apples and potatoes

Stereotypical teacher gifts back home: An apple. A plastic apple ornament. A big #1 teacher coffee mug.

Gifts my students give me: scraps of paper, drawings, sticky pieces of candy they were just about to pop into their own mouths, oragami ornaments, random stickers stealthily stuck to my clothes, arms, and legs without my knowledge, hand crafted miniature super heroes, and most recently...a potato.

Say Cheese

We weren't the only tourists in Beijing during May holiday. People from all around China flocked to the capital city. They crowded the streets and historical attractions. These homegrown tourists eagerly documented their trips. Jumping with excitement at the chance to take snap shots of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and to my surprise us foreigners. More than a dozen approached with cameras. Olivia and I are now featured in the family photos of people from all around the country.

China Welcomes Olivia

My friend Olivia just visited me for two weeks. I met her in Beijing. We spent a few nights in the capital before we flew to Shanghai. Afterwards we spent the majority of her trip in good old dusty Wuhan. I saw her off today. My students and I were sad to see her go. To any potential visitors...we had an awesome time! COME TO CHINA! :)

Sentence of The Week

Early Monday morning: Music blares and the students march out onto the field, filling it with straight lines and uniforms. Standing at attention they raise the flag, give speeches, and sing songs. I'm not quite sure what goes on. I'm assuming they are reminded to love their parents, to love their country, and to work hard in school. Each week a foreign teacher is invited on the stage to greet the students and to teach them an English saying. (the school often chooses the saying) I've stood on the platform, microphone in hand, many times. I've told them "Don't take any chances", "Never look back", and that "Sharing is caring".

In their eyes.....





I let my students draw on their tests when they finish early. They often draw portraits of me. Here are three recent depictions of what I look to my third grade Chinese students.

Diplomats for a day.

All important messages at our school are spread last minute via word of mouth. If you don't ask questions or at least keep your ears clean, you might miss the boat, an occasional meeting, or a chance to plant trees. By Thursday, rumours of a trip to the foreign forest were spreading like wildfire. I knew said rumours were true when I attempted to talk with my co teacher about the next day's teaching plan. Her: "But you won't be here tomorrow. You will plant trees." Me: "Oh. What?!"

The foreign forest of Wuhan: Over two hundred trees planted by people from 20 different countries. Inviting the non-Chinese of Wuhan to the rocky forest is an annual tradition, six years in the running. Friday morning came around and despite a thunderstorm and a recent downpour, we were off.

Representing our school were the 14 other English teachers and our boss, Mr. Ye. We took place in a five bus police escorted caravan that took us two hours out of Wuhan and straight to the forest. This forest hasn't yet grown into its name. It was more like a hill. A rocky dusty hill with short trees no taller than the ceilings in my room.

When we got out of our buses all foreigners and Chinese alike huddled around waiting for direction. I wasn't sure what was going on, but suddenly, two Chinese men armed with megaphones began giving speeches. Apparently, as a coworker pointed out, they were holding those loudspeakers as props. I could barely hear a word they were saying! I did catch that they welcomed us foreigners. They believed that improving the environment is a common goal for all countries, and that by volunteering our labor we were offering a gesture of friendship. At the end of their speech, they unveiled a giant rock carved with Chinese characters. I couldn't read it and so could only guess what it said: "Foreign Forrest of Wuhan"....."Foreigners Support China"......

The firecrackers began and we stood through what felt like five minutes of explosions. Meanwhile the TV cameras and reporters swarmed.

Before I knew it I had a bucket of water in my hand and a shovel. By the time I got to my first tree, there was already a crowd atop the hill digging. However, I realized that the hole for the trees were already worked out. We just had to place the tree in the pre dug hole, shovel some dirt around it, water it, and move on. While the work wasn't as strenuous as I thought it would be, it did present a great photo opportunity. The video cameras and reporters kept busy while the foreigners of Wuhan did their work. My coworker Lillis and I managed to stand 10 or more trees up and "plant them".

An hour or so into it, just after I began to break a sweat, we were herded back onto the buses. It was time to go. That was it?!
I guess so.

