Amy's China Adventure

Good-bye China

2009-07-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

I’m finally getting around to doing the last blog post for Amy’s China Adventure. I’ve been home now for more than a week. It took about a week to get over the jetlag and reverse culture shock.

My final trip in China – to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in Anhui province – didn’t disappoint. Daisy and I took the cable car to the top of the mountain, stayed overnight and walked down the mountain the next day. Luckily, we managed to catch Huangshan’s famed sunrise, although we were told there was only a 40% chance we’d see it due to the weather. From start to finish, Huangshan was one big money grab, but the sunrise, the haunting mists and the spectacular views were worth it. And I can say that I got out into nature at least once in China! Actually I’m very proud of myself for undertaking the 2.5-hour trek down the mountain. I’ve never been an “outdoors girl”, but maybe that’s changing, if only a little. As I approach my 30s, I’m trying to incorporate more physical activity into my life. I enjoyed the hike down the mountain, though it killed my knees for the next few days.

At about 5 am, the sun emerges from Huangshan's famous mists

Beginning the hike down Huangshan

After Huangshan, the whirlwind of activity happened as predicted – along with sad good-byes – and within days of my final trip, I was home. Already, there are aspects of China I miss. Obviously, I don’t miss everything! I’ll use this final blog entry to reflect on the best and worst of my China Adventure.

First, the top 5 things I will not miss about China, many of which I’ve dealt with in past blog entries:

1. The staring: I forgot how nice it is to be able to walk around in public without becoming the main attraction. I am a laowai no more!

2. Lack of cleanliness: After five months, I can part ways with the omnipresent hand sanitizer. On the upside, after fighting off untold numbers of germs in China, my immune system has probably never been better!

3. Pollution: I have a renewed appreciation for Newfoundland’s unspoiled environment. The province may be known for RDF (rain, drizzle and fog), but at least when you see mist in the air, you know it’s… well, mist. Not something more toxic. I will lump the ever-present cigarette smoke into this category too.

4. The driving: It is really good to be back in a place where drivers stop at a crosswalk… or for that matter, a red light.

5. Line jumping: I don’t think any length of time in China could dull my annoyance at people who cut you off in line.

Too serious to put in a top-5 list is the lack of freedom. You can never really forget in China that the message is always tightly controlled by the Communist Party. There is no free press. You cannot access certain web sites (the number of which grew during my time there as the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen Square approached). I am happy to be back in the True North Strong and Free, where I can buy a copy of Prisoner of the State off the shelves (and I have). I am happy to soon be moving to the Land of the Free. No more anonymous proxy servers for skirting the Great Fire Wall. China is a land of contrasts and perhaps the biggest contrast of them all is the lack of political freedom coupled with a raging free enterprise economy. It is possible to see echoes of late-80s China in the situation that is unfolding in Iran – and I hope they are not on course for a Tiananmen Square type crackdown.

The frustrations of life in China comprised maybe 10% of my time there. It is hard to encapsulate the remaining 90% into five neat bullets – so I won’t. I have absolutely no regrets about walking away from an excellent job to make a life – albeit a temporary one – on the other side of the world. Life as an ESL teacher was more rewarding than I possibly could have imagined sitting in Newfoundland. I believe when I look back at my time in China years from now, certain memories and images will remain crystal clear. I’ll see the smiles of my Tuesday night Oral English students when I told them how proud I was of their progress. One of my favourite classes, I had no problem reminding them that during our first class together, I was constantly telling them to stop speaking Chinese! But by the end of the term, here they were... performing skits, speed dating and debating - all in English.

I’ll remember Andrea in that same Oral English class. Despite language and cultural differences, something about her reminded me of myself. One of the quieter ones, she blew me away with a poignant speech about how when she was a little girl, she’d only talk to her mother. And I remembered my mom telling me that when she took me to kids’ birthday parties, I wouldn’t leave her side. Andrea went on to describe the efforts she’s made to come out of her shell and get more confident. She said she never dreamed she’d be speaking to a class in English… kind of like how a little girl who couldn’t be left overnight at Brownie Camp never thought she’d be teaching English in China!

I’ll miss English Corner, both at the University and Web International English, my second job. I’ve talked about English Corner in several other blog posts.

I’ll also miss my Chinese lessons with Steve and Connie, though I’m continuing my Chinese study at home – and will make every effort to continue it in DC, though no doubt the demands of an MBA program will make that difficult. I have to keep my eye on the big picture. I’m about to do an MBA with a specialization in international business. China is the market to watch. Those who speak Chinese will have a huge advantage in international business. ChinesePod has been a phenomenal resource, though obviously it can’t beat the face-to-face interaction I had with my tutors. My Chinese language progress in China was far from linear. The first 3 months or so, my learning was very incremental, much to my frustration. But it’s like when May hit, things starting clicking into place. My conversational ability suddenly improved. On my last night in Changzhou, I had dinner with Steve and his family. His wife, Spring, only speaks Chinese. Previously, I hadn’t been able to understand anything Spring said – and I wasn’t able to say much to her. But things were different my last night. I definitely still needed Steve there as a translator, but I was able to understand more of what she said and, just as importantly, could make some comments back to her. Imagine if I was staying longer!

I’ll remember the little things too, like the walks back to my apartment after my evening classes. As a laowai, I found walking at night more enjoyable, as the darkness afforded some protection from the stares. Walking back to my apartment around 9 pm, I’d go past Market Street, where all the restaurants were still open. Couples would be sitting or strolling around, holding hands. People would fly past on bikes, sometimes with a friend perched precariously on the back, side saddle style. In good weather, guys would still be on the basketball courts. Turning the corner from Market Street, the hotel's giant, illuminated pen would come into view.

My home in China - at night the pen is brightly illuminated

My time in China confirmed what I started to suspect during my two terms in Europe during University: I love the international life! I love the lack of predictability. I love the challenge of adapting to a new way of doing things. I love getting on a train or a plane on the weekend and seeing another new place.

This is a complete about-face from the way I used to be. As a child, I hated change. I didn’t want our family to get a new car or move into a new house. I hated to be away from my parents. I was scared of everything from the dark to dogs, to speaking in class to the Thriller video (I have to pay homage somewhere in this post to my first favourite singer). Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve made a point to push myself outside my comfort zone - to live my "what ifs" - and China was the biggest stretch yet. It's scary to pack your bags and immerse yourself in a completely different culture, but for me the rewards far outweighed any initial culture shock.

China is not the end of my adventures. In less than a month, the next phase of my life begins as I move to Washington, DC to do my MBA at George Washington University. I hope you’ll follow me over to my new blog: amy-warren.blogspot.com.

See you in the District.

Student Appreciation

2009-06-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

"I want to express my thanks to you for bringing me so much happiness and knowledge."

So texted one of my students a few days ago, adding that she wanted to meet me to give me a gift. I expected to go home with a half-empty suitcase, having used up the tons of toiletries I brought with me. But that won't happen - I've lost track of the number of gifts I've received from students! I've been given jewellery, Chinese combs and traditional decorations. One student sang me a song and others gave me personal notes of thanks. I'll keep all of it forever.

One of my gifts bringing some colour to my apartment.

Exams are finished. Grading is finished. In marking, I ran into the foreign teacher dilemma. Apparently foreign teachers here are known for always giving high marks. Not me. In the end, I feel the students who deserved an "A", got an "A"; those who deserved a "C" got a "C". And a couple who truly didn't care and didn't do anything in the course got less than that.

On Friday, I met my friend Eva for the last time. I've mentioned Eva before. I first met her when she was in one of my classes at Web English. Eva is a Marketing Specialist and we hit it off immediately. She introduced me to some of her friends, who are also young professionals. The students at the University are great, but I'm happy to have met people in my own "life stage". I went clubbing with them last month and on Friday we played badminton in the new (and first-rate) sports facility in the northern part of Changzhou. After badminton, we had tea....with so many people, the conversation often slipped into Chinese, but that was ok. It helps me improve mine. Now the challenge is continuing to practice when I leave!

With Eva (to my left) and friends

In 24 hours I depart for my last trip in China. Along with a student, I'm going to Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in Anhui province. It is said to be the most beautiful mountain in all of China, with breathtaking views. I'm sure there will be a flurry of activity when I return from Huangshan as I try to squeeze in last-minute visits with friends before heading to the airport on Monday. I may not have time for another post on this side of the world. If not, there will be a wrap-up post from home....

Zai jian.

University Life

2009-06-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

One of the questions I asked my Oral English students in their one-on-one interviews this week was "How is university different from high school?" Every student said that they have more freedom now than they did in high school.

Everything is relative. To an outsider like me, their university lives appear tightly controlled. University students here are very different from home. For one thing, despite being 18 to 22 years old, they are still treated like children by their parents and other authority figures. The maturity level is a good 3 to 4 years younger than it is as home - sometimes I feel like I'm teaching at the grade 9 or 10 level, rather than university. Say anything at all about dating or getting married and invariably they erupt into giggles. I had a good discussion going in one class about when someone was considered an adult in China. I had only a couple of students say 18. Most said that you're an adult when you graduate college, and a few went even farther, saying you're not an adult until you get married! (Which really should happen by your late 20s at the latest - I'm definitely approaching "old maid" territory.)

