Reflections on China

Spikey Hair and more

2009-02-26T00:50:00.000-08:00

Here in Brisbane a few days ago I saw a group of Asian students (most probably Chinese) and one had the familiar spikey hair do that is quite common with young people (males) in China. It was strange for us - to note that it was the males that seemed to spend more money and time on their hairstyles.

Sure many girls were adventurous with their hair - but most had long straight hair and for the most part it was pulled back into a pony tail style, or let hang down long. Quite a few had short hairstyles, and some of them looked spectacular, but it seemed to be the boys that spent more time on their hair.

Many of the young men had hair dryers, and use product to hold their hair in strange spikey or similar styles. Also it seemed that most of the guys had longer fingernails than the girls too, often having a very long "pinky" finger.

It seemed quite strange to us "foreigners" and we often were fascinated by the hair colours - spray on colour for the most part - on display. Some had tried "blonding" treatment but the result was often an orange colour. Somehow the jet black hair of Chinese people does not lighten well.

And it seems to be same for Asian youths in Australia.

Teaching English in China

2009-01-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

I am just completing nearly 12 months teaching English at a college/university (it changed status while I was here), and I have some comments to make about the industry.

First of all, I'd not talk anyone out of doing it. It has been an amazing and challenging experience, but somewhat fraught with dangers for the unwary. Things are being done to improve the industry here, and I hope, in those countries that supply "native English speakers."

One of the biggest challenges is the difference in our cultures. I think I could write 1000 pages on this issue alone, and still not cover it adequately. Chinese culture is SO DIFFERENT to anything in the west, and even Chinese academics who have studied and lived overseas, seem to be unable to make any changes from within the Chinese education system.

Some things I have observed are:

TRANSLATIONS AND EDITING - it is quite clear to me that there is no easy way to translate Chinese to English. We have so many more words, so things are defined in a different way, and translating Chinese word to English word and having English speakers clearly understand what is meant is almost impossible. One way to change this is to not only have the translators, but also have ENGLISH EDITORS and then there might be a way to make more sense our of the communication. A simple example of this is the contracts that teachers sign with the Chinese colleges. Many are in "Chinglish" and the meaning is not always clear. We get the idea, but it is not always understandable, but we sign them and hope for the best.

COMMUNICATION - as well as the language difficulty there are challenges with communication. Some interpretation is that the Chinese people are really so suspicious of foreigners that they tell us things that they think we need to know - just before or just after we need to know. Some might say it is because they procrastinate - they do find it hard to communicate with us, so leave it until the last minute, or not at all. They certainly don't understand that many of us are keen to "immerse" ourselves into Chinese culture - to see as much as we can possibly see, and learn as much as we possibly can. When a group of teacher wanted to go to Chinese Opera they were surprised but 13 of us went and enjoyed it even though we didn't understand a word. Even in the theatre they were amazed that foreigners had come!

In China employees are at the "beck and call" of the boss, so if there is a meeting called for 4 pm tomorrow for example we are expected to all be there, with no consideration that we might have other plans.

There's very little information in English and many just expect that somehow we manage to read Chinese characters and understand them.

LIVING CONDITIONS - most colleges provide accommodation for their foreign teachers. Many of the apartments are comfortable for us - but things break down. Often. Getting things repaired quickly, or at all, is often a challenge. The Chinese teachers do not have apartments as good as ours, and they are somewhat jealous. Doesn't help for good relationships between the two groups either!

Some accommodation provided is far below expectations. So if you are planning to teach in China, get photos of apartments, and see if you can communicat with others who were living there. Ask many questions.

TEACHING CONDITIONS - again I could write a lot. The classrooms and facilties may not be as good as one has been used to. Perhaps the classrooms are dirty and seldom cleaned, perhaps there are too many students both for the size of the class room and for the teacher to manage, especially for "oral" English.

Perhaps the objectives of the course you are to teach are not given to you, or are not clear. Perhaps the dates you are given are not right (something changes nearly every day), and the detail for examinations is not given to you until too late. Resources might be non existent.
(I was given all my class information in Chinese, including student lists, and course material for English lessons.) Sometimes complaining or seeking alternatives is not easy.

And so it goes.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! As much as I have had to endure some challenges, I enjoyed the overall experience and I hope to return one day.

Addicted to mobile phones?

2009-01-09T00:59:00.000-08:00

I wonder. I know people around the world use their mobile phones regularly - often. But I get the feeling that many Chinese people are addicted to their phones.

It can be overwhelming and strange. For example in the bus the phones ring constantly, and the person who answers the phone shouts loudly - which I suspect is not necessary for the caller to hear the words - but that is what happens. Though we do notice that it is not just for the phones that the Chinese shout - but they do not seem to have a quiet conversation and funnily can carry on a conversation with their friends even if one is in the front seat of the bus and the other in the back of the bus.

But, this post is about mobile phones.

I've recorded elsewhere the distraction they are in class. They are not supposed to be 'on' in class, but they usually are. I've had students interrupt an 'oral' examination to answer their phones. Strangely it is often their mother or father, so they tell me. You'd think the parents are paying money for them to be education would want, but oddly enough it is often them that ring in class time, and expect their darlings to answser.

