Welcome to China....

I really did try my best to start teaching today.

I was scheduled to teach two classes of the long-titled “An Introduction to the Societies and Cultures of English-Speaking Countries”. Each class is roughly two hours long with a 10-minute break in the middle. Tuesday is my heaviest teaching day – relatively speaking.

I got up bright and early and in “professional” mode. I spent much of yesterday preparing and printing a class syllabus and planning my first class. I asked one of the other teachers if the students would understand a syllabus. He told me that it would be a new concept for them, but hey – welcome to North American culture! In university/college, we have outlines of our classes. In my mind, how else can you stay organized? The syllabus is as much for my benefit as my students’.

I arrived at my classroom by 9:35, which was quite early, considering the class didn’t start until 10:00. I didn’t want to be late on my first day as a teacher! I thought perhaps the classroom would be vacant and I could get my blackboard notes written before students started trickling in. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case and I had to wait outside for 15 minutes or so.

Waiting outside the classroom, I considered whether I was nervous. Teaching isn’t something I’ve ever done – period – let alone teach in front of a group of students for whom English is not a first language. I’d been told to expect varying degrees of ability. Some are very good, while others hardly speak a word, even if their professed major is English. I felt some trepidation, but also excitement…. Not unlike how I feel right before I get up to give a speech at Toastmasters. I was ready to use my slight nervousness to spur me on to a better performance.

The first thing I did when I got in the classroom (which is very basic – blackboard and chalk) was set up my laptop. It would probably be completely useless, as the Internet is down today and I’d printed all my notes, but I took it anyway. It’s like my security blanket and reminds me of a time not too long ago when my laptop was my lifeline. At the DFB Group, my laptop went wherever I went. Like the dress pants I was wearing, having it there made me feel more like a professional. I took out the stack of syllabuses (syllabi?) and started writing some notes on the board: About Me, Classroom Rules and Points to Remember (Ask Questions, Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes, etc.). Students started arriving, most of them female, which is what I’d been told to expect. Many of them smiled at me. Some of them started reading my notes out loud. Yeah! I have a precocious class.

Only it wasn’t my class. I finished my notes and shut the classroom doors. One of the students rushed up to me. I thought she might be the class monitor – typically the best student who helps the teacher with the roster and other duties. But she pointed to another woman and said this was the teacher for this class and that it’s not an English class at all. The other teacher didn’t speak any English and didn’t look any older than her students (then again, I probably don’t either, though obviously nobody will mistake me for a student).

For a moment, I was completely mortified. How could I have gotten the classroom wrong? I’d only looked at my schedule about 100 times! I checked it again – no, this was definitely the classroom written on the sheet. What could I do but smile and explain that my schedule most certainly said I was in the right class? The female student explained that these students weren’t English majors. And it just went downhill from there. Hilariously, Bryan, another ESL teacher, showed up and said he was supposed to be teaching in that classroom too. So: Three teachers were all scheduled to teach in the same classroom. Some of the students started giggling, and I smiled back. I called Connie 2, the foreign teachers’ assistant. She left a class to come over and try to figure out the situation. She couldn’t reach Connie 1, and Bryan and I couldn’t reach Teddy… there wasn’t much more that Connie 2 could do, so she returned to her own class.

So I just packed up my things, erased the blackboard, smiled and told the students it was nice to have met them briefly. Some of them smiled at me and one said I should stay in their class and learn Chinese. During orientation week, I’d be told not to get upset at these sorts of things and that they happen all the time in the Chinese educational system. If you get upset, they’re likely to just turn away from you. The Chinese do not like confrontation. Outwardly, I kept my smile and good humour….

Inwardly, I was fuming. It seems like such a simple thing to get a classroom location right. And I was aghast at the thought that somewhere a class was sitting without a teacher. It didn’t help when Bryan said that this had happened last semester too. He’d missed the first class because they gave him the wrong classroom, but his students then acted like it was his fault and made comments about it. We walked over to Teddy’s office. No Teddy. I tried Connie 1 myself and finally reached her at home. She apologized and said she’d look into it. She called me back about 30 minutes later and apologized profusely. She said it was her mistake and that in creating my schedule (based on Bryan’s), she hadn’t changed the weekday or room number. That still doesn’t explain why Bryan was in the same classroom as the Chinese teacher, but I figured it was best for him to talk to Connie herself and figure that out.

