December 16, 2001 to January 22, 2002



A Very Special Christmas Indeed

My students insisted in celebrating Christmas, not that I don't celebrate it but…I just didn't feel Christmassy.  I know that is not a word.  But it describes the mood.  First I am far from home and it is not even that because I have spent Christmas's away from my family before.  I think what made it difficult to get in the spirit of things was the extreme nature of the cultural differences.  

The political climate affects the way the holiday is celebrated.  There are many Christians in china, but even with the stated Freedom of Religion laws they still cannot celebrate openly without the possible threat of something bad happening to them.  

I think that this is what really bothered me.  I have met a variety of Christians since coming to China and more than one person has proudly shown me their Bible.  One of the first questions that the Chinese ask of foreigners is "are you a Christian?"  I am not sure exactly why they ask, maybe to identify and put you on a list or maybe because the want to know if they can ask you religious questions.  I have come to the conclusion that admitting you are a Christian definitely registers some information in their heads.  I would never deny my faith, but I don't think you can assume that all Christians will exhibit the same type of behavior.  I have discovered that some students seem to think that being a Christian also makes you a sucker for any type of sad story.  There have been many missionaries through this college and China and the students are quick to tell you that they have a Bible.  But when you ask them have they read it or what do they think of it they have no answer.  I know that some students are afraid of having their grades lowered because of the fact that they wanted to celebrate Christmas.  In fact, one student deliberately told one of the Chinese teachers that she thought that there would be a gathering of students to celebrate Christmas.  Keep in mind that any more than 2 people discussing religion is considered subversive to the government, especially in my province.  The poor students were terrified.  But on the total opposite end of the spectrum one of the girls dorm windows flashed bright twinkling lights and stars.  It really varies.  

So needless to say I was really torn about the whole public celebration thing.  So I cooked a quiet dinner of Spaghetti, with meat sauce and wine and invited a couple of the teachers and a few students and several other students just stopped by.  We had to watch the students they were drinking wine like it was fruit juice and they are not used to wine.  The wine is only 10% but if you are not used to any alcohol then that is a lot.  I also went to another teacher's apartment where a group gathered to sing Christmas carols.  And yes I did put up a tree.  Granted it was 6 inches high, but I put two 3 inch ones around it and actually decorated it with miniature ornaments.  The other teachers had some leftovers from previous teachers, one very large Santa, and an artificial tree.

One of my senior oral English classes was very insistent that I have a gathering over the holiday; they didn't want me to be homesick.  I finally told them that the week after Christmas would be a good time.  My excuse was that in America we celebrate from the week before Christmas until New Years Eve.  I was very glad that they insisted, because yes I needed the company and they are a fun group anyway.  We watched several movies and by the end I was exhausted and they gave me the loveliest gifts.  I have to give Dillon credit for organizing and getting the movies.  He is a good student that I will miss.  

Sophomore Class Four Hates Me and all Foreigners at least for a day

One of my students who I used to pay to clean my apartment, and who also spent much time with me is now no longer speaking to me.  I fired her.  I only allowed her to do it because she said she was going to get kicked out for lack of money to pay tuition.  She is a pretty bright girl but I know that she has a habit of putting other down to make herself feel better, she lies, I don't know if she steals but I am missing a container (no biggy though), she also like to find peoples weak spots and then go in for the stab.  Basically none of the other foreign teachers can stand to have her around.  She asked me why and I told her they think you are a "smart aleck".  She was always around where ever I was so I just grew used to her and then I started noticing her behavior at first she would ask me all about the Bible but I think that was to practice here English.  Then she would start telling students not to bother me because I was so busy.  And that was not true; yes I was busy but not to busy to talk with the students, since that is a part of my job.  It was just to keep me to herself.  Finally the last straw happened right after Christmas, a Chinese teacher that I like was talking to me about getting together and this woman's English is not as fluent as the student but that never bothered me I just adjust my speaking.  Well the student was standing there and she started giggling at us, I just looked at her and the Chinese teacher looked at her and then we kept talking.  After the teacher left and this student and I were outside I asked her why she was laughing.  She said some reason and finally I just said you are lying to me.  I said you were laughing because here you are a sophomore and your English is much better than hers.  I told her if she ever did that again around me that would be the end of our friendship.  Then I noticed a couple of other things and I just said enough.  I sat her down and very kindly talked to her and told her that her behavior was unacceptable and I did not associate with people who lie and deliberately hurt others.  The Chinese are very clever at getting you to do what they want while seeming to give and seeming to give in.  Guanxi is what they call it and it is a system of you do for me and I do for you etc., etc., It is supposed to be based on relationships but it ends up being a tit for tat sometimes.  Sometimes I appreciate the rude sometimes-brutal honesty that many Americans have.  I would rather here the truth up front then to have it painted and covered with flowers.  ANYWAYS> I guess 5000 years of living in this place will do it to you.

