a professional team is not that much higher than mid-level college teams, but still a lot of fun to watch.
Following the game there are numerous bars to relax with a cheap (less than 75 cents) beer or two.
While I would love to have a day like this, the time and travel constraints probably will keep this from ever happening, but this is my Beijing. This is a great place with a lot to offer. If you want to spend the day as a tourist this is very easy, if you want to spend it as a local (as much as a really tall white boy can) this is even easier. There are so many great things that I have yet to discover here. My ideal day may very well look a whole lot different in another year. I am just excited that I am lucky enough to have the chance to experience these events.
All the best,
Zai Jian
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China. Show all posts
6.24.2007
6.18.2007
Life and times of a tall Beijinger
I apologize for not writing more as of late, I have been without internet and my computer for a little while now...Technical problems happen over here as well. I am guessing that everyone that is reading this has also received an email from me recently, but if not, welcome to my life in China. I cannot believe that I have less than a month left here. The time has flown by. The pending departure has caused me to frantically finish as much as I can in my time here, each weekend crossing off items from a list of things still to do in Beijing. I must say, that the crush of time to go has meant that my weekends have been far more productive than when I felt that I still had unlimited amounts of time to spend here in China. Each weekend I visit three or four restaurants that I have heard about, do two or more cultural or tourist events and have pretty much made sure to make the most out of my time here.
This task of getting things done has been made much easier by the presence of a new place to live. I have added a second apartment in my life. For the last few weeks I have been spending the weekends at my new apartment in downtown (kind of) Beijing. My apartment is in the Students district and is really cheap. I will say that the quality of my living is a bit lower than any place that I would ever consider to live in the U.S., but for some reason I have no problem with the place in China. I love the added convenience that living in the city gives. Knowing that I do not need to go all the way back to Huijia has allowed me to see Soccer games, go the Symphony, go Salsa Dancing, spend a lot more money at Restaurants, do more shopping, sleep in later on the days of my Chinese lessons and pretty much just get more out of life.
Speaking of Chinese lessons, it finally feels like Chinese is kind of starting to click. While there is still so much more that I do not get than I do, I am beginning to understand random bits of overheard conversations. This, along with a pretty firm grasp of ordering and directional language has more or less allowed me to actually listen to what is coming out of people’s mouths rather than just assuming that I do not understand what is being said. I can string a few sentences together now and can give some basics when meeting people for the first time. This is the first time that I have felt this way with a foreign language and the sense of accomplishment, at least when not drowned out by the feeling of utter stupidity because of lack of Mandarin knowledge, is pretty awesome. I still have a very long way to go, but I am starting to feel that progress is being made.
In addition to the Mandarin breakthrough’s I have also begun tutoring a student in conversational English. My Chinese tutor had a friend that was looking to improve her spoken English and thought of me. I think that her English is pretty fluent, but she wants more help. I hope that I can help her out, but if nothing else it is teaching me a lot about the culture and life of a normal Chinese person.
These experiences have combined to reassuring me that I need to be back here. I am in the process of figuring out what to do when I look to return in the winter. I am planning on being back in December, hopefully at my same school. Time will tell, but what I do know is that I am still having the time of my life over here. I hope everyone is well. I cannot wait to see you soon.
This task of getting things done has been made much easier by the presence of a new place to live. I have added a second apartment in my life. For the last few weeks I have been spending the weekends at my new apartment in downtown (kind of) Beijing. My apartment is in the Students district and is really cheap. I will say that the quality of my living is a bit lower than any place that I would ever consider to live in the U.S., but for some reason I have no problem with the place in China. I love the added convenience that living in the city gives. Knowing that I do not need to go all the way back to Huijia has allowed me to see Soccer games, go the Symphony, go Salsa Dancing, spend a lot more money at Restaurants, do more shopping, sleep in later on the days of my Chinese lessons and pretty much just get more out of life.
Speaking of Chinese lessons, it finally feels like Chinese is kind of starting to click. While there is still so much more that I do not get than I do, I am beginning to understand random bits of overheard conversations. This, along with a pretty firm grasp of ordering and directional language has more or less allowed me to actually listen to what is coming out of people’s mouths rather than just assuming that I do not understand what is being said. I can string a few sentences together now and can give some basics when meeting people for the first time. This is the first time that I have felt this way with a foreign language and the sense of accomplishment, at least when not drowned out by the feeling of utter stupidity because of lack of Mandarin knowledge, is pretty awesome. I still have a very long way to go, but I am starting to feel that progress is being made.
In addition to the Mandarin breakthrough’s I have also begun tutoring a student in conversational English. My Chinese tutor had a friend that was looking to improve her spoken English and thought of me. I think that her English is pretty fluent, but she wants more help. I hope that I can help her out, but if nothing else it is teaching me a lot about the culture and life of a normal Chinese person.
These experiences have combined to reassuring me that I need to be back here. I am in the process of figuring out what to do when I look to return in the winter. I am planning on being back in December, hopefully at my same school. Time will tell, but what I do know is that I am still having the time of my life over here. I hope everyone is well. I cannot wait to see you soon.
6.07.2007
Shanghai Part 3
When people in China hear that I studied and Shanghai and now live in Beijing, their first question is typically which city do you like better…which I quickly reply, Shanghai. I have come to love Beijing, but there is just no comparison to Shanghai. The response to this is typically some analysis of how Beijing is more traditional and historical, while Shanghai is more modern and business oriented. While true, I would not necessarily say that Beijing is all that much more traditional. The overall feeling of the city may skew slightly towards the traditional, but this is still a pretty modern city, especially in comparison to the villages that lay all over the city. Beijing is in the process of rapid modernization, or revitalization, or renovation…whichever you want to call it in preparation for next year’s Olympics. I was unfortunately greeted with a major reminder of these projects while going through the Forbidden City this weekend. I was disappointed to find that two of the main halls were completely covered with scaffolding. While this will improve the experience for visitors next year, it makes for an eyesore right now. I suppose that this is the cost of progress.
Shanghai is a city that changes constantly. There is likely no city in the history of the world that has experience the level of growth and modernization that Shanghai has in the last 20 years. As one piece of Shanghai lore states, during the 1990’s 1/3rd of the world’s tower cranes were located within the city limits of Shanghai. In 1984 the tallest building in the city was 24 stories tall…today, there are thousands that tower over this height. Shanghai has one of the most unique and impressive skylines in the world.
Visiting Shanghai was like catching up with an old friend. I was thrilled to find many of my favorite places still in tact, though not surprised to see that some have moved on. In a city that is developing as quickly as Shanghai is, the road to development means that history is sometimes ignored and forgotten. Beijing is the more historical city, but Shanghai has also had an illustrious (by Western standards) past. Shanghai is the city, with the exception of Hong Kong, that has had the most interaction with the west in China. There are pockets of the city that were controlled by British, French, American and Russian foreign contingents, remnants of China’s checkered history of interaction with the west. Today the reminders of this colonial period still are present in western architecture, tree lined streets and even an occasional name. Three of these colonial relics are among my favorite places in the city. The Bund, the riverfront area is among the most famous sights in Shanghai and a phenomenal place to spend a few hours wandering around, regardless of what time of day you are there. It is filled with activity throughout the day, from older people practicing tai chi, fan dancing and martial arts in the morning, to tourists in the afternoon and young couples enjoying a warm evening. The French Concession, the portion of the city controlled by the French is my favorite neighborhood in Shanghai. The tree lined streets, colonial architecture and fantastic shopping make for a great place to spend an afternoon. For a city that loves to “renovate” as much as Shanghai, it is amazing that so much of the French Concession has been preserved. Finally, the Shanghai Art Museum is the former member’s only club of the Shanghai Race Track. This used to be firmly in the British section of the city and the building was one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. Today it houses a great, though small, collection of art that showcases both traditional Chinese art as well as examples from the quickly growing modern art scene in China.
Shanghai was also the site where many European Jews made their way during the early years of the Holocaust. During this period the Japanese controlled Shanghai and because of this, there was no visa required to live in Shanghai. At the time, the United States (among many others) were refusing to grant visa’s to Jews in part because of a lack of understanding of what exactly was beginning to happen in Europe. Many Jews had no where but Shanghai to go. The story of Shanghai’s Jews is told in a wonderful documentary, Shanghai Jews, but is, for the most part a story that is not known in China. In the Shanghai City History Museum there was a brief mention of this period, but no real commemoration of the important role that Shanghai played in the preservation of the Jewish race. It was due, in part, to q quirk in history, but China and Shanghai stepped up to take in a threatened people when no one else would. This should be commemorated much more than it is.
Shanghai is, at least in my mind, a nearly perfect city. There is a mix of new and old, gaudy and understated, frantic and calm. There is so much to do regardless of what interests you, food of any culture to eat, art to see, architecture to marvel at and shopping to spend your hard earned dollars. I have no doubt that at some point in my life I will call Shanghai home. The weekend that I spent there reminded me of the charms of this city.
Shanghai is a city that changes constantly. There is likely no city in the history of the world that has experience the level of growth and modernization that Shanghai has in the last 20 years. As one piece of Shanghai lore states, during the 1990’s 1/3rd of the world’s tower cranes were located within the city limits of Shanghai. In 1984 the tallest building in the city was 24 stories tall…today, there are thousands that tower over this height. Shanghai has one of the most unique and impressive skylines in the world.
