2005-04-28 - 2:56 p.m.
lots to talk about. lets see. Teaching is really fun, and I like my class a LOT. I must admit I got this job by nepotism (isn't it wonderful!!!)
I don't know if I explained how I got my job, but I will do so again if I have.
I'm on the airplane coming to china with criss and the kids. Now I came to china with my wife to be a tourist, babysitter, and housecleaner (ours). My wife was hired at an incredible salary to teach composition. In the week before we came, my wife had to go to Fort Hayes Kansas to do her orientation.
She met a very nice woman there who is a fellow professor who was coming to SIAS. So they hit it off. During this week, (apparenlty) criss could not stop talking about me (how wonderful I am, how smart, funny, etc...) and this friend got to know me. She was also supposed to teach American Cinema for Fort Hayes. (they wanted her to teach 4 classes of composition, and then teach 3 classes of Cinma on top of it). The professor for cinema was also going to china. So the friend tells the professor about me at a Cooperative Teacher.
I'm sitting in the 747 next to the kids while people are loading. The friend is walking down the isle to her seat with the professor in the section behind us, when the professor goes "So you are Billy! I need a Cooperative Teacher for cinema, and I hear that you will be perfect, I ..... ... " (because she is still walking to her seat, so i can't hear her anymore.)
Cooperative teacher for cinema? American Cinema? You want me to teach Culture through movies? I can do that! I love that idea. So that is how I got the job. I got it because my wife is friends with someone who didn't want extra class hours, who knew the professor, who heard about me, and thought i was great. I's gots a reputation!
I must be doing things right. According to our liason between Fort Hayes and all 3 of their schools in china, I'm the in the top 2 CT's in china. That and a dollar will get me a soda (but it does bring a smile to my face).
More news.
Criss and Rita (the friend) will be going to beijing (bay j (hard j sound) ing) for a week over may holiday, leaving this afternoon, and coming back on next saturday (we hope, they don't have a return ticket yet, and won't get one until they get to beijing).
We are hiring 3 to 5 chinese students as tutors for the kids. We have the calvert home schooling stuff, but never have the time to get it all done. So we will hire tutors who have good english skills to get the time, and to focus the kids on their school work. Thank goodness we are in china, because we can afford it here.
Summer plans. we will stay here until the last week of july, and then go back to the states for about 3 weeks to a month. why? There is a summer session of intensive english, and I want to work it (they will give a months salary, and one free round trip ticket to the west coast for christmas break. Take that free round trip ticket, land in LAX, get on the train, and the next day I'm in flagstaff
Will
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Voice of Will: Chinglish
2005-04-20 - 6:23 p.m.
I really love the english signs in china. Here is one from the local department store in Zhengzhou (it is new, so it has english signs)
"Reading on toilet is a bad habit, which will prolong the time of defication and cuse hemrrhoids."
Or Handisapped. On the bathroom door
or fraid ice cream/fraid rice
or Condiment for no baby
or diahreaah(actual spelling) tea/lose weight tea (on one side of the box, and the other side)
or Smoking is the silent killer (picture, one side a nice family holding a baby, the shadows show the man who is smoking with a dripping butcher knife standing over the bodies of his wife and childs shadow.)
or the actual physical description on how to use a western toilet, with directions on when to lift the seat
or the sign at a local WC over western toilet. "sit. deficate."
or the name "blah blah blah" for a western clothes shop in zhengzhou
or the resturant "fornicators" (I'm not joking, haven't went in yet)
or Heroin for an ice cream shop (maybe shot?)
or the "undertaker" for the title of the doctor at a clinic in town.
or the SIAS Happy Bar (on campus, only serves soft drinks and bad ice cream)
or these words used by students
carp (found in a bathroom)
ture for true
testicles for textiles/tenticles
Tart means a cheapskate
Mayonaise is the oil of the olive
I really love the english signs in china. Here is one from the local department store in Zhengzhou (it is new, so it has english signs)
"Reading on toilet is a bad habit, which will prolong the time of defication and cuse hemrrhoids."