Connie explained that neither of my Tuesday classes are actually on Tuesday; they’re tomorrow. She apologized repeatedly and said she’d email me a new schedule (let’s hope the Internet is working by tonight). I was very relieved to find out that there wasn’t a “teacherless” class somewhere on campus.

People make mistakes, I know that. She was extremely apologetic. But apparently this kind of thing happens with astonishing frequency. Oh well…. I have to remember to “go with the flow” while in China. And on the upside, I had a dry run at getting mentally psyched to teach and writing some notes on the board (I have to work on the leftie penmanship, which is not improved at all with chalk… of course, “my” class commented on the left-handedness).

Tomorrow it is. I think this means that I have to teach three classes on Wednesdays. We’ll see. In one instant, I learned that even when you think you know something here - you may not.

Post-Script: I wrote the above in Word since the Internet wasn't working. It is now and I have my new schedule. I'm teaching three classes on Wednesday and two on Thursday. I'll have one class on Tuesdays starting next week.

Bring Your Own Toilet Paper - and Other Observations on Life in China

I've been here now more than 3 weeks, which of course, is sufficient to make me an expert on all things Chinese (said with tongue firmly planted in cheek).

Here are some random observations on life in China:

1. BYOP - Bring Your Own Paper

Chinese washrooms run the gamut. I think I've yet to experience the truly horrendous, though I did take one look at the women's washroom at the acrobat show we attended in Shanghai and decided I could wait. At the other end of the spectrum was the spotless bathroom in the Shanghai World Financial Center that not only had a western toilet, but what looked to be a very fancy bidet.

I should say here that it's not just the level of cleanliness that varies - the toilets themselves are different. "Squat" toilets are common in China. And that name says it all. While the hotel where I'm living has the kind of toilets we're used to at home, the University only has squat toilets. You can't throw paper in a squat toilet; you throw it in a bucket or basket next to the toilet, which can create a none-too-appealing smell unless it's changed regularly. And speaking of toilet paper, I don't go anywhere without a package of tissues. Toilet paper is not guaranteed in public washrooms!

The tissue paper also comes in handy at restaurants. I've eaten in a number of restaurants now in the University area, and napkins are neither provided nor available. Me using chopsticks plus no napkins is not a good idea.... another reason for my ever-present package of tissues. And on the issue of chopsticks....


2. Chopsticks Skills are a Must

Thankfully I had basic chopstick skills before arriving in China. If not, I may have starved. Unlike Canadian-Chinese restaurants, where forks and knives are at the ready, you're hard pressed to find them here unless it's a western-style restaurant. Which makes sense. Restaurants at home don't carry a supply of chopsticks.

My chopstick ability is not fantastic - I still drop food and have a hard time picking up very small things - but it's good enough for me to get by without making a complete fool of myself.

My advice: If you're planning a trip to China, learn to use chopsticks.


3. Get Ready to Raise Your Glass

Chinese people, particularly businessmen, seem to love to toast. I'd heard about this in some business classes. Several of us were graciously invited to dinner on Friday night and we must have toasted 15-20 times throughout the meal. Sometimes it's the whole table. Sometimes the person doing the toasting just clinks glasses with one other person. Men seem to initiate the toasts much more than women.

I like the frequent toasts. It creates a feeling of comraderie with your fellow diners. All the toasting, plus the many and varied dishes, leads to nice, leisurely meals. On this, the Chinese seem to have something in common with the Europeans. I remember dinners in Europe that lasted 3 hours.


4. China's Vices - A Trip Back to the 60s

Ironically, China does capitalism just as good, if not better than, most capitalist countries, but its vices are those that the west is on its way to eradicating - namely smoking and drinking and driving. I love the TV show "Mad Men", but I can't say I long for a time when smoking and heavy drinking were ok. Welcome to China. At the reception desk on my first full day at the hotel in Changzhou, I was standing behind a man puffing away. It seemed bizarre to see someone smoking in a hotel lobby. I understand that it was much worse just a few years ago, and that no-smoking regulations are gradually making their way into Chinese society. And much like toasting, smoking is something that few Chinese women do.

Worse than the smoking is the lax attitude toward drinking and driving. After same dinner as mentioned in #3, I was mortified to see our host - who hadn't skimped on the alcohol consumption at dinner - get behind the wheel of a car and actually offer to drive us downtown. I declined, as did another teacher. On this point, I am unyielding and don't care where I am in the world or who I offend. If there's one thing I don't do, it's get into a car with someone who has been drinking.