While college life in the west is often marked by parties and drinking, you can forget that here. The school gate closes at 10 pm and it's lights out by 11 pm. Try to go back to your dorm after 11 pm and you'll find the doors locked. Yes, they lock the students in. This disturbs me more than any other aspect of college life here. There are no fire escapes. The doors are locked. Apparently the threat posed by some student sneaking out to meet a boyfriend or girlfriend outweighs the risk of students dying in a fire. Students aren't allowed to have any appliances in their dorms, but still.... you can't control for everything.

Walking around campus on Friday and Saturday nights, you can look in classroom windows and see many heads bent over books. It doesn't seem like a lot of fun, but then again - it's not like I can't relate. In many ways, I feel like I inhabit some middle ground between the students and the foreign teachers here. In me, my students have probably met one of the few foreigners who rivalled their ratio of studying to socializing! Or at least until I got to business school, when the value of practice (over theory) and relationship building went up dramatically.

The students here don't appear to have much freedom, but as I said - everything is relative. University is a bastion of freedom compared to their grade school lives. They can go home on weekends. They can leave the school on weekdays as long as they're back by 10 pm. One senior student describes how her grade school life was basically lived in the classroom. Every minute was strictly controlled. She was either studying, eating, exercising (mandatory) or sleeping. After lights out, the teachers would listen at the dorms to make sure no one was talking. She was only allowed to go home to see her parents for what amounted to a few hours every month. This sounds a lot like prison to me.

A recent commentary in The Economist bemoans the "underworked" American child. Here is an excerpt:

"American parents have led grass-root protests against attempts to extend the school year into August or July, or to increase the amount of homework their little darlings have to do. They still find it hard to believe that all those Chinese students, beavering away at their books, will steal their children’s jobs."

Yes, there is room for reform. The amount of time American kids (i.e., North American kids) spend in school should be increased - to an extent. But not for one second would I trade our system for the one here. For one thing, "beavering away at their books" is not equal to engaging in discussion or creative thought. The school I teach at isn't considered great by Chinese standards, so perhaps my experience isn't reflective of China as a whole. I can just speak to what I see. The studying at this school appears to be mostly memorization. I've been told that even at the thesis level, most papers are copied from the Internet. For the most part, students have the same opinion on social issues and trot out the same lines (e.g., "Every coin has two sides"). I'm in the process of correcting culture exams and it is amazing how many answers (to opinion questions!) sound eerily the same. There may be a model system somewhere, but the Chinese educational system certainly isn't it.

River Town

2009-06-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

I finally started reading River Town a few weeks ago. I'd never heard of it before coming to China, but apparently it's quite famous amongst ESL teachers in this country. It was written by Peter Hessler, a man who spent two years in the mid-90s teaching English in Sichuan province in central China. He and his colleague were the first foreigners in Fuling (the "village" of 200,000 or so where they taught) for 50 years. He says that they'd draw a crowd of about 30 whenever they went somewhere to eat. That makes my occasional annoying "hello" seem trivial.

I wish I'd started the book earlier. I'm finding it quite inspiring - particularly his commitment to learning Chinese. I admit to being jealous of any foreigner who can speak Chinese with reasonable fluency. As Ken noted in a post some time ago, Chinese is considered the fourth hardest language for an English speaker to learn. Yet it sounds like Hessler was able to converse with the locals within a few months. I am nowhere near that and that has been a barrier between me and Chinese society. I'm limited to speaking with those who can speak English. I can have simple (and I mean really simple - and slow) conversations with my tutors, but I get very shy about trying my Chinese in the general public. Actually, I haven't found the Chinese public particularly helpful in my Chinese learning. The blank stares, dialects and rapid-fire speech aren't exactly what a "newbie" needs. When I arrived, I understood 0% of what was said around me. Today, I'm probably still at a miserable 2 to 3%. It feels like an almost impenetrable language, which can be frustrating. Thankfully, there is Chinesepod... but that is a post for another day.

Maybe Peter Hessler is a genius or some sort of amazing polyglot. After all, the man did go to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He even adopted a Chinese alter ego - Ho Wei - whom he kept separate from his western identity. Maybe if I'd been 爱米 (ài mǐ) more often, my Chinese ability would have taken off. Maybe! There are certainly days I feel "more Chinese" - perhaps I'm experiencing the beginnings of an alter ego. 爱米 puts her hair up (to better hide the laowai hair), carries an umbrella in the hot sun, can push her way onto a bus, steps out into the middle of traffic without a second thought, and walks slower, taking daintier steps. It helps that 爱米 happens to have a figure more like a Chinese woman! Amy, by contrast, is much more aloof from Chinese society. She wears her hair in full laowai curls, has the walk of a western businesswoman (i.e., a strut), has the iPod on at full blast to drown out any "hellos" or "laowai" remarks, and gets annoyed at the Chinese tendency to push (as pedestrians) and almost run people over (as drivers). Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel I'm stared at less when I'm 爱米.

I'm into my last few weeks here. I'm happy to be going home, but something tells me that if I was staying longer - a year or more - 爱米 might have started to prevail over Amy.

The 49th Parallel

2009-06-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

As a work term student in Germany, I remember feeling indignant when a German colleague dared to suggest that Canada and the United States are very similar. No! We have a Prime Minister, not a President! We have universal healthcare! Like many Canadians, one of my biggest travel pet peeves was being mistaken for an American.

Now as an expat in China, I don’t just think the US and Canada are very similar; I think we’re exactly the same. We are just like the Americans and very similar to the Germans. It takes coming to a culture that is truly different to realize just how fundamentally the same we are on the “big picture” things that make a society and a culture – beliefs, values, customs. I no longer blink when a student asks me a question that starts with, “In America….?” And I can answer the question, even though I’m not American, because we’re practically the same. Of course we’re indistinguishable to the Chinese. We don’t even have the accent difference like the British or the Australians.

Almost all my fellow expats – those I’ve gotten to know the last few months – are American. I was the only Canadian in our orientation group in Shanghai. I’ve travelled with Americans. My fellow English teachers at Jiangsu Teachers’ University are all American. I’ve met precisely three Canadians in the last five months – one guy at a bar in Shanghai and two other teachers here in Changzhou. That’s it. When this country seems truly perplexing, when the laowai annoyances pile up, it’s the Americans I commiserate with. One of our countries may be a little more leftist than the other (a difference shrinking under the Obama administration), but we are basically the same.

After China, the next chapter of my life begins in the United States. I’m home for only about 5 weeks, and then I’m moving to DC to do my MBA. I got an email today about “International Orientation”, which starts on August 7, a full week before American students have their orientation. The email also noted that “international students provide rich diversity to our programs”. Now – I’ve had a good chuckle about my “international” status with a few Americans here. I can appreciate that I’m not American, and thus fall into the “international” category. But I ain’t bringing much diversity with me to DC. And I really hope this International Orientation doesn’t include mandatory seminars with titles like “Adapting to Life in America” or “How to Cope When English is Your Second Language.” On August 8 and 9, we have an organized trip to pick up household items, get a cell phone and other such things. Fantastic…. Having set up house in China, I’m not sure I can handle all the English-language signs.

Not only am I not expecting culture shock from DC, I already have a social network started there, thanks to two previous trips. Both times I’ve been in DC, I’ve left with a heavy heart, feeling more at home there than in NL.

Life below the 49th parallel begins in less than two months...

My Least Favourite Word

2009-05-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-05-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T07:21:00.001-07:00

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).

This Week's Miscellany

2009-04-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Here is some commentary on things that have either happened to me this week or have been rolling around in my head....

Challenging Gender Roles

There are some topics I won't go near with my students - but gender roles is not one of them. While China is not as traditional as Japan when it comes to gender roles, it's also not as progressive as North America. Some of my fellow teachers have commented on how female students will say they're not as smart as their male classmates.

So you can imagine that I - with the business background and aiming for the top of the corporate ladder - get great joy out of presenting students with a different perspective on male/female roles. At English Corner I was asked whether I want to get married and have children. I think I mildly shocked some of them (especially the guys) when I said that though I'd like to meet someone to share my life with, I don't want children. I've just never been the maternal type. Even "marriage" doesn't have to be a traditional marriage - I could do common law. It's almost unheard of here for men and women to live together before getting married. I was a little surprised to see a few of the girls around me nodding and agreeing when I explained my views. Things are changing here, especially for the younger generation.

I think it's no secret that although I'm quite career focused, I'm also very conscientious about the way I look - my vanity doesn't allow me to step outside my apartment without make-up! I make an effort to be the "whole package" - and I do this for me. I feel better when I look better. So in that respect, I hope I'm presenting my female students with a different view of femininity. You can take pride in your appearance and still be smart and successful.

Things I Miss

I'm starting to really miss some things that you can't get over here - or at least aren't as easy to get. I did a presentation on Canadian food and drink for some older students at another school. (Yes, I did talk about NL food, though I don't like much of it myself - e.g., fish and chips). Of course I had to mention Tim Horton's! When I arrive in the airport in Toronto, you can be sure my first stop will be Tim Horton's. There are days when I really crave a Tim's sandwich or chili - and of course, their coffee. The Chinese don't really do coffee. I have to make do with a cup of instant stuff in the mornings. McDonald's has "real" coffee, so sometimes I'll stop in for one when I'm in the Nan Da Jie area. Ironically, my consumption of tea has dropped here. I can't seem to get into the loose tea leaves. You can buy tea bags, but I don't bother with it. I drank a lot more green tea at home. The most tea I've had over here was the week mom and I were in Beijing.

