PackLite Travelin'

For those who do not receive the Wooster Daily Record, here is the column that ran on Sunday, March 1.

Ni hao. Hello from Kaifeng, China,
I have just completed my first week of teaching at Henan University. Seemingly to great acclaim, I might add.
Chinese students applaud at the end of class. I’m not sure if they are being polite or are simply relieved that the ordeal is over. Or maybe they actually appreciate the effort
But they applaud. I could get spoiled.
It’s symbolic of the overall culture. Next to Chinese people, write “hospitable” in capital letters, bold and underlined. China is becoming a global economic power, but in this area its people are already world class.
I want to get a bicycle to use during my stay. Two other foreign teachers are also in the market, so a student is organizing a negotiation for used bikes. Meanwhile, the Assistant to the Director of International Programs showed up at my door to loan me his bike until I get my own.
I didn’t ask. But he gave. This has happened several times in my first days. I feel like the proverbial bull in the very real China. It is difficult to be gracious and thankful enough in the face of such generosity. “Thank you” seems less and less adequate.
I was told that the students were delightful and they are. When I ask a question the whole class responds. Sometimes it’s a chorus, sometimes a cacophony. When a single student speaks, she stands. They’re a little shy. I can hear the quaver in their voices. But they are always ready to put forth great effort.
Perhaps this gives insight to the differences between our cultures. It’s American raise-your-hand-and-speak-for-yourself vs. everyone work together.
The kids are very respectful. As the first foreign professor most have ever seen, I am an exotic creature and they treat me with a charming deference. It would be easy to get spoiled teaching here.
I felt my way through the first week. I concentrated on speaking very slowly. The advanced English students told me I could go faster, because then I could give them more content. Students wanting more! Yes, I could get spoiled.
The students are oriented towards work—hard and lots of it. There are limited university slots in China and a college degree is seen as a ticket to success. The competition is stiff. Through high school the students are focused on doing well on their examinations and gaining admission to college.
The schedule for college-bound hopefuls is grueling. High school students begin their day at 7:30, breaking for lunch at noon. They’re back from 2:30-6:00. After an hour for dinner, they have homework time from 7-9:00 PM. Just enough time to go home to bed and then wake up to another long day. And they go to school on Saturday, same schedule only without the evening session.
Consequently they enter the university programmed to study. A bar recently opened near campus. It’s run by a young Chinese who spent eight years in Canada. It’s the only such place in the area. Strictly for the purpose of reporting to Daily Record readers, I’ve made a reconnaissance mission. Okay, a few, but strictly for research purposes. Half the clientele seems to be drawn from the handful of foreigners teaching and studying at Henan University. There are few students. They don’t party. They work.
They do date. I see couples everywhere. Many are engaging in relationships for the first time. Up to now they have had no chance. In some ways they are like American middle school (or younger) kids fumbling through the first flush of young love.
After class I began to erase the board and was corrected. “That’s the students’ job!” Each class has one or two monitors who take care of the chores. It’s a much-sought after position. Candidates run for the office and give speeches to win election.
Yes, I could get very spoiled teaching here!
I knew that when I came to China I would as much learning as teaching.
They applaud. It’s a bit humbling, a little embarrassing, and very gratifying. Now I have to keep earning it.