Miss Abbie - the music teacher

I came to China to teach English, so teaching English in my classes is, of course, no surprise. I even throw in a few songs in the beginning of the class, the end of the class, or both, to make learning more fun for the children. When the Chinese teachers ask me, however, to teach music to the children - to spend whole class periods on teaching the children just one song - the words, the melody, and pronunciation, that is a bit of a surprise.

This has happened at least three times so far this semester and every time that I spend the class period specifically teaching a song, I am taken back to music class in elementary school, only this time I am the music teacher. I had never thought that my teaching English would lead to me teaching children how to sing. After all, I was never a great singer. Luckily for the children, I am improving due to the fact that I sing songs between seven and fourteen times a day on school days (once or twice every class period with seven classes a day). I believe that now I can actually carry a tune with no background music.

So far, I have had a "music class" to teach baa baa black sheep, and jingle bells. All three times (Baa Baa black sheep in two classes) the Chinese teachers asked me to teach the songs the whole class period because the class would be presenting them, so they had to be sure that the children knew the words, the tune, and the pronunciation very well.

Although I never thought I would be a music teacher, I am enjoying that aspect of teaching as well. It is very rewarding to hear the children singing the songs I teach them.

I'm fine too

In my middle classes (the children who are between four and five years old), I always laugh every time I ask them how they are. Now you might ask, "Why, Abbie? Why does this question or their answer make you laugh?" I will tell you.

Here is the dialogue when I start my classes:

Me: Hello! Good morning class!

Class: Hello miss Abbie! Good morning miss Abbie!

Me: How are you today?

Class: I'm fine, thank you! And you? I'm fine too!
(If you can imagine 30 four and five year old's saying this phrase all together in just one breath (with a Chinese accent, of course) then you have a good idea of how it sounds)

At this point, me and the other teachers in the classroom start to laugh. The children simply do not understand that when they ask, "And you?" they are not supposed to answer their own questions. They are supposed to wait for the other person (who, in this case would be me) to answer it. It would be very easy for the Chinese teachers to correct this and I don't know why they don't - they would just have to explain to the children not to say the last part unless someone is asking them the questions. I suppose, then, if the Chinese teachers aren't explaining it to the children, that the duty falls to me. It will be a difficult challenge, but I accept (I suppose I accepted that challenge when I signed the contract, correct?)

Next week if you are interested, you can ask for the results (or the update).

The many "hao"s of Chinese

Learning Chinese is very interesting and I love learning all of the similarities between certain words, how some words are different, what makes them different and similar, etc. My Chinese learning is coming along nicely (for those of you who are interested in an update)and I can now converse with people for up to 40 minutes (I haven't tried for longer) depending on how patient they are and how slow they speak with me. If they speak too fast, then it is difficult to understand them. If they speak too slow, though, then I get bored. One of the security guards at the school speaks at a very good pace (I think he gets bored standing by the gate for hours on end) so we often talk and it was with him that I had the 40 minute conversation.
But, as usual, I am a bit off topic. My topic for this blog is the many words that one can put before "hao" (which means good). I am only dealing with the words that keep "hao" meaning good and not words that change it to bad, such as adding "bu" to make it "bu hao". In my Chinese class we learned a few words to put before "hao", but being here I have heard and learned many more, each with their own slightly different meanings, intricacies, (some of which I am still trying to figure out), and of course, their own tones and pronunciations.

Here is my list so far:

hen hao
fei chang hao
ting hao
hai hao
man hao
mei hao

I'm sure there are more, and the next time I hear another one I will add it to the list. Enjoy (and maybe learn). If you already know all these and you can explain all the intricacies to the many "hao"s, then feel free to leave a comment and explain!

The Foreign Teacher

As an English teacher in China, I am called many things by my students and by my fellow teachers. For example, they call me Miss Abbie. They also call me Abbie laoshi (which is Abbie teacher in Chinese). The last name I am called, and the one I like the least, is waiguo laoshi,which means "foreign teacher". To me, calling someone a "foreign teacher" seems to highlight the differences between the students, the Chinese teachers, and that teacher (who would be me). It highlights the language barrier, the cultural differences, as well as any other differences there might be. In America we have a similar phrase to describe someone who teaches a foreign language, but we add one word which (to me) changes the tone. We call the person who teaches the foreign language a "foreign language teacher" instead of a "foreign teacher". Do you see the difference? That way, whether that person is from a different country or not, they seem to be treated the same (at least in my experiences).

Maybe I am wrong, but when the teachers all announce that the waiguo laoshi (or foreign teacher) has arrived, it just sets me apart from everybody, so that the students can treat me differently (which they do). And, of course, it is not just the students who treat me differently. I think most of the foreign teachers will find that everybody treats them differently because they are foreigners. But, if we were not set apart as much, would the students' attitudes and actions towards us change? Do the words that they use, such as waiguo laoshi really affect the way they see us and act towards us? I think that it is possible, since we do know that language and words have an effect on our actions and beliefs. It makes me wonder what would happen if the children didn't think of me (and the other foreign teachers) as waiguo laoshi and instead if they thought of us as foreign language teachers.

Thanksgiving in China

For the first time in my life, I did not have Thanksgiving at home, in the United States, with my family. However, I did have Thanksgiving, and I had it in my Chinese home with my family here (made up of my friends here at the school plus some). Usually when my family celebrates Thanksgiving we invite not only our family, but also some of our close friends. In the past, these close friends have included many people from other countries. For example, for many years our family friends from the Jiangsu region of China came to celebrate with us and last year my roommate from Japan came.

For my Thanksgiving in China, this tradition of having people from different countries celebrate with us was carried out to the max. Of course there were Americans - four to be exact. But there were also four Canadians, an Australian, two Chinese, a Mexican, a Philippine, and a Kenyan. 14 people from 7 different countries. Since it was a potluck dinner, we had a variety of dishes from the different countries. It was a fantastic way to get to try food from the various places, listen to everyone's stories, and get to know each person better.

Even though many people did not know each other before the dinner, many people became friends and exchanged numbers. It was indeed a wonderful way to celebrate and give thanks for everything that we have here.

Change

Four months does not give one much time to change. However, I have been in China only four months and already I can see many changes in the way I act and think. It is amazing.

Besides the obvious ways (such as my Chinese improving), I have become less afraid of speaking in public. Ever since I was a very small, I was painfully shy. Speaking in front of groups (large or small) made me forget what I wanted to say, blush, and talk very softly. Even last year, when I was a TA for psychology classes, I was nervous whenever I had to go up in front of the students and teach them. Now, however, I have gained an inordinate amount of confidence in front of large groups - both children and adults.

I first noticed this when all of the foreign teachers at the school had to get up in front of everyone at the school (all of the students and all of the faculty) and introduce themselves. Before, I would have been mortified and dreading my minute in front of the hundreds or thousands of people watching me. However, when it was my turn, I was completely fine. I was able to smile, say what I had to say, and not worry at all.

Before, I never sang in front of anyone except my very, very close friends and family. I do not have a good singing voice, so I do not share it. I was shy about teaching in front of big groups of people, let alone singing in front of people. Because I teach small children, though, who love to sing, I have to sing with them everyday. That means that I sing in front of people (the children and their teachers) everyday seven times a day (because I have seven classes a day). Not only have I been desensitized to teaching and speaking loudly in front of large groups of people, but I have become desensitized to singing in front of them as well! I just realized this past week that last year I never could have gotten up in front of a group of 30 people (even if they were all 5 years old) and sung a song. Now it is as easy as playing with them.

