Safe and Sound

Thanks to all of you who have been checking in on us. We've spent the last couple of days replying to emails. We didn't feel any of the effects of the recent earthquake. In fact, we didn't know anything until a few hours after it had happened. The students received news of the earthquake from their friends and families through text messages. Fortunately, as far as we know, none of our students have been personally affected by this tragedy.

We found out online more details and learned where the epicenter was. We're surprised that the effects could be felt in Beijing, which is north of us and farther away from the earthquake.

Our hearts go out to everyone in that region.

Climbing Hills and Doing Laundry

We did some sightseeing in town over the long weekend. We have seen this ridge of hills since we arrived here but hadn't had a chance to investigate. We didn't have any idea where we had to go to climb them so just headed in the direction of the hills. We found the steps going up towards this monument easily.

There were nice steps all the way up the hill and the kids had some extra fun.




We managed to enjoy some moments of peace, between the small groups of people or couples climbing. If but for a few seconds, we could imagine being out in the country, in the woods. Oh, another funny thing. Couples like to wear identical t-shirts here and the men often carry their partner's purse. So I have to chuckle when I see a guy carrying a big shiny silver bag that absolutely does not go with his outfit.

Here I am whining something like "How much futher?"

















Here I am, happier cause we're at the top of one of the hills AND there's ice cream inside.












Laundry

How do you do laundry when you can't read the instructions on the washing machine? or on the package of soap detergent?

Well, I've used my "new best friend", the electronic dictionary to translate the buttons on the washing machine. It's easier cause I have some idea what to expect but I can't imagine what it'd be like if I'd never used a washing machine before.

I wanted to buy some detergent for white clothes the other day. I recognize the character for white so I bought some Tide (because that's the only brand I recognized and the nice people at Tide have brainwashed me). It's gotta be good since there are these helpful pictures on the back too. Thank goodness for pictures. At least I have a chance to guess some meaning!

Sirens, Neighbours, Goats

Sirens

We heard sirens outside Saturday morning and tried not to get too worried. If it were warning us of something, how would we know? Thankfully, Rob sent us a timely text message to reassure us that it was just a test of the system. Another question now comes to mind, what would they be warning people about?





Neighbours
Around the same time that was happening, we noticed a gathering outside of the building behind us. At first, we thought that it was just the neighbours getting together to enjoy the nice weather. Unfortunately, it became apparent that they were there to observe the passing of a family member. These colourful displays are deceptive, aren't they? It rained heavily Saturday night so they made the tent on the left side of the photo. All day and all night, the men were gathered around outside the building. One evening, I noticed that they were playing cards. I read that people gather in the courtyard to guard the deceased and that gambling helps keep the guards awake. They were there for 3 days.














Goats

I saw these goats on campus yesterday. Don't know where they come from but somehow it's not a surprise anymore. We've often seen donkeys or horses pulling carts on city streets too.

p.s. I updated a couple of the previous posts with some pics.

Winter, Spring and Summer

In the short time we've been here, we have now experienced 3 seasons. Suddenly, it's summer. I think Spring only lasted a few days. Last week, we were still wearing our fleeces but now we're in our shorts.

As you can see above, the men in this area are not shy about doing everything they can to keep cool. This is one of the guys at our favorite bbq place. We were there Friday night and witnessed a ritual that caused me to laugh and to stare in horror at the same time. As the evening wore on, every time I looked up, there were more shirtless guys all around me. I didn't know where to look! The bbq guy was particularly funny since he was doing his best to encourage patrons to strip their shirts off. We watched as he took a guy's shirt off over his head (the one in the background whose shirt is already half off) and then was further amused when a small boy showed off his belly as he was saying goodbye to bbq guy.

Rob had warned us that the men here liked to roll their shirts up past their belly to cool off but it is a sight that has to be seen. We've seen shirts rolled up to show many different belly sizes now. We have even seen pant legs rolled up to show nice dress socks that may or may not match the outfit. I'm a bit worried though cause it gets much warmer here. What the heck am I going to see before the summer is over?

J :)

Speech Contests, English Corners and Strangers

We have a lot of respect for the Chinese students we've come to know. They work so hard all the time, without their parents reminding them. It is quite admirable. At any given time of the day, we've met students on their way to the library to study. They aren't cramming for an exam the next day, they are just studying. If you ask them what their plans are for the weekend, they will often include studying in their answer.

Many of the students see English as a great asset for their future prospects and so take every opportunity to practice with us. This leads to interesting encounters for Don especially since he is more visibly the "foreigner". Students who might not be able to string together one sentence will still want to try to talk with him. The result is often a rather one-sided conversation. On break today, I had a Japanese major come up and start a conversation with me. Since we've been here, we've had a lot of practice keeping up small talk conversations.

Last Wednesday and again on Saturday, we judged speech contests. There are only two topics at the moment: environmental protection and volunteerism at the Olympics. I have a lot of respect for these students. Public speaking, at the best of times, is a daunting task. Making a 3 minute prepared speech in a second language is quite an achievement. Then they have to come up with an impromptu speech after being shown an image or quote. Lastly, they had to answer a question from one of us. First they had to understand us and then come up with a coherent answer.

