I dive back into the Chinese-only environment... Well, it is pretty intense. The other foreigners have been gone for over a week now, and I still have another solid month before they return. I haven't done any traveling this summer so far, and right now, it looks as though I will stay in Baoding the whole summer. Most days, I am spending much of my time studying Chinese. Because of this, the Chinese language has been a big part of everything I do and experience. The studying can be pretty intense at times, especially with the character writing. Right now, I am buried in backlog, and I spend a solid two hours each day just on writing.
What I want to do today is talk a bit about how I experience the language. To me, Chinese is not different. It feels like an extension to English. I don't feel like I am really switching anything, and there is really no difference in the experience. Most of the time, the communication requires me to translate from Chinese to English, and English to Chinese. The thinking is mostly (around 95% or more) done in English, and the information is remembered in English, not Chinese. This means that if someone were to ask me which language was used in a conversation I had with someone that can speak both languages, I usually can't remember for sure if the other person is able to speak English. It may seem like I am contradicting myself by my description above, but I don't really feel like I am. To me, it is just communicating. When I first moved here, a colleague told me that people who are able to speak English really well will say that sometimes they need a few moments to switch to English mode. I haven't experienced this yet, although I will say that I speak Chinese better at certain times than other times. I tend not to do as well when I first wake up.
I was watching a video about Daniel Tammet, a British man with an extraordinary talent with numbers. In the video, he said that when he is doing calculations, he is able to associate the numbers with images of shapes in his mind. When there is a mistake or a change in number order, he experiences emotion. Now, I don't intend to say that I possess the same gift as Daniel, but I can say that I can relate somewhat to that feeling. Over the past few months, I have found that the characters are becoming part of me. What I mean is that sometimes, I can't remember how to write a character, but if I just start to write, usually I find that I am able to remember the character in the end. If I sense a mistake, I don't feel right. This is something that I have felt only in the past few month or so, it hasn't always been like this. I don't experience this with English, just with Chinese. I may have commented elsewhere that I am not a big fan of the oral language, but I really enjoy (usually) working with the characters.
So basically, I am in a constant foreign environment, and I cannot easily use the language barrier excuse to help me avoid problems. It doesn't work as well. Now, people are more intense, and they are not as forgiving as they were when they really couldn't understand me. Well, the other day, I pulled the old 'I can't understand you because I am a foreigner' technique, and I was able to pull it off! Recently I signed up with Taobao, an online store, similar to Amazon.com in the states. Basically, I got a call from a delivery company that they wanted to deliver a package to me. I wasn't at home when they called, but I told them that I would be home within a half hour. After 20 minutes, I called them and told them I was at home, and the driver asked me to go to the university gate to retrieve my package. This is about a half kilometer walk in the rain, and basically I just didn't feel like doing it, nor did I feel as though I should have to. I told the man that he was looking at the wrong address, and told him my address, and he repeated his request. I pretended not to understand him, and finally, he gave up and delivered it to my apartment.... I got away with it, but honestly, I don't expect that the local people would tolerate this either. The thing is that some of these things I am talking about are thought of differently in China. For example, time, and certain types of honesty... People, in certain cases, are expected to be dishonest, and I am starting to think in this way myself! The local culture is beginning to change me!
Well, I don't mean to say that I am anywhere near having this thing mastered... Far from it. Life here is very complex, and I know I have remarked about this elsewhere, but I will say it again now..... people, in a fundamental way, think completely different from the way I think about things that seem so common and ordinary. These differences run deep, and often, it is not possible to simply explain it away... If you have lived here for any period of time, I am sure you can relate at least a little to what I am talking about.
OK, that's all I've got tonight.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Holy Sheepsh...
It!!! Two entries in a month! wow... I must be sick or something... Actually, I have been dealing with a bout of 拉肚子, for those of you who don't know, basically mean 'the shits'.. Anyway... enough of that... What I want to talk about today is something I touched on last week.... I was talking about my attitude and things that I struggle with when dealing with people. Today, I want to focus on this a little more.
Basically, the deal is this... I will sometimes run into situations that I either don't understand, or I don't agree with. Sometimes, it is a belief or idea that I strongly disagree with. I could give examples, but it really doesn't matter about the topic. The pattern is basically the same, but the outcome always falls into one of three categories...
1. I am wrong, and they are right.
1a. I am wrong because the way that life is experienced in this country is remarkably different from what I have become accustomed to back home, and what they say is true and what I think is false.
1b. I am just wrong, and I would be wrong whether I am here or back home
2. I am right, but it doesn't matter.
2a. It is a situation where I can relate to experience that I have had before, and I can say that what they are doing or saying is wrong, but it doesn't matter because the situation will run its course anyway. The issue may be one of which that no one would care much about the consequence besides myself.
2b. It is a situation where I experience something in life that I chalk up as 'douchiness' on the part of the Chinese person, this usually happens when I am out in the street.
3. I am right no matter how you look at it.
Lets examine these a bit more... as far as #1, most Chinese people are forgiving toward me when I make mistakes, perhaps I should be forgiving to them as well. As far as 2, and 3 are concerned, I guess the proper attitude that I should take is that people (individually and collectively) should be allowed to make mistakes. When the mistakes happen, people may react to them. Sometimes, people learn from them. Other times, they don't learn, but they work around the patterns that are created by repeating the same mistakes.
Well, I hope this doesn't come off as arrogant.
Basically, the deal is this... I will sometimes run into situations that I either don't understand, or I don't agree with. Sometimes, it is a belief or idea that I strongly disagree with. I could give examples, but it really doesn't matter about the topic. The pattern is basically the same, but the outcome always falls into one of three categories...
1. I am wrong, and they are right.
1a. I am wrong because the way that life is experienced in this country is remarkably different from what I have become accustomed to back home, and what they say is true and what I think is false.
1b. I am just wrong, and I would be wrong whether I am here or back home
2. I am right, but it doesn't matter.
2a. It is a situation where I can relate to experience that I have had before, and I can say that what they are doing or saying is wrong, but it doesn't matter because the situation will run its course anyway. The issue may be one of which that no one would care much about the consequence besides myself.
2b. It is a situation where I experience something in life that I chalk up as 'douchiness' on the part of the Chinese person, this usually happens when I am out in the street.
3. I am right no matter how you look at it.
Lets examine these a bit more... as far as #1, most Chinese people are forgiving toward me when I make mistakes, perhaps I should be forgiving to them as well. As far as 2, and 3 are concerned, I guess the proper attitude that I should take is that people (individually and collectively) should be allowed to make mistakes. When the mistakes happen, people may react to them. Sometimes, people learn from them. Other times, they don't learn, but they work around the patterns that are created by repeating the same mistakes.
Well, I hope this doesn't come off as arrogant.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
At the Risk of ...
sounding cocky (as I wrote in the last entry), with what I am about to write. I don't really mean it at face value, but... Sometimes, I feel that the first year living in China doesn't count. If you have only been here for a year, you have nothing to offer me in terms of knowledge or understanding (no, I don't really believe this all the time, but I do when I get worked up). The second and third years are spent just trying to navigate through this seemingly obtuse culture. By the fourth year, the language will hopefully be good enough to really have serious conversations with the locals, and this is when it gets real. In the beginning, it was blissful. I understood nothing, and I wasn't bothered by this. Now, I can communicate with the locals, and it is much harder to hide behind a language barrier. What I see today is that the difference in language is helpful in protecting me from the full impact of the cultural difference. Today, I can talk to people, and when they explain things to me, I think... 'wow, people actually believe this, or they live this way'... Yeah, I know, judgemental. You may call me judgemental, but remember that I am also human, and I don't want to water this down and try to present the situation in a way that isn't real.
The next thing I am going to write may seem very arrogant. Please excuse me, as I don't enjoy coming across in this way, and my intent is not to be disrespectful to the reader, but I feel it is true so I am going to write it. People in China think differently from the way that I have learned. It seems like a simple idea, and maybe you may be thinking that... Hey, George doesn't need to say this to me, I know this already... But, it runs much deeper than I originally suspected.... I mean that there are inherent differences in reasoning that sometimes make cooperation with the local people extremely difficult. I will give some examples later... But what I want to mention first, and I may have mentioned this before... is that these differences are not always simply resolved by a simple explanation of cultural differences, and that problem-solving techniques that I have learned throughout my life... i.e., conflict resolution, cooperative work, compromise, respect... are handled in a way that is completely different. This results in my problem-solving techniques actually making the problem much worse. Let me give some examples of what I am talking about.
1- Many people here are actors, not talkers. What I mean is that there seems to be less focus on the specifics of what is said, and more focus on what is done. This idea that I am sharing right now is very complex, but I guess that this results in people saying things to me that seem to not really fit a situation. When I say that they are actors, what I mean is that they indicate their relationship with you with their actions, not their words. Sometimes, speaking is an action, so it is sometimes more important to listen to how people say things than the content of the information.
