13--Beginning of the new term


After all of the festivities, we really needed a rest. Fortunately we had one more day off, Sunday, and we used it to lounge around the apartment. But we both did feel an extreme need for haircuts, not having had the opportunity during all the festivities. When we did have time off, the shops were closed. So we headed to the hairdressing shop that Alisa had introduced me to. They are very good, and the last time I went there, the man, who is probably the owner, spent an hour doing my cut. He is very good and uses different techniques to make sure my fine hair looks good without any fuss. All of that service for only 5 yuan (one dollar!)

So we went in, and they motioned for me to have my hair washed and then the man was waiting for me with a big smile and he proceeded to cut my hair.

Meanwhile, Dick was trying to explain that he wanted his head shaved, as well as a shave, barber style. The headshave was no problem, a lot of men have bald heads here. She used the electric trimmer and was done in no time. But the face shave was another story. I think she got instructions from the man who was cutting my hair, but somehow they got a little mixed up. She applied the lather, then a warm towel and wiped the lather off. Then she shaved Dick's face with a straight razor, no lather! What a hoot! They just don't seem to do that over here. Men have light beards, so they just use those little electric razors. But Dick insists that he's going to try the other barber shop we've seen. It's closer to home, next to the little bakery shop. We'll see what happens there..........

Monday was the first day of classes, and we went to the school to check with Mr Zhang about our new timetable. It seems that we still had the same classes, but the actual times were changing again. We now realize that all these frequent schedule changes are their way of dealing with the shorter winter days, since they don't use daylight savings here. Now that it's spring, the days can be expanded again. So we asked for a new timetable and went home, since Dick had just missed his first class of the day. It was with the little ones, though, so not too serious. He was able to teach the next two classes of Middle school grade ones. Mondays are my day off, so no worries for me.

That evening, Mr Zhang came over and we gave him our new teaching plan. Then he gave us his pregnant pause, as he so often does when he has something important to relay to us. He told us that our school and the "Normal School" had united. Then he asked if we would be interested in teaching there. I think I might have been a little too excited when I replied, but it was what I had been thinking about since our lecture there. We both feel that we can do so much more good by affecting the Chinese English teachers, and doing so at the college level is the perfect opportunity. So we wholeheartedly agreed and worked out the times that we would be available.

It was decided that one of Dick's classes would be moved to Monday, which makes that day really heavy for him. But it freed up his Friday afternoons so that we would both be available for the college.

The following day Bill called. He had just gotten back from his holiday in his hometown, Wudi, and had been told the news. His principal had asked him to bring us a textbook and tape that the students at the college use. We made arrangements to meet him for lunch, and ended up going to the Jin Ma restaurant. Dick was interested ina weird looking fish, which turned out to be sturgeon. We ordered it, and Bill told us that these fish are protected but the ones in the restaurants are raised just for that purpose. It was not very big for a sturgeon, but it was very good to eat. Better be for the price of it: 68 Yuan! That's the most we have ever paid for any food here in China, including western food. But it was worth it, and we had a very pleasant meal as well as conversation with Bill. After all, if you convert it to Canadian money, that works out to about 13 bucks.

My classes went well that week, and the students were happy to be back to class. Jessica approached me after class and handed me a diary she had started in January. She asked if I would correct it for her.

When I got it home, I read some of it. She not only goes through a lot of trouble to look up new words in the dictionary, she also has a very endearing writing style. I read about her attempts to help with housework and cooking, and the feelings of accomplishment that went along with that. I was intrigued with her reaction to a story she had read, in which a woman had twins, a boy and a girl. She treated the boy very well, but was unkind to the girl. Jessica is definitely into gender equality!

Then I read her little story about having saved up enough money to buy a pen she had been ogling. She was on her way to buy it, and then was approached by an old woman who had nothing to eat. She spent some of her money for bread and juice for the woman, gave her some more cash, and ended up without the pen. I cried when I read this, she really is a little angel. I'm still debating on giving her the 20 Yuan for the pen, but I am reminded of the "prime directive" and probably will just let it be.

On Friday, the car would come to pick us up at 13:40, we had been told by Bill, and we were ready! We went downstairs and as soonas we were outside, Bill poked his head around the corner. He guided us to the white clubcab truck owned by the college and we were on our way there. Bill told us that this driver would be picking us up and taking us back every Friday.

We went to the teachers office for a few minutes and were given boiled water, as usual. Then it was time for the show. We had decided to teach from the pronunciation book that we had purchased one day before leaving Calgary. It has been one of the best investments we made, cause it really offers some great information and excercizes.

Since I had taught this stuff before, to the seniors and some of the grade 3's, I took the lead and Dick was going to help with the one on one assistance. But that proved difficult to do, since the classrooms were very small in size, with 40 students in each one. The second class had even more, because some of the kids from the first class ended up coming again to the second class. We don't mind, but it's going to require some strategy to be able to reach all of the students on a face to face level. Hopefully we'll be able to do some classes outdoors.