Visiting Shanghai was like catching up with an old friend. I was thrilled to find many of my favorite places still in tact, though not surprised to see that some have moved on. In a city that is developing as quickly as Shanghai is, the road to development means that history is sometimes ignored and forgotten. Beijing is the more historical city, but Shanghai has also had an illustrious (by Western standards) past. Shanghai is the city, with the exception of Hong Kong, that has had the most interaction with the west in China. There are pockets of the city that were controlled by British, French, American and Russian foreign contingents, remnants of China’s checkered history of interaction with the west. Today the reminders of this colonial period still are present in western architecture, tree lined streets and even an occasional name. Three of these colonial relics are among my favorite places in the city. The Bund, the riverfront area is among the most famous sights in Shanghai and a phenomenal place to spend a few hours wandering around, regardless of what time of day you are there. It is filled with activity throughout the day, from older people practicing tai chi, fan dancing and martial arts in the morning, to tourists in the afternoon and young couples enjoying a warm evening. The French Concession, the portion of the city controlled by the French is my favorite neighborhood in Shanghai. The tree lined streets, colonial architecture and fantastic shopping make for a great place to spend an afternoon. For a city that loves to “renovate” as much as Shanghai, it is amazing that so much of the French Concession has been preserved. Finally, the Shanghai Art Museum is the former member’s only club of the Shanghai Race Track. This used to be firmly in the British section of the city and the building was one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. Today it houses a great, though small, collection of art that showcases both traditional Chinese art as well as examples from the quickly growing modern art scene in China.
Shanghai was also the site where many European Jews made their way during the early years of the Holocaust. During this period the Japanese controlled Shanghai and because of this, there was no visa required to live in Shanghai. At the time, the United States (among many others) were refusing to grant visa’s to Jews in part because of a lack of understanding of what exactly was beginning to happen in Europe. Many Jews had no where but Shanghai to go. The story of Shanghai’s Jews is told in a wonderful documentary, Shanghai Jews, but is, for the most part a story that is not known in China. In the Shanghai City History Museum there was a brief mention of this period, but no real commemoration of the important role that Shanghai played in the preservation of the Jewish race. It was due, in part, to q quirk in history, but China and Shanghai stepped up to take in a threatened people when no one else would. This should be commemorated much more than it is.
Shanghai is, at least in my mind, a nearly perfect city. There is a mix of new and old, gaudy and understated, frantic and calm. There is so much to do regardless of what interests you, food of any culture to eat, art to see, architecture to marvel at and shopping to spend your hard earned dollars. I have no doubt that at some point in my life I will call Shanghai home. The weekend that I spent there reminded me of the charms of this city.
5.14.2007
People all over the world
This is my third and final installment from my trip to Xi’an. This trip served as a good reminder for me that I need to get out and explore this country. I am in the process of planning more trips before I return home.
I have written before about the celebrity status that I have in China simply because I am tall and white. This was really demonstrated in Xi’an. Over the holidays many people throughout China travel to the larger cities. The people that live in Beijing and other large cities are, for the most part, used to seeing white people wandering throughout the city. In smaller cities though, there are still very few foreigners. Growing up in the U.S. I was accustomed, from a very young age to seeing all sorts of ethnicities. Our cities are filled with African-Americans, Orientals, various European Descent and Hispanics. Here in China it is a relatively recent development that Chinese people have had extensive exposure to non-Han Chinese. This causes many heads to turn when white people enter public spaces, especially someone as tall as I am.
There are times when this extra attention is not appreciated, times when I just want to go through my day anonymously, but there are other times where this attention results in a fantastic experience, one that I am not sure if I could find elsewhere. The fact that I am white means that everyone assumes that I know English, there has been many times where a random person starts a conversation with me for no other reason that to practice their English. I am trying my best to do the same with Chinese people to practice my Mandarin, but I still do not feel like I have enough vocabulary to do this much.
One of the highlights of the trip to Xi’an was when a young girl started to look at Traci and I while we were in a small hole-in-a-wall restaurant near Hua Shan. We waved at her and said ni hao which caused her to smile back. After a short while of this going back and forth, her Mom said to us she is learning English, she loves you! We invited her over to our table where she quizzed us on some Chinese vocabulary and we talked to her about English. Her Mom came over to help facilitate the conversation and to ask us some other questions about us. Through our conversation, she let us know that there was already someone in her class that had her English name, she wondered if we could give her a new English name. Traci and I settled on Emily which she proceeded to repeat throughout the remainder of her stay in the restaurant.
The forwardness of the Chinese is sometimes little much to handle, there are times when I wish that a little more subtlety and restraint would be used, but there are also times where the forwardness results in wonderful experiences, ones that will stick with me for the remainder of my life.
I have written before about the celebrity status that I have in China simply because I am tall and white. This was really demonstrated in Xi’an. Over the holidays many people throughout China travel to the larger cities. The people that live in Beijing and other large cities are, for the most part, used to seeing white people wandering throughout the city. In smaller cities though, there are still very few foreigners. Growing up in the U.S. I was accustomed, from a very young age to seeing all sorts of ethnicities. Our cities are filled with African-Americans, Orientals, various European Descent and Hispanics. Here in China it is a relatively recent development that Chinese people have had extensive exposure to non-Han Chinese. This causes many heads to turn when white people enter public spaces, especially someone as tall as I am.
There are times when this extra attention is not appreciated, times when I just want to go through my day anonymously, but there are other times where this attention results in a fantastic experience, one that I am not sure if I could find elsewhere. The fact that I am white means that everyone assumes that I know English, there has been many times where a random person starts a conversation with me for no other reason that to practice their English. I am trying my best to do the same with Chinese people to practice my Mandarin, but I still do not feel like I have enough vocabulary to do this much.
One of the highlights of the trip to Xi’an was when a young girl started to look at Traci and I while we were in a small hole-in-a-wall restaurant near Hua Shan. We waved at her and said ni hao which caused her to smile back. After a short while of this going back and forth, her Mom said to us she is learning English, she loves you! We invited her over to our table where she quizzed us on some Chinese vocabulary and we talked to her about English. Her Mom came over to help facilitate the conversation and to ask us some other questions about us. Through our conversation, she let us know that there was already someone in her class that had her English name, she wondered if we could give her a new English name. Traci and I settled on Emily which she proceeded to repeat throughout the remainder of her stay in the restaurant.
The forwardness of the Chinese is sometimes little much to handle, there are times when I wish that a little more subtlety and restraint would be used, but there are also times where the forwardness results in wonderful experiences, ones that will stick with me for the remainder of my life.
4.26.2007
Only in China...
I cam across this news article today. Something like this could only be reported as serious news in China. Only here could forecasters claim that we will have rain on a day more than a year out and promise that there will not be rain at a certain time. This article is a perfect representation of the pervasive ideas within Chinese Beuracracy. That said I still love it here, sometimes you need to just take these things with a grain of salt.
Weather for the Opening Ceremonies has already been determined
Weather for the Opening Ceremonies has already been determined
Exams...lessons or problems with the Chinese Education System
I proctored my first set of true exams this past week, and I am not sure if I walked away from the experience feeling that I learned something that should be applied to the U.S. system, or if instead I feel like the Chinese system should change. I suppose like any of the more complex issues in life (like the education system) there are bits of both.
The first thing that I would really like to change...or not...about the Chinese system is the pressure placed on this kids. There are some negatives...like expecting 7th and 8th grade students to be able to concentrate on their tests when taking 5 mid term exams in one day while there are distractions like other classes being very loud outside to keep them from concentrating on the task at hand. I think it is absurd to place 5 tests in one day, especially when we have the whole week to give exams...and then some. Because next week is the May holiday, we have classes on Saturday and Sunday to compensate for the time off. Gives a whole new definition to time off. They have plenty of opportunities to give the exams over the course of the week, but instead on Tuesday the students had a 2 hour Chinese exam, a 20 minute break, an hour history exam, a 20 minute break, an hour psychology exam, 2 hours for lunch, then two more exams in the afternoon. Five exams in one day is a lot for anyone to handle. In college, if you had more than 2 finals you could ask to get one of the changed, but not here. It is just what happens.
The part of the pressure on the students that I am not sure if I would change is that at least among the better students there is a lot of competition to do the best. These exams are all scored together and a ranking of the class is posted. We do the same thing closer to graduation, but here it starts in 6th grade. All of the kids are taking the same tests as well so it makes for a much better comparison of the different kids than the U.S. system where in some cases Honors classes and shop class grades are counted the same. Here your class rank determines where you take the tests. The first seat in the first classroom closest to the door is where the top student sits for exams. Behind her is the number 2 student and so on in a snake like pattern through all five classrooms. To be in the top 30 means a spot in the first classroom and a certain amount of prestige. There is, however, then a clear indication of who does not score well and with it a certain stigma that is attached to these kids. While the system is not perfect, I think I like it. It gives all the kids something to strive for and clearly shows who is putting in the effort to everyone else.
I have finished grading the exams and am much happier with the scores this time around than on the initial exam. Overall the kids did a lot better, probably because these scores count for rank whereas the others did not. Since about an hour after finishing the exam, I have been bombarded with kids asking what their scores were. The ones that ask are of course the ones with nothing to worry about, but they still need to remain patient. They will find out on Saturday what their grades are. I am not sure if the grades really mean much other than class rank, but for them they are very important.
I have just a few days of teaching before the break, but I am not as certain as last time if I am goin anywhere. Train tickets are in high demand over the May Holiday as this is one of just two times a year when most Chinese people travel. I find out in the next 24 hours if I have secured train tickets or not. If not, it is a week stuck in Beijing, not that this is so horrible, but I was really hoping to see some other parts of the country. If I am stuck here though, it means less expense and a chance to really explore some of the hidden parts of the city. If I am here I will write more soon, if we do go to Xi'an however, it will be after I return before I update more.
