We are now several weeks into the fall term and there are some things that are the same (and have been that way for as long as people here remember, I’m sure) and there are some things that are different.
The students are still excited to see me, which is one of the nicest things about this job. I’ll still get applause if I dress particularly well or if I do something different with my hair. I am, however, beginning to struggle for things to teach them. There is a whole world of possibilities but they are tempered by lack of resources (if I could print pictures off the internet things would be soooo much easier to explain) and language limitations. I can teach them a lesson that requires them to learn new words but I have to be careful not to overload them with new words or they get overwhelmed (or bored).
I’ve been trying to get the students to ask me more questions both so they get practice speaking English and so I can understand what they know/don’t know better. I’ve gotten some questions that make me wonder about their impressions of America. Several students have asked me if military service is compulsory. Some have asked me if everyone owns a gun. The headmaster of the school in Anshan said he saw "American Pie" and he wanted to know if people really have parties like that. Many times they want me to compare America and China, which always makes me uncomfortable because they are extremely nationalistic so if I compliment China, it is a personal compliment and if I tell them something I don’t like it is a personal insult. So, I will always point out differences with, “not that one is better than the other, they are just different”.
The students who were Level 2 last year are now in Level 3 (their last year of high school) and they don’t have a lesson with a foreign teacher. The Level 1s I had last year have also moved up and the middle school students who scored high enough on their tests are now Level 1s. What is odd is that I recall that last term thinking that my Level 2s were not quite as engaging as my Level 1s and it seems to hold true this term. I guess when they are new to the high school they are really excited to be there and so they pay more attention and try harder but by their second year, the thrill of the new school has worn off. Trevor has said he noticed the same thing.
It has been very nice to have Trevor here so there is someone to laugh with about the surrounding craziness or grumble with about the things that are frustrating. A couple days after he arrived, we were walking around and passed an old man who tried to spit on the sidewalk, only it didn’t work too well, and he ended up with a slobber string dangling from his chin. It was really funny looking but it wasn’t until I heard Trevor laughing beside me that I started to laugh too…and then I couldn’t stop. It was in that moment that I realized how long it had been since I had laughed really hard about something because you really need someone there laughing along with you to sustain the joke. I think this term will be a bit easier if for no other reason than Trevor and I can keep each other in good humor.
On Friday, I will be leaving to go to Greece for a week so my next post will be my out-of-China experience!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Thoughts from Trevor
I asked Trevor, the new American teacher who arrived in Taian about a week and a half ago, to write a guest post for my blog of his impressions of China. This is what he sent me:
We Americans describe the word diarrhea as: (di·ar·rhe·a) Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually indicating gastrointestinal distress or disorder.
However, if you ask a Chinese person about diarrhea, they would would respond with,"What is diarrhea?"
You see the Chinese have no such word, because every bowel movement they've ever had has been diarrhea.
As far as the Chinese are concerned, there is no such thing as a piece of solid fecal matter. If they were to ever pass a solid piece of poop they would probably think they were sick. No doubt they would rush to their local hospital where they would be tested for every medical condition from high blood pressure, to the HIV virus.
Rumor has it that a man from Taian once had a case of solid fecal matter so severe that he had to fly to Beijing for a CAT scan. Once in Beijing, the man was held for nearly a month for medical research.
Diarrhea is just as much a part of Chinese culture as chopsticks, or wearing the same pair of clothes everyday.
Though we Americans find the symptoms of extreme cramping and excessive pain associated with diarrhea to be uncomfortable, the Chinese actually find it to be a rewarding experience. They don't just like to have diarreah; they love to have diarrhea. Sometimes, having diarrhea is the best part of their day. When a Chinese person wakes up in the morning they say,"What a beautiful day! The only way to make this day more beautiful would be to doo-doo on myself." There are only a few causes for diarrhea in the U.S., which include food poisoning, dehydration, and watching Varsity Blues. Causes for diarrhea in China include literally everything. You don't even have to ingest food or liquid to get diarrhea. Taking a walk can cause diarrhea. Playing cards can cause diarrhea. Having an IV put in can cause diarrha. Even having diarrhea can cause more diarrhea.
The Surgeon General's warning on a pack of American cigarettes will warn of the dangerous of cancer and damage to unborn babies. On a pack of Chinese cigarettes, you will find a disclaimer from the cigarette manufacturer that reads,"Smoking cigarettes will cause anal leakage. The makers of this product and their subsidiary companies bareno responsibility for the staining of any underpants. Please enjoy with caution."
On a personal note, I believe the Chinese take great pride in their diarrhea, or at least should. The diarrhea here has got to be the most foul and disgusting substance ever excreted from a human body, ever. Each sloppy mass is more horrifying to look at than then next. Just the thought is enough to make me vomit. I would rather watch a bullet go through a person's eye than look at some of the diarrhea here. My hope is that the the witnessing of these horrific viewings will not haunt me in my dreams for years to come. Here's to you China, and your diarrhea.
We Americans describe the word diarrhea as: (di·ar·rhe·a) Excessive and frequent evacuation of watery feces, usually indicating gastrointestinal distress or disorder.
However, if you ask a Chinese person about diarrhea, they would would respond with,"What is diarrhea?"
You see the Chinese have no such word, because every bowel movement they've ever had has been diarrhea.
As far as the Chinese are concerned, there is no such thing as a piece of solid fecal matter. If they were to ever pass a solid piece of poop they would probably think they were sick. No doubt they would rush to their local hospital where they would be tested for every medical condition from high blood pressure, to the HIV virus.
Rumor has it that a man from Taian once had a case of solid fecal matter so severe that he had to fly to Beijing for a CAT scan. Once in Beijing, the man was held for nearly a month for medical research.
Diarrhea is just as much a part of Chinese culture as chopsticks, or wearing the same pair of clothes everyday.
Though we Americans find the symptoms of extreme cramping and excessive pain associated with diarrhea to be uncomfortable, the Chinese actually find it to be a rewarding experience. They don't just like to have diarreah; they love to have diarrhea. Sometimes, having diarrhea is the best part of their day. When a Chinese person wakes up in the morning they say,"What a beautiful day! The only way to make this day more beautiful would be to doo-doo on myself." There are only a few causes for diarrhea in the U.S., which include food poisoning, dehydration, and watching Varsity Blues. Causes for diarrhea in China include literally everything. You don't even have to ingest food or liquid to get diarrhea. Taking a walk can cause diarrhea. Playing cards can cause diarrhea. Having an IV put in can cause diarrha. Even having diarrhea can cause more diarrhea.
The Surgeon General's warning on a pack of American cigarettes will warn of the dangerous of cancer and damage to unborn babies. On a pack of Chinese cigarettes, you will find a disclaimer from the cigarette manufacturer that reads,"Smoking cigarettes will cause anal leakage. The makers of this product and their subsidiary companies bareno responsibility for the staining of any underpants. Please enjoy with caution."
On a personal note, I believe the Chinese take great pride in their diarrhea, or at least should. The diarrhea here has got to be the most foul and disgusting substance ever excreted from a human body, ever. Each sloppy mass is more horrifying to look at than then next. Just the thought is enough to make me vomit. I would rather watch a bullet go through a person's eye than look at some of the diarrhea here. My hope is that the the witnessing of these horrific viewings will not haunt me in my dreams for years to come. Here's to you China, and your diarrhea.
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