Summer 2009

Despite the fact I did not get to see my entire family, plus the fact that mom and her father both are coping with cancer, this has been one of the best summers I can recall.  I stayed two months at mom and Pete’s home helping them with daily chores such as cleaning, yard work, cooking, etc.  Many days mom and I just laid around watching TV but most of the time I was in the yard.  Uploaded to my online web album are photos of the yard work I did while visiting.  Some of the work like shoveling 1.75 tons of rock absolutely wore me out, but I enjoyed the mindless labor and it gave me the opportunity to listen to hours of my favorite podcast, WNYC’s Radio Lab.

As for mom, the Leukemia is in remission thanks to Barnes Siteman Cancer Center, but she still needs a bone marrow transplant which is scheduled in October (correct me if I’m wrong mom).  Fortunately for mom there are altruistic marrow donors in the world who are willing to help total strangers.  Five such people had blood and bone types that matched mom perfectly and the best match, a European, has been contacted and has agreed to the donation.  Until then mom just needs to do seemingly impossible tasks, rest and put on weight.  You got that Mom, rest and put on weight!  Had it not been for my step dad Pete mom’s chance of recovery would not be so good.  Thanks Pete.  After mom gets discharged form the hospital Pete’s brother, Wayne, will be living with them as a care taker providing the necessary assistance required for mom to regain her strength.

Grandpa Palmer, too, is battling cancer with Grandma by his side helping him with his daily needs.  He has opted to stay in the comforts of his home and enjoy life.  This makes no sense to me since the nurses in Phoenix are friendly and beautiful, who could pass that up?  Regardless, I wish them both the best and hope they hare successful in locating a place that is more accommodating than the current home.  I’ll call when I get a chance.

Dad and Judy, on the other hand, are doing well.  I was able to spend time with them and see the office of Dad’s new business, Visiting Angels, in St. Charles Missouri.  I also attended church with dad at a Greek Orthodox church in St. Louis.  That was my first introduction to the orthodox faith and it was very interesting.  I always enjoy spending time with them because regardless of the stresses in life they are always relaxed and pleasant to be around.  Thanks for the hospitality, Dad.

Incase you did not know, I’m back in Beijing.  This school year I will be teaching “An Introduction to North America” and “Writing” to sophomores at the Beijing Industrial College.  All of my students are English majors which means not only can they fully comprehend what I am saying but they are more apt to participate in class and do the assignments.  The campus is much farther from downtown than where I was living last year but the living conditions, teaching conditions and surrounding neighborhood offsets the distance.  Here is a short video of my apartment on the campus of Geng Dan University…

There are five foreign teachers at this university, Raj is from New Delhi, India, Shaams is from Bangladesh, Sam is from Newcastle, England, Ye Cun is from Japan, and me, know as the typical American who knows nothing of the geography or history of the other teacher’s homeland.  Despite that fact, I was able to make quick friendships since I taught them how to escape the confines of China’s Great Firewall.  We all work 16 hours each week and have great freedoms to teach as we see fit with little to no interference from management.  16 hours a week leaves me with more than ample time to continue my studies in Mandarin and I have already located a good teacher.

I’ll write more later and more often, but for now I must create a syllabus and read the books that I will be teaching from, I also need to memorize the students names from my 8 classes (138 students), and I need to get some medicine for the all too familiar case of diarrhea.  Enjoy the photos and new song…

Cultural Differences and Dining Misconceptions

After a 4 day 8,800 mile journey I finally made it to the U.S. in beautiful Southern Illinois.  Despite some bad weather in Shanghai causing a two hour delay the trip was flawless, no luggage lost, not much turbulence, and pleasant conversations abound.

Having spent almost two continuous years in China I’d like to point out the major differences between the two countries and some discovered misconceptions.