Taxi please.

A Left-Handed, Chinese Businesswoman

Today we met with the School of Foreign Languages and received our teaching schedules. I was warmly welcomed as the new teacher this term. I'm teaching 3 classes each of "Introduction to the Cultures of the English-Speaking Countries" and "Oral English". For the culture course, I actually have a textbook, which I hear is rare for foreign teachers. My teaching time amounts to just 12 hours per week, Tuesday to Thursday. That seems incredibly slight, even when you include prep time. Well, it certainly leaves me time to travel, reflect and work on my Chinese! I think it will be a welcome change from the rigors of a business career, when even when you're not technically working.... you're working or thinking about work.

"Connie" is responsible for the foreigners' teaching, much as Teddy looks after our living situation. (The first time I reference a Chinese person by their English name, I'll use quotation marks to indicate that it's an adopted name.) After our meeting, Connie introduced me to her assistant, a second-year student who's there to answer questions and act as a general resource for foreign teachers. As it turns out, the student's English name is also "Connie". I'm guessing that Connie 2 is probably one of the top - if not the top - student at Jiangsu Teachers University of Technology. The job of assisting foreign teachers is considered a great honour and privilege.

In the few minutes I spoke with her, Connie struck me as warm and intelligent. I asked her what she wanted to be when she graduated and she replied "a businesswoman." What a coincidence! I explained that my time teaching in China was a break in a business career. She was surprised (I got, "why are you teaching in China?") and impressed. In a country where traditional gender roles still dominate, it's very likely I'm one of the few businesswomen Connie has met. She noted that everyone in international business - regardless of where they're from - speaks English, and I said that her combination of Mandarin and English would be a huge advantage in the business world. Connie went on to say that her parents were discouraging her from a business career and wanted her to pursue teaching. At that point, I didn't feel it was my place to spout the western axiom, "Follow your dreams!" Family has a special place in Chinese society and parents' wishes often determine what a child does. In fact, I've been told not to be surprised if my students think I'm over here because my parents asked me to do it! (I'll be able to assure them that is definitely not the case - right Mom!?) I simply told Connie that it was good she was keeping her options open by studying both business and English, and that I'd gladly trade her Chinese lessons for lessons in business English.

Connie also commented on my left handedness. That's the second time in two days I've gotten a remark about being left handed. She said that she'd met 5 or 6 other foreign teachers who were left handed, which apparently never ceases to amaze Chinese students. Connie explained that in China, children who show left-handed tendencies are forced to use their right hands, so left handedness is extremely rare.

Yesterday I had lunch with "Steve", the resident Chinese English teacher. Steve loves hanging out with foreigners - I'm looking forward to the dinner parties he's known for having for the foreign teachers! In walking around campus with Steve, I got an interesting comment that was also the second of its kind in a short amount of time. In the library, one of the librarians asked where I was from. Acting as translator, Steve told her Canada. She continued talking and started motioning to her eyes and nose. Steve told me that she said I looked like I could be from a part of China where the people have wider eyes and different noses. Earlier that day, Teddy had taken me to the police station to convert my temporary visa into a residency permit. I had to get a picture taken, and he remarked that my photo looked "very Chinese".

Huh? I thought people were staring at me because I looked so foreign, but maybe they're just trying to figure out where I'm from! In the past, others (friends in Europe) had told me that my "look" is hard to place and that I could as easily be from Eastern Europe as Canada. But I can't say I ever expected to be told I have a Chinese look about me! I'm glad I darkened my hair last year. On sunny days, I wear my shades and the stares decrease significantly. It's not out of the question that a Chinese woman would have paler skin; interestingly (sadly?) they sell skin lightening products here.

And on that note, it's time for my next 10 characters :0)

1,000 Characters in 100 Days

During orientation, an experienced ESL teacher told us that we were likely to have more free time in China than we've ever had before. We'll teach about 18 hours a week. Even when you include lesson prep time, that will hardly add up to a normal 40-hour work week. So that leaves a lot of time for travel, self-improvement, etc. With that in mind, I've come up with the following equation:

Lots of free time + About to specialize in international business in my MBA program = good idea to try to learn Chinese

My goal is to be able to hold a simple conversation by the time I leave. My loose definition of "simple" is the ability to carry on small talk with the friendly lady who runs the shop next to the hotel. In terms of written Chinese, here's my rather lofty goal: 1,000 characters in 100 days. That doesn't necessarily mean knowing how to write full sentences myself. I'm more interested in understanding written Chinese.

