Saturday, September 06, 2003
SNAPSHOTS
Today (Thursday) it's raining steadily. An umbrella was one of the few things I didn't pack. Therefore I improvised by wearing my red coat with the hood up. By the time I got to school, I was soaked. However, I was an hour early and my coat had a chance to dry. As I gathered my belongings to walk to the next building for my class, two students arrived, my English helpers for that class. Both had umbrellas. I walked half the distance with one, and the rest of the way with the other. They took turns carrying my briefcase when they weren't protecting me from the rain.
A student asked me to talk about kangaroos. She was quite surprised when I told her that the only kangaroos in Canada were in zoos.
Mr. Gao, one of the school's VPs, has been particularly helpful and charming. He apologized to both of us on different occasions about the poor quality of the desks we had been given in our offices. He assured us that new ones had been ordered. When we arrived for school yesterday, the school gate keeper, in pantomime, told us that the new desks had arrived. We are very embarrassed by our good fortune -- our office colleagues have very battered desks! These new ones have 3 drawers and a cupboard, each with a different lock. We are now responsible for 2 sets of keys for each lock. Good quality comes with its own responsibilities.
The school is about half a block from Huairou's main downtown intersection, Youth St. which runs north and south, and Dragon Hill St. which runs east and west. Everyone congregates in this area, where there is a McDonalds, a KFC, a large mall (Big World Plaza) many restaurants, a large Trade Conference Centre, several grocery and department stores. The main apartment areas seem to be to the north and east. Although there are several buses which transport shoppers regularly, the more unique form of transport is the "mindi" or small taxi. These are small white vans with seating for 6 people. They run back and forth on the main streets, flagged down by passengers, who hop in, go a few blocks, tell the driver to stop, pay and get off. The fare is one yuan (approx 20 cents Cdn). Last night, the three of us got on at the outdoor market. There were already two people on board. We stopped for a young man who only went a few blocks. The rest of us got out at the main intersection. As we left, others waited to get in.
We have bought an iron, a CD/tape recorder/player, and 2 umbrellas (see above) since we arrived. Shoppers deal with eager clerks who are very keen to help you with your selection. Keyan insists that the salesperson demonstrate the product, which seems the normal practice here. We gather that sometimes the quality can be uncertain. The iron did indeed emit steam, the CD/tape player gave us sound when the right buttons were pushed (as well as recording one format from the other and tuning in a radio station) and the umbrellas opened and closed as required. The clerk then writes out a sales slip in triplicate, and directs you to a cashier's wicket, where you pay for your purchase. You then return with a bright yellow and a white copy of the sales slip. The clerk keeps the white one, you take the yellow one and your purchased article.
Our hotel is actually the Economic Trading Committee Training Centre. There are several buildings in the compound, some for lectures and some for meals and so on. The grounds are gated, with several gate keepers on duty. Buses come and go; people play badminton at 7:00 am; others stroll through the lovely gardens. There are grassed areas bordered by lovely rose gardens, as well as several vegetable gardens: chard, lettuces, cabbage, squashes. There are many hedges: euonymous and barberry (gold and red); and many shaped and pruned trees - locust and evergreens. Our room costs 200 yuan a night. ($40)
We have observed that the Chinese are the masters of the squat. They can hunker down anywhere at any time - on a street corner or in a crowded square, and be comfortable. They play cards, eat meals, read the paper and socialize, all in a hunkered state. We admire their flexibility - they can actually stand up straight after long periods spent a few inches above the ground.
Today (Friday) we met the vast bureaucracy which is China. We went to Beijing. In order to have medical insurance, we are required to pass the prescribed medical tests and receive the prescribed red seals in the prescribed boxes with the prescribed photographs in the prescribed corners (pasted just so) and in duplicate. The school secretary in charge of foreign teachers, Mrs. Gao, has an endless supply of patience to deal with the intricacies of the bureaucracy which requires sheaves of paper (all in different sizes), as well as cash on demand at the appropriate moment. Everything is paid in cash -- after all, "cash" is a Chinese word. Mrs. G wove us through the labyrinth of bureaucratic intricacies, moving easily from the laboratory to the insurance building and back to the lab for the results of blood tests for, of all things, venereal disease. We passed blood test, heart test, blood pressure, and ECGs with flying colours, having studied diligently for these before hand. Our HIV test results from Ontario stood us in good stead and reduced the overall cost by 245Y each... which I think they spent on our lunch at a luxurious restaurant in
downtown Beijing.