Or Handisapped. On the bathroom door
or fraid ice cream/fraid rice
or Condiment for no baby
or diahreaah(actual spelling) tea/lose weight tea (on one side of the box, and the other side)
or Smoking is the silent killer (picture, one side a nice family holding a baby, the shadows show the man who is smoking with a dripping butcher knife standing over the bodies of his wife and childs shadow.)
or the actual physical description on how to use a western toilet, with directions on when to lift the seat
or the sign at a local WC over western toilet. "sit. deficate."
or the name "blah blah blah" for a western clothes shop in zhengzhou
or the resturant "fornicators" (I'm not joking, haven't went in yet)
or Heroin for an ice cream shop (maybe shot?)
or the "undertaker" for the title of the doctor at a clinic in town.
or the SIAS Happy Bar (on campus, only serves soft drinks and bad ice cream)
or these words used by students
carp (found in a bathroom)
ture for true
testicles for textiles/tenticles
Tart means a cheapskate
Mayonaise is the oil of the olive
Monday, April 18, 2005
Voice of Will: Kareoke night
2005-04-18 - 12:53 p.m.
Ah kereoke night.
Yes you just read that. Now picture the scene. We are off campus about a block away in a local chinese bar. Singing kereoke. To get the fill of the atmosphere, picture a room so full of smoke you need a cigarette just to breath. It isn't just smoky, no it is like a wall of smoke that you can physically push through to get in. We had 3 smokers with us, they didn't light up the whole night, that is how smoky this bar was.
so we start looking throught the kereoke disks, and realize they suck. Well after a few drinks, the kereoke isn't too bad. Unfortunately for us that few drinks took about an hour while listening to toooooo many people who think they are the next stevie wonder in chinese. Horrible. I mean god awful. At one point, I offered someone 50 RMB to shut the hell up. didn't take me up on it, I wish he had. So I got my revenge, I sang. Should have seen him run out of there. I have now driven off customers from a chinese bar, they will probably never go back. He had it coming.
But some of our friends had brought their own kereoke cd's that criss had gotten them when she was in the states. So not too bad. finally able to relax for a few hours, have a few drinks, and dance with my wife. all in all a good night, and a good time was had by all.
Ah kereoke night.
Yes you just read that. Now picture the scene. We are off campus about a block away in a local chinese bar. Singing kereoke. To get the fill of the atmosphere, picture a room so full of smoke you need a cigarette just to breath. It isn't just smoky, no it is like a wall of smoke that you can physically push through to get in. We had 3 smokers with us, they didn't light up the whole night, that is how smoky this bar was.
so we start looking throught the kereoke disks, and realize they suck. Well after a few drinks, the kereoke isn't too bad. Unfortunately for us that few drinks took about an hour while listening to toooooo many people who think they are the next stevie wonder in chinese. Horrible. I mean god awful. At one point, I offered someone 50 RMB to shut the hell up. didn't take me up on it, I wish he had. So I got my revenge, I sang. Should have seen him run out of there. I have now driven off customers from a chinese bar, they will probably never go back. He had it coming.
But some of our friends had brought their own kereoke cd's that criss had gotten them when she was in the states. So not too bad. finally able to relax for a few hours, have a few drinks, and dance with my wife. all in all a good night, and a good time was had by all.
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Voice of Will: About Travel in China
2005-04-06 - 3:49 p.m.
(replying to my father about travel time to china)
That is very true. And it is more like 24 hours of travel time if you aren't in LA. Pain in the back, legs, hips and everything else.
Crissy landed at 10 am our time, and is currently home sleeping, the kids are reading the books and comic books she brought, and I'm just happy she is home. She has had some adventures, and has been regaling me with parts of it here and there.
