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Published: June 16th 2006
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Taizhou street scenes
One of many little restaurants on wheels for take out. Enlarge the photo and take a look. Since Taizhou College is located on the outskirts of Taizhou City, my college-apartment is situated in the sub-urbs rather than the urban area. Still, eight floors below me, re-verberate the sounds of a city on the move, every imaginable city-sound being well represented, as in a loud and ill-tuned and ill-managed orchestra, that somehow makes irrational sense.
Anytime I walk the street of this "small" city of 5 million, the focus of people passing, will suddenly shift from their conversations with each other, as well as from their "required" concentration on the ever-dangerous-city-road ahead, and they turn and act in surprise, feasting their stare on the odd and corpulent Western Gentleman passing them. At first, they are not quite sure what to make of this handsome face and how to react. They often find each others arms in support of the unexpected encounter. Many have never seen, outside the TV screen, a Western person in this area of China. Some will nudge their friends, and allert them to the passing "entertainment", others will summon their courage, and utter a shy hello, and will giggle with exitement, as our paths cross and we walk past each other. It is hard to
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The hens were busy in the morning. tell what a Chinese, who doesn't smile, is thinking, but I prefer to assume the best, and say hello. Then I pretend to hear the English equivalent of: grand, tall, beautiful, and ...what a good-looking man. :-)
There are times, when their curiosity almost causes an accident, and all of this attention takes getting used to. Being the "object of curiosity" is like swimming in a fish-bowl, (remember!) alone in the jar on the teachers desk, hoping that everything will turn out for the best. Insecurity and trembling need to be innerly monitored and kept in check. Before I leave the apartment, I make sure that my "fly" is zipped, and that my nerves have calmed, and that I have made good use of my Western-toilette. The Chinese body language of giggeling and pointing could have many causes and effects.
Taking of a photo, a short conversation, curiosity for their foods, an interest in a product, admiring their children, checking the content of my grocery basket, paying a bill, ....., all are cause for crowds to gather, and to take part in the "newly-cultivated" spectator sport in China, called: Let's Check Out a Crazy Westerner!
In Beijing,
China
Owner stands proudly in front of his "bread and butter", one of thousands simila, that roam the streets. They haul smaller, but very heavy loads. Shanghai, or Hong Kong, a Western face has become a common sight, but here in Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, about 4 hrs. North of Shanghai, life in the sub-urbs and the country-side continues, as it has for hundreds of years, and the changes in these medium-size cities are arriving at a more measured pace. The benefits of a fast-moving Chinese economy is making its presence known all around me. As I observe the pace and mode of commerce, I notice few who want to be left behind. All work long and hard hours, often 7 days a week. There is no way to tell a Tuesday from a Sunday. Teachers at the college, for example, often have had to leave spouse and child behind for the sake of the job. They might only be able to visit them during vacation or festival time.
If the salary of a beginning elementary school teacher fetches 1,000 Yuan per month ($120), or 250 Yuan per week ($30), or 50 Yuan ($6) per school-day! What could be the earning power of a more basic job?? I shudder to guess.
When one meets the eyes of this shy but inquisitive multitude, they gleam bright and
hopeful and proud. The odds of personal success have of late become attainable: " If one only works "hard" and studies "hard". " These aspirations sound very familiar. My family has always encouraged the same, as has the family of every person I have known. It is no less the case with the families here. Every face (I still have: 1,359,783,743 {billion} individuals left to meet) aspires to actualize and realize success. Around me, each encourages a "Market Economy", un-thinkable only 35 years ago, when for me, then in my prime of life :-) , Chinese history, in the West, is remembered in turmoil and transition.
The opportunity to work with an eighteen year old, and foster his oral skills for the English portion of the entrance examination to the University of Hong Kong, provided good beginning opportunities for individual and private student contact. For the past 10 days we have been meeting 4 hrs. per day. He had never practiced English with a teacher this intensely, and within days I was less surprised, by the innoscence and simplicity and idealism of answers, in very correct English, that suggest limited knowledge beyond his border.
One of his questions
mama's good home cooking
A little of this and a little of that, and everyone seems to enjoy the finishd product. to me concerned the adoption of Chinese-babies by Western families. He seemed very concerned for them. After explaining, that many baby-girls remain un-wanted in a culture, where males are preferred to continue family traditions, and realizing, that the one-child policy causes additional family complications if a second girl is born, he seemed to understand the circumstances better. But his last final and telling question to me on that subject was: "Will they ever come back to China??"
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:
For those who have written and asked about suggestions on what might be appreciated here at the college let me make a few small suggestions: Books, books and more books of various kinds, from American and English novels, to research books such as dictionaries and thesaurus', large and small, to photo books on the United States and Florida or any other state. Photo and tourist posters, ESOL posters, calendars for 2006 and 2007 with various pictures, all would be very gratefully welcome. We are trying to organize a small library of English books in our office, and we have a great need to begin to stock our empty book-shelves. Anything you can do will be sincerely appreciated. I hope many
local drive-through
... and a great omelette of you might contribute a few of your favorites:
THE ADDRESS:
Mr. Hans Schneider
c/o Arthur Lee
Taizhou Normal College
#1 Chunhui Rd.
Taizhou, Jiangsu Province
P.R. China 225300
I thought I would post my new telephone number again: from the US: 011-00-86-523-6667847 with a 12 hr. time difference.
11 a.m on East coast is 11 p.m in China. For the moment I am unable to make long distance calls, but I have been receiving the calls from overseas. I am usually at home by 8.pm-9 p.m. China time, unless I'm travelling of course. :-)
The email address is still: s_hans@bellsouth.net
Missing all of you...
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Rhys
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Chinese wages
The national minimum wage in China is, in theory, just over 480 RMB per month (about US$60). However, many people in factories and commercial premises HAVE to work 'overtime' in order to secure such a wage. They then have to accept a deduction from their salary, on the grounds that their employee provides them with food and board. That this is mandatory, given the twelve hour shifts and distance to their own homes doesn't matter! One of my best friends in Haimen is a young baker. He gets 400 RMB every month, a bed in the back room of the bakery and absolutely no life outside the shop. He last visited his home, about an hour away, at Spring Festival, and expects to possibly go back again briefly next Autumn. A crazy life, filled with totally different expectations. I also recall that the average urban Chinese (so, about 40% of the population) earns 25 RMB ($3) a day. Not close to the UN's poverty line thing of a-dollar-a-day, but then life is also rather more expensive here, compared to other developing countries. In rural areas a daily living can range from absolute subsistence, a hand-to-mouth existence, up to around 15RMB. In that relative sense, the Young Teachers don't do so badly, considering their position as young recent graduates. An important consideration is that after having served a three year 'probation', (usually with all the least welcome positions and responsibilities, unless they are being 'groomed' for future greatness) these Young Teachers are then fully qualified as a teacher, and can demand, in coastal China anyway, roughly 2,000 RMB per month. What happens beyond that depends upon their future 'ranking', resulting from things like appraisals and teaching competitions, such as the one you wrote about (Low scoring students get low-ranked teachers' classes, academically successful students get high-ranked teachers' classes. For life. Crazy). Its a hard life teaching in China, I'm afraid, hence the inception of Teachers' Day in the Eighties, to try to restore the respect teachers formerly commanded.