The last thing I want to talk about is improvisation. I was, in the past, very bad at improvising. In order to teach anything, I had to think about it, write it down, organize it, etc. However, one thing I have learned here is that you can't always do that. There are surprises and you have to be able to improvise. And now I can. When I was reading an article with a friend and using it to teach her English, I was easily able to improvise a lesson using the article, without ever having seen the article before. In classes, when we have an extra 10 minutes or if I do not have time the night before to make lesson plans, it is now no problem for me to improvise and teach the class. I know that this is a very important skill.

As I said before, four months, which is the amount of time I have been here, is not very long. Already, though, I have changed and learned an extraordinary amount. I am very excited to see how much more I will learn in the next seven months!

The similarity between China and Barcelona

In China, as you may know, most people speak Chinese dialects when they are talking with their family and friends who are from the same city/town that they are from. For example, in Suzhou they speak the Suzhou dialect and in Shanghai they speak the Shanghai dialect. Although these two places are pretty close together, the dialects are different.

I am studying Chinese, but Mandarin - not the dialects. Therefore, when people speak in the dialects, I can rarely understand what they say (even less than when they speak in Mandarin). However, most people here speak the dialect most of the time and only speak in Mandarin when they are speaking with people who do not speak their dialect.

This reminds me of Barcelona, where the native people speak Catalan instead of Spanish when they talk with their friends and family. Only when they talk with outsiders, or people who are not from Cataluna, do they speak in Spanish. In Barcelona, people loved to speak to me in Catalan (even though I couldn't understand it), or speak in Catalan together and then only speak in Spanish when their comments or questions were directed towards me.

I had strong recollections of my time in Barcelona when I went to my friend's house this weekend. She and her family spoke their dialect almost the whole time. Because of this, I could understand very little. My friend was kind enough to translate most of what was said, but I felt like I was in Barcelona again. The only time her friends and family spoke in Mandarin was when they were talking to me - to ask if I understood what they were saying or to tell me to eat more.

Just like in Barcelona, people were not speaking the language I was studying, so unfortunately my listening skills did not improve too much during that weekend. It is interesting, though, to hear the different dialects and how they are different/similar to Mandarin. As of now, I know three different ways to say "thank-you" in Chinese (with three different dialects). Fascinating!

A weekend full of surprises

This past weekend, a friend of mine invited me to her home in a town about two hours from Suzhou, where I live and teach. I had a wonderful time meeting her family, seeing her town, and getting to know her better, but there were many surprises as well.

The first surprise came the first night I was there. We were at dinner (we hadn't even stopped at her place yet) and she asked me if I was ok with going to the public bathrooms. I thought that she meant to ask if I was ok with using the public washrooms to go to bathroom, so I said I was. Then, however, she clarified. She asked if I was ok with using the public bathrooms to take a shower. Oh. I suppose I could have, but I didn't have the right things with me - towel, shampoo, conditioner, etc. And after talking about it with her, she decided that maybe it wasn't a good idea, since I am a foreigner and people would stare at me, as they always stare at foreigners, while I was showering. So I didn't use the public bathrooms in the end, but it surprised me that she and her family used them even though they have a shower their home. It also surprised me that it was such a common thing there. It seemed like many people in that town used it.

The next surprise came when we were driving one of her mom's friends somewhere. As soon as the woman got into the car, she looked at me and said, straight to my face, "Laowai". Yes, I know that I am a laowai, and many people have said that towards me before, but never to my face like that. It really took me aback. I was very surprised and I think that she was too. It is not exactly polite to say that, which is why I was so surprised (as was my friend). Then the woman asked me, in Chinese, if I could eat Chinese food. What an interesting question - can I eat Chinese food? I was very confused about her. She also told me that her son was studying in New Zealand and that I should meet him. So that was the second surprise - the woman and her statements/topics of conversation.

The next two things that surprised me during my weekend trip had to do with food. We were at a restaurant for dinner one night to celebrate one of my friends family member's birthday, so the food was pretty fancy. One of the foods was decorated to look like a platter of fruits and cheeses, but what looked like fruit was actually raw fish. I thought, though, that the cheese could still be cheese. When I asked, hoping that I could eat some cheese (since my meal thus far had consisted of only vegetables), I was told that it was something made out of vegetables - vegetarian, but not cheese. So sad!

Then, at breakfast the next day, we had steamed rolls (baozi) to eat. My friend went to the refrigerator and got out two jars, which she put on the table. She told me that the jars had jam inside. I was so excited - in the United States I don't get excited about jam, but I haven't had jam for four months, it is rare to eat here, and it would have gone really well with the steamed buns, so it was exciting. Then she told me that one of the jars was spicy jam and one was meat jam. Not fruit jam, like I had thought. Again, a surprise with the food being very different than I had anticipated. Oh well. It was still good - I used the spicy jam for my steamed buns and I very much enjoyed them.

And that was my weekend of surprises. Which each surprise, I got to learn more and more about parts of the Chinese culture, food, etc. Surprises are always fun, right?

The Presidential Elections... In China

Watching what happens with the presidential elections, how each state turns red or blue, the outcome, and how the people act as a result of that outcome can be interesting wherever you are. In China, however, I was fascinated by what I saw and talked about with the people.

As the days to November 4th (or, in our case, November 5th) drew nearer and nearer, the foreign teachers talked more and more about the elections, which candidate we wanted to win, and what would happen if each candidate won. And it wasn't just the American foreigners who were discussing this. I teach with Americans, Canadians, Phillipinos, a Kenyan, and Australians and this topic was on everyone's mind. It is amazing how important the presidential candidates were to everyone in the world - and that everyone was hoping for Obama to win!

The day of the elections, not just the foreigners were watching the live feeds. My Chinese friends were glued to their computer screens as well. 20 minutes before I started teaching, my Chinese friend called me and asked if I wanted to come to her office to watch live footage of what was happening in the United States, so I went. Of course, it was all in Chinese!

Later that day, I wanted to find out more up-to-date news about the elections and looking on the internet wasn't helping me, so I decided to call my parents with skype. My parents, who live in the United States, were watching the news on T.V., so they told me everything that was happening as soon as it happened - I could even hear some of it through the microphone. That was the best and quickest way to get up-to-date news! I even heard about Obama's win the minute that it happened this way! My dad told me all about what was happening in Grant Park, with the people crying and singing "We Shall Overcome". It was a very touching moment that I was able to share even though I am all the way in China. Thank you Skype.

After talking with my parents, I invited my Chinese friend to come watch more live news on my computer (in English, this time). We ended up talking a lot and the conversation spread from Obama and McCain to Bush, the economy in the United States, and even to 9/11. It was a very interesting conversation and it was wonderful to hear everything from her point of view.

In order to celebrate the election of Obama, two of my friends and I decided to go out. We went to a bar to have some wine and there we talked with another Chinese person about Obama. He also said that he was glad Obama had won. It seems to be unanimous that Obama was the best choice, at least with the people that I talk to abroad. We realized, though, that he has a lot on his shoulders now. The whole world is looking to him to change the negative things that have happened and to make everything better. He has his work cut out for him and everyone is watching.

I am very glad that I was able to have this experience in China. I think that I learned more being here, talking with my foreign and Chinese friends, than I would have experiencing the elections in the United States.

The Troubling Case of the Noisy Chinese Students

Mystery: Why are my students very noisy when I teach them but when the Chinese teachers teach them, they are so quiet you could hear a pin drop? Why can the Chinese teachers speak in a whisper with the students when I have to yell over them?