I came across this on a website dedicated to teaching the Chinese language:

"Knowing just 1,000 Chinese characters will enable you to understand approximately 90% of written communication. With 2,500 you'll understand around 98% of written Chinese, and knowing all the 4000 we have listed on these page will enable you to understand virtually 100%. With that, even a native Chinese would be considered literate."

Hence my goal of 1,000 characters - just 10 per day. Of course, it's one thing to know that this character - 日- means "sun". It's quite another to know that 度日 - same character combined with just one more - means "to scratch out a difficult existence". Sure. I will try my best! I'm already starting to recognize some of the more common characters when I see them, though I don't know what they mean in the sentence.

And with that, it's time for my 10 characters for tonight....

The Two Chinas

I've been in China now almost two weeks. I'm fascinated by the "two Chinas". One the public China: This is what you see when you're on the bus, in a crowded restaurant or in a mall - basically any public space. In public the Chinese can be loud, garrulous and even rude (or at least what we in the west would perceive as rude). In my five months here, I'm not certain that I'll ever understand the staring, spitting and insane driving, though I might - hopefully - get used to such behaviours. This is the China that will require the most adjustment for me.

Then there's the private China that emerges when you get to know people personally. Zhan Cheng ("Teddy") is our waiban at Jiangsu Teachers University of Technology, which means he is the liaison with the foreign teachers. He works in the University's international office. Teddy has to be one of the most accommodating, friendly people I've ever met. He helped set me up with a mobile phone, he took me to Wal-Mart and Tesco, and yesterday we went to the Changzhou Museum. We were going to visit China's largest Pagoda today, but a cold has temporarily put me out of commission. I get the impression that Teddy truly likes helping the "foreigners" settle in; he doesn't act like he's just doing it because it's his job.

Above: Teddy at the Changzhou Museum

Then there's "Bessie", the friend of a friend of a friend (!) who took me shopping last Friday afternoon in Shanghai. We met for the first time outside Jiao Tong University and ended up spending a fun afternoon together (I experienced the Shanghai subway at rush hour - not so fun!). I didn't know Bessie before my trip to China, but now I feel like she's a friend I can call on the next time I'm in Shanghai. We took the photo below at a coffee shop.

Above: With Bessie, my new Shanghainese friend

I posted a photo of "Jerry" in another entry. Jerry was my roommate during orientation in Shanghai. We were a good match and felt very comfortable together in our silence. With Jerry I didn't feel like I always had to be talking, which is a trap North Americans fall into sometimes (and which the Chinese can use to their advantage in business negotiations). The Chinese are more comfortable with silence. Another irony of this country! The public noisiness coupled with private silence.

So - that's my experience of the "two Chinas" so far. One of the lecturers during orientation helped clarify things when she described how the Chinese have two circles for relationships. The outer circle contains passing acquaintances, the general public and basically anyone you don't know. The inner circle is reserved for family and close friends. Why shouldn't they push past you to get on the bus or subway? You're not in their inner circle. The lecturer's tip: Bring as many people into your own inner circle as possible. They'll look out for you. I'm looking forward to classes starting on Feb. 23 so I can make more new friends.

First Impressions are Deceiving

Today is Lantern Festival in China, the last day of Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). Fireworks have been going off non-stop for the past 4 hours. It's crazy! I think of how St. John's barely manages 10 minutes of fireworks on NYE... while here in Changzhou, they've been setting them off for hours and at multiple locations!

So... I was a little hasty in my initial assessment of Changzhou. It turns out that I am in the older, more downtrodden part - though the hotel where I'm living (yes, a hotel, though the University operates the floor I'm on) outshines its surroundings. Today, I went to the city centre to get a cell phone and pick up some supplies for my apartment. Downtown is more modern and more aesthetically pleasing. There are many stores, including Wal-Mart, Tesco and boutique clothing stores that are nicer than anything we have at home. I'm happy to see some stores (i.e., H&M, Etam) that I got to know and love in Europe!

Later this week I'll check out Changzhou's Tianning Temple and pagoda - the tallest pagoda in China.