Also on the topic of food, I miss steak! I'm really looking forward to a nice, juicy, BBQ steak when I get home. I miss happy hours with the girls at The Keg and Keg-size glasses of Pinot Grigio. Wine isn't very popular here and it's hard to find good wine, unless you want to pay a bundle for it.

I miss big, North American-style breakfasts - hash browns, sausages, toast.... yum! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. Here, what people eat for breakfast doesn't differ much from lunch. As I mentioned in a previous post, the Chinese don't eat bread like we do. Once again, in Beijing it's much easier to live like a westerner. So I reveled in toast a few mornings there.

I also miss orderly lines....

Bu Hao Yi Si

I was having none of it this morning. After my early morning class, I stopped to get something to eat at one of the small snack places on campus. There were maybe four people in front of me. They were orderly. And just as I get to the front of the line, I see her coming.... I knew exactly what would happen next. She immediately skipped the line and started to push her money at the server. I don't think so girlie - not today. I was too tired and too hungry. I go right up beside her and say in a very annoyed voice "bu hao yi si" and hand over my money first. One of my tutors told me this means "excuse me". Now, I don't know if the annoyed-sounding "excuse me" translates well culturally in China - maybe there is a stronger phrase - but she knew what I meant. She was quite taken aback. Her friend started to laugh and I got a comment, but I only caught "English". Maybe she was saying "damn English speaker". I don't care. Damn line jumper!

In all fairness, I experienced some unexpected politeness this week too. A man (besides Teddy or Steve) actually held the door open for me and a male student let me go ahead of him in line in a convenience store. There's hope yet for chivalry in China!

Expectations Management

Thinking back to December and January, when I was preparing to come over here... it's like I can't even remember what my expectations were. I've learned so much and seen so much since arriving that it has completely obliterated any hazy images I had in my mind about China and its people. I think I was mentally prepared for more culture shock, which was good. I expected to find more differences. I didn't know what to expect from Changzhou. Not knowing what I'd find in stores here, I lugged over tons of toiletries (making my bag too heavy at the airport) - all things you can buy here, like contact solution and soap.

Having lived here now three months, I feel that the similarities are greater than the differences. I strongly believe that regardless of language or culture, people are essentially the same. Everyone wants to be listened to; everyone wants to be understood. My students laugh and smile. In fact, one of the things I'll miss most when I leave is all the smiling in my classes. I smile a lot, so maybe that's why I get a lot of smiles back. The smile is pretty much universal. Like young people at home, my students love to eat, sleep and hang out with their friends. People love a long weekend. Everyone is gearing up now for the Lao Dong Jie (May 1) holiday. I'm not travelling anywhere (technically, every weekend is a long weekend for me), but a friend is coming to visit and next weekend I'm going to Hong Kong.

And so concludes this week's miscellany :-)

Happy English

2009-04-25T02:44:00.000-07:00

Back on campus, I'm reminded of why I made the right decision in coming over here. I love my classes, especially my smaller Oral English classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Here's a photo we took the other night (I just wish you could see the three girls behind me).

Also this week, my culture classes did their country presentations. Their group project for the term was to develop a tourism ad for a major English-speaking country (yes, you can see the influence of my business background in my teaching ;0). There were two components to the project: The ad itself (though most students did a PowerPoint) and an in-class presentation at a "Travel Expo", aimed at convincing their classmates to visit their assigned country. The presentations ran the gamut, and some were truly standouts. Some groups made a poster to complement their presentation; others adopted a TV show format where they interviewed people who'd already visited the country. Others had good taglines like "Canada - waiting for you" and "Take a journey, find your true self".

Selling America

Performing a skit about a Chinese student new to the UK

Coming from my Wednesday afternoon culture class, I came across a banner for the University's English Festival, which kicked off this week. When I saw it, I actually stopped, laughed out loud and took a photo.

Oh the irony: Celebrating English with some questionable English

"Happy English, I'm lovin' it!" Poor English plus a direct rip-off of McDonald's tagline, right down to the dropped "g" in "lovin'". I guess this is the slogan for this year's English Festival. Wow. Amusing, yet sad at the same time. They've gone to great effort and expense to bring five so-called "foreign experts" here to teach English, and it never occurred to anyone to ask one of us whether their "slogan" made sense? Is this the English they're holding up for students to model? I see this and I'm reminded of why students persist in saying things like, "I wish you happy every day."

Another funny thing about the McDonald's rip-off is that many students are under the impression that all "Americans" (i.e., I'm included) live to eat hamburgers. Perhaps this is an unconscious - or conscious - equation of English with the land of hamburger eating? Though I'm not sure that anyone thought about it that deeply before having the banner made....

A few other things about English Festival have left me scratching my head. After seeing the banner, I noticed a large crowd gathered outside the library. As it turns out, it was the opening ceremony for English Festival. I managed to catch the end, but wondered why the native English speakers hadn't even been invited to the opening ceremony. If I hadn't stumbled across it, I wouldn't have known it was happening. There were a number of University dignitaries there, and apparently there had been a student talent portion. It would've been nice to have been invited to a celebration of English, given what we're here to do.

At least the school involved us in their English Festival lecture series - though not without a hitch. The five of us each delivered a lecture on a subject of our choice. Sticking to what I know, last night I presented "Success in the West: Tips for Doing Business with Western Business People". But if it hadn't been for students at English Corner on Thursday night, I might not have made it to my own lecture! Again, unbelievable.... the school told us weeks ago the location of the English Festival lectures. I mentioned to some students at English Corner that I'd be speaking in the library lecture hall on Friday at 6:30 pm (yes, I know, a crappy time for a lecture - many students are gone home for the weekend by then.... I'm amazed that 30 to 40 people attended. At home, I'd be speaking to an empty room). They quickly informed me that the location of the lectures had been changed. Apparently the students had been made aware of the change, but not the guest speakers! I heard Dan didn't find out until he showed up at the library and nobody was there. Another frustrating head-scratcher. I asked one of the University administrators why I hadn't been informed about the change - no answer on that one.

I should add that none of this lies in Teddy's domain. Those of you reading my blog know that Teddy has been nothing less than fantastic.

Anyway, the students brighten my day, even if other aspects of the school don't. Forget us - the University could have gotten a better slogan by talking to some of my culture students.

The Sandal Question

2009-04-21T09:46:00.001-07:00

I'm back from Beijing. A post on my trip to Beijing will follow shortly!

This will be a fairly short post. I don't know.... maybe China is getting a little to me at the 3-month mark. Maybe it was seeing my mom for a week that is making me miss Canada a little. Oh, to be in a country where people don't stare at you like you're a zoo animal and will actually form a line. And Canada would surely be close to the top of the list for polite countries. I find myself doing things here that I'd never do at home.... today, pissed at people getting onto an elevator before I had a chance to get off (as always), I practically rammed a young woman with my laptop case. Like many expats, I'm starting to wonder if China is turning me into a jerk - or at least a public jerk.

Anyone following my blog surely realizes that I'm loving it in China. Once you get to know them, the people are some of the warmest you'll ever meet. But there are just some things that I'm sure would remain appalling no matter how long I stayed here - namely every manner of disgusting public behaviour. I had high hopes for Beijing in terms of public behaviour, having heard about the pre-Olympics campaign to make people more polite/hygienic in public. But that wasn't the case at all. I was met with as much public spitting and line jumping as in the south.

The weather is quite warm now in Changzhou - about the same as a nice summer day at home. My mom brought sandals over to me, but I'm debating whether I should wear them at all given questionable hygiene standards. The campus is probably okay as (thankfully) rude behaviours seem to be much less common among students. Perhaps there is a correlation between youth and/or better education and more polite public behaviour. But I think I'll don shoes again for anywhere off campus. In addition to the spitting, we have children "watering" the flowers and sidewalks thanks to split pants. I seriously wonder if any of them end up with infections. Watching the little one sitting with split pants in the Muslim Noodle Shop, I think of the germs that must be all over that place.

Anyway - this a less than complimentary post about my time here. I realize that it wasn't all that long ago that most Chinese were poor - and many still are. Genteel behaviour is a luxury of the rich. Perhaps over time public behaviour will catch up with economic development. It also has much to do with being just one out of more than a billion. In our largely uninhabited land, can any Canadian ever truly comprehend that staggering figure?

I hope my readers forgive the temporary lapse in positivity. If nothing else, my ability to cope with life in China - me the part-germaphobe - shows that it is possible to adapt to anything. You don't have to like it, but you adapt.

Doing the Cha-Cha in China

2009-04-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post until I return from Beijing on April 20. My February trip was very short, so I'm glad I'll have a week to discover the Chinese capital. I almost can't believe I'm meeting my mom in Beijing tomorrow - yeah! Mother/daughter travels continue, this time in the most exotic locale yet. We've been to England, Scotland, France, Belgium and Germany together. We were in New York last year. Mom is also coming with me to DC in August to help me settle into my new digs there. Clearly, Mom and I are good travel companions.