Investigation: I have been teaching my Chinese students, who are between two and six years old, for about two months now. Whenever I teach, the Chinese teachers get the children to be quiet at the beginning of the class and then it is my turn: I have the floor to teach the children English. We use flashcards to review vocabulary, we play games to review the vocabulary and the grammar, and we sing songs. I have found that whenever I hold up a card with a picture for the children to say the English word, they yell the word as loud as they can, without stopping. In order for me to get a word in edgewise, either to correct the word or the pronunciation, I have to yell over them. When I switch to the next card, the same thing happens.

Many times during class, if I want them to really listen to me without talking, I have to sing a song. Then they will all start singing nicely and I do not have to yell. If I can get them to sing SOFTLY, then the classroom is really quiet.

However, when there is a Chinese teacher accompanying me in the classroom to keep the children quiet, they are very good. The Chinese teacher can get the children to listen to me without talking all at once, so that I do not have to yell over all of them. When the Chinese teachers teach, the children are always quiet and they do as they are told without question. Why is this? Why will they do this for the Chinese teachers and not for me?

Solution: After careful watch of the Chinese teachers' classes and the way in which the Chinese teachers get the students to be quiet, I have concluded that there are many reasons the students will be quiet for them and very noisy for me. First of all, the Chinese teachers speak their language, so they can tell the children to be quiet and they can threaten the children if they are not quiet. Therefore, there is more incentive for the children to listen to them. Also, many times the children here believe that since we (foreign teachers) cannot speak their language, then we are different and perhaps do not need as much respect as the "real" teachers who do speak their language.

The Chinese teachers also spend more time with the children and know the rhymes, chants, etc., they say that the children have learned to make them quiet. For example, there is one chant (all in Chinese) about opening your eyes and looking at the teacher. When the teacher says it, the students repeat it and become quiet. However, as it is in Chinese, it would be difficult for me to learn it and say it with the children to make them quiet.

Last, and possibly most important, is the fact that the Chinese teachers can punish the children as they want to and need to and I cannot (not that I really want to). The Chinese teachers can take away the childrens' food if they are very bad, they can put them outside the classroom, and they can even physically punish them. I however, cannot. Therefore, the children are more inclined to listen to the Chinese teachers because they know there may be punishment with them, but not with me.

In Conclusion: There are many reasons that the Chinese students are very noisy for me and very good for the Chinese teachers. I would like you to understand, though, that I am not trying to make you think that they are very bad. Usually the children are good. They are loud, they are noisy, and it can be difficult to make them listen, but in general they are lovely children. Just like in any classroom anywhere, some of the children want to learn more and these children listen and some of the children fidget, talk, and are loud. So please don't let this blog make you think negatively towards my students. They are wonderful!

Influence

I am amazed by the amount of influence I have on the people here. Of course, I knew that I would have a large amount of influence over the children I teach, but not only do I influence them and their English, but I also influence their teachers and other Chinese people I am friends with.

For example, Thursday was open classes for many of the Chinese English teachers. During the open classes, the teachers taught the students and many other teachers and faculty members watched them and assessed their performances.

Thankfully, I didn't have to give an open class, but I did get the chance to watch the open classes that were given. I learned a lot about how to teach and how to get the children to listen to me better. I also learned that the teachers learn from me. This surprised me, considering I have been only teaching for about three months and I majored in Spanish and Psychology, whereas most of the teachers have either been teaching for many, many years or have majored in teaching English, or both.

Out of six open classes that I watched, at least four of the teachers used the method of picture cards to indroduce the new vocabulary words that I started using with the children. In one of the classes, the teacher even used two games that I taught her and the children(What's missing and Hide and Seek)! I was very happy to see that I am helping her as well as the children to learn.

Not only am I teaching the teachers inside the classrooms, but I am also influencing them and helping them outside the classrooms. I am frequently surprised by how much my English vocabulary ends up being taken up by the Chinese people I am with. My link teacher invited me to her house for dinner the other night and anytime I said a phrase that was new to her, she used it every chance she got. It was funny to me to hear all of my words popping out of her mouth so often.

This makes me realize that whenever I say anything or do anything, I have to make sure to set a good example. Whether I am in a classroom teaching or just having fun with my friends, I have to make sure to speak well so that the people around me learn the correct English.

Boys Don't Cry!

While waiting to talk with a co-teacher yesterday, I was observing her teaching style and the differences in the way she teaches and the way I remember being taught in kindergarten. The one thing that really struck me was the way that children here are singled out in front of the whole class when they do something wrong or something looked down upon.
While I was watching yesterday, for example, one of the little boys was crying. I am going to explain to you what happened to the best of my ability, but I want you to remember that most of it took place in Chinese, so my translation might not be completely correct.
The teacher told the boy to come up to the front of the classroom and asked why he was crying. While he was sobbing, he said something, but I could not understand his answer. At first, the teacher seemed to be very understanding and it seemed to me like she was trying to console him. However, this entire time he was in front of the class crying, which is not the first place I would want to be if I were crying.
The next event that occured completely took me by surprise. She had the children chant, "You don't cry", while pointing to the boy (that part was in English, so I definitely understood it). She then had the boy go back to his seat and explained in Chinese that boys should not cry. So then my question is: if it had been a girl, would the same thing have happened, would they still have chanted "You don't cry", or are girls allowed to cry?
This was surprising to me for many reasons. First of all, I am not used to pointing children out in front of the class like that. It seems very harsh, especially for that grade level. Second, it surrpised me because I had thought that the times in which boys (especially six year old boys) were not allowed to cry and were taught in school to hide their emotions like that were over. I guess that this is still taught, perhaps even in the United States. Maybe I am just naive. What do you think? Do you think that this is still taught in the United States? Do you think it should be taught? To only boys or to both boys and girls? I would love to hear your opinions!

Kindergarten and Preschool Sports Day!

Friday morning I had no classes. Instead, all of my 200 children, their teachers, and their parents all got together on the track outside and we had Sports Day. It was an amazing morning, not just because of the organization that it must have entailed, but because of how much fun we had together and how much better I got to know my students in that one morning.

First of all, the children all lined up according to their classes and marched (with flags) to their places on the field. Then each grade (small: aged 2-4, middle: aged 4-5, and big: aged 5-6) performed a dance that they had been practicing for the past couple of weeks. The proud parents all watched, took pictures, video, etc. Earlier, I was named the photographer of the day, so I took pictures with my digital camera as well.

After the dances, the games begun. Each grade level had different games and some of the games were played individually and some were played together with the children and their parents. The purpose of the day was to bring together parents and students, since this is a boarding school and the children do not see their parents very often (only on weekends and vacations). Therefore, I was able to meet the parents for the first time as well.

This was also one of my few chances to play with my students and not just teach them, so I took the opportunity to play with them, chase them around the field, take pictures with them, and get to know them better (or, at least, as well as my limited Chinese and their very limited English could allow). It was very fun, though. As soon as my students saw me, they would yell, "Miss Abbie, Miss Abbie!" and come running towards me. They took turns pulling me around, showing me to their parents, and talking with me. It was a wonderful way for me to spend time with them, not just right after my classes with them ended and before I left to go to the next class, but for a longer, more open time.

From spending the morning with my students, I realized the importance of not only being with them to teach them English, but also just to play with them and have fun. Therefore, I want to see if there is a way to play with each class outside of the classroom during the week. I think that this will let me get even closer with them and help them to not only learn more English, but develop more of a teacher-student bond.