2- The presentation of ideas is ordered in a way that is completely different from what I have become accustomed to back home. This means that I may position a main topic sentence when speaking Chinese with a meaning that I feel is very clear, and probably would be very clear to other foreigners, but the group of Chinese listeners would interpret different information that I have shared as the main topic. This difference has caused heartache for me while living here.
3- People tend to be reluctant to describe the local culture. I am not exactly sure why. I have a few ideas on why this may be the case... Maybe the Chinese people figure that the concept should be plain and readily understood... Maybe, they understand the concept, but cannot express it in the oral language in a way that would allow me to access the information in a way that would allow me to put it to use. Maybe they want to keep the idea a secret, or want to keep me guessing.
4- People will lie to me about things that I would not tolerate back home. Initially, this angered me, but what I have come to understand is that, sometimes, it is more important to listen to how something is being said, rather than the specific information. I can sometimes ask a question, but I cannot always trust the answer that I get. I don't really understand why people will give answers when they really don't know.
5- They are sensitive in areas that we are not (and visa-versa).... They are not very sensitive to criticism directed to the individual (unless it may result them in losing face). This means that they are not bothered by it, and are perfectly willing to be critical about me in ways that I don't always enjoy... i.e., if I forget something, they remind me that I forgot it every time I see them for the next 6 months (problematic for me because I always forget things), or if I start to gain weight, they will point out that I am getting bigger and bigger. They are sensitive about things that represent people as a whole, so they react strongly to criticism directed to the country as a whole. If I start to talk about pollution, hygiene, or the government, people get very uncomfortable. They suspect that I may get uncomfortable about criticism about the war in Iraq, Barack Obama, or the fact that people in certain parts of the United States are permitted to own guns.
6- I get the impression that many Chinese people feel that they are superior to the rest of the world. It is just an impression, but people have said to me that they believe that I feel that life in the United States is superior to that in China (something I don't necessarily agree with on all fronts). In this case, perhaps there is simply a misunderstanding.
After reading all of this, one may feel that maybe I am not happy here. That is not entirely true. I just get frustrated sometimes. Living in China is difficult in some ways, but easy in others. As a foreigner, I, in some ways, have more freedom here in China than I do back home. It may sound strange, but I feel that it is true in many ways. Honestly speaking, I think the greatest problem is me, not the Chinese people. There are things that are good about living here, but I tend to focus on the things that suck. What I want to do now is give some examples of how people make life easier...
1. There is not much desire from the Chinese people to change me. They seem to tolerate me as I am. What I see today is that in my early years, it was me who was demanding change... I felt that the people here should change, and not me. Now, I didn't always say this out loud, but I did think it. Today, I do get frustrated, but I try not to complain (as much).
2. Services are handled in a different way. I cannot expect too much in hygiene, but as long as my attitude is good, I can expect much effort from an honest Chinese person. Not all people are honest or good, but the good ones will often meet me more than half way on an issue, but they will do so in a way that is different from what I may expect back home. I sometimes feel that people here will often compromise in ways that I normally would not back home (i.e., giving me apples when I asked for oranges... being a half- hour late when they said 10 minutes) and they are not particularly sensitive in this regard, but usually, whatever work is involved, it is usually done with greater attention to detail and effort, but in a different way. I just have to remember that they are not intentionally trying to dick me (yeah, there are dishonest people here... I have experience with this, but I am talking about the honest ones).
3. The food here is superb. It did take some time to get used to... It is not always healthy, clean or sanitary, but it does taste good. There is a much greater variety here, and I believe that people could come to China just for the food alone.
4. The language is so interesting, particularly the written language. I really enjoy how ideas can be presented in a way that is so different from the way it is done in English. There is not much demand for me to learn Chinese, and many people will feel ashamed if they are unable to communicate with me in English. As strange as it may sound... I believe that the people actually have a greater tolerance to differences in language, religion and social attitudes than what I find back home... Really... I mean it. The CPC on the other hand... Well, lets not get into that...
I guess the key here is that I need to adjust to how things are done here. I don't always like it, but I do live here, so I should make the best of it.
People, I hope you will excuse my spelling, grammatical, and structural errors found in this blog entry, and focus instead on the content. I also hope you would excuse some of the emotional appeal that you may find throughout this post, but if you've been here for a while, I think you may be able to relate to my frustration. Your kindness in this regard is appreciated. If there is anything unclear, don't hesitate to ask me.
The next thing I am going to write may seem very arrogant. Please excuse me, as I don't enjoy coming across in this way, and my intent is not to be disrespectful to the reader, but I feel it is true so I am going to write it. People in China think differently from the way that I have learned. It seems like a simple idea, and maybe you may be thinking that... Hey, George doesn't need to say this to me, I know this already... But, it runs much deeper than I originally suspected.... I mean that there are inherent differences in reasoning that sometimes make cooperation with the local people extremely difficult. I will give some examples later... But what I want to mention first, and I may have mentioned this before... is that these differences are not always simply resolved by a simple explanation of cultural differences, and that problem-solving techniques that I have learned throughout my life... i.e., conflict resolution, cooperative work, compromise, respect... are handled in a way that is completely different. This results in my problem-solving techniques actually making the problem much worse. Let me give some examples of what I am talking about.
1- Many people here are actors, not talkers. What I mean is that there seems to be less focus on the specifics of what is said, and more focus on what is done. This idea that I am sharing right now is very complex, but I guess that this results in people saying things to me that seem to not really fit a situation. When I say that they are actors, what I mean is that they indicate their relationship with you with their actions, not their words. Sometimes, speaking is an action, so it is sometimes more important to listen to how people say things than the content of the information.
2- The presentation of ideas is ordered in a way that is completely different from what I have become accustomed to back home. This means that I may position a main topic sentence when speaking Chinese with a meaning that I feel is very clear, and probably would be very clear to other foreigners, but the group of Chinese listeners would interpret different information that I have shared as the main topic. This difference has caused heartache for me while living here.
3- People tend to be reluctant to describe the local culture. I am not exactly sure why. I have a few ideas on why this may be the case... Maybe the Chinese people figure that the concept should be plain and readily understood... Maybe, they understand the concept, but cannot express it in the oral language in a way that would allow me to access the information in a way that would allow me to put it to use. Maybe they want to keep the idea a secret, or want to keep me guessing.
4- People will lie to me about things that I would not tolerate back home. Initially, this angered me, but what I have come to understand is that, sometimes, it is more important to listen to how something is being said, rather than the specific information. I can sometimes ask a question, but I cannot always trust the answer that I get. I don't really understand why people will give answers when they really don't know.
5- They are sensitive in areas that we are not (and visa-versa).... They are not very sensitive to criticism directed to the individual (unless it may result them in losing face). This means that they are not bothered by it, and are perfectly willing to be critical about me in ways that I don't always enjoy... i.e., if I forget something, they remind me that I forgot it every time I see them for the next 6 months (problematic for me because I always forget things), or if I start to gain weight, they will point out that I am getting bigger and bigger. They are sensitive about things that represent people as a whole, so they react strongly to criticism directed to the country as a whole. If I start to talk about pollution, hygiene, or the government, people get very uncomfortable. They suspect that I may get uncomfortable about criticism about the war in Iraq, Barack Obama, or the fact that people in certain parts of the United States are permitted to own guns.
6- I get the impression that many Chinese people feel that they are superior to the rest of the world. It is just an impression, but people have said to me that they believe that I feel that life in the United States is superior to that in China (something I don't necessarily agree with on all fronts). In this case, perhaps there is simply a misunderstanding.
After reading all of this, one may feel that maybe I am not happy here. That is not entirely true. I just get frustrated sometimes. Living in China is difficult in some ways, but easy in others. As a foreigner, I, in some ways, have more freedom here in China than I do back home. It may sound strange, but I feel that it is true in many ways. Honestly speaking, I think the greatest problem is me, not the Chinese people. There are things that are good about living here, but I tend to focus on the things that suck. What I want to do now is give some examples of how people make life easier...
1. There is not much desire from the Chinese people to change me. They seem to tolerate me as I am. What I see today is that in my early years, it was me who was demanding change... I felt that the people here should change, and not me. Now, I didn't always say this out loud, but I did think it. Today, I do get frustrated, but I try not to complain (as much).
2. Services are handled in a different way. I cannot expect too much in hygiene, but as long as my attitude is good, I can expect much effort from an honest Chinese person. Not all people are honest or good, but the good ones will often meet me more than half way on an issue, but they will do so in a way that is different from what I may expect back home. I sometimes feel that people here will often compromise in ways that I normally would not back home (i.e., giving me apples when I asked for oranges... being a half- hour late when they said 10 minutes) and they are not particularly sensitive in this regard, but usually, whatever work is involved, it is usually done with greater attention to detail and effort, but in a different way. I just have to remember that they are not intentionally trying to dick me (yeah, there are dishonest people here... I have experience with this, but I am talking about the honest ones).
