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Greetings to all!
I hope this message finds you well, wherever you may be. I continue to do well here on the other side of the world. Here's a recap of some of my adventures and perceptions in my first ten days in Yangzhou, China: After a long 25 hour flight with stops in Anchorage and Seoul, the teachers group arrived in Beijing where we had three enjoyable days of bonding and sightseeing. Our itinerary included Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Beijing Opera, the Great Wall and meals in several very nice restaurants.
I arrived at Nanjing Airport on Friday, August 28 where I was met by Ji Chunhong, our Chinese exchange teacher who spent the last year living and teaching at Staples High School in Westport. What a nice surprise! I had charmed my way onto the flight at Beijing Airport without having to pay overweight using a lot of smiling and some pidgeon Chinese, but trying to get my four bags into the car took some doing. Finally, Chunhong, her husband, the school driver and I were on our way, a two hour drive via Nanjing's city center. My first thought was that Nanjing looked like it will be a promising escape when I need to take a break from Yangzhou; lots of people, bicycles, shops, restaurants and, of course, plenty of pollution. Chunhong says that the pollution in Yangzhou is not as bad as in a city the size of Nanjing but that it's getting worse all the time. My first sight of the Yangzte River was while driving across a very long bridge and, thankfully, the banks had not overflowed. In fact, Jiangsu Province, where both Nanjing and Yangzhou are located, was spared the ravages of this year's flooding; provinces to the West and North were not so fortunate. As a matter of fact, Yangzhou had just had a week of humid, hot weather in the high 90's right before I came, so I felt doubly fortunate. I had heard from Jan Bianco, who lived in my apartment last year, that the place was quite nice, but I wasn't quite prepared for the hardwood floors and all of the modern conveniences such as washing machine, microwave, A/C unit, etc. You can be sure that the other Chinese on campus are not living in such grand style. It certainly made my adjustment here that much easier. Almost immediately, Chunhong escorted me to an informal banquet at the Yangzhou Hotel where I dined with some of my collegues in the English Department at Yangzhou Middle School. We all had quite good food, for which Yangzhou is reportedly known throughout China, some laughs, a few toasts and we rounded out the evening with karaoke (yes, you warned me Todd!!) which is available right there in the banquet room. I've never been known for my singing, but that particular rendition of "Edelweiss" that I was forced to sing was clearly painful for all concerned. ("He's just a beginner" one of them said afterward by way of an excuse)
:>)
The next day was unpacking, going to the grocery store, etc. That evening, I was invited by "David", a colleague with quite good English, to another banquet, this one a "real Chinese banquet", as he informed me. The banquet was organized by the parents of a student at Yangzhou Middle School and given for the girl's teachers for the upcoming school year. We waited outside the hotel until everyone arrived before going into the banquet room; the men smoked to be social and the student's father impressed the others with his cell phone which he used to call the missing guest. Once inside, we sat down and the Chinese displayed their modesty by taking turns refusing to sit in the guest of honor's seat at the table. Once in place, we toasted with Chinese wine, which is a strong alcohol. I was complimented on my ability to keep up and I explained that the Russians had taught me everything I know. The food included turtle soup, eel, crab, and pig lungs, my favorite dish of the evening (NOT!). David translated for me when I remarked to the student's father that his daughter must be quite nervous, knowing that her parents were out with all of her teachers. He looked at me rather perplexed and said, "No, actually she's quite happy about it." Although these types of banquets happen somewhat regularly, certainly not all parents can afford to host them. Part of the evening's conversation was dedicated to discussing the daughter's strenghths and weaknesses as a person and student and before I knew it, the evening was over and David and I were pedaling through the Yangzhou night.
We went to the Teacher's Club next which is located on Yangzhou Middle School's campus. (along with all of the other school facilities, including my housing). There I saw Chunhong in quite a different light than I was used to seeing her in Westport. On Saturday nights, the Teacher's Club is reserved for karaoke and dancing for the teachers and I watched as Chunhong stood up and dedicated Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" to me and sang it in English. I was quite touched. Then, of course, I was obligated to sing. Having "gambeid" or "bottomed up" at the banquet, my inhibitions were down a bit. I warmed up with the Beatle's "Yesterday" and took another crack at "Edelweiss". At this point, all of the Chinese teachers got up and danced a slow 3-step to my accompaniment. This was definitely surreal. Perhaps I've missed my calling? :>) The next day I was invited to David's family's Sunday meal. David's mother and in-laws do all of the cooking since Chinese women retire at age 55 and men at 60. (Although many Chinese then go on to work for private companies where the real money is to be made.) I was struck by how youthful David's father-in-law looked for 63 and was told that he was a Gongzhi master, a martial art involving slow breathing to preserve health, and that this had preserved his youthful looks. Hmmm... Seems like good genes to me, but who am I to say? In any event, this afternoon was just another of many displays of generous hospitality that I've been shown since my arrival.
My classes have been going quite well. Each of my classes has between 50 and 60 students which offers its own logistical challenges. My first classes have involved Introductions, an explanation of Class Expectations and even some Group Work. As you perhaps have heard, the Chinese students are incredibly respectful of their teachers and yet just as boisterous and rowdy in between classes as your average teenagers. Since I'm not above making a fool of myself to make a point, I had the students laughing as I walked around the classroom acting out whatever point I was trying to make. I even threw a little Chinese at them although I have a long way to go. (My kitchen table is presently set up as the "Chinese Language Learning Center") I had my first Office Hours this past Friday and eight students showed up to practice their Conversational English. (including Avery and Reed, Jan, who send you their best!) At one point, one of the girls said to me "Look behind, Mr. Fray" and I turned around just in time to see three male boarding students looking at all of us through binoculars from their dorm window. Like I said, your average teenagers...:>) In any event, two students so far have sent me email here on campus and if I'm able to, I'm going to try to send as an Attached File a picture that one of my Chinese students sent me using his Drawing software program. He's even got Windows 98 and he's quite proud of it. I'm quite curious about the role of technology in my students' lives and will keep you posted.
And so the banquets continue. The other night, I ventured into a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant which, unbeknownst to me, specializes in Chinese Hot Pot, a fondue-like, Szechuan-style table setting in which meats, seafood and vegetables are dipped into scalding hot, oily something or other. Being alone, I was invited to eat with a family of eight who were not only celebrating the daughter's sixteenth birthday, but her impending departure to Suzhou for school in a few days. Although they knew as much English as I knew Chinese, we got on just fine. Then, last night, I went to my Formal Welcome Banquet where I was wined and dined by the school principal, the Communist Party principal, both of whom had been to Staples, and a few others including David and Chunhong. Chunhong translated my Welcome speech, we ate local specialties, toasted each other, exchanged gifts and I even spoke a little Russian with the two principals who had studied the language many years ago before China forged her own road to socialism. OK, we've entered the TMI (Too Much Information) stage, so I will sign off. I hope you are well. Please keep in touch and know that I am thinking of you all. What things are you interested in learning about Yangzhou and the exchange? Send me your questions at Fray@public.yz.js.cn or Frayc1105@aol.com and I'll try to answer them. My address if you want to write is:
Chris Fray
Yangzhou Middle School
13 Huaihai Road
Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225002
People's Republic of China *
*I promise to write back
Chunghong sends her best to everyone at Staples and throughout Westport. Have a great semester at Staples and I hope the transition from summer to hard work is a smooth one.
Chris Fray
Copyright 2001 Staples Online. No text, graphic or file may be reproduced or copied without the expressed written permission of Staples Online and The Westport School District.
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