Besides Beijing, I've been to Nanjing and Suzhou - though I haven't recounted those excursions on my blog. I'm going to be totally lazy now and direct my readers to Peter Youngblood's blog: http://pwyoungblood.blogspot.com/ Peter has an excellent and funny recap of last week's Suzhou journey. My camera battery died as soon as I got to Suzhou, but thankfully Peter and Adrienne (our other travel buddy) took tons of photos.

Returning to the topic of my last post - learning another language - after I posted it, I had a recollection of me and my brother sitting at the dining room table, singing the Mr. Christie tagline in both English and French: Mr. Christie you make good cookies! / M. Christie vous faites de bons biscuits! Ahhh..... to be learning a language where the main concern is whether something is masculine or feminine. Those were the days.

The topic of my last blog came from a frustrating day with Zhong wen... Chinese. Today was much better. I met my new friend "Eva" at Nan da jie and went with her to a Latin dance class. She invited me a few days ago.... how could I pass up the chance to do the cha-cha in China? I took a few lessons in Latin jazz dance a few years ago. Well - I discovered that it becomes much more difficult when you can't understand what the instructor is saying. It was a challenge, but lots of fun. I should have taken a photo.... I may have another chance as Eva has invited me to attend regularly. Almost all the other participants are her colleagues. This was the first class. They have to decide on a regular day and time. If I can manage it with my teaching schedule, I think I'll sign up.

After dance class, we decided to walk around a nearby park. One of Eva's colleagues, "Vivie", joined us. We spent a very pleasant day together and I had two friendly and patient native Chinese speakers to practice with. I feel like I made real progress today.

In the park

Vivie and Eva in the park - and some amused onlookers

A good day for flying a kite

They taught me Chinese and I introduced them to that most sacred of expat hangouts - the coffee house

Prior to the dance class, Eva and I had lunch and she showed me how to write my Chinese name in characters. Yes, I now have a Chinese name! I asked students at English Corner last week to give me a Chinese name. I think it's cool they get to pick English names..... so naturally I want a Chinese name. They gave me one that sounds something like my real name - "ài mǐ " (爱米). It's pronounced roughly as "Eye-Me". Translated it means "loves rice", though Eva assures me it is a lovely name. Their names carry more meaning than ours, though I believe my parents picked "Amy" because it means "love". So I have a very fitting Chinese name for a few reasons.... but I'm not so sure about loving rice. I eat it here at least once, something twice, a day. Something tells me that when I go home, rice isn't the first thing I'll want to eat. That honour goes to a nice, big, juicy BBQ steak! (Hint, hint Dad)

And finally - Happy Easter to everyone back home!

Discovering Dashan

2009-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Since coming to China, I've discovered the most famous Canadian on the face of the earth. It's not Jim Carrey, Mike Myers or Shania Twain. In fact, he's barely known in Canada. But based on the sheer number of people who know his name in China, I'd say Dashan (a.k.a. Mark Rowswell) easily takes the title. I had no idea who Dashan - which means "big mountain" - was until I got here. He came to Beijing as a University student more than 20 years ago to study Chinese, and ended up mastering xiangsheng, a Chinese comedic art based on witty dialogue. He's a hugely popular actor, performer and host on Chinese TV and is said to be known by more than one billion Chinese. Dashan even has his own website: http://www.dashan.com/ Ironically, his website notes that you can watch his videos on YouTube.... sorry Dashan, but YouTube is now blocked in China!

Looking at his site, I realized Dashan is gradually becoming better known in the west. He was chosen to be the attache for the Canadian Olympic Team during last year's Beijing Olympics. He's been awarded the Order of Canada and Ford Canada uses his image in TV and print ads aimed at Chinese-Canadians.

Dashan in a Ford ad.

What I find most fascinating about Dashan is his purported ability to speak better Chinese than most Chinese people. Since embarking on my own attempt to learn Chinese ("attempt" being the operative word there!), I am in complete awe of such a feat. With few similarities to English, Chinese is an extraordinarily difficult language for a native English speaker to master.

It's one thing to learn French or Spanish or even German, which have many cognates (e.g., langue - French / language - English) and similiar sentence structures. Putonghua is something else altogether, requiring a speaker to not only know the right word, but to also know the right tone for that word. Depending on tone, ma can mean either mother, numb, horse or to scold. And as I've told Steve, one of my tutors, when translated directly into English, Chinese can sound an awful lot like Yoda - "Me very happy with you talk". This is certainly giving me an appreciation for what my students must go through in learning English.

Today was a particularly frustrating day, as I had a few instances of trying to speak Chinese, only to be met with blank stares. I had to resort to showing the characters friends have given me. At times it's tempting to say "why bother?" It's easy enough to get around here knowing only English. But I hate feeling like a baby having to point at things or having to rely on friends to translate. That doesn't exactly instill a sense of independence. In fact, my commitment to learning Chinese seems to have doubled since last weekend when I went to Suzhou with some teacher friends. They took some Chinese classes in the States before coming here and it shows. I felt like a bit of an idiot not knowing some very basic words.

I've never been a great language learner, which I mentioned in my last blog. I tend to dabble in languages based on my current interest. I do a work term in Germany and suddenly I want to learn German. My interest in French revives after a semester in France. I can't quite remember why I decided to take Spanish in University.... I sometimes forget that I got half-way to a minor in Spanish. If I'd just stuck with that instead of switching to German, I'd probably have the minor. So, I studied three languages before even coming here, and can't claim fluency in any of them.

Beyond the language ADD, my biggest problem is being afraid to just speak it. In some ways, I'm very much like my students. I hate making mistakes. I hate losing face. I focus too much on knowing how to write a language, rather than how to speak it. I've always been fascinated by the written word, which perhaps explains the English degree. But knowing how to write a language is not nearly so useful as knowing how to use it in conversation. I'm now making more of an effort to use whole sentences - however short - in stores and restaurants on campus and I'm insisting my tutors ask me questions in Chinese.

I am committed to becoming fluent in a second language by the time I finish my MBA. After all, I'm doing international business! And depending on what school I choose, a second language may be a requirement. The question is whether I'll continue Mandarin studies or go back to French. I have no doubt that French would be the easiest to re-learn.... got to love having gone to school in Canada! Language acquisition capability is largely gone by the time you're an adult, so maybe that explains why I've retained some French years after elementary school. I feel any Canadian under 35 owes a huge debt to Trudeau.... thanks Pierre for all those bilingual cereal boxes! It's amazing how much vocabulary you can pick up from constant exposure to French labelling.

That said, I highly doubt that French will be the second-most important language in the world 10 or 20 years from now. That language is being spoken around me every day. Dashan was ahead of his time.

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

2009-04-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it's already April. My time here is flying - and I think that says something about how I'm finding China. Summer will come too soon. I absolutely can understand how China wraps itself around the hearts of many foreigners.

I'm off to Suzhou this weekend. It is a holiday weekend here (Tomb Sweeping Day), so many people will be travelling. I'm again meeting up with Peter and Adrienne, also from CIEE. We travelled together to Nanjing last month, though I haven't gotten around to posting photos from that trip yet. Suzhou isn't far. It's still in Jiangsu province.

Before I go, I thought I'd present a round-up of several recent funny events/observations that show why life here is so unpredictable!

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

I studied German for some time in school and through private lessons, but sadly - and much like French and Spanish - I've long forgotten most of it. (I'm a terrible language learner... but more on that another time.) That's too bad because I actually could have used it here.... yes, here in China. I've had several students attempt to speak to me in German. See, there are actually more German teachers here than English teachers. The university has a partnership with a school in Germany. So for a whole segment of the student population, being foreign is associated with speaking German, not English. I find it very cool - and indicative of our globalized world - that a Chinese student would turn to me in an elevator and ask me something in German.

Speaking of Elevators....

I met two Africans in the elevator in the hotel today. Foreigners are a rare sight here, so they were probably just as surprised to see me when the doors opened as I was to see them. They immediately said 'hello' and asked if I spoke English. They were walking in the same direction as me on campus and we had a good chat.... but did we ever get some stares! To see a white person here is one thing - but to see a white person walking with two black people is something else altogether. One man was from Zimbabwe and the other was from Cameroon. It turns out they're here for two weeks for a seminar. They told me I would like Africa. I don't know.... Africa has never been very high on my list of places to see, but coming here has whetted my appetite for more exotic travel. Maybe Russia and India first. Then we'll see about Africa.

Drama Club

Much is said about Chinese students' unwillingness to speak up in class for fear of making mistakes. It's important in China to not stand out in any way - good or bad. It's important to save face in front of classmates. Although many of my students are quite shy, I'm realizing that I do have a few characters in my classes. For instance, the other night in Oral English we were practicing telephone English. I took them through the standard business telephone/message role plays, but then I told them to mix it up. Get a little crazy! Leave a bizarre message! After they practiced for 10 minutes or so, I asked for volunteers to demonstrate. I was completely floored when two guys stood up (they were working in pairs) and proceeded to treat the class to a mini-drama. One of them set the stage: A man has been hit by a bus and is now dying. He calls his girlfriend to say good-bye. He only gets her answering machine. The other student then stood up.... I thought I was going to bust a gut laughing when his phone message included lines like "hello girl", "I'm going to Heaven now" and "I'm calling to tell you 3 words.... I love you". It sounded like dialogue right out of a cheesy boy band video! The rest of the class was cracking up too. He was so earnest in his acting that is was hard to keep a straight face. It was just awesome to watch. Fantastic! They got a big round of applause.