3. The food here is superb. It did take some time to get used to... It is not always healthy, clean or sanitary, but it does taste good. There is a much greater variety here, and I believe that people could come to China just for the food alone.
4. The language is so interesting, particularly the written language. I really enjoy how ideas can be presented in a way that is so different from the way it is done in English. There is not much demand for me to learn Chinese, and many people will feel ashamed if they are unable to communicate with me in English. As strange as it may sound... I believe that the people actually have a greater tolerance to differences in language, religion and social attitudes than what I find back home... Really... I mean it. The CPC on the other hand... Well, lets not get into that...
I guess the key here is that I need to adjust to how things are done here. I don't always like it, but I do live here, so I should make the best of it.
People, I hope you will excuse my spelling, grammatical, and structural errors found in this blog entry, and focus instead on the content. I also hope you would excuse some of the emotional appeal that you may find throughout this post, but if you've been here for a while, I think you may be able to relate to my frustration. Your kindness in this regard is appreciated. If there is anything unclear, don't hesitate to ask me.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Adjustments
I can now profess that I have lived in China for over three years. At the risk of sounding cocky, I would say that I understand alot... That is that I understand how much I do not actually understand. This country is so complex, and I dare say that, maybe even more so than the United States. It is a land of contrast. I can see really beautiful and amazing things, but I also see things that make me doubt my faith in humanity. Sure, my Chinese has improved, but it just reveals to me many more level that exist that I do not understand about this society.
Overall, I would say that, besides the problems that I create myself, things are fairly easy. The hardest thing I think I deal with is the feeling I get from time to time that no one here really cares about anything except themselves, and there are no people here who care anything about me (unless I can teach them English, or somehow give them face with their friends). It is so hard to see how Chinese people can be to each other, and it is difficult to watch sometimes.
Cultural differences do not disappear overnight, and my impression is that adapting to change is not a strong suit of many Chinese people. This may be somewhat of a problem because Baoding has undergone many drastic changes over the three years I have been here. I am not sure what will come in the future for either myself, or for anything or anyone else for that matter. I just hope that the changes here, that seem to be happening on a daily basis can be met with grace and dignity.
I find myself from time-to-time having to make adjustments to my life as I continue to understand this culture. As I learn more about how this society works, I find that sometimes, I enter an uncomfortable space while I adjust and accept some fact that I cannot change. I have to deal with certain attitudes, that sometimes vary greatly from the way I think, and this is not always comfortable.
I guess I don't really have a happy message today, but I must say that, I am happy to be working again. I really do enjoy the work. I just hope that I am helpful to my students, and I am not wasting their time.
I guess that this post is not too helpful, I am not really describing anything specific. I am talking entirely in general and vague terms that don't really describe anything. I am sorry about this. I hope that I get around to maybe describing some of these things in the future. Tonight, I am not really in the mood to do so.
That is all for now.
Overall, I would say that, besides the problems that I create myself, things are fairly easy. The hardest thing I think I deal with is the feeling I get from time to time that no one here really cares about anything except themselves, and there are no people here who care anything about me (unless I can teach them English, or somehow give them face with their friends). It is so hard to see how Chinese people can be to each other, and it is difficult to watch sometimes.
Cultural differences do not disappear overnight, and my impression is that adapting to change is not a strong suit of many Chinese people. This may be somewhat of a problem because Baoding has undergone many drastic changes over the three years I have been here. I am not sure what will come in the future for either myself, or for anything or anyone else for that matter. I just hope that the changes here, that seem to be happening on a daily basis can be met with grace and dignity.
I find myself from time-to-time having to make adjustments to my life as I continue to understand this culture. As I learn more about how this society works, I find that sometimes, I enter an uncomfortable space while I adjust and accept some fact that I cannot change. I have to deal with certain attitudes, that sometimes vary greatly from the way I think, and this is not always comfortable.
I guess I don't really have a happy message today, but I must say that, I am happy to be working again. I really do enjoy the work. I just hope that I am helpful to my students, and I am not wasting their time.
I guess that this post is not too helpful, I am not really describing anything specific. I am talking entirely in general and vague terms that don't really describe anything. I am sorry about this. I hope that I get around to maybe describing some of these things in the future. Tonight, I am not really in the mood to do so.
That is all for now.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Summer 2012 recap
I would say that the past few months have been good overall, although I have dealt with annoying shit, plus inconsideration, intolerance, incompetence, and all-around sheer stupidity. If I disregard the problems, it has actually been a very interesting few months. I spent a lot of it traveling. As I mentioned in the previous blog, I left for Shanxi province for a week long bike trip. It was good overall I guess, but I took a much longer bike trip that started in July and ended in August. I will add more later, I hope.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Taiyuan and Pingyao Pre-trip Post
I plan to leave on Saturday for Taiyuan, which is the capitol of Shanxi province. Shanxi province is the one that immediately borders the west side of the one that I live in, Hebei province. I decided to bring my bike as well and I am thinking of riding my bike from Taiyuan to Pingyao, which is about 80 KM. I think it is quite doable. A couple of weeks ago, I rode roughly 60 KM in one day. The entire trip will last around 7 days, and im looking forward to it.
Today, I had my bike sent to Taiyuan, and the system that they use to do this type of thing was rather confusing. I hope that when I arrive in Taiyuan, I will have no problems picking up my bike.
Guess this is all I have to say right now.
Today, I had my bike sent to Taiyuan, and the system that they use to do this type of thing was rather confusing. I hope that when I arrive in Taiyuan, I will have no problems picking up my bike.
Guess this is all I have to say right now.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Post-romance Blog Update
My girlfriend broke up with me on Valentines Day. Oddly enough, I am not devastated. Yeah, it sucks. Being in that relationship was difficult. I wasn't quite ready to end the relationship. I would have continued to work at it, but she decided to end her commitment.
Shit.
It is what it is. The first couple of days were the hardest. I was physically sick the second day, but I don't know if it was directly related to the breakup, or if maybe I ate bad food. I also stopped drinking coffee. I seem back to my old self now.
After the breakup, I decided to take measures to fill a new void in my life. I decided to sign up for a gym, and my goal is to increase strength and feel better physically overall. The means I wish to use are; training three times per week, and eating healthier. I purchased fish oil tablets, a multivitamin, and whey protein to also help me achieve quicker results. I spent a considerable amount of money thinking that I was going to be paid on the 15th, but I haven't been paid yet. I am living on a shoestring budget.
Anyhow, the relationship was a good run, and I learned alot. I am resisting the temptation to roast her on this blog (ha ha ha), but the reality is that I had a big role in the failure as well. I have a much better understanding on how society works here now than I did before. Anyhow, thats all for now.
Shit.
It is what it is. The first couple of days were the hardest. I was physically sick the second day, but I don't know if it was directly related to the breakup, or if maybe I ate bad food. I also stopped drinking coffee. I seem back to my old self now.
After the breakup, I decided to take measures to fill a new void in my life. I decided to sign up for a gym, and my goal is to increase strength and feel better physically overall. The means I wish to use are; training three times per week, and eating healthier. I purchased fish oil tablets, a multivitamin, and whey protein to also help me achieve quicker results. I spent a considerable amount of money thinking that I was going to be paid on the 15th, but I haven't been paid yet. I am living on a shoestring budget.
Anyhow, the relationship was a good run, and I learned alot. I am resisting the temptation to roast her on this blog (ha ha ha), but the reality is that I had a big role in the failure as well. I have a much better understanding on how society works here now than I did before. Anyhow, thats all for now.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Start of My Third Year
I have been living in China for over two years now. With the exception of two weeks, I spent all that time here. Much of that time has been spent learning Chinese. Lately, I have been very busy. I teach 28 hours per week, and I spend lots of time studying Chinese. I also found a girlfriend, so I need to make time for her.
Being in a cross-cultural relationship is difficult. Even when the language is not an issue, there are things that happen that do not translate easily. Sometimes, I do things or say things that are misunderstood.
Sorry I am going to stop now, but I feel a little sick. I simply wanted to write something because I hadn't wrote a blog in quite a long time.
Being in a cross-cultural relationship is difficult. Even when the language is not an issue, there are things that happen that do not translate easily. Sometimes, I do things or say things that are misunderstood.
Sorry I am going to stop now, but I feel a little sick. I simply wanted to write something because I hadn't wrote a blog in quite a long time.
Friday, May 6, 2011
A Challenge
Living in China is like living anywhere else. There are good points, and there are points that can make living difficult.
Sometimes it is easier to focus on the frustrations and things that are difficult here, particularly after a non-preferred event occurs... But I will make my best attempt to focus on the aspects that are good and positive.
