I'm getting more excited about Vietnam. I haven't left China in something like 8 months, so it will be nice to go somewhere else. My semi-endearing sidekick karen will be leaving her home country for the first time in her life, so she's a bit more excited. neither of us can say anything in Vietnamese, and we have a vague idea of where we are going.
Photos and pointless stories to come next week. Still have a few days of teaching first
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
PSA
For all Chinese students of English; past, present and future, note that "Can you introduce me to foreigners so i can practice my English?" is a request that will be met with a "no" every time. You are asking me to impose upon my friends, asking them to work for free teaching you. Not going to happen.
There are a fair number of foreigners here, and we aren't hard to find. W e stick out in crowds. If I ask you what you did this weekend, and the answer is "nothin" "Computer games" or 'studied" then it seems we found ths source of the problem. Stop asking me to ask my friends to do boring stuff, find something interesting to do, and offer to include us. it's reallly that simple.
Note that you will be penalized further if you do think of stuff that sounds interesting, but don't offer to include the foreign friends you wish to make, instead wanting them to meet and help you practive English.
i have Chinese friends, and happily practice English with them. I actually prepare things to teach a few. But if they had introduced themselves by asking for a time consuming favor, they'd be a distant memory at best.
There are a fair number of foreigners here, and we aren't hard to find. W e stick out in crowds. If I ask you what you did this weekend, and the answer is "nothin" "Computer games" or 'studied" then it seems we found ths source of the problem. Stop asking me to ask my friends to do boring stuff, find something interesting to do, and offer to include us. it's reallly that simple.
Note that you will be penalized further if you do think of stuff that sounds interesting, but don't offer to include the foreign friends you wish to make, instead wanting them to meet and help you practive English.
i have Chinese friends, and happily practice English with them. I actually prepare things to teach a few. But if they had introduced themselves by asking for a time consuming favor, they'd be a distant memory at best.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
tripping
Bought tickets today for Vietnam. It's a bus trip, and should last a few days. I should not be contacting anyone for cash
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Sunshine
A few good friends work with a group called Sunshine, which works to provide medical assistance and other support for familes with disabled members. The group is legit and 100% of the people are volunteers, so there is alittle overhead.
One of the sad things about life in modern China is that the social safety net is shrinking, and looks pretty threadbare. Medical coverage is far from universal, and people do die because they can't afford treatment. My experiences have been positive, but that's in part because foreigners are assumed to be able to pay. If i have no money, presumably someone else will pay. Chinese are not afforded that same concern.
Anyway, I think I'll be more active with that group soon. It's about $30 a month (something over $300 a year) to sponsor a disabled person, which provides better medical care and basic foodstuffs. I don't plan on harping on it here, but if anyone would like to help out, please let me know (billbarlo at gmail.com).
And again, my thanks for those who sent e-mails asking about me (and others. ) here after the recent earthquake. We didn't notice it at all here. I was in more danger from hurricane katrina in Chicago than I was from the Qinghai earthquake here. No one needed to dig me out, and I didn't need to scramble for food or water. That said, some people did. While I tend to send money to the AFSC, the Red Cross is one of the things that makes me think there's hope for humanity. With the planet falling apart, help us third worlders out.
One of the sad things about life in modern China is that the social safety net is shrinking, and looks pretty threadbare. Medical coverage is far from universal, and people do die because they can't afford treatment. My experiences have been positive, but that's in part because foreigners are assumed to be able to pay. If i have no money, presumably someone else will pay. Chinese are not afforded that same concern.
Anyway, I think I'll be more active with that group soon. It's about $30 a month (something over $300 a year) to sponsor a disabled person, which provides better medical care and basic foodstuffs. I don't plan on harping on it here, but if anyone would like to help out, please let me know (billbarlo at gmail.com).
