China Adventure- Sunday, September 1- David's thoughts

They Do That

One of the first things you notice about a Chinese city is the traffic noise.  Not, I should say, much in the way of squealing tyres, screeching brakes, sickening thuds and angry shouting. It is also only fair to concede that there is not a lot of engine noise, nor the cacophony of muscle cars and motorcycles that frazzle the nerves of North American pedestrians.  And blessedly there is almost none of the “my ride is my boom box” sensibility that litters the soundscape of places like Los Angeles (and which the local feral psittaciformes and cacatuoidea are fully capable of mimicking from a tree outside your window at sunrise!).  None of that.

Here it’s horns. All sounding off at more or less the same time.  From the first hint of dawn until late into the darkest parts of the night

.

Trucks, buses, taxis, bicycles (!) motorcycles and millions of private commuter cars.  Parps, beeps and blats, blares, brays, hoots and toots, chimes, tingles and of course, honks.   At the clotted intersection in front of Jilin University, along the broad boulevards of Gu Gui Street, on the massive freeways, and even on the narrow quiet side street that backs onto the foreign teachers’ residence where we live, someone is sounding off in their vehicle.

I say someone, but in actuality it is everyone. Demure petit shop girls, burly bus drivers, business women and men, delivery drivers, students, kids on bikes, street sweepers with strange little three-wheeled carts, and venerable seniors ferrying precious grandchildren to school (the Chinese equivalent of soccer moms): they are leaning on whatever noisemaker the automotive gods have seen fit to provide. 

But why are they going on like this?  Is Chinese traffic really dangerous? Might there be some sort of previously undiscovered mass road-rage epidemic?

No. In fact, it seems that there are as many reasons to sound a horn in China as there are Chinese in vehicles to do so.  Taxis, for instance, honk whenever they see pedestrians in order to give side walkers an opportunity to flag a cab.   Bus drivers are telling customers at stops that yes, they have been seen and the bus will indeed stop. Motorcycles are letting you know that they have slipped between lanes and now is not a good time to turn right. Everyone everywhere is communicating constantly, letting everyone else know where they are, and acknowledging the presence of the others.

A possible exception to the above might be the venerable seniors, whose primary purpose in sounding off seems mainly to delight the aforementioned grandchildren.

All of this is quite annoying at first. It is hard to maintain a state of inner peace (or even moderate digestion) when one is continually startled by a sudden blast coming from behind. The heart lurches, a quick involuntary inhalation, the stomach tightens, teeth clench and adrenalin bursts forth in a systolic surge.  Why the hell, one wonders, can’t all these people just get on with the mundane business of going from A to B without the infernal racket? 

Wrong question.  Back home in the overdeveloped world, traffic has lost its essential interactivity and connection.  Chinese traffic noise is vivacious: the sounds of Gershwin and the Roaring Twenties performed in real time and real life on the streets and byways of daily life.  The minor thirds, counter rhythms, syncopations and leit motifs of the city are a rhapsody of colours – not just blue, but reds and gold too – performed enthusiastically by its citizens against a backdrop of life, action, and yes, a whole world of sound.

And like any other music, the song of the city begins and ends in silence.  In the late hours of the night, in the heart of the city, quiet does return. Nothing can be heard but the crickets.  Everyone shares the brief cessation. Lights will be on in the residential tower across the way, police, first responders, and those people of the night who have kept this civilization going for over two thousand years are all out and going about their business. But there are no horns, no sirens. The air is still.

Then light returns, and with it the chorus of exuberant life.

 space of quiet,

(When)

China Adventure- Sunday, September 1- Liz's thoughts

Random thoughts on Sunday September 1, 2013

RABBIT!

(especially to my former students who still remember Rabbit on the
first day of the month after more than 20 years)

Yesterday was a busy day. We moved – this seems to be a theme – to
apartment 509 from 302. Same shape, mirror image and hopefully less
mould. Actually our new place is very sweet with an interesting view
out the big front windows over several of the apartments in the
Sunshine City development.   Nancy, a university official who attends
to the needs of foreign teachers, brought over two young men to
assist. They got quite a workout, hauling three couches up or down the
stairs.   Like all the students here they were gracious.  Everything
was done by 10:30 am.