One of the things I like most about China is the challenge. There are many Challenges that I can embrace. The good part is that most of the challenges that I encounter are optional, so I can avoid them if they become too overwhelming. Obviously, I deal with a language barrier, but I also deal with cultural differences as well. Last month, I found a Buddhist place. I am not exactly too sure of what they do there, but I do know that it pertains to Buddhism. I know it isn't a temple, although the building that houses this place does contain some alters. There is a man who is approximately in his forties who runs the place. He provides some type of consultation. Perhaps spiritual consultation, but I am currently not too clear. He seems very friendly. He resembles what I would think of as a Buddhist monk, although people who are not monks may also wear the Buddhist monk garb. Im not sure. A friend told me that all Buddhist monks shave their heads. This man does not. His hair is short, but not shaved. I know that he does have a superior, but he is the highest person of that place that I have met in terms of authority. One of his assistants is quite a challenge because he asks difficult questions. Overcoming the language barrier, and addressing my ideas in Chinese are difficult.
I don't know if all Buddhist are alike, but these Buddhist seem to have a love for fire. During my last visit, the group lit two fires in front of the building. There seems little regard for what I would think of as fire safety. There are many things that I observe at this Buddhist location and others like it that puzzle me. For example, leaving food at the alters. That seems like such a waste.
The next think I want to share is, is a portion of a letter that I wrote to a friend describing what it feels like living in China;
" ... Welcome to the China ride! Don't try to change anyone or anything. Don't be a reformer. Don't try to fix things. Don't get involved in any arguments between Chinese people, no matter what. Don't expect Chinese people to be honest. Most things here are straight forward. Start at the beginning, do what your told, don't deviate, and get off when the ride is over. China can be a great source of entertainment if I can try to find the humorous side of things, but it can also be quite depressing. ... "
I am here by choice. I am a foreigner. This means that some things are forbidden to me, while other things are more accessible. I have seen so much that I am sure that I would never have encountered if I had never left the United States. So since I am here, I just try to gracefully accept my lot. However, my lot isn't really that bad!
If anyone is considering a move to China, I think that a few characteristics are probably essential ordered from least important to most.
- an open mind
- flexibility - i.e. last minute changes
- having the ability to just let things be without trying to change them
- patience, and slow to anger.
and finally... A sense of humor. There is plenty of humor to be found here.
p.s.
For those considering trips to China... If you plan on traveling within China, and intend on taking a train, I strongly suggest that you not book a hard seat train for trips that last more than 2-4 hours. I can handle them with too much complaint for about 4 hours, but after that... They suck. They are misery for long hauls, I.E. the 12 hour train ride from Beijing to Hohhot. Instead, what you should do is spend the extra money, and book a hard sleeper. Sleepers are bunks that I think are reasonably comfortable. Some people prefer the soft sleeper, but to me, the extra money vs the additional comfort provided are just not worth the value.
Book an overnight train that leaves at around 6pm. As soon as you get on the train, you can sit and look out the window for a few hours, or you can read a book or whatever. Later, you can eat whatever you brought with you, or buy the overpriced shit they sell on the train. Go to sleep, because they will turn the cabin lights off at around 10 -1030, and all the Chinese people go to sleep. Sleep through the night, and next morning you will have arrived at your destination! Plus, you just save money on lodging.
In a word, hard seats suck. I will ride them for short trips, but not for long trips.
Sometimes it is easier to focus on the frustrations and things that are difficult here, particularly after a non-preferred event occurs... But I will make my best attempt to focus on the aspects that are good and positive.
One of the things I like most about China is the challenge. There are many Challenges that I can embrace. The good part is that most of the challenges that I encounter are optional, so I can avoid them if they become too overwhelming. Obviously, I deal with a language barrier, but I also deal with cultural differences as well. Last month, I found a Buddhist place. I am not exactly too sure of what they do there, but I do know that it pertains to Buddhism. I know it isn't a temple, although the building that houses this place does contain some alters. There is a man who is approximately in his forties who runs the place. He provides some type of consultation. Perhaps spiritual consultation, but I am currently not too clear. He seems very friendly. He resembles what I would think of as a Buddhist monk, although people who are not monks may also wear the Buddhist monk garb. Im not sure. A friend told me that all Buddhist monks shave their heads. This man does not. His hair is short, but not shaved. I know that he does have a superior, but he is the highest person of that place that I have met in terms of authority. One of his assistants is quite a challenge because he asks difficult questions. Overcoming the language barrier, and addressing my ideas in Chinese are difficult.
I don't know if all Buddhist are alike, but these Buddhist seem to have a love for fire. During my last visit, the group lit two fires in front of the building. There seems little regard for what I would think of as fire safety. There are many things that I observe at this Buddhist location and others like it that puzzle me. For example, leaving food at the alters. That seems like such a waste.
The next think I want to share is, is a portion of a letter that I wrote to a friend describing what it feels like living in China;
" ... Welcome to the China ride! Don't try to change anyone or anything. Don't be a reformer. Don't try to fix things. Don't get involved in any arguments between Chinese people, no matter what. Don't expect Chinese people to be honest. Most things here are straight forward. Start at the beginning, do what your told, don't deviate, and get off when the ride is over. China can be a great source of entertainment if I can try to find the humorous side of things, but it can also be quite depressing. ... "
I am here by choice. I am a foreigner. This means that some things are forbidden to me, while other things are more accessible. I have seen so much that I am sure that I would never have encountered if I had never left the United States. So since I am here, I just try to gracefully accept my lot. However, my lot isn't really that bad!
If anyone is considering a move to China, I think that a few characteristics are probably essential ordered from least important to most.
- an open mind
- flexibility - i.e. last minute changes
- having the ability to just let things be without trying to change them
- patience, and slow to anger.
and finally... A sense of humor. There is plenty of humor to be found here.
p.s.
For those considering trips to China... If you plan on traveling within China, and intend on taking a train, I strongly suggest that you not book a hard seat train for trips that last more than 2-4 hours. I can handle them with too much complaint for about 4 hours, but after that... They suck. They are misery for long hauls, I.E. the 12 hour train ride from Beijing to Hohhot. Instead, what you should do is spend the extra money, and book a hard sleeper. Sleepers are bunks that I think are reasonably comfortable. Some people prefer the soft sleeper, but to me, the extra money vs the additional comfort provided are just not worth the value.
Book an overnight train that leaves at around 6pm. As soon as you get on the train, you can sit and look out the window for a few hours, or you can read a book or whatever. Later, you can eat whatever you brought with you, or buy the overpriced shit they sell on the train. Go to sleep, because they will turn the cabin lights off at around 10 -1030, and all the Chinese people go to sleep. Sleep through the night, and next morning you will have arrived at your destination! Plus, you just save money on lodging.
In a word, hard seats suck. I will ride them for short trips, but not for long trips.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
I recently went on a solo trip around China. It was pretty cool overall. Although I did struggle with loneliness, I did appreciate the fact that I was able to see some really interesting things. I realized that things in different parts of China are not necessarily the same as they are up here in the north. I remember that when I was young, I believed that all Chinese people wore cone-shaped hats (for clarification, please read comments below). After arriving in China, I didn't see anyone wearing these hats. I concluded that I was wrong. When I went south, I saw some people wearing the cone-shaped hats and realized that some of the things I believed about China were based in some truth, but the ideas were not necessarily reflecting all of China.
Well, I am back in Baoding, and since seeing other parts of the country, it has helped me see Baoding differently as well. When I visit other Chinese cities, I analyze these places from the perspective of someone who does not intend to stay long. This is not the case with Baoding. I arrived here analyzing this city as a place I intended to stay for a while. I arrived for the first time to most of the other cities at the bus or train station. As soon as I step out of the train station, I get my first (and sometimes lasting) impression of that city. This is not so with Baoding. I was driven right to my door of my apartment.
None of these observations are very important, I just want to make the point that the traveling and sightseeing I have done has caused me to change the way that I see my home city of Baoding. I would imagine that when I return to the United States, I will also see that different as well.
-------------------------
The cone-shaped hats I was talking about are called Conical Asian hats. They have other names as well, but I want to be somewhat specific as to what I was talking about. If you want to know more about these, there are many references available online.
Well, I am back in Baoding, and since seeing other parts of the country, it has helped me see Baoding differently as well. When I visit other Chinese cities, I analyze these places from the perspective of someone who does not intend to stay long. This is not the case with Baoding. I arrived here analyzing this city as a place I intended to stay for a while. I arrived for the first time to most of the other cities at the bus or train station. As soon as I step out of the train station, I get my first (and sometimes lasting) impression of that city. This is not so with Baoding. I was driven right to my door of my apartment.
None of these observations are very important, I just want to make the point that the traveling and sightseeing I have done has caused me to change the way that I see my home city of Baoding. I would imagine that when I return to the United States, I will also see that different as well.
-------------------------
The cone-shaped hats I was talking about are called Conical Asian hats. They have other names as well, but I want to be somewhat specific as to what I was talking about. If you want to know more about these, there are many references available online.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Shopping day in Baoding.
Yesterday, I went downtown. It was crazier than normal, many stores were having sales. October 1st of every year is National Day. National Day is similar to the fourth of July in the United States. Most people do not work on this day, so many of them go shopping. In China, the sheer number of people can be overwhelming at times. I don't remember experiencing anything quite like this in the states.