Mrs. Gao and our driver dropped us off at the Canadian Embassy while they went to put in the documents for our Type Z work permits. We were presumptuous enough to walk up to the guard and ask to see the Ambassador. After all, we had a letter from Ovid Jackson, MP which directed itself to him, urging that he give us every consideration. The Chinese security guard and the two soliders in attendance were somewhat taken aback by our temerity, but after an initial refusal ("You don't have an appointment?"), the man in charge made a phone call inside, saying that an assistant would be out to meet us. Marie-France Lepage, a delightful and cordial staff member took our letter and promised to give it to the Ambassador, who wasn't there this afternoon, since he is very busy. She left us with her phone number so that we can make arrangements to register ourselves as Canadians living in the Beijing area. In the course of less than a 5 minute conversation we spoke English, French and Chinese. We are becoming multilingual inspite of ourselves. We then walked down embassy row (Spain, Togo, Germany, Malaysia) on a cool, tree-lined avenue. While we were waiting for our ride to appear, we watched 15 workers plant the end portion of the boulevard with red salvia and white chrysantemums amidst an endless stream of bicycle and auto traffic. We await the ambassador's call.
Our driver, Mr. Su, was amazing! The traffic here obeys its own peculiar set of rules, in which danger and imminent collision are barely averted. I think there is a section of the driver's license which requires courage, quick reflexes and nerves of steel to qualify. Remarkably, none of the vehicles we saw showed any signs of damage from accidental impact, which would undoubtedly have occurred if Canadian drivers were put to the test of Beijing traffic. The Chinese driver excells in the use of the car horn. Mostly it is a short toot to say, "hey, get out of my way". A longer blaring of the horn, means, "get the hell out of my way". A number of horn toots means, "move over I'm coming into your lane, even if there is no room there". While Mr. Su an expert at the unoffical rules of the road, he is also particularly remarkable for knowing all the back roads into Huairou and how to escape the traffic jams which occur on Fridays when Beijingers try to escape to the hills for the weekend.
By the way, our school owns three vehicles: a small van, a large van and a luxurious black VW Passat. It also employs two regular drivers. Keyan told us only one teacher at the school owns a car. There are also two full-time gardeners on staff. They have a greenhouse full of exotic plants. Pots of colourful flowers are set out around the campus: salvia, chrysanthemum, lactana, oleander. Just now huge pots of lotuses are about to bloom -- gorgeous pink blossoms above huge green leaves.
We have eaten twice in the Great World Plaza, 5th floor food court (our term). There are about 15 different food counters around the perimeter of a large room set out with tables and chairs. You buy script from a cashier as you enter. You use this to pay for your dishes. If you have some left over, you redeem it at the cashier's as you leave. Different from a Canadian food court, young ladies at each counter hawk their wares as you pass, extolling the virtues of the food they have on offer, everything from sweet and sour pork to made-for-you noodles. The prices are extremely reasonable: dinner for 2 was 20Y ($4.00) which included rice (mifan) and three different dishes. Students come here during their dinner break instead of eating school cafeteria food. They invade around 6:15 pm and are easily identified by their school uniforms. Their favorite food is flattened chicken breast on a stick. The meat has been dipped in a spicy coating and deep fried. We found it rather tasteless, but it's a very convenient pick up food for them, as they head back to school for evening study classes.
More glimpses of China next time ...
Today (Thursday) it's raining steadily. An umbrella was one of the few things I didn't pack. Therefore I improvised by wearing my red coat with the hood up. By the time I got to school, I was soaked. However, I was an hour early and my coat had a chance to dry. As I gathered my belongings to walk to the next building for my class, two students arrived, my English helpers for that class. Both had umbrellas. I walked half the distance with one, and the rest of the way with the other. They took turns carrying my briefcase when they weren't protecting me from the rain.