The Dangers of Crossing the Street

Crossing the street in China is a skill, one that you learn while your heart is thudding in your chest and you are just hoping that you don’t get run over by trucks, cars, motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles while you learn it. Yes, crossing the street in China can often be quite an experience, and until you learn the proper way, it can, at times, be frightening. I have learned, though, that there are two ways to do this. This blog will explain each way to you so that if you ever find yourself in a situation that you need to cross the street here, you will be able to do so without getting run over (I hope).
1) Cross at a cross-walk. This may sound simple and easy, but it is not as straightforward as it seems. Once the walk sign for you goes on – a green man with numbers counting down how much time you have left – many times there are still cars crossing. Although you have the right of way, the cars don’t understand this. Also, some cars have the turn signal, so you cross while the cars are turning. I have learned that if you cross and look at the cars while you are walking, they will avoid you. Besides the cars that you have to brave to get across, you also have to cross in spite of the numerous scooters that zoom in and out of the street. It is not just the scooters that can be dangerous. The bicycles (both electric and not) have almost run me over many times. So, in order to cross at a cross-walk, the easiest thing to do is to wait for other people to cross. The natives (Chinese people) know how to cross safely, so if you walk with them, I am fairly certain that no one will get hurt. If there are other people crossing, I always just kind of join their group and hope that no one notices (because no one would notice a 老外 in the group, right?) I am especially certain that no one will run over the group if there is a family with small children or a baby. Who would dare hit them?
2) Cross in the middle of the street, without a cross walk. Yes, this may sound very, very dangerous, but when the light at the crosswalk is out, or the crosswalk is very, very far away, this method works very well. For example, the light at the crosswalk outside of my school is always out, so I just walk a little bit more towards the bus stop and use this method. In this method, you just cross the street in steps. If there are no cars/trucks/scooters/bicycles coming from the sidewalk where you are to the next yellow or white line, then you can cross to that line. You then cross from that line to the next line when there are no cars, etc. At that one, you can cross to the sidewalk. Sometimes you may have to run to avoid the traffic, but that just makes it more fun, right? Although this method can be frightening, it may take less time than the previous one. Once you have practiced this method, is gets easier and less scary. Practice makes perfect!
So, these are a few of the ways to cross the street here. I hope that you find them helpful. I am still perfecting them, but I am getting better with each day that passes!

Two Chinas seperated by one block

I live in the apartments provided for me by the school in which I teach. These apartments are on the school grounds,so whenever I leave to walk close to the school, most of the people are used to seeing foreigners, or 外国人(waiguo ren), as they call us. They also call us laowai (老外), but in this blog I will us 外国人.
So, as I was saying, whenever I stay on the street that I live on (Xiangcheng Da Dao), there is no more pointing and whispering about 外国人 than I am used to. Of course it still happens, but it happens everywhere I go.
However, yesterday and today I went to a different street, about one block away from Xiangcheng Da Dao, and it was as if I were in a totally different world. First of all, it seemed as if the people there had never seen a 外国人 before. The staring was much more prominent than before. Also, the whispers and comments of 外国人 were a lot more noticeable and came a lot more often. Usually it is more the children who point out that I am a 外国人, but on this street, the adults seemed to need to point out that fact as well. On this street, I heard 外国人 every couple of steps, as well as had people looking and pointing at me the whole way down the street.
The other fact that makes me feel like this street is so different from the street that I live on is the way that it looks. The first time I was on this street, I was with one of my friends, and as she pointed out, it could be the background for a commercial about the starving children in Africa. Although on one side of the street there are apartments that are o.k. looking, the other side of the street has concrete huts with people crowding outside. My friend was correct - it does look like that commercial, except that the children running around outside the huts aren't African children, they are Chinese. It is a very different scene than that of the children in my school, in their uniforms, playing on rollerblades and listening quietly in classrooms. It is amazing to see and experience the two different Chinas just one block apart.

Foreign Teacher 外国老师

Being a 外国老师(foreign teacher) gives you a lot of benefits. You get, as I mentioned in another blog, a nice apartment that comes with the job, free food, as well as insurance. However, there are other benefits as well. The people here tend to treat the 外国老师 extremely well. Sometimes we are treated even better than the other teachers are treated. At the school where I teach, I often feel as though the Chinese teachers, staff, and parents have a lot of respect for me. I don’t know how much I deserve all of that respect, considering most of the teachers have taught for much longer than I have and have actually studied teaching, whereas this is my first year teaching and I studied Spanish and psychology, but in any case, it is nice to feel respected. Besides being respected, we also get special treatment. For example, the apartments that we get are nicer than the apartments most of the Chinese teachers get. We also have to teach and work less than the Chinese teachers, even though we get paid the same or more than them.
But, once again, this is all background information. I wanted to explain that people give 外国老师 more respect and special treatment because then you will understand my story better. And once again, my story has to do with cake. So, it was the child’s birthday in the class I mentioned in the last blog and the teachers had just invited me to stay for a piece of cake. I wanted to, but I had to teach another class in about 10 minutes. So I said I would stay for 10 minutes and then come back after my next class. I stayed and watched the teachers put the 5 candle on the cake, light it, and let the girl blow it out while we all sang “Happy Birthday” first in Chinese and then in English. As the teacher went to cut the cake, though, the mother told her in Chinese to give the first piece to the 外国老师 (me!). She spoke very rapidly and since my Chinese is not very good, I didn’t understand what she was saying. When I asked Villa, the Chinese English teacher, she explained that the mother wanted me to have the first piece of cake. I was very honored, but confused – I’m not the birthday girl. Isn’t the birthday girl supposed to have the first piece of cake? I don’t know, maybe the customs are different here in China, but I do know that it was sweet of the mother to think of me and want me to have the first piece. As I explained before, I think I get special treatment because I am a 外国老师. So I accepted the first piece (kind of feeling like I was stealing from the birthday girl) and once people started eating, I ate as well. Of course, I had to leave most of it to go to my next class, but don’t worry – I got to finish the cake when I came back after class! So yes,in a nutshell, I think that we get treated specially and respected more just because we are 外国老师, because we are from another country. I just hope that this special treatment doesn’t spoil me for when I come back to the United States and I am not so special anymore!

Hello Teacher, Hello Teacher, Hello...Cake?

For the past few weeks I have been teaching my middle class (the children who are about five years old) a song called “Hello Teacher”. It is to the tune of “Goodnight Ladies” but the words are: “Hello teacher, hello teacher, hello teacher, hello and how are you?” In order to practice the children’s English names, we sing the song to the students individually using their English names. So, for example, if I have a student named Lily, then Lily will come up to the front with me and we will all sing: “Hello Lily, hello Lily, hello Lily, hello and how are you?”
But that is just background information. What I want you to get out of the above is to be familiar with the song that I taught one of my classes and also to know that they understand how to substitute different names into the song. Now for my story, which I think is really cute (but then again, I think most of the things that happen in my classes are cute).
Today we had practiced the song I mentioned above and later on during the class, almost near the end, one of the parents came into the classroom with cake because it was one of the children’s birthdays. Of course, as soon as the children saw the cake, they forgot what I was teaching them at the moment (I understand – cake is exciting). However, they started singing, without any prompting, a new version of the English song I had taught them! They started singing “Hello 蛋糕 (dangao)，hello 蛋糕, hello 蛋糕, hello and how are you?” In Chinese, dangao is cake, so in essence, they started singing hello to the cake because they were so excited about it. It was really cute, though, to see them singing to/about the cake, and it was wonderful to hear them singing an English song that I had taught them – to know that I am teaching them something that they are remembering and using. Hearing them sing the new version of my song made me and all of the Chinese teachers in the room laugh.