People were everywhere. The sidewalks and streets were crowded. The edge of the sidewalk near the street is lined with vendors. These vendors sell everything from food, clothing, electronics, novelty items, and small household appliances. I saw one vendor selling plasma television sets. On the sidewalk, the traffic is going both ways. If a person sees something that a vendor is selling, they simply stop walking and look at the item. This means that the people behind them have to stop as well because the oncoming flow of people prevent easy passage. On the wider portions of the sidewalks, stores will set up stages and put on shows that promote the products they are selling. As a person walks down the street, they hear lots of noise. All of these street performances, and other stores playing music are quite noisy. Costumers, vendors, store owners, beggars, policemen and other people are trying to handle their affairs. Sometimes people will drive their motorscooters down the crowded sidewalks, not really thinking of anyone but themselves.
It isn't that bad, it is something that I am getting used to. It really is safe, so long as I watch for traffic.
Yesterday I bought two pairs of shoes. In a previous post, I commented that purchasing shoes is difficult for me. My shoe size is on the upper limit of what I can find at many shoe stores in China. I can sometimes find the length, but the shoes are almost always narrow. Yesterday, I think I lucked out, I found two pairs of shoes that seem comfortable. I hope I still think so after I start wearing them all the time.
Today, I also went downtown and I purchased a jacket. It is a nice jacket, and I can tell it was well made. If I am willing to spend a bit of money, I can find some good quality clothing. I suppose that this is true everywhere. I was looking at a fleece shirt today. The quality was really good, and it was fashionable. The store wanted the equivalent of about $50 for it, which is about what a person would expect to pay in the states. Because of the quality, maybe someone would have to pay more than $50.
My point is that shopping in China is not that easy, but there can be good deals to be found. When I was still living in the US, I figured that merchandise would be dirt cheap. After arriving in China, I found that I can purchase really poor quality merchandise dirt cheap, but if the goods resemble items that might sell well in western countries, the price is almost the same that one would expect to pay in their respective country. This is true for food as well. For example, McDonalds charges about the same price as one would expect to pay in the US. A Big Mac combo meal might run you 35 - 45 元. To find good western style food, I have to go to Beijing. There, I can expect to pay quite a bit of money. A person can find good deals in China for clothes. Here are some suggestions for people who intend to go shopping when in China;
- when you visit, do not bring a lot of clothing. I would suggest that you do not ship clothing back to the US. Only buy what you can carry back with you.
- Larger sizes are frequently difficult to come by. If you are a larger sized person, maybe you want to make sure that you bring enough clothing in case you cannot find your size in China.
- I don't really know much about buying women's clothing, but women's clothes seem really good. Men's clothing can be bothersome. I sometimes think that the men's clothing is feminine. I don't care for wearing pink or purple tee-shirts.
- If you look like a foreigner, and you cannot speak Chinese, expect to not pay the Chinese price for anything if you are in a large tourist city like Beijing or Shanghai. You will likely overpay. If you can speak Chinese, you will probably also overpay. Your best bet is to go to a city that does not see many tourists. In that way, you can have more confidence that you will not be completely fleeced.
I don't know too much about this topic, perhaps other people can be more helpful than me. I would urge you to seek their advice.
People were everywhere. The sidewalks and streets were crowded. The edge of the sidewalk near the street is lined with vendors. These vendors sell everything from food, clothing, electronics, novelty items, and small household appliances. I saw one vendor selling plasma television sets. On the sidewalk, the traffic is going both ways. If a person sees something that a vendor is selling, they simply stop walking and look at the item. This means that the people behind them have to stop as well because the oncoming flow of people prevent easy passage. On the wider portions of the sidewalks, stores will set up stages and put on shows that promote the products they are selling. As a person walks down the street, they hear lots of noise. All of these street performances, and other stores playing music are quite noisy. Costumers, vendors, store owners, beggars, policemen and other people are trying to handle their affairs. Sometimes people will drive their motorscooters down the crowded sidewalks, not really thinking of anyone but themselves.
It isn't that bad, it is something that I am getting used to. It really is safe, so long as I watch for traffic.
Yesterday I bought two pairs of shoes. In a previous post, I commented that purchasing shoes is difficult for me. My shoe size is on the upper limit of what I can find at many shoe stores in China. I can sometimes find the length, but the shoes are almost always narrow. Yesterday, I think I lucked out, I found two pairs of shoes that seem comfortable. I hope I still think so after I start wearing them all the time.
Today, I also went downtown and I purchased a jacket. It is a nice jacket, and I can tell it was well made. If I am willing to spend a bit of money, I can find some good quality clothing. I suppose that this is true everywhere. I was looking at a fleece shirt today. The quality was really good, and it was fashionable. The store wanted the equivalent of about $50 for it, which is about what a person would expect to pay in the states. Because of the quality, maybe someone would have to pay more than $50.
My point is that shopping in China is not that easy, but there can be good deals to be found. When I was still living in the US, I figured that merchandise would be dirt cheap. After arriving in China, I found that I can purchase really poor quality merchandise dirt cheap, but if the goods resemble items that might sell well in western countries, the price is almost the same that one would expect to pay in their respective country. This is true for food as well. For example, McDonalds charges about the same price as one would expect to pay in the US. A Big Mac combo meal might run you 35 - 45 元. To find good western style food, I have to go to Beijing. There, I can expect to pay quite a bit of money. A person can find good deals in China for clothes. Here are some suggestions for people who intend to go shopping when in China;
- when you visit, do not bring a lot of clothing. I would suggest that you do not ship clothing back to the US. Only buy what you can carry back with you.
- Larger sizes are frequently difficult to come by. If you are a larger sized person, maybe you want to make sure that you bring enough clothing in case you cannot find your size in China.
- I don't really know much about buying women's clothing, but women's clothes seem really good. Men's clothing can be bothersome. I sometimes think that the men's clothing is feminine. I don't care for wearing pink or purple tee-shirts.
- If you look like a foreigner, and you cannot speak Chinese, expect to not pay the Chinese price for anything if you are in a large tourist city like Beijing or Shanghai. You will likely overpay. If you can speak Chinese, you will probably also overpay. Your best bet is to go to a city that does not see many tourists. In that way, you can have more confidence that you will not be completely fleeced.
I don't know too much about this topic, perhaps other people can be more helpful than me. I would urge you to seek their advice.
Friday, September 24, 2010
China, one year later...
Exactly one year ago today, I arrived in China. What is the difference between then and now?
last year; I loved the attention that I got from strangers in the street.
this year; I can't stand the attention I get from strangers in the street.
There are not many foreigners in Baoding, so sometimes people are curious. They generally ask questions, but the always ask the same questions. I get tired of answering 'which country are you from?', 'how old are you?', and 'how much money do you earn in a month?'. Generally, I ignore people in the street if I am able to.
last year; I couldn't stand the food
this year; my taste for food has changed a bit.
When I was still living in America, I was very picky about what I would eat. Shortly after arriving in China, I lost a lot of weight because I was unable to find suitable food to eat. Over time, I have found that my taste for food has changed. Today, I can handle some spice, and I eat soup now. Some of the flavors and textures that I disliked when I first arrived are okay now.
last year; I could not wander too far because I was afraid I would be unable to find my way back home if I did.
this year; I can go anywhere in China and make my way back home.
My language skills have improved. Because of this, I can read more signs, and talk to people. This has given me independence to do as I want while in China.
last year; I would see some new and interesting things in the street everyday.
this year; I see some new and interesting things in the street about once a week.
There are many things that are found in China that are not found in the United States. Sometimes, these are quite fascinating.
last year; I had no clue about how to teach Chinese students.
this year; I know what to expect, and have prepared for when these situation arise. I know the common mistakes that Chinese students of English make, and because I understand some Chinese, I know why they make these mistakes. Because of this, I can be more helpful.
---
Some differences between my life in China and my life in the United States
United States 美国 -I owned a truck, and I could freely travel as I wanted.
China 中国- I have to rely on public transportation, taxis, or walk. I have to ride on crowded public buses to get to where I want to go.
美国- People in the street, for the most part, are considerate.
中国- People in the street rarely think of other people. The traffic is insane. I will never drive here if I can avoid it. I feel it is very dangerous. When crossing the street, I need 360 degree vision. Cars, and bikes sometimes seemingly come out of nowhere, and they will not stop.
美国- I earn a lot more money, but costs are higher, and I have to pay higher taxes.
中国- As a foreigner, I will always have money in China. Chinese people don't have it so easy. I do pay some taxes, but it isn't much. The pay is poor, but in consideration to the cost of goods here, I am very wealthy.
美国- I could sometimes walk down the street and see no people or cars.
中国- The streets always have many people. The street near my apartment is near a University gate, so there are usually lots of people in the street. Many streets will have vendors selling all sorts of things, such as food, clothing, and small gift items. At the end of the day, the streets are filthy, with garbage everywhere.