A student asked me to talk about kangaroos. She was quite surprised when I told her that the only kangaroos in Canada were in zoos.
Mr. Gao, one of the school's VPs, has been particularly helpful and charming. He apologized to both of us on different occasions about the poor quality of the desks we had been given in our offices. He assured us that new ones had been ordered. When we arrived for school yesterday, the school gate keeper, in pantomime, told us that the new desks had arrived. We are very embarrassed by our good fortune -- our office colleagues have very battered desks! These new ones have 3 drawers and a cupboard, each with a different lock. We are now responsible for 2 sets of keys for each lock. Good quality comes with its own responsibilities.
The school is about half a block from Huairou's main downtown intersection, Youth St. which runs north and south, and Dragon Hill St. which runs east and west. Everyone congregates in this area, where there is a McDonalds, a KFC, a large mall (Big World Plaza) many restaurants, a large Trade Conference Centre, several grocery and department stores. The main apartment areas seem to be to the north and east. Although there are several buses which transport shoppers regularly, the more unique form of transport is the "mindi" or small taxi. These are small white vans with seating for 6 people. They run back and forth on the main streets, flagged down by passengers, who hop in, go a few blocks, tell the driver to stop, pay and get off. The fare is one yuan (approx 20 cents Cdn). Last night, the three of us got on at the outdoor market. There were already two people on board. We stopped for a young man who only went a few blocks. The rest of us got out at the main intersection. As we left, others waited to get in.
We have bought an iron, a CD/tape recorder/player, and 2 umbrellas (see above) since we arrived. Shoppers deal with eager clerks who are very keen to help you with your selection. Keyan insists that the salesperson demonstrate the product, which seems the normal practice here. We gather that sometimes the quality can be uncertain. The iron did indeed emit steam, the CD/tape player gave us sound when the right buttons were pushed (as well as recording one format from the other and tuning in a radio station) and the umbrellas opened and closed as required. The clerk then writes out a sales slip in triplicate, and directs you to a cashier's wicket, where you pay for your purchase. You then return with a bright yellow and a white copy of the sales slip. The clerk keeps the white one, you take the yellow one and your purchased article.
Our hotel is actually the Economic Trading Committee Training Centre. There are several buildings in the compound, some for lectures and some for meals and so on. The grounds are gated, with several gate keepers on duty. Buses come and go; people play badminton at 7:00 am; others stroll through the lovely gardens. There are grassed areas bordered by lovely rose gardens, as well as several vegetable gardens: chard, lettuces, cabbage, squashes. There are many hedges: euonymous and barberry (gold and red); and many shaped and pruned trees - locust and evergreens. Our room costs 200 yuan a night. ($40)
We have observed that the Chinese are the masters of the squat. They can hunker down anywhere at any time - on a street corner or in a crowded square, and be comfortable. They play cards, eat meals, read the paper and socialize, all in a hunkered state. We admire their flexibility - they can actually stand up straight after long periods spent a few inches above the ground.
Today (Friday) we met the vast bureaucracy which is China. We went to Beijing. In order to have medical insurance, we are required to pass the prescribed medical tests and receive the prescribed red seals in the prescribed boxes with the prescribed photographs in the prescribed corners (pasted just so) and in duplicate. The school secretary in charge of foreign teachers, Mrs. Gao, has an endless supply of patience to deal with the intricacies of the bureaucracy which requires sheaves of paper (all in different sizes), as well as cash on demand at the appropriate moment. Everything is paid in cash -- after all, "cash" is a Chinese word. Mrs. G wove us through the labyrinth of bureaucratic intricacies, moving easily from the laboratory to the insurance building and back to the lab for the results of blood tests for, of all things, venereal disease. We passed blood test, heart test, blood pressure, and ECGs with flying colours, having studied diligently for these before hand. Our HIV test results from Ontario stood us in good stead and reduced the overall cost by 245Y each... which I think they spent on our lunch at a luxurious restaurant in
downtown Beijing.
