Hello outside world, family and friends.
So life has been a bit on the rougher side. Mostly due to the fact that a week and a half ago, I got sick. I work in a petri dish, a bacterial and viral haven; complete with sauna. It started like any other cold; that tingly feeling in your throat as you're lying in bed one night. You think, "uh oh..." and take some Tylenol before you go to bed in hopes it's some minor irritation or something. Then, you wake up barely capable of uttering a sound. A.K.A.: a teachers worst nightmare. Second only to screaming children and overly involved parents. That first morning I rolled out of bed, crawled to my suitcase where my personal Pharmacy of America was stashed and dug out the dayquil. Thank you Mother, for making sure I packed some. I downed a couple, then continued digging for the cough drops, tissues, elderberry drops, and... the throat coat--the miracle worker. I packed enough to see me through the workday, and shuffled my way to the metro, making an extra
effort not to touch anything or breathe in anyone immediate direction. When you have 25million people packed into a city like sardines contagions spread like melted butter.
In the States, I might have been able to call in sick, and someone would take on whatever responsibilities I had or they would be left until I returned. However, in China, it's a different philosophy. Pay no mind to the fact that we work with kids, and if we get the kids sick, they don't come to class and the company makes no money. That doesn't sound fiscally responsible, but I'm no finance manager. And, in order to call in sick, I need a Doctors note (what is this, 7th grade gym class?)... and that isn't going to happen unless I'm nearly dead, because, well.... it's me. So, like any adult, I silently suffered through the day. Okay, not silently... I spent a good part of the day hacking up a lung or two, the other half sneezing my brains out. It was awesome.
On my way home I stopped by the store and paid 45RMB for Progresso Vegetable Soup...... I paid $7.09 for SOUP! WHAT?!?!?! But it was all I could find that sounded remotely recognizable as food. And because I'm sick, it's even easier to justify spending money on things that just sound good, are comforting and remind me of home. So I trudge my way home, enjoy some overpriced soup, down some NyQuil and pass out. This trend continues over the next few days. I spend my weekend sick... I complain about the inability to find tomato soup (which at this point had been craving for DAYS!) then my friend send me a picture of... CAMPBELLS TOMATO SOUP!! ...ON A STORE SHELF! Even better, the store wasn't far from my apartment! So, I pull myself together long enough to make the 15 minute trip. I stock up on cans of tomato soup, some bread and cheese, then head back to make the most delicious meal I've had (comfort food always "tastes" better when you're miserable, even
if you can't really taste anything...) I think this marked the turning point to get me on the road to recovery.
But the funny thing about that road: in China... it's much longer than in the States. I can fully kick a cold in about a week Stateside. In China, we're nearly at the 2 week mark and it's still there reaking it's germy havoc every so often. Many of my coworkers have experienced the lingering cold as well and have reported, "it's a thing here."
More observations...
Front porch sitting is a thing here. Except it's more... sidewalk sitting.
There are some evenings I go out on the town and I fumble my way through French more than I speak English.
Teachers and Students share bathrooms. They don't really care about it like we do in the States/"West".
Teachers can hug/pat/punish students.I morally choose not to physically punish any student of mine, ever (I'll leave that to my Chinese counterparts, if they feel the situation calls for it). But I'm glad I can hug the little tykes without fear of some parent getting all legal on me. I think understanding the importance, power, and boundries of physical touch is a key part of a child's education. So, I'm glad to see the positive aspects of physical interaction in the teacher-student relationships here.
I talk to Chinese people who don't know English (or have a limited vocabulary) all the time. Somehow, it works. It's harder, and we have to slow down our interaction, but it can be done! We by means talk about anything deep or poetic, that's is a bit tougher. But you can communicate with people who speak other languages! 90% of communication is body language and facial expressions anyway! Who needs spoken word! PSH! Overrated!
All stereotypes ever will be both confirmed and denied. Either way, it's kind of magical.
Don't expect to have your own table at a fast food restaurant. Or most restaurants that aren't "high-end". Ain't nobody got space for that.
They play a LOT of country western music here.... and it boggles my mind....
The city never sleeps. Yeah, the metro stops running between 23:00 & 5:00, but people will be out all night and return home after the metro opens again. No joke. I have yet to attempt this. I'm not sure what I would do for all that time.... apart from sleep...
Most everyone here from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand are here teaching English. You stop asking after a while. 'Cause you know. And they know you know. And you know, they know, you know. You know?
It's really easy to forget you're in China. I was sitting in a cafe the other night with some coworkers listening to a bunch of Westerners jam on drums, piano, turntables, electric violins, flutes, guitars, rapping and singing their hearts out. I could have been in SE Portland....
You get frustrated about a lot of weird, little things you've never really thought about or had to deal with before (Like any cooking instructions that might happen to be in English, are in liters and grams...) Then you remember you're in freakin' CHINA!! And then you're okay.
People not from America are always SO surprised when an American can speak a second language.... guys, we have a bad reputation when it comes to learning languages, we should fix this.
You get used to Netflix buffering all the time. Best time to watch? During the workday, between 10-1700 when you're home on your days off, ridding yourself of a cold. Got through a whole season of Orphan Black without a hitch. Then it quickly ended as people got off work...
Apparently to Chinese people, I look French. I always hear them saying "Ta shi faguo ren" around me, which means "She is French." To which I interject; "Wo bu shi faguo, wo shi meiguo." I am not French, I am American. Apparently all Americans are overweight, wear cowboy hats and only come in one pasty shade. Truly. They don't believe my friend when she tells them that: Yes, she is American and yes, America has black people. They tell her she is wrong and she is from Africa. Oh, China....
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