美国- government buildings are well-maintained, and kept clean.
中国- Chinese people do not seem to appreciate the value of maintaining property. Buildings and parks are rarely tended to. The building I teach at needs repairs. Classrooms are messy, and the walls need fresh painting.
美国- building are required to meet certain safety codes.
中国- no one seems to care. Buildings are constructed in a seemingly random way. Besides some of the hotels I have stayed in, I don't think I have seen any smoke detectors. Most buildings don't have emergency exits. In fact, I know one classroom building at my university where they lock the doors from the outside. This in of itself may not be a problem, but the keep the locks on even when the building is open for business. Should an emergency occur, there would be only one way for people to exit the building. This is not the best idea, especially since this building is about 15 floors high.
美国- Cellphones are expensive. You get a bill at the end of each billing period. Usually, you are expected to sign a contract.
中国- Cellphones are fairly cheap. I bought mine for 200 yuan (about $30). It is my phone, and I can use it with any cellphone company I want to do business with. The service is 'pay as you go'. No contracts or anything. Simply add money to your account when you are about to run out. If you run out, you simply can't use your phone. If this happens, you can simply go to a convenience store and buy a phone card or you can go to your cellphone service providers store and add money there. No late fees, no reactivation fees, none of that nonsense. Oh, and it is very cheap. I think I have paid 500 yuan so far, and right now I have about 130 yuan still left on my phone.
美国- I normally worked 40 hours per week, if I was not in college.
中国- Last summer, I did not work at all. I spent most of my time traveling and studying Chinese. I still got paid by my university. Not a bad deal, I get paid while I explore a foreign country. In the next few months, November will be my busiest month. I will be working about 28 hours per week. September was very light, I didn't start working until the 19th. We get a week off on October. For December and early January ( or thereabouts) I will be working about 14 hours per week. Oh, and if I work more than 16 hours per week, it is considered to be overtime, and I get overtime pay. This is not true for all Chinese people, many of them work considerably more than I did when I was in America. I have one Chinese friend who has worked every single day since Spring Festival (during February), and she doesn't complain about it.
美国- If you look at me the wrong way, I will sue you.
中国- People just let things slide. I got hit by a bike a few months ago, and the guy who hit me simply shrugged and rode off.
-------
Some misconceptions about China -
- People do not eat catmeat, and very few people eat dogmeat.
- I can find almost all fruits that are found in the United states here in China, but there are some Chinese fruits that I have never seen in America.
- Not all Chinese people are short. In fact, many of them are quite big.
-------
Some observations about China-
- It is very noisy in the street.
- It is also very dirty, apartments are harder to maintain here in China than the ones in the states.
- Yes, there are lots of people everywhere.
- Certain things are difficult to find in China. Cheese is sometimes hard to find, and it is expensive. It is hard to find deodorant, good stationary products, and comfortable shoes. Shoe sizes are small here in China, which seems strange because I do see people with big feet.
This is all I feel like writing right now. Maybe I will write more later.
last year; I loved the attention that I got from strangers in the street.
this year; I can't stand the attention I get from strangers in the street.
There are not many foreigners in Baoding, so sometimes people are curious. They generally ask questions, but the always ask the same questions. I get tired of answering 'which country are you from?', 'how old are you?', and 'how much money do you earn in a month?'. Generally, I ignore people in the street if I am able to.
last year; I couldn't stand the food
this year; my taste for food has changed a bit.
When I was still living in America, I was very picky about what I would eat. Shortly after arriving in China, I lost a lot of weight because I was unable to find suitable food to eat. Over time, I have found that my taste for food has changed. Today, I can handle some spice, and I eat soup now. Some of the flavors and textures that I disliked when I first arrived are okay now.
last year; I could not wander too far because I was afraid I would be unable to find my way back home if I did.
this year; I can go anywhere in China and make my way back home.
My language skills have improved. Because of this, I can read more signs, and talk to people. This has given me independence to do as I want while in China.
last year; I would see some new and interesting things in the street everyday.
this year; I see some new and interesting things in the street about once a week.
There are many things that are found in China that are not found in the United States. Sometimes, these are quite fascinating.
last year; I had no clue about how to teach Chinese students.
this year; I know what to expect, and have prepared for when these situation arise. I know the common mistakes that Chinese students of English make, and because I understand some Chinese, I know why they make these mistakes. Because of this, I can be more helpful.
---
Some differences between my life in China and my life in the United States
United States 美国 -I owned a truck, and I could freely travel as I wanted.
China 中国- I have to rely on public transportation, taxis, or walk. I have to ride on crowded public buses to get to where I want to go.
美国- People in the street, for the most part, are considerate.
中国- People in the street rarely think of other people. The traffic is insane. I will never drive here if I can avoid it. I feel it is very dangerous. When crossing the street, I need 360 degree vision. Cars, and bikes sometimes seemingly come out of nowhere, and they will not stop.
美国- I earn a lot more money, but costs are higher, and I have to pay higher taxes.
中国- As a foreigner, I will always have money in China. Chinese people don't have it so easy. I do pay some taxes, but it isn't much. The pay is poor, but in consideration to the cost of goods here, I am very wealthy.
美国- I could sometimes walk down the street and see no people or cars.
中国- The streets always have many people. The street near my apartment is near a University gate, so there are usually lots of people in the street. Many streets will have vendors selling all sorts of things, such as food, clothing, and small gift items. At the end of the day, the streets are filthy, with garbage everywhere.
美国- government buildings are well-maintained, and kept clean.
中国- Chinese people do not seem to appreciate the value of maintaining property. Buildings and parks are rarely tended to. The building I teach at needs repairs. Classrooms are messy, and the walls need fresh painting.
美国- building are required to meet certain safety codes.
中国- no one seems to care. Buildings are constructed in a seemingly random way. Besides some of the hotels I have stayed in, I don't think I have seen any smoke detectors. Most buildings don't have emergency exits. In fact, I know one classroom building at my university where they lock the doors from the outside. This in of itself may not be a problem, but the keep the locks on even when the building is open for business. Should an emergency occur, there would be only one way for people to exit the building. This is not the best idea, especially since this building is about 15 floors high.
美国- Cellphones are expensive. You get a bill at the end of each billing period. Usually, you are expected to sign a contract.
中国- Cellphones are fairly cheap. I bought mine for 200 yuan (about $30). It is my phone, and I can use it with any cellphone company I want to do business with. The service is 'pay as you go'. No contracts or anything. Simply add money to your account when you are about to run out. If you run out, you simply can't use your phone. If this happens, you can simply go to a convenience store and buy a phone card or you can go to your cellphone service providers store and add money there. No late fees, no reactivation fees, none of that nonsense. Oh, and it is very cheap. I think I have paid 500 yuan so far, and right now I have about 130 yuan still left on my phone.
美国- I normally worked 40 hours per week, if I was not in college.
中国- Last summer, I did not work at all. I spent most of my time traveling and studying Chinese. I still got paid by my university. Not a bad deal, I get paid while I explore a foreign country. In the next few months, November will be my busiest month. I will be working about 28 hours per week. September was very light, I didn't start working until the 19th. We get a week off on October. For December and early January ( or thereabouts) I will be working about 14 hours per week. Oh, and if I work more than 16 hours per week, it is considered to be overtime, and I get overtime pay. This is not true for all Chinese people, many of them work considerably more than I did when I was in America. I have one Chinese friend who has worked every single day since Spring Festival (during February), and she doesn't complain about it.
美国- If you look at me the wrong way, I will sue you.
中国- People just let things slide. I got hit by a bike a few months ago, and the guy who hit me simply shrugged and rode off.
-------
Some misconceptions about China -
- People do not eat catmeat, and very few people eat dogmeat.
- I can find almost all fruits that are found in the United states here in China, but there are some Chinese fruits that I have never seen in America.
- Not all Chinese people are short. In fact, many of them are quite big.
-------
Some observations about China-
- It is very noisy in the street.
- It is also very dirty, apartments are harder to maintain here in China than the ones in the states.
- Yes, there are lots of people everywhere.
- Certain things are difficult to find in China. Cheese is sometimes hard to find, and it is expensive. It is hard to find deodorant, good stationary products, and comfortable shoes. Shoe sizes are small here in China, which seems strange because I do see people with big feet.
This is all I feel like writing right now. Maybe I will write more later.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A very long summer
I have decided to stay in China for a 2nd year, so this means that I was permitted to keep my apartment through the summer. For the first part of the summer, I spent lots of time studying Chinese, and traveling locally. The second part of summer was spent traveling around the northeastern part of China. In one months time, I visited several cities in five provinces. I have seen many interesting things. I visited the city of Dandong 丹东 which is in Liaoning 辽宁 Province. It was right after they experienced a really bad flood. Because of the flood, there were limitations as to what I could do. I stood on a boardwalk and looked across the yalu river 鸭绿江, which was far narrower than I expected. I was able to see North Korea, the land that is so forbidden for Americans. I then visited the Friendship Bridge, walked to the end of it, and looking through binoculars, I was able to see North Korean people doing day to day tasks. I was hoping to take a boat ride to the banks of the North Korean side, but I was unable to on account of the recent flooding.
