My Least Favourite Word

I’ve decided my absolute least favourite word in Chinese is laowai, followed closely by the only slightly better waiguoren, which literally means “out-of-country person”. Both are Chinese for “foreigners” (See the Wikipedia entry on laowai here.)

Obviously at home we have the concept of "foreigner”. But in no way do we throw the term around like they do here. An example: I ordered lunch today at a campus restaurant, and when my food was ready, the waitress literally sang out “laowai!” – “foreigner!” Even in homogenous NL, can you imagine someone of a different race sitting in a restaurant and being called a “foreigner”? In NL, with its 98% white population (or more), who would dare make the presumption that, say, a black person or Asian person hadn’t actually been born in the province? There are many things I’ll miss about China, but being called a laowai isn’t one of them. To me, it’s the ultimate example of China’s lingering xenophobia – it draws a line in the sand. There is “us” and there is “them” and never the two shall mix.

For someone like me who loves diversity – who has travelled to 14 countries and met people from around the world – this alone is a deterrent to staying long term in China. I’ll take Washington, DC, thank you very much, home to many “foreigners”, not to mention a myriad of embassies and international organizations. Beijing and Shanghai are improving, but a third-tier city like Changzhou is not somewhere I could live for long. For everything I’ll miss about Changzhou, I’m ready to leave the stares, the laowai shouts and the annoying “hellos” behind in three weeks….

That’s another thing about being an expat in China. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t have someone saying “hello” to me. That might sound pretty harmless, but much depends on tone. I have no problem with a little kid or teenager seeing me, smiling and saying “hello”. I don’t like the half-taunting “hellos” I get from some people, usually young guys with their buddies. It’s like they’re trying to impress their friends by mocking the laowai. You might be German, French or another nationality…. it doesn’t matter. If you’re white, you get the annoying “hello”. In a bad mood, it leaves me fantasizing darkly about going up to random Asian people in North America and saying “ni hao”…. who cares if they’re Japanese? They look Asian, so they must speak Chinese. I’m also tempted to let loose some rapid-fire English that leaves them in shock. “Hello” is probably the only English word these people know, as I suspect the better educated don’t do it.

I try to understand all this and not let it bother me. If I was part of a race that had continuously inhabited an area for 5,000 years – with almost zero immigration and political leaders with a taste for xenophobia – then I might stare and call people laowai too. You can’t even begin to compare NL, although our overwhelmingly white population mirrors China’s Han Chinese population (and to be fair, we have our own version of laowai in the term “Come From Away”, though we hardly bandy it about as they do here). I think in NL, we’re still very much aware that we all come from immigrants. Just a few hundred years ago, most of our families were still in Ireland, England or Scotland. The oldest settlement in North America, and our 500 years are a mere blip next to China.

As China opens up, I wonder how it will look in the future. Surely, there will be more and more children born to expats in the bigger cities. They won’t be "out-of-country people", but will they still be called waiguoren? In 20, 30, 40 years, will laowai be a thing of the past? I hope so.

Please See Me

My culture students have no doubt come to hate those three little words.

Written across the top of their homework, “please see me” means that I’ve caught them copying – copying from the textbook, the Internet or another student. It doesn’t matter.

Copying is not such a straight-forward issue as it is as home. To be caught plagiarizing at home is the height of academic dishonesty. But in China? This is the land of knock-off everything. There isn’t an idea or product immune to being copied. Long before I came to China, I sat in business classes where the trade-off between China’s huge market and the risk of intellectual property infringement was discussed.

As a teacher, I made it clear at the beginning of the term that in my classes, you don’t copy. If I catch you copying, you either re-write it or don’t get credit for the assignment. Perhaps this is a quirky foreign teacher thing that they don’t have to contend with in any other classes. Frankly, I don’t care. I’ve told them I’d rather see a lot of mistakes than perfect essays that I know they didn’t write themselves. You can learn from mistakes. I try to establish proof of copying before accusing them of it, as I feel that’s a pretty serious accusation to make (or at least it would be at home). This usually isn’t difficult as they make almost no effort to cover their tracks. Sentences are copied word-for-word from the book. They apparently think I’ll believe they know a word like “superfluity”; I’ll get essays that some native speakers couldn’t write. Often, I can take sentences directly from their essays, type them into Google and voila – a Chinese website that supplies English essays!