Future plans. Not sure. She had 7 job interviews, and 5 firm job offers, and like 4 job offers for just summer work. These offers include North Carolina (hard job offer, to work at at risk school, 40k a year and get loans dismissed), Maryland (just outside DC) 40 k a year, New York Public Schools (anywhere she wants to work as a high school esl teacher). Offer to work for Samsung in Korea teaching executives english at 25K, plus housing, schooling, etc. And an unspecified offer for the United Arab Emerates (very intriguing, but not sure yet).
We will probably come back here next year (after all 2 years on a resume looks a lot more respectable than one year). I like my job here, after all, I get to show american movies, and discuss how they have effected culture, or been effected by culture (I'd pay to do it, heck I do it often enough for free for fun. Not sure how I worked that out, but I'll take it).
To everyone who made crissy's trip more eventful thank you. I mean it. I have missed all of you more than you can possibly know (unless you love us as much as we love you, then you know). Hearing how you all have changed, and yet remained the same is heartening, and touching, as well as disappointing because I cannot be there with you.
I know most of you are going through difficult times, with tough choices, and the heart ache, the stress, and difficulties. Know this, I know you will do your best, and I believe in you. I always have, and always will. I will see you over the summer, and until then I will see you in crissy's anecdotes (I can see how you stand, how you express yourselves, and even how you are looking.
Will
(replying to my father about travel time to china)
That is very true. And it is more like 24 hours of travel time if you aren't in LA. Pain in the back, legs, hips and everything else.
Crissy landed at 10 am our time, and is currently home sleeping, the kids are reading the books and comic books she brought, and I'm just happy she is home. She has had some adventures, and has been regaling me with parts of it here and there.
Future plans. Not sure. She had 7 job interviews, and 5 firm job offers, and like 4 job offers for just summer work. These offers include North Carolina (hard job offer, to work at at risk school, 40k a year and get loans dismissed), Maryland (just outside DC) 40 k a year, New York Public Schools (anywhere she wants to work as a high school esl teacher). Offer to work for Samsung in Korea teaching executives english at 25K, plus housing, schooling, etc. And an unspecified offer for the United Arab Emerates (very intriguing, but not sure yet).
We will probably come back here next year (after all 2 years on a resume looks a lot more respectable than one year). I like my job here, after all, I get to show american movies, and discuss how they have effected culture, or been effected by culture (I'd pay to do it, heck I do it often enough for free for fun. Not sure how I worked that out, but I'll take it).
To everyone who made crissy's trip more eventful thank you. I mean it. I have missed all of you more than you can possibly know (unless you love us as much as we love you, then you know). Hearing how you all have changed, and yet remained the same is heartening, and touching, as well as disappointing because I cannot be there with you.
I know most of you are going through difficult times, with tough choices, and the heart ache, the stress, and difficulties. Know this, I know you will do your best, and I believe in you. I always have, and always will. I will see you over the summer, and until then I will see you in crissy's anecdotes (I can see how you stand, how you express yourselves, and even how you are looking.
Will
Voice of Will: While Crissy was Gone
2005-04-06 - 11:33 p.m.
So I did have several adventures while crissy was gone.
1. The school actually built a play ground with 3 slides, 2 climbing poles, and 2 swings for children. I was amazed. Looking at it, it is very like an american playground equipment (why not they build them here and ship them to the state). Cost in US about 20,000USD. They put it together in about 4 hours, and the kids love it. In fact all the neighborhood kids are playing on it/in it, and with it until the wall gets built.
2. The school is buildind a 10-15 person jacuzzi for the foreign teachers. they have fully poured the concrete, and are letting it dry. All that in less than5 days. I hope htey tile it because dry concrete is not the best thing for the soft undersides of us wimpy foreigners. I'm more worried about some of the younger teachers trying ot use the hot tub for romantic issues. No, most of the teachers are missionaries, and many of them are hypocrites, and some of them actually date students. Or they will try to use it for baptism...
3. In order to protect our privacy the school is erecting a 3 meter fence around the area of the playground and jacuzzi. this is to keep the playground for the staff children only I disagree with this btw. How are my kids to make friends if they can't play with the local kids. This playground is new, and works, and is wonderful (though small), compared to most playgrounds (shudder, the playgrounds in china were designed by some exercise nazzzzi who managed to convince chinese govenrment that crappy gym equipment was "fun" for children. No slides, no climbing bars, no teeter tottres. treadmills, stair masters, leg press machines, I'm not joking.)