Life Begins in a 3rd-Tier Chinese City

I'm writing this from my apartment in Changzhou, China. CIEE's orientation in Shanghai is over. All the ESL teachers departed for their destinations yesterday.

When I arrived in Changzhou, I ventured out to a grocery/department store with Teddy (the foreign teachers' waiban at Jiangsu University) and Daniel, one of the other CIEE teachers. And I got my first taste of what it is to be a foreigner in a "third tier" Chinese city. I thought Shanghai was bad for staring. Wow, wow, wow. For the next five months, I'll be under a microscope as one of the few foreigners in Changzhou. Some of these people may never have seen a foreigner in their lives. I'm trying to cope with the blatant staring by likening it to what a minority person might encounter in a small Newfoundland outport. People will stare (though perhaps not quite so obviously). It's not that they're being unfriendly - they're just curious.

So Changzhou with its 2.8 million people - more than Vancouver - barely registers as a city in China. It's not even mentioned in the huge Lonely Planet guide book on China. Just on the way to the grocery store, we got a glimpse of the "real" China. Not Shanghai China. People squatting in doorways to hole-in-the-wall shops. People on bicycles pulling loads of cardboard and other junk. Ancient cars. In the meantime, I've been put up in what must be considered a luxury apartment by Chinese standards. I have lots of space and there's heat and hot water. It wasn't what I would consider clean, but it was nothing that a little - or a lot - of elbow grease couldn't fix. I'll be teaching students who'll sleep between 4 and 8 to one dorm without heat. I should consider that when I'm tempted to complain about my hard-as-nails mattress.

School may or may not start on Feb. 16, so I have at least a week to settle in. I might not start until Feb. 23. I've been told I just have to "go with the flow" here, and not be surprised if I don't know my schedule until the day before classes are supposed to start - maybe even day of. We've also been warned to expect last-minute schedule changes. I had dinner last night with the other ESL teachers, and they all seem to enjoy it. Two of them are even considering staying on for another year.

So my adventure in Changzhou begins!

Farewell Shanghai

Photo 1: At a bar in Shanghai, the final night of orientation

Photo 2: With other ESL teachers after the farewell dinner

Photo 3: With Jerry, my roommate for orientation - Jerry gave us Chinese lessons

Photo 1: An incredible face-changing performance at a Sichuan restaurant in Shanghai

Photo 2: Posing with some crazy Chinese snacks on the campus of Jiao Tong University, where orientation is happening

Photo 3: Tasting sake for the first time!

Oh Golden Arches, How I Love You!

Ok, my first post from China! Things are going well - it's all a little overwhelming, but I guess that's to be expected. I didn't venture too far from the hotel yesterday. I was a bit culture shocked and had visions of getting knocked over by a taxi after witnessing how they drive on my way from the airport. I'd read about the chaos of Chinese driving, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Pedestrians have no right of way - cars will actually honk at you to get out of their way, even on crosswalks. Lanes are apparently more like "guidelines". Drivers appear to be able to turn on any light, regardless of colour. I thought the cab driver was going to mow some people down on the way from the airport. Anyway.... other teachers are gradually showing up, so I ventured out with three others today. I'm the only Canadian; the rest are all American. As expected, I'm the senior citizen in the group. They're all fresh-faced and about 22!


Ok, to the subject line of my posting.... despite my best intentions, it took me less than 48 hours to fall back on that beloved North American staple - McDonald's. I say with tongue only partly in cheek that I've been to more foreign McD's than Canadian ones. It's not a place I'd generally choose at home, but there's something about seeing those Golden Arches when you're abroad.... when you don't speak the language.... when you don't know what food to order.... all of sudden the picture of the Chicken McNuggets is rather alluring. With the exception of a few local additions to the menu, McD's is the same wherever you go. I suppose I have some excuse.... It was 10 am, I was starving and I couldn't find anything else in the area that was open. Just sitting there I felt like the stereotypical "American" (because you know they're all making that assumption) who can't leave the Mickey D's at home. Oh well. I'm gradually introducing myself to local cuisine, to avoid getting sick, as discussed in an earlier post. Fingers crossed - so far, so good.

So - I haven't said much complimentary here yet about China, though I don't think I'm exactly griping either. I recognize that I'm the one who has to adapt. Today is better than yesterday and hopefully tomorrow will be better than today. Like Bob in "What About Bob", I'm trying to remember "baby steps, baby steps"!