They escorted us to a fancy banquet hall and as a sign of friendship treated us to a delicious lunch.

Ground Control to Major Tom: The Bund

The Shanghai city skyline is two faced. On the one hand, it is grandiose and stoic. For a foreigner, reminiscent of the best of park avenue or museum mile NYC...only bigger and older. Elegant and powerful.
On the other hand, a simple glance across the river and you are transported to a land more foreign than China itself. Sparkling, neon lights and oddly shaped buildings...what seems like a projection from the 80's of "What 2020 will look like". or simply the childhood toy "Light Bright" in sky scraper form....also known as the Pearl Tower.

Lights. Camera. ENGLISH DAY!

HAPPY ENGLISH HAPPY LIFE

The auditorium was packed with students, parents, contestants, and reporters. English day was about to begin. A few days before the event, the school asked the foreign teachers to sing a song together. Our performance would conclude the celebration that is English Day. This request was met with skepticism, and most of the other foreigners were hesitant about getting on stage. Some refused. Right before the show, the other foreign teachers and I were in our office, practicing our performance for the first and last time.

After our rehearsal, we made our way to the auditorium. When we walked in, the crowd went wild. The students stood on their feet, noise makers and balloons in hand. They cheered their little hearts out. They sure love rock stars here...(English teachers = rock stars). I quickly located my kids (as they were screaming my name).

With all of the lighting, sound effects, and enthusiasm of a proper game show, English day was full of dances, a play, music, and fun. In between these events several students recited speeches and were judged.

There were rumours about a possible English day event since Christmas. The date kept getting pushed back. Apparently, the leaders of the school were not satisfied. They felt the students needed more practice. For weeks, the students were in and out of our office memorizing speeches, rehearsing plays, and dances. And the co teachers put in countless extra hours to make the administration happy. In the end, as I stood on stage holding a crumpled piece of paper trying to harmonize with 13 others who can't sing either, I felt embarrassed. The amount of time the school put into preparing for this event put our last minute efforts to shame.

However, I don't think it mattered. The winners of the contest were announced, confetti was shot from the ceiling, we sang our song and the students were happy! Happy English Happy Life!

For the show, the third graders put on the English play. Some of my favorite students were in it! This is a picture of them. Scott (a frog) Ethan (a dog) and Cara (a bird)....

Inernational Stereotypes: An American in Wuhan

I was in the back of a taxi, weaving through traffic, speeding across the Yangtze River Bridge. It was the middle of the night. I was with friends, a Canadian and a Chinese co teacher named Daisy. The driver suddenly realized that we weren't speaking Chinese. He asked Daisy where we were from. She told him. He smiled a big toothy grin, looked in his rear view mirror and said in Chinese "Americans are welcome in Wuhan. Iraqis aren't." I haven't felt any animosity towards me from the Chinese about being American. (Granted, I might not notice because of the language barrier.) The other foreigners in town however, are a different story.

A stereotypical American: An obnoxious ignorant redneck...arrogant and disrespectful, constantly awaiting the opportunity for someone to fuck up so they can sue. I've sat through entire lunches where the people I know rag on America. I've had others express surprise when they get to know me, exclaiming "I always just assumed all Americans were like the people on Blind-date". People are quick to define me by my country... to tell me what I think and why. While there is a lot of banter and joking going on, there isn't much of a discussion.

As Lillis points out, we should look at what America is offering the world: Blind-date...Britney Spears. If these are the things we value and export, no wonder people think of us as they do. America obviously has more to offer than the worst of pop-culture. The fact that these things are popular elsewhere in the world isn't just a reflection of the people back home.

Unfortunately, the negative sentiment, the disappointed looks people give me when I tell them where I am from, have to do with what my taxi driver commented on. It's not about popular culture; it's about politics. While I don't support the administration or the way things are, I won't just shrug it off and say I voted for the other guy. I'm an American. Maybe I'm frustrated, but I'm not going to move. So by being American, I am supporting the things that I don't . But should individuals be held responsible for the actions of their government?

