Visa Run Number Two

It is time for another visa run. It has been three months since our visit to Hong Kong, and it has been just about six months since our arrival in China. As wonderful as our life has been here, we are looking forward to some time just visiting. It is interesting that no matter where you are at, if it is home, you usually don’t get to see too much of it. The mundane things of life so often prevents it. So we are grateful for the chance to get away. We have some friends in Thailand that have invited us to visit. From there, we are going to Laos to visit the Me Kong River and the 4000 Island (we probably won’t get to see all of them). We can’t wait! Before that we are going to go visit, Guilin and Guang Zhou with some friends that are visiting from Connecticut. Guilin has been described as the most beautiful spot in the world. It is called the Dragon’s Back. Pictures of it are seen in just about every travel magazine that covers China. Hopefully, we will be able to add to the treasure trove of pictures already taken. – Frank
Below are pictures the friends that are visiting, Beau, Sara, Brittany, and Anna. We took them to eat over the bridge noodles.

Judy and Jackie

These are two of my students. Judy and Jackie. They are both eight years old and they speak English really well. It is my job to help polish their grammar, to mold their mind, to try to help them say the "L" sound.

Between classes, one little girl came up to me and said "I think you are really black". I asked her, "does that matter"? She says "no", then points at another little girl and says "because I think she is really yellow!" I am going to like this job! - Frank

A mind is a terrible thing to waste - United Negro College Fund

Cody Joins the Darkside

Several weeks ago I wrote a post about possibly becoming a professor at a local university. Alas, that was not to be. We were unable to agree on terms, so I turned it down. I thought that it would not be too difficult to find work elsewhere. Well, I was wrong. I have interviewed for a countless number of jobs, all to no avail. Again and again I was passed over for another applicant; some of them did not even have to interview. They were given the job as soon as they met with the HR representative. (Hey what gives?) As you can probably guess by the title of this post, the reason I kept getting passed over wasn’t because I lacked teaching skills. It was because I lacked the proper shading. This inequality is not from malice. Most of the schools I interviewed with really liked me, but because I do not look like a typical American, (whatever that is) they hired someone that looked the part. However, persistence and Providential help paid off. I met Cody. Cody overheard me telling someone at a local McDonalds that I was a teacher from America. So Cody introduced himself to me. He went to college in the US. (Columbia University and Washington University) He said that he was looking for a Black teacher from America to teach English at his school, and that he could not believe his luck at meeting me. After negotiating, we agreed to terms and he gave me a job. So while everyone else was keeping me down, Cody decides to join the Darkside. - Frank
Once you feel the power of the darkside, forever will it dominate your destiny – Darth Vader (to Luke)
Below are a few pictures from my first few classes.

New yet Old – Modern yet Ancient

One of the interesting facts of life here in China is how it is truly a modern country which is not what I expected. I have friends who are Expats from the West who are living in Africa or have lived in Africa. When I hear their stories about life there, I often feel that as exciting as it would be to visit, I don’t think I would want to live there. (Sorry Albert, the infrastructure doesn’t seem to be well developed through much of that continent.) So when we were thinking of moving here, even though I had read volumes of literature about life in China, I was a little wary of what conditions we would find. Upon arrival, it was so nice to find so many of the modern conveniences that we take for granted in Western lands (our apartment has running water, electricity, internet access, and is even setup for cable). Sometimes when people think about China, they envision either the Dynastic version, glamorized in movies, of the warring clans, of kung fu monks protecting the villages from plundering brigands, or the Mao Era version from the height of the Cold War that depicts a bleak existence. Today’s China is much different than any of those. When it comes to modern infrastructure, it is closer to the US or Europe than to Africa. There are probably more skyscrapers in China than anywhere else in the world, and there seems to be more being built all the time. There are over 52 cities in China with a population of at least one million. (Compare that to the reported nine US cities with a population of at least one million according the US Census Bureaus’ 2006 estimate and you get an understanding of why this is the case). Modern appliances like refrigerators, microwave ovens, and washing machines are commonplace. Electronic devices like mp3 players, mobile phones, flat-screen TVs, and laptop computers seem to be used by everyone and are surprisingly affordable. As this country continues its rapid advance thru the modern age, there are so many things that remain the same, however. Even with refrigerators, many people still buy their food fresh each day at open air markets instead of super centers like Wal-Mart or Carrefour. At these markets you can find fresh fruit and vegetables, and even live poultry. On the same street that you find ultra modern buildings with apartments for let to those who can afford it, you can see places that have housed untold generations of the same family. Despite the prevalence of motorized transport, one of the chief means of getting around is still either walking or going by bike. This holds true when it comes to the transporting of goods as well. An often relied upon means of getting goods from point A to point B is either strapping them to the back of a bike or carrying them on the ends of a stick draped across a person’s shoulders. Both methods are still in use today. People still use coal briquettes as a major source of heating. You can still walk down almost any street and find vendors selling the same things they have for years, or find someone to fix your leather goods right there on the street using a really old sewing machine. There is still a village feel to things despite all of the advances.
There are a couple of TV specials that give a good look at China from different vantage points. One was done by PBS and is entitled “China from the Inside”. It is a four part series that nicely shows different aspects of Chinese life. The other is a BBC production called “Wild China”. It looks at the distinct wildlife that still flourishes in China. If you get the opportunity to view them, I think you will find that China is a country that is both modern and ancient, and is a fascinating place to be. – Frank

Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still - Chinese Proverb

Oh Yeah!

We had a really nice time tonight. We had some British friends over for dinner and a movie. We introduced them to a couple of American Classics: Breakin and Kool-Aid. It was funny watching the movie Breakin with them. For those of you who have never seen it, Breakin is a really cheesy movie that was made in 1984. It is about a group of kids who try to make it big through break dancing. Being set in 84 means that viewers are brought back to the time of big hair and bad clothing. The music and dancing were really good. The acting, not so much. When I first showed it to them, I didn't expect them to like it quite so much. Much to my surprise, at the end of the movie, they said "that film was brilliant!" When I told them there was a second one, (I am not making this up. It is called Breakin 2 - Electric Boogaloo.) they asked "when can we watch it?" So they are officially hooked on an 80's movie. They can't wait to tell their family and friends about it, and they asked me to teach them some of the moves. As for that other American classic, Kool-Aid, they had never experienced that either. As I was making it, they watched. As I put the sugar in, one of them said "... and you wonder why their are so many overweight people in America". They changed there tune after tasting it. They loved it as well (Oh Yeah!). So, we came here to experience Chinese culture, but it seems that we are spreading a little American culture. Too bad it is either from the wrong decade or is partly responsible for the spread of obesity in America. Good thing we are not diplomats. - Frank

You owe me seven dollars man... for teaching you how to dance. - Turbo (Breakin)

Care Packages

Recently, we received two care packages from the US. One from my parents, and one from Amanda's. They say there is something special about receiving real mail instead of email. I believe that. I always enjoyed getting an actual letter in the mail. Well, when in China, it is even more special to receive a package from home that contains items that are almost impossible to find locally. In the packages there was coffee, coffee creamer, candies of various varieties, chocolate, and over the counter meds. We also received boxes of Jell-O pudding, packages of Kool-Aid, and hand sanitizer. Although I feel we are adjusting quite well to life here, it is nice to have items that remind us of home. The best thing that we received, was not anything that we can eat or drink though. It was the pictures that my parents sent. It was very thoughtful of them to include the picture of Rachel, and also one of Jessica and Damien. Seeing them brought the biggest smile to my face. For what we have received, we are truly grateful! - Frank

Me, A Professor?

Last week, I taught a demo class at the local university. They are searching for a native speaker to help their students pass their TEFOL exam. For the past few weeks, I have been searching for somewhere to teach. Maybe the search for all of us has ended. I hope so. I really enjoyed teaching the demo class. I taught seven students and two teachers for about an hour. This is the standard practice, so that the students and teachers could evaluate the perspective teacher's teaching style, and then they can decide if it is suitable. In the hour that I had, I was an English speaking whirling dervish. I used many of the techniques that I was taught in a public speaking course that I attended; make eye contact, proper volume, modulation, use of gestures, main points standout. I also used the techniques taught in the TESOL class I attended, which is where the whirling dervish comes in. One of the main things we learned is that to keep the attention of the students, one must keep moving, use different teaching methods, get the students involved, get the students out of their seats. So, I was all over the place; spinning, snapping, and pointing to keep their attention on the front. Sometimes, I could almost see them wondering what I would do next. After class, the students and teachers all told me that they really enjoyed the session, and that they hoped to see me again. Now, I have to wait on the director of studies to get back from holiday. The teachers will talk to her, and she will tell me whether or not I get the job. So for right now, I wait. By this time next week, I could be a professor at a university! Who would have believed it, me a professor? - Frank
By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn.
Latin Proverb