Language Exchanges/Intercambios

One of the best things that I have found when living in a foreign country and trying to learn the language and make friends is to have language exchanges. I think that I have explained this in a past article, but because it is so important, I will explain again for those of you who haven't read that one. In a language exchange (or intercambio, as they call it in Spanish-speaking countries), two people who want to learn the other's language get together to help each other. For half of the time that they are together, they speak or learn one language and for the other half, they speak or learn the other language. There are, of course, variations. For example, you could get together once for one language and another time for the other language. There are many ways to find language exchanges/intercambios. I will give some examples through my experiences:


I have had wonderful experiences with my language exchanges and these experiences have taken place in many parts of the world. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, I met a language exchange in a Argentine tango class and he and I became very close. At first I was just going to tutor him in English, but as we talked, I decided I would benefit more from an intercambio, so I suggested that to him and he readily agreed. We met every week in a cafe to talk and we soon became very good friends. We hung out, saw many different sights, and even travelled together. My Spanish vastly improved!


In Barcelona, Spain, I found my intercambio through the school program that hung up signs of Spaniards who were looking for people who wanted to practice their Spanish and were willing to help with English. I met with her every week at a teteria, which is a place where you go drink tea that is very famous in the south of Spain. Although we did not become as close as I did with the intercambio from Argentino, it was still a great experience and a great way to practice my Spanish. Whenever I had a Spanish questions, I was able to ask her when we got together and I was able to feel helpful because I could help her with English.


Now, in China, I have four language exchanges. I found the first one when I was shopping with one of my friends. A shopgirl who was attending us was confused about something and had been talking to us in English but was having trouble getting her point across, so she tried asking in Chinese. Since I speak a little Chinese, I answered and it turned into a bit of a conversation. Since my Chinese isn't very good and her English wasn't very good, it was a very choppy conversation, but still a conversation, which was good. I explained that I was trying to learn/practice my Chinese and she answered that she wants to practice her English, at which point the word OPPORTUNITY!!! flashed in my mind. I then suggested a language exchange. It was a bit difficult to explain the concept in Chinese, since my Chinese is still pretty bad, but I got the concept across and she agreed. We exchanged numbers and now do language exchanges.


My second language exchange is with someone who works at the school with me. She is the person who is in charge of the foreign teachers. My friend and I were asking her if there are any Chinese classes that we could take since we want to learn Chinese. She gave us one option that was pretty expensive, but also suggested have locals help us. Then she said that I could just talk to her in Chinese whenever I know how. I took her very literally and started speaking in Chinese to her. That day after lunch she came over to my apartment and we started the language exchange. We get together pretty much everyday to talk in Chinese and English. The wonderful thing about this language exchange is that we have also become pretty good friends and we get together on the weekends to go shopping, to walk around, etc.


My third and fourth language exchanges are also both from the school. They teach kindergarten with me. After talking with them and getting to know them a little bit before and after the classes, I decided the ask if they wanted to do language exchanges. I was a little wary because I didn't know if that was implying that their English was bad or needed improvement. I did, though, because it is such a great way to get to know people.

More Games/Activities for Preschool/Kindergarten ESL Classrooms

Hide-and-Seek

First you have to either make pictures of the words you are studying or get objects of the vocabulary the children are learning. So, for example, if you are studying the words apple, cake, and banana, you either have to bring in pictures of apples, cakes, and bananas, or a real apple, cake, and banana. Pick three children to come up to the front of the classroom and close their eyes. You hide the picture or the object. Then the three children have to find the object while the other children in the class clap and say "Find the _____" (for example: "Find the apple! Find the apple! Find the apple!") until one of the children has found the picture/object. Once the children have found the picture or object, then they have to answer a question about it. Another variation on this is that if they can't find it, then they have to sing a song in English.

When the children get better at this game, you can have another child hide the picture/object instead of you hiding it. The children seem to love this game. Even though only three of the children are really involved at a time, the other children do not get bored as they do in some other games when only a few are participating at one time. The others are interested in the seekers. It works really well.

Yes or No?

Once the children seem to know the vocabulary really well and can make sentences with it, then you can play the yes or no game. You hold up a picture of something that is part of their vocabulary and say something wrong. For example, if you are holding a picture of a kitchen and they should know that, you can say, "This is my bedroom". The children should then all shout, "No, this is my kitchen!". You can have them make head gestures as well, because that is fun for them. When they say yes, they can nod their heads and when they say no, they can shake their head.

Once they understand the game, have a child come up and ask a question that is either correct or not and the other children have to say "Yes...!" or No...!" This game helps the children with constructing full sentences and with understanding positives and negatives as well.

Games/Activites for Preschool and Kindergarten ESL Classrooms

Quiet/Loud:

First teach the children the words for quiet and loud, along with hand gestures. I put my hands very close together when I say quiet and, of course, I say the word quietly. I say that a few times with my hands close together and have the children repeat, with their hands close together as well. Then I spread my arms very far apart and shout (or say very loudly): Loud! Loud! Loud!

I repeat those two words and gestures until they understand that when I put my hands close together, they should say "quiet" in a quiet voice and when I spread my arms apart, they should say "loud" in a loud voice.

Then, to teach new vocabulary, you can take whatever word you want them to learn and have them say it quietly or loudly according to your hand gestures. For example, if you want them to learn the word "apple", put your hands together and have them say "apple" quietly, and then spread them apart and have them say "apple" loudly. Repeat with different patterns so the children don't know when they have to be loud or quiet unless they are watching you intently.

The children like this game because it gives them an opportunity to be loud, which is fun for them.



Magic Numbers:

I use this game when I am teaching the children new vocabulary words and I want them to practice saying the vocabulary words over and over again. First you give them a vocabulary word (living room, for example). Then you hold up a certain amount of fingers - one through five. Depending on how many fingers you hold up, that is how many times they have to say the word. With each time that they say the word, you put one finger down. When all of your fingers are down, they must stop saying the word and be quiet. They have to be watching you so that they know when to stop saying to word and be quiet instead of repeating the word more.

So, for example, if I am playing this game with the word living room and I hold up four fingers, then they have to say: "living room, living room, living room, living room". Each time, I put one finger down until I only have a fist. Then I make the sign for stop, which is basically a Time-out signal. If you have a blackboard, you can keep track of points and the children really enjoy this. You can write G&B or S (for Girls and Boys or Students) on one side and T (for Teacher) on the other. If they say the word the correct number of times, then the students get a star. If they don't - if they say it an extra time or are not quiet, then the teacher gets a star. This challege between the students and the teacher really makes the students want to do it correctly. Another way is to split the students up into three or four groups and have the groups compete against each other.

With this game you just have to make sure that the students are pronouncing the words correctly and well. If need be, you might have to stop and correct their pronunciation so that they practice the words with the correct pronunciation.

Teaching Preschool and Kindergarten

When I was told that I would be teaching kindergarten, I was very surprised. I had thought that I would teach between grades one and five. I was even more surprised when I was introduced to all of my eight classes and I learned that not only was I teaching kindergarten, but I was also teaching prekindergarten and preschool! The children that I am teaching range from 3 to 6 years old.

Since starting in the beginning of September and having worked through the first weekend, I have already learned a lot about teaching preschool and kindergarten. I went in knowing practically nothing about how to teach such young children and I feel as though I have learned a good amount so far (although I still have a long way to go!)

I learned that the best way to teach them is through songs and games. However, with the very young children - the 3 year olds - most songs are too difficult. There is a very wide range. With the 3 year olds, I can barely do any songs that I know from my childhood. Instead, the Chinese teacher has taught me a song that counts up to five and includes claps. The 4 year olds can sing the good morning song, as well the happy birthday song and a song that helps them to learn their English names. The 5 and 6 year olds can basically do any song - the itsy bitsy spider, Do a Deer, etc.

As for games, the very young children like games in which they can stand, jump, and just follow my basic directions as long as they can watch me do them at the same time. They can also play quiet and loud, a game in which we say words quietly and loudly, depending on my action. The 4 and 5 year olds can do those games and counting games and the 5 and 6 year olds can do some role playing games and Simon Says (or Teacher Says, as I call it). These games can get out of hand, though, if I am not careful.