How to find us on Google maps: enter Jilin University, Lambton
College, Changchun, China and keep zooming in.   If you see a Super8
Motel and a Wal-Mart you are on the right track. The residence is
actually below the marker. Keep zooming until you get the
Guangzhaoyuan supermarket and a soccer field/track just across the
road. We are in the rectangular building right across the street.
(Could send coordinates but this is more fun.)

It’s a measure of how much energy it takes to live that we have not
yet been to Nanhu Lake and Nanhu Park.  The city has been divided in
half by some impressive construction on Qianjin Street. There are
temporary accommodations for the workers just outside the College
walls. And periodically we hear lengthy and seeming random firecracker
explosions, as the workers celebrate the completion of some phase of
the work. Yet more in the fascinating soundscape that surrounds us.

This morning we are going with two students to get Chinese phones.
Apparently students dislike email and prefer to text their teachers.
Details to follow.

The first year students are arriving this weekend and will spend the
next week in military training. The rest of the EFL teachers have
arrived. One very experienced young couple had come to work in the
branch of Lambton College at Qingdao on the coast.  Without warning
that program closed and they are now going to work here.  Yesterday we
met five even younger teachers who come from a Baptist university in
Riverside, California.  The combination of their youth and energy and
the experience of the folks who have been here for a long time will
make for a very interesting experience and I am looking forward to
starting.

Time for a cup of Nescafe and sweetened condensed milk and some
oatmeal and amazingly fresh and delicious peaches.  Oh, and it is
still not yet 6 am.

P.S.
7am- A few minutes ago we heard loud explosions
in the apartments next door and sounds like falling gravel.  None of
the pedestrians were reacting; neighbour John said that it was either
an opening or a wedding.  If you hadn't been awake before that ....

Adventures in China: Friday, August 30, 2012 (4:25 am)

Friday August 30, 2013 (4:25 am)

On the Move Again

Morning movement has started. The people who run the small restaurant across the street are moving out their tables and cooker for the breakfast stand. The menu is congee and yóutiáo.  In my dad’s journal about teaching in China 19 years ago he spoke about eating this every day. So far we are eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, with Chinese food every other meal.

Two days ago it rained and rained for 24 hours.  It felt like an early November day in Ottawa and my pink three season Eddie Bauer jacket was exactly what was needed.  By evening water was dripping heavily through two holes in the bedroom ceiling by the window.  David asked for help from Julia, one of the two very competent women whose full time job is to attend to the needs of the foreign teachers in the residence. She came and looked then returned with two workmen.  One crawled out the window, the other holding his legs) and reported that water was probably coming  through some  place on the outside facing. We were advised to put out some basins and wait until morning.  There are lots of plastic basins here.

By morning there was water and plaster on the floor, more holes , and damp spots and mold creeping across the ceiling.  Another consultation and we were told that we would need to change apartments and offered a choice of a one bedroom on the 5^th floor or two adjacent bachelor apartments on the second floor.  So, we are moving to the 5^th floor tomorrow.

Several reflections on this. First the speed and efficiency with which the problem was handled.  Our two “minders” are very capable women with the power to get things done quickly.  They had workmen here within ten minutes and gave the solution almost as quickly.  The people in charge of the foreign teachers came over and assessed the situation the next morning, and Nancy who handles all the details for foreign teachers called in the afternoon to apologize for the inconvenience and off ered the services of two students to help us move. Imagine that happening in Ottawa? 

Second, we are genuinely distressed at having to leave our neighbours and new friends, even if it is only up two floors and down the hall. More in another post about these interesting people but E. (short for Elizabeth next door) and Elton (the first name of a young teacher who lives on the other side – apparently a common name in Albania) and Gemma and Monica and Roy and Carol are sweet people who have been so helpful and kind.

Sun is up. David starts teaching two sections of his second course this morning and I am again going to observe other classes. EFL teaching does not start for yet another week as the incoming students do a week of military training. I have been watching this  over at Jilin University, with thousands of students out at 5 am for marching and exercises. See http://english.people.com.cn/90882/7582050.html

We are slowly getting over  brutal colds that felled us in turn and look forward to a bit of exploration on Saturday after the big move.