The first lesson we did was the third unit of the book, which covers pronunciation of vowels and where the tongue is when you say them, and also covers the "secret letters" when we say two vowels together. We never even think about this stuff when we speak English, but did you realize that when you say: "see us" you add a y between the words? This makes all the difference between chinglish and comprehensible English. At the end of the class we played a Linda Ronstadt song, "It's So Easy". Believe it or not, they have trouble understanding any of the words when they first hear it. But after being taught about the "w" in between the two words "so-w-easy", it becomes a little more clear. Nobody said this job was going to be easy! Rewarding-yes, easy-no.

The following day, being Saturday, we decided to call Iverson before he leaves for school in Beijing. We would be going back home before the end of his school term, so it would be the last time we would be able to get together. We had a nice lunch together and took some pictures that I emailed to him. We know that he will do well in the business world, he is determined and hard working.

Now we're back into a routine again, and classes are proving to be a challenge. It seems so hard to progress where we think they should be, but they are still having so many problems understanding what we want from them. They think that just repeating what we say is a good thing, but we want to get some real conversation out of them. Dick has started the little ones on sentences, and seems to be having trouble with some of the little ones understanding "I'm a boy" or "I'm a girl". I bought a couple of little teddybears on keyrings to help with that. And, with the help of some of the Chinese teachers, it becomes a little easier. We have to be glad for small miracles in the language learning field, because they are not going to learn in leaps and bounds from us.

As for me, I have been a little frustrated with the progress of my classes too. It seems that I do all the talking, when I'm only supposed to be doing 20% of it. Sometimes I try to get them to do group work, but they end up talking in Chinese. So then I tell them, look I already know how to speak English, you have to try! But I am met with blank stares when I do that. Back to the drawing board!

On March 7th, I was just recuperating from a flu that reared its ugly head in the middle of the night and didn't leave me alone for almost a week. I had been chatting with my daughter, and was just about to head for the shower (I laze around in my PJ's till almost noon on my days off), when the doorbell rang. I looked through the peephole and could see it was Mr Lu. I yelled "just a minute" and quickly ran to put some clothes on. After three rings of the doorbell, I opened the door, and Mr Lu handed me a box with some very good quality long underwear.

Now, it's not everyday that a man shows up at the door handing you underwear, especially with tummy support and lace trim, so I knew that something special was going on. Dick had also just arrived back from class, so Mr Lu proceeded to tell both of us that tomorrow is Women's Day and the school had bought the long johns for all the female teachers. I thanked him for them, of course. He then told us that the school would be having a party in honour of women's day and they wanted us to do a little song or something. Dick had been practicing on his new keyboard, so we mentioned that he would be able to play something on it. Mr Lu said he would get some of the students to come and help carry it to the party so we could do our little bit of entertainment.

The following day, Diane showed up with four boys who are in Dick's middle school grade one classes. They visited for a short while, and then, when we were ready, carried the keyboard over to the school as we walked behind them. We went upstairs in the library building, and entered the room that had been set up for the party. There were tables set in a rectangular shape and chairs all around. One of the computer teachers was manning the audio equipment, comprised of a TV set equipped for Kareoke and some other technical stuff. On the tables were plates of sunflower seeds, oranges and candies. Some teacups with hot water were also available, although not enough for everyone.

The party started with speeches from the headmasters and then the entertainment started. It seems that entertaining is something that is just expected from everyone, and no one seems too self conscious about it.

Some of the women did poetry recitals and other readings, some sang with the kareoke, some did Beijing Opera. The men got into it too, including Mr Liu, Mr Zhang and the vice principal, Mr Liu. Most of them had really good voices and some singing talent. Some did not, but no one seemed to care about that. As long as you try and have a good time doing it, that's what counts.

The vice principal, Mr Liu, was in charge of the program, and we had told him, through Diane, that Dick would be performing three songs, and I would sing on one of them. My song was Danny Boy, and it actually went quite well, but I was glad when it was over. I took my seat back, next to April and her little girl, and she asked to see the words. She didn't understand the term "say an Ave there for me", so I had to explain that it was a prayer. When I mentioned the full title, Ave Maria, she understood. They know a lot more than we give them credit for, sometimes.

During the evening, I had started coughing quite a bit, and it was no surprise to me that the next day I ended up with the sinus cold that Dick had just been suffering from. This one was a doozie. Obviously part two of the flu monster that had invaded our home a couple of weeks prior. I was out for the count for almost a week, and managed to do my classes, but they were not very good. It got to the point where I was not able to sleep in the bed anymore, since I had spent my days on the couch and really screwed up my back in the process. I was in agony.

So now it was time to get some help for my back. At home I was used to seeing the chiropractor on a monthly basis to keep things in line, but not having had that available to me for almost eight months now, it was getting a little hard to put up with. So Dick talked to Mr Su and he made arrangements for me to see the Chinese doctor at the hospital. I had told him I didn't want conventional medicine because that never works for things like this. We let Mr Su make the calls and the next evening he came over to tell us that we would go on Saturday morning.

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