And again, my thanks for those who sent e-mails asking about me (and others. ) here after the recent earthquake. We didn't notice it at all here. I was in more danger from hurricane katrina in Chicago than I was from the Qinghai earthquake here. No one needed to dig me out, and I didn't need to scramble for food or water. That said, some people did. While I tend to send money to the AFSC, the Red Cross is one of the things that makes me think there's hope for humanity. With the planet falling apart, help us third worlders out.
there goes the neighborhood
Last night was a friend's birthday. Len's a pretty popular guy, so a lot of people turned out. It was also reggae night at the busiest expat bar, so a few people were there who don't know Len at all.
At one point, a few of us who came here a decade ago took a head count and realized there were more foreigners in the bar on Saturday night then there were in the whole city back then.
Most of the other old timers seemed to have no idea who most of the new people are. being kind of a new person in some ways, I knew more. Still, there were plenty of new faces.
It was kind of cool having this brought to my attention. It made me realize how weird and mixed the community of expats is. people who have lived in larger Chiense cities tell me there are different groups. Business people don't talk much to teachers, Germans, italians, and others have their own cliques, etc.
So last night, I started off with a group of English speaking teachers, then drifted over to hang out with some Russians. I then fell in with the old timers, wandered off with a few French people (mes amis, c'est vrai. Je n'ai jamais etudie le francais. Je parle, mais c'est parce que je suis tres fute. un genie), and wound up back with Americans and Aussies. We then went off to the club, where the lines continued to blur.
There is an odd sort of tension for expats here. I think many of us kind of dislike being lumped together as "foreigners." A canadian who has lived here for 10 years is very different from an Aussie in his third week. For french, germans, Italians, Russians and the various Arabic speakers, it must be tiring to constantly need to speak English, as very few Chinese study your language. No one likes being lumped in with the Americans, and we, in turn, deal with constant misconceptions about our country (two of the biggest gripes we have is that we are criticized for only speaking one language, and for knowing nothing about the rest of the world. While those criticisms have some merit when applied to Americans as a whole, it rarely applies to Americans here. There's generally not much difference between Americans and other expats in our knowledge of Chinese, and I'd respectfully say that if you made a list of the most knowledgable, well educated, cerebral expats in Zhongshan, Americans would be overrepresented. Of course, we left the States behind :) Still last night I got to see the foreign community as a community. A large, diverse group of people where language, religion, nationality, gender, and race don't matter. it's not always the case, but when things align right, it feels good..
At one point, a few of us who came here a decade ago took a head count and realized there were more foreigners in the bar on Saturday night then there were in the whole city back then.
Most of the other old timers seemed to have no idea who most of the new people are. being kind of a new person in some ways, I knew more. Still, there were plenty of new faces.
It was kind of cool having this brought to my attention. It made me realize how weird and mixed the community of expats is. people who have lived in larger Chiense cities tell me there are different groups. Business people don't talk much to teachers, Germans, italians, and others have their own cliques, etc.
So last night, I started off with a group of English speaking teachers, then drifted over to hang out with some Russians. I then fell in with the old timers, wandered off with a few French people (mes amis, c'est vrai. Je n'ai jamais etudie le francais. Je parle, mais c'est parce que je suis tres fute. un genie), and wound up back with Americans and Aussies. We then went off to the club, where the lines continued to blur.
There is an odd sort of tension for expats here. I think many of us kind of dislike being lumped together as "foreigners." A canadian who has lived here for 10 years is very different from an Aussie in his third week. For french, germans, Italians, Russians and the various Arabic speakers, it must be tiring to constantly need to speak English, as very few Chinese study your language. No one likes being lumped in with the Americans, and we, in turn, deal with constant misconceptions about our country (two of the biggest gripes we have is that we are criticized for only speaking one language, and for knowing nothing about the rest of the world. While those criticisms have some merit when applied to Americans as a whole, it rarely applies to Americans here. There's generally not much difference between Americans and other expats in our knowledge of Chinese, and I'd respectfully say that if you made a list of the most knowledgable, well educated, cerebral expats in Zhongshan, Americans would be overrepresented. Of course, we left the States behind :) Still last night I got to see the foreign community as a community. A large, diverse group of people where language, religion, nationality, gender, and race don't matter. it's not always the case, but when things align right, it feels good..