Stereotypes and generalizations can be dangerous. They can too easily foster hate without understanding. I think that anyone who automatically defines a person based on where they are from is just as close minded as the pigheaded Americans they are condemning. And if people got to talking they would probably realize they are frustrated about similar things.

P.S. If I use my experience as a sample, the stereotype that the American abroad is the most obnoxious, arrogant, and disrespectful would prove false. It would be a three way tie between the Brits, the Canadians, and my fellow countrymen. :)

Also... the picture is of a pair of flip flops (or should I say "freedom flops") I bought at a dollar store in New Jersey......

the responsibility of a traveler....

Bright eyed, white faced, and tall, I stick out like a sore thumb. There aren't a lot of foreigners in town and people stare without shame. I once went to the supermarket with my Chinese teacher Robyn. As we were checking out, two older women behind us fell under the gawking spell. They asked Robyn about me and told her that they've never seen a foreigner in person. A lot of people here are in the same boat. And they stare. When I walk down the street, when I went to the doctor, when I get my hair cut, on the bus, everywhere. Admittedly, it can sometimes be a little much, but I am getting used to it. Especially when I remind myself that they are just surprised and curious.

In a city that is not internationally diverse it is easy to unintentionally become the center of attention. As a traveler I think it is important to remember that I am a guest in this city, that its culture is different than mine, and that my actions may in fact be the first impression people have of foreigners or of Americans in person. I can't help feeling that it is my responsibility to be respectful because of this.

I haven't written much about the other foreigners I have met here. There are 15 of us working at the same school and living in the same apartment building. While they are friendly, I haven't spent much time with most of them since the beginning of my trip. Everyone travels for different reasons and frankly speaking, they aren't my style. Sometimes I can't help but cringe a little when I witness or hear about their drunken escapades. Getting sloppy drunk/belligerent and destroying property (state property) in our apartment complex, fighting with taxi drivers, or breaking out the American National Anthem wherever they go makes me feel uncomfortable.

My friend here pointed out to me that while yes a foreign guest should be respectful, it is also the responsibility of everyone else to realize that the actions of one or a few people shouldn't shape their opinions about all foreigners or Americans. While this is true, I don't think it is so simple. Many of you might not know much about China. However, just like I did before I came here, you probably have different ideas about what it is like. You get these ideas indirectly, from the media, from different generalizations and stereotypes floating around, and from what other people tell you. Of course we all realize that my experience here can't serve as a generalization for all of China etc. But When I write about being here, I try to be careful, respectful, and fair as I know that I am a source that might shape your impression of life in China or confirm ideas you already have. How I behave here shouldn't serve as a generalization about foreigners or Americans, but when people have a direct experience with me or any foreigner, for better or worse it might confirm or shape ideas they already have.

winter meat

Another phenomena of the cold is the "winter meat". I was warned that once it starts getting cold, I'll really have to watch where I'm walking. If I'm not careful, I might accidentally slam into some dead animals. Now that it is cold enough, people season meat and put it outside all winter to let it dry. It hangs from balconies, from wires, in doorways, on sidewalks, and along side their laundry. Duck, sausages, even fish. Apparently, after Spring holiday, when the winter meat is ripe and ready...my meals here will be even tastier.

Baby its cold outside....

Tights, long johns, more tights, a pair of jeans, three pairs of socks, sneakers. Long johns, two sweaters, a small jacket under a big jacket. A hat, a scarf, and fingerless gloves that, in the classroom double as an eraser. Its winter in Wuhan. Most places here, including our classrooms, are not heated. With drafty windows and a constant flow of teachers and students in and out all day, the heater in the English office doesn't always cut it either. These days, I look more like Randy from A Christmas Story than I do a teacher.

On several occasions, the school has lost power. Its happened on at least five or six separate days. And I'm guessing it happens on a semi-regular basis....or at least often enough for them to have a metal bell hanging from a tree. Before the end and beginning of each class the gate guard walks to the bell and hits it with a mini sledge hammer to remind us to switch periods. On these days I've realized how precious the little heat we have in our office really is. So this is what it must feel like to work outside.