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April 18
This darn computer is a real pain in the neck. I typed in your address
and bang it sent off the email that I was about to compose. It is a rather
temperamental beast. I wasn't ready for it to go as I hadn't even started
the body of the letter. However, here I am and I am hoping that this one
doesn't come back to me. I am well in China and rather enjoying the country
and the people. It is a real culture shock but one you can get used to
I should think. Beijing is a huge city and we are on the very edge of
the north-west. It takes about 20 minutes to get from the hotel. Better
words would be "dormitory" or "barracks". However,
it is comfortable and I can last the term. I am quite certain, at this
time at least, that I shall break my contract at the end of one year and
come back. This can be done without penalty because the Government issues
me a visa for one year at a time. Lucky me. However, as I get to be more
comfortable with the language, I, might change my mind.
Bejing is on the receiving end of pollution from Mongolia where desertification
is extremely serious. The dirt and sand that comes is dreadful. Also the
streets are crammed with cars, other vehicles, tricycles, bicycles, pedestrians
etc. etc. etc. Every driver here honks the ruddy horn, so you can imagine
the cacophony of noises. It is ear shattering and I detest it. The people
also have a horrid habit of hacking and spitting even on the floors of
restaurants. It is totally disgusting. I have told some of the Chinese
people that if they wish to be on a par with the Western World then they
bloody well have to curb that despicable habit. They hear me! The weather
has been very good up until a couple of days ago and did the temperature
ever drop. It is cold at present but the summers are hot. June, I am told
hits above 40oC. I think that I shall die.
I shall keep in touch, if I can get this email through.
All the best
Reg
May 11
Tell everyone at home that I am well and have not contracted SARS at this
point. The Chinese denied that the disease existed and did all sorts of
cover ups. When the truth did leak out the old fear factor came in with
a vengeance and things have been paranoid with them ever since. The University
was so terrified that they closed the English Language Department. I and
the other teachers were sacked! What a surprise and yet I had a feeling,
which I expressed to the others, that we were going to be released. They
(University) felt that if one of us contracted SARS then they would all
be shut down ad lose all their jobs. Can you understand that sort of logic?
Neither can I. However, I am not returning to Canada just yet. Thanks
to the Internet I was able to see many ads for teachers. I I prioritized
them to one, made contact and was hired immediately. I am moving the end
of May to Hefei which is three provinces south of Beijing and will be
teaching in a private! e middle school. The accommodations are far superior
to what I have now and I enjoy middle school. Apparently they also have
adult classes so I may get a chance to teach some of these as well.
I shall keep in touch and let you know what is happening. At this point
I do not know how much longer I shall have access to a computer but I
do know that in my new place I shall again have access.
Love China and the people so pass that on to everyone as well.
Sincerely
Reg
May 26
Just a short message to let you know that I am well and intend to stay
that way. Because of SARS, the University wing of the Foreign Language
Studies cancelled the program and we were all "sacked". It was
not a shock to me as I suspected that it was going to happen. I had warned
the others but they didn't believe my premonitions. Their loss!
However, I was not prepared to leave China so after a brief search on
the internet, courtesy of one of the other teachers, I selected from a
list of three, one that I would consider. If this one didn't work out
then I would come home. Two days later I had the position. I am going
to a private middle school in Hefei, Anhui Province, which is a 2 hour
plane ride from here. Unfortunately, we have ben quarantined on the "Gulag"
although we can get out with a special bus. I go out every day just to
get out. However, I will be in quarantine and total isolation where I
am heading for two weeks. I am sure that I shall be going up the bloody
wall. Let me out! Let me out! I shall not have access to a computer there,
either, so it makes for a torturous time I should think.
I shall miss Beijing. There are certain things about this city that I
like. Fortunately, I have seen most of the tourist things,
Take care
Reg
June 18, 2003
Here is hoping that everything back in Canada is running smoothly. Here
it is okay and so am I. I have a position in a private school in Hefei
in the Province of Anhui. The city is much smaller than Beijing of course
but it is still quite beautiful. Situated on the 32nd parallel, you can
imagine that it is quite hot and it is. It seems to be quite humid as
well but that is not much different from where we live in Ontario. However,
the nights are gorgeous. There is a beautiful breeze that comes in every
evening and it makes life well worth living.
Hefei, like a lot of places in China, is undergoing a real facelift. There
is tremendous construction going on and where we are the place 4 years
ago was a rice paddy. A new University has been constructed, or I should
say, is in the process of construction, just a couple of blocks away.
There is another very large Private School just across the street. This
area is referred to as "New Hefei" as large apartments are going
up and by the end of this year there is a monstrous retail outlet opening
up. It will make shopping very easy.
The School has an interesting school year. The students are boarded here
and thus classes run for 10 days and that is followed by them going home
for 4 days. It is great because I am able to go traveling to nearby cities
that are not far away such as Nanjing and Shaghai etc. for short outings.
I find things incredibly reasonable here in Hefei unless the goods are
imported and then they are triple or even more than they are in Canada.
As an example, a gillette razor blade (ONE!!!) will run you around $8.
Samsonite suitcase in Beijing ran anywhere past $800 to as much as $1500
whereas a Chinese model can be had for well under $100 along the same
quality . I obtained food at the cafeteria-rice, vegetable and meat for
1.1 Yuan. In Cdn. that is less than 16 cents. I cannot buy the food for
that price.