Many of the places I visited this summer were interesting, perhaps I may make additional comments about my trip in future entries, but for now, I want to stop. On the 25th, I will have lived in China for one year. I want to make a detailed entry describing my impressions after a years time.
Many of the places I visited this summer were interesting, perhaps I may make additional comments about my trip in future entries, but for now, I want to stop. On the 25th, I will have lived in China for one year. I want to make a detailed entry describing my impressions after a years time.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Life in China
What can I say about living in China after almost 9 months? I am not sure. It is so very different, and I quickly found that people simply do not think in the same way as I do. I remember thinking when I was still in America, that if ever a misunderstanding should occur, then I could simply explain it away. What I have found is that it is not always that simple. Sometimes, people believe things, and they will not easily be swayed by an explanation. All people believe certain things about life and human nature, and Chinese people are no different. I am quite sure that my behavior in China is quite puzzling to Chinese people, as their behavior sometimes is for me.
Sorry, the above paragraph may seem a bit like rambling, but it is just something that weighs heavy on my heart, and causes much of the hardships that I face in China.
In many ways, I have a very easy life in China. What makes things difficult is getting involved with the community. This is difficult for me to do sometimes. My Chinese is improving, but the accent that I am learning is best understood by people living in large cities such as Beijing or Shanghai. I have great difficulty understanding the local people. I am conflicted with the understanding that, many times, I am the only foreigner that they see on a daily basis. In some cases, I am the only foreigner they have ever met. Because of this, what I say and do will have a lasting impact upon how they may see foreigners in the future. I understand this responsibility, and try to act generously and kindly. At times, this is difficult because the behavior of the Chinese people can be difficult to tolerate. It is not so much that the behavior is bad, but it is just that it is very repetitive. They ask the same questions, and say the same things. After 80 times of hearing the same thing over and over, it is difficult for me to appear genuinely interested in what they have to say.
The English language has a huge influence on the culture in China. It is interesting to observe how Chinese people have attempted to adapt English into traditional Chinese culture. Often, the result is strange. Sometimes, it is quite funny. There are the signs written in Chinese, with the English translations underneath. The problem is that the translations are not very precise, and in some cases, I cannot understand what is being said. For example 'Keep near, settling the civilization' is intended to mean to keep near the urinal when using them in the restroom. Sometimes, Chinese building will have Chinese writing and also pinyin. Pinyin is the Chinese sounds spelled out using Roman letters. The result is often a really long word that looks, perhaps, something like this; 'baodaoshifeihongdengzailuobingguan' no spaces or capital letters. When I first saw this, it looked quite strange to me.
There is so much to say, but I am too tired. I will write another blog someday. I am not going to make promises or anything. I now know I should not do that. If I do, I may end up not keeping my word. Anyhow, good night.
Sorry, the above paragraph may seem a bit like rambling, but it is just something that weighs heavy on my heart, and causes much of the hardships that I face in China.
In many ways, I have a very easy life in China. What makes things difficult is getting involved with the community. This is difficult for me to do sometimes. My Chinese is improving, but the accent that I am learning is best understood by people living in large cities such as Beijing or Shanghai. I have great difficulty understanding the local people. I am conflicted with the understanding that, many times, I am the only foreigner that they see on a daily basis. In some cases, I am the only foreigner they have ever met. Because of this, what I say and do will have a lasting impact upon how they may see foreigners in the future. I understand this responsibility, and try to act generously and kindly. At times, this is difficult because the behavior of the Chinese people can be difficult to tolerate. It is not so much that the behavior is bad, but it is just that it is very repetitive. They ask the same questions, and say the same things. After 80 times of hearing the same thing over and over, it is difficult for me to appear genuinely interested in what they have to say.
The English language has a huge influence on the culture in China. It is interesting to observe how Chinese people have attempted to adapt English into traditional Chinese culture. Often, the result is strange. Sometimes, it is quite funny. There are the signs written in Chinese, with the English translations underneath. The problem is that the translations are not very precise, and in some cases, I cannot understand what is being said. For example 'Keep near, settling the civilization' is intended to mean to keep near the urinal when using them in the restroom. Sometimes, Chinese building will have Chinese writing and also pinyin. Pinyin is the Chinese sounds spelled out using Roman letters. The result is often a really long word that looks, perhaps, something like this; 'baodaoshifeihongdengzailuobingguan' no spaces or capital letters. When I first saw this, it looked quite strange to me.
There is so much to say, but I am too tired. I will write another blog someday. I am not going to make promises or anything. I now know I should not do that. If I do, I may end up not keeping my word. Anyhow, good night.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
The life of a Chinese learner living in China...
I think that I can understand how hard it is for a foreigner to learn a new language. I have been living in China for 8 months now, and in addition to that, I had studied Chinese for around 10 months while living in the states. I have some experience with this. I must say, it can be difficult at times. Learning Chinese for an English speaker is probably easier than it would be for a Chinese person to learn English in the United States, because many people can speak at least some English. When these Chinese people see a foreigner, they are often friendly and eager to use the little bit of English that they know. This means that they may be willing to be helpful, and patient when I try to speak Chinese. However, there are not many Chinese speakers in the United States, so this is not very likely.
Anyhow, my life in China is filled with constant frustration, confusion, and irritation. Doing any task in the street is always difficult, because my Chinese is not good. I study Chinese for several hours on most days, but I still know very little after all this time. Everyday, the fact that my language skills are poor is immediately apparent. As I learn more Chinese, I find that, in some ways, it actually gets harder to function. When I knew very little, people were more patient with me. Now, people expect me to be able to speak better than I actually can, so they just get frustrated with me. Sometimes, Chinese people, meaning to be helpful, will sometimes throw English words in their Chinese sentence. This causes problems for two reasons; first, their pronunciation is often very poor, so I don't realize that they are trying to speak an English word until later. And second, they will say the English for words that I already understand the Chinese for anyway. In this way, this is no help and serves only to frustrate matters worse.
I recently hired a Chinese person to help me work on my oral Chinese. I am one of the very few Chinese learners whose reading and writing is better than my speaking. For most people, their speaking and listening is good, but they cannot read or write. After my first lesson, I got discouraged because she spent lots of time talking in English. I might have to find a new tutor.
I get so frustrated sometimes. Some days, I might spend a three hour session studying Chinese, then go to the street to do something, and fumble, stumble, and crawl my way through the most basic Chinese interaction. As I said earlier, I am constantly reminded of my poor speaking ability. My reaction sometimes is to simply say 'screw it, this is too hard. Perhaps I will just play video games during my spare time' but I know that if I practice, I will improve. I know this because I am improving. It is very slow, but I am getting better each day. I just have to maintain the regimen of studying that I have been doing since around January or thereabouts.
I know this is not well written, but it is a first draft, and I don't really care to revise and edit. This is what you get. Sorry.
Anyhow, my life in China is filled with constant frustration, confusion, and irritation. Doing any task in the street is always difficult, because my Chinese is not good. I study Chinese for several hours on most days, but I still know very little after all this time. Everyday, the fact that my language skills are poor is immediately apparent. As I learn more Chinese, I find that, in some ways, it actually gets harder to function. When I knew very little, people were more patient with me. Now, people expect me to be able to speak better than I actually can, so they just get frustrated with me. Sometimes, Chinese people, meaning to be helpful, will sometimes throw English words in their Chinese sentence. This causes problems for two reasons; first, their pronunciation is often very poor, so I don't realize that they are trying to speak an English word until later. And second, they will say the English for words that I already understand the Chinese for anyway. In this way, this is no help and serves only to frustrate matters worse.
I recently hired a Chinese person to help me work on my oral Chinese. I am one of the very few Chinese learners whose reading and writing is better than my speaking. For most people, their speaking and listening is good, but they cannot read or write. After my first lesson, I got discouraged because she spent lots of time talking in English. I might have to find a new tutor.
I get so frustrated sometimes. Some days, I might spend a three hour session studying Chinese, then go to the street to do something, and fumble, stumble, and crawl my way through the most basic Chinese interaction. As I said earlier, I am constantly reminded of my poor speaking ability. My reaction sometimes is to simply say 'screw it, this is too hard. Perhaps I will just play video games during my spare time' but I know that if I practice, I will improve. I know this because I am improving. It is very slow, but I am getting better each day. I just have to maintain the regimen of studying that I have been doing since around January or thereabouts.
I know this is not well written, but it is a first draft, and I don't really care to revise and edit. This is what you get. Sorry.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tips for visiting China
1. Watch out for cars and bikes, they won't stop for you. Seriously, they won't stop.
2. Always carry napkins. Seriously, you may wish you had if you don't.
3. If you see people arguing or fighting in the street, don't get involved. Seriously, this can get you killed. No matter what, don't get involved. Chinese people will not understand that you are trying to be a gentleman.