Ban phones in class? Oh, I've tried unsuccessfully! One reason is given that many of their cell phones have their dictionary in it, and they need it to determine the meaning of words I have used.

If you go to the theatre in China, more often than not some one will be on the phone. We went to the Shanghai to see the acrobats, and there were folk on their phones - texting or speaking quietly.

I was at a conference where phones were supposed to be "in a state of libration" whatever that means, but the rest of the message indicated that phones were not to be used in the conference room, but that instruction was largely ignored by the Chinese attendees.

When the students come out of class at night, you can see their faces glowing asd they have their phones active and the light from the phones light up their faces.

We in the west hear warnings about young people and mobile phones. It the risk of damage is high, these young people are in the high risk category for the amount of time they spend listening or playing with their phones.

Much of the phone activity is games - and many Chinese young people are also "addicted" to online games with their cell phones or their computers.

Addicted? I reckon they are.

Walk on the red carpet - if you dare!

2009-01-06T01:49:00.001-08:00

Red is a popular colour in China - it is the colour of the Chinese flag, it is the colour of the lanterns for festivals, it is a colour that brides wear because it is good luck (even if they only wear red shoes with their white bridal gown). Red is important.

Many places have red carpet at the entrance. Carpet? Well, I guess we'd probably call it felt or something. Not "real" carpet.

This red carpet is at the entrance to a museum in Shaoxing, but the photo captures some of the hazards. The "carpet" is applied and held down with wide sticky tape, which often does not do the job properly, so that walking on it one can slide somewhat. It is loose and it is easy to slip.

It is a common sight near entrances to buildings. Especially if they are new - in fact I have seen a whole street covered in this red covering.

Just take care, I suggest.

When is a "river" not a "river".

2009-01-02T03:20:00.000-08:00

What is a river? In my understanding a river was a wide stream of water, wider than a creek. Much wider. When I Googled the definition of river among the responses was this "a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)"

I'm not sure how to explain Chinese "rivers" but many I would describe as canals are actually in maps as rivers. When we stayed at Ningbo a few weeks ago, the hotel was described as being on a river. When I saw it - I saw that it was not a wide expanse of water I had expected, but what I would have called a "canal".

Are they man made or was there a natural waterway? That I do not know. When I looked at the map of Lu Xun's Native Place, I saw it surrounded by "rivers" which I found confusing. No wide expanse of water here.

These photos are of one of the rivers - which at best is 10 feet wide - not a "river" as I would know it, but here in China, that is a river.

In one photo you can see the old buildings with the "river" going through - and the other are Shaoxing boats, little wooden boats (sampan style) with black bamboo hoods that the boatmen propel with their bare feet, although in this cold maybe they put something warm on their feet!

Changing Scenery

2009-01-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

One of the things that we westerners notice is the ever changing scenery. I don't mean the natural scenery so much although that does and I will explain that later.

Vacant blocks can almost overnight have multi storied buildings erected. OK, that's an exaggeration, but it almost feels like that. I would suggest that one of our teachers who remained in Australia this semester would feel a little disorientated if he returns to Shaoxing and expect to see the same place he left.

On campus there was a muddy hole, which now is a construction zone. Since September or October when I rode my bicycle past it, it has transformed and now a three storied building is there - and they are going higher. No doubt to 6 floors, which is what they can do here without installing elevators.

I see the skyline from the street (SPT Street) as I walk to the West Gate to catch the bus, a massive multi storied building has appeared in the distance. I watch in amazement as each couple of weeks another level has been added and the massive cranes are one or two levels higher.

Along from Westgate was an old building - which had at sometime been the showroom, and offices of "Shanghai Volkswagen" judging by the faded lettering on the facade.

Last semester we noticed some activity there - and when we returned from summer break there were small "shops" there - some selling food, several with pool tables which seem to get a good workout, several hairdressers, two fashion stores and a supermarket. Later on another hairdresser, a cake shop and mobile phone shop appeared.

About two weeks ago a lot of "flyers" appeared and we heard fireworks as another supermarket, (bigger then the others) has appeared in the big showroom area. As you can imagine the streetscape has been transformed.

Yesterday walking in the village which is adjacent to the above complex, we noticed new shops opening (old owners gone and new owners appeared), and there was a shop fitter busily working and at the end of the lane some deconstruction and reconstruction going on with a new brick wall. (Recycled bricks of course). All this and I doubt that there is any need for government approvals of any kind.

In downtown Shaoxing it is the same. New buildings rapidly get constructed, old ones completely revamped, and the ever changing retail area where one day a store is there and a couple of days later, some other business looks as if it has been operating there for ages.

The gardenscape changing? A tree dies? Not long after another one - not a small version of the deceased plant, but another one about the same size is there. Huge trees are put in new gardens in a way that is quite surprising.

Hangzhou

2008-12-17T03:33:00.000-08:00

Sell photos on photrade | By Elly

Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province is regarded as one of the most beautiful places in China. In part it is because of the West Lake, which is surrounded by temples, lush gardens, and wonderful relics of times past.

In Autumn and Winter the colours are spectacular.

Playing with the truth

2008-12-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

Our hotel in Ningbo was described as "5 minutes from the railway station."