This fence is also to protect the privacy of the foreign teachers using the hot tub. It is supposed to be high enough that people wlaking by cannot see in, and that people on the second floor of the 2 dorms nearby cannot see in. Hey in my opinion if they want to oogle the many old, overweight, fish belly white, flabby foreigners why should I stop them. I'm looking forward to making many of them not want kids ;)
4, My weirdest adventure happened while trying to get my email. China's email service, and interet on this campus SUCK @$$. for the last three weeks the only time to get online is before 8 am, and well after 10 pm. any other attempt will result in Unable to find ... or operatoin timed out.
In order to check my email, I went off campus to a local internet bar. I go to the first one, and they wave me away even though there are empty computers I can see. Ok. I go to the second one and the same thing happens (I'm figuring they don't speak english, and don't want a hassle), so when I get to the third one I go in and say "interent" and mime typing. the lady behind the desks says "ok" and then points me to a rather dishevled individaul who motions me to follow. So I follow him, and as we walk deeper into the dark squallor in the back of the building we are passing several empty computers, but he keeps going, so I follow him.
We go up a flight of stairs that were probably built with the great wall of china, and go up to another flight fo stairs to the third floor. Now I have heard from several students that the Third Floor is where the "prostitutes" are. They will offer ot 'massage' you. I 'm getting kind of nervous, but still wanting my email fix from criss. so I follow him out of the stair well, and thre is a hallway only filled with doors. uht oh. Now I'm worried. I'm not interested in the little chinese women in the slightest way, but I don't want the embarassment. So I tell myself if we go into a room and there is a girl on a bed, I'm sooooo outta there.
Well we go to the end of the hall, and he opens a door. The first thing I see is the bed. Now I'm getting ready to turn and leave, but I look against wall with the door, and I notice the very high end computer. great, email. I walk in the room, and smile at the guyu and proceed to get online. Now I'm waiting for the interent to load (much much much faster thn even on campus during a good time), and I look up right into a very very expensive webcam pointed right at me frmo the computer. So I"m looking around the room, there is a bed behind me, there is a high end computer, an expensive webcam pointed at the bed. On a whim I looked up at the roof. in each corner of the roof pointed at the bed are stage lights. great. you guessed it. In my desire to get my wife's email I had actually stumbled onto an internet porn studio. In xinzheng china (dirt poor, and highest rate of STD's in china). Amazing.
Will
So I did have several adventures while crissy was gone.
1. The school actually built a play ground with 3 slides, 2 climbing poles, and 2 swings for children. I was amazed. Looking at it, it is very like an american playground equipment (why not they build them here and ship them to the state). Cost in US about 20,000USD. They put it together in about 4 hours, and the kids love it. In fact all the neighborhood kids are playing on it/in it, and with it until the wall gets built.
2. The school is buildind a 10-15 person jacuzzi for the foreign teachers. they have fully poured the concrete, and are letting it dry. All that in less than5 days. I hope htey tile it because dry concrete is not the best thing for the soft undersides of us wimpy foreigners. I'm more worried about some of the younger teachers trying ot use the hot tub for romantic issues. No, most of the teachers are missionaries, and many of them are hypocrites, and some of them actually date students. Or they will try to use it for baptism...
3. In order to protect our privacy the school is erecting a 3 meter fence around the area of the playground and jacuzzi. this is to keep the playground for the staff children only I disagree with this btw. How are my kids to make friends if they can't play with the local kids. This playground is new, and works, and is wonderful (though small), compared to most playgrounds (shudder, the playgrounds in china were designed by some exercise nazzzzi who managed to convince chinese govenrment that crappy gym equipment was "fun" for children. No slides, no climbing bars, no teeter tottres. treadmills, stair masters, leg press machines, I'm not joking.)