There were 5 of us foreign judges: Rob, Don, me and 2 kids from Britain who are here for a couple of weeks to volunteer at the local schools. They have been very popular with the students because they are the same age as them. Everyone wants to chat with them.

After the contest on Saturday, the dean of the Foreign Language department took us all out for dinner to thank us for our participation. We spent a pleasant evening chatting and toasting (a very frequent occurrence during the dinner).

We also participated in our second English corner at this campus. No embarrassing singing this time though. We played "Simon Says" with them instead and had a lot of fun.

Besides these opportunities to practice English, a few of Don's students have taken to eating with us in the cafeteria. A few keeners even walk Don to the campus gates after class just to get a few extra minutes in. Since they really don't have many real opportunities to speak English, we're happy to chat with them. WE are getting lots of English practice :) Our English speaking abilities are improving every day!!

J

Stange New World

It has been just over 2 months since we've arrived in China. I was recently asked if we're adjusting. China, as it turns out, is not an easy place to adjust to. We're very glad we're here and there are many great things but the negatives are more evident here. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that we're suffering culture shock much more than we ever did in Mexico.

Some good things first:

1. We've met some amazing people here who have opened up their hearts to us. They have joined together to form our much needed support system here. They have helped us deal with our day-to-day challenges, from getting our cell phones to ordering food in the cafeteria.
   
2. We are both doing something we love and are good at. At the end of the day, we get to share our experiences and the other one actually gets it. An added bonus is this new teaching environment. We have both discovered that we enjoy academia.
   
3. We are living the moments. We are alive to all that is happening around us. We see all the details. For example, there are some beautiful flowers budding on the Scholar trees right now. As we walk by them, we consciously appreciate their fragrance. On Sunday, while riding the bus downtown, I noticed all these wedding parties and asked Jerry if Sunday is a usual day for weddings. He explained that weddings happen when there is a "good" day according to the lunar calendar and it could be any day of the week. At other times in my life, paying attention to what is really happening around me might not have been so easy. Because of the fact that everything is so different, we see and appreciate more.

Some challenging things:

1. Pollution. Jinan is a city that is growing at a rapid rate and so everything seems to be in a bit of a mess. You know you're in trouble when people comment that it's a nice day because we can see the blue sky. Often, the sky is overcast with a pale brown or gray haze. While I am not certain what is in the air, I can safely guess that it's not a good thing. Besides that, there are often dust storms here which leaves everything with a veil of dust. Housekeeping takes on new meaning here. There is also noise pollution. Besides the cars that all insist on honking as they drive by anyone, there are loud cell phone conversations everywhere. Sometimes, it sounds like a city of angry people.
   
2. Sensory overload. There is a lot of everything here: people, cars, bikes, buses, vendors, things. I love shopping. Sadly, I am not enjoying shopping here. Here is a typical shopping experience for me. It doesn't matter what I am shopping for, the minute I approach a counter or display, a clerk greets me and engages in a conversation. (Glen, I know now why you wore headphones in Japan.) After motioning to them with a negative gesture, I scurry away since I've learned that they are persistent. Browsing in peace has become a luxury.
3. Language Barrier. It can't be understated how difficult it is not to speak the language or read the writing. It affects every aspect of your life. Sure, we get by with the few words we now know and can point at most things but to really understand and appreciate things, we need to be able to speak and read. Imagine shopping for something but being unfamiliar with the packaging. When we first arrived, even buying sugar or salt required thought. We pass by many many places whose reason for being is often hidden behind the meaning of their signs. I am looking forward to being able to recognize more Chinese characters so that we can unlock those mysteries.

I am quite sure that as we spend more time here, we will adjust. And to gauge our rate of adjustment, I'll be referring to the different stages of culture shock. It is comforting to know though that, as was the case in Mexico, the world here opens up to us at the rate that we can learn the language. We can celebrate the little victories that come as we learn one word, one character.

J

Sports Meet

We had Thursday and Friday off last week while the freshmen and sophomores attended a sports meet. I'm not quite sure what the real purpose behind this event was but I know that it was a good team building exercise and personal development opportunity.

For two days, we watched as they showed us their courage and determination in the face of some difficult circumstances. We were amazed to find out that for many of them, it was the first time they had done that particular event. These kids had been chosen by their teachers to compete in particular events based on their stature or some other equally logical criteria. Who needs natural ability? To make matters worse, many of them were picking up a shot put or throwing a javelin the very first time that day, as they are competing. No practice. No training.

The student bravely went out there though and did their best. When they didn't do well, they were upset that they had let their classmates down. And while they competed, their classmates were right there, at their side, as they ran. They were on the sidelines at the events and cheering them on, shouting "Jiayou!" (Come on!). They were there at the finish line as their classmate collapsed into their arms. They were there to bring them their little paper cup of hot water. Yes, hot water. Don't know the logic but I think the last thing I'd want is something hot when it was warm and I'd just exerted myself. Oh, and they punched your leg for you to help you recover.

The foreign language department came in 6^th overall and the girls’ team came in 4^th.

Speaking of sports, unlike our previous television habits, we have barely turned on the tv here. This is mainly because there is no English programing. When we do turn the tv on, there are many soap operas (I even found one dubbed from an Indian drama), home shopping network like shows and sports (table tennis, badminton and soccer).