Mrs. Gao and our driver dropped us off at the Canadian Embassy while they went to put in the documents for our Type Z work permits. We were presumptuous enough to walk up to the guard and ask to see the Ambassador. After all, we had a letter from Ovid Jackson, MP which directed itself to him, urging that he give us every consideration. The Chinese security guard and the two soliders in attendance were somewhat taken aback by our temerity, but after an initial refusal ("You don't have an appointment?"), the man in charge made a phone call inside, saying that an assistant would be out to meet us. Marie-France Lepage, a delightful and cordial staff member took our letter and promised to give it to the Ambassador, who wasn't there this afternoon, since he is very busy. She left us with her phone number so that we can make arrangements to register ourselves as Canadians living in the Beijing area. In the course of less than a 5 minute conversation we spoke English, French and Chinese. We are becoming multilingual inspite of ourselves. We then walked down embassy row (Spain, Togo, Germany, Malaysia) on a cool, tree-lined avenue. While we were waiting for our ride to appear, we watched 15 workers plant the end portion of the boulevard with red salvia and white chrysantemums amidst an endless stream of bicycle and auto traffic. We await the ambassador's call.
Our driver, Mr. Su, was amazing! The traffic here obeys its own peculiar set of rules, in which danger and imminent collision are barely averted. I think there is a section of the driver's license which requires courage, quick reflexes and nerves of steel to qualify. Remarkably, none of the vehicles we saw showed any signs of damage from accidental impact, which would undoubtedly have occurred if Canadian drivers were put to the test of Beijing traffic. The Chinese driver excells in the use of the car horn. Mostly it is a short toot to say, "hey, get out of my way". A longer blaring of the horn, means, "get the hell out of my way". A number of horn toots means, "move over I'm coming into your lane, even if there is no room there". While Mr. Su an expert at the unoffical rules of the road, he is also particularly remarkable for knowing all the back roads into Huairou and how to escape the traffic jams which occur on Fridays when Beijingers try to escape to the hills for the weekend.
By the way, our school owns three vehicles: a small van, a large van and a luxurious black VW Passat. It also employs two regular drivers. Keyan told us only one teacher at the school owns a car. There are also two full-time gardeners on staff. They have a greenhouse full of exotic plants. Pots of colourful flowers are set out around the campus: salvia, chrysanthemum, lactana, oleander. Just now huge pots of lotuses are about to bloom -- gorgeous pink blossoms above huge green leaves.
We have eaten twice in the Great World Plaza, 5th floor food court (our term). There are about 15 different food counters around the perimeter of a large room set out with tables and chairs. You buy script from a cashier as you enter. You use this to pay for your dishes. If you have some left over, you redeem it at the cashier's as you leave. Different from a Canadian food court, young ladies at each counter hawk their wares as you pass, extolling the virtues of the food they have on offer, everything from sweet and sour pork to made-for-you noodles. The prices are extremely reasonable: dinner for 2 was 20Y ($4.00) which included rice (mifan) and three different dishes. Students come here during their dinner break instead of eating school cafeteria food. They invade around 6:15 pm and are easily identified by their school uniforms. Their favorite food is flattened chicken breast on a stick. The meat has been dipped in a spicy coating and deep fried. We found it rather tasteless, but it's a very convenient pick up food for them, as they head back to school for evening study classes.
More glimpses of China next time ...
Monday, September 01, 2003
OUR FIRST SCHOOL DAY
Happy Labour Day to Canada! Labour in China happens every day of the week and every hour of the day. Yesterday (Sunday) the school was bustling with activity - teachers, administrators and students getting ready for today. The Senior 3 (Grade 13) students had classes all day (!) -- they are particularly hard working because their results next June will determine whether they go on to university and which university they will attend.