All the best...
The first thing that I would really like to change...or not...about the Chinese system is the pressure placed on this kids. There are some negatives...like expecting 7th and 8th grade students to be able to concentrate on their tests when taking 5 mid term exams in one day while there are distractions like other classes being very loud outside to keep them from concentrating on the task at hand. I think it is absurd to place 5 tests in one day, especially when we have the whole week to give exams...and then some. Because next week is the May holiday, we have classes on Saturday and Sunday to compensate for the time off. Gives a whole new definition to time off. They have plenty of opportunities to give the exams over the course of the week, but instead on Tuesday the students had a 2 hour Chinese exam, a 20 minute break, an hour history exam, a 20 minute break, an hour psychology exam, 2 hours for lunch, then two more exams in the afternoon. Five exams in one day is a lot for anyone to handle. In college, if you had more than 2 finals you could ask to get one of the changed, but not here. It is just what happens.
The part of the pressure on the students that I am not sure if I would change is that at least among the better students there is a lot of competition to do the best. These exams are all scored together and a ranking of the class is posted. We do the same thing closer to graduation, but here it starts in 6th grade. All of the kids are taking the same tests as well so it makes for a much better comparison of the different kids than the U.S. system where in some cases Honors classes and shop class grades are counted the same. Here your class rank determines where you take the tests. The first seat in the first classroom closest to the door is where the top student sits for exams. Behind her is the number 2 student and so on in a snake like pattern through all five classrooms. To be in the top 30 means a spot in the first classroom and a certain amount of prestige. There is, however, then a clear indication of who does not score well and with it a certain stigma that is attached to these kids. While the system is not perfect, I think I like it. It gives all the kids something to strive for and clearly shows who is putting in the effort to everyone else.
I have finished grading the exams and am much happier with the scores this time around than on the initial exam. Overall the kids did a lot better, probably because these scores count for rank whereas the others did not. Since about an hour after finishing the exam, I have been bombarded with kids asking what their scores were. The ones that ask are of course the ones with nothing to worry about, but they still need to remain patient. They will find out on Saturday what their grades are. I am not sure if the grades really mean much other than class rank, but for them they are very important.
I have just a few days of teaching before the break, but I am not as certain as last time if I am goin anywhere. Train tickets are in high demand over the May Holiday as this is one of just two times a year when most Chinese people travel. I find out in the next 24 hours if I have secured train tickets or not. If not, it is a week stuck in Beijing, not that this is so horrible, but I was really hoping to see some other parts of the country. If I am stuck here though, it means less expense and a chance to really explore some of the hidden parts of the city. If I am here I will write more soon, if we do go to Xi'an however, it will be after I return before I update more.
All the best...
4.23.2007
Stream of Consciousness
This will be at times a somewhat random post but there are a ton of things that I want to share that are pretty much totally unrelated.
1.) People in China wear long underwear during the winter. This in itself is not an odd statement, however, they sometimes wear two pairs here in Beijing because it gets so cold here during the winter plus building are not usually well insulated nor even heated in some instances. This too makes perfect sense...what I cannot figure out though is why some people follow rules about the long underwear so closely. Once they put it on, they do not take it off until May 1st, regardless of what the weather is doing. Take a closer look at that. Outside of bathing, they do not take their long underwear off for the duration of the winter. This means that in most cases, the long underwear does not get washed from October 1st to May 1st. Plus, it has been over 80 on more than one occasion here already. The long underwear has stayed on throughout these higher temperatures. I just cannot understand the need to do this. Once it gets warm, you should make yourself more comfortable.
2.) The Summer Palace here in Beijing is gorgeous. I spent the day wandering the grounds of the Summer Palace enjoying the Spring Flowers, sunshine and warm day. I had not been to the Summer Palace the first time I was here which added to the enjoyment yesterday. Pictures will soon follow.
3.) Chinese teachers are treated very unfairly here. As a foreign teacher I am well paid and enjoy almost total freedom. The Chinese teachers on the other hand, are poorly paid and enjoy no freedom. Things that we foreign teachers get for free, accommodation, meals, access to laundry, the ability to use the dorm kitchen are either charged to the Chinese teachers or barred altogether (laundry, kitchen among others). This week I had the assistance of a Chinese teacher who served as my translator while I was in town getting some things done. We left at 4:30 to run these errands. To leave the campus she had to have a not from the dean saying that it was ok for her to leave campus before 5:30. I, on the other hand, frequently leave more than once during the day to run errands etc. I find this very unfair though typical of the Chinese mindset in terms of administration here. They seem to see nothing wrong with this double standard.
4.) Diapers are not really used by most babies here. Pants have a slit through the crotch which allows the babies to be held over the grass when infants and to just squat when toddlers. This would seem to be very un-hygenic and make for potentially dangerous walking through the streets, but these problems do not seem to exist. Now that it is warmer out I see more and more babies with their butts hanging out of their pants.
5.) Street food is really, really good. I have written about it before and will write a top-10 foods from China list soon, but I already can tell that I will miss street food when I get back to America.
6.) Mandarin Chinese seems to be a very difficult language to get started in, but it builds on itself so as I go along it should get easier...or at least that is what I am telling myself. If anyone in the Grand Rapids area that reads this knows of a potential Mandarin tutor can you see if they would be interested in meeting a few days a week this fall when I am back in town. I really want to keep working at the language and will need some help when I am back in the States.
7.) Vacation is fast approaching. In less than a week I will be off to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as other sights. I am getting excited. Mid-term exams are this week so we will see how those go.
8.) I love China... which leads me to #'s 9 and 10
9.) I miss home also but...
10.) I really love China :)
Zai Jian, all the best.
Gao Tian
1.) People in China wear long underwear during the winter. This in itself is not an odd statement, however, they sometimes wear two pairs here in Beijing because it gets so cold here during the winter plus building are not usually well insulated nor even heated in some instances. This too makes perfect sense...what I cannot figure out though is why some people follow rules about the long underwear so closely. Once they put it on, they do not take it off until May 1st, regardless of what the weather is doing. Take a closer look at that. Outside of bathing, they do not take their long underwear off for the duration of the winter. This means that in most cases, the long underwear does not get washed from October 1st to May 1st. Plus, it has been over 80 on more than one occasion here already. The long underwear has stayed on throughout these higher temperatures. I just cannot understand the need to do this. Once it gets warm, you should make yourself more comfortable.
2.) The Summer Palace here in Beijing is gorgeous. I spent the day wandering the grounds of the Summer Palace enjoying the Spring Flowers, sunshine and warm day. I had not been to the Summer Palace the first time I was here which added to the enjoyment yesterday. Pictures will soon follow.
3.) Chinese teachers are treated very unfairly here. As a foreign teacher I am well paid and enjoy almost total freedom. The Chinese teachers on the other hand, are poorly paid and enjoy no freedom. Things that we foreign teachers get for free, accommodation, meals, access to laundry, the ability to use the dorm kitchen are either charged to the Chinese teachers or barred altogether (laundry, kitchen among others). This week I had the assistance of a Chinese teacher who served as my translator while I was in town getting some things done. We left at 4:30 to run these errands. To leave the campus she had to have a not from the dean saying that it was ok for her to leave campus before 5:30. I, on the other hand, frequently leave more than once during the day to run errands etc. I find this very unfair though typical of the Chinese mindset in terms of administration here. They seem to see nothing wrong with this double standard.
4.) Diapers are not really used by most babies here. Pants have a slit through the crotch which allows the babies to be held over the grass when infants and to just squat when toddlers. This would seem to be very un-hygenic and make for potentially dangerous walking through the streets, but these problems do not seem to exist. Now that it is warmer out I see more and more babies with their butts hanging out of their pants.
5.) Street food is really, really good. I have written about it before and will write a top-10 foods from China list soon, but I already can tell that I will miss street food when I get back to America.
6.) Mandarin Chinese seems to be a very difficult language to get started in, but it builds on itself so as I go along it should get easier...or at least that is what I am telling myself. If anyone in the Grand Rapids area that reads this knows of a potential Mandarin tutor can you see if they would be interested in meeting a few days a week this fall when I am back in town. I really want to keep working at the language and will need some help when I am back in the States.
7.) Vacation is fast approaching. In less than a week I will be off to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as other sights. I am getting excited. Mid-term exams are this week so we will see how those go.
8.) I love China... which leads me to #'s 9 and 10
9.) I miss home also but...
10.) I really love China :)
Zai Jian, all the best.
Gao Tian
4.12.2007
Easter in China
I have finally posted more of my photos to my Flickr page. You can access these from the side links. More will come in the next few days. You may notice that this update does not have a photo for everyday I was here. The project that I started this year, to take a photo everyday for the entire year has sadly failed. With the isolation that I have here on campus I started to miss days when I did not leave the campus. What I do have, however, is photos from Beihei Park, some everyday Chinese scenes and the construction at the Olympic Venues. I hope you enjoy. Now on to the Easter stories.