I am glad we didn't walk! We chose to go by taxi - in part because it is not easy to follow a Chinese map! I am sure that the ride was a fairly direct route - though we did weave in and out of traffic! But it took about 20 minutes in a taxi. I wonder what mode of transport was used to take 5 minutes from the station to the hotel?

The hotel advertised "Cable TV" - when we queried it - when we couldn't find it on the television, we were told "no longer available." I do suspect though because we had discount rates that we were put in a room without all the facilities advertised.

The Room Service menu - was old. The items we chose were no longer available!

Is it all about "show"?

Sadly this type of playing with the truth is not rare here. Very frustrating.

All is not as it seems.

Loud talking

2008-12-04T00:30:00.000-08:00

I think many Westerners feel that when Chinese people are talking - they are shouting at one another - perhaps being rude. I have discovered that Chinese people talk loudly - much more loudly than we do. For example in a bus, you will find many passengers talking on their mobile phones and the whole bus can hear the conversation.

If people are talking with their friends or family members, the volume is very high!

When people talk there seem to be no such thing as a 'private' conversation - everyone hears the conversation. Speaking loudly is what the people do here in China. Of course if there is an argument (and I have seen quite a few) the volume is much higher and generally it is pretty obvious that there is some sort of altercation going on.

It does seem to make us squirm a little - but after a while you realise that it is just the way things are here. And we resolve to just accept it.

No prams

2008-12-02T14:16:00.000-08:00

At first I thought it curious - so many small children and few prams. And then I understood. Not many folk here have motor cars so their most regular form of transport is a bicycle or e-bike. No room for a pram.

The only people who use prams are those with cars or those who only walk the baby for a short distance from their home. The rest of th time the children are carried. So many fathers and grandfathers especially get the job of carrying the child.

The Chinese people just love their babies and children. They are so well cared for. I've noticed in the bus that a child gets a seat. Not on the lap of mother or the adult with them - they get their own seat and people will give up their seat quickly for the child - not so quickly for "old ladies" though.

The contrasts

2008-11-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

China is amazing. Often hard to describe. There is so much that is new and modern, and so much that is old. This photo might explain what I mean. Shanghai is a modern city - and only a short distance from where this photo was taken, is a modern shopping centre beside an ancient trading centre. Modern toilets are there for the customers - including much to our liking a Western toilet. There are squat toilets and western toilet side by side, with two ladies whose duty it is to keep it all neat and clean!

As we walked through a street just minutes from the modern facilities, there was a lady cleaning out the chamber pot. Obviously her little house does not have this facility. Apparently each morning early, one can see people taking their chamber pots to the public toilets to empty, and here she was on the side of the footpath giving her chamber pot a vigorous clean out using a scraper/broom made of sticks.

I did not recognise what she was doing - in fact I hadn't seen her at all until I was told.facilities, and despite the deprivations of some people, that is the way they like it. That is the China that they are familiar with. It will be many years before all the housing in Shanghai is modern with all

Queues

2008-11-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

Despite the crowds of people in China, they are not keen to be organised to get served in shops, get on the bus, get to the train, and so forth.

When the bus pulls in, there is a rush to get on first. Partly because there are few seats in the bus and there is a scramble to get one, but they don't mind a bit of pushing and shoving to get there. I amost get crash tackled to get on the bus, but I have learned to just push and keep my place.

Line up? The locals don't manage that well at all. Even if there is a long queue - for example at the train station where everyone must go through security - they will jump the queue - especially in front of foreigners.

Oddly sometimes it is more orderly, but there is certainly frequent queue jumping. Getting a ticket at the train station is generally more orderly, and yesterday I had no trouble, but it was after 5 pm and there were few people there.

It was an issue that fast food stores had to deal with, but they've managed to keep things more orderly there too.

There doesn't seem to be any concept of first in first served. It's every man, woman and child for himself, and for the most part shoving, pushing and rudeness goes with the territory but not in overly aggressive way.

Perhaps it would be easier on everyone if the queues were orderly - but I bet nothing will change while I am here!!!

Masks and lack of curiosity.

2008-11-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

I can recall seeing on television in the past Asian ladies in particular wearing what look like hospital masks out and about within the community. In the past few days I've seen a few at the college wearing them.

Some are quite pretty - with a little motif on them. I asked a student about them. He first said he had no idea. He'd seen them but did not know why students wore them. Then he added in a quiet tone, that he thought just maybe they had a disease or something and then in a warning tone suggested we keep clear of anyone with a mask.

It raises another point. Curiosity or lack of it. It is quite weird to ask a student something and they can give no explanation. Of course I can understand the language is a issue - they may not know how to explain it in English, or it might be too hard, or they assume it is none of my business (which is true, but my curiosity is always high!)

Many things are on the college campus - and they have no knowledge of it, or interest in it. Many, even those who live in the city have never seen much of it. Their knowledge is very limited. And they aren't curious at all. I do find that unusual in a young person.

Bread - of for some good bread!

2008-11-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

The bread in China for the most part is sweet. We have found it hard to find bread that we foreign teachers (the English variety) would enjoy with our breakfast. Bread is plentiful, and has many varieties but the plain old bread (white or wholemeal) is hard to find. We have found "French Bread Sticks" but they are not to our liking. Some have been very "thick" with an outer crust that one needs an axe to get through.