Ken and I went yesterday afternoon to get our time tables, see where we taught and where our office space would be. We were given a tiny, playing card sized piece of paper with the 8 periods indicated down the left hand side, the days of the week across the top and the number of each class in the period when we would meet them. No times, no room numbers, no building numbers. With Keyan's help, we had to figure out by asking and surmising -- a frustrating task in hot buildings with the sounds of construction drifting in every window, along with the dust and hot breezes. Keyan introduced us to endless teachers and administrators, all of whom seem a blur today.
We each teach all the students in a single grade. I have 14 Senior 1 (Grade 11) classes, scattered among 3 buildings. Ken has 13 Senior 2 (Grade 12) classes, located in 2 buildings. Most of our classes are either right before lunch (11:15 to 12:00) or in the afternoon when classes begin at 2:40 and run until 5:15. The final 8th period is an activity period when students can play basketball or go to a special interest club. (5:15 to 6:00).
Following their dinner, all students have 3 more classes, ending the school day at 10:00pm. These evening classes are untaught, but supervised by subject teachers, who can offer help to students who are doing their homework.
Students in residence (about 600 of 2300) begin the day at 6:10 with morning exercises, breakfast and morning reading. The first academic period begins at 8:25am. This very taxing schedule has one bright spot -- there's a 2 1/2 hour break between the morning and afternoon classes (12:00 to 2:30). Everyone who can, goes home to eat and sleep.
Today we arrived with Keyan at 7:00am to have breakfast in the teachers' cafeteria -- a political move on our part to show our interest in being part of the staff... who pretty well ignored us while we were there. However, we soldiered on, having the standard breakfast fare -- soup or rice porridge, large steamed buns filled with meat and vegetables. Everyone brings their own bowls and spoons or chopsticks, and the staff fill the containers with food. Because we didn't have our own equipment, we had bowls and chopsticks from the cafeteria -- still wet from being rinsed, the chopsticks unpackaged and obviously previously used! The food was good - an egg drop soup with broth and tomatoes, and two large steamed buns -- we could only eat one, bringing the second one back to our room for later. When we were finished we rinsed our dishes in cold water, no soap, at sinks along the wall and gave them back to the cafeteria staff, still wet and ready to go... as ours had been when we received them!!!
The first day schedule highlight was a morning assembly, which began at 10:00 am, with all students and staff gathered in the brand new and very impressive gymnasium. All the students wear uniforms, (camouflage in green and brown for the first year students and red white and blue jogging pants and zippered long sleeved jackets for the other two grades). They were packed into stadium seating on one side of the building, with the new Senior 1 students sitting cross legged in rows of 25 on the gym floor. Teachers and other staff sat in the seating opposite them, where there was a special section with desks and name plates and complimentary bottled water in the centre. Obviously special guests had been invited. As these dignitaries filed in, Ken and I were motioned out of our seats to join the dignitaries, and thus we spent the entire two hours sitting between one of the Vice Principals and one of the party members in the front row of desks! This was a great compliment to us, but meant we had to be on our best behaviour, looking as though we actually understood what was being said, and in my case, trying to keep awake (we're still suffering from the time change, falling into bed at 9:30 only to waken at 3:30 in the morning.)
There has been no doubt who the foreign teachers are at the school (Huairou Yi Zhang - Huairou One Middle) because we are the only non-Chinese here. In fact, we seem to be the only non-Chinese in the entire city! ... although Keyan did point out a blonde woman getting into a car at lunch time on the main street.
We went to Keyan's Mom and Dad's for lunch. It was great to see them again. They are a very hospitable and unassuming couple about our age, who still live in one of the original hutongs (lanes) in the old part of the city. Their brick house is built in the traditional Chinese style - individual rooms around an internal courtyard, each room entered separately by its own door. Apparently these houses will soon be torn down to make room for more concrete apartment blocks, another example of progress overcoming tradition. Behind the Liu's house is one of the few remaining sections of the original wall which once enclosed the city -that also is slated to disappear.