I learned that it is very difficult to control these children. They are very young and they get antsy very quickly, and then they get loud. Then Chinese teachers can sometimes quiet them down very easily, but sometimes they won't even quiet down for the Chinese teachers. I have a lot of trouble quieting them down, but I am also very lucky because I have the Chinese teachers there with me to quiet them down for me. I think that I am getting better at this, though. I am proud because sometimes I can teach the classes without the Chinese teachers needing to quiet the students. In time I am sure that this will get easier.

Lastly, I learned that the best thing is to go straight from one activity or song to another, without pause. I should just do one song, repeat it, then do another song. If I pause, then they get bored. If I just go into the other song or the game, then they have no time to get bored or loud. I learned this from one of the preschool teachers who helps me. She demonstrated this technique to me and it worked wonderfully.

Although, as I have said, the children can be difficult and loud, I am not complaining. They are lovely. I love going to classes every day and teaching them and being around them. Every day just being in the same rooms with them makes me happy because they are so cute and sweet. They are getting more used to me and less shy with me, so more and more often now they come up to me after classes or in between classes to talk with me (in Chinese, of course) or to hold my hand and play with me. It is wonderful!

Teacher Appreciation Day

The first thing I heard last Wednesday when I walked past one of my kindergarten classes was "Happy Teacher's Day!" Until then, I had forgotten about Teacher's Day, but once the day started, it was hard to forget. Every single time that I passed a class in the hallways of the school, a group of students, or just a student by him or herself, they would wish me "Happy Teacher's Day". It was very sweet - especially when the four and five year old children in my classes would crowd around me and say, "Miss Abbie, Miss Abbie, Happy Teacher's Day Miss Abbie!".

To start off each of my seven classes, the Chinese teachers made sure that the children told me, as a group, "Happy Teacher's Day" and in two of my classes, I even got roses! Teacher Appreciation Day seems to be a big event in China. At first I thought that perhaps it was just at our school in which it was important, but when I looked on the news site online, there was an article about Teacher Appreciation Day, so I realized that it is important all over China. It is nice to know that teachers are so appreciated here.

In order for the teachers to celebrate the special day, we had an assembly with live entertainment (each group of teachers - high school, elementary school, kindergarten, and foregin teachers) had to perform. We also had a buffet with a lot of good food. Most of the teachers sang songs or did traditional Chinese dances. It was wonderful to hear the songs and see the dances and to eat dinner with both my Chinese friends and my foreign teacher friends.

The foreign teachers put together a skit and a song: we did a skit about a Chinese child that was learning a tongue twister and having a difficult time with the "th" sound. The foreign teacher who was teaching the child got very frustrated and was about to give up, but then realized that teachers should never give up and after hard work, got the child to say the tongue twister correctly. Then, a Chinese person came to the foreign teacher, who did not speak Chinese, and asked the foreign teacher a question in Chinese. The foreign teacher did not understand and the Chinese person became frustrated, but after working through the question and being patient, the Chinese person was able to help the foreign teacher to understand what the question meant and to answer it. The skit was all about helping each other - the foreign teachers help the children to learn English and the Chinese people help the foreign teachers to learn Chinese. This then went into our song, which was "With a Little Help From our Friends" by the Beatles.

It was a very fun night. I felt like I was a part of the school - not just a part of the group of foreign teachers, but instead as though I was a part of all the teachers, both foreign and Chinese. When I went up to do the skit (I played the young Chinese girl), the Chinese kindergarten and preschool teachers that I teach with all applauded me and were excited to see me up there. It was very sweet. At the end of the night, I felt very lucky that I could be a part of this school, teach with such kind people, and already have such a great group of friends. It was a great Teacher Appreciation Day!

Sore Throat/Cough Remedy

For Mid-Autumn Festival, each staff member of Suzhou International Foreign Language School received a box of about 20 golden pears and a box of mooncake. I was talking with two of my Chinese friends and they were wondering what I am going to do with 20 pears. How am I going to eat them all before they go bad? Well, I had been wondering the same thing. I couldn’t give the pears to them, because they all worked at the same place and thus they had also received the pears. Then, one of the friends suggested that I make a throat remedy with the pears. She said that it is especially good for teachers because teachers are always talking in front of the class. I said that it is definitely good for me because I teach such young children, so I always have to sing and yell with them, so my voice is getting hoarse and my throat is starting to bother me. The next day, my two friends came over with the other ingredients that we needed:
Ingredients: One Pear (a Golden Pear), Rock Sugar, Water
Directions: Core the pear and peel a bit of the skin off the top. Put the pear in a bowl with a little bit of water and put the bowl with the pear in a small pot with some water (maybe a quarter of the way up the bowl). Put one piece of rock sugar in the pear. Cover the pot and boil the water. Once the rock sugar in the pear has completely dissolved or melted, then the pear is done. Make sure that the skin of the pear is soft and comes off the pear easily. Then you can be sure that the pear is done.
When eating, you can eat the pear and drink the water that was in the bowl, but not the water that was in the pot. Also make sure to peel the pear while you eat it - I was told not to eat the peel. The recipe is delicious and very sweet (which I love). Try it and tell me what you think!

The Importance of Flexibility

When my friend, Sable, and I came to China, we had heard that we needed to be flexible. It is very true – if you are coming to China, flexibility is a must. For example, I thought that I would be teaching elementary school (grades 1-5) and Sable thought that she would be teaching high school. We thought this because this is what we had been told when we were talking to the agent online before we got to China. However, when we got to China, we were told that we wouldn’t know what grades we would teach until a few days before classes started. This meant a couple of things. First of all, it meant that we could be teaching any grades – anywhere from preschool/kindergarten through 12th grade. It also meant that we could not prepare anything in advance. Finally, the day before we started teaching, we got the grades we would be teaching. Sable, who thought she would be teaching high school, is teaching grade one. I am teaching preschool and kindergarten.
Another reason you have to be flexible – you never know when you really are teaching or not. At first, we thought we would just have a normal teaching schedule with a normal week. But no. Our first week, we did not get a weekend off because the last week we had an extra day off and the next weekend was a three day weekend. And that is the way it is here – when we have one weekend with three, four, or five days off, the weekend before that is not off. So you have to be prepared to teach through the weekend. Then, my first day of classes, I went my first class to teach and they told me that my classes were canceled because of a meeting. So, you have to be flexible. You have to be completely fine with changing last minute. If this bothers you, then it might be a problem to come here and teach, because many things here change last minute. If you are okay with it, then it is very fun. Teaching here is a great experience so far! I am having a great time – and the changes that I have to be okay with can make it even more fun – just think of them like surprises…

