National Holiday and Beyond (10-16)

The National Day holiday was a pleasant, quiet week bordering on a little boring. I didn’t really do much. Just hung out here and relaxed. And did some special eating.

My former student, Zoe, had told me that she has a part-time job at a place that specializes in squid and had invited me to eat there when she’s working. The holiday week seemed like a good time to do that. I invited Kasey to join me, but squid is out of her comfort range. Zoe was very happy to see me and cooked my squid. It is cooked whole on stones and then dipped into boiling water for a few minutes. Then it is cut into small pieces and mixed with several seasonings. I chose a garlic sauce. It was some of the best squid I’ve had; so I’ll return again. Zoe also made me a milk tea, which was free—or she paid for it. Since the café wasn’t busy, she was able to sit and chat with me most of the time while I ate, which was nice.

The next eating outing was with the foreign teachers. We went to a local Thai restaurant that Paul had found. The menu has English, which is always a nice treat, and lovely photos of the dishes. The food was good. I can’t say I’d seen most of it in Thailand, but it may be from other parts of the country.

On Sunday Jinchuan, another former student, wanted to spend the day with me. She came at about 10:15 to cook soup for lunch. She brought chicken and a root herb to make the soup and asparagus lettuce as the other dish. The soup needed to cook for a couple hours to make the broth, as the soup was broth with pieces of chicken—complete with bones and head. I realized that asparagus lettuce is something I’ve had in dishes but didn’t know what it was. The stalk is thick, and that’s the part I recognized. She left the leafy part for me to eat another time. While the soup was cooking, we chatted. After we ate, we chatted some more, and I realized that she really did intend to stay all day. Fortunately, she speaks English well enough that we could have a good conversation and I like her.

I suggested that we go for a walk for something to do other than sit and, admittedly, with the idea that we could separate after the walk. That worked, and after walking we returned to our own residences to have a nap. She planned to return at 6:30 for another walk. Later in the afternoon I decided to turn the leftover broth, of which there was a lot, into American style vegetable soup. So I invited her to go to the market with me. Then she watched as I cut the veggies and added them to the broth to cook. She had already eaten but had a small bowl of the new soup and said she liked it. It turned out to be a pleasant day.

Work started again on the 8^th, and my lecture was that evening. Lectures for the freshmen English majors are every week, and most of us will do two lectures during the semester. Fortunately, I have lectures I prepared in my first semester here. So I just needed to refresh my mind, as I hadn’t looked at it since last year. Since students are required to attend, there are usually about 200 students at the lectures. The waiban advertises the lectures in the administration building with a poster on a bulletin board. 

Photos are taken and a summary and photo are posted on the university’s Chinese website. So this was a moment of fame. 

My post-lecture treat was a special little cake.

We had classes for nine days, including the Saturday on which we did Tuesday’s make-up classes. It was difficult to get into the spirit of planning again, since there were only two classes before the next break for freshmen. But, once I got into class, all was fine. I decided to do a short presentation on Halloween to fill in time, as I didn’t want to start new units. Students loved that.

Student clubs had their advertising and soliciting members displays last week. When I walked past the yoga club, I was asked to participate in the demonstrations. Grace later asked me to go to her ping pong club’s first meeting to help excite the new members. Since she’s one of my special girls, I’m always happy to help her. I was asked to give a brief motivational talk.

After a foreign teachers meeting last Friday, we went to a restaurant that has foreign food. Three of us had the pizza, which is definitely Chinese-style. It’s not something I need to repeat. But some of the other food looked good.

Starting on the 20^th, all freshmen have military training for two weeks. Since I have no classes for two weeks, I asked for and received permission to travel. So I’m off to Gansu province to visit the desert areas. Although part of me would like to just hang out here, I know I’d become quickly bored and I do want to see these places. I think it’s just too soon after my last long travels to be leaving again, but I know I’ll be ready to take in the new sites once I arrive.

Eating and Outings (10-1)

In the last two weeks we have had two outings, one of which was a barbecue, and two special banquets. Last Tuesday afternoon Dale, Kasey, and I—the American foreign teachers—were invited to a special dinner that evening with some American guests. The guests turned out to be from Pacific Lutheran University, including the man who came in June. It was good to see him, as I’d enjoyed talking with him before, and he was glad to see me again, too. Luckily, I was seated beside him and his wife. Also along were the president of the university, his wife and three other staff members. The occasion of the dinner was to celebrate the signing of an exchange agreement between the two universities which will allow students and teachers to go to the other university to study or teach. (The group was also going to Chengdu to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of their relationship with Sichuan University.) So everyone was happy. Many toasts were made. 