Bakeries are common here - and the variety of breads and cakes are tremendous and we do enjoy SOME of them. But we'd like to ask the Chinese bakers to delete some of the sugar and make a savoury variety.

It has been a point of great discussion and excitement if someone thinks that they can find a bread to please us.

Chinese bakeries are a feast on the eyes too - with the most exotic desserts and cakes that you can imagine. We've found a French bakery in Hangzhou which has great croissants and bread, but it is a long way to go to get our daily bread.

We now have an exotic bakery on the school campus - it used to sell a limited range of cakes and buns for the students, but recently and quite suprisingly without any fanfare the range increased dramatically and they also have a range of breads. One is OK - not as sweet as others, but has some sultanas in it.

Baked beans on toast with sultana bread? Odd, but it is the best I've found as yet.

Packaging in China

2008-11-20T20:31:00.000-08:00

Packaging is fascinating here. Things appear to be "overpackaged" - items for example, food items, might have a wrapping around them, then they will be in another package, before the outer package.

As a result there is a lot of "rubbish" to throw away, although there is much that is recycled in some way. I have just eaten a moon cake - something that I was given some weeks ago, but is quite fresh. It was in a little "patty pan" type, complete with small package of "do not eat this - oxygen absorber powder), it had an outer sealed see through package, and it came in a small box, And this small box was in a bigger box - there were 8 of these packaged cakes in the box.
It is probably unfair to use this example, as the box of moon cakes was a gift to me.

However, it is something that we have noticed as a general principle. A packet of sweets for example will have a wrapper around it, and then another and in one or two packages.

Our waste bins can overflow with theexcess packaging, so you can imagine that with a population of 1.3 billion, there must be quite a bit of extra rubbish to dispose of somewhere.

A packet of Mentos in China has an extra layer of packaging. Wrigley's gum has extra too.

Anxiety among students about future employment.

2008-11-20T16:13:00.000-08:00

The world's financial crisis is having an effect here in China. Companies are downsizing, some manufacturing businesses are finding their orders from around the world are drying up, and US companies here in China have reduced staff.

There is quiet an issue with employment here at the moment and the figures are quite staggering. Of course there is a huge population here, so there are more people potentially to be involved in any downturn in business, and downturn in employment opportunities.

The China Daily has reported on this situation on a regular basis and the stories continue to cause anxiety. Universities and colleges they are hoping that (a) many students will get internships or work experience over the next semser and that (b) there will be good long term employment prospects for their students.

Consequently there is added pressure on the students who are already under huge pressure from their parents, their university and their friends and extended families. Many of these young people are from one-child families, and much rests on them. The parents are hoping that their child will make a success of their life and be able to support or help their parents in the future.

Most parents wish their offspring to work locally too - much easier when trying to keep a family together - once upon a time with larger families it was less stressful to have one or more children away from home studying or earning. With smaller families it does put a good deal back on the shoulders of these young people.

So good grades and networking are very important. Let's home the downturn is shortlived.

Living in the Moment

2008-11-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Maybe this phrase answers so many questions about life here in China. We 'foreigners' always want detail. When are we going to do this or that? What time does it start? When will it finish? Do I need to take anything? How much?

These simple questions often remain unanswered even if we do ask several times. A student explained it to another English teacher the other day.

"You foreigners can't just live in the moment!"

I guess that is right. We don't "just go with the flow" all the time. Reminds me of a friend long ago, who seemed to think "God" would provide all the time and she was quite relaxed about anything that was happening.

I remember when she was leaving by plane from Brisbane to Perth - had run out of money, and time as it turns out. I had to drive to the airport at peak hour - I was the stressed one as she sat in the car as I broke speed limits, rules etc in an effort to help my guest reach the airport on time.

Unstressed, she just kept saying "God will get me there." and I remembered hoping that her "God" would help me pay any speeding or other fines I might have collected on my way.

Even when she arrived at the airport she glossed over all that I had done in my stressed speedy drive and announced "God" had done it.

Maybe she is one that can enjoy "living in the moment" but I need to be more organised. Someone has to!

Maintenance - what bloody maintenance.

2008-11-10T21:48:00.000-08:00

This morning I visited the office of the secretary to the faculty. It often makes me shudder when I enter this office as their filing system is quite strange. It is hard to see that there is one really, as there are many folders, boxes, etc in a quite chaotic state.

Today there were two broken chairs. We have deduced that the chairs were probably made of "green timber" and as the timber has shrunk the chairs have fallen apart. We have seen the way the "maintenance man" deals with faulty chairs. If he can fix it with hammer and nails - the latter usually being too long for the job in hand - he will do so. Often the nails are sticking dangerously out of some part of the timber and need to be covered, hammered back, or something to prevent damage to us.

I looked at the pile of broken chairs which seemed to be thrust aside - maybe someone was coming to collect them. I don't know, but my guess is that they will still be there when I go to the office in a few days time.

One of the staff was all rugged up against the cold, but was shivering. I looked up and saw the reverse cycle air conditioner on the wall. "Turn it on." I suggested as I indicated the machine.

"No, it is broken. No one can fix it."