China Adventure: August 25, 2013- David's Day

(David) August 25, 2013

Everything you have read so far has been devastatingly honest and frighteningly true.  Any contribution I can make to this project will probably lower its karmic value; however, I have been informed that failure to do so will result in dire consequences. It is therefore probably about time for me to contribute to this journal.

Since our arrival in Changchun I have been heavily occupied with course preparation.  With time off to be sick.  This is hardly unusual, many travellers get ill when they reach the new destination.  Often the culprit is something dangerous and exotic, but in my case I was laid low by a common cold.

So this Monday morning at 8:00 I found myself facing a lecture hall of perhaps 100 alert, intelligent faces.  After a brief introduction from my Teaching Assistant, the class monitor addressed the students for some time in Chinese. Sadly, I was unable to comprehend any of her remarks, although I think she mentioned me once by name. Whatever she said must have been good stuff because it earned a round of applause!  Then it was my turn: ninety minutes of lecture with a few PowerPoint slides . . .

The students here are very brave.  It is difficult to imagine a Canadian university in which third year undergraduates with two years of Chinese as a foreign language would be courageous enough to sign up for an entire nine week course –at 4 hours a week –conducted by a native Chinese speaker.  Yet at any point there are approximately 1200 students here willing to face such a challenge.  

A daunting collection of Chinese Gryffindors! Even more impressive, they managed to appear attentive and engaged even at the end of a 90 minute lecture! 

The class today was an introduction to interpersonal 

communication.

After a 10 minute break I did the same thing with a brand new set of 100 students, lecturing until almost noon. Accordingly, I find myself slightly fatigued at this point, and desperately in need of a beer.

More later . . .

China Adventure: Monday August 26-Liz's Day

Good day today. We both woke up around 3 am. David has been sleeping over 12 hours for the last three nights because of a brutal cold but at 7:30 was spiffily dressed in his suit.  All went very well and he is very happy.  I am observing this week and start in one week. New teachers are assigned to freshman ESL.

A helpful and fun colleague gave us a tour of the cafeteria (all signs are in Chinese of course.) She has been here quite a while and speaks Mandarin. A necessary siesta, then a visit with our Ottawa friends and mentors here Carol and Roy Kirby. We then joined the Chinese tradition of walking laps of the track then went out in search of food.  Within 500 metres there are about 25 eating places on our side of the street ... but again we can't red the signs ... so came back and had street food. So tasty.  Skewers of chicken, pork wrapped fungus (honestly) bread and tofu BBQ'ed over charcoal with sauce and spices brushed on. Enough food for dinner for two for about $1.50.  It is cheaper to eat out than cook.  

There is a huge university down the road about 750 metres (we are a small college of this big institution) so lots of activity at the university gates. Tonight someone had set up a projection TV and a crowd was watching a Jackie Chan movie. 

Everyone except the first year students are here. The place is buzzing with activity and we both love the youthful energy.

This is a strange but wonderful experience. 

China Adventure: Saturday, August 24- Morning.

Saturday August 24

Today I'll just write about the day so far. And it's only 8:10 am

The day starts early here.  We got up just after 4 and there was very
little action on the streets or in the courtyard or track. Breakfast that
may be a pattern, and our only western food of the day, porridge cooked on
the induction stove,  sliced peach  bought fresh yesterday at the fruit
stand right outside the window,  soft bread and marmalade and black tea.

About 5:15 I set off to explore. the city as alive. Construction on the
overpass about 800 metres away had started. Street sweepers out clad in
overalls, reflective garb and with brooms made of branches. Lots of cars.
The stores were opening and the breakfast stands doing a lively business.

There is very little English signage and I do not have  a paper map.
However my destination was clear, Jilin University. Using a roundabout
route I got back to the main gates where we had been yesterday by about
5:45.

People everywhere. Students arriving for the fall term, adults and students
n out walking or jogging, a small group doing tai chi to recorded music,
another man doing tai chi alone n a parking lot, yet another man in the
same parking lot just standing and clapping rhythmically and loudly.  The
library is huge with big windows and it looks like that students almost
camp there. I saw one man curled up beside a potted plant and piles of
books and snacks and clothes on the study tables.