Friday, April 16, 2010
Teaching: the Musical
Had a week of teaching songs to classes. I use them to teach grammar points and cslang, but mostly to talk about culture. Ok, I also do it because it's fun.
My advanced English class was exposed to my favorite musician, Bob Mould. The basic theme of the song is nostalgia, and pining for the good old days. Lead to a discussion on changes in China, and what era they regarded as a high point. Most chose now or the late 90s for entirely personal reasons
My other English classes at the college got off easier, hearing Big Star. A song about young awkward love wouldn't seem to resonate well with young adults aged 19 or 20, but most of them act like they're 12, so it went fine. It's awesome when someone argues passionately that the line "would you be an outlaw for my love?" suggest a form of madness, as partners are far less important than family; while their boyfriend or girlfirend is in the same class.
At my nighttime job at the other college, they were exposed to the magnetic field's. Some were suitably grateful, and it was requested that more magnetic Fields songs be played, or that the songs be shared with the students who can then marvel at their greatness alone. This would be sort of the opposite of a love song, and lead to discussions of love, romance, and dating. As a general notice to furtue classes, when there are 20 women in the room and 3 men, the teacher is not necessarily on your side. I'm far from the door, and need to get out alive
My advanced English class was exposed to my favorite musician, Bob Mould. The basic theme of the song is nostalgia, and pining for the good old days. Lead to a discussion on changes in China, and what era they regarded as a high point. Most chose now or the late 90s for entirely personal reasons
My other English classes at the college got off easier, hearing Big Star. A song about young awkward love wouldn't seem to resonate well with young adults aged 19 or 20, but most of them act like they're 12, so it went fine. It's awesome when someone argues passionately that the line "would you be an outlaw for my love?" suggest a form of madness, as partners are far less important than family; while their boyfriend or girlfirend is in the same class.
At my nighttime job at the other college, they were exposed to the magnetic field's. Some were suitably grateful, and it was requested that more magnetic Fields songs be played, or that the songs be shared with the students who can then marvel at their greatness alone. This would be sort of the opposite of a love song, and lead to discussions of love, romance, and dating. As a general notice to furtue classes, when there are 20 women in the room and 3 men, the teacher is not necessarily on your side. I'm far from the door, and need to get out alive
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Earthquake
Apparently, western China was hit by a bad earthquake today. Im nowhere near Qinghai, and we didn't notice a thing here. I asked a few friend about it, and they had no idea what I was talking about it. No doubt this will be a huge story soon, butwe're completely fine in Guangdong.
The internet is rather slow at the moment, as everyone is on-line before lights out soon, so i didn't really read much. I'd assume that the Red Cross will be helping out. They're good that way. Since the Earth is having an earthquake every few weeks, I can only assume someone at some point will be suggesting people donate to dig out Zhongshan.
The internet is rather slow at the moment, as everyone is on-line before lights out soon, so i didn't really read much. I'd assume that the Red Cross will be helping out. They're good that way. Since the Earth is having an earthquake every few weeks, I can only assume someone at some point will be suggesting people donate to dig out Zhongshan.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
new home
The new home is pretty nice. It's on campus, but so far I've been freet o come and go and have visitors as I please. No curfew, not harassing of people the guards don't know. I planned on staying here part time and spending most of my time at the other place closer to the city, but i'm finding myself here more and more
one reason is this. The school provides a computer and it works. Hence, this post has photos. When I transfer old vacation photos to here, there will be good photos.
