Getting used to Home.

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Hello All:
I'm finally getting settled here in Nanchang, reality has set in, and now I know that I am actually in China! I am starting to miss family and friends back home, and am having the realization that easy access to people who know me very well does not exist here. However, these moments are all part of the travelers experience, and one cannot have the access of familiarity and uncertainty simutaneously.
I finally got my teaching schedule from my head teacher named Sophie. She is a Nanchang local and appears very inviting and is an excellent resource. I will be teaching freshmen, Business conversation (oral), and a Freshman writing course. My schedule is awesome, and Mondays are my only full day where I teach 3 classes. Tuesdays and Wednesdays I have one class in the mornings and the rest of the day off and Thrusday I teach two classes in the morning. Fridays, I have off and of course this means every week is a 3 day weekend! I am eager to start but classes don't begin for freshmen until Septemeber 21st! so I have 2 weeks to lounge around and do as I please.
I am doing the research on going to Hangzhou which is a 4 hour train ride from Nanchang. This city is renowned for its beautiful gardens, pagodas and pavillions. Marco Polo named the city 'the most beautiful city in the world' on his Silk Road excursions. Hangzhou has been on my list of cities to see in China for quite some time and I should really take this opportunity to get used to traveling solo, and enjoying what this country is all about. So if everything works according to plan, I will be going to Hangzhou by the end of next week for a few days.
More teachers have moved in the building, so it isn't quite as lonely as it has been since I arrived. Everyone appears very nice, except there is somewhat a struggle to get to know people, as I am often not very proactive in meeting people and breaking down my boundaries. I've had a few lunches and dinners with some of the foriegn teachers here and I'm still getting to know everyone so it's a bit tough.
I am also building a repoire with some of the African students here and they are all very nice and inviting, except they are mostly young boys who are only interested in partying, and I came to China to avoid that scene, so they will have to make their company useful in some other way. One of the boys gave me the hookup on some software so that I can access Facebook, so I'm back on that now and it has made life a lot easier for me.
I have been exploring downtown often and buying knicknacks here and there to make myself more comfortable at home. I will definitely have to get used to being at home and cooking in, because despite the fact that eating out is so cheap, I am starting to develop issues with the MSG used in the cooking here. My left foot is crazy swollen, I can't even wear closed-in shoes. It is starting to spread to my ankles and I'm getting nervous. Shelly and Nick (English teachers) both told me not to worry about it too much, as they had similiar issues within the first few months of arriving here. There is this tightness I feel when I walk and though I have lost weight, it is very evident that all this sodium is bloating me. I have been drinking lots of water and trying my hardest to stay off of webmd.com. I am giving the Chinese food a break for a few days to make sure that my poor left foot goes down.
And I am also getting crazy bug bites from mysterious insects. I have never been bitten like this before. It's absolutely insane. It must be all the MSG in my system that is making me particularly tasty to these creepy crawling critters because they just won't lay off of me. I murdered about 20 mosquitos the other day in my appartment, but whenever I sleep the remaining ones come for revenge. They are comitting genocide on my poor bodily cells and I'm thinking about setting this place on fire!
The other day Shelly and I got a foot massage from a hotel downtown. It was so funny when we walked in because all the ladies were wearing whorish outfits and seemed to be disappointed when we came in. Evidently, this place has a mostly male-clientele and they offer some sort of happy ending as the rooms in the back told the story. The lady working on my feet was being so mean, and kept asking me if I was hungry to insenutate that I'm chunky. Then they were just talking about us the entire time in Chinese and making wise cracks about my feet as well. I was at first self concious that my feet were dirty because I had been walking downtown all day in black flipflops, but then I wished they were dirtier so she'd really have something to say. I was really on the verge of cussin' those hoes out! However, they did an amazing job on my feet, and it was more medicinal than superficial. They used herbs and ointment to clense the feet, then succion cups to eliminate toxins in the blood stream. I almost ran out screaming when she pulled out a can of some type of aerosol and a lighter and attempted to set my feet on fire! It burned momentarily but what was so strange was that I had quite a pooping session after the massage, and I wonder if the elimination of those toxins had anything to do with that.
I'm beginning to realize that China (and probably most of Asia) is a (in my opinion) disgustingly male driven society. All the men get pampered (men+foot massage in the US= GAY!!) and all the women are just too readily available and wearing high heels with everything (including jogging pants). These women are big time pleasers, and I'm having more issues with the women than the men. Some of these women are ridiculously catty and always judging or comparing themselves to me. Some form of women's liberation needs to happen here soon, so these women stop turning agaisnt each other but towards male bigotry! And though I know domestic abuse is a problem everywhere, I have never seen it practiced so much in public than I have here. There are women running around town with black eyes and hand prints around their necks. I even saw this man pull his wifes hair with venom, while I was shopping in Walmart, and she was holding their baby! Everyone saw this spectacle because it was a very loud encounter but nothing was done. I was just sitting there looking like ' no he didn't!' '
I am still no used to the staring, and though I do talk about it a lot, I feel like there is nothing that words can express to how distressing this phenomeon actually is. I feel like an animal at a zoo, because people are staring ALL THE TIME! I understand that they don't see foriegners often, and I expect them to be curious, but I just feel like an absolute spectacle whenever I leave my appartment. I am starting to just wave and smile at people when I catch them staring, but still this does not deter.
Today I was at Metro getting some groceries and I was in the bakery aisle, when everyone working in the kitchen put down their stuff to come take a look at me. They were laughing and making jokes, and I just wasn't in the mood. These fools had me breaking my fast cause I knew they were being condescending so I just flipped them off. I felt a little bad later, but I'm only human and want to be treated like one. Apparently, all the foreign teachers experience the same thing as my neighbor, a British English teacher who knows a little Chinese, told me that he hears people talking about how tall he is and how big his nose is etc. Even some of the Africans who also know Chinese told me that they have been spit at and called mean nasty names. I'm not sure if I really want to know what they are saying about me, it might actually be a blessing that I don't know Chinese.
However, I should stop complaining and realize that I am indeed on the other side of the world and I should focus more on what there is to offer, and all the things there are to see. I do enjoy being here, and I have had wonderful experiences with some of the nicest people you'd ever meet. So I suppose it is a bit unfair of me to focus on the bad apples. I must remember that I am still going through the assimilation process, so when negative experiences do occur they have a more harmful effect than necessary.
Other than that, I have been having a blast and despite my foot swelling issue, my stay here has felt like a vacation because there is nothing I have to do until classes start. I am bothering some of FT's and some students I've met to take me somewhere just outside town. There are these gorgeous mountains on the outskirts of the city that I can see from campus, but no one seems to know where they are. My new mission is to get someone to go with me to figure out how far it is.
Please pray for my cellular regeneration and death to ALL BUGS.
Zaijian
Latifa