I had the unique experience of spending Easter in a non-Christian country. It was very odd to know that it was a holiday, yet there was nothing to make this day seem any different than any other. There was just as much construction, traffic and general busyness as there is on any other day in Beijing. It was, however, a beautiful day; sunny and 70. This factor alone made it a good day. I attended church for the first time in Beijing. The service that I attended was open only to foreign passport holders, they had people at the door to ensure that everyone coming through the doors presented a passport. They have services that are open to everyone here in China, but my guess is these services have a much more regulated message. While my Mandarin is improving, it will be quite a while until my level of fluency reaches the point where I can get anything other than a cultural experience out of the services open to all.
The service that I attended was housed in a theater. I would estimate that there was between 800-1200 people in attendance. The service was an interdenominational service with pretty good music. It was a somewhat more lively crowd during singing than I am used to, but I really cannot get too picky. There are far fewer church options here than there are in West Michigan. The service was good though not exceptional.
Following Church my friend and I went to the Goose and Duck pub to sit outside in the warm sun enjoying Western Food, a well cooked burger and fries. Not quite as traditional as Easter Brunch, but delicious nonetheless. Following lunch we decided that since everything was open we may as well get some shopping done. Where else to spend Easter Sunday in China than at IKEA.
The reality of a less expensive IKEA is somewhat difficult to imagine, but this is what IKEA in China is like. Things here really need to be less expensive since if items cost the same as they do in the States, IKEA would be far more expensive than they the local store. As it is, many things are more expensive than the local store, but not by that much. I stocked up on some odds and ends that always tend to fill your cart at IKEA but is questionable if these items are really necessary. I walked away with a lot of odds and ends and spent less than $30. I found it somewhat difficult to talk myself out of larger purchases that are really not necessary given I only have about 3.5 months left here this time and nowhere to store any furniture items while I am back in the States. It was difficult to pass up the good deals since it is amazing just how inexpensive things are here in China. Even living a somewhat luxurious lifestyle 150 U.S. dollars can get me through the better part of two weeks here, if not longer. This includes some shopping every week, 3-5 meals out a week, 1 or 2 of which are Western, Chinese Lessons, Transportation...even cabs, and at least one tourist activity in a 2 week period.
Easter had an odd feeling to it. It was certainly a holiday in my mind, but around me there was nothing that set it apart from most other days, at least in the minds of those that surrounded me. Adding to this feeling was the realization that this was the first major holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) that I have spent apart from my family. There are bound to be more in the future, but it made for a somewhat unusual mood for an already unusual Easter experience. The weather has remained nice here this week, making it somewhat difficult to focus on work. Most people at home just returned from Spring Break but I still have a few weeks to go until our break, for International Workers Day, May 1st.
Zai Jian
I had the unique experience of spending Easter in a non-Christian country. It was very odd to know that it was a holiday, yet there was nothing to make this day seem any different than any other. There was just as much construction, traffic and general busyness as there is on any other day in Beijing. It was, however, a beautiful day; sunny and 70. This factor alone made it a good day. I attended church for the first time in Beijing. The service that I attended was open only to foreign passport holders, they had people at the door to ensure that everyone coming through the doors presented a passport. They have services that are open to everyone here in China, but my guess is these services have a much more regulated message. While my Mandarin is improving, it will be quite a while until my level of fluency reaches the point where I can get anything other than a cultural experience out of the services open to all.
The service that I attended was housed in a theater. I would estimate that there was between 800-1200 people in attendance. The service was an interdenominational service with pretty good music. It was a somewhat more lively crowd during singing than I am used to, but I really cannot get too picky. There are far fewer church options here than there are in West Michigan. The service was good though not exceptional.
Following Church my friend and I went to the Goose and Duck pub to sit outside in the warm sun enjoying Western Food, a well cooked burger and fries. Not quite as traditional as Easter Brunch, but delicious nonetheless. Following lunch we decided that since everything was open we may as well get some shopping done. Where else to spend Easter Sunday in China than at IKEA.
The reality of a less expensive IKEA is somewhat difficult to imagine, but this is what IKEA in China is like. Things here really need to be less expensive since if items cost the same as they do in the States, IKEA would be far more expensive than they the local store. As it is, many things are more expensive than the local store, but not by that much. I stocked up on some odds and ends that always tend to fill your cart at IKEA but is questionable if these items are really necessary. I walked away with a lot of odds and ends and spent less than $30. I found it somewhat difficult to talk myself out of larger purchases that are really not necessary given I only have about 3.5 months left here this time and nowhere to store any furniture items while I am back in the States. It was difficult to pass up the good deals since it is amazing just how inexpensive things are here in China. Even living a somewhat luxurious lifestyle 150 U.S. dollars can get me through the better part of two weeks here, if not longer. This includes some shopping every week, 3-5 meals out a week, 1 or 2 of which are Western, Chinese Lessons, Transportation...even cabs, and at least one tourist activity in a 2 week period.
Easter had an odd feeling to it. It was certainly a holiday in my mind, but around me there was nothing that set it apart from most other days, at least in the minds of those that surrounded me. Adding to this feeling was the realization that this was the first major holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) that I have spent apart from my family. There are bound to be more in the future, but it made for a somewhat unusual mood for an already unusual Easter experience. The weather has remained nice here this week, making it somewhat difficult to focus on work. Most people at home just returned from Spring Break but I still have a few weeks to go until our break, for International Workers Day, May 1st.
Zai Jian
3.23.2007
Tales from the Chinese Classroom
Sorry that there have not been many updates this week. It has been a busy week of pretty much nothing, which happens every once and a while, even here in China. Also, this week this blog service has been blocked in China. I am able to add posts but I cannot check the blog myself. Needless to say, the ever changing state of Freedom of Speech in China is somewhat frustrating.
Teaching continues to go very well. I have been getting good reviews from the other teachers though I do take these with a grain of salt at times. They claim that the kids enjoy my lectures which is nice to hear, regardless of the absolute validity of it. Last week I did have my first run-in with one of my students...a lovely young lad named King. He is very talkative in class and I asked him to please sit in his seat quietly while I am lecturing. He proceeded to continue to talk for most of the rest of the class. The next class I had him in he again began to talk and I singled him out in front of the whole class -- sidenote...this is a pretty major deal here in China since "face" is so important. This is the idea that you never allow another person to lose face in public, that you make sure that you do not point out flaws and mistakes in front of peers. This especially applies to business interactions, but it does also extend into personal interactions... which of course I was aware of when I made the conscious decision to point out his behavior. I told him that his behavior was unacceptable and that he was disrespectful to me last week and I do not expect it to happen again this year. This made him quiet down, but it also led him to take out his cell phone and begin to text people with it. I went over to him and asked him for his phone which he refused to give to me until the homeroom teacher came over and yelled at him (in Chinese so I am not sure what was said). This did the trick and the phone was mine for that class. King, however, was not done with his behavior issues. He then began to not sleep, but just snore loudly in class. I tried to ignore this for a minute or two but soon had to kick him out of class which the homeroom teacher supported and even suggested if he would not stop. This put an end to the poor behavior and the remainder of class proceeded well. At the end of the class King came and apologized, claiming that his lack of English was one of the reasons that he does not pay attention. I am happy to report that on Wednesday, when I had him again, he behaved much better...not really paying attention, but not at all disruptive...he even kept eye contact with me some of the time.
This is so far the only incident that I have had with a student. All in all the students have been behaved very well. I was warned time and time again about how disrespectful the kids are, how little they care and how they are just generally bad. This has not been my experience at all. The kids are average middle school students. Some are very interested, some are totally bored, some sleep, some talk but nothing bad, just normal teenage behavior. These kids are in boarding school, most for not the first time. They have been placed in more or less the middle of nowhere and required to go to school from 7:50 in the morning to 9:00 at night. they have 2 hours for lunch and another 2 hours for dinner, but outside of this, they are in the classroom all day. In middle school under these conditions, I would have struggled to pay attention as well. I think that I may still be in a honeymoon phase aided by my height and the fact I am a male, but I also think that some of the other teachers may have unrealistic expectations of what Middle and High School kids are like. Given the repeated warnings, I have been very impressed with the behavior I have experienced.
Other than this I have been doing very well. This weekend I am very excited to start meeting with a tutor for Mandarin Lessons. I have already picked up a lot through necessity and the help of friends and colleagues but working with a tutor will hopefully focus my study on a good progression of knowledge. I feel that my current focus of study is mostly on tourist language, things like directions, place names and how to order food. All useful things, but in terms of overall language ability pretty minor. The other exciting piece of news this week is I have received a new name, a Chinese name. My English Club students named me last night Gao Tian. Gao is the Chinese word for Tall and Tian means sky so together this means either endless sky, tall sky or large ambitions. Other possibilities that they considered using Gao as my surname included (English translations) tall chocolate, Colgate and a few other products, all of which they found to be very humorous possibilities. I am working on remembering how to write it in Chines characters as well.
Signing off from Huijia,
高天
Teaching continues to go very well. I have been getting good reviews from the other teachers though I do take these with a grain of salt at times. They claim that the kids enjoy my lectures which is nice to hear, regardless of the absolute validity of it. Last week I did have my first run-in with one of my students...a lovely young lad named King. He is very talkative in class and I asked him to please sit in his seat quietly while I am lecturing. He proceeded to continue to talk for most of the rest of the class. The next class I had him in he again began to talk and I singled him out in front of the whole class -- sidenote...this is a pretty major deal here in China since "face" is so important. This is the idea that you never allow another person to lose face in public, that you make sure that you do not point out flaws and mistakes in front of peers. This especially applies to business interactions, but it does also extend into personal interactions... which of course I was aware of when I made the conscious decision to point out his behavior. I told him that his behavior was unacceptable and that he was disrespectful to me last week and I do not expect it to happen again this year. This made him quiet down, but it also led him to take out his cell phone and begin to text people with it. I went over to him and asked him for his phone which he refused to give to me until the homeroom teacher came over and yelled at him (in Chinese so I am not sure what was said). This did the trick and the phone was mine for that class. King, however, was not done with his behavior issues. He then began to not sleep, but just snore loudly in class. I tried to ignore this for a minute or two but soon had to kick him out of class which the homeroom teacher supported and even suggested if he would not stop. This put an end to the poor behavior and the remainder of class proceeded well. At the end of the class King came and apologized, claiming that his lack of English was one of the reasons that he does not pay attention. I am happy to report that on Wednesday, when I had him again, he behaved much better...not really paying attention, but not at all disruptive...he even kept eye contact with me some of the time.