My Country and My People II

Everything that I learned about China taught me that it is a collectivistic nation. According to an article by Triandis, Chan, Bhawuk, Iwao, & Sinha, in collectivistic countries, people define the self as interdependent, as opposed to individualistic countries, in which the self is defined as independent. In collectivistic countries, the goals of the group are more important than the goals of the individual, whereas it is the opposite in individualistic countries. Lastly, people may emphasize relationships instead of exchange in collectivistic countries instead of the other way around in individualistic countries (Triandis, Chan, and Bhawuk 1995). Many psychology experiments have proven that China, as a nation, is collectivistic. However, the author of My Country and My People seems to disagree with these statements.
In the chapter titled “Absense of the Social Mind”, his first sentence states, “The Chinese are a nation of individualists” (167). Although one could say that his definition of individualists could be different than described above, he goes on to describe, “It is curious that the word ‘society’ does not exist as an idea in Chinese thought” (167). He also explains that there is no “public spirit”, “civic consciousness” or “social service” in China. For example, according to the author, teamwork is unknown. All of the games that are played in China are for individuals: Mahjong and poker, for example, are played one person against everyone else. There are no teams. In other countries, the games that are played require teamwork, such as sports, in which people have to work together to do well. This is amazing to me because he is saying the opposite that I learned in all of my psychology, sociology, and history classes: that in China, people are more individualistic and in the west, people are more collectivistic. For example, in the United States, we do play games on teams, which makes us work together to do well. That is collectivistic because the goals of the group (to win) are being emphasized.
Another example of the individualism in China that the author gave is in the newspaper system. He explained that each part of the organization of the newspaper is done without coordination – nobody knows what is happening with the other people working on the newspaper and nobody interferes with anybody else: “The man in charge of domestic news has his page, the man in charge of international cables has his…If you ask why there is no coordination, the answer is, there’s no social mind” (170). Therefore, the newspaper system, and on a grander scale, the working system, is individualistic. However, many times in the west, the newspaper systems and the organization of the newspaper is done with coordination so that everyone can have their articles fit on the page, etc. Perhaps people in the west coordinate and work together more in the work place, making them more collectivistic.
It seems to me that the collectivistic/individualistic scale must be a balance. Yes, the articles that I have read and the classes that I have learned from say that China is more collectivistic and the west is more individualistic, but perhaps in some ways some countries are collectivistic and in some ways they are individualistic. Maybe the scales that were used to measure the countries and the items that were asked did not correctly measure every item of life. In any case, reading this chapter surprised me very much, since it was the antithesis of everything that I had ever learned.

Triandis, H.C., Chan, D.K., Bhuwak, D., Iwao, S., & Sinha, J. (1995). Multimethod probes of allocentricsm and idiocentrism. International Journal of Psychology, 30, 461-480.

The Magic of Languages

I do not speak Chinese very well - basically I do not speak it at all. I am hoping that this will change, with me being here in China, but the language barrier does not stop me from trying to communicate with the people here. This communication between me and the Chinese people is difficult, but wonderful and extremely positive and uplifting to me. Every time that I am able to communicate and talk with someone who does not speak English I feel content and as if I have accomplished something important.
This has happened to me various times in the past few days. Yesterday, my friend and I went to a very nice restaurant. The only problem was that nobody there spoke English. Now, this wouldn’t usually be a problem, as we could just pick out random dishes on the menu and try them out. However, I am a vegetarian, so that would not work with me. So, I had to try to communicate with the waitresses (there were many of them helping us) and explain, as I have said before, that I do not eat meat. To order, I opened to a random page of the menu and asked what was vegetarian. They pointed out one dish. I tried to ask what else was vegetarian, but since I did not know how to say that, I just turned the page and asked the same question. However, they had other ideas. They turned to the page that had only vegetable dishes and told me that all the dishes on the page were vegetarian, so, since I couldn’t read any and didn’t know what any were, I just picked a random one. I thought we had enough, but evidently we did not, because they wanted us to order a hot dish. They said something either about a sweet dish or soup, but I wasn’t sure which. It turned out to be soup. The restaurant experience, although a bit difficult, was very exciting because I was able to order and receive what I wanted (more or less) in a language that I am not proficient in. I was able to communicate with the staff of the restaurant in a language that is not my native language. To me, this is almost like magic.
However, this is not the only time I attempted to talk to someone. At the bus stop on the way back to the apartment, an older lady sat next to me on the bench and when I said, “你好” to her, she got very excited and took that as a sign that I wanted to talk to her, which was great! The only problem was that I think I understood about 1% of the hour long conversation we had while we were waiting for the bus and while we were on the bus. I tried, and I was able to talk with her a bit – we talked about our jobs – we are both teachers – and she has two children (I think). I could participate in our conversation in a limited way, but mostly when she talked to me, I just smiled and nodded and pretended to understand. When she asked if I understood, I had to shake my head and answer no most of the time, though. It was lovely trying to talk with her, though, and learning about her, her family, and her thoughts. I know that she said something about the United States and China being friends, although I am not sure exactly what she was trying to get across. Even though I did not understand most of our conversation, I loved having it, and I could see that she loved it as well. When we got on the bus, she sat down and as soon as the seat next to her became free, she made sure that I came to sit down next to her so that she could talk with me more.
Just this one conversation, then, brought together two very different people, two different cultures, and two ways of life that otherwise never might have met. Learning languages seem to me to be all about bringing people and cultures together. I feel this is one of the main reasons I came to China – to learn to communicate better with people who do not speak English and to pass this ability to communicate with others who do not speak your native language on to my students. Being able to bring people together and understand new cultures through nothing but learning new words and a new language seems like magic to me.

My Country and My People

One of my friends gave me the book My Country and My People, by Lin Yutang, to read. It is about the culture and the people of China and so far, it is helping me to understand more fully the people of China and why they act the way they do. I thought that I would write a bit to explain some of the things that stood out to me about what I read and then have seen in the Chinese people I know and have met.
One part of this book is about the Chinese characteristic of indifference. The author describes that indifference comes from the Chinese culture and is seen as a good characteristic. According to the book, indifference started with politics and personal rights, because if one was indifferent, then one did not get into trouble, but if one voiced one’s opinion, then one could get into trouble. “…indifference is always safe and has an attractive side to it difficult for Westerners to appreciate” (48).
In my interactions with some Chinese people, I see this indifference not only in regards to politics and personal rights, but also in regards to explaining their own feelings and desires. This has been frustrating for me, just as the author explained. I suppose that the indifference is difficult for me, a Westerner, to appreciate. This is because, I am used to being able to ask and then understand someone’s thoughts and wants, and when they only show indifference, as is the case many times in China, it is difficult for me, as I am not used to that. I wonder if I am correct in thinking that perhaps this indifference in what these people say that they want or desire is due to the culture, such as the author said, or if the indifference explained is only towards politics and personal rights.
I will write more as I keep reading…

I don’t eat meat…我不吃肉

I have been told that the only vegetarians in China are the Buddhist monks. But if you are a vegetarian visiting or living in China, don’t despair! It is not has hard as you might think to find food. So far, I have been here for about six weeks and I am surviving wonderfully. When you go out to a restaurant, there is usually plenty of food that you can find that does not have meat in it.
Many times, there are noodle dishes that are made with only vegetables. Sometimes there is also fried rice with vegetables, as well as an array of dishes that contain many vegetables I have never seen or heard of in the United States. There are also a lot of tofu dishes. Just be careful that the tofu dishes you order do not come with meat in them as well! That has happened to me a couple of times.
The Chinese style of eating makes being a vegetarian easier when you go out in a group, as long as the group doesn’t mind ordering a few vegetarian dishes. Each person gets a bowl of rice, and then there main dishes in the middle of the table for everyone to share. Just make sure that some vegetarian dishes have been ordered: one or two tofu dishes as well as vegetable dishes and maybe a noodle dish. There are also some soups that are vegetarian and delicious! This way, you can have a variety and you get all the nutrients you need as well.
I was very lucky to learn this information while I was travelling with my friends in the beginning of my adventures in China. At the beginning of my journey, they took care of me very well and when we went out, they made sure that I had all of the food that I needed (and more!). From them, I learned how to order vegetarian dishes in Chinese and how to be positive that the dishes that I ordered contained no meat.
In order to order vegetarian dishes, there are a few important key phrases. These are:
I don’t eat meat. – Wo bu chi rou – 我不吃肉。
Is it vegetarian? – Shi su de ma? – 是素的吗？
Does it have meat? – You mei you rou? – 有没有肉？
One tip – the best places to go for vegetarian food are the Buddhist temples. They have wonderful vegetarian food because the monks only eat vegetarian food.