There is a standard size track with stadium seating along one side.  Just
outside the track are some serious looking swings and slides and many sets
of parallel bars like those used in men's gymnastics. Everything is fairly
old, but swept.

There were probably 50 people on the track, mostly walking or jogging, in
regular clothes. A group of men practising a martial art of some sort.  And
along the end about ten individual students, books in hand, practising oral
English. In there stands there were three groups of about 20 students, each
with a leader, doing choral readings from a text.

I sat om a ledge to listen. Very soon three students approached me. The
bravest (Bruce)  spoke first.  "Excuse me, can you please tell me how to
pronounce this word?"  It was 'deliverance.'

The ice broken they eagerly chatted and after a while there were about 8
students talking. So very sweet and gracious.

"Are you practising for a test?"

"No, if we just practice for a test we will never learn well. We practice
all the time."

They gather every morning at 6 am to read English aloud for an hour.

"Chinese students all over the world work hard and study hard so that they
can be successful.  Our teacher says that speaking English is a bridge to
the world."

I wish that I had brought to China a bag of those pins we hand out on
Canada Day. They were interested in Canadian education and that my little
granddaugher is named "Beautiful Phoenix."

Back past yesterday's market. One man sat beside a cage of black lab
puppies.  Fruit stands galore and lots of food. Wish I knew what it was but
there is lots of time to learn.  Such contrasts:  piles of garbage and run
down buildings with very smartly dressed people coming out of them, around
a corner suddenlty a beautiful garden,

Back to our college by 8. David is busy preparing his lectures for Monday.
School work is our main focus today as well as learning how to use our
little washing machine and coming up with a schedule for keeping our little
apartment clean. And maybe some music. We are working up a few tunes for
flute and guitar.

Kieran Forde just dropped in for a vsit. He is the coordinator of Academic
English and the man who interviewed us via Skype in July. He said that we
may have more information about our courses later tonight. No problem.

All for now.

Love, Liz/mum xo

China Adventure 2013: The Journey there and Early Days

China Adventure 2013

Tuesday August 20

After all the prep we were ready. Woke to a lovely morning. I got up early to write the “story so far” blog and look some fore for the car registration that had disappeared the previous night.  One last cuddle in our Ottawa home, then up for oatmeal and coffee.  Angus got up to paddle and said a nice good bye.

David O’Heare was right on time to pick us up at 7:30. He is so calm, that we were too.

It is always strange to take that last breath of outdoor air in Ottawa.  No problems checking the bags and we had lots of time to sit and chat in the lounge.

Ottawa to Toronto flight was smooth – the reality beginning to sink in.

During the 2-hour wait in Toronto we had a good meal and wandered. There is an installation of four curved walls around a hall, with a very live and sweet sound. David sat down and played the baby Taylor for a few minutes.

The lounge for the Toronto- Beijing flight was packed. Announcements in English, French and Chinese.  Almost all the flight attendants were Chinese.  Lily at Javis Travel in Toronto had booked great seat, three rows behind first class in the economy plus section,  so there was lots of legroom.

The flight took us along Hudson Bay, north of Whitehorse and the Bering Strait and down through Siberia.  Sun all the way – travelling west.  We saw a bit of Hudson Bay (perhaps) but the rest of the time it was clouds below.

Thirteen hours is a long time.  The plane was quiet, at least at our end.  The Chinese children around us were peaceful and almost everyone talked really softly. The strategy for sedating passengers seems to be to keep them well fed, with lots of crabs.  So, having left around 3 we had dinner, then a lights out time, then a snack of noodles and a meat sandwich then another lights out time then, around 1 am (but China time 1 pm) breakfast. Congee or scrambled eggs.

Crossed the International Date Line into Wednesday August 22.

 We both slept a bit.  Big choice of movies and, as usual, I slept through two of them.