This is so far the only incident that I have had with a student. All in all the students have been behaved very well. I was warned time and time again about how disrespectful the kids are, how little they care and how they are just generally bad. This has not been my experience at all. The kids are average middle school students. Some are very interested, some are totally bored, some sleep, some talk but nothing bad, just normal teenage behavior. These kids are in boarding school, most for not the first time. They have been placed in more or less the middle of nowhere and required to go to school from 7:50 in the morning to 9:00 at night. they have 2 hours for lunch and another 2 hours for dinner, but outside of this, they are in the classroom all day. In middle school under these conditions, I would have struggled to pay attention as well. I think that I may still be in a honeymoon phase aided by my height and the fact I am a male, but I also think that some of the other teachers may have unrealistic expectations of what Middle and High School kids are like. Given the repeated warnings, I have been very impressed with the behavior I have experienced.
Other than this I have been doing very well. This weekend I am very excited to start meeting with a tutor for Mandarin Lessons. I have already picked up a lot through necessity and the help of friends and colleagues but working with a tutor will hopefully focus my study on a good progression of knowledge. I feel that my current focus of study is mostly on tourist language, things like directions, place names and how to order food. All useful things, but in terms of overall language ability pretty minor. The other exciting piece of news this week is I have received a new name, a Chinese name. My English Club students named me last night Gao Tian. Gao is the Chinese word for Tall and Tian means sky so together this means either endless sky, tall sky or large ambitions. Other possibilities that they considered using Gao as my surname included (English translations) tall chocolate, Colgate and a few other products, all of which they found to be very humorous possibilities. I am working on remembering how to write it in Chines characters as well.
Signing off from Huijia,
高天
3.18.2007
One Month Update
I cannot believe that it has already been a month since I left the United States. It has been a great month, filled with new experiences, challenges and at times even frustrations. The most common question that I am getting from people back home is have you found a home, a place to feel comfortable in Beijing and the answer is a resounding yes. I love it here. I wish I was a lot closer into the city than I am. It makes it very difficult to go into Beijing knowing it takes two hours each way, but I suppose it does help me save money.
I have come to appreciate Beijing for what it is. It is not the cosmopolitan city that Shanghai, New York and London are, instead it is the head of government, the place where decisions are made which I feel lends itself to helping preserve the foreign aspects of a city (for outsiders). Said another way, because this city is the face of China to the world, it goes out of its way to minimize the impact that foreigners have had on it, preserving the local flavor and culture. That is not to say that there are not numerous examples of Western influence, it is just not as in your face as it is in Shanghai. Every time I make my way into Beijing I experience another slice of authentic Chinese culture while at the same time finding out where to go for the Western, back home experience. I have come to love the balance between these two very different faces of the city.
In the process of falling in love with Beijing an interesting gastronomic development has occurred. I now find myself craving certain Chinese dishes far more than I crave anything in particular from back home. That is not to say that I do not miss the food from home, it is just that I have a generic Western food craving, anything could satiate the Western food desire but I tend to crave specific Chinese dishes. The major things in China that I have come to love are Jiaozi (Chinese steamed dumpling), grilled mutton skewers from Xinjiang (the Muslim province in China), Bolou Fan (fried pineapple rice) and Dai food in general (Chinese Minority group from Yunnan province, similar to Thai food). I could eat pretty much unlimited quantities of all of these items and often do. In addition to being tasty, they are also very cheap, especially compared to Western food. I have to admit that I did not see this coming. I still do not enjoy the food in the cafeteria, but when I get to go out to Chinese restaurants, especially holes-in-the-wall and street vendors, I have found myself in culinary heaven.
Another development over the last month is that I have come to think of Beijing as home, or rather a home where I pretty much know no-one, do not speak the language and technically do not even have residence in, but my home nonetheless. I am at the point where I am getting a little cocky. I suppose I will have to be brought down a notch or two, but until that happens I will continue to walk around with a swagger whenever I see other Western people. I especially get out of hand near tourist sites (yes, even when I am visiting said tourist sites). I look down on other tourists and think to myself, GET OUT OF MY CITY! I then remind myself that I have absolutely no right to do this, that in many cases the people that I am thinking this about may even have been in China longer than I have and in many cases have just as much command of Mandarin as I do, if not more. This is something that I need to work on, but in the meantime, it feels good to be at home here. As a side note to this, I feel that my Mandarin is coming along nicely. I have started to pick up basic phrases and with practice can tell a cab where to go, order in a restaurant, bargain (I know all of my numbers now) and generally do tourist things. These are all accomplished with very bad pronunciation, but my point seems to get across. I have found that the Chinese people are very accommodating and forgiving when it comes to their language. They are quick to complement any attempts at Mandarin and will assist with pronunciation and do their best to understand my meaning. It is refreshing compared to my other experience with using my minimal knowledge of French in Paris where they will not even pretend to understand even when the speak English.
I have come to appreciate Beijing for what it is. It is not the cosmopolitan city that Shanghai, New York and London are, instead it is the head of government, the place where decisions are made which I feel lends itself to helping preserve the foreign aspects of a city (for outsiders). Said another way, because this city is the face of China to the world, it goes out of its way to minimize the impact that foreigners have had on it, preserving the local flavor and culture. That is not to say that there are not numerous examples of Western influence, it is just not as in your face as it is in Shanghai. Every time I make my way into Beijing I experience another slice of authentic Chinese culture while at the same time finding out where to go for the Western, back home experience. I have come to love the balance between these two very different faces of the city.
In the process of falling in love with Beijing an interesting gastronomic development has occurred. I now find myself craving certain Chinese dishes far more than I crave anything in particular from back home. That is not to say that I do not miss the food from home, it is just that I have a generic Western food craving, anything could satiate the Western food desire but I tend to crave specific Chinese dishes. The major things in China that I have come to love are Jiaozi (Chinese steamed dumpling), grilled mutton skewers from Xinjiang (the Muslim province in China), Bolou Fan (fried pineapple rice) and Dai food in general (Chinese Minority group from Yunnan province, similar to Thai food). I could eat pretty much unlimited quantities of all of these items and often do. In addition to being tasty, they are also very cheap, especially compared to Western food. I have to admit that I did not see this coming. I still do not enjoy the food in the cafeteria, but when I get to go out to Chinese restaurants, especially holes-in-the-wall and street vendors, I have found myself in culinary heaven.
Another development over the last month is that I have come to think of Beijing as home, or rather a home where I pretty much know no-one, do not speak the language and technically do not even have residence in, but my home nonetheless. I am at the point where I am getting a little cocky. I suppose I will have to be brought down a notch or two, but until that happens I will continue to walk around with a swagger whenever I see other Western people. I especially get out of hand near tourist sites (yes, even when I am visiting said tourist sites). I look down on other tourists and think to myself, GET OUT OF MY CITY! I then remind myself that I have absolutely no right to do this, that in many cases the people that I am thinking this about may even have been in China longer than I have and in many cases have just as much command of Mandarin as I do, if not more. This is something that I need to work on, but in the meantime, it feels good to be at home here. As a side note to this, I feel that my Mandarin is coming along nicely. I have started to pick up basic phrases and with practice can tell a cab where to go, order in a restaurant, bargain (I know all of my numbers now) and generally do tourist things. These are all accomplished with very bad pronunciation, but my point seems to get across. I have found that the Chinese people are very accommodating and forgiving when it comes to their language. They are quick to complement any attempts at Mandarin and will assist with pronunciation and do their best to understand my meaning. It is refreshing compared to my other experience with using my minimal knowledge of French in Paris where they will not even pretend to understand even when the speak English.
3.14.2007
The Cold...and the Cold
The weather here in Beijing has been nice by U.S. standards. Since I have arrived, the high temperatures have been more or less in the high 40's to mid 50's but I am still going to complain about the cold. Why you ask... it is because it feels so much colder here than it does at home. Outside it is nice, but when it is 50 you can still only spend so much time outdoors. The rest of your time is spent indoors. In the U.S. we heat our homes, restaurants, have heat in our cars...pretty much we are warm whenever we are not outside. Here in China, I am never warm. Usually the only time I am warm during the day is when I am in the shower. Other than that, inside is not really heated here. It is, but not as warm as I am used to. In my room I would say it is about 60 degrees all the time...though that may be a little on the warm side. Classrooms are cold, there is no heating on the bus or subway beyond the body heat generated and when you eat in a restaurant it is not advisable to usually take off your coat. All of this, combined with an assumed deficiency in Vitamin C has led to a cold. A wonderful reality here in China that I have been warned may not go away as long as I am here. Lets hope that this is not the case as teaching was interesting today given how I feel.
