Long entry

I want to say this country sucks but it does not. I have been getting bored with wherever I happen to be. So it is just a learning experience. However, this place is different.

Because of where and how I was raised, I am used to being different. Here is completely different. I am stared at ALL of the time. I do not know why because there are Africans in this country. I think it is because of where I am living.

Nanchang is anything but cosmopolitan. Many of the people that have come here in the last 10 years are from agricultural areas, farms. Most have seen television but, to actually see someone is different and probably bizarre. I cannot call this place cosmopolitan because of the way the people act; spitting on the floor, picking their noses and doing a “farmers blow” as they walk in public.

You have to see the way they walk down the street. Most streets have sidewalks but people walk along or in the roadway. I was taught to walk with traffic but the people here do not. They walk with their backs to traffic. And, they do not know how to walk straight; in a 5’ wide path they meander between the lines of the path. They do not avoid other people as they pass, they will walk right into you. I was in Wal-Mart (Wal-Mart is like GM, everywhere) and a guy in his late teens or early twenty’s was trying to get down a pathway in the opposite direction of the people flow, he almost knocked me over; I literally grabbed him by the shoulder, picked him up and put him out to the way. He was amazed that someone stopped him from doing what he wanted to do. Everyone here only thinks of himself or herself; they have no concept of giving way to other people. I have almost knocked motor scooters over. The scooters travel down sidewalks here and beep their horns to make people move. I do no move, one was way too close to me and I pushed my left arm out, caught the rack in back, and knocked it off keel. You people know me so. you can imagine how I get.

I have not traveled to other cities yet, I only make $758.00 a month. It is cheap to travel here, in American standards. But, I must save what little extra I make to cover the month I do not get paid in February so I can go west to Chongdong, the largest city in the world.

There are many ex-patriots from around the world here. I do not consider myself an expat because I plan on and want to return to my home country. I have met and hangout with people from India, Australia, Russia, Germany, Finland (the Finnish girl is one) and, Canada. I knew Canadians did not love Americans but they things they think about the states is amazing. I cannot figure out why they left Canada if they think it is so perfect. To irk them I call them unfortunate Americans.

I still have not found a Chinese person that trips my trigger. Some are nice, others giggle and some are just asses. People are the same everywhere. It is funny, when westerners walk down the street we hear hello, hallo and hollo all of the time. When we respond a majority of Chinese people giggle and run away. They want to use their English but are afraid to use what skills they have, they do not realize we will talk and be nice. I should say most because, some will stop and talk, and talk and talk and talk.

The lack of English skills is amazing. For the past 15 years grade and high schools teach English as part of their curriculum. However, the teachers are native Chinese. The students are not confident enough to try to use it. When I am talking with one that has ok skills I try to encourage them. Sometimes they get confused because I speak American English, which is different from the English used by the rest of the native English-speaking world. In the rest of the world, it is ok to use the letter t instead of ed for past tense.

The school I am at is a third tier Chinese school. In China, students must pass standardized tests to go to college. This school allows students in if they have the money. I cannot get a straight answer, I have been told this is a private school and I have been told it is a public school. If it is a public school they would have to pass the test to attend, not so for a private school. No test scores are required here.

The inability to get the truth is common here. It is either because they do not know the true answer; if that is the case most of the time, they will not answer or tell you what the “party-line” says to say. If they do know the truth, they will cloud it or try to deceive you.

I have told Chinese people things that are common knowledge in the “free world” (that term still applies, as does the phrase third-world country, no matter how many Canadian expats object to it) and they have been surprised I know it. It is as if they think there are a lot of secrets. Chinese do not know how to or think of looking for information themselves. What they are told is the only thing that exists.

I have a student, his English name is Shawn. I told him I feel bad for him and he asked why. I said because he is a free spirit: Mind you “free spirit” here is different from home. I had him look up the term. He came back to me not understanding what I meant. I told him that he thinks for himself and does what he wants to do and, that Chinese leaders and teachers probably do not like him. He agreed but, he really is not a free thinker they way Americans use the term.

Getting the Chinese to think is very, very hard. I have given up. I told my students why. They have never been taught critical thinking skills. They are taught to listen and when the test comes, they are told what to remember and spit back to their teachers. It is frustrating. Now my students like me, want my phone number, stop me on campus and eat lunch with me.

Ok, that is it for now.

Terry

Let me know what is going on at home. I miss it yet, I don’t miss it. I am so glad Bush’s’ former press secretary came out with the story on Valerie Plame but I don’t like that it was for making money and not to divulge the truth about those guys in office.

I am sitting here watching sports on tv. So, I will tell you about Chinese sports on television. Most of the time they show events where a Chinese person wins.

Here, badminton is considered a legitimate sport. I am watching badminton. There is a lot of what the rest of the world calls football (soccer) on tv. I do not like soccer and like the fact that a lot of Chinese do not like it either. Television is different here...most things (almost all) are not at the top or bottom of the hour. If you think commercials and infomercials are a pain back home, they are worse here. The things the pawn off here are amazing but, as I think about it, things home are weird too. They have underwear ads that kill germs that inhibit penile function. And, one of the ads I find most annoying is a body suit for women that makes them smaller: They show a female with body fat and show how it makes them slimmer. As I watch more I will write it down. Part of this exercise is so I remember for a book I want to write when I come home.

Ping pong just came on. Asia loves ping pong, since that is a proper noun it should be capitalized but I refuse to do it. One thing about the Asian body, male or female, there is so little fat that they almost always look taught. Girls here have no breasts, well little ones, at best. Wow they take ping pong seriously. The quickness with which they move is cool. OMG boredom has set in. I was warned that the boredom leads some to drinking all day, don’t do that ,,,,,,,yet.

Watching tv, they have a lottery here. LOL. It takes 7.50 RMB to equal a U.S. Dollar and like home some people play it religiously. Oh, the channel numbers have no correlation to the number on the tv. CCTV 8 may be on channel 47 or CCTV 3 may be on channel 74 and so. Cell phone ads are rampant here. This place is amazing. Chinese soap operas are on all of the time and I do not get it. I watch the pictures and understand part of the show but, they are different. Someone is always dying, getting in a fight or having lover problems. Wait, that is just like home. One thing I don’t get is the children shows at 11 at night. Little Mermaid II is coming on at 2300 hours on Thursday, why. The Chinese are immature. My college students act like high school freshman. And, news, the same broadcast comes on at 7 p.m. (that may be information control) I think most if not all tv stations are government controlled or run.

An aside, I had to explain what that meant to my students, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CHINESE COUPLE KISS, NEVER. I don’t get it. Was watching tv and a couple got close but did not kiss and that was on tv.

Cartoons are rampant here. A lot of cartoons are on tv. Maybe I should call it animation. But at any time of the day or night a cartoon is on tv.

Terry

Great turkey day dinner, great considering where I am. No leaves, rice or noodles. I vegetable based diet makes you lose weight, a lot of weight. My clothes no longer fit but, I am still larger than most Chinese people. Story and pictures later.

At 5:00 Friday evening, I was informed that I must go Hong Kong Sunday. My "papers" were completed so I must go get my visa. Will have to do the trip in 27 hours, not even one night in the city. Will be taking a train, I think. My travel arrangements are being made for me.