And, of course, the food was fantastic. It included the most dishes I’ve seen at one banquet, many of which were new to me. I lost count after twenty. I enjoyed chatting with Bonnie and Goeff.

When we left the banquet room, we walked through the large room where teachers who had just finished their training session were having a dinner. When they saw all the foreigners, they were astonished. Several men came to the American men for photos and toasts. I think many or most of them had probably not seen a foreigner before and had certainly not encountered so many at once. It was fun to watch their responses.

Saturday we were invited to join the Chinese literature majors’ volunteer group for a barbecue. Paul, Sean, Ian, and I joined them. The destination was Golden Horse River, about half an hour by bus—after walking half an hour to the bus stop. 

On the way from the park to the river, we passed the Teddy Bear Museum and, of course, stopped for photos. I’ve seen signs for the museum and thought it was the other direction; so this was a surprise. 

I may have to return to see the museum, as it fascinates me that there is such a museum here in Wenjiang.

We knew we were at the river when we came to a statue of a golden horse at the end of a lawn area. 

Then we walked to the barbecue area. It was not the lovely, green area we had envisioned. Instead, it is a cement slab along the river with no grass in sight. The man who owns the concession provided grills, charcoal, skewers, stools, tables, and tools for preparing the food, for which we all contributed. The students had purchased a huge amount of meat and veggies to grill. 

They started preparing food and then grilling at 11:30 and did this for two hours. They took turns cooking and cutting and skewering. I skewered lotus root for a short time. It was fun to help a bit and to watch them work together. And, of course, eating was fun. People ate as the food was cooked. The students kept offering me/us food. When they learned that I don’t eat pork or spicy food, they supplied me with non-spicy veggies and were happy when I liked the food.

After eating enough, I sat on a stool and looked at a comic book about learning English that Paul had brought along to share with students. Several girls joined

me and we started to talk. After a while Paul and Ian joined the group. Sean sat elsewhere where another group formed. Discussions continued. After a while we took a break to walk a bit. When I sat down again, a few of the girls returned and more joined us. It was really fun to chat with them and to help them feel like they can speak English.

One of the girls in my discussion circle asked when my birthday is. When I responded that it was at the beginning of the month, they were sad and said they would buy me a gift. Later they asked if I like goldfish. I don’t want a fish in a bowl to have to take care of; so I told them I like fish but don’t want one because I’m afraid it will die when I leave for a few days. After a while, they asked if I like tortoises. I realized that they meant turtles and were thinking of giving me a turtle to keep in a dish. I don’t want one of those either; so I repeated that I don’t want one because I’m afraid it will die. They said they’d think some more. That night I got a text message from one of the girls saying they had purchased a gift for me and arranging to meet Sunday morning. 

They happily brought ma a lucky bamboo plant, and I happily accepted it. At least plants can live for a few days without water; so I don’t need to worry about it dying if I leave for a long weekend. And I do like it. So, now I have two plants—the bamboo and the cactus.

Monday afternoon we were informed that we would have an outing and lunch on Tuesday and our classes would be cancelled. Two people don’t have classes on Tuesday and had made plans, but they were pretty much told they should be here for the outing and lunch. This last-minute notification continues to be a problem and frustration. The event was the welcome outing and banquet for the new teachers—and us returning foreign teachers. We went to the Wenjiang Green Belt to ride bicycles, but the entrance we went to was closed and there were no bicycles. So we went around the gate and walked. 

Since it had just stopped raining, the air was moist and fresh, and it was really nice to be out in the green area. Walking was good because we got to talk with people. I chatted with Hannah, the new teacher who is training to take over Peggie’s “taking care of the foreigners” job. Hannah just finished her Master’s degree in English at a school near Beijing. She’s from central China and wanted to come to Chengdu; so she only applied for a job at this university. Fortunately, she was accepted. Her English is excellent. She is the middle child of three daughters. Her Chinese name means “change” because her parents wanted a boy. Her older sister is “precious” because the first child is always precious. Her younger sister is “stop.” When I asked about the one-child policy, she said they were protected. When an official came to the village to check on families, the villagers sent a messenger telling her parents to hide their daughters; so she and her sister hid in the dry riverbed until the official left.