Even with all of these complaints about the cold, Spring is just around the corner and with it the warm temperatures. Therefore, be prepared for me to complain about how warm it is in just a few weeks as air conditioning is expensive and cannot be turned on until May 1st in the school. With a group of middle schoolers in a country that does not use deodorant...that may get interesting. All the best.
Even with all of these complaints about the cold, Spring is just around the corner and with it the warm temperatures. Therefore, be prepared for me to complain about how warm it is in just a few weeks as air conditioning is expensive and cannot be turned on until May 1st in the school. With a group of middle schoolers in a country that does not use deodorant...that may get interesting. All the best.
3.11.2007
The First Olympics Post
Hello all and welcome to what is bound to be the first of many posts that have something to do with the pending arrival of the 2008 Summer Olympics in this great city. As many of you that know me are aware of, one of the major reasons why I am in China teaching English is to gain a familiarity with the city, allowing me to set a base to allow me to be back in Beijing for the Olympics. I have been a fan of this great event since 1988 and have been excited about the chance to attend them in person here in about a year and a half...or 515 days (give or take; there are countdowns to the start of the Games posted all over the city, including on Tiananmen Square. Just today ticket plans were announced. It requires a Chinese address (which I now have) and also a Visa valid for more than six months (which I am pretty sure I have), but I am still waiting to see if I am approved to buy during the first round of sales. This round begins to go on sale on April 1st so be thinking happy thoughts for me on April Fools Day.
This weekend I took my first visit to the new venues for the Olympics. This has to be the world's largest construction project currently found in the world. It took me over an hour to walk around the site, making it about half way around. The construction of many of the buildings have not yet progressed beyond the initial stages, though all of the largest buildings have their structures intact. These are, in my humble opinion, the most impressive architectural monuments to sport that can be found on the face of the earth. These are incredibly beautiful building that will help these Olympics to serve as a showcase for this entire nation. They are marvels of engineering while also fulfilling a need for visual stimulation. There are some of the most stunning building that I have seen, eliciting feelings of grandeur and skill. The athletes that have the privelege to compete here will be competing in state of the art facilities never before seen for athletic endeavors. The main Olympic Stadium, sight of Track and Field Competitions, Soccer matches and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies has been called the birds nest stadium. It features a series of interwoven metal that makes it very much resemble a birds nest. The pool (surprise, surprise) is my favorite building on the grounds. It features a set of blue panels that are illuminated (or will be) at night, making the entire building appear to be a glowing blue box. It has been called the cube and will be the site of almost all of the Olympic Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming events. These are the two "headlining" buildings. I took lots of pictures on Friday, however, due to the high pollution levels they all came out pretty hazy. I will have to go back on a clearer day to show you all the full beauty of these magnificent structures.
This weekend I took my first visit to the new venues for the Olympics. This has to be the world's largest construction project currently found in the world. It took me over an hour to walk around the site, making it about half way around. The construction of many of the buildings have not yet progressed beyond the initial stages, though all of the largest buildings have their structures intact. These are, in my humble opinion, the most impressive architectural monuments to sport that can be found on the face of the earth. These are incredibly beautiful building that will help these Olympics to serve as a showcase for this entire nation. They are marvels of engineering while also fulfilling a need for visual stimulation. There are some of the most stunning building that I have seen, eliciting feelings of grandeur and skill. The athletes that have the privelege to compete here will be competing in state of the art facilities never before seen for athletic endeavors. The main Olympic Stadium, sight of Track and Field Competitions, Soccer matches and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies has been called the birds nest stadium. It features a series of interwoven metal that makes it very much resemble a birds nest. The pool (surprise, surprise) is my favorite building on the grounds. It features a set of blue panels that are illuminated (or will be) at night, making the entire building appear to be a glowing blue box. It has been called the cube and will be the site of almost all of the Olympic Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronized Swimming events. These are the two "headlining" buildings. I took lots of pictures on Friday, however, due to the high pollution levels they all came out pretty hazy. I will have to go back on a clearer day to show you all the full beauty of these magnificent structures.
3.08.2007
Trial by Fire...The First Days of Teaching
So, I have obviously already begun my job here. I am teaching in a classroom for the first time in my life and so far I must say that it is going pretty well. The first week, however, was pretty rough. I have the world's best schedule...for now. I am not sure how I continue to get lucky with my jobs and class schedules, but I currently have the perfect schedule. I have 12 periods of class (with only 5 distinct lessons) every week with no classes on Monday's or Friday's. This may change however, as another teacher in the Middle School just resigned leaving a hole in the Social Studies department. I expect to hear soon if I will be adding some of her classes to my schedule. Either way, I think that I will still have at least one day free during the week to give myself more time to explore the city of Beijing.
I came here with the expectation of being primarily and ESL teacher with a chance that I would be teaching some history classes in addition to the ESL classes. When I got here I was thrilled to find out that I would be teaching primarily history with only three ESL classes. This is a great situation for me because I find it much easier to become engaged in the history material. Lesson planning is more straight forward (most of the learning in China is conducted in lecture format) and I am much more interested in History than I am in grammer. Here at Huijia (Hway-ja) there is a primary school, the bilingual middle school, an International Baccalaureate High School and the Man's College (the only all male high school in China).
I am teaching history to 7th and 8th graders. Ancient World History to the 7th graders who I only see one time per week and Modern (post 1500) World History to the 8th Graders who I see two times per week. In addition I am the first foreign teacher in Huijia's history to assist with teaching Chinese History to 7th graders (Once every two weeks). Chinese History has always been taught in Chinese, never before in English. I am excited to be able to bring a new perspective, a western perspective to Chinese History. My co-teacher (Mae) seems appreciative that I am willing to teach Chinese History and has encourage me to share my own perspective on issues, encouraging to teach a slightly different history than the book teaches. Mae sits in on almost all of my classes to (at times) translate for me. In the 7th grade classroom we split the teaching time 65%-35% with me teaching in English most of the time, interrupted by periods of clarification of technical historical terms in Chinese for the students. It is a great system and for the most part the kids seem into the lessons so far.
These classes have been going very well and I absolutely love to teach history. It is a great lesson for me to prepare lessons on topics that I am familiar with (and was in many ways before I was formally taught these subjects) to kids that have no idea what I am talking about. Topics that are so far removed from their worldview that they few of them have come across before this time. With my 7th graders I got to teach them about Reincarnation in relation to the Caste System in India and the idea of a soul, not to mention re-birth was completely foreign to them. By the end of the lesson it was clear that they did grasp the concept through their questions. In 8th grade this week I taught about the Slave Trade to the America's. In the United States we are taught about slavery (or at least I was) from a very young age and throughout our time in school we begin to grasp the realities of this embarrassing chapter in our nations history. Imagine getting all the gruesome, heart wrenching details of this period without any prior knowledge of the subject. That is what I was able to share with the kids this week, teaching them the reality of this horrible period in my nation's history, revealing to them that there are times in every nation's past that when looked back upon, does not make sense. This willingness to evaluate and critique past mistakes is something that is still pretty uncommon in Chinese culture. The status quo through propaganda is still alive and well here.
In addition to my History classes I am also teaching English in the Man's College. This is a small school (about 80 kids) that has a somewhat militiristic curriculum. I am the only foreign teacher that has been in the school this year. I teach three classes and I was given very basic instructions by the Dean of the school on how I should teach...he said "it is more important that the student's like you than it is for them to learn grammer" (through a translator so the translation may be just a bit off). I can handle those sorts of instructions. I only see these classes one time per week and so far we have had very casual conversations about a variety of topics. It is very informal and I question if I am doing enough with them. It is my hope that through these casual conversations I am able to expand their vocabularies and increase their comfort with the English language.
Life here is pretty good. I am waiting for the weather to warm up a bit, but all in all I am loving it here. There will be more updates soon. Everyone try to stay safe.
I came here with the expectation of being primarily and ESL teacher with a chance that I would be teaching some history classes in addition to the ESL classes. When I got here I was thrilled to find out that I would be teaching primarily history with only three ESL classes. This is a great situation for me because I find it much easier to become engaged in the history material. Lesson planning is more straight forward (most of the learning in China is conducted in lecture format) and I am much more interested in History than I am in grammer. Here at Huijia (Hway-ja) there is a primary school, the bilingual middle school, an International Baccalaureate High School and the Man's College (the only all male high school in China).
I am teaching history to 7th and 8th graders. Ancient World History to the 7th graders who I only see one time per week and Modern (post 1500) World History to the 8th Graders who I see two times per week. In addition I am the first foreign teacher in Huijia's history to assist with teaching Chinese History to 7th graders (Once every two weeks). Chinese History has always been taught in Chinese, never before in English. I am excited to be able to bring a new perspective, a western perspective to Chinese History. My co-teacher (Mae) seems appreciative that I am willing to teach Chinese History and has encourage me to share my own perspective on issues, encouraging to teach a slightly different history than the book teaches. Mae sits in on almost all of my classes to (at times) translate for me. In the 7th grade classroom we split the teaching time 65%-35% with me teaching in English most of the time, interrupted by periods of clarification of technical historical terms in Chinese for the students. It is a great system and for the most part the kids seem into the lessons so far.
