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Published: September 15th 2006
my rainbow
This beautiful rainbow was outside my window the other night.I’m Official
I'm officially here now. I have both my passport with the new extended visa, good through July 31, 2007, and my foreign expert working permit (certificate) that looks like a red passport with PR China's seal on the front. I owe the Nanjing Normal University Foreign Affairs Office a big thank you for stepping me through this process.
My bus rides back and forth to the suburban campus have been interesting. If the bus isn't full, I ride alone and I read, work, rest, etc. Most of the time someone joins me. Today I shared the seat with a Ph.D. in Political Science. It was very interesting because Chinese politics are a different game. He asked me a lot of questions about my opinions: which president do I like best; why. I don’t want to write about Chinese politics—it’s one way to ‘get in trouble.’ I have very few rules that I’m required to follow, but one is not to discuss Chinese politics, especially in the classroom. That sounds fair to me. When I’m in a small group, 2-3 people, we often talk about China’s development and changes. The economy is another matter. It’s boom town here!
part of my skyline
There are a lot of skyscrapers in just my view of Nanjing I may be strongly influenced by the official English TV station that I watch a lot, but this is most definitely a very healthy market economy. Advertising is everywhere. By the way, I heard on the English station today that China and Iran just signed an agreement about the huge, mostly untapped, oil field in Iran.
I joined the consumer side of the market last Sunday. A Chinese friend took me to the technology mall to buy a printer. I saw only one other person of my generation there. It was all Gen X’s and younger. (What do we call the current 20 year olds?) Everyone in the stores, clerks, managers, customers, was very young. It’s a large building (similar in size to our biggest department stores) and at least three stories high. Each floor (except the top) is divided into large booths (like you see at a big convention) and each booth is either a different company or a different line of products. We found HP printers in two booths among several other printer companies. I was looking for Brother, but they weren’t there. Cameras are everywhere, booth after booth. I looked at a few small ones. I
vendors
Bird's eye view of the evening vendors. want one that will fit in my purse. I keep being drawn to the Canon cameras. Laptops were also everywhere. I’ve heard of some very small and light weight ones that I’d like to look at. Today at school I heard you can buy Hong Kong laptops at a better price. I thought that meant I’d have to go to Hong Kong—no, it’s here in Nanjing.
The place where we bought our cell phones was a mall like the technology mall, but booth after booth of cell phone companies.
As you can see, I’m enjoying this market economy. ;-)
By the way, I carefully wash the fruit I buy from street vendors. But I’ve been lucky so far. Very little intestinal upset. That’s good because the bathrooms on the suburban campus are all squat ones. The Chinese like the Turks can ‘fold like an accordion’ as a friend said. We Americans, especially my age, aren’t so lucky, as many of you can attest. I still have problems with my legs on stairs (some hereditary problem, I think) so for the class on the fifth floor of a building with no elevator, I walk up three floors and
closer look at vendors
Can you see my favorite soup vendor in the middle? go to my favorite faculty lounge and get hot water for my tea jar, then walk up the rest of the way. I should take a picture of the tea jar. It’s a great gadget.
Last Saturday three of us went to the foreign languages bookstore. English books are the largest collection. I got a few books to help me learn Chinese, and a CD. One book is a child’s book with stickers and simple drawings. It’s about my level. I found two books to help my students with their English. One has a lot of Americanisms and the other is on public speaking. And finally, I succumbed and bought two novels—my transcendental escape.
My maid and I met at the Foreign Affairs office this week. Apparently, someone walked off with the extra sheets for my apartment, so the maid got new ones made and now both beds are made up with fresh sheets. I’m ready for guests. Are you coming to China to visit me?
My old friend, Mariana, and her daughter, Amanda, are coming to visit me during the October vacation. (By the way, I’m very, very lucky to have so much space. The students
convenience store
Here's my quick shop convenience store. Although the cheap liquor was pretty bad! I couldn't drink it. live several to a room.) Mariana taught for four or five years at Hunan University in the 1980’s and has been invited to the 100 year anniversary. She will also get an award while she is there. It’s very exciting. Amanda was very young then, but kept her Chinese sounds, lucky girl.
Why do I always work two jobs? Not only am I teaching a heavy load, 16 hours a week, but I’m editing Linell’s latest book on qualitative research writing. It’s a great book. If you come to China, you can buy it. I don’t have classes on Fridays, so I worked on the book today. The maid came this morning. She doesn’t clean bathrooms or kitchens. Essentially, she mopped the floor. I pointed out places she missed. I guess I’d better check this out so that I get better service. Tomorrow I’ll clean the bathroom! I tried to buy cleanser or bathroom cleaner from the convenience store, but I don’t know what it’s called and none of those words are in my dictionary. I had fun gesturing to the mops and buckets, etc.
I have business cards now with English on one side and Chinese on
business card
I purposely blurred some of this business card. This is front and back, or front and front! the other and the Nanjing Normal University logo. I’ll take a picture of them. Tomorrow we are going to the Chinese Antiques Market, if it’s not raining. Otherwise, we may go to a museum. Next weekend, the Foreign Affairs office is taking the four new foreign teachers, including me, on a field trip to Taizhou and Yangzhou. We will go overnight and visit the Slim West Lake and Ge Yuan Garden.
You’ll hear more about that later. So long for now.
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Gailey
non-member comment
The government taking you on tours is a bonus! Getting to see surrounding places! Sounds as though you are settling in more and more and enjoying yourself! GREAT! With love, G.