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Comments

[Daddy]

Foot Action
Hi There Sweetie, Sounds like you're getting settled in a bit more. As time progresses it will become more comfortable and the stares will become more tolerable and less intrusive. I know the stares got to be troublesome but the best remedy for you is to totally ignore them. In other words tune them TOTALLY out. Otherwise you'll be confronted with a loosing battle. As you know staring has some cultural ingredients and there's no way to roll back thousands of years of culture. And for sure you've already seen and experienced your share of starers. To tune them out and not confront them in any way is a sign of self confidence and dignity. A strong display of dignity is the best method to disarm even the most vicious of those who stare. I know it is easier said than done but you must begin to use what you already know. It also applies to the Chinese. Remember, to judge a person or a thing will have no effect on the person or the thing itself, it only reflects the quality of the person from which the judgment comes. In other words, you know who you are and whatever they might say unto themselves should have no affect on you. I am sure you can disarm them. My most concern is your foot. Keep a close eye of the swelling. Eat raw cucumbers, carrots and parsley and drink ginger tea. MSG is not a great source of seasoning especially for us African-Americans. It is also the main source of seasoning in traditional Chinese cooking. It is more hassle and time consuming but to eat fresh cooked food daily or as often as possible will be certainly better for you. Bake your meat and steam your vegetables. Do not consume red meat it is also not a good source of protein for most African-Americans. You’ll have to become more predictable in your eating habits like your daddy and add a little more boredom in your food consumption. Make chicken and fish your sources of proteins. Also do not go for the noodles, I know there are quick and easy but there is little if any nutritional value in them. There is a lot of starch in them which you should also try to avoid as much as possible. I have always told you about being serious about your diet. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said “the source of all disease can be found in the pit of the stomach”. It comes down to a simple diet of fresh fruit and vegetables, chicken and fish. Eat as much raw fruit and vegetables as you can. Things like carrots and cucumbers can easily be eaten raw for snacks. You can even get use to eating parsley raw it’s not as bad as you might think. Most important is to stay away from the sweets and bread, it can be worse than the MSG. Get acquainted with the gym and get a schedule and routine in your time for walking on a tread mill and begin to run as time and fitness progresses. Your energy level will soar, you’ll loose even more weight and Insha Allah the swelling in your foot will be eliminated. I hope you have a great trip to Hangzhou but by all means give your trusted colleagues the itinerary of your trip. And above all be careful and mindful of where you are at all times. Al-Humdulillah, you have a great teaching schedule and a lot of time for yourself, use it wisely. Love ya, Daddy

[umm latifa]