The river walk was lovely. We saw people planting garlic

and many fishermen. It really was a pleasant activity.

We were to have a meeting at 11:00, but we didn’t return to campus until noon. So the meeting was held at the table while we waited for the president to arrive. It really wasn’t much of a meeting, and most of the important people weren’t there.

They wanted to ask if we had any problems or concerns. Dale mentioned a few things, and Hannah took notes. We’ll see if any action is taken. At the table, Dale was seated next to the president, in the important seat as always. I was seated next to Dean Cheng. This was new, as I’ve usually been across the table. When the president arrived, we had toasts and he welcomed everyone.

This banquet was also fantastic. 

A few special items included especially for the foreigners were French fries with catsup on the side,

 individual plates with a small piece of steak, and a dish of ice cream that was served three-fourths of the way through the meal. 

The whole meal had about thirty dishes. This I know because I took photos of most of them and I have 25 photos. It always amazes me that there can still be dishes I haven’t seen or haven’t seen for a long time. 

A few were repeats, but I took their photos anyway. (eel with ginseng, which was served at both banquets)

The banquet was my last official thing to for the week, as the week-long National Day holiday started on October 1. The holiday is actually five days (Wednesday to Sunday); so since two more are added, we had make up classes for next Monday on Sunday and will have make-up classes for next Tuesday on October 11. Only in China! Since tourist destinations are extremely crowded and hotel prices are doubled, I decided to stay home and have a quiet week. I’ve done the crowds and know I can, but I just wasn’t ready to do that yet. I think the fact that I just returned from traveling a few weeks ago also decreased my desire to hit the road again so soon.

My passport was returned to me on Sunday complete with my new visa. (The office was open because Sunday was a make-up day.) It’s good for 180 days, which will be renewed every time I re-enter the country. So I have to leave before March 17, which is not a problem because we’ll have the winter break starting in January. When I return, the visa will be good for another 180 days. So it all worked out well.

I received my first salary deposit on Tuesday, which is also good.

There is a higher police presence on campus this year. Every day I see three or four of them walking around.

Freshmen and sophomore students are being required to attend a study hall every evening for 1.5 hours. They are not happy, as they can’t go to the library or study where they want to.

My group of sophomore girls came to office hours the first week. It was good to see them again. I know they won’t come often, as they are very busy this year. Sophomore year seems to be the busiest in terms of the work load and having to take the national tests for English. One came the second week and enjoyed being able to talk on a more personal level since she was alone. And one freshman girl came.

My new commitment is to use the social networks that students use. Last year I had one but never thought about opening it. This year I am opening it for an hour or so every night. The other is a phone app that I have on for a few hours a day. I’m not as popular as the guys (Sean said he and Ian can spend a couple hours a night answering messages.), but I have several students who like to chat a bit. This is fine with me.

Another new commitment is going to the fitness center to use the machines for upper body strength. I've been thinking about doing this for a while. Now I am. They have new exercise bicycles that are really nice, and I enjoy riding one sometimes. Yoga class has started, and I go to that once a week. Kasey is going, too, and it's good to have her company. A few of the girls who participate have been chatting with me, which is nice.

Back to Work (9-20)

It was good to arrive back on campus. I met the three new teachers: Kasey, the new Peace Corps Volunteer, Sean, and Ian. All are recent graduates. We now have seven foreign teachers, and two of us are female. We each teach six or seven classes and have two days without classes. Not a difficult schedule. My two free days are Friday and Monday.

Three of my classes are English education majors, which will be a bit easier because I taught that class last year and have a syllabus already. The class went well; so I don’t think I’ll make many changes. Two classes are business English majors. I taught that class during my first semester here, but the first semester is new to me. The last class is from the automotive engineering department. For non-English majors we will use the syllabus Dale put together in June. I recently learned from Paul that it correlates with the textbook students use with their Chinese teacher. This will make the program more relevant to students.

I had a good reception on campus. When I entered the building, the building guards and staff gave me big smiles and waves. One of the first things I did was go to the shopping street to buy boiled soy beans, one of my favorites. When she saw me, the vendor light up with a big smile. It was nice to be welcomed back so warmly.