I did this just last week and attached the print-out of the webpage to the student’s homework when I handed it back to stress how blatant the copying was. She came up to me at the break and started to cry, saying she’d been preparing for a big exam and had run out of time to write it herself. I’m fair – I don’t get mad at copiers, especially given the broad acceptance of it here. I always give them a second chance and say that I’m much more interested in their own ideas than in what a book or website says.

As the semester has worn on, I've made in-roads in the battle against copying. I’ll usually still catch 3 to 5 students (out of 40), but that is down from the 10 to 15 I had at the beginning of the term. An even bigger achievement? – the noticeable difference in both the quality and creativity of their essays, especially in the last round I corrected. I make an effort to assign essay questions that require original thought – questions to which there is no right or wrong answer. This differs completely from the rote memorization they’re used to. For instance, we’ve been studying Australia the last few weeks, and my latest homework assignment (and the last for the term) asked them to imagine that it’s the early 1800s and they are prisoners in the Australian penal colony. They were simply told to write a letter to their family at home, describing life in their new home. I haven’t corrected the papers yet, but I’m anticipating some interesting responses. Based on what I've seen in skits and presentations, I suspect some of these kids are very creative - they've just had it squashed out of them by a system that only cares about memorization and test-taking ability. And that saddens me.

Moonlighting in the Middle Kingdom

For the first time, I'll admit on my blog that I have a second job in Changzhou. I was reluctant to write about this, given that I'm technically not supposed to have another job according to my contract with the University. But the longer I'm here, the more I'm realizing it's not a big deal. For one thing, Teddy now knows about it and is cool with it. For another, most of the foreign English teachers have second jobs. The University only gave us 12 teaching hours a week. Even with lesson planning that barely adds up to one part-time job.

Since early March I've been teaching at Web International English, an English-language training centre. From what I gather, Web is a franchise operation. They are independently-run businesses throughout China - or at least throughout Jiangsu Province. There are two Webs in Changzhou. I teach at the one in Nan Da Jie in the city centre. There's another in the northern part of the city.

Reception Desk at Web International English

I found out about Web from another foreign teacher who had worked there. He introduced me to the manager and I had an interview on the spot (when does that ever happen at home for a professional position??). I told them at the outset that I wasn't in China only to work - I'm here to see the country and experience the culture too. I told them I could work weekends and Monday nights when I wasn't travelling.

So that's been my routine. When I'm in Changzhou, I typically work at Web on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 5 pm and Monday nights from 6 to 9 pm. That might not sound like a lot, but it's intensive, especially the four back-to-back Sunday classes. Teaching English here, in general, is exhausting work. You always have to be "on". You can't get lazy with your language and start resorting to idiomatic expressions. The longer I'm here, the easier it gets, but it can still be draining.

Teaching at Web is different from teaching at the University, though I enjoy both. Web has exposed me to a wider range of English learners. At the University about 95% of my students are female, while at Web the numbers are much more balanced. Also, most Web students are working professionals, though there are some school-age students. With an average tuition of 10,000 RMB per year, you have to be making a good salary to study at Web.... or have well-to-do parents and/or parents who are very committed to their kids learning English. In general, I find Web's students to be much more motivated. If I was paying that much for Chinese lessons, I'd be motivated too! Class sizes are kept small: Private classes will have 1 to 4 students, while salon classes have no more than 10. Compared to my culture classes of 40 at the University, this obviously helps with learning. Incidentally, the pay is better at Web too - though I'm hardly in China for the money! I would have stayed home if I was just interested in saving as much as possible before my MBA.