4. If you are at a restaurant, and your food falls on the table, don't eat it. No surfaces in China are truly clean. Tables are wiped clean with a dirty rag.
That is really it as far as the important stuff. The rest of the stuff is minor. As you stay in China, you begin to learn things to watch for. However, the things that I find irritating now, were not things that were irritating when I first arrived. If I had avoided those early experiences, I would have shortchanged myself in my China experience. If I think of anything else, I will add it later.
For large cities like Beijing, let me add two more;
5. Watch your belongings.
6. Don't trust anyone.
--------
Here is another tip;
7. Some Chinese people know more English than you think, please be careful of what you say. Seriously, some Chinese people spend years studying English, and they are very good.
2. Always carry napkins. Seriously, you may wish you had if you don't.
3. If you see people arguing or fighting in the street, don't get involved. Seriously, this can get you killed. No matter what, don't get involved. Chinese people will not understand that you are trying to be a gentleman.
4. If you are at a restaurant, and your food falls on the table, don't eat it. No surfaces in China are truly clean. Tables are wiped clean with a dirty rag.
That is really it as far as the important stuff. The rest of the stuff is minor. As you stay in China, you begin to learn things to watch for. However, the things that I find irritating now, were not things that were irritating when I first arrived. If I had avoided those early experiences, I would have shortchanged myself in my China experience. If I think of anything else, I will add it later.
For large cities like Beijing, let me add two more;
5. Watch your belongings.
6. Don't trust anyone.
--------
Here is another tip;
7. Some Chinese people know more English than you think, please be careful of what you say. Seriously, some Chinese people spend years studying English, and they are very good.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
George has been lame...
I apologize that I have not written a blog in a while. So much has happened in my two months in China, and I really don't know where to begin. All I want to say today is that I have learned much. I feel that in many ways, I have changed. I hope to start updating this blog regularly in the near future.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
trip to china and first impressions
September 29, 2009,
I have been in country for four days now. I no longer think of the types of things I did before I arrived and during my trip. During that period of time, my thoughts were focused on the fact that I was really going to China, and that it was about as real as it was going to get. One of the first surprises I encountered was the fact that we flew northeast to get to China. This means that we went over the North Pole. My first night was a blur. I know that some of the other teachers brought me to a restaurant, and treated me to Tomato fried egg, but I cannot tell you how to get to that restaurant if you paid me. People have been most friendly, for the most part.
Before I left, I was told to expect the unexpected when I arrived to China. It has been the case that I have seen many things that I found worthwhile to note. The three observations I would like to focus on in today’s blog are Chinese nationalism, American influence, and the mannerisms of the Chinese people.
I have found that Chinese people are very nationalistic. This is evidenced by the fact that there are Chinese flags everywhere. I do not feel this is too different than what is found in the US. I think it is similar. I met two young men selling Chinese flags in downtown Baoding, and they seemed thrilled to interact with me. One of the men had his photo taken with me, and they gave me a Chinese flag. Chinese flags are found in the street, and in many of the buildings.
I have found a great deal of American influence in China as well. Many street signs are written in English, which is handy as my Chinese is not that good. I also notice that Chinese clothing resembles American clothing, and many shirts that Chinese people wear have English writing on them. I was surprised when I walked into what would be the equivalent of an army store in the US, and found the vendor selling US Army class A style jackets with 82nd Airborne division patches on its sleeves. I could not imagine an American Army store selling Chinese Army jackets. Much of the music that I hear on the streets resembles American, or western European style music, often having Chinese singers. Because I am a foreigner, most Chinese people are eager to be around me. For the most part, Chinese people seem to like Americans. Chinese people do not like all foreigners; there is a Japanese teacher here that is not as well liked.
Chinese people behave in ways that I sometimes find strange. The streets are madness; there are pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, and bikes going everywhere at once. This makes for a very noisy street. In addition to all these people trying to move from one place to another, there are many vendors in the street. It is not like the US where there is order with the traffic, and most people follow the rules of the road. One of the first things that I saw was a woman wearing a dress and high heels riding a bike. This is commonplace in China. Most people here own bikes that look like they came from a movie filmed during the 1950’s. Sanitation in China is not the same as I have come to expect from living in America. Young Children run around with slits in their pants, so they can go without wearing diapers. People spit and smoke everywhere, and they seem not to care much about keeping their lawns mowed, and trash off the street. I took a stroll through my university, and it looked like the campus grounds have not been tended to in years. It is not like the college where I graduated from, where things are kept well maintained. Sometimes people want to say hello to me, but what I find strange is that they wait until I have nearly passed them before doing so. For example, if I am walking down a street and I pass someone, they will wait until I have walked several yards ahead of them, then they will say hello. Nearly every small child I have seen is shy, this observation brings to mind one of my nieces who was absolutely not shy about meeting new people.
The descriptions I have offered are not intended to be statements of the entire country of China; I have only been in a few neighborhoods of one Chinese city. It is quite likely that other parts of China are not like what I have observed in my short time here in Baoding City. I offer these observations to offer a perspective of what I have experienced in my short time in China.
I have been in country for four days now. I no longer think of the types of things I did before I arrived and during my trip. During that period of time, my thoughts were focused on the fact that I was really going to China, and that it was about as real as it was going to get. One of the first surprises I encountered was the fact that we flew northeast to get to China. This means that we went over the North Pole. My first night was a blur. I know that some of the other teachers brought me to a restaurant, and treated me to Tomato fried egg, but I cannot tell you how to get to that restaurant if you paid me. People have been most friendly, for the most part.
Before I left, I was told to expect the unexpected when I arrived to China. It has been the case that I have seen many things that I found worthwhile to note. The three observations I would like to focus on in today’s blog are Chinese nationalism, American influence, and the mannerisms of the Chinese people.
I have found that Chinese people are very nationalistic. This is evidenced by the fact that there are Chinese flags everywhere. I do not feel this is too different than what is found in the US. I think it is similar. I met two young men selling Chinese flags in downtown Baoding, and they seemed thrilled to interact with me. One of the men had his photo taken with me, and they gave me a Chinese flag. Chinese flags are found in the street, and in many of the buildings.
I have found a great deal of American influence in China as well. Many street signs are written in English, which is handy as my Chinese is not that good. I also notice that Chinese clothing resembles American clothing, and many shirts that Chinese people wear have English writing on them. I was surprised when I walked into what would be the equivalent of an army store in the US, and found the vendor selling US Army class A style jackets with 82nd Airborne division patches on its sleeves. I could not imagine an American Army store selling Chinese Army jackets. Much of the music that I hear on the streets resembles American, or western European style music, often having Chinese singers. Because I am a foreigner, most Chinese people are eager to be around me. For the most part, Chinese people seem to like Americans. Chinese people do not like all foreigners; there is a Japanese teacher here that is not as well liked.
Chinese people behave in ways that I sometimes find strange. The streets are madness; there are pedestrians, cars, motorcycles, and bikes going everywhere at once. This makes for a very noisy street. In addition to all these people trying to move from one place to another, there are many vendors in the street. It is not like the US where there is order with the traffic, and most people follow the rules of the road. One of the first things that I saw was a woman wearing a dress and high heels riding a bike. This is commonplace in China. Most people here own bikes that look like they came from a movie filmed during the 1950’s. Sanitation in China is not the same as I have come to expect from living in America. Young Children run around with slits in their pants, so they can go without wearing diapers. People spit and smoke everywhere, and they seem not to care much about keeping their lawns mowed, and trash off the street. I took a stroll through my university, and it looked like the campus grounds have not been tended to in years. It is not like the college where I graduated from, where things are kept well maintained. Sometimes people want to say hello to me, but what I find strange is that they wait until I have nearly passed them before doing so. For example, if I am walking down a street and I pass someone, they will wait until I have walked several yards ahead of them, then they will say hello. Nearly every small child I have seen is shy, this observation brings to mind one of my nieces who was absolutely not shy about meeting new people.
The descriptions I have offered are not intended to be statements of the entire country of China; I have only been in a few neighborhoods of one Chinese city. It is quite likely that other parts of China are not like what I have observed in my short time here in Baoding City. I offer these observations to offer a perspective of what I have experienced in my short time in China.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
first blog entry
Hi guys, I am in China now, and they treat me real well here. I have an awesome apartment, and people have been very helpful to me. I don't start teaching my first class for about 10 days to give me time to adjust. If you log on, please send me a message on Yahoo messenger or something. I found that I can log onto myspace and flickr, but not facebook, blogger and some others. I forgot to bring my plug converters, so I am using the pc that they gave me for the time being.hope to talk soon.oh, and there are a lot of really strange things to talk about.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
- ?? into trip
My departure time is uncertain at this point. It is extremely unlikely I will be able to leave for China in August, and it is unclear of when I will be able to do so. I will continue to update this blog as I get new information.
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