Oh, what a common lament I hear here.

My television is broken. No one can fix it. I think it is the cable - maybe a rat ate it. But it is broken. My toilet is broken. The bowl is not well attached to the floor - and "moves" every time I use it. Scary, but I've gotten used to it. The "maintenance man" has "fixed" it twice recently, but uses some weird useless cement.

Over and over again, we hear the lament "it is broken" and no one can fix it.

All around the campus it is the same. Things are broken, and never fixed. We wonder if the other teachers, staff or students ask for things to be repaired. Most likely, I have been told, they give up after asking so many times without result.

It is quite funny really - not what we are used to at all. Perhaps there is a good opportunity for a training school for maintenance men. Sounds like a good idea to me!!!!!

Stone and cement

2008-11-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

When I return to Australia I will enjoy walking on something softer than stone or cement. Here in China, or at least in this part of China there is nothing else to walk on but stone, tiles or cement.

At the university there are only tiled floors - in our apartments, in the offices, in the canteens and other catering places. The foot paths are stone, or cement walk ways. In the class rooms there are tiles. The stairs are stone.

Walking to the bus stop - it is all cement or stone. In the city of Shoaxing it is cement or stone. Never does one walk on timber floors, or on lawns or "ground."

We feel the consequences of this in our feet and our backs. Sometimes after a few hours of teaching in a classroom with tiled floor where we never sit down, we can feel the stress on our bodies.

The Chinese people probably know little different.

If I go to the huge tourist spot across from the university, there too I can expect to walk only on stone or cement.

While everything looks green and the gardens stretch for "miles" there is no where to walk but these hard surfaces.

We have discovered that the Chinese people often do not like to walk on lawn or grass anyway. One teacher took her students out onto a small patch of grass near her class room, but the students would not sit on the grass. They just don't, although I have seen them sitting onplastic sheeting on the ground.

It is hard on the feet. I long to walk on a carpeted floor, a timber floor or just walk around grassy areas.

Squatting

2008-11-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

I marvel at the ability of the Chinese people to squat - sit - with their feet planted flat on the ground. They have had good practice over the years as going to the WC over "squat toilets" or less sophisticated places to "go" they have had to squat. Safely.

I know little children have this ability to squat like that, but as they grow older and don't use the "squatting muscles" etc they lose this ability. Adult westerners find it very difficult to use the Chinese WC's, which is why he always hunt out modern hotels or restaurants hoping that they will have a western style WC.

But this ability to squat for long hours would be most useful. I see the menfolk squatting for long periods playing cards for example, as there is often no where else to sit. Men waiting for the bus or the train, just rest comfortably in a squatting position. If I even tried, my knees would be so painful. I just can't do it.

I do think using these muscles - especially the pelvic floor muscles would have other benefits too. I suspect that women after giving birth would more easily find their bodies returning to "normal", and there could be a reduction in the problems that western women find after childbirth - e.g. requiring repairs because the pelvic muscles had been damaged beyond repair.

Elderly women often suffer as a result of poor pelvic floor muscles, and I think guys do too, but different.

There seem to be items on the shelves in supermarkets for women with bladder issues, so there are obviously enough with these problems here. I don't know the statistics.

All up though, I just wish I had had the ability to squat. I can think of many times when this "gift" would be useful.

I note that the elderly gardeners at the college can squat for long hours when the weed the grass here. Amazing. (Though some do carry little wooden stools.)

Sleep epidemic

2008-11-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

OK, I know that there are many cultures where it is acceptable to sleep during the day. I often wonder why some of the English speaking cultures do not do this. I am also curious about the sleeping habits of Chinese. I just don't understand it.

It doesn't matter where one goes around here, there is always someone sleeping. In offices many folk have a lounge beside their desk for their sleep during the day. In shops it is common to see the shop keeper fast asleep in the store. Shopping at lunch time can be interesting!!!

If one travels on a bus, many of the passengers are asleep - even for short journeys. Certainly on long journeys they tend to sleep most of the trip! If a tour bus passes you will be able to see most of the Chinese passengers sound asleep.

In class, it is common for the students to be sleeping. They might sleep right through the class. It is somewhat annoying for us - but quite acceptable. Now the students in China do have long hours, but they do get sleep time during the day.

Sure, they are up at 6 am for morning exercises, and then have class from 7.30 am. But classes are finished for the morning at 11.35 am and they have a two hour break. Most will sleep. Many do have classes in the afternoon and the evenings, but still I am curious about their need for SO MUCH sleep.

Is their diet adequate? I wonder if they get enough protein. I wonder what they think when they go to the UK, US or Australia. No "siesta."

Policemen marry in the Birds Nest

2008-11-02T01:14:00.001-07:00

You can read the story here on the China Daily website. The Bird's Nest, one of the major Olympic Games venues in Beijing in August 2008, has been a popular tourist spot since the games finished.

But not only tourist wish to visit, but last week 230 policemen who worked in security during the Olympic Games made the Bird's Nest the venue for their wedding. All at the same time.

What a picture that would make and you can check out the photo here.

The article in the China Daily stated that they "tied the knot" - terminology that I know of course, but wondered if it had come from the old Chinese custom of tying a knot at the wedding ceremony. I don't think it is done now, but this photo in a museum in Wuzhen will forever remind me that it was probably words that were taken from Chinese.