Differences

Standing in line are two completely different experiences in China and the U.S.  In America, as in most English speaking countries, when a line is formed people new to the line find the end of that line and gradually work their way to the front in an orderly fashion.  A line in China is best described by the military term “Charlie Foxtrot” or cluster F…  When lining up for anything in China I always keep my guard up, stay as close to the person in front of me, make absolutely no eye contact with people passing by searching for the weakest link, and learned how give a stern glare accompanied with a forceful push.  The only time I witnessed organization while queuing was when police were pulling cutters out of line by force.  This is only during the Chinese New Year travel period.

On the flight between L.A. and Denver I saw a man turn to another after bumping him and offer a sincere apology.  That act of kindness made my head cock sideways and jaw drop out of disbelief.  The past two years I have been and witnessed people being bumped, shoved, tripped, jabbed, and whatever else accompanies crowded environments and have not heard even the slightest grumble to atone for rude contact.  In defense of the Chinese, there are over 1.4 billion crowded into an area the size of the U.S. so most of the day would be spent begging pardons.

Eye contact – This one took a while for me to get accustomed to and I don’t know if it is because I am a foreigner or not but the Chinese make eye contact.  Men and women alike walking along sidewalks, on busses and subways, in elevators, and everywhere else you can imagine, stare at me.  The first week or so seemed to be an embarrassing bugger moment due to all the strange looks causing me to continuously feel my face.  Realizing there were no apparent flaws I began returning the stare with my own stare.  After two years of making what most Americans would consider uncomfortably long eye contact with everyone I had forgotten how odd this behavior is outside of China.  Passing people in the airports or in stores lately I have been noticing odd behavior, such as people quickly diverting their gaze once eye contact has been made or even hand movements to the face to check for buggs or food scraps.  Americans are becoming too isolated from each other. I think I will stare at everyone while I’m in the States, you guys are really funny to watch.

Waiters and waitress’ service in China would drastically improve if they had a form of incentive that would insure promptness.  Tipping is not customary.  Initially I tried to tip but in doing so insulted the workers.  Most tips were refused but on the rare occasion when tips were accepted they were handed over to management.  Therefore I stopped trying to reward good service and ultimately forgot what good service was like.  Servers in China stand by waiting to be waved or hollered at if anything was needed.  In fact, I have become good at yelling across a crowded room that I need the bill, doggie bag, etc.  This is not rude behavior, it absolutely normal.  Today I had dinner with mom and Pete, my step-dad, at a local steak restaurant and was amazed by the service.  Employees were tripping over each other making sure we were satisfied with the food, service, refilling the drinks, and providing diner rolls.  I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant, but for what it’s worth the service could have been average and I’ve just forgotten what to expect for truly good service.

The greatest part of living in Beijing has been convenience.  The subway system is growing rapidly and soon will be three times larger than London’s system which is the worlds second largest.  25 cents gets a traveler within walking distance to virtually every place within the city.  For places where the subway has not yet expanded the bus routes will suffice for a mere 10 cents.  The wait time is never more than five minutes for either mode of transportation since there is a high demand for both.  However, my daily routine has little need for motorized transportation since nearly everything can be found within walking distance.  Barbers, groceries, movies, tea shops, restaurants of many varieties, post office, banks, dry cleaners, vegetable vendors, foot massages, all within a ten minute or less walk.  My carbon footprint has practically vanished and I have vowed to never live in a city that requires me to rely on vehicular transportation ever again.  It is abhorring to see American communities that cannot function within its boundaries.  I can ramble on about isolationism, foreign oil, insecurities, but this is neither the place nor time.

For the most part, Chinese are extremely friendly people with closely knit communities acting as extended families yet very rude if the agenda at hand is not socializing.  Evening activities around all homes, be it hutongs or apartment/condo complex, include watching the elderly dance on the sidewalks, people of all ages playing hacky, badminton, playing cards, playing Chinese chess, and much more.  Alternatively Americans are very friendly in mostly all areas of life but detached from local communities.  The differences between the two countries are extreme and both have their advantages and disadvantages.  It has been a great pleasure to have the opportunity to live in each country and experience such diversity.

