Gettin' Class-y

Three days a week, I belt "Gooooood Morning CLASS!!" at 8:00a.m. Nervous, excited eyes skirt around the room in every class as I get a unified, enthusiastic response, "GOOD MORNING, teacher!"

"My name is Thomas, and I will be your English teacher for this semester. Has anyone here ever had a foreign teacher before?" The silent response and confused murmur indicated a "No."

My first classes consisted of introducing my family (with pictures), my backyard ("whooooah!"), my school, my interests in music and sports, etc. I also used my venture to Guatemala as a jumping board for my intentions with their English Class..

"I learned Spanish in Guatemala by speaking, hearing, seeing, living and EVEN DREAMING in Spanish. This is how you will learn English in this class. Any time you pass by this door, you are doing everything in English!"

A lucky long exposure I caught of dripping rain

I don't know how well I'll be able to carry out that theory, but hey, it sounds smart, doesn't it?!

During the second half of class, I had the students partner up and introduce each other. They were instructed to give their name, major, hometown, favorite american celebrity, and their future aspirations. Per usual Chinese uniformity, I received many repeat, uninteresting responses:

"I want to travel the world!" (Which usually queued my follow-up question, "Which country first?" "All of China first" was the usual retort).

"My favorite american celebrity is [Kobe Bryant x20, LeBron James x15, Michael Jordan x10, Steve Jobs x30].

While there were many repeats, a few funny responses stuck with me. One conservatively dressed, shy Chinese girl who misunderstood instructions and just introduced herself, said, "One day in the future, I would like to be a tattoo artist." She had no tattoos on her beautifully white, pale skin.

Having fun at Dazu

One cheerful young man grinned and said, "My favorite american celebrity is you, Thomas! One day in the future, I would like to visit your hometown." Verrry good, young man. Brownie points for the brown noser, but I'm quite honored.

  

Each class sees me once a week. I have six classes, which is over 250 kids to teach. This past week, I came up with a fun game to help give some of them their very own English names (the Chinese names are damn near impossible to pronounce). I created a slideshow of famous celebrities, historical figures, musicians, all from America. They used a cheap laser pointer I bought off the street as their tool for choosing their mysterious character.

"This man is a famous actor in the United States. Welcome to the class… DENZEL!" 

In a few classes with lots of unnamed kids, I had a few choose names from my high school Prom pictures. It was cool to her their oohs and aaahs when I changed each slide in the PowerPoint show. After their names were chosen, I took a picture of every single student with them holding their name and student ID on a sheet of paper. I'm going to try and learn all their names.. a steep task.

After all students were named, I allowed a Q & A session. Every class almost immediately asked if I had a girlfriend (the classes are about 70% female). I explained my Claugduagh ring several times, and had to describe what love is. They are a curious, respectful, obedient crowd, and I enjoy going to my classes-turned-comic-stand-up-routine.

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Last weekend John, Ouyong, Sean, Kassy, and I visited the Dazu Buddist Rock Carvings near Kassie and Sean's hometown of Rongchong. The entrance fee to Dazu was steep but incredibly worth it. No one remained in the park as we explored these incredible ancient masterpiece carvings. Photos and words… as usual… cannot do such a place justice. Many photos above and below are from Dazu. Please also check out Sean Scullin's spicy blog at http://www.shigady.blogspot.com. I love his perspective and unique verbage. Kassy also has a flickr account which has several fantastic pictures on it already. See.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rongchang

At Dazu Rock Carvings

Rongchong- A river runs through it

 -Chinese students know nothing but studying. Only the very rich are able to "play high," or go out on the town. A typical student's life on the weekend consists of studying, computer games, and a fun, intense session of Karaoke, or KTV with friends.

-Driving in China is absolutely organized chaos. Today, I saw a bus pull into oncoming traffic in order to pass a clogged up lane stopped by a stoplight. There are no rules. Pedal to the metal and hope to don't get hit (not too unlike Guatemalan driving).

 -I binged for four hours on a new game called Mah-Jong last weekend. It is a bizarre mix of Gin Rummy and a card game called "SET" from my home. I love it and can't get enough.. I'm like many Chinese who often illegally gamble big money in on game, I'm hooked.

Friendly Faces

The Beibei Posse runs deep with various characters and personalities. We get along well, and although we may not reunite every single meal or evening, we understand each other's personalities and respect them. Meet… the crew.

Raiko

This Bosnian fulfills the eclectic, eccentric artist character of our crew. Raiko is beginning his second year as a teacher at Southwest University, and the campus shows it. On buses, road signs, seats, and poles all over SWU, you will see Mucky Muck, Raiko's sticker character (see right photo). Raiko's artwork ranges from paintings to street art, printed screen tees to putty-head necklaces. His sleep schedule is as abnormal and irregular as you can get. Raiko likes going on mini-adventures with one or two other people, and enjoys anything that strays from what is popular en masse. Always full of interesting perspectives and conversation, Raiko is the perfect person to people-watch with. 