Chinese children and sleep.

2008-10-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

Family at Longmen

They are so cute! Little ones are dressed so well - the little boys so handsome and the girls so cute. Of course boys are more welcome in families than girls, although little girls are generally very well loved. With the one child policy it must be hard for the parents as they do need a son to carry on the family name, which is what they must do for their ancestors.

We have heard some very sad tales about families who are devastated about having a little girl and so desperately wanting a son. And little boys are quite spoiled. "Little Emperors" they are often called.

We don't see a lot of prams here, and so many parents, and grandparents carry a sleeping child when they are out. I have no idea what time children usually get up in the mornings, but we see them constantly being carried - awake or asleep.

Also if we are out in the early evening or later at night we see so many little children running around, (or being carried). We wonder what their bed time is. Clearly far later than we would expect most children to be home in bed in Australia. But that's the way it is.

Maybe the reason they need carrying all the time is tha they are always sleepy. Which is something that we find with the university students. They are always wanting to sleep. It is a phenomenon that we don't see back in Australia.

Lawn Mowing

2008-10-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

Here in China there are lots of patches of grass or lawn. The grass looks like the "couch" that is common lawn grass in Australia. In Australia though we mow it. During the growing season - warmer weather - it is often almost a weekly task for the person whose job it is - perhaps the head of the household, the housewife, the teenage sons, or if lucky someone is paid to do it on a regular basis.

Here in China it is not used in the same way. People do sit on it, but strangely we find that only a few people sit on the grass. If they do they often sit on a sheet of newspaper or plastic. I guess we use picnic rugs or similar, but I don't recall actually seeing a picnic rug here.

But my point is that they seldom mow the lawns. The grass grows well and looks rather straggley - not mowed neatly like we Aussies seem to like our lawns. It has been a discussion point in Oz, particularly as most states have water restrictions that make it harder to water the lawns on a regular basis. Here I have never seen the lawns watered. It does rain here frequently and there is no water shortage as our drought stricken country is familiar with.

The college does not own a lawn mower, and on rare occasions I have heard a mower going, and the man comes with his mower and he does the small areas that are mown. They use a variety of mondo type grass here - and it grows in clumps to cover the ground between plantings of trees and shrubs. The clumps of grass are clipped by hand by the regular gardeners here. Not often, but every now and then we will see "Bill and Ben" - which is the term that some of us use for the rather large team of gardeners here - doing the clip.

I wonder if we in Oz could manage to live with a lawn that wasn't mown regularly. It would save on fuel, be better for the environment, and give a longer break to those guys and girls who have the job of regular mowing.

I've thought about our own backyard. We need the lawn mowed for the dog. He's such a small fellow that we'd lose him in long grass, and I wouldn't so easily identify the dreaded cane toads that are in our garden and who pose a real threat to Kramer the dog.

We actually walk on our lawns and the trail of couch grass can trip us up, and long grass would hide snakes.

I have given it some thought - that is thought about how we could manage with our lawns mowed less regularly. I do think we need to plant more mondo grass and things like that - the long mondo grass in particular - and we need to worry less about watering our lawns then.

I do think there is some merit in caring for our lawns the way they do here in China.

2008-10-29T06:23:00.001-07:00

Exercise - congratulations to the Chinese.

2008-10-28T15:59:00.001-07:00

Morning exercise is a daily ritual for many Chinese. Families do it - probably Tai Chi or similar in the morning at home, though many folks go to local parks and you see groups of people doing their routines. Other folk have their own regimes. It is not uncommon to see Chinese people hitting big trees, walking backwards around a park, and doing other routines that I cannot explain.

Students are school participate in daily exercises - and here in this college at 6.20 am exactly every day there are large groups of students on the sports ground, with the aid of recorded music and an "exercise leader" going through their paces.

In some businesses there is an exercise routine performed before starting work - even one of the restaurants that we visit from time to time has all the staff performing to loud music at the front of the building.

I think it is an excellent habit. Well done, my Chinese friends.

Sticky Tape

2008-10-27T18:32:00.001-07:00

We all use sticky tape - but under various names I guess. Cellotape, sticky tape, whatever. One of the world's great inventions I think is sticky tape dispensers. Yes, even the little plastic doo dads that you get when you buy a cheap roll of the stuff. We seem to use sticky tape almost every day, and here is no different.

But one feature here is that there are no dispensers. Nope. Not a one. So every time that you want to use sticky tape, you go through the crazy game of finding the "end" of the tape, so you can hold it and roll out the amount of tape you want. Infernal. Crazy.

Would some one who sells sticky tape dispensers sell the idea to the Chinese? I'm sure they are all made here, but no one uses them.

Strange!

English Language Teaching

2008-10-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

As an English Teacher here in China I have some strong views about what is happening here. It appears that the Americans have been and "indoctrinated" the country with their style of English, which is different to British and Australian English. The slang for example. I can't find it in any books, but I see it everywhere in writing letters to newspapers and students work. Examples such as "I wanna" which seems to be acceptable, and the "and so on." which appears in almost every student's work.

But it is not only that. It is the whole industry. It reeks of corruption and disarray.