Congratulations on your schedule. Your business oral english course and especially the writing course you will be teaching sounds like it is tailor made for your skills. The freshman class should flourish from your gift of expressive writing:)) I truly mean that. You mentioned the bugs, and I have two mosquito nettings for the bed that I had bought for the trip to Ghana that I could have given you if I had thought about it.. Perhaps you should get away from the flip flops when doing all the walking. It does not give you enough support.. Please drink lots of water, stay away from all red meat and as your dad points out pastries as well. By all means stay off webmd.com, It will have you thinking that you have every type of illness on the planet. Do you think that it is wise for you at this point to travel alone to Hangshu? Hopefully, you will not stay overnight? I read that the Silk Museum and the National Tea Museum were in this city. Whatever was in that aerosol that made you go like that? You know the Chinese are very much into the holistic, alternative medicine route. Something we Black Americans were into in my grandparents time. All the cures for diseases are grown in the earth. This is very true, but what has happened is that in contemporary society, due to the pharmaceutical companies, FDA and MDs in bed together, the healthfield has become a business, instead of a place that cares and cures people. Regarding the staring, keep in mind that you are different, unique, stand out and are very beautiful.")) Many of the working class people have never ventured from their surrounding. I'm sure you will run into many of the Chinese college students who have ventured and will get a totally different vibe from them. You mentioned that you start Sept 21 ( truly God Is Merciful), that is the day of the Eid... How wonderful... R u able to purchase dates there..to break fast. Take care of yourself honey and sending lots of love to you. Missing U Umm Latifa

[Lia]

Oh my god...
I just wrote you the longest comment ever!! And then I submitted it and my internet cut out - and now its all lost!! Ughhhhhh... Okay, here's my attempt at a second try. Honesty and Advice: Well, I completely agree with your dad in handling the staring. Remember where you are! From the sound of it - Nanchang does not seem like a place where they encounter too many foreigners, other than the teachers. It is common in Asia, where the countries are homogenous and they have eons of history to top us. It is hard for them to understand that America is full of different peoples, cultures, races and religions, and in such homogeneous countries - it is hard to deal with differences. Plus, staring is truly a part of Asian culture. I completely understand, albeit I'm Asian and living in Asia - but... imagine what it's like for me when I open my mouth, and Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, and now Thais just can't believe that I don't speak their language. Then, imagine that I have to explain how I don't speak any Korean even though I am of Korean blood descent, and then imagine me trying to explain that my family is not Korean either... and it goes on and on and on. I suppose the one bit of advice that I'd like to add is when you just can't stand walking on and ignoring all the stares, try the complete opposite and be over-friendly. Those that stare have to deal with conversing with those they stare at. Stop, smile, say hello, and speak horrible Chinese. I remember when I was in a small Afrikaans town in South Africa, and being an Asian American there was very difficult. I stopped traffic for heaven's sake! People froze in stores when they had to deal with me, because they didn't know what they were dealing with! So... I started to take on a mental identity of a "fairy princess" and everywhere I went, I told myself that I am a fairy princess with god-like stature, and that is why they are all staring at me. I, too am concerned about your feet.. but, it could also be due to the intense heat. Me and many other teachers had the same problem here for about a month after we arrived. The heat and humidity just brought on massive swelling attacks and we were limited to wearing flip-flops (though, not like we actually wanted to wear any other types of shoes). Keep an eye on it, but don't stress over it (stress will only make matters worse). Have you tried simple icing? Your schedule sounds wonderful, and I am so jealous! Imagine all the travelling you will get to do with 3 day weekends! Wow. Do you have any inkling of what amount, if any, side-work you will have to do (i.e. grading, preparation, lesson planning, etc.)? Do you have private tutoring options? What is your salary as compared to the standard of living there? Another piece of advice: GET OUT THERE!! The more friendly you become with market women, store-owners, restaurant owners, local people, Chinese teachers, the more easily you will immerse into their culture and word will spread, and the stares might turn to friendly 'hello's' instead. It is definitely hard at first, especially with language barriers, but hand motions, face expressions and body actions go a long way. Once they realize that you are a friendly human being who just wants to learn more about them and their culture, they will go a long way out of their way to make sure you are happy. You will have an advantage over those other teachers that stay with their own (that is like travelling, but never really leaving home). Also.. I don't understand your struggle about getting to know other teachers. You are an outstanding friendly and outgoing person - and I just don't get what you mean! I think you have one of the most friendly, engaging, funny personalities out there. So, just be you! And anyone that doesn't want to get to know you more from you just being you is absolutely CRAZY! You are having one of the most amazing cultural experiences of a lifetime already ... keep it up. And every downfall or negative will and can only lead to something better and further enlightenment. Love you much!!! XOXO Lia

[Lia]

DEATH TO ALL BUGS!!!
Oh, and I forgot to add: DEATH TO ALL BUGS!!! In total agreeance... I concur. Let's start a revolution! My daily morning routine has become lathering on bug repellant lotion, then a spray-down after I get to school, an afternoon spray-down, and one at night for dinner. If the bugs don't kill me, the DEET certainly will! Mosquitoes are just simply the worst, and for every one that you murder.. I will owe you a hug and kiss! Strength to our bodies!! There was an article on Yahoo the other day about what attracts mosquitoes to some and not others. The studies showed that it is not that mosquitoes are overly attracted or unattracted to some, but that they just can't sense a blood meal in front of them for many people - those people with a higher level of stress pheramones!! So... just think.. even though we are slowly being eaten to death, we have lower stress levels. Huh. The stress pheramone apparently blocks the smell of blood for mosquitoes, so they simply just can't even smell a bloodbath when it's right in front of them, but they sure as hell smell us!! DEATH TO ALL BUGS!! (maybe just mosquitoes, gnats and flies, oh and bedbugs, scabies, fleas too)