Eric

This talkative teddy bear heads our crew for most studious, perhaps most driven character. He hails from Eden Prairie, MN and I was pleased to hear that he is friends with my close friend Justin from my Guatemala experience. Like Justin, Eric runs every morning, regardless of the previous bar nightlife (there must be something in the water over there in EP). Eric has been in China for a year and a half; he speaks Mandarin as if he has had another year in him. Eric studies countless hours during the week learning Mandarin, and it shows in his meticulous choice of word ordering in Chinese conversation. Also, Eric is about 6'5" and 230lbs (used to play Gopher Football). It is comical seeing him march around 5' nothing Chinese, especially at the bar. Always a smile on his face and a compliment on his tongue, he's a great guy to have on the crew.

Diana

The lone female of this group, this pretty latina gal can hold her own on just about anything, including and especially keeping up with the guys at the bar. Hailing from Los Angeles, She is fluent in Spanish and enjoys retaining and discussing Latino culture. Diana is beginning her second year at SWU. She has and will teach the same post-graduate classes that I will teach, so I have already taken several notes from her past year's experience. I am thrilled to have her here to keep my Spanish sharp. I commend Diana for her patience to deal with such a male-dominated environment.

Matt and Diana

Matt

If there's a sports guy in every clan, Matt pulls his weight for that character. Dedicated to keeping up with the NFL, Matt will wake at an early 8:00a.m. to catch the Monday/Thursday night football live. He has several cool baseball caps that he sports around town. Matt has a very easygoing, "down-for-anything" personality, which is common amongst our crew. He is also starting his second year at SWU. He too teaches post-graduates, and has shared some unique ideas for teaching. Matt's Chinese is good enough to get by in basic restaurant, shopping situations. I'd be lost if it weren't for help from people like Matt.

Keegan

Keegan is in the middle

In every posse, you gotta have that one "Great Master," veteran character. Keegan is that man. He has been in China for six years. Keegan speaks Mandarin well but prefers "Chongqing-wa," the local dialect, in which he is fluent. Keegan is familiar with everything about China and everything about SWU. Walking around campus with him is an all-day event. Everyone who knows him wants to say Hi when he passes. He is the great connector for jobs, opportunities, gossip, bars, everything. Our social scene would not be half of what it is without Keegan's advice and input. Aside from knowing everything, Keegan is enjoyable company and does not put on airs with his mastery. A night out with Keegan almost guarantees a good story.

Syo (Pronounced Show)

While I have only met Syo twice, I am thrilled with his bravery and ambition. Syo is from Japan and thus teaches Japanese in SWU. This is quite a position to hold in China, especially since relations between China and Japan are still sour at best. Syo lives in the same apartment as us, but it seems as if he is never there. He too is studious, and either is in his room or out and about on his bike. In either matter, his door is always closed (picture not shown').

Jiong & Ouyong (Bear)

John Teaches in front of class

If you aren't familiar with who John is yet, please check my past blog, www.thomasinireland.blogspot.com. This is where my friendship truly enflamed with John, and we have been international adventure buddies ever since. In China, Jiong goes by a different but similar sounding name… Jiong (chinese emocicon meaning "embarrassed"). I've only witnessed John teach a class, but that was enough. He's a natural teacher. Jiong brings an outgoing facade to his classes that I have never seen from him before. The kids love him, and he is literally trending on SWU kids' Chinese Twitter. Mafioso status.

Ouyong is what the Chinese would call "John's secret." She is a beautiful girl from Japingba, a suburb closer to Chongqing. Her spoken English is enough to get by, but by no means proficient. It is fascinating to watch puppy love work without 100% clarity of communication. Ouyong often plays Mom; cooking meals, bringing snacks to Joing after class. She tags along with us when she can, and although she is more quiet she brings a feeling of comfort and serenity to the air. I can see why Jiong finds her special (picture coming soon).

Sean and Kassie

Our teaching friends in the 'sticks, Sean and Kassie are John's old high school friends. This couple was assigned to teaching posts in Rongchang, a rural SWU agricultural campus about an hour or so from Beibei. While we do not see them everyday, we try to reunite with them when we can. Sean is exhibits the same type of passion and spice for life that John does, so naturally I get along with him like a brother. Sean fascinates me with his creative mind, and we are constantly brainstorming about how to combine my talents of resourcefulness with his and John's creativity to make big money. 

Kassie is Sean's pretty girlfriend who also bring about a nurturing character. She too is patient with just about everything, and enjoys random adventuring like us. One night, after a wonderful day touring downtown Chongqing, Sean whisked Kassie out onto an outside plaza-turned-dancefloor. As I watched the two waltz around with several dozen other Chinese couples, I thought to myself, "God-willing, I cannot wait for this wedding." They are perfect for each other.

