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These last few months have continued to fly by, with each one passing more quickly than the last. Although I can't exactly say that living in Nanjing has become easy, my ever-increasing confidence at navigating daily life has made living here much more comfortable. I feel like I have even been able to achieve a certain level of fluency in behavior, if not language. This fluency seems most apparent in my
Teaching
More than ever before, I am able to talk about things that are important to my students: video games, cartoon characters, pop stars, recent movies, holidays and current events. Regardless of the direction I take in each lesson, dropping the name of a popular video game or singer has done wonders for managing classes and getting students on my side. Even without this extra help, though, I still feel in a much better place professionally than I was last year. Instead of struggling to come up with more ideas at the end of the semester, I found myself trying to cram as much into my lessons as possible. I easily had more material than I could use in a single period on Thanksgiving, for instance. Between digital pictures of the meal my parents made for me this summer, movie clips, an activity on "how to prepare a turkey," and all my old notes, I was able to customize classes and engage the students more easily than I did for the same lesson last year.
I have, of course, had my fair share of classroom disappointments as well. But the material I now have to draw from has allowed me to both improve old lessons and try out new ones. The Junior 2s seemed to enjoy learning about sarcasm, which served as a great springboard for considering how intonation and inflection can also convey meaning in English. The older (Senior 2) students got much more out of improvisation exercises, which challenged their reaction time and pushed them to speak as well as think more quickly. It was one of the most successful lessons I had with the seniors, the majority of whom usually say nothing and allow a few motivated students to carry the group. I feel like I have been harnessing my youngest students' energy more productively as well. After a few exasperating classes with Junior 1s who always steered lessons off-track, I finally just asked if any of them had questions. Ultimately, this became one of the best discussion / conversation classes I have ever taught, with everyo
ne engaged and participating the way I had originally envisioned before ever setting foot in a classroom.
It has been helpful to observe a colleague's teaching as well. The biggest difference I noticed between their class and the ones I teach (besides the fact that students read their books / did worksheet exercises for much of the time) was that discipline was MUCH better in the Chinese teacher's English class. Students were completely silent for long stretches of time, despite the fact that there are nearly twice as many of them (60) as in my own classes. Students answered questions almost immediately if they were called on and paid rapt attention whenever the teacher spoke. I certainly don't want my own classes to be as structured as the one I observed; it would be difficult to achieve this anyway since our grades don't go on a permanent record. But I would still like to spend less time policing and more time teaching. After sitting in on a class, I have held my students to higher standards of behavior and classes since then have become more productive. I would highly recommend that future fellows obser
ve a class or two early on; it was very insightful, even after having already taught here for a full year.
And All That Jazz
Thanks to my previous experience, I knew a little bit of what to expect when it came time for Vicki and I to sing and dance our way through the Christmas Show. This year, however, instead of performing "Do, a Dear" for the second time in a row (and the third time in four years), Vicki and I found ourselves writing, directing and choreographing a short baseball skit. Although the skit was initially the source of quite a few headaches while we struggled to understand exactly what role we were expected to play in the process, I think it was ultimately helpful in explaining the sport to the rest of the school. Everyone knew of our baseball lessons, but few had caught more than a few glimpses of our games, if any at all.
Another nice change from last year's freezing cold Christmas show held on-campus was that this year's performance took place off-campus and thankfully, indoors. NDFZ #11 seems to be splashing out on events more this year than it has before. The school's sports day, for example, was at a much nicer location-the Wu Tai Shan sports complex-than it was last year, at Nan Da. I'm not sure of the reason for this, but it seems to be consistent with the development that still progresses at an amazing pace throughout Nanjing. Even around Xi Yuan the pace of "development" (construction) seems to have picked up again, but at least it has moved back outside.
Returning… Again
I returned to the states to visit my family at the end of the semester just as they came to visit me last Christmas. It was fantastic to spend time with my parents and see how much my sisters have grown since I saw them in the summer; I'm sure waiting an entire year would have given me an even bigger shock! I celebrated Christmas with everyone (albeit in January), and have already started visiting members of my extended family, catching up with old friends and eating lots of cheese, pretzels, and pizza as well as Italian and Mexican food.