Honesty is the Best Policy

One of the most striking things about people here is how honest they are. I've been in numerous situations when it would have been easy to rip me off - the foreigner who can't speak Chinese. In a restaurant I accidentally dropped a 1 yuan coin into a menu. The waitress actually came back to my table with the coin. Where else would anyone do that? It's not much, but in a country where they don't even accept tips, it's something extra. I left it on the table when I was finished, but then scooted away quickly - just in case she came running after me with it.

Another example.... I often eat at a restaurant that we like to call the "Muslim Noodle Shop". Last week I tried a new dish and didn't know the price. Now - I at least know my numbers in Chinese, along with a few basic words and sentences. But the problem is that they have to be spoken to me in perfect putonghua (standard Mandarin) in order for me to understand. Many people in China speak two languages: Putonghua and the local dialect. I suspect that many of the people working in restaurants, shops, etc. here in Changzhou are speaking the Changzhou dialect. I asked whether the dish was qi (7) yuan - and he responded with something that made no sense to me. So I just guessed and gave him 9 RMB. As I obviously didn't understand, he could have just taken it. But he gave me back 1 RMB..... very honest.

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I'll finish this post with a comment about how bizarre I find the contrast between what I'm experiencing here and the way China is frequently portrayed in the media back home. It seems that in the lead-up to the G20 Summit, western media have been particularly obsessed with China's growing assertiveness. On the Economist website, 3 of the top 5 stories have to do with China: "Rejoice, Damn You" (about Tibet), "China Takes Centre Stage", and "How China Sees the World". You read these articles and it's hard not to feel like China is on its way to being the west's biggest nemesis, much as the Soviet Union was in the Cold War.

I find it hard to reconcile that portrait of China with the image of three girls hovering outside my class 5 minutes before the bell rings, asking permission to enter because they're "late". I guess this points to why it is so important to distinguish between policy and people. Yes, there is much to criticize here. I'm a huge fan of democracy, so I feel no particular kinship with the Chinese government. But the people are a different story altogether. I already know that I'll be very sad to leave here in July.

This is a land of contrasts indeed.

You Know You're Adapting to China When...

2009-03-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

To mark my two-month anniversary in this country, I present my top 5 signs you know you're adapting to life in China:

1. You can push and shove with the best of 'em

When I first got here, I was a little overwhelmed at the huge numbers of people that are often jam-packed onto city buses. It's still not my favourite thing in the world to try to make my way onto a crowded bus - but I do it. Before I'd hang back and wait for the next bus, in the vain hope that somehow it would be less crowded. Wrong! Prepare to sharpen your elbows if you come to China. (Lest my mother - who is soon to visit me in Beijing - worry about this, I should add that apparently people are more polite in Beijing, having been trained in advance of the Olympics.)

It helps that my small size doesn't put me at a disadvantage. I'm closer to the average here than I am at home. I can't imagine what would happen in New York City if 6-foot, 250-pound men decided to push and shove their way onto the bus or subway. Chaos all around!

2. You can cross the street without looking completely petrified

For the benefit of readers back home, one day I have to stand by the road, take a video of the absolutely insane driving and then upload it to my blog. I've been in multiple cabs that get impatient with the driver in front of them and decide to drive on the other side of the road. Traffic lights are more of a suggestion. If you're going to live here, you have to quickly get used to the fact that pedestrians have no right of way - you have to make your way as best you can amongst the cars, bikes and motorcycles. I'm really not sure why they even bother to paint crosswalks on the roads. I've had close calls with two motorcycles, though neither driver looked remotely phased that they almost ran into me. My worst scare came when a car stopped only about 1/2 a foot away from me. I had the walk sign, but like I said... lights are more of a suggestion. Again, I've adapted to this, but that's not to say I love crossing streets here, especially busy intersections. Not only will drivers not stop for you - they will honk at you for being in the way!

3. You're guilty of TWW (texting while walking)

Guilty ;-) Students appear to be surgically attached to their mobile phones. While not as bad as them, I certainly use mine much more than I did at home. My fingers are slowly getting out of BlackBerry mode and re-adapting to the usual mobile phone keypad.

However, I still won't attempt TWW while crossing the street. (See #2.)

4. You're don't run screaming from a restaurant when you hear the cook coughing over your food in the kitchen

Gross, I know, but hygiene standards are not what they are at home. At home, I could be a bit of a germaphobe. Forget not eating food that touched the floor. I wouldn’t eat it if it fell on the table. I knew before coming here that the standards are different. I’ve learned to accept that if I’m going to eat here, I will probably end up eating something made by someone who hasn’t washed their hands in a very long time. I carry hand sanitizer with me everywhere – at least my own hands can be clean – but I accept that the conditions around me aren’t going to be what you’d find in Canada.

I know one thing: Taking Dukoral before coming here was a smart move. Will I make it to June without a case of food poisoning? Knock on wood...

5. Lunch time = Nap time

Many students eat their lunch in a hurry at noon so that they can get back to their dorms in time for a nap before classes resume at 2 pm. I was never one for napping - plus a 9 to 5 work schedule does tend to get in the way - but I'm finding myself adopting the lunch time nap routine, at least on days when I'm teaching. I teach 7 to 9 pm both Tuesday and Wednesday nights and have English Corner on Thursday nights, so a midday nap is a good way to stay energized into the evening.

But something tells me not to get too used to daytime naps.... I doubt they'll figure much in my soon-to-be life as an MBA student!

A Little Ironic

2009-03-25T02:06:00.001-07:00

In an effort to help my culture students better understand Canadian culture, I was trying to download something last night from YouTube. I've accessed YouTube many times here, but apparently the Chinese government has just decided to block it. So, sorry students - although I'm here to help you better understand English-speaking cultures and am here at the invitation of the Chinese government, I've just lost what can be a valuable teaching tool (if used appropriately and in moderation). Kind of ironic....

Also ironic: I'm finally allowed to access the CNN Wire and what's the first story I'm able to read? "YouTube Blocked in China"! Here's the link: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/25/youtube-blocked-in-china/

Oh, you need some irony to spice things up....

More Observations....

2009-03-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

Any fears I had of being bored here are long gone. I don't stop! Maybe I'm just incapable of doing nothing. Between teaching, lesson planning, learning Chinese and travelling, I'd say I'm about as busy as I am at home. This weekend two teacher friends are visiting. I met Liz and Steve during CIEE's orientation in Shanghai.

So, because I've had no time to develop a proper blog post (though I get many ideas while walking to class!), I offer more random observations on life in China.

1. Say Good-bye to Anonymity

Being an ESL teacher here is perhaps the next best thing to actually being a Hollywood celebrity. There's an interesting divide between the campus and the general public. In public I get stared at A LOT. On campus, students may look at me, but I wouldn't call it a stare. They're much more used to seeing foreign teachers. In fact, if anything, I get complete adulation on campus. Students ask to have their picture taken with me. I get people talking to me as though I'm a celebrity..... "Oh, I saw you yesterday in the mess hall.... you were eating with the other foreign teachers!" I walked into one of my culture classes on my first day of teaching, and some of the girls started to sigh and giggle. I was tempted to turn around to see if Hugh Jackman had followed me in. And my students aren't exactly subtle. I've had both male and female students come up to me and tell me I'm beautiful - and that's the first thing out of their mouths. That's the introduction! Ken, one of the American teachers, has a hilarious story about one of his students being convinced he was David Beckham.

Nowhere does the celebrity status come out more than at English Corner on Thursday evenings. I've mentioned English Corner before. Basically, students gather around and listen/talk to the foreign English teachers. It's a good way for them to practice talking with native speakers. The only thing is that I've found that a few students tend to dominate the conversation, while everyone else just listens. I try to involve more students by asking the shy ones what they think about a particular topic. Some only listen because their English isn't great, but I think others are just shy and will hang back and let a few people control the discussion. I tend to get a lot of the same questions.... "What do you think of China?" "Do you like Chinese food?" "What is the weather like in Canada?" One of the funny things about English Corner is that they try to get as close to you as they can, which means that the circle of people closes in around you until you're forced to back up.... kind of like when you're trying to get away from a close talker. Last night I realized I ended the night 6 or 8 feet away from where I started.

Some students at English Corner

2. Basketball is incredibly popular....

..... and they certainly know/care more about the NBA than I do. I keep meaning to ask Teddy or Steve if that's a fairly recent thing - i.e., since Yao Ming. I see the guys shooting hoops on the campus basketball courts and wonder if they dream of being the next Yao Ming, like Canadian kids want to be the next Wayne Gretzky. Though they're 18 or 19, so perhaps a bit too late for that.

3. Back to the 1980s....

I'm old enough to remember the second half of the 1980s and I distinctly remember people wearing clothes that look a lot like what you see in Changzhou. The style here is very 1980s - now I don't feel so bad about taking older clothes (having heard that China is hard on clothes - very true, by the way). At least they're not that old. You see girls wearing leggings paired with bright/mismatched colours. I saw a female student yesterday wearing stirrup pants.... I remember loving my stirrup pants as a little girl! Looking at the guys I'm often reminded of an 80s music video or Theo from the Cosby Show. It's very common to see them with blazers on with the sleeves rolled up, a la every male pop artist from the 1980s.