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I co-taught my first class with John today. Our lesson consisted of introducing ourselves to the class and fielding questions about our family, American life, culture, language, etc. At one point, I mentioned that John and I were best of friends. Just as I put my arm around John, a little Chinese girl in the second row peeped up and said, "Do you really like him? Like, have you ever seen the movie Brokeback Mountain?" Everyone laughed, but no one laughed harder than John and I.

-It is rare as an American to pay for beers at a bar. Because being American has somewhat of a celebrity twinge, bar owners refuse to accept payments from Waiguoren. They want you to return.. as many times as possible.

-Similar to not paying for drinks at a bar, rarely do I pay for meals. It is standard for Chinese to pay while hosting or planning a meal involving foreigners. No questions asked.

- Masses of food are always left over after a meal. No clean plate club here. 

- METRO, a German-owned version of Sam's Club, is the Chinese key to western food. It will, however, cost you. Block of Dubliner Cheese: $8. Bree: $6. Crackers: $3. Planter's Peanuts: $5. Having all the comfort foods from home at twice the cost: Priceless? Maybe not.

-Chinese people do not all look alike. I have seen several Chinese equivalents of classmates from home, and even an old man that reminded me of my Grandpa. 

My Apartment in Beibei

My apartment is on the fourth floor of a complex called "Golden Bamboo Garden." It is a 5 minute walk outside of the Southwest University Campus. On clear days, I can easily see the mountains surrounding Beibei, which are reminiscent of the beautiful backdrop I had from my monastic guest room in Cobán, Guatemala.

The apartment is all hardwood floor, complete with laundry room, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The window from my bed looks out to a deck from another apartment, where an old Chinese couple maintains a small garden and Coy pond. 

Coy Pond outside my window

Living Room 

Touchdown- Shanghai

I got lucky. Really lucky.

My flight from San Jose to Los Angeles went quite swimmingly. Devoid of my 49.8 lb roller bag and 39.8 backpacker's pack, I found myself lugging around my inconveniently-sized GMAT book and several superfluous sweaters. My massive roller bag happened to weigh 6 pounds over when I   checked in. "Want to save fifty bucks? Take some stuff out." You got it lady. No problem.

While I mounted China Eastern's #586 flight to Shanghai, I munched down the remains of my proverbial "Last Supper" in the States: a $10 lunch combo consisting Chicago-styled hot dog with relish & onions, BBQ chips and lemonade. I looked down at my ticket: Seat 33C. Likely aisle seat. Thank the Lord. All I could think about was my China comrade's blog entry from a year ago...


"I, a 6 foot 3 inch lanky American, sat between two Chinese women roughly half my size, one mid-twenties the other mid-forties, in the middle of a four-seat row. Within one hour of take off, both women next to me had fallen asleep comfortably resting their pillows on my shoulders. The seat in front of me was the only seat fully reclined in the row."


This concept did not thrill me, especially with regards to a 15 hour flight. I hope the person next to me is at least wearing deodorant, I thought.

The worry was all in vain. Seating on China Eastern consists of 2, 3, 2 seating, with two aisles dividing the "3" from the "2's", like this: [X] [X] aisle [X] [X] [X] aisle [X] [X]. My seat was on the far right near the aisle, where 33A and 33C were next to each other. No one came to sit in my seat. I had a full aisle AND window privileges with enough space to stretch my legs and fit my GMAT book anywhere. So far, so good.

My luck eventually ran a bit short. After arriving in Shanghai, standing in a check-in line for about 45 minutes, and getting past security, I looked at my gate's flight time to quickly realize that I would be standing idle for awhile. Current time: 3:45p.m. Chongqing departure time: 9:10p.m.

It's okay, I thought. I'll get a cold beverage and experience the wonders of true Chinese food!
Airport Vender #1: Attempted purchase- Bottled Water. Status: Card failed.
Airport Vender #2: Attempted purchase- Chinese Gatorate. Status: Card Failed.
Airport Vender #3: Attempted purchase- Chuckwagon Sandwich. Status: Cards not accepted.

I scoured the gate area to quickly realize there were no ATMs in the area. Damn!

In my fervent search, I learned that water was publicly dispensed next to the bathrooms. At least I might be able to quench my thirst with some cold water.

Think again.

The water dispenser was intricate, with a screen displaying the temperature of the liquid dispensed. a capsule dispensing white cones labeled "Disposable Cups for Cool Water Only" was attached to the machine. On the machine, there were three button options: "WARM," "WARM," and "BOILING." You've got to be kidding me. For the next 5 hours, I blogged, slept, read, and kept myself hydrated with warm water. Welcome to China.

[Aside: Prior to my trip to the Orient, I took a few days to visit my old friend Aleck in California. The following are few photos from the trip]

My First Redwood Siting

Meir Park 

Recreation Grounds on Alcatraz

Aleck and I on Alcatraz Island