These classes have been going very well and I absolutely love to teach history. It is a great lesson for me to prepare lessons on topics that I am familiar with (and was in many ways before I was formally taught these subjects) to kids that have no idea what I am talking about. Topics that are so far removed from their worldview that they few of them have come across before this time. With my 7th graders I got to teach them about Reincarnation in relation to the Caste System in India and the idea of a soul, not to mention re-birth was completely foreign to them. By the end of the lesson it was clear that they did grasp the concept through their questions. In 8th grade this week I taught about the Slave Trade to the America's. In the United States we are taught about slavery (or at least I was) from a very young age and throughout our time in school we begin to grasp the realities of this embarrassing chapter in our nations history. Imagine getting all the gruesome, heart wrenching details of this period without any prior knowledge of the subject. That is what I was able to share with the kids this week, teaching them the reality of this horrible period in my nation's history, revealing to them that there are times in every nation's past that when looked back upon, does not make sense. This willingness to evaluate and critique past mistakes is something that is still pretty uncommon in Chinese culture. The status quo through propaganda is still alive and well here.
In addition to my History classes I am also teaching English in the Man's College. This is a small school (about 80 kids) that has a somewhat militiristic curriculum. I am the only foreign teacher that has been in the school this year. I teach three classes and I was given very basic instructions by the Dean of the school on how I should teach...he said "it is more important that the student's like you than it is for them to learn grammer" (through a translator so the translation may be just a bit off). I can handle those sorts of instructions. I only see these classes one time per week and so far we have had very casual conversations about a variety of topics. It is very informal and I question if I am doing enough with them. It is my hope that through these casual conversations I am able to expand their vocabularies and increase their comfort with the English language.
Life here is pretty good. I am waiting for the weather to warm up a bit, but all in all I am loving it here. There will be more updates soon. Everyone try to stay safe.
3.04.2007
The Bus...actually written on Feb. 23rd
I accomplished something today, something that I have never done before…wait for it….I rode the bus in a foreign country. I know, I know, my parents must be so proud of my recent accomplishments, I mean, really, who would ever believe that a 26 year old could summon the courage and strength to get onto a bus…IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. Wow. Thank You, Thank You, charitable gifts in the name of my accomplishment can be directed to the foundations that you feel are most worthy. All kidding aside, it was the first time that I have ever ridden a public bus outside of the US, a trip that ended in such humiliating defeat that you can all mock me mercilessly about it when I return to the States. I set out this morning to get to downtown Beijing. This trip requires a bus ride followed by a subway ride, or the more expensive option of taking a cab. Two days ago, I took a cab since I did not know where the bus stop was located. I was pretty sure that I had now found out where the correct stop was, and due to the high cost of taking a cab (about 5 dollars) I made the decision to only take the bus when going into downtown. The whole trip (bus and subway) should take about an hour and a half and cost just over 75 cents. A bargain whichever way you slice it. On top of the monetary benefit of taking the bus you also, when blessed with my stunning good looks…or is it just my freakish height… are stared at and talked about (I think…there is still a pretty substantial language barrier at play in this country, as you will soon hear more about) and generally viewed as a celebrity the entire trip rather than just on the subway portion. A win, win all around.
To get to Longze Subway Station (pronounced (Chinese Phrase of the Day) Lon Tze Dee Tie) you need to get on the #21 bus. The stop is a short (1/2 mile or so) walk from campus and is the only bus that services this area so it was a no brainer. Hop on this bus and ride it to the end (presumably the subway station) hop off and get on the subway. The bus portion of the trip should take, at most 40 minutes. Well, the #21 bus came, I got on said I:G: er kwai or 2 Yuan ticket please (translation approximate and pronunciation pretty poor). We started off in the direction of downtown Changping, the opposite direction of the subway station. I figured that we would simply be making a loop and shortly headed towards the station. As more time passed and we started to get a little further from the station and then outside of the city of Changping the pass issuer tried to tell me something. (I have no idea what her title is, but it is always a women. She does all of the work of what is automated in the U.S.. She takes money, announces the stops and tells the driver if he needs to stop and let someone off). I shook my head no, and gestured that I am an ignorant foreigner with little knowledge of her language and I wish she spoke English since I did and everyone should know my language…or something to that effect. Upon further review she was saying something along the lines of “you dumb American. There is no reason at all that you want to be let off out here in rural China. We have about three stops left before our break and I suggest you get off and get on a bus headed the opposite direction rather than sitting here stupidly assuming we will turn around to take you to your desired destination that you should know is not on the route of this bus” Or something like that. I finally did reach the end of the line and got off the bus. There was no other buses at this exact time that were headed the way that I wanted to go so I began to walk back the way we had come to look for a bus stop on the opposite side of the road so that I could head back towards the subway station. Finally a bus came and, of course, I was not at a stop so it went past me. I kept walking until I could see clearly that this was a bus stop. The #21 bus finally came by and I got on. Thankfully, it was a different driver and ticket taker so I would not “lose face” (a uniquely Chinese idea that I will no doubt have more to say about in future installments).
The ticket taker on this new bus asked me (what I later found out to be) what price ticker and I made a gesture to indicate no idea. I thought that there was only one price for tickets no matter the length of the ride. I did not know that on bus rides, the longer you go, the more you pay, an idea that really makes a ton of sense when you think about it. She gave me a 1 yuan ticket (about 12 cents) and left me alone. About a third of the way to the subway she came up, laughed nervously and gestured that I needed to pay another yuan. I happily paid as I actually understood this gesture and perhaps even some of what she said. I sat back and tried to laugh at myself and enjoy the sights of my new home. This was interrupted some time later when I needed to pay yet another yuan to cover the lengthy (as long as one can take on the #21 bus) trip to the subway.
This trip reminded me that I really need to work on getting at least some knowledge of the language in order to communicate and understand those around me. A sense of humor is also needed to get through these times that can be (and were) filled with frustration and ignorance. I made it, eventually, back to the school and collapsed exhausted after a long day of unintended travel. More to follow when I have hopefully mastered the process of public transportation here.
To get to Longze Subway Station (pronounced (Chinese Phrase of the Day) Lon Tze Dee Tie) you need to get on the #21 bus. The stop is a short (1/2 mile or so) walk from campus and is the only bus that services this area so it was a no brainer. Hop on this bus and ride it to the end (presumably the subway station) hop off and get on the subway. The bus portion of the trip should take, at most 40 minutes. Well, the #21 bus came, I got on said I:G: er kwai or 2 Yuan ticket please (translation approximate and pronunciation pretty poor). We started off in the direction of downtown Changping, the opposite direction of the subway station. I figured that we would simply be making a loop and shortly headed towards the station. As more time passed and we started to get a little further from the station and then outside of the city of Changping the pass issuer tried to tell me something. (I have no idea what her title is, but it is always a women. She does all of the work of what is automated in the U.S.. She takes money, announces the stops and tells the driver if he needs to stop and let someone off). I shook my head no, and gestured that I am an ignorant foreigner with little knowledge of her language and I wish she spoke English since I did and everyone should know my language…or something to that effect. Upon further review she was saying something along the lines of “you dumb American. There is no reason at all that you want to be let off out here in rural China. We have about three stops left before our break and I suggest you get off and get on a bus headed the opposite direction rather than sitting here stupidly assuming we will turn around to take you to your desired destination that you should know is not on the route of this bus” Or something like that. I finally did reach the end of the line and got off the bus. There was no other buses at this exact time that were headed the way that I wanted to go so I began to walk back the way we had come to look for a bus stop on the opposite side of the road so that I could head back towards the subway station. Finally a bus came and, of course, I was not at a stop so it went past me. I kept walking until I could see clearly that this was a bus stop. The #21 bus finally came by and I got on. Thankfully, it was a different driver and ticket taker so I would not “lose face” (a uniquely Chinese idea that I will no doubt have more to say about in future installments).
The ticket taker on this new bus asked me (what I later found out to be) what price ticker and I made a gesture to indicate no idea. I thought that there was only one price for tickets no matter the length of the ride. I did not know that on bus rides, the longer you go, the more you pay, an idea that really makes a ton of sense when you think about it. She gave me a 1 yuan ticket (about 12 cents) and left me alone. About a third of the way to the subway she came up, laughed nervously and gestured that I needed to pay another yuan. I happily paid as I actually understood this gesture and perhaps even some of what she said. I sat back and tried to laugh at myself and enjoy the sights of my new home. This was interrupted some time later when I needed to pay yet another yuan to cover the lengthy (as long as one can take on the #21 bus) trip to the subway.
This trip reminded me that I really need to work on getting at least some knowledge of the language in order to communicate and understand those around me. A sense of humor is also needed to get through these times that can be (and were) filled with frustration and ignorance. I made it, eventually, back to the school and collapsed exhausted after a long day of unintended travel. More to follow when I have hopefully mastered the process of public transportation here.
3.02.2007
Longing...
I am about a week into my travels and I am experiencing a deep longing, not for home (though I do miss everyone) but instead for the Streets of Shanghai, my home the last time I was in China, if you can have a home for only four weeks. Shanghai was a city filled with excitement, an aura of grandeur, of being on the verge of the future. The architecture was something out of 1980’s science fiction, the people assured and confident, the surroundings are foreign yet oddly familiar. You could walk down the street and have many choices of food, western with a Chinese twist. In short, paradise, but a safe paradise. Shanghai is my London of China. I love London because it is distinctly European, not American yet it is a safe destination. I know that I will be able to talk to anyone and have no major problems communicating. In some ways, Shanghai offers this same level of comfort. Knowing that there are Western restaurants, and, if you are patient, someone that has at least some level of English. As of yet, I have not found this in Beijing.