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Given the tragedy that has happened at home, I'd like to end this blog entry with a comment about how happy I am to be here, living my "what ifs". The Cougar helicopter crash is a reminder of how fleeting life can be. I can't say I ever pictured myself lecturing in a Chinese classroom, yet here I am.... and I'm soaking in every moment of it, even the frustrating ones. It's all an adventure that will shape who I am. As I say in my blog intro, life is too short not to live the "What Ifs".

May the families and friends of those killed last week find comfort and peace in their loved ones' memories. I send my thoughts and my prayers home at this tragic, tragic time.

China's Harmonious Society

2009-03-09T22:55:00.001-07:00

In moving to China, I left a country that not only allows a separatist party to sit in Parliament - it lets it form "Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition".

Obviously, things are different here in China.

For the benefit of readers back home, I'll share some observations on life in China's "Harmonious Society" with its "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" (two phrases you hear repeatedly). I stress observations - not judgements. While I'm a guest in China, I wouldn't feel right making public value judgements. Besides, I don't want to end up with my blog on the other side of the Great Fire Wall of China!

Let's start with the Internet. When I go online, I have to provide a user name and password. Both were given to me when I arrived - I can't change them. First sign that Big Brother is watching. Some sites are blocked all the time, others are blocked some of the time. Wikipedia works sometimes - more often than not lately. I haven't been able to access CNN's political ticker since I got here. If you type certain phrases into Google, you'll get a very quick "This Page Cannot Be Displayed". China is notorious for the number of people it employs to censor Internet content, but some things still get through, perhaps because they assume most Chinese people can't read them. For instance, I love The Economist and was surprised to find I was able to read a damning article about Tibet on its website.

Speaking of Tibet, this from an editorial in China Daily, the country's English-language newspaper: "Thus, he [the Dalai Lama] is completely incapable, morally or physically, to confront with the irreversible current of the national unity. Being such a busy person flying around the world, the Dalai Lama should have contributed to disseminating the essence of Buddhism." The words might be English, but you'd never mistake this for an editorial from a western newspaper.

When I signed my contract with the University, one of the clauses stated that I would not interfere in China's internal affairs. I can't imagine someone coming to Canada and being asked not to meddle in Canada's internal affairs. (Well, maybe in the Kingdom of Danny - just kidding DW supporters!)

Last night I finished reading Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope. There were a few mentions of China - generally not positive. I wonder whether you can even buy the book here. Probably not. I wasn't here for Obama's Inauguration, but the American teachers tell me that parts of his speech were omitted in the Chinese translation - like when he talked about some countries being on the wrong side of history. Tomorrow in my culture class, I'll lecture on America's political and economic system. "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" it isn't, but thankfully I'm allowed to lecture freely on others countries' political and economic systems. I guess it's a little hard to hide the fact that in other countries, people vote.

Some people have told me it's easier to find English books that are critical of the Communist regime than it is to find Chinese books. In a Shanghai bookstore, I was very surprised to find a book that tells the story of a woman repressed by the Communist party. As more people here learn English, will those books gradually diminish?

And so concludes my observations.

Stalls Without Doors - and Other Teaching Adventures

2009-03-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have to chuckle as I’m reading some of the essays my culture students gave me. The essay question was: “If you were to move to the United States, what are some of the things that might cause you to experience culture shock?” I assigned this question after my first class, where I talked about culture in general and introduced the concept of culture shock. This is a precursor to getting into the cultures and societies of English-speaking countries.

Well… apparently Americans are a bunch of hamburger/junk food/bread/cheese eating, fast walking/talking people who spend all their money and are obsessed with kissing each other on the face. Hmm. Am I prepared for this strange people when I start my MBA in the fall? It seems that stereotypes have become assumptions for many of my students. While obviously there is truth in those statements, I don't like reading, "Americans only eat junk food." It makes me want to protest that many Americans (and Canadians) are obsessed with healthy eating and that white rice and dumplings have next to no nutritional value. Hopefully my students will have a more well-rounded perspective once our U.S. module is completed.

I finally did start teaching and have been teaching now for two weeks. I have to say that I’m really enjoying it – even more than I expected. I like the role of teacher. I like knowing that what I do in these next few months could have a big impact on their learning and even self-image. As expected, the hardest part of teaching at a Chinese university class isn’t hushing disrespectful students – it’s getting them to speak up! With the exception of a few brave souls who sit at the front of the class, they’re very shy and reluctant to venture an answer out loud. I’ve discovered, however, that if you make something a contest, it’s game on! The other day I had a competition to test their knowledge of American history. I divided the class down the middle and had them pick team names. One class got so into it, I had to remind them it was just a game. Mystery of China’s Olympic prowess solved? (With help, of course, from a massive talent pool.)

Thankfully, almost all my students have taken English names for the classes they have with foreign teachers. That certainly makes my life easier, though I wonder how I’d feel if I was asked to pick a new name because someone can’t pronounce mine. I think I’d be a bit pissed and would be tempted to say, “Then learn how to pronounce it!” Anyway…. My Chinese is still so poor that no doubt the class would erupt in giggles if I had to call the role in Chinese. Most of them have chosen real English names, but amongst the Anns, Jennys and Carols, I have a Sand Glass, Monkey, Heaven, Angel, Elf and – my favourite – Cool Fire (nice use of an oxymoron). I even had a Christ, but I convinced him to drop just one letter and make it Chris. A few students sound like they could be the children of celebrities (Coco and Apple). I gently encouraged those without real names to consider adopting a proper moniker, especially amongst my Business English majors. I explained that if any of them go on to work for an international company, they may find it difficult to be taken seriously.

At the same time that I’m enjoying teaching, I’m finding the teaching conditions quite spartan. In China, the Yangtze River basically defines who gets heat. Communities below the Yangtze, like Changzhou, have to do without, although the temperature can drop to freezing in the winter. Changzhou is also fairly close to the coast, and there have been days I’ve felt a distinct wind chill and been reminded of home. Of course, there are exceptions to the “no heat” rule. The hotel I’m living in has heat – thank God. But the other teachers weren’t kidding when they said that the hotel is one of the few buildings on campus with heat. So far, I’ve been teaching bundled up in my coat. I’m getting used to always having my coat on, even in restaurants (again, more upscale restaurants would have heat, but that’s not what you find in the University area). I don’t mind it because I know that after class I can relax in my lovely heated apartment. My students live in unheated dorms. I can’t imagine showering in those conditions. Hopefully, spring comes soon to southeast China.

Speaking of the conditions my students have to deal with… the bathroom facilities on campus are not the greatest. I’ve made a mental note not to drink too much water before going to class (as I was practically born with a glass of water in my hand, that’s been an adjustment!). On my first day, I asked a student to show me to the washroom. It didn’t bode well when she said, “I don’t think you will like this place.” Yeah, you could say that. The lack of western toilets no longer phases me – but the lack of doors on the stalls did. I want to get to know my students, but, um.... not that well. Of course, I turned and walked right back out, even as some of my students had followed me in and were busy unbuttoning their pants. I couldn’t help but think, “These are grown women.” I’m teaching at a University, not a pre-school. Certain bodily functions came to mind, and I wonder how they deal with that. The complete lack of privacy astonished me. But I guess if that’s what you grew up with, it’s no big deal.

English Corner is another part of being an ESL teacher in China. On Thursday nights, the foreign teachers gather at a building they call “Titanic” (because of its shape, I think). Students gather around and have the opportunity to use their English skills to talk with a native speaker. I had to miss the first English Corner as I was preparing for Beijing, but went to my first last week. At first I felt kind of awkward having a bunch of Chinese students gathered around me, all looking at me expectedly. But eventually I warmed up and we had a good group conversation going. I was happy to see it wasn’t all about me talking at them. Most of them weren’t my students, but I’m going to assume that in class they’d be very quiet, like my own students. English Corner is very informal, so the atmosphere is right for free-flowing conversation. Towards the end of English Corner, one of my own classes showed up and gathered around me. I felt like some kind of celebrity. Hilariously, they started helping me with my Chinese. When I said “Zai Jian” (good-bye) to them at the end, I was met with a resounding “BYE!”

I will post teaching photos soon!

Beijing Bound - Part 2

2009-03-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

I get up early Sunday morning so I can at least see a small part of Beijing. My flight will depart just after 1 pm. I head to the hotel restaurant for the complimentary breakfast… yum, more bread. And real coffee!

After breakfast, I take a short walk to the Silk Street Market. Calvin had pointed this out on Friday night. I walk in and of course, they’re all over me: “Lady, would you like to buy a shirt?” I wasn’t intending to buy anything, but ended up finding something that would make a perfect souvenir.