This fence is also to protect the privacy of the foreign teachers using the hot tub. It is supposed to be high enough that people wlaking by cannot see in, and that people on the second floor of the 2 dorms nearby cannot see in. Hey in my opinion if they want to oogle the many old, overweight, fish belly white, flabby foreigners why should I stop them. I'm looking forward to making many of them not want kids ;)
4, My weirdest adventure happened while trying to get my email. China's email service, and interet on this campus SUCK @$$. for the last three weeks the only time to get online is before 8 am, and well after 10 pm. any other attempt will result in Unable to find ... or operatoin timed out.
In order to check my email, I went off campus to a local internet bar. I go to the first one, and they wave me away even though there are empty computers I can see. Ok. I go to the second one and the same thing happens (I'm figuring they don't speak english, and don't want a hassle), so when I get to the third one I go in and say "interent" and mime typing. the lady behind the desks says "ok" and then points me to a rather dishevled individaul who motions me to follow. So I follow him, and as we walk deeper into the dark squallor in the back of the building we are passing several empty computers, but he keeps going, so I follow him.
We go up a flight of stairs that were probably built with the great wall of china, and go up to another flight fo stairs to the third floor. Now I have heard from several students that the Third Floor is where the "prostitutes" are. They will offer ot 'massage' you. I 'm getting kind of nervous, but still wanting my email fix from criss. so I follow him out of the stair well, and thre is a hallway only filled with doors. uht oh. Now I'm worried. I'm not interested in the little chinese women in the slightest way, but I don't want the embarassment. So I tell myself if we go into a room and there is a girl on a bed, I'm sooooo outta there.
Well we go to the end of the hall, and he opens a door. The first thing I see is the bed. Now I'm getting ready to turn and leave, but I look against wall with the door, and I notice the very high end computer. great, email. I walk in the room, and smile at the guyu and proceed to get online. Now I'm waiting for the interent to load (much much much faster thn even on campus during a good time), and I look up right into a very very expensive webcam pointed right at me frmo the computer. So I"m looking around the room, there is a bed behind me, there is a high end computer, an expensive webcam pointed at the bed. On a whim I looked up at the roof. in each corner of the roof pointed at the bed are stage lights. great. you guessed it. In my desire to get my wife's email I had actually stumbled onto an internet porn studio. In xinzheng china (dirt poor, and highest rate of STD's in china). Amazing.
Will
Monday, April 4, 2005
Voice of Will: Another sleepless night
2005-04-04 - 1:36 p.m.
So my wife has been in the States for the last 11 days, and right now she is on a 747 headed to Beijing, and then after a 17 hour flight, a 2 hour flight home.
for some reason whenever she is away for more than one night, I cannot sleep. Now in some instances this might be a good thing. But not this kind of sleepless night. I go to bed at 10 pm, and I just lay in our bed on her side of it, and I cannot stop thinking. Now I"m buddhist, I practice meditation all the time, and even it doesn't help. So I lay there, 11 pm, 12 am, 1 am , 2 am, and sometime between 2 and 3, I go to sleep. Have horrible dreams, and get up at 7 so the kids will have breakfast, and then I'm a zombie all day (the kids are wonderful, they usually let me go back to bed until about 9 am, but still I'm a wreck).
It would be nice if when I was that tired getting up would so something, but when I'm sitting up, I just veg. I cannot seem to focus my thoughts for more than about 10 minutes at a time. Last night at 1:30 I got the front desk people up so I could take awalk. (they lock us in, and have to unlock the doorfor us to go out. By contract we have freedom of movement, but sometimes I feel bad waking up the desk staff. Last night I didn't care.
It was surreal. Now we live in the Henan province, oldest and most populated part of china. You are never alone. When you go for a walk, you can always see or hear someone. Except after 11 pm on a college campus (the students get locked in/or out of their dorms if they are not in by 11pm), so I'm walking around campus, it is very dark, and no one is around. It was peaceful, and also very creepy at the same time.