Ken had three classes this afternoon and I had two. My grade, Senior 1, is comprised of the most diverse students, since they've come from many different schools. They're like our Grade 9 students, new to the school, struggling to fit in and to get used to the schedule. Their levels of English vary too. My first class was an absolute disaster! The students didn't understand me and thus had no idea what I wanted them to do. And I had no way of explaining to them except in English, which they didn't understand. It was a very long 45 minutes! I later learned that their home room English teacher should have accompanied me in the class, acting as a translator and generally helping me out. When I left the class, there he was waiting outside for me. Why he didn't come in, I don't know -- I certainly could have used his help!
My second class went much better because Keyan was with me. We made a good team and I actually enjoyed the class. I realized that they had trouble understanding my "accent" and slowed down, and I was clearer in my instructions to them. The process will certainly make tomorrow much easier for me. There's nothing like teaching to make you learn!
Ken says he was able to recognize the classic high school ethos in the grade 12 classes. The first class he encountered was noisy and somewhat reticent to talk to this new stranger. Their level of English was not too high. The other two classes were much more forthcoming in their questions and had some command of the language beyond the written word. Many students requested more practice and so we plan to set up what is known as an "English Corner" where they may talk in period 8, at the end of the teaching. Clearly there are some fluent and earnest English speakers.
Overall, the day was a testing time, as we knew it would be. We had to present ourselves with sufficient dignity and command of the situation, even though working in a Chinese environment is an entirely novel experience. We have been shown nothing but respect and friendship and been given a genuine welcome by the staff and the students. They clearly have gone out of their way to show us honour and to make us feel very welcome.
This is an impressive school. The huge new gym/auditorium/classroom building is designed to make a statement that this is an important institution and definitely it is a "key" school. Students are here because they've earned a place; their parents pay a hefty tuition fee per term. Therefore, the pressure is clearly on everyone to do well and then some. But in case the students feel they are above the run of the mill, we would remind you that the students daily clean their classrooms with twig brooms. All Canadian students should take note!
Happy Labour Day to Canada! Labour in China happens every day of the week and every hour of the day. Yesterday (Sunday) the school was bustling with activity - teachers, administrators and students getting ready for today. The Senior 3 (Grade 13) students had classes all day (!) -- they are particularly hard working because their results next June will determine whether they go on to university and which university they will attend.
Ken and I went yesterday afternoon to get our time tables, see where we taught and where our office space would be. We were given a tiny, playing card sized piece of paper with the 8 periods indicated down the left hand side, the days of the week across the top and the number of each class in the period when we would meet them. No times, no room numbers, no building numbers. With Keyan's help, we had to figure out by asking and surmising -- a frustrating task in hot buildings with the sounds of construction drifting in every window, along with the dust and hot breezes. Keyan introduced us to endless teachers and administrators, all of whom seem a blur today.
We each teach all the students in a single grade. I have 14 Senior 1 (Grade 11) classes, scattered among 3 buildings. Ken has 13 Senior 2 (Grade 12) classes, located in 2 buildings. Most of our classes are either right before lunch (11:15 to 12:00) or in the afternoon when classes begin at 2:40 and run until 5:15. The final 8th period is an activity period when students can play basketball or go to a special interest club. (5:15 to 6:00).
Following their dinner, all students have 3 more classes, ending the school day at 10:00pm. These evening classes are untaught, but supervised by subject teachers, who can offer help to students who are doing their homework.
Students in residence (about 600 of 2300) begin the day at 6:10 with morning exercises, breakfast and morning reading. The first academic period begins at 8:25am. This very taxing schedule has one bright spot -- there's a 2 1/2 hour break between the morning and afternoon classes (12:00 to 2:30). Everyone who can, goes home to eat and sleep.
Today we arrived with Keyan at 7:00am to have breakfast in the teachers' cafeteria -- a political move on our part to show our interest in being part of the staff... who pretty well ignored us while we were there. However, we soldiered on, having the standard breakfast fare -- soup or rice porridge, large steamed buns filled with meat and vegetables. Everyone brings their own bowls and spoons or chopsticks, and the staff fill the containers with food. Because we didn't have our own equipment, we had bowls and chopsticks from the cafeteria -- still wet from being rinsed, the chopsticks unpackaged and obviously previously used! The food was good - an egg drop soup with broth and tomatoes, and two large steamed buns -- we could only eat one, bringing the second one back to our room for later. When we were finished we rinsed our dishes in cold water, no soap, at sinks along the wall and gave them back to the cafeteria staff, still wet and ready to go... as ours had been when we received them!!!