On Monday nights, I usually do English Corner at Web. Web's English Corner is quite different from the one at the University. The University's is very informal - we show up and talk to the students in English. For my first English Corner at Web, I did what you should never do in China and that's make an assumption. I assumed it would work like the University's English Corner. I showed up just expecting to have an informal chat with a few students.

Not so! There was certainly a "deer caught in headlights" moment when I walked in the room and saw about 50 people sitting there, all looking at me expectantly. I say "expectantly" because it turns out that the English teacher is expected to deliver a presentation at English Corner! If it's a PowerPoint presentation, then all the better. Well - thank God for Facebook (and thank God for Toastmasters, which has improved my ability to think quickly on my feet in a public speaking situation). I'd prepared nothing, but managed to navigate my way around Facebook in Chinese to find my photos. It was my first English Corner with them, so it was the ideal time to introduce myself, talk about my background and show them photos of family and friends. They loved it.

Since that first English Corner, Monday nights have truly become a highlight in my week. I love the crowd at Web English Corner. Some of them crack me up, they're such characters. They ask great questions. They are infinitely curious. A few speak fantastic English and continually amaze me with their knowledge of western cultures. I've talked to them about Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadian food, networking strategies and left-handedness (since they're always commenting on the fact I use my left hand). At the next English Corner I'll show them some photo highlights from my time in China. They love to see foreigners in the context of their own country.

My last English Corner is on June 15. I'll be sad to leave Web and based on what I hear, I think the feeling will be mutual. But my "Web memories" will last a lifetime.

The English Corner crowd at Web English

Gender Relations

One of the many paradoxes about China is that it is very conservative in its approach to homosexuality (i.e., it is neither acknowledged nor accepted), yet both men and women can be openly demonstrative (read: touchy-feely) with members of their own sex - and that is viewed as perfectly acceptable. It is common to see women walking together linked arm in arm, or even holding hands. Men will walk with their arms slung around each other. At English Corner, I often see female students practically hanging off each other.

Those who know me know that I'm very socially liberal. I'm proud to be from one of the few countries in the world that allows gay marriage. Yet even in "gay-friendly" countries like Canada, would we not make certain assumptions about two adult women holding hands? Those assumptions just aren't present in China. What a topsy-turvy world. I suspect a certain percentage of the Chinese population is gay - like the rest of the world - but that most Chinese gays are still in the closet. Like left-handedness, being gay marks you as different and this is a country where conformity rules.

An example of this homosexual non-acceptance/same-sex touchy-feely behaviour happened just tonight. Another teacher gave me the idea of holding a pretend speed-dating event in my Oral English class. Great idea! It certainly gives everyone a chance to speak - A LOT. No matter that there are only four guys in my class. I just had many of the women pretend to be men. I knew that would fly here in China.... there's an innocence here that allows women to pretend to be men wooing women with absolutely zero homosexual overtones. Some of the women were really hamming it up too, grabbing each other's hands and saying "I love you". Behaviour was more constrained in opposite-sex conversations. I accurately predicted that most of the "matches" would be same sex. Sure enough, at the end of the night, the women rushed to their desired partners - all of them other women. The four guys were left standing alone.

There's something rather Shakespearean about all this. In Shakespeare's time, homosexuality was tantamount to sodomy, yet men played female roles on the stage. It was acceptable within a given context, but once it went beyond those bounds, it was no longer ok. In China, you can be quite affectionate with those of the same sex - but that affection has to stop outside the bounds of a romantic relationship.

Vancouver Meets New York City

I haven't been great about blogging about my travels. Since arriving in China, I've been to Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Beijing and most recently, Hong Kong. For whatever reason, I think writing about me being a typical tourist is not as interesting as my everyday life as an English teacher in Changzhou.