And then came my first experience with haggling in China. There are no price tags on anything in the market. The saleswoman takes out her calculator and punches in a number that she claims would be the regular price for the item. Not a chance, I think! “But I give you special price because it is a gift,” she says. She reduces it immediately by about 40%. I realize I don’t even have that kind of money on me, even if I didn’t want to haggle further. Still too expensive. I tell her I only have a certain amount of money and she asks how much. Of course I don’t tell her quite how much. I give her a price that’s about 70% less than her original. We eventually settle on a price that’s 60% lower than her original. I feel good about my transaction, though she’s so friendly in saying good-bye that I can’t help but wonder whether I still got ripped off! Oh well – I’m happy with my purchase and I hope the recipient will be too :)

Beijing's Silk Street Market

Entering the Market - rows and rows of stalls

My trip to Beijing was brief, but it looks like I’ll return in April. I certainly won’t be staying at the China World Hotel again, though it was nice to feel like a jetsetting international business executive – and I hope that one day that becomes reality.

Lobby - China World Hotel

You know you're staying at a classy hotel when this is next door - and it's not knock-off

Beijing Bound - Part 1

2009-03-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

I have started teaching and will write about that in my next entry… suffice to say for now that it’s going very well. Much better than expected, to my delight :-) I’m really starting to like Changzhou and the University campus, which is like a little town unto itself…. But again, more on that later.

For now I’ll focus on my brief Beijing sojourn. I left Changzhou on Friday to fly to Beijing for interviews with two MBA programs – Chicago Booth and Georgetown. I’ve already been accepted to George Washington University, but I’d love to have a choice. I felt very “international” – a Canadian interviewing in China for MBA programs in the US. And that’s the only thing I’ll say here about my interviews…. this blog isn’t about my quest to get into business school.

Before leaving for Beijing I grabbed lunch on campus. It's possible to live on 10 to 15 RMB per day here. On campus I can get a full meal for 5 RMB, or about $1 CDN. In the little mom and pop restaurant, there’s a curling game on TV. Wow – what timing! China is playing Canada. I learn later that it’s the final game to determine the gold medal winner in a women’s curling championship. Funny. In this tiny, cold restaurant (where I’m bundled up in my coat, as I am in all buildings on campus, except the hotel), I never would have expected to find a tiny piece of Canada. I haven’t gone through major culture shock here, but I have to say, there was something about watching the end of that game – seeing the maple leafs on their uniforms, hearing some in the crowd chant “let’s go Canada, let’s go!” and knowing that I was the only one in that restaurant who wanted them to win – that gave me a tiny pang of homesickness. I’m getting used to looking different from everyone else, to not understanding what’s being said around me – but that was a sharp reminder of the differences. Patriotism is a strange thing… our attachment to arbitrarily determined borders.

Incidentally: Canada lost.

After lunch, I met Teddy at the hotel and he took me to the airport shuttle bus terminal. There’s actually an airport in Changzhou, albeit a very small one. I’ve decided that Teddy’s name suits him perfectly. He’s teddy bearlike in his manner, not appearance (so no worries Teddy – because I know you’re reading this!). He has this protective way about him when it comes to the foreign teachers. Anything goes wrong, Teddy is on it. We lose our heat for a few days, Teddy’s on the hotel’s case. I have to go to the Changzhou airport, Teddy takes me to the shuttle bus station, though I make it clear he doesn’t have to – this doesn’t have anything to do with the school. Teddy waited with me for the shuttle and even made sure I got on the bus okay. It’s gotten to the point that if something goes wrong, my first instinct is to call Teddy. I show up in Beijing and the taxi driver doesn’t understand where my hotel is (though I showed him the address in pinyin Chinese), and my first thought is to call Teddy and get him to explain it. Which really didn’t make any sense as I was in Beijing and Teddy hasn’t been to Beijing in years.

The last few days have been a bit of a step back into the western world. I’m glad I was posted in Changzhou. It’s too easy to live like a westerner in Shanghai and Beijing – and incredibly easy when you’re staying at a business class hotel in Beijing. When I arrive in the Beijing airport I notice three things: (1) western toilets (yeah!); (2) a Starbucks; and (3) other white people. It’s funny how quickly you develop a radar for spotting other foreigners when you’re living in a small (relatively speaking) Chinese city. And not just other Caucasians – anyone who isn’t Asian. A flash of blond hair – I caught it! The decidedly western way of walking that’s more like a strut… I notice it immediately. I take a taxi to my hotel (after finally calling the hotel and getting them to provide directions) and things get even more international. The China World Hotel is very opulent. I wouldn’t be staying here if it wasn’t for the fact that I wanted to be in the same location as my interviews. I’m struck by the sheer number of staff in the lobby. They even have someone to push the button on the elevator for you! Since arriving in China, I’ve noticed the large numbers of employees in most businesses. I went to one little boutique store in Changzhou where the staff must have outnumbered shoppers by 2:1. There are sometimes a couple of steps to a transaction that you’d expect could be done in one step; i.e., with one person. I wonder whether this is inevitable in a country that has more than 20 percent of the world’s population…. and I wonder what the future holds for China if the world economic situation doesn’t turn around soon.

China World Hotel - the lady close to the centre of the photo directs you to reception

To backtrack a little, I had a good conversation in the airport shuttle bus with a young man who was returning to Guangzhou where he’s a student. I was impressed that he had the confidence to talk to me in English. You don’t find that much in Changzhou. He’d heard me talking to Teddy in the waiting area. I ended up sitting next to him on the bus and he struck up a conversation with me. When I told him I love to travel, he asked me the following question, which gave me pause (and I’m paraphrasing): Don’t you think it’s important to know the language of the country you’re going to? I wondered whether I’m one of those ignorant English speakers who just presumes English will be spoken wherever she goes. I thought about it for a moment and told him that I don’t expect anyone to be able to speak English to me in Changzhou. It’s my problem that I don’t understand. I have to do my best with shopping, eating, etc. But I did add that in a business context, I do expect people to be able to speak English. It is the language of international business. What language do an Italian and a Chinese person use to speak to each other? I expect people in airports, major hotels – any organization that has contact with international business travelers – to know English. But I don’t think I’m the stereotypical globetrotting English speaker who just talks louder when people don’t understand.

However, I am the stereotypical English speaker who’s not fluent in any other language. That has to change and I’ve been reminded of that in doing my MBA interviews.

When I arrived in Beijing I had dinner with a friend who I haven’t seen in 6 or 7 years. “Calvin” did his MBA at MUN. I can’t say that when we parted in St. John’s that I ever expected I’d see him again – and on his home turf at that! He and a friend took me to one of Beijing’s most famous restaurants for Peking Duck. We have duck, goat, a few salads, soup made from duck and Chinese wine. Delicious! I’m reminded of why I want an international business career….

Preparing Peking Duck

Dinner with friends

When I got back to the hotel, a funny thing happened. Within about 5 minutes, I felt like I had a cold. I suddenly had a bad case of the sniffles. I know what this is now – pollution sickness. When I showed up in Changzhou, I came down with a cold. Some said it was really pollution sickness that mimics a cold. I adapted to the terrible air in Changzhou. Then I flew to Beijing where the air is even worse. I’ve read that every day in Beijing is the equivalent of smoking 70 cigarettes (like the cigarette smoke you’re breathing in all public places isn’t bad enough).

I get up on Saturday morning to prepare for my interviews. I had one at 2 pm and the other at 6 pm. I go the hotel restaurant for lunch and once again put one foot back in my own culture. Club sandwiches on the menu! Rolls! The Chinese don’t eat much bread. Toast is almost unheard of. In the mornings I don’t have toast – I have bread with peanut butter and jam on it. I’ve yet to even see a toaster for sale in Changzhou, though Dan tells me Steve, the Chinese English teacher, has one. In the hotel restaurant, I gorge myself on bread, opt for the knife and fork, and make no apologies for it! I’m eating plenty of rice and noodles in Changzhou and will surely be an expert on the use of chopsticks by the time I return.

My hotel is in the business district, so there’s not much to see. Not that I had much time anyway. My interviews, including preparation, take up most of Saturday. I have a well-deserved drink in the hotel bar (Aria) on Saturday evening. If I closed my eyes, I could be in any piano bar in North America. There’s live jazz music – a pianist and singer. The woman has an amazing voice and sings “Moon River”…. Ahh, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, my favourite movie :-)

Welcome to China....

2009-02-23T21:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-21T22:44:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-19T02:15:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T03:56:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-12T05:54:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-09T05:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-08T03:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-07T05:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-01T00:03:00.000-08:00

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"!

Last Night in NL...

2009-01-28T19:10:00.001-08:00

A quick post tonight because I have to be up in about 4 hours! I have to get some sleep. I find it near impossible to sleep on planes, so I'm betting I'll be pretty tired when I arrive in Shanghai.

Am I ready for this? I don't know.... I woke up this morning and for the first time (maybe because I knew I had less than 24 hours to go), felt a pang of trepidation. What am I getting myself into?? And I ask that in a good, rhetorical way - the lows may be lower than I expect, and the highs higher. If that makes any sense. I spent my first few weeks in France homesick, but by the end of it, I wanted nothing more than to stay. We'll see. If I don't write for a few days - even a week - it's because I'm "culture shocked" and don't want to use this blog as a place to gripe about why "they" can't do things more like "we" do.

Good night and see you from the other side of the world...