Bathrooms in China - 洗手间

Before coming to China, I heard horror stories about the bathrooms here. For example, I was working at Borders before I left for China and when I was talking with a customer about going to China, their daughter, who looked to be about five, heard me talking about my upcoming journey. As soon as she heard me say the word China, she looked up and said to me, “In China, when you have to go to the bathroom, it is just a hole in the ground”. That was obviously her first and lasting impression of China.
Here there are basically two types of bathrooms: Western bathrooms and non-western bathrooms. The western bathrooms are the type you would find in the United States or Europe. The kind that are “normal” to me. The non-western bathrooms are a bit different and take a bit of getting used to. These bathrooms are not bad, as most people seem to think, but are just different. They are kind of like holes in the ground, in that they are set into the floor, but they are much nicer than just holes in the ground. They are usually made of porcelain and they flush just like “normal”, western toilets. Instead of sitting on them, though, one has to squat over them. In a way, though, it is more sanitary because you do not touch them at all.
An important thing to remember with the non-western toilet is not to put the toilet paper, or the tissues, into the toilets. They are not made to flush the toilet paper, so the toilet paper or tissues should go into the garbage can. Another thing to remember when using Chinese bathrooms is to bring your own tissue or toilet paper because unless you are in a nice restaurant, you will not be provided with toilet paper and must use your own.
Do not worry, though, about these different kinds of bathrooms. It may seem daunting at first, but they are very easy to get used to. And remember, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!
One more hint - the characters for bathroom in Chinese are: 洗手间, so if you see this written somewhere, or on a sign with an arrow, then you will know how to get to the restrooms!

The World of the Olympics

Recently, a friend of mine who is currently in the United States asked me about the Olympics here in China and what it is like to be here during the Olympics. This topic is very important in China and to the Chinese people, so I will talk about it here. Everyone in China is amazingly excited about the Olympics. Whenever I go anywhere, the T.V.s are all turned to channels about the Olympics, and the Olympic symbols and mascots seem to be in every corner of every city.
I am not sure if the Olympic mascots are prominent only throughout China, or throughout the world as well, so I will describe them here: they consist are five characters – an antelope, a panda, a fish, a bird (or, more accurately, a swallow), and the Olympic flame. These mascots are made into stuffed animals, humongous balloon decorations, key chains, etc., and are all over the television. The Olympic symbol is also everywhere I look. It is in gardens, in parks, in houses, on shoes, on shirts, on fans, and more.
It is amazing to see the amount of pride that the Chinese people with the Olympics being held in Beijing and it is wonderful to hear them talk about the Olympics. For them, the Olympics are really something that unifies the country and the people. They are all so proud to have it here. When I watched the opening ceremonies with one of my Chinese friends, she was so excited and proud to watch. It was great just to watch her reaction to everything that was happening on the T.V. that I almost didn’t need to watch it myself. Watching her and seeing her reactions was almost more fun.
Now, whenever I go out, the T.V.s everywhere are turned to the Olympics. In restaurants, in bars, in clubs, in stores, it is impossible to escape them (not that I would want to). Even before the Olympics started and I visited the homes of Chinese people, they would turn the T.V. on to stations that covered information about the Olympics. In a nutshell, the Olympics are a phenomenon that may be exciting for the world, but mean the world for China.

The China Job Search

I first really thought about teaching in China when I was studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain, during my junior year of college. I loved being abroad and I knew that after completing college, I did not want to go to graduate school right away. Instead, travelling more and gaining more experience seemed like a great idea to me (obviously, it still does!).
I started researching the idea while I was in Spain, but it was still too early to find a job. Just so you know, finding a job in China does not require sending CVs that early. You can research, but most of the schools don't want the CVs (or resumes) until a couple of months before you can get there. Also, while you are researching, you need to make sure that the school you are looking at (and I am focusing on schools because that is the experience that I have) actually exists and is a good place to work (more on this later).
After Spain, and talking about going to China with my parents, I started looking and applying for jobs seriously during my senior year of college. My parents were not too happy about my decision to go to China, but since it is what I really wanted, they helped me with everything. What I basically did to look for jobs was to go to google and type in various phrases such as "ESL teaching jobs China", "China teach English" "Suzhou ESL jobs", etc. If you have a specific town or city that you want to teach in, then type that city in. Many times, there are websites that are very helpful and have lists of schools that are looking for foreign language teachers. Once you find a place that you want to apply to, then you email whatever they ask for. Usually they ask for your CV, a recent picture of you, a copy of your passport, and a copy of your diploma. Sometimes they ask for a cover letter and recommendation letters as well.
Good jobs will not only pay you a salary, but will also give you money for an airplane ticket, paid holiday vacation, some kind of insurance, help with the visa, an apartment, and sometimes they will give you meals.
After sending all the information, it is very possible that you will not hear back from many of the people. At least, that is what happened to me. The people that you do hear back from are usually not from the actual school, but are intermediates, which is something that I didn't actually know until I got to the school I teach at now and learned that the person I had been communicating with for the past four months didn't actually work at the school. However, they can give you information that is pretty accurate and good to know. You talk with them and figure out which school will give you the best deal and which place sounds like it fits you the best.
One last comment: be careful of the schools. Some places can be not nice to foreign teachers. Try to look up information about the school before you sign the contract or agree to work there. Try to ask teachers who have worked there before how they were treated. I say this because I was looking at one school when I found an internet sight in which many teachers who had worked there commented about the horrible way that they were treated by the school and the guards. I knew, then, not to work there. If I hadn't seen that sight, I might have worked there. Instead, I found a much better school where I seem to be treated well (knock on wood).
Be careful and good luck!

The Chinese Language - 汉语

Well, most people will tell you that Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to learn. I agree completely. 汉语很难！However, do not let that put you off. Chinese is a wonderful language and it is a joy to learn it! 汉语也很开心学习！(I don't know if that makes sense in Chinese, but I am learning, right?...)

So, I first became interested in the Chinese language and culture in high school because my family had friends who were from China. Hearing them talk in Chinese and learning about the culture from them made me want to learn the language and go to China to understand their language and culture even more. Then, in college, I took a summer school class to learn beginning Chinese. Although we did not get very far, it was a very good base. During my last year of college, I took another beginning class and with the base that I already had, I learned a lot and understood a lot more than I would have otherwise. I suggest this if you want to learn Chinese and if you have time. If you have a base, it is easier to soak up more of the language.

More suggestions for learning Chinese (not that I am an expert!):

1. If you didn't already know, there are four tones, which are very important to the spoken language. Each tone gives the same word a different meaning. Practice the tones!

2. Practice listening for and being able to say the differences between zh and j, sh and x, and q and ch. Also practice the sounds c and z, as those are harder sounds to make for people who don't speak the language.

3. Even though it may not seem it, writing characters is very important! If you are trying to communicate with someone who speaks a different dialect, they will not understand what you say, nor the pinyin that you write, however, they will understand the characters that you write. The characters are written the same in almost all of the places in China, so if you can write characters, then you can communicate almost anywhere. So make sure to practice writing the characters. They are very easy to forget - believe me - just practice over and over again.

4. Make friends with a person who is Chinese. Then talk with them in Chinese. Besides having a new friend and getting to learn about a new culture, you will practice your oral speaking and you will learn a lot. If you want to set up a language exchange with them, you can have them help you with Chinese and then you can help them with your language, such as English. This is very fun!

5. Study! A lot! 学习！