However, I'll make an exception for Hong Kong. Two weeks ago I spent the weekend there with my usual travel buddies, Peter and Adrienne. I knew HK would be different from the mainland, but I wasn't prepared for how different. It was China, but without the 3 "S" vices: smoking, spitting and staring. While HK hasn't gone so far as to make bars smoke-free, you saw a lot more no-smoking signs in general. And fewer people seemed to smoke anyway, so even bars and clubs weren't too bad.

I didn't see one person spit the entire weekend - or for that matter, do anything rude in public. And if anyone wanted to stare at "waiguoren" (foreigners) in Hong Kong, they'd be doing A LOT of staring. Unlike the rest of China, where Han Chinese make up about 95% of the population (and more like 98% in Jiangsu province), Hong Kong was very diverse and cosmopolitan. In Beijing I saw a lot of foreigners, but they always looked like tourists. Even there, I couldn't escape the occasional stare or request for a photo - Beijingers may be used to foreigners, but the city gets a lot of tourists from other parts of China. Not so in Hong Kong. It is actually easier for a foreigner to travel to HK than a Chinese person. To prevent an influx of people across its borders, HK requires mainland citizens to get a visa. We only needed our passports.

Compared to Beijing or Shanghai - the mainland's most "diverse" cities (relatively speaking) - HK had a lot more foreigners, many of whom looked like they worked there. We came across this expat scene in the famous Lan Kwai Fong bar district...

Although HK has been reunited with China now for almost 12 years, it still has its own currency and government. People drive on the left, just like in Britain. Its subway system, the MTR, is one of the cleanest and most efficient I've experienced. And Hong Kongers are taller than people on the mainland.... I resumed my natural role of bringing down the average height in a room. To me, HK felt like a combination of New York City (skyscrapers, famous skyline) and Vancouver (coastal, yet mountainous). It even had a beach area that reminded me of the south of France.

Hong Kong's famous skyline

At the top of Victoria Peak, with a view of Hong Kong's city centre

Hong Kong was expensive. It was hot. And I loved every minute of it :-) It is the kind of city that I can see myself living in long term. I've loved my time in Changzhou, but I don't think this could be anything but short term for me. I miss aspects of western life. The inability to blend in gets to me. You could live in HK, but still have a piece of home. And a piece of other people's homes too. In the two days we were there, we had Cantonese, Indian, Vietnamese and Western food. On the Western front, I finally got to indulge in the steak I've been craving for some time. And paired with a good red wine at that! We were delighted to see an Outback Steakhouse across the street from our hostel.

Tasting steak for the first time in 3 1/2 months - yum!

Hanging with Zhong Guo Ren (Chinese People)

I've decided to return home a little earlier than planned. When I booked my flight, I didn't know when the term would end, so I chose July 9. It turns out all of my classes will be finished by mid-June, so I've changed my departure to June 22 - and thankfully it cost nothing more than the change fee.

My earlier departure has nothing to do with the experience I'm having here and everything to do with wanting more time with family and friends before moving to DC the first week of August.

I've made some great friends who I will be sad to leave next month. I'm posting some pictures of some recent excursions.

With Connie, one of my Chinese tutors, in Hongmei Park

Playing Monopoly with Steve, another tutor, and his son. Steve often invites foreign teachers to his home.

At Las Vegas, a local club

May Day Fireworks

At home, we sometimes joke about fireworks on New Year's Eve barely lasting until 12:05 am. No such worries in China. I'm now used to fireworks going off at the oddest times - like 10 am on a Sunday or 5 am on a Thursday. I don't see the point of setting off fireworks in the daytime, but apparently some people do.

Sometimes people set off "homemade" fireworks outside the hotel where I live. This makes me a little nervous; the CCTV fire in Beijing during Spring Festival is never far from my mind at these times. Yes, people at home may set off fireworks in their backyard for NYE or Canada Day, but I think they generally avoid setting them off in busy areas where there are cars and pedestrians. Again, not so here. Check out this video which I shot from my apartment on Friday, the big May 1st holiday. (I didn't think I had much of a Newfoundland accent - especially over here - but apparently I developed one for this video).