This time, one of my biggest surprises after coming back to the states has been the intensity with which I have already missed China. Maybe this is partly due to having just been in the states less than half a year ago (which doesn't seem like such a long time to be away anymore). It may also be partly due to the alienation I mentioned in my last report and feeling less of a connection with America than I ever have before. In any case, it has been nice to daydream about Nanjing from St. Louis, and if nothing else this has made me appreciate how much I will truly miss China when I finally leave. I'm sure I'll miss hearing the electronic tunes of street cleaning cars when they make their late-night circuits on Beijing Xi Lu. I already do miss being able to get around the city by hopping on my bike or taking a bus-without a car, my mobility here has been severely restricted. I even found myself craving some quick, tasty jiaozi from the street vendor outside Xi Yuan only a day or two after I got back. I mi
ss the physical activity that is so much more a part of my daily life in China. Not long after arriving in St. Louis, I was so full of nervous energy that I had to ride my bike around the nearby track to calm down, even though it was raining and freezing cold; I still feel antsy at many times throughout the day. I'm also unaccustomed to the relative peace and quiet; even though I have a pretty big family, when the house does fall silent I catch myself listening for background traffic or construction sounds that just aren't there.
Perhaps most of all, I miss the unpredictability of living in China. As much as I have complained about the construction, the peculiarities of travel and the last-minute way we find out about our work schedule, I really do miss the adventure and excitement that is inseparable from this uncertainty. I miss waking up in the morning and never knowing what will happen on my way to work, who I will run into at the supermarket, what new buildings will sprout up or disappear around town, or the next friend I will make from a new country at Xi Yuan. The constant change that initially gave me so much trouble at the beginning of my first year is now something I miss; by comparison, the states seem, well, a little boring.
Since getting back, I have also spent a significant amount of time working on graduate school applications. Although I began the process before returning, it has been much easier to finish applying in the states than it was to begin the process in China. I have been able to call offices during normal business hours without staying up until midnight, send and receive faxes and e-mails on the same day and use a much more reliable, faster internet connection at my parent's house. Even something as simple as mailing in a completed application was much easier via U.S.P.S. than it would have been through the Gu Lou post office.
I'm sure I could have successfully applied from abroad if I needed to, but the time I spent on my applications in the states drastically improved them, my personal statement in particular. This has really been the first opportunity I have had to critically gauge my writing ability since I started living in China. I am proud of the writing skills I learned at Grinnell, so it was a shock to realize just how bad they had become over the past year and a half. Composing my personal statement in an environment of Chinglish rather than English proved far more challenging than any logistical problem. Fortunately, returning to the states has afforded me much better access to friends and family whose English has not depreciated nearly as much as mine has. I am indebted to everyone who helped me in this process: my supervisors and professors for writing recommendations, my friends for giving much-needed feedback on my personal statement and my family for putting up with my monopoly of the computer and internet for
many long hours as soon as I returned. Thank you.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Traveling between the U.S. and China (and back again) has made me consider how I maintain relationships from afar, both with friends and family in the United States and with international friends when I'm in the U.S. Regular communication throughout the year certainly serves an essential purpose in maintaining connections, but there is something special about having a physical reminder of a relationship. Although this may be fairly obvious, gift-giving seems to take on special significance when someone is half a world away. I think I have appreciated giving and receiving Christmas and birthday presents even more than usual for this very reason. Thanks to those of you who have sent me anything in China-it makes my week (if not more) every time I get real mail. This year I have also found myself in a position to reinforce bonds not only between myself and others, but between my family and the Chinese teachers they met last year as well. Maybe that's what Santa is really all about… Especially in China, gi
fts can bridge cultural gaps the way few things can. And when someone is half a world away, phone calls, letters and even e-mails can be gifts, too (which I hope to send out soon after finishing this). If you're interested in receiving anything, a great way to remind me would be with a little something of your own :-) I hope to hear from you soon!
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