So then she of course went back and Lord only knows what she told her class, but I came in the next day and the first two rows were empty.  They all sat at the back.  Now this has always been my problem class, in fact they are the ones that I walked out on.  (Every teacher seems to have at least one class like this)  Tony had one where he walked out on them while he was trying to give them the final.  They can really push you to the edge.  They were going through his papers I guess looking for the answers.  I cannot understand or relate to the desperate need to compete that these students feel.  Tony ended up giving them their final another day.  Phil lost it with another who was also searching through his papers for a look at the grades.  Now please keep in mind that they do it while you are standing right there talking with another student.  It is not even as if you are out of the room.  

Since this class was always a problem I really didn't pay any attention.  A couple of the students came to me later for extra help with reading exercises so things are pretty much the same as usual.  This particular girl has such a bad reputation of lying and hurting others and being selfish that it seems no one takes her serious.  I feel so sorry for her.  I know that she is unhappy and has problems.


New Years Eve 2001

Absolutely nothing special about this New Years Eve except the fact that I am in China.  They don't really do anything here, but set off firecrackers.  Not fireworks just firecrackers.  The best part was that I got three days holiday, the worst part I had the flu.  And I mean I had the flu.  It took me almost 3 weeks to get over it.  Betty the woman from Australia had it just as bad.   Neither one of us could do more than lay around in the bed for hours and then struggle up.  Well no need for me to go on because all of you know how the flu is.  

Dinner with a Student in the City

I spent new years day having lunch with a student from another college and her family.  See pictures.

It's a New Year

I actually got better just enough to start giving my senior exams on the seventh, eighth, and ninth of January.  This time I was cleverer as the Chinese students say.  I decided to record their voices so that I would not need make instant evaluations.  I could listen to them later and without pressures of getting it all completed within 2 hours.  It didn't matter.  Class three my lovely seniors who I just mentioned two paragraphs ago almost caused me to have a breakdown.  Chinese student do not have a concept of when someone else is giving a speech I must be quiet.  You can say it again and again and still they will talk and I mean talk loudly.  It is the most frustrating thing.  The other teachers also experience this.  It bugs us all.  Then I made a new rule two in the room at a time and the rest out in the lobby or another empty classroom.  It worked but took until 5:30.  Then I had to replay the tapes.  But it was not that difficult, because I could truly listen to their voices.

I also made the final exam for the reading classes so that I could use a simple answer sheet template to check them.  The only problem with the reading exam was that I had to make it so that they would pass.  No one fails here at Shengda.  If the students do not pass the first exam then they take a another version of the exam on the 23rd of February.  I wish it was like that when I was in college!  Anyway it was made clear to me that I not only needed to prepare two versions of my final but that it would be better if everyone passed with flying colors.  I have mentioned in previous entries that this is a private school and the students pay well to come here.  They may not have had scores high enough for a public university so here they are.  Just like in America if you can pay you can get in almost anywhere.  Look at how many actors and actresses have graduated from Yale and Harvard while still working full time in the film industry.  Not to say that these people are not smart but it makes you think.   Where did Bush graduate from?  I rest my case!!!

Final Exams Are OVER!

My exams ended and I turned in my final grades.  Let's say I made the final too easy.  Not one student got below 83.  In addition to that I was told to review and review so the couldn't have failed if they tried.  Next semester the class will be taught by a Chinese teacher, because they have figured out that it is a waste of an foreign teacher to teach this class.  It needs to taught by a Chinese teacher so that they can explain in the native tongue.  So my schedule will be great next semester, only Oral English, freshman and Sophomores Class one and two.  I am looking forward to not having to lug 240 exams around and correct them.  

Getting Ready for my Second New Years

It is now playtime.  Spring Festival is when the Chinese people celebrate the Chinese New Year.  Most people have at least a few weeks off and everyone travels.  I cannot begin to imagine how crowded the trains etc. will be.  But I think it will be fun.  I can push and shove with the best of them and most Chinese are friendly so it should be a blast.  I was really trying to decide whether to go home or to travel through China or to go to Thailand.  My original plan was to go to Sanya, which is an island south of China, and spend a few days and then come back when the other teachers had finished their exams.  (Oh I forgot to mention, I was truly blessed, none of my classes had formal exams - which means I was able to get them done and out of the way earlier than anyone else)  This has not meant free time though, the seniors are bombarding me with resumes and thesis requests and the juniors with their essays for finals.  But it has been interesting to see some of the topics that they have chosen.  One girl is basing her thesis on Wuthering Heights.  I can't wait to see how it goes.  