43 Things...

2009-01-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

I forgot about this great site until tonight: http://www.43things.com/ It's basically a way to track and share progress on your life goals, no matter how big or small. You can comment on other people's goals and provide tips on how to accomplish them. Very cool.... I'm starting to get into this whole Web 2.0 thing :)

I set up my 20-odd things almost a year ago. Funny how I had "pick up and move" as a goal - almost a check mark on that one! It's neat to see that I accomplished some of my goals (achieve my CC in Toastmasters, visit NYC) and let go of others (score a 700+ on the GMAT). Hopefully I'll accomplish other goals this year - fingers crossed - like live in the US.

Overall, a neat site for finding motivation and inspiration for your goals.

The Countdown is on...

2009-01-25T08:55:00.001-08:00

I woke up this morning and realized I'm into my last four days. My final SWAP registration kit showed up on Friday. I've had my farewell party at The Keg. I have my passport back with my Chinese visa. I have a fistful of yuan to get me through the first few weeks.... not as safe as travellers' cheques, I know, but I refuse to go that route. Too much trouble! And they seem very antiquated today - I've travelled to 13 countries and the only time I used travellers' cheques was when I was 16 and didn't have a credit card.

The one thing I have been putting off is the inevitable trip to the necessary evil that is Wal-Mart. I really hate Wal-Mart. My fellow Terra Nova Toastmasters know about my Wal-Mart abhorrence because I even did a speech about it. But there's no denying it is a one-stop shop. Dominion isn't far behind, but it's also more expensive. Ugh. I'm thinking about doing a 1 am trek to avoid the screaming children and rude people blocking the aisles with their carts. Or I could head over this afternoon and use it as last-minute preparation for crowd tolerance??

That is it for now. Time for another farewell coffee....

Leaving the corporate cocoon - Part 2

2009-01-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's over. Yesterday was my last day at work. I think I'm just starting to process the last 36 hours. I was up almost 24 hours straight. Work was a blur and I felt like a zombie after being up late working on my application for Georgetown. After work, I stayed at the office to finish my Georgetown app. Finally at about 11 I finished and headed to a friend's to help her celebrate her own MBA. It was after 4 am by the time I got home... but well worth the late night! It'll be sad to say good-bye to my friends. More on that later.

I just listened to "Beauty"- a song from a great NL group called Shaye....

Stay true to your nomad skies
Keep your eyes out for coyote
A thousand secrets are lost
In the archival dust
So lay your ears upon the tracks

One day you will come back
With wrinkled hands and grey hair
And there you will stand on the spot
And you'll marvel how the place is still the same
Though you are somebody else now
Fly on butterfly

And the day that you spin
From your little cocoon
Well, you can't be prepared
For the beauty you'll find there
And you will find beauty
In the toughest of places
And I will be thinking of you out there

The song is resonating with me tonight and making me emotional as I realize I'm into my last few weeks of residency in Newfoundland.... potentially Canada too. With the exception of a few weeks back here in the summer.... that is it. I'll be moving on again in the fall to some as yet unknown destination for my MBA (maybe DC - the interview this week went incredibly well.... 4 blocks from the White House! And what a time in history to be living in DC). I have a love-hate relationship with this "Rock" in the North Atlantic. It will always be home - but it is time to move on. I'm a big city girl and St. John's just doesn't do much for my love of big, culturally diverse cities that have a lot going on. The notorious George Street just doesn't cut it. The Scope just named it the best place in STJ to meet "your next lover". Um, ok. Anyone who's spent 10 minutes on George Street knows that if you're there looking for your next lover, it's generally of the "drag off" variety... but I digress!

It occured to me that I'm in an interesting situation in that I didn't leave right after high school or even University. Almost 5 years after MUN, I have deep personal and professional networks here and I'm sad to leave those behind. The happy hours at The Keg.... Terra Nova Toastmasters.... the business networking events.... I'm happy I stayed long enough to have those experiences. And there are many things I'll miss about Newfoundland, like the friendliness of the people and the ability to leave your pursue on a ledge on George Street (speaking of!) to go dance without fearing that someone will steal it!

Enough "waxing philosophical" for now :0)

Leaving the corporate cocoon

2009-01-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

I love this article from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/01/08/jumping.ship/index.html.

These people are living their "What Ifs". My situation is different - I'm not starting my own business - at least not yet! - but I have thought about the negative "What Ifs". What if China doesn't work out? What if I don't get into an MBA program for the fall? What then? I'm taking gap time now based on my plans to start a full-time MBA in September. I have an interview with George Washington U next week... I'd love to know I have a place somewhere before I leave for China.

Speaking of MBA programs, it's time to get back to my essays for Kellogg :)

You know the economy's in bad shape when...

2009-01-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

... you can get to the other side of the world for $1,200 Cdn return. All In. From NL. I've paid that for the States.

I've booked my ticket and suddenly my move just got a lot more real. It's amazing how a plane ticket makes things seem that much more concrete. I leave St. John's at 7 am on Jan. 29 - got to love the infamous early morning flights from STJ - fly to Toronto, then go over the North Pole to Shanghai. That should be cool in itself - I hope I have a window seat. The flight is 12 hours and I arrive in Shanghai at 4 pm on Jan. 30. First time over the Pole. First time crossing the date line.

I picked an arbitrary return date of July 9. The school term is over the end of June, so it gives me some time at the end to travel if I want. Who knows? Maybe I'll end up staying longer.

Biggest Fear...

2009-01-05T18:00:00.000-08:00

I was at the Jema Travel Clinic today and was relieved to find out that the only vaccination I needed was for Hep A & B. I had visions of being given a long shopping list! Even the Hepatitis shot was #3 of 3 - I had the first two before going to Trinidad and Tobago a few years ago.

I also got a supply of Dukoral... i.e., travellers' diarrhea medication. That brings me to what I most fear about China. Getting sick. You hear the horror stories about Westerners going over there and not being able to leave the bathroom for a week. I remember a marketing prof talking about how people wouldn't get close to her (this was in Japan) because she smelled.

Yuck. I hope the Dukoral, plenty of hand sanitizer and cautious food choices help me avoid that fate. I can't afford to lose 10 pounds on my frame (yes, nice problem to have, I know). And I certainly can't afford to be out of commission my first week because I have orientation in Shanghai.

Wow - I still can't believe I'm going to see Shanghai :) When I think of the sights I'll see, the people I'll meet - suddenly the risk of getting sick doesn't seem so bad.

I just hope my opinion hasn't changed by this time next month!

Speaking of Lone Female Travelers....

2009-01-02T08:09:00.001-08:00

I’m not a stranger to solo travel. Here’s a snippet from a speech I’d been preparing to give to my Toastmasters club after returning from my first trip to DC. For some reason I never gave the speech, but at least part of it will see the light of day....

A lone female traveller always attracts attention, for better or worse. Some people look at me with pity. Sometimes I get curious glances as though people can’t quite figure out what a young woman is doing travelling by herself. Where’s the boyfriend or fiancé?

Eating alone in a restaurant is, without a doubt, one of the most disconcerting experiences for a woman travelling alone. But I’ve realized that it’s only uncomfortable if you let other people’s awkwardness bother you. I used to feel vaguely embarrassed about eating alone. With every bite, I’d feel self-conscious, as though everyone was staring at me. That all changed this past summer during a trip to Washington, DC. I decided to embrace the experience of eating alone. On several occasions, I actually made the decision to eat alone at nice restaurants. At first I engrossed myself in a book, but that was just validating those who think it’s unnatural for a woman to dine alone. So I ditched the book, and began to savour not only the food, but also the empowerment that flows from holding one’s own. I won’t turn this into a rant about not needing a man. The truth is that I didn’t need anyone in those moments – man, woman or child. I was free to be alone.

Travelling the World for Free

2009-01-02T05:32:00.001-08:00

Ok, I just tried to publish this to my blog, but nothing seems to have happened. So here's the link: http://thetravelersnotebook.com/how-to/how-to-travel-for-free/

This is a fantastic article - in essence. In practice, I'm not convinced all of these tips are wise, especially for a lone female traveller.... or any traveller for that matter. Yes, we should trust more. Our Culture of Fear has taken much of the fun out of travel (and many other things - don't get me started on "anti-bacterial" soap and the sudden need to keep children out of the way of all germs!). That said, I'd pony up the money for the peace of mind of a plane ticket any day over hitchhiking/negotiating my way to a foreign land. But the writer's points about the joy of new experiences and minimizing needs (read: wants) are well taken.

Teaching English as a Second Language gets a nod here. Indeed, the self-financing aspect of my teaching experience is what is making this possible for me. I'll be paid in local currency and my accommodation is provided. I won't make much by Canadian standards, but by local standards - I suspect I'll be quite well off. I had considered one of those volunteer abroad programs, but in the end, the high cost of participation (thousands of dollars for a few months), at a time when I'm saving for my MBA program, deterred me - at least for now :)

Learning Chinese

2008-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I bought my first Chinese Language instruction book... actually 8 CDs and no book. I've almost made it through CD 1 and realize that I'll need a book to supplement the oral learning. I guess I'm the kind of learner who likes to see things written out - it helps me absorb them. I did buy a small Chinese phrasebook and was able to match some of the words from the CDs with written phrases. As soon as I saw "piaoliang de" (beautiful) written phonetically, I was better able to emulate the native speaker on the CD.

I'm looking forward to learning Chinese!