One more night of bad sleep, and my love gets home. I think I can deal with it, I hope.
Will
So my wife has been in the States for the last 11 days, and right now she is on a 747 headed to Beijing, and then after a 17 hour flight, a 2 hour flight home.
for some reason whenever she is away for more than one night, I cannot sleep. Now in some instances this might be a good thing. But not this kind of sleepless night. I go to bed at 10 pm, and I just lay in our bed on her side of it, and I cannot stop thinking. Now I"m buddhist, I practice meditation all the time, and even it doesn't help. So I lay there, 11 pm, 12 am, 1 am , 2 am, and sometime between 2 and 3, I go to sleep. Have horrible dreams, and get up at 7 so the kids will have breakfast, and then I'm a zombie all day (the kids are wonderful, they usually let me go back to bed until about 9 am, but still I'm a wreck).
It would be nice if when I was that tired getting up would so something, but when I'm sitting up, I just veg. I cannot seem to focus my thoughts for more than about 10 minutes at a time. Last night at 1:30 I got the front desk people up so I could take awalk. (they lock us in, and have to unlock the doorfor us to go out. By contract we have freedom of movement, but sometimes I feel bad waking up the desk staff. Last night I didn't care.
It was surreal. Now we live in the Henan province, oldest and most populated part of china. You are never alone. When you go for a walk, you can always see or hear someone. Except after 11 pm on a college campus (the students get locked in/or out of their dorms if they are not in by 11pm), so I'm walking around campus, it is very dark, and no one is around. It was peaceful, and also very creepy at the same time.
One more night of bad sleep, and my love gets home. I think I can deal with it, I hope.
Will
Friday, April 1, 2005
Voice of Will: Hectic Week
2005-04-01 - 11:45 p.m.
So I have been very busy for the last couple of weeks, and not had the chance to write a entry. I'm going to try to make that up right now.
lets see. It has been very hectic.
1. My boss from American came for a visit. She is a fantastic lady, and really seems to like that I"m teaching her class, so it isn't a big deal. But having her here is a time consuming pain in the butt.
2. Criss went to america for a convention. (lucky her) She got to go to america for 10 whole days, 7 for the convention, and the other 3 make it a cheaper ticket. So she has been able to see her mother, and family, my mother and family, and all of our friends (who we have missed terribly), and to conduct some business at our university. This week she is in the TESOL convention, dropping off resumes, attending lecutres, examining text books, and eating real mexican food in San Antonio.
3. The internet has been very very unreliable for the last week. I have written school work for my masters degree and had to send it over 15 times to get it downloaded. ick ack barf. China is not made for easy distance learning.
4. A nice thing though, the school just built a playgound for the kids. It has 3 slides, 2 swings and is very stable (it is true playground equipment) The kids love it, and they had it fully assembled in 6 hours.
Very interesting, and tough couple of weeks. But I will post more tomorrow.
Will
So I have been very busy for the last couple of weeks, and not had the chance to write a entry. I'm going to try to make that up right now.
lets see. It has been very hectic.
1. My boss from American came for a visit. She is a fantastic lady, and really seems to like that I"m teaching her class, so it isn't a big deal. But having her here is a time consuming pain in the butt.
2. Criss went to america for a convention. (lucky her) She got to go to america for 10 whole days, 7 for the convention, and the other 3 make it a cheaper ticket. So she has been able to see her mother, and family, my mother and family, and all of our friends (who we have missed terribly), and to conduct some business at our university. This week she is in the TESOL convention, dropping off resumes, attending lecutres, examining text books, and eating real mexican food in San Antonio.
3. The internet has been very very unreliable for the last week. I have written school work for my masters degree and had to send it over 15 times to get it downloaded. ick ack barf. China is not made for easy distance learning.
4. A nice thing though, the school just built a playgound for the kids. It has 3 slides, 2 swings and is very stable (it is true playground equipment) The kids love it, and they had it fully assembled in 6 hours.
Very interesting, and tough couple of weeks. But I will post more tomorrow.
Will
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