Back to my playtime.  I have from now January 21, 2002 until February 24th 2002 off.  So I have plenty of time.  The problem is deciding how to spend it.  Like I said I was going to the beach on Sanya, Hainan Island, PRC.  Then I was going to travel with the Australian Couple and their student.  But they had a crisis and had to fly home.  Making contingency plans as I always do, I got a re-entry stamp added to my passport so that if I wanted to leave China to come home or go to Thailand I would be permitted to re-enter.  Even though I have a resident permit, I still must have a stamp that will let me back into China.  

There was a sale from here to the U.S.  But I really didn't want to spend 24 hours on a plane and then have the jet lag to deal with.  So I decided to go to Sanya with a student, but I was unable to get anything reasonable.  The salary here is enough to live here and to travel like a local.  That means the train, not flying and also 2 star hotels.  But then the Australian couple decided they would only be gone a week, so then the original plan was back on.  I will go to visit Susie's home (a student) and then we will all go to Chengdu (see the Panda etc), and then head to Kunming and Guilin.  If these places are as beautiful as they say I will post many pictures.  We will be heading south where it is warmer then we will return to Zhengzhou.  I will be gone until the 17th of February, when I return I am going to go north to Jinzhou to see Karen and her two daughters.  Jinzhou is about 17 hours from me so I am saving it for the end when I am by myself and can sleep the entire way.

A VERY BAD HAIR DAY

Out of desperation I decided to try and have my ends trimmed here.  Saturday, we were all in Zhengzhou so I decided to go to for it.  I had asked Grace my Foreign Affairs Officer to recommend a salon.  She said how about I use the shop located on campus.   Now even I know better by now, than to do something so stupid.  These are people who can't get a job anywhere else.  I am not being mean I am being truthful.  If they were good they would not be there.  I looked at here as if she had lost her mind and I asked here did she use their services.  She looked shocked and said no.  My reply to her was well then why would you recommend that I go there.  This is so typical of the answers that many of the Chinese here give you.  

Karen went to Beijing to get her daughters tooth filled.  I will be going to Beijing to get my migraine medications refilled.  I have talked with about 4 students whose parents are doctors.  And not one of them was able to recommend a physician here in Zhengzhou.  Karen said that the dentist she saw spoke and understood perfect English.  I think this is a primary consideration when choosing healthcare!  I have tried to explain a simple case of a stuffy nose and having to spend ½ getting through the language barrier with a translator.   One of my students who is very kind, her mother is a doctor and she has a friend who is a doctor and this friend suffers from migraines.  I should say did suffer migraines, she has been cured.  I have refused the treatment.  Sheep's brains do not rate high on my list of things to consume.  Percocet, or Imitrex will have to do!

Back to my hair.  So on Saturday I took my best student and favorite student who is great at translation.  She is able to translate for me without translating my attitude.  I went to the best salon in China.  BUT I don't think they ever heard of hair conditioner they shampoo and that is all.  I do have to say though that the American salons could take a lesson in comfort.  That padded leather recliner was the most comfortable shampoo seat I ever sat in.  And for any of you who have had water dribbled down your neck during a shampoo, no worries hair.  My turtleneck never even got damp.  I could not find the word for conditioner so I went and sat in the stylist hair.  He had a long ponytail, which usually indicates that the person is a good hairstylist.  But, he trimmed more than I wanted even after showing me just the little he was cutting, and then they insisted on some new style and I (having lost all of my backbone - from the people staring at me in the salon I agreed) well just say I looked like Oprah before she made the big time.  It was a combination of the Bride of Frankenstein (sticking up all over) and the bed head look.  I looked like I had spent the day in a dry heat salon and then had all of the salt spray of the Atlantic Ocean put on my hair.  Whatever they shampoo with removed every drop of moisture out of my hair.  I had three people setting my hair and then they put some type of machine around it to dry it.  Basically I sat there in the chair with this heat lamp orbiting my head.  Picture Saturn and its rings.  My head was the planet.  

And, Oh my goodness to top it all off they all clapped and people smiled all afternoon, now whether those were hidden laughs who the heck knows.  I beat it back to my apartment pulled out the deep conditioning cream, and proceeded to repair the dryness.  I think that since the Chinese tend to have oily hair they probably don't use conditioner and also all of the hairstyles that they seem to think are with it and happening look like fried over processed hairdo's.  But fortunately, my hair is now smooth shiny and curly like it should be and minus just a few inches that will grow back EVENTUALLY. [I am still waiting for the section that I burned off  in September to grow back!  Voltage converters don't always work].  But I will survive.




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