The first day schedule highlight was a morning assembly, which began at 10:00 am, with all students and staff gathered in the brand new and very impressive gymnasium. All the students wear uniforms, (camouflage in green and brown for the first year students and red white and blue jogging pants and zippered long sleeved jackets for the other two grades). They were packed into stadium seating on one side of the building, with the new Senior 1 students sitting cross legged in rows of 25 on the gym floor. Teachers and other staff sat in the seating opposite them, where there was a special section with desks and name plates and complimentary bottled water in the centre. Obviously special guests had been invited. As these dignitaries filed in, Ken and I were motioned out of our seats to join the dignitaries, and thus we spent the entire two hours sitting between one of the Vice Principals and one of the party members in the front row of desks! This was a great compliment to us, but meant we had to be on our best behaviour, looking as though we actually understood what was being said, and in my case, trying to keep awake (we're still suffering from the time change, falling into bed at 9:30 only to waken at 3:30 in the morning.)
There has been no doubt who the foreign teachers are at the school (Huairou Yi Zhang - Huairou One Middle) because we are the only non-Chinese here. In fact, we seem to be the only non-Chinese in the entire city! ... although Keyan did point out a blonde woman getting into a car at lunch time on the main street.
We went to Keyan's Mom and Dad's for lunch. It was great to see them again. They are a very hospitable and unassuming couple about our age, who still live in one of the original hutongs (lanes) in the old part of the city. Their brick house is built in the traditional Chinese style - individual rooms around an internal courtyard, each room entered separately by its own door. Apparently these houses will soon be torn down to make room for more concrete apartment blocks, another example of progress overcoming tradition. Behind the Liu's house is one of the few remaining sections of the original wall which once enclosed the city -that also is slated to disappear.
Ken had three classes this afternoon and I had two. My grade, Senior 1, is comprised of the most diverse students, since they've come from many different schools. They're like our Grade 9 students, new to the school, struggling to fit in and to get used to the schedule. Their levels of English vary too. My first class was an absolute disaster! The students didn't understand me and thus had no idea what I wanted them to do. And I had no way of explaining to them except in English, which they didn't understand. It was a very long 45 minutes! I later learned that their home room English teacher should have accompanied me in the class, acting as a translator and generally helping me out. When I left the class, there he was waiting outside for me. Why he didn't come in, I don't know -- I certainly could have used his help!
My second class went much better because Keyan was with me. We made a good team and I actually enjoyed the class. I realized that they had trouble understanding my "accent" and slowed down, and I was clearer in my instructions to them. The process will certainly make tomorrow much easier for me. There's nothing like teaching to make you learn!
Ken says he was able to recognize the classic high school ethos in the grade 12 classes. The first class he encountered was noisy and somewhat reticent to talk to this new stranger. Their level of English was not too high. The other two classes were much more forthcoming in their questions and had some command of the language beyond the written word. Many students requested more practice and so we plan to set up what is known as an "English Corner" where they may talk in period 8, at the end of the teaching. Clearly there are some fluent and earnest English speakers.
Overall, the day was a testing time, as we knew it would be. We had to present ourselves with sufficient dignity and command of the situation, even though working in a Chinese environment is an entirely novel experience. We have been shown nothing but respect and friendship and been given a genuine welcome by the staff and the students. They clearly have gone out of their way to show us honour and to make us feel very welcome.
This is an impressive school. The huge new gym/auditorium/classroom building is designed to make a statement that this is an important institution and definitely it is a "key" school. Students are here because they've earned a place; their parents pay a hefty tuition fee per term. Therefore, the pressure is clearly on everyone to do well and then some. But in case the students feel they are above the run of the mill, we would remind you that the students daily clean their classrooms with twig brooms. All Canadian students should take note!
All text and photography © copyright Harkaway, 2003 - 2004
