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While perusing through past reports in search of inspiration for this momentous 3rd Quarterly Report, I stumbled upon Julia Nierengarten's gem of an observation: "No matter how often you have used a squat toilet, you still accidentally pee on your own foot once in a while." How wise you are, Ms. Nierengarten. This month has really been characterized by approaching all of the challenges of last semester (communicating in Chinese, teaching interesting and purposeful classes, establishing a pattern in my life, meeting new people, and planning my future) with a new perspective and eagerness.
And so, this is a report about some not-quite-so-new beginnings…
School
Austin and I completed our third week of second semester last Friday. We switched students, and while I desperately miss the students with whom I had finally started to feel really comfortable (especially the class of all 12-year old girls who looked at me like I was a cross between a saint and a movie star), I am quite excited by this opportunity to begin anew with the skills I have had a chance to develop. I'm really hoping to teach with a little more purpose and intentionality this semester - pick out certain skills and areas of English that I want my students to develop.
Of course, with new students, come new classroom management challenges. While most of my classes are pretty respectful and participate well, there are two classes that particularly stand out. One of my Junior I (equivalent of 7th grade) classes has 30 students who have some sort of unspoken pact to act as ridiculous as possible in spoken English class. Most of the time, I can handle a little too much talking, and the students are generally good-natured about their misbehavior. The talking is more a product of an insane amount of repressed energy that is dying to be exerted than any deliberate disrespect. The other class, Senior I (equivalent of 10th grade), has the opposite problem. I think I could be dying on the floor and they wouldn't make a sound. It's been really difficult to get them to talk and participate in class, but I think a few are starting to come around. And, frankly, considering I have them right after the Junior I class, the silence is a little welcome.
While I won't take this time to boast about all of my other classes, there is one class that is particularly noteworthy. My other section of the Junior I's happens to be all boys. This is the other half of the all-girl class I mentioned above. I had been dreading a classroom full of 12-year old boys ever since I realized that one-day I would have to trade in my all-girl class for Austin's all-boy class. But, I'm pleased to say, that they are quickly becoming my favorite group. My biggest challenge with them is getting them to not participate so much or so eagerly. One boy, who sits in the front row, is particularly eager to speak English, getting so excited that he will be standing up for at least half of the class. The boys hush each other when I need them to listen, remind each other to speak English, and will offer up creative and lengthy answers. After my experiences with the girls and the boys in separate classes, I really have become a supporter of single-sex classrooms at the middle-school age.
Traveling
The end of January and all of February where full of adventure for Austin and me. Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) occurred on February 18th this year. This means the weeks prior to and after the day were filled with travelers. With this and Austin's and my Taiyuan traveling experience (see 1st Quarterly Report) in mind, I thought it would be wise to travel outside of China. I was lucky to find cheap enough tickets to Indonesia where I met Elena Yesner '06, who is teaching high school English on a Fulbright Grant. A friend and I worked our way South from Shanghai seeing Guilin, Yangshuo, and Macau on the way there. It was nice to see Sophie Nye '06 (the Macau Fellow) and get a glimpse of Grinnell Corps in Macau, although I was sad to have missed David Degeest '06. The Macau and Nanjing fellowships really are quite different and it was really interesting to see Macau from Sophie's perspective.
I've come to appreciate the two weeks I spent in Indonesia as incredibly important in my return to Nanjing. We spent one day in Bali with some more Fulbright teachers and then headed to a series of tiny islands for a little over a week. The calm, hot, clean atmosphere of an Indonesian island couldn't be farther from the crazed, cold, wet, and polluted atmosphere of Nanjing. When we got back to Elena's city, Bandung, she took us to school to show us off to her students. We told them all that we used to sing together in college and then performed a few songs ("Wagon Wheel" and "Bright Morning Star" to be precise) for them. I hope that helped Elena earn cool points with her students. It was really exciting for me to see how the Indonesian schools are structured and what the facilities are like. In many respects, they are pretty similar to the Chinese - classes of around 50, the students stay in the same classroom all day, and the students are pretty obedient. There were some differences, however, that
made me appreciate my position here even more. For example, classes start on time, give or take 15 minutes. The oral English teachers teach with an Indonesian teacher, which makes it much less their classroom and can even undermine their credibility a bit. It was amazing to spend time outside of China and gain some more insight into my life here. I am happy to say that
I returned to Nanjing, rejuvenated and ready to have an excellent, busy, and hopefully productive semester, trying many of the things I have pushed aside.
Life
I guess that's a good segue in to how everyday life has been going lately. Austin and I have been incredibly lucky to have had practically no negative situations worth reporting. But, no one is immune to China's very strange bureaucracy that seems to permeate nearly every aspect of life here. I was surprised to receive an e-mail from Austin a few days prior to my return to Nanjing, urgently titled "We are moving, and we're doing it now!" Considering that Austin and I were the only residents in Xi Yuan (the former international student dormitory) for the previous two months, it was no surprise to us that they had begun a massive renovation in the three weeks I had been gone. I was a little less than happy to have a 22-hour window to pack all of my stuff and move into the neighboring dorm. But, on moving day, I was so astonished by the rapid deterioration of the building that my anger turned into cynical humor. The hallways were absolutely covered in rubble, broken glass, broken wood, trash, and some
strange liquid coming from the broken radiators. By my last trip up to the room on the 17th floor, the elevator was in such a horrible state that I opted for the stairs. Now, Austin and I are comfortably moved into our new warm rooms with our own bathrooms in a building where other people actually live. Unfortunately, I do not think next year's fellows will be living here, but I will try my best to leave them all of the presents I inherited when I came.
I'm happy to say, that my Western food urges have calmed in the past month, and Chinese food is surely acquiring a sense of comfort. I'm trying to venture to new establishments and have already found the best wonton soup imaginable. It must have loads of MSG. And, I've started getting up early enough to eat the breakfast street food again. But, the dumpling man who diligently stays up all night every night still has a special place in my heart.
In addition to trying more food, I joined a yoga class today with Fang Laoshi (the wonderful woman in charge of Austin and me). The yoga class was alright, but it was the aerobics class, preceding yoga, that was truly inspirational. The instructor was possibly younger than me and designed the class around her clubbing (dance) moves. All that the class was missing was a smoke machine, lasers, the "Numa Numa" song, and some sketchy guys. I've also started taking Chinese painting lessons, again, an interesting experience. I don't know how you can actually teach a painting class by lecture and demonstration (rather than participation and experimentation), but the Chinese have certainly found a way. My bamboo shoots are starting to look ok, though, and I'm really excited to be moving onto rocks tonight.
And so I am thrilled to be beginning these last three months with a growing appreciation for the people I have met and experiences I have had here, as well as a renewed dedication to making the absolute most of my time. I recall a question I was asked just about a year ago. One of the Nanjing Fellowship Selection Committee members asked me how my year in Nanjing will affect my future career. I'm sorry to say, I'm still not quite sure, but I'm really starting to get an idea. While in many ways I feel that I am back where I was a year ago - not at all sure where I will be 7 months - I am beginning to see how my life may unfold. So, again, thank you to all of the people who have been so supportive, helpful, and encouraging this year: Austin Lewis Dean, Fang Laoshi, Doug Cutchins, the entire Grinnell delegation, NDFZ, Nanjing University, my family, all of you Grinnellians discovering your own adventures.
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