I’ve encountered several former students who have spoken to me. The English education sophomores have Kasey as their teacher. When they saw that they have oral English again, they thought I would be their teacher again and were disappointed when I told them that they have a new teacher. Part of me wanted to continue with them, as we got along well and I could start them off where we left off and continue their progress. On the other hand, I knew it would be good for them to experience a different teacher. I hope that their shy time with Kasey will be less because they had me last year. It will be interesting to see if the girls continue to come to my office hours sometimes. And it’s fun to have new freshmen who are excited to improve their oral English and to have a foreign teacher.

When I did my first walk around campus, two girls spoke to me. They are freshmen who speak very little English. They don’t know what they are studying in English, and one girl used her fingers to count when I said a number. But they were very sweet. They walked me back to my building and told me they love me.

At home, I returned to find a lot of mold in the bedroom. I’d left the closet doors open; so it wasn’t as bad as last year in the closet. But the desk was a mess with white mold, especially on the underside. I spent most of the first evening cleaning the wood surfaces. Over the next few days I washed the few clothes that had spots of mold and the bedding. The pillow was covered with black mold. It was good to get everything clean and get the room set up again. I’ve become a fan of bleach, which I’ve seldom used and never purchased. It really cleaned up the pillow case and the white sofa covers.

Classes started this week. I saw only three of mine, as two were having their medical checks. The three classes I saw gave me small gifts. The first class gave it to me at the beginning of class. I thought they were trying to be my favorite class. Their gift was a water/tea bottle. The next class gave me their gift—a small cactus in a cute pot—after class. 

The third class gave me a gorilla—stuffed, of course. It’s big and black. I’m still getting used to it when I see it in my apartment. I named it “Garky.” It is the English name of a student I had last year. I always liked and was amused by the name and I like the boy. And Garky the Gorilla is alliterative.

English Corner also started. All English majors are told to attend the first one as well as all of us foreign teachers. When I arrived, one of my classes was standing together waiting and called me over. 

When it was my turn to introduce myself, my classes cheered. That was heart-warming. Many photos were taken. Some of the sophomores who attended pretty regularly also came this first week. It will be interesting to see if they continue to come. They are very busy this year. I remember this from the sophomores last year.

When I stopped at the fitness center to say “hello” to Rick, I saw the changes he had told me about. The room was expanded by combining with the yoga room and there are more treadmills and a few other machines. Yoga will be in the new gymnasium. I learned that there is also a room with exercise bicycles, which I will use. I’ve also decided to use the other fitness machines this year, not to just think about using them. I had Rick give me a lesson on how to use three of the machines.

I went to the bank to cancel the old account with the lost ATM card and open a new account. The good news was that there was still a lot of money in the account.

On Friday Michelle and another young woman took me to the immigration office in Chengdu to apply for my visa change and extension. It was easier than I had thought it would be. The woman had said she would only extend it for 90 days, which isn’t enough. They called someone at the university who talked to the woman, and she gave me 180 days. The visa cost 950 RMB/$155, which is more than my first one cost ($140). When it was time to pay, of course no one had enough money, and we didn’t have enough cash among us. Michelle used her bank card. She will get reimbursed eventually. I enjoyed the car trip with Michelle, as I seldom have the opportunity to talk to her alone and personally. I usually see her in the office and have just a brief greeting and chat.

  

Thursday evening Yienfanh and I got together. I took Kasey to introduce them. We had a good time catching up. It's always good to see him.

Friday Peggie and her husband took me to dinner to thank me for my wedding gift (cash). We ate at a reception hall, one they had tried to book but couldn’t because it was already booked. I think the dinner cost more than half of what I gave them. That wasn’t the idea, but it was good to meet him and chat with them both. He understands more English than he speaks, which is common.

Saturday Diao Min to me to our favorite eggplant restaurant to thank me for everything. I think that included revising her friend’s cover letter and introducing her to Kasey. Since I won’t continue formal Chinese lessons, I’ll miss seeing her regularly.

Now that I’ve had a break with good travels and good times with my friends, I’m ready to be here and teaching again. I’m enjoying the new students and the new teachers as well as the continuing teachers and my former student friends. This is good.