Contrary to all expectations, the bed is comforatble. This puts them ahead of every other school I've worked at in China
Living room
The kitchen is ok, except for the electric stove. The stove itself is fine, but if there's no power, there's no way to cook. not a huge problem so far.
one reason is this. The school provides a computer and it works. Hence, this post has photos. When I transfer old vacation photos to here, there will be good photos.
Contrary to all expectations, the bed is comforatble. This puts them ahead of every other school I've worked at in China
Living room
The kitchen is ok, except for the electric stove. The stove itself is fine, but if there's no power, there's no way to cook. not a huge problem so far.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
new job
Yesterday was the last of my introduction classes, so I've seen every student I have. There are many. I think close to 1000. I will not be learning names. I'd be surprised if I remember faces.
So far the school is fine. The apartment is nice enough, the other staff reasonably friendly, and my workload is very light. I am still teaching at another college in my copious free time, so money is not an issue. For now, I have nothing to complain about.
I teach 9 classes a week, all double periods. Each class is one and a half hours. Twice a week (including a little later today) I teach Business English students. The rest of the time, I am teaching non-English majors, many of whom don't really want to learn English. Some are wildly enthusiastic. About what I'd expect. The 7 non-English classes are every other week, so I have 14 classes of them. These students do not receive a grade, so I only need to grade one class, and homework is not necessary. So I teach them if they want to learn, and ignore them otherwise.
I went exploring the area around my new home last night for a while. I was looking for, and found, a market, the supermarket, restaurants (preferably one with pictures, so I can point at what I want), a convenience stores, bike repair shops and places with pool tables. I was also hoping to find a bar or club and a dvd shop, but oddly enough failed at both. There are guys selling dvds off of carts, but they only have Chiense. Still, how can you have a large college and no bar in walking distance? Stranger, I found a few tattoo places. Tattoos are not very common in China, and while there are a few tattoo parlors in Zhongshan, I have no idea where there are a few here in the middle of nowhere.
I've gotten better at calculating how much power my scooter has, so trips to and from the center of the city are getting quicker as I am now able to go over 20 kph. (must remember to remind Michelle and Karen that if they want me to drive them around, it is important to mention that before I drive around a few hours. Those last few blocks home, it's more fun to ride the scooter than to push it)
last night, set up the Wii and decided to play to make sure it was working. Somehow, 5 hours disappeared. I think I know what will eat up a lot of my time soon.
So far the school is fine. The apartment is nice enough, the other staff reasonably friendly, and my workload is very light. I am still teaching at another college in my copious free time, so money is not an issue. For now, I have nothing to complain about.
I teach 9 classes a week, all double periods. Each class is one and a half hours. Twice a week (including a little later today) I teach Business English students. The rest of the time, I am teaching non-English majors, many of whom don't really want to learn English. Some are wildly enthusiastic. About what I'd expect. The 7 non-English classes are every other week, so I have 14 classes of them. These students do not receive a grade, so I only need to grade one class, and homework is not necessary. So I teach them if they want to learn, and ignore them otherwise.
I went exploring the area around my new home last night for a while. I was looking for, and found, a market, the supermarket, restaurants (preferably one with pictures, so I can point at what I want), a convenience stores, bike repair shops and places with pool tables. I was also hoping to find a bar or club and a dvd shop, but oddly enough failed at both. There are guys selling dvds off of carts, but they only have Chiense. Still, how can you have a large college and no bar in walking distance? Stranger, I found a few tattoo places. Tattoos are not very common in China, and while there are a few tattoo parlors in Zhongshan, I have no idea where there are a few here in the middle of nowhere.
I've gotten better at calculating how much power my scooter has, so trips to and from the center of the city are getting quicker as I am now able to go over 20 kph. (must remember to remind Michelle and Karen that if they want me to drive them around, it is important to mention that before I drive around a few hours. Those last few blocks home, it's more fun to ride the scooter than to push it)
last night, set up the Wii and decided to play to make sure it was working. Somehow, 5 hours disappeared. I think I know what will eat up a lot of my time soon.
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