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I was quarantined for 15 days, thanks to coming from Beijing and SARS.
I thought that I would go up the wall with boredom. I am not accustomed
to being penned in so it was quite an ordeal. I read a book a day and
some of them were books that I wouldn't even crack the covers on in
other circumstances. The nurse came twice a day to take my temperature.
Thank goodness that is over.
So, I am still in china and am really liking it. In September, I begin
Chinese lessons. I have met my teacher and the lessons are being paid
for by the School. Now that is a real deal. I shall study hard ad I
don't want them to think that Canadians cannot learn. Also, not speaking
the native language is a real handicap. It makes one feel like a total
imbecile and I don't like that at all.
All the best to everyone and I shall keep you posted as to what is happening
in my life. P.S. I shall be teaching English to Gr. 7 - 8 students.
The High School students have Chinese teachers for English.
Take care
Reg
Don't let the "Subject" fool you as I am back in Hefei not
Canada. I was asked to teach a course in Shanghai. I taught it here
in Hefei and thought that there would be no way that I would repeat
that experience. The course is called "Crazy English" and
was patented by a fellow by the name of Li Yang. (Li is his surname
as that is the way the Chinese all say their names). He was having great
difficulty with English and came up with a system that has made him
a fortune and also has made his name recognized over a very large area.
It is based on 'speaking loudly, speaking very fast and speaking often'.
The amazing thing is that it works. From failing English he returned
to University and to graduate with top honours in the English sessions.
The course is intensive. It is broken into 3 Camps, the first being
very poor speakers, a middle and a much higher level of English. For
this course I was in Shanghai. Unfortunately I was not in the City but
in the country 2 hours away. In China there are 6 areas that are City
States i.,e Bejing, Hong Kong etc. The students that I had ranged in
age from 6 to 37. They have 10 and1/2 hours a day for 11 days straight.
It is grueling! My sessions ran for 2 hours at a time. I started my
day at 6 a.m. tutoring the Staff and 6 adult students who joined my
"free" sessions. they went to 7:30 when we had aa 1/2 hour
opening session and then breakfast. My official classes went from 4
to 6 and from 7-9 at night. Oh, yes, there is no curriculum for the
foreign teacher! Oh! Oh! Oh!-recognize that line from a Primer many
years ago, Mary Margaret? I worked my butt off I can assure you. Amazingly
the students, teachers and staff loved what I did. I also was the foreign
teacher for the classes here in Hefei. Typical of Chinese systems, I
was not asked until 2 days before the course started and then discovered
after agreeing to do it that there were no materials. I vowed that I
would not teach the course again. Again, before the course in Shanghai
started a phone call came through to here asking me if I would please
come to Shanghai to teach the course. They were willing to send a taxi
all the way from Shanghai (7 hours away! and return me back to Hefei.)
Fortunately 20 students from this area had signed up to go and they
were going by bus. I was not going to go that distance in a taxi and
back. What a horrid waste of money. I agreed to go and also would come
on the bus. Why did I agree? Stupidity, perhaps. However, all the teachers
who were at the course in Hefei were from Shanghai and as well there
were 25 students from there who had come to the course here. They were
heads above this area in their language and were such great people.
Also, I wanted to see Shanghai and what a "cheap" way to do
it. I had the most wonderful students imaginable. They were so kind
to me and accepted me as their own. I have a great deal of respect for
this Country and for its people. In their evaluations, my name came
up constantly as their favourite teacher. Can you imagine that?!!!
We had one day when we travelled to Shanghai City. At the course here
in Hefei, the teachers told me that I was wasting my talents in this
place and that I should be teaching at the University of Foreign Languages
in Shanghai and that they would make efforts to get me a position there.
I have a contract to fulfill here and my professional side would not
let me break the contract and leave. However, Shanghai is definitely
the place where I want to be. what a City! It is amazing and the people
are so Western thinking. I know that I will be applying for a position
at the University. I think that I missed my calling and should have
made the jump to the University level a long time ago. I truly enjoy
working with adult students.
Weather here has been brutal. Unlike what you are enduring, here records
of over 60 years are being smashed by the high temperatures and extreme
humidity. One wakes up totally soaked in the morning and you stay that
way all day. The temp has finally dropped into the mid 30's.For many
days we were at 39oC. The mosquitoes are brutal and they leave such
wretched marks on you and they hurt as opposed to itching. Some of the
students were sporting huge welts from the bights. I received my share
as well.Why should I be different, right? They really like to nail you
when you are sleeping.
Classes for the High School students have begun this morning. I feel
sorry for them in this heat and there is no air conditioning in those
classrooms.My classes begin Sept. 1st and that is not so far away now.
Friends of mine are coming to China in the latter part of September.
Their son lives in China, is married to a Chinese lady and recently
had a son. I am hoping that I am off for the 4 days that we get after
teaching for 10 straight days at a stretch so that I can go to Beijing
to see them. I am trying to encourage them to see Shanghai as it is
a city that should be on everyone's agenda. The buildings are so tall
and so beautifully designed. The architecture is incredible to say the
least. The buildings along the waterfront afford one a beautiful view
especially from the very high Oriental Pearl T. V. tower.
Hoping that all in RTO/ERO and the Museum School are in great health.
I think of my fabulous friends in Canada, count my blessings and am
lucky (as well as brazen) to be in China. BUT, I shall be back. Oh,
dear.
Sincerely
Reg
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