Back to Work (3-9)

I’ve been back at school for three weeks now. On Feb. 16, I received my schedule for the term along with the news that classes started the 17^th. Since I was flying back that day, my first class was cancelled. I guess they determined the term dates after they signed off on my travel plans in mid December. Or the administrators who agreed to my plan didn’t know we would start teaching the first week. This is my third semester here and it’s the first time foreign teachers have started classes the first week. Actually, only Dale and I started because we teach English majors. I had suggested to Peggy that the schedule for English majors could be given to us because they know when their classes will be. So it happened.

I have four classes of English majors again, three of which are the same classes I had last term. One of Dale’s and my classes changed teachers. Peggy mentioned that there may have been a schedule conflict. The only conflict I can see is that the class I got from Dale is on Monday, which is his day off. We all have a free day that gives us a three-day weekend. I really didn’t want to follow Dale as a teacher because he focuses on entertaining students so much, and they love that and him. I’m not an entertainer. So I hope the students are adjusting OK. My three classes seemed quite happy to have me again, as they are comfortable with me and most feel that they improved their oral English last term. It was really nice to be able to pick up where we left off, since they know my expectations and are comfortable speaking in class.

The Peace Corps expectation is that we will teach 14-16 hours (7-8 classes) a week. When we add the teachers’ class, I will have 10. I’m supposed to have one class of non-English majors added—sometime. Mr. Xie has given permission for Dale and me to teach only 12 hours for this term only. I’m still waiting for this class. Peggie is waiting for final word as to how many, if any, more foreign teachers will be coming. Then I will be given one or two classes of non-English majors. For a while, word was that maybe two more would come. Now it seems that maybe one or none will come. They are independently contracted teachers, as they are not from TTC. If it works out, this will be the first time the university has hired teachers on its own.

New in the classrooms is that the multi-media centers in the classrooms (not in all classrooms but in all of mine so far this term) all have the same panel for turning them on and off. Last term there were two different panels and I didn’t always remember which places to push; so this is much easier. The systems are locked when classes are not in session and are opened with a card that teachers have. However, since we are not Chinese with an identification card, foreign teachers cannot be issued a card. So, if the cabinet is not open, the class monitor has to call the man to come with his card to open it. This has been a problem in one of my classrooms, and the man has not been happy to have to come every week. Last week he yelled at me. I don’t know what he said, but the students were shocked. Mr. Huang will talk to him and explain why I don’t have a card.

We all have mops now. It seems that they aren’t getting a new cleaning lady to replace the one who quit in November. I had the communal mop, but it was gone when I returned from traveling. I think someone cleaning the rooms for the new people used the former cleaning lady’s key to enter my apartment and get the mop, and it wasn’t returned. So they school agreed to purchase mops and buckets for each of us. Jane, the new woman at the waiban, now has the former cleaning lady’s keys. New this term is that they have arranged for sheets to be changed every two weeks.

Two weeks ago I met Yienfanh for dinner. I had met him at IST and learned that he is the volunteer who is at the University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the university where April is now teaching. We got along well when we chatted there; so it was nice to meet with him and continue building a friendship. When he mentioned inviting Dale to join us, I told him I’d rather not. Later when I explained that, when Dale is present, conversation focuses on him, Yienfanh replied that he could see that. He returned to the apartment with me because we were enjoying walking and talking; so I invited him in for tea. When we walked in together, the security guard popped up wide-eyed, and the other man even turned to look. I explained that he is my friend. I think they may have thought he was following me, as he is half Chinese and looks Asian, not “American.” We had a chuckle over their response.

The two new TTC people are both male. The older one is British; the younger one is Australian. They have not had an official welcome with the university president and waiban director and a lunch. When we went to English Corner and the students were told to find their foreign teacher, about twenty gathered around young Dan. About twelve gathered with Dale and Paul, and eight with me. It’s the young, handsome men who are most desirable; old women don’t get as much attention. But I do have a small following of mostly my students, and we had a great chat.

The flowering trees are flowering, which I enjoy. They would be even more beautiful if the weather was better and the sky wasn’t always overcast. Unfortunately, some flowers have died due to the cold (mid 30s and low 40s at night) temperatures we had for two weeks.

Saturday April and I joined Yienfanh for a trip to Chengdu to meet up with other volunteers. Only one, Chris, joined us. I enjoyed meeting and chatting with him. We walked around the Tibetan market area, which I hadn’t been to before. It was interesting to see the Tibetan’s dressed in their traditional clothes 

and the shops selling Tibetan items. It was also interesting that there were more policemen in the area than in other areas. We ate at a Tibetan restaurant Chris had been to before. It turned out that it features mostly yak meat dishes. April tried rice and milk, which turned out to be exactly that—a plate of rice with some milk poured over it. I had yak yogurt and another sweet dish that had things like beans and yak butter. It was nice. After dinner, Fran, an Italian who is a student at TCM University and a friend of Yienfanh’s, joined us. She was also fun to meet. 

After walking around a bit more, we went for dessert at a coffee shop April had found before. It’s like a Chinese version of Starbucks with a totally different name. It features waffle and ice cream desserts and lattes along with some other desserts and drinks.

Since it was too late to get a bus back, we took a bus to the edge of Chengdu and then took a “cowboy taxi” back to Wenjiang. Yienfanh knew about these, but it was new information for April and me. People returning to Wenjiang from Chengdu stop at the last bus stop in the city and pick up a carload of people going to Wenjiang. We paid 40 yuan ($6.60) for the three of us—more than a bus but less than a taxi, and the driver brought us to our universities.

Sunday April came over and we walked around the shops near here. It was good to do that again.

News two weeks ago was that my Christmas package arrived. Mailed December 9, Priority Mail. I guess that got it out of the U.S. quickly but doesn’t mean much in China. The box had been completely wrapped with clear tape that said “China Post,” which is what held it together. The bag of stuffing mix had been crushed and broken open. Most of it had seeped out the cracks at the box’s crushed corners; only a handful of crumbs were left in the box. Everything else was fine. It was really great—and a big surprise—to receive it, as I’d given up on it in January. April had a third package mailed to her that didn’t arrive. Amanda had one that was mailed in September that she didn’t get. So I felt extra lucky to have mine. Among the items were a bag of Christmas mints and peppermint white chocolate bells that I had fun distributing to friends along with the story that my Christmas package had arrived.

Other news: I received the results of my LPI (Peace Corps language test). I achieved High Novice, which is the level required after Pre-Service Training. People who didn’t achieve that level, like my IST roommate, had to retake the test during IST. The message also mentioned that the examiner was surprised to learn that I had done so well studying on my own—without the Peace Corps intensive language training. I was able to speak sentences and use a few things I had learned in my eight hours of language prior to the test. I’m happy with that result. I know they expect a higher level in six months, but I’ll be happy to maintain this level. The instruction was to work on conversation now, but I’m not really interested in conversing; I’ll stick with survival Chinese, maybe at a little higher level.