My absolute favorite part of America is its cultural diversity.  Having been a member of the minority (accounting for less than 1%) living in China I have experienced prejudices, most of which was unintentional but some was blatant hatred for outsiders.  I have been refused service due to the color of my skin, I have seen children pushed behind parents for protection, I have been ridiculously overcharged due to a misconception that all foreigners are wealthy.  Conversely, at times I have been treated far superior to Chinese since some people want my experience in their country to be as good as possible.  All I want is to be treated like a neighbor or brother, spoken to in a native tongue, and be rid of all assumptions.  Is that asking for too much?

Misconceptions

Fortune Cookies – First of all, there are no fortune cookies to be found anywhere in China.  The first couple meals I had at some restaurants in Beijing I was expecting to get a cookie with my bill but they never arrived.  Soon after I discovered it is an American treat offered in Chinese restaurants.  After some research I found they originated in Japan and made their way to San Francisco but the Chinese took over the fortune cookie business when the American Japanese were locked up during World War II.  For a hilarious short educational talk about Chinese foods see this video…

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jennifer_8_lee_looks_for_general_tso.html

Soy Sauce – although Chinese have a plethora of types of soy sauce that can be found in grocery stores not a single bottle will be seen at any restaurant tables, except for dumpling restaurants.  Soy sauce is for cooking ONLY and never used out of the wok.  The only condiments that are available at most restaurants are vinegar and mala, a spicy paste found in Sichuan, Shengdu, and southern diners.

Egg rolls – being one of my favorite Chinese foods, I rarely have seen egg rolls on a menu.  They are mostly found in dim sum or Cantonese restaurants and are small enough to be consumed with one or two bites, as with most chopstick friendly foods.

It’s 3am and I’m finally getting sleepy.  Jet lag sucks!

Heading Home

You came to this site to read a new post and all you’re going to get is a good song.  Next week when I’m awake at 3 in the morning suffering from a bad case of jet lag I’ll give you a good thought filled post.

Tomorrow I fly out of Beijing at 10:55 in the morning and arive in L.A. at 11:30 a.m. the same day.  Hope all goes as planned with my travels.

See you in America.

P.S.

It apperars you don’ even get a new song since there is a problem with the website.  That’s life.

Future Unfolding

There has been a change of plans.  I will be returning to the United States this June for an undetermined amount of time to spend some quality time with Mom.  She has recently been diagnosed with leukemia and is currently undergoing chemotherapy at Barnes Hospital located in St. Louis, Missouri.  Tentatively I will return to Beijing in September to continue teaching English and Mom says she intends to visit China in January.  I’m going to hold her to it.  After all the time we will be spending together she probably won’t want to visit the country because I intend to bore her for days on end about my travels.  I’ll write more about Mom once I get her non-medicated consent.  If, while I’m back stateside, I am not able to visit some close friends, please don’t take it personal, we’ll catch up the next time I come through.

Now for a follow up to a question Dad had regarding the last post on Chinese education.  I had mentioned that the education system requires each student to take entrance exams to get into the highly sought after public middle schools, high schools, and colleges.  The question was this:  If the student performs poorly on the entrance exam, can he or she take the test again the following year and transfer to a better school?  The answer is, No.

Students do not get a make up exam and can take each exam only once.  The first week in June is when all entrance exams are held but students intending to take the exam prepare six months to a year in advance for the exam by attending classes seven days per week including night classes.  The best public schools have teachers trained to teach the best students, the average schools have teachers who have been specially trained to teach average students, and the lower level schools have teachers who have been educated in the ways of teaching slower students.  Therefore, regardless of the exam score and school of attendance, the student will receive the best education for that specific student.  The school in the photo is the best high school in Jiangsu (central east China) where a friend attended.  Her home was over an hour away by bus so she lived in the dorms provided by the school.  There are many schools like this across the country, so I’m told the education is equally as impressive as beauty.  (There are more photos of the school linked at the top left.)