Beijing airport is huge. It must have been built for the Olympics.  Immigration and customs went very smoothly and quickly. Two students holding up a “Jilin University-Lambton College” sign greeted us outside. Very nice young man and woman. Their job was to ensure that we made our connections onto the China Air flight to Changchun and they did it well.  A chance to give away some of the little maple syrup bottles that we bought at the Ottawa Airport. Those same bottles caused a bit of a stir at security (I had forgotten about them totally) but no [problem in the end.

By now it was about 6 pm and the sun was setting, a red ball in a hazy sky.  We had coffee and got on the next flight.  Again, super seats, this time two behind first class. Hans had told us that China Air had good service but not much English and that was true.  David chatted with a businessman who had gone to school in Changchun. He is in the oil industry.  He gave D some good advice about the alcohol of Northern China (it’s strong) and advised us to follow instructions that our minders gave us.

Ten pm and we landed in Changchun, a small airport. The baggage claim area reminded me o much of Stanfield Airport in Halifax.  Another sign, this time held by Candy who had come to pick us up and another teacher just returned from the USA. Another man drove us and our heavy Canoe kayak bags. And again fresh air, cool and clean (ish.) An adventure in itself along long, complicated, well lit roads, at least 45 minutes.  Big neon signs, lots of traffic, honking, cutting in … reminded me of a fast taxi ride from Porto to the Nelo Training Centre in Portugal a few years ago.

Then to the college doors, where we were met by Bernie and Candy and several other people. Dark stairs, reminiscent of the youth hostel in Poznan, or perhaps a hotel in Berlin.  By now it was about 11 pm China time, 11 am Canada time and we had been travelling 27 hours.

There was a choice of apartments and we took one on the second floor. Details later. Candy brought us each an envelope containing 500 Yuan and all said good night.  David unpacked; we wandered across the road to a grocery store then went for a walk.  Finally at about 1 pm we went to bed. The fairly constant honking of taxis gave way to crickets. Cool breeze and crickets, very like home and very restful.

The day was challenging emotionally for Liz. Leaving family is always hard.  When we walked around the streets, still noisy at midnight and tried to make sense of our apartment, 903 Greenbriar, the back yard and the river seemed far away. Well they are. And they also seemed much better. What have we done?

BTW electronics are a problem so we could not immediately Skype or email the folks at home.

Thursday August 23

Up early of course but no earlier than the many people walking around and around a track behind the residence. Two of our colleagues were up, one also suffering from jet lag, and we agreed to meet at 7:50 for a Wal-Mart trip.

We went out about 6 am and retraced our steps from the night before and found a busy street.  This will all become so familiar in the months to come. Breakfasted well then turned home for shopping with Bernie.  This gentleman has been at the college since the late 1990’s, going home to Cape Breton every summer. A short but dusty walk to a large Wal-Mart.  There is a lot of road construction happing, in particular the building of a large overpass very near the college. 

We wandered with Bernie and picked up a few things for the house – plastic tubs, garbage bags, and mugs.  A cultural shock for David who has not been to a Wal-Mart in decades.  Then home, tired already.

Shorty afterwards Elizabeth, known as E, stopped by. She and her husband live next door. She has been here for several years and had lots of information about the courses that David may be teaching. High energy.  She then took him over to meet the supervisor of the business program from whom he picked up a course outline, textbook and calendar. So far he is assigned to two sections of the same course and apparently an Academic English (i.e. post EFL course.)  Details are sketchy.

In fact there has been very little communication about what we are supposed to do and when. Term is just beginning; classrooms are still in summer mode, cafeteria is being cleaned and so on.  We talked to one of the two women assigned to look after the foreign teachers (our “minders” who do 24 hour shifts in the office) about the electricity cables and Internet connections. When we are online and able to work it will be helpful.

Then E walked with us in another direction to a really good market – indoor with stalls selling fruit, or vet, or meat, or shoes or …  Picked up some vitamin rich food and barbecued chicken for lunch.

Back to Wal-Mart in the afternoon, a silly idea but we learned that we could plug on our machines directly to Chinese power cords. Hooray! I was able to jump onto a random wireless network and send an email to the kids. Hooray!

So tired. So much to see. Hot. Lots of noise outside the windows.  Finally lay down for a nap around 5 pm.  I got up around 7 and got some food from a stand just outside the college gates; David kept sleeping.  By about 10 we were both asleep and stayed that way until 4 am. 