I am confused about the Chinese "education system" and wonder if it is a system at all. I find it extra ordinary that "blow ins" as I might call myself and other English teachers that arrive for a semester or two, actually have to write the curriculum and course objectives for a subject at university. With no information. We might have met our students once or twice before we must write this stuff, but it is a nonsense anyway as no one seems to refer to it, or even check that we do it.

Students are forever complaining to us - about various aspects of college. In my own opinion I find it strange that the college/university might be run as a business for profit, and not (that I can see) for the good of education and the students. Classes are oversized, facilities are poor, students live in cramped accomodation, classrooms are filthy with unsuitable furniture for students, and there are limited facilties. And those they have are treated with disdain by students and teachers, although there is a better standard of student coming through now.

To me it seems so chaotic and yet the powers that be are pleased with their efforts. Colleges in other places seem to have similar culture.

I learn that many English teachers have false degrees, and there is a smell of corruption in the system that is almost overpowering. No one checks qualifications, and no one cares. It seems.

Traffic Chaos at weekends.

2008-10-27T04:38:00.000-07:00

There are so many people in China that it is overwhelming for us at times.

Weekends even in Shaoxing city proper can be chaotic. Tour buses arrive, but people come by car, bike, or bus to visit the tourist spots with their friends and families. Great for the tourist spots, but it creates chaos on the roads around these places, and as Saturday and Sunday are big shopping days, it is good to stay away from these busy places at weekends. Hard for us to do, as our days off are Saturday and Sunday!

We have experience this challenge of moving thousands of people all at once in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Shanghai has good Metro or underground rail system, but it is on the roads, and on the footpaths like the Nanjing Walking Street and the Bund at these busy times. Public holidays are chaotic!

I think if you are visiting any of these big cities you need consider this. If you can rest in your hotel at the weekend or public holiday, and do your touring during the week you will find it easier.

All Chinese cities are the same. With a population of 1.3 billion, you can see one of the challenges they face.

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink!

2008-10-26T14:54:00.001-07:00

Coming from the driest continent on earth, Australia, it is staggering to see so much water around. The many rivers which are wide, and flowing well with water is enough to make an Aussie nearly cry. If only we could have so much water - even a small proportion of it.

As well, the canals that flow from the rivers and wend their way around the housing estates, city buildings, and farm lands is a constant reminder of how China has managed its water over the years. In the farm lands, as well as the canals, there are lakes of water, and most farms seem to have their own water - perhaps a dam or lake, or access to a river or canal.

Not only that - it seems to rain often. Good rains too. No wonder they can grow such marvellous gardens here!

Much of the water though is quite polluted. The water is not crystal clear. Much of it is dirty - with visible brown dirty water, and there are many strange weeds, fungus, and floating strange stuff in the water. One would certainly not want to drink it!

But women regularly wash clothes in the canals, and in many places people wash their bodies. Near the river or larger canals it is not uncommon to see men in a state of undress washing off the day's grime.

Everyone carries a water bottle or tea bottle, which is good.

Most older homes do not have the luxury of water and in some places they get their water from a well. Many residences just have cold water running, which is only used for cleaning etc. Drinking water is purchased - usually in huge bottles. Many residences do not have the luxury of a bathroom and have to wash their bodies using a plastic bowl of water.

More modern homes would have running cold water and hot water heaters. I know my students are impressed that we have these facilities in our apartments!

One thing that I believe is that in Australia we have thoroughly wasted water. Even knowing it is the driest continent on earth we have "abused" the water we have. I think we should do more to capture the water when it rains - even to creating reservoirs or lakes (or even canals) in our cities. We really cannot afford to let our rain water escape!

Spitting and Piddling

2008-10-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

When spitting was banned in Beijing before and during the Olympics I had hoped that the news would spread to other places. But it continues and it is grosse.

Men and women clear their throats and spit the mucous - it is on the footpath, on the road, even on the bus, and it is common to see someone driving and just spit out the window. Mainly men, but I have seen women do it. It is a bit confronting when you are sitting eating when this is done. Really awful habit.

Another strange thing is that men stand and piddle. Anywhere. I think it is rather comical in a way that as one drives along the freeway in a bus, you will see cars stopped along the freeway and the man standing having a piddle beside the road. Walls are another place that attract the piddler, but it is just accepted that if a man wants to, he can pee anywhere. I've not seen women doing it in public though.

There are many many public toilets around. In my view there is no need to pee in the street. Or if caught short, at least do it away from view.

Flies

2008-10-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone has flies. Dirty little creatures. China has them too of course, but we note that the preferred way of dealing with them is the fly swat.

That's OK, but it can be disconcerting. Let me explain.

We visited a restaurant one day in the centre of Shaoxing, which displays a plaque that labels it as one of the best restaurants in China in 1985. I don't think it has been updated since, but it just happens to be handy for us sometimes, and we rarely have anything more than a cold drink on a hot day.

The first time I was there, an elderly gentlemen spent the whole time swatting flies and flicking them onto the floor. Whack! Bang! It continued much to our amusement as we sat only feet away from his activities. Whack! Bang! Flick!