Public officials found guilty of accepting bribes can receive a penalty of death under Chinese law.  The assistant Mayor of Beijing has been sentenced to death for accepting $1 million USD in bribes from contractors prior the Olympic and it has been made clear that this punishment goes for all public officials, even principals at public schools.  It was a widely know fact that, if a student was a mere one point away from entrance to a great education, the principals of these schools would over look that single point for 15,000 RMB (a little over $2,000 USD), two points would cost 50,000 RMB (over $7,000 USD), three points or more and a principal would be seen driving a new Audi or BMW.  Last year, due to the enforced law, public principals across China locked themselves in their offices after the entrance exams and refused to see anyone until classes had begun.

Could you imagine if businessmen of publicly traded corporations in the U.S.A. were to face the death penalty for corruption?  I believe everyone’s 401Ks would be much better off if that were the case.  This is, in fact, the penalty for corrupt executives of publicly traded businesses in which the Chinese government has ownership.

Finally, the year has come to a close at the university and all of my students are off to pursue their college education many countries around the world, with the exception of the U.S.  They have all been denied.  These students come from the wealthiest families of China, as I have seen many of their checkbooks to prove it.  The U.S. requires foreign students to have $40,000 USD cash in a checking account (up from $20K last year) for each year attending school as well as having tuition/room and board covered.  They were all looking forward to buying American made cars and American made clothes because they are cheaper in the U.S. than in China.  One student said to me, “Do you know how I know you’re wealthy? It’s because you wear Levi jeans.”  I will especially miss Mia, the student who insisted on kissing me on the cheek during breaks to cheer me up.  Farewell pengyoumen (friends).

Education

Thank you for everyone that offered to provide help for Keith in Zimbabwe.  If anyone has any ideas how to get him a source of income within his country let me know and I’ll pass it along to him.

The education system in China has recently undergone drastic changes.  I’m not sure how accurate what I have learned about the system is since I have not read anything official and many people have told me just bits and pieces, but this is what I have learned…

China offers free public education to all students from kindergarten through high school.  Entrance into grade school, middle school, and high school is based on a nationwide test and the results of the test determine the quality of education the student receives.  If a student scores exceptionally well then the student is able to attend a school with the best teachers and facilities money can buy.  It is common for students to travel over an hour each way to attend school and in some cases the family will move closer to the school where the student has been accepted.  Most high schools also offer dormitories for the students in the case that their homes are too far away.  The best high schools have classes from seven in the morning until nine at night seven days a week with two days off each month.  All other schools have classes from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Students whose test scores were too low are required to attend private schools at their own expense.  I work 10 hours each week at one of these private schools teaching oral English.  Many of my students have behavioral problems, the books are 15 years old and all copies of the original, there is one room with a computer for giving presentations, and a computer lab with about 10 computers for the 300 students to share.  I think all of the kids should tour this school as incentive to study and score high enough to get into a public school.

I have always read that Chinese student’s skill in math far exceed the rest of the world, but it is really incomprehensible without seeing it first hand.  The low scoring students at the high school where I teach are all able to perform calculus and differential equations.  In fact, it is required to graduate.  The students in public schools are able to perform the same math problems in English, as well.  Considering that when I graduated high school this level of math was not taught, even if it were, I surely could not solve any of the problems in any other languages.

All students are held to strict codes.  They must all wear school uniforms and groom themselves properly.  Finger nails are checked regularly, hair must be pulled back for girls and boys must have their hair cut short.  They are also required to be in good physical shape.  At the school where I work, everyday the entire school assembles on the track and everyone runs laps as if they were in the military.  Between classes they uniformly perform stretches give themselves facial massages (the facial massage supposedly improves eyesight and reduces the need for glasses in the future but many people disagree). Interestingly, college students are not allowed to graduate if they cannot pass a rigorous physical exam.

This is Labor Day weekend and I have 4 days off.  This afternoon I went to Lucy’s home (teacher assistant/tutor) and had lunch with her family.  We chatted, ate dumplings, then everyone in the home took a nap.  Their pillows, filled with wheat grain, were too irresistible and pulled me into a sleep I had no idea I was capable of.  I have to get one of those pillows.  The rest of the break will be spent studying Chinese.  I’m definitely making progress but no where near the level I want to be.