Three Blind Men are shown an elephant. One of the men is at the front, another in the middle and a third at the back. The one at the front feels the trunk and thinks he is holding a snake, is convinced of it. The second is sure that he is at a wall and the third thinks something else entirely. Each of these men are at a different part, yet they think they know exactly what they are encountering. No one can see the whole thing at once or even perhaps at all. (adapted from “Oh the Glory of it All” by Sean Wilsey…sidenote; this is a great book, which you should all go out and get…or wait for me to bring it back home and borrow it) China is like this elephant. It is a huge place with all sorts of different experiences depending on where you are. None of the parts are alike and the parts can even change given time. With the current rate of change, the China that I am experiencing will never again be reproduced. On my first trip here, I knew one small part of China and had hoped that my experience the first time would be recreated here in Beijing. I am reminding myself that I need to stay patient. I am sure that I will soon discover that part of Beijing that evokes similar emotions to what Shanghai has.
I am longing for the safe expatriate haven where I know I can see familiar faces; hear familiar sounds, smell familiar scents and perhaps most of all taste familiar cuisine. It has only been a week, but I already miss many of my favorite dishes at home. I feel, and it is perhaps too soon to really know, that the people in Shanghai were much friendlier than they are here in Beijing. (It also could be that time has made me forget the less friendly in Shanghai, leaving only the pleasant memories, see “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert...another good book) Western faces are so few and far between here in Beijing that when we stumble upon each other, we almost are more prone to glaring at each other for ruining the exotic and foreign mindset that pervades Beijing. In Shanghai, I seem to recall the Western faces as smiling, almost smirking, knowing that we were sharing in the experience of a city at the cusp of great things, a city which in many ways is busy staking its claim as one of the most important economic centers in the entire world.
Three Blind Men are shown an elephant. One of the men is at the front, another in the middle and a third at the back. The one at the front feels the trunk and thinks he is holding a snake, is convinced of it. The second is sure that he is at a wall and the third thinks something else entirely. Each of these men are at a different part, yet they think they know exactly what they are encountering. No one can see the whole thing at once or even perhaps at all. (adapted from “Oh the Glory of it All” by Sean Wilsey…sidenote; this is a great book, which you should all go out and get…or wait for me to bring it back home and borrow it) China is like this elephant. It is a huge place with all sorts of different experiences depending on where you are. None of the parts are alike and the parts can even change given time. With the current rate of change, the China that I am experiencing will never again be reproduced. On my first trip here, I knew one small part of China and had hoped that my experience the first time would be recreated here in Beijing. I am reminding myself that I need to stay patient. I am sure that I will soon discover that part of Beijing that evokes similar emotions to what Shanghai has.
I am longing for the safe expatriate haven where I know I can see familiar faces; hear familiar sounds, smell familiar scents and perhaps most of all taste familiar cuisine. It has only been a week, but I already miss many of my favorite dishes at home. I feel, and it is perhaps too soon to really know, that the people in Shanghai were much friendlier than they are here in Beijing. (It also could be that time has made me forget the less friendly in Shanghai, leaving only the pleasant memories, see “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert...another good book) Western faces are so few and far between here in Beijing that when we stumble upon each other, we almost are more prone to glaring at each other for ruining the exotic and foreign mindset that pervades Beijing. In Shanghai, I seem to recall the Western faces as smiling, almost smirking, knowing that we were sharing in the experience of a city at the cusp of great things, a city which in many ways is busy staking its claim as one of the most important economic centers in the entire world.
3.01.2007
Chinese New Year
I am here! After a long day of travel (18 Hours total from 1st boarding to landing) I have arrived safe and sound in Beijing. Travel went very smoothly, we were a bit late getting into Beijing but when you have spent over 12 hours on a plane, what is a few minutes. I had the pleasure to sit next to very nice people that were very helpful, offering suggestions about what to do in Beijing and ensuring that I was taken care of upon arrival. For the first time in my life, I was greeted (by myself) with my name on a sign. While this was pretty normal at the arrival area, I felt like a VIP. It took about 45 minutes to claim my luggage (I was able to fit my entire life…for six months, into three bags) and get through customs. I was a little late and felt bad since the Chinese New Year is about the biggest holiday in China. My driver and Lilly (house manager) both had to wait and work while I am sure that they had other places to be. What followed was a quick re-introduction into the horror that is driving in China.
We had about a 45-minute ride to the school from the airport. In this time we passed on the left, passed on the left when traffic was present, passed on the right, passed on the right when pedestrians were present, passed at a red light (willing the car in front of us to move using our brights and horn), passed on the right making a left turn, passed on the left making a left turn went 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, passed a police vehicle, passed a car with about an inch of clearance, passed…well, you get the idea. There are times when I felt that I would thrive driving here but most of the time I was holding on tight. Since the last time I was here it seems that bright headlight flashing has replaced the horn as the preferred method of letting everyone on the road know that you are there. While potentially terrifying, the system is a well-oiled and even choreographed dance that seems, at least most of the time, to work without serious consequences. That said, there is no way that I ever want to drive on these roads.
I find it so fitting that I have arrived in China on Chinese New Years Eve. Most of my own New Year’s Resolutions revolved around my experience here, more or less ignoring the last month and a half since the more traditional January 1st New Year. Saying goodbye to everyone was as difficult as I expected it to be. I am very excited about the opportunity to live in China, but nevertheless am nervous to leave the known to undertake this adventure. The move here represents a new beginning for me, a time to in some ways reinvent myself. Since I have been fairly young, I have always been somewhat insecure about where I fit into the world. I have questioned if I have meant as much to my friends as they do to me. I can say unequivocally that I have never felt as loved as now. The going away sendoff that I received was greatly appreciated. Know that while here I will think of you often and do my best to keep you updated on the ins and outs of my daily life. As a HEM (highly emotional male) the sendoff and need to say goodbye is a recipe for potential disaster. I can say that tears were shed at all three airports I visited in the last few days. In Grand Rapids the tears were due to leaving, saying goodbye and the realization that it would be the greater part of six months until I would see my family and friends again. In Chicago the tears came back as I read the notes that were given to me prior to departure. Finally, in Beijing I started to tear up (just a little) with the realization that I have arrived in my new home, that the adventure has begun and there is no turning back.
The night (and so far the morning) have been filled with the sounds of fireworks in the distance, all in celebration of the New Year. The streets from the airport were lined with firework stands. I am embarrassed to say that I slept through the night. I fell asleep for what I intended to be a short nap before getting to explore a bit, but I was out of commission as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the coming days there will no doubt be more adventures to report, many more people to meet and a need to try and make this place feel as much like home as I can before classes begin. Thank you all for your well wished, encouragements and prayers in this time of transition, I will need to keep an open mind as I get used to the sounds, smells, sights and tastes of this nation.
We had about a 45-minute ride to the school from the airport. In this time we passed on the left, passed on the left when traffic was present, passed on the right, passed on the right when pedestrians were present, passed at a red light (willing the car in front of us to move using our brights and horn), passed on the right making a left turn, passed on the left making a left turn went 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, passed a police vehicle, passed a car with about an inch of clearance, passed…well, you get the idea. There are times when I felt that I would thrive driving here but most of the time I was holding on tight. Since the last time I was here it seems that bright headlight flashing has replaced the horn as the preferred method of letting everyone on the road know that you are there. While potentially terrifying, the system is a well-oiled and even choreographed dance that seems, at least most of the time, to work without serious consequences. That said, there is no way that I ever want to drive on these roads.
I find it so fitting that I have arrived in China on Chinese New Years Eve. Most of my own New Year’s Resolutions revolved around my experience here, more or less ignoring the last month and a half since the more traditional January 1st New Year. Saying goodbye to everyone was as difficult as I expected it to be. I am very excited about the opportunity to live in China, but nevertheless am nervous to leave the known to undertake this adventure. The move here represents a new beginning for me, a time to in some ways reinvent myself. Since I have been fairly young, I have always been somewhat insecure about where I fit into the world. I have questioned if I have meant as much to my friends as they do to me. I can say unequivocally that I have never felt as loved as now. The going away sendoff that I received was greatly appreciated. Know that while here I will think of you often and do my best to keep you updated on the ins and outs of my daily life. As a HEM (highly emotional male) the sendoff and need to say goodbye is a recipe for potential disaster. I can say that tears were shed at all three airports I visited in the last few days. In Grand Rapids the tears were due to leaving, saying goodbye and the realization that it would be the greater part of six months until I would see my family and friends again. In Chicago the tears came back as I read the notes that were given to me prior to departure. Finally, in Beijing I started to tear up (just a little) with the realization that I have arrived in my new home, that the adventure has begun and there is no turning back.
The night (and so far the morning) have been filled with the sounds of fireworks in the distance, all in celebration of the New Year. The streets from the airport were lined with firework stands. I am embarrassed to say that I slept through the night. I fell asleep for what I intended to be a short nap before getting to explore a bit, but I was out of commission as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the coming days there will no doubt be more adventures to report, many more people to meet and a need to try and make this place feel as much like home as I can before classes begin. Thank you all for your well wished, encouragements and prayers in this time of transition, I will need to keep an open mind as I get used to the sounds, smells, sights and tastes of this nation.
My Journey...Part 1 of many
I apologize for the slow response of emails and no postings so far. I have arrived in China safely and have had a good trip so far. You will have seen that this is, however, a new address for my blog. It seems that my blog is blocked in China, well, actually all wordpress blogs are blocked so I am unable to update the site I had sent out earlier. Please change your bookmarks accordingly since I will be unable to update my .wordpress blog at any point during my trip. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers in these initial days in China.
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