The other day I was there again with a friend, who was visiting the restaurant for the first time, and I was telling here about the "Mr Fly Swat" man. And lo, someone else turned up, swat in hand raised to get his next victim.

Food and health

2008-10-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

We "foreigners" often comment on the eating of our Chinese students. They always seem to be eating and they talk frequently about their love of food and concern that they should always be eating healthy fresh food for the good of their health.

It does appear to us that the students are healthy - there are infrequent absences due to sickness, but at the same time we find them tired all the time. Now I know they have a full day. Up at 6.15 am, and classes until 8.30 pm, but their days are not all filled with work. They have a two hour break during the day and like many Chinese people, they sleep during that time. Most do some exercise in the morning - in fact it is part of their culture to regularly exercise. The first year students must attend morning exercise in the sports field, but for the others it is optional.

They certainly eat a lot of rice and noodles, not much meat and in reality not a lot of vegetables unless they choose to eat at certain canteens at the college. They certainly like their buns, and quite a lot of strange snacks that I am unable to identify.

Their is an emphasis on "fresh" food - but we wonder at some of the methods of handing food. In the markets the fresh fruit and vegetables look good - but the water they are washed in is often questionable. If they wash the vegetables in the canals, which we see them do often, we have some concerns. The canal water is often quite polluted. The meat in the markets is open to the flies, and is not refrigerated all the time.

The hot food cooked in the street markets is certainly freshly cooked, but the surrounds are dirty, dusty and full of rubbish. One has to walk gingerly through the piles of foodstuffs to access the food stalls.

In the supermarkets the flies are regular visitors and are often seen sitting on food. Ugh!

The girls are obsessed about being slim, and we are aware of some students who have made themselves ill over their determination not to eat too much and keep their slender bodies. In a similar way to some teenagers here, but there is much pressure on all the girls as they talk about having to be beautiful in a way that I have not heard before.

We wonder if the teenagers are getting enough protein in their diets. There is little meat in their diet.

Certainly our health departments would be astonished at the way food is handled.

I wonder about China's future on the world scene.

2008-10-18T18:19:00.000-07:00

I believe that in China there are too many "short cuts" at times. The melamine in the milk scandal might help to explain what I mean. There seems to be a tradition of "making do", or "doing the least to look the best", or taking the easy way to do something, or to make something, that is not necessarily the safest and best idea long term.

Someone involved in the milk scandal realised that more profit could be made by adding water and melamine to milk, but the consequences of humans ingesting this plastic powder were not thought out properly. Someone must have known, some people must have known, when they started using the melamine, that sooner or later it would be found out. And that there may be consequences of putting such a product into milk. A company which appears to be right in the midst of all this scandal has suffered badly, and so has its employees, and its suppliers. In the end the only ones that "won" were those that made a big profit - and I wonder how much of their profits they have remaining.

The fact that so many people - children - have been affected by the greed of some people - is very distasteful to all who know the story. I believe(and I stand to be corrected if this information is not true), that at leat 4 babies died as a result of the melamine in milk issue, and over 50,000 were treated for health problems as a result of this.

I'd also like to add how disappointed I am that so many women in China (indeed all over the world) choose to have manufactured milk products as their preferred milk preparation for precious little babies when mother's milk - created naturally by the mother's body- is not the preferred method of feeding babies. Sure, I understand the challenges of working mothers and I know that here in China working mothers return to the workforce soon after the baby is born. Other countries in the world have learned that it is best for the mother and baby to take some time to bond.

Is this another "short cut" that is not in the long run the best for the Chinese people? I am not certain that mothers understand the long term consequences of feeding babies and young children on so much processed food. Natural will always be better.

It is only a short time since the scandal of the toys that were manufactured in China - and manufactured NOT to the standards required by the US marketers of such products. Again a terrible scandal for all involved and not a good look for China.

I often wonder if the people of China know that some of the items they purchase here are not of the same standards that are required in countries like USA, Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia. Do Chinese people know that there are higher standards elsewhere, and that they are being a little "short changed" even though the products are made in their own country?

Reflections on China

2008-10-13T16:52:00.001-07:00

I first came to China in February 2009. Wide eyed. I came to teach English at a college. My initial contract was for just over four months, and I came back after the summer holidays. I've considered staying on for another semester when my current contract is over, but some things have occured in the last week or so which has made me reconsider. And I am growing angry about some things that I see here.

Let me expain a little. I have at all times been thankful for the Chinese authorities for allowing me to have this amazing experience. I don't want to cause any trouble, but I feel I need to tell my truth about some things. I've said it is a paradox. On the one hand something is wonderful, but entwined in that wonderment is the negative. For example, I love the street stalls for food. They cook fresh food, to your choice off the back of old rattly tricycles, trucks, or some other wheeled contraption. The food looks and tastes terrific. You can ignore in some sense what back home in our own country would cause healt department officials to almost have apoplexy! I can deal with that. But what I cannot abide is that all the rubbish is dumped at the feet of the stall holder. Egg shells, packaging, peels, old skewers, bowls, and other general rubbish is left right where it was thrown. And it is left there or thrown in the garden.

The same garden of which the Chinese show great pride is filled with an assortment of waste. It looks grosse. It is dirty and unhealthy. It looks disgusting.

See the paradox?