Friday September 23

Up more rested.  We ate porridge cooked on the induction cooker – more abut that another time, fruit, bread and left over food from last night.  The streets get busy around 5 am and the noodle stand is in full operation by 6. Early morning walkers going around the track.

We organized the furniture in the living room to make a work station for David. There are two big windows in the living room and bedroom. Now the trees outside are in full leaf in pleasant contrast to the three storey yellow stucco apartments across the road.

David woked on his course and I wandered with Bernie around the campus. Three residences, one cafeteria and three buildings.  Classrooms for EFL are pretty basic, small boards, crumbly chalk and mold on the walls.  All the toilets are Chinese style squat (note to self: take toilet paper.)  Back and used the office Internet to email kids and discovered that Blogger does not work in China. Thank you to Lucy for agreeing to be our poster.

Then out with David to try to find Kieran Forde, English coordinator. He is the man who interviewed us by Skype in July.  We met several very nice women working in the administration offices. Then along the road to the right, which we had only seen when the stores were shut.  Optometrists, restaurants and a few that were not clear.  D stopped in one to ask what it was, and sweet but persistent young women led me by the hand across a busy street and into a basement food court full of students.  Another young woman, this one a grad student in English, helped me to choose and pay for a delicious noodle bowl.

Then into a delightful lane of market stands full of young people. It is across the road form the gates of Jilin University. A short ramble into there showed that it will be a good place to visit really soon. We are at Jilin University-Lambton College, and independent college affiliated with the larger institution.  The mandate of this place is to train students to learn about international business in English. If successful in their first three years, students have the option of attending one of three North American colleges for a year.http://www.lambton.on.ca/display.aspx?id=2147485163

Home to see Carole and Roy Kirby, our Canadian friends who told us about this place just six weeks ago.1 pm and nap time.

Later:  We now have a router and complete Internet service thanks to the efficient staff at the residence.  Amazing how dependent we have become on fast Internet access on our tablets and laptops. Five years ago, having Internet access on a desktop computer provided by the school would have been amazing.

The students are arriving and there are many parents wandering around with small campus with their children who look anxious to get started with their new student lives.  We are keen to get started with our new again teacher lives.

David playing is baby guitar!

The story so far ...

In August 1972,  four friends from Ottawa set out on an adventure.  Pam,  Jay, David and Elizabeth took the train to Nova Scotia, rode their definitely not efficient bikes around Cape Breton Island then sent the bikes home and hitchhiked in PEI.  Then they went to university.




Fast forward forty years.  In December 2012 David and Elizabeth met again, fell in love and started to learn about each other and themselves. This is the story of their next big adventure.


Elizabeth: In June while walking near Long Island Locks, we were talking about where to go on holidays in the future, China was at the top of the list, but that would be an expensive trip. I mentioned that right after retiring I had taken the Oxford Seminars TESL course which qualified me to teach English overseas.  Eureka moment:  two teachers with lots of experience and the freedom to travel. Maybe we could teach in China!

Things moved quickly from there.  A good friend suggested that we talk to Dr. Carol Kirby who had taught in China with her husband Roy for about eight years. Carol was the Principal of Connaught Public School when I taught there in the early 1990's.  Carol, Roy, David and I met for lunch at a restaurant overlooking Dow's Lake in Ottawa on July 5 and the Kirbys talked about their work at Jilin University-Lambton College in Changchun, Jilin province in northern China. They encouraged us to apply to work there. Resumes. Cover letter.

After correspondence with Lily (Li Yanli), the director of the Foreign Affairs Office, and a Skype interview with the Director of Academic English, Kieran Forde, we were offered positions for the fall term, starting on August 26!

The summer then filled in quickly.  We spent a lovely weekend with song circle friends (including Jay from that long ago trip) in Mattawa , then a quiet and reflective week at a cottage on Crow Lake.  Then the whirlwind began:  combining our two households, getting medical checks, visas, travel plans, packing and saying goodbye to friends and  family.  Thanks to the help of Sybil at Javis Travel in Toronto, we have Chinese visas and tickets to fly to Beijing and Changchun this morning.

The waiting is over.