Moving Back To Campus Dorms

Posted on 5 September 2010 by gypsy

Sunday and with classes set to begin in not many hours, the last of the students are still arriving.  This scene has been taking place for the past three days as students move back to their dorms at the Xin Bei campus of C.I.T.  This is a scene playing out all over world as young men and women take the challenge of reaching for dreams through education.

Once the students have checked into their dorms and unpacked, most students hang out their new school clothing and their bedding to air.  At C.I.T. students are grouped from six to eight students to a dorm room.  It is all about cost.

Unpacking done, students head out to meet old friends or to shop for needed items.  Bamboo mats and mattress pads are either rescued from storage or purchased at a local shop.  Returning students are a shop keepers dream.  It won’t be long though before the spending slows and the focus shifts to studies.

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A Taste of Educational Bureaucracy

Posted on 4 September 2010 by gypsy

Maureen and Young, the FAO member in charge of housing for FTs

Yesterday we had our first staff meeting involving the Foreign Teachers (FTs) and their co-teachers as well as the head of the Foreign Languages department of C.I.T.  and two members of the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO).  Sunny is in charge of our technology needs, and Young is in charge of housing needs.

Mr. Xu and I engaged in a friendly conversation catching up on the past two years.

Mr. Xu, the head of the department, wasted little time with preliminaries as he set his secretary who does double duty as co-teacher for Maureen and I, to passing out the documents, texts and assignments to each of the seven English-speaking FTs.  C.I.T. also has three Japanese-speaking FTs in the department, however, their opening meeting was held at a different time for obvious reasons.  Once the paperwork was taken care of, it was time for us to be made aware of the expectations for teaching and documentation, expectations that were for both Chinese university instructors as well as the FT instructors.  While being welcoming and encouraging for the upcoming term, Mr. Xu did want us to know that we are accountable as teachers, accountable to students, colleagues and to administration.  Teaching English at C.I.T. is not about play time for foreigners, a paid holiday in China.  I have to admit that the idea of accountability was something good to hear.

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Welcoming With Food

Posted on 3 September 2010 by gypsy

This is our home in Changzhou, in the apartment on the right just above the north entrance into Sunshine Garden with the large living room window to the right of two levels of windows which are our two bedrooms, one for us and one for guests.  It’s quite a large apartment as is quite comfortable and modern being only about eight to ten years old.

Now that we have returned to Changzhou, the people we left behind as friends and colleagues have rushed to make us feel welcome.  The first to make it official that we have returned “home” was Samson, our adopted Chinese son who is the same age as our son back “home” in Canada.  Samson came bearing gifts for Maureen and then promptly took us out for a great meal.

This is one of the things we have come to expect here in China.  The gift of a meal shared is a special honour.   This idea of going out for a meal together as a way to celebrate is one that is shared back home in Canada as well.  Last night, we again got invited out to another supper, this time by my co-teacher for two years, Sarah.  I won’t be able to have her as my co-teacher this year as she is not going to be teaching for the full year.  Today, following our initial staff meeting at the university, we will go out for our first official dinner with various university dignitaries.

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The First Day of School

Posted on 2 September 2010 by gypsy

Yesterday’s walk to the main campus gave me a lot of opportunities for photographs including this one.  This is the scene at a high school about six blocks from the apartment.  Since school starts on September 1st, these students are engaged in school opening activities on the school track.  Like most high schools, the majority of these students live on the school grounds in dormitories, a practice that makes for an intense educational experience.

Since we teach at the university level, the start date is determined by the university itself.  For C.I.T.  The first day of classes will be Monday, September 6th.  Maureen and I noticed that some of the students at He Hai University Changzhou campus which is also located very close to our apartment, are already into their school year program with the rest starting next week.

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Changzhou City Hall

Posted on 1 September 2010 by gypsy

Since this blog is about teaching in Changzhou, I thought that it would be a good idea to present a photo of Changzhou City Hall.  You have to remember that the city has a governance area that is quite large, a population of more than three and a half million people.  You can check out more about Changzhou here.  I took this photo this morning on our walk to the main campus which is close to City Hall.

Once we finished making arrangements with one of the FAO staff for obtaining a new cell phone and opening up our bank accounts, we headed over to the Metro Shopping Centre which is a lot like a super Walmart centre.  This store is where many ex-pats buy western style groceries and other things such as electronics and clothing.  For us, it was about getting a few basics and some rice.   We tend to do most of our shopping in small shops closer to our apartment.

With still a bit of jet lag to overcome and high temperatures in sweltering humidity, we are still taking it easy until our first staff meeting on Friday.  I’ll be back with more soon.

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Jet Lag is Real

Posted on 31 August 2010 by gypsy

We are finally back in Changzhou.  This is the scene we woke up to this morning as we looked out of our bedroom window.  It has been raining for the past few weeks with more rain in the forecast for the next week.  The rain gives the bamboo trees and the garden gazebo a clean look.  It’s a relaxing scene and that is just what we need at this point.

A long flight half way around the world is tiring, especially if one finds it difficult to sleep on a plane.  Even if one can sleep, the body has a lot of adjusting to do in order to retrain so that day becomes night and night becomes day.

Our strategy is to force ourselves to stay awake during the day hours – no napping – so that we can adapt more quickly.  Giving in to a nap in the daytime doesn’t allow the body to make the adjustment to the new time zone as quickly.  A bit of suffering now is better than dragging it out for better than a week.

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Toronto to Shanghai

Posted on 29 August 2010 by gypsy

It’s not exactly the plane we are flying in to Shanghai, but it is a good copy of it which we are taking from Toronto en route to Shanghai.  What can I say about the airport other than it is an airport.  After many flights over many years, flying has become a non-event.  The excitement in trying to discover the nooks and crannies of an airport has long worn off.  Now, it is an exercise in patience.  We walk and dawdle and stop for a beverage as we cover distance and pass time.

The last set of visiting is over and I would have to say that we are looking forward to the arrival at Shanghai and finally to our apartment in Changzhou.  Finally, we are moving into the next stage of life as a laowai teaching in English in China.

The next post will come to you from China.

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The People and Places Left Behind

Posted on 25 August 2010 by gypsy

One final walk down the country road before we leave the village for our first stop, the city of Saskatoon where we will catch the plane tomorrow morning.  One of the great things about living in a small town, is the friendship that gives more than it takes.  This is our home town in Saskatchewan.  Yes, it is small.  But like all rural towns and villages no matter where we travel, the people who call this place home have big hearts.

We are leaving our vehicles parked in the garage while a neighbour drives us to the city and the airport.  No hotel will be necessary as we will stay at the home of our neighbour’s daughter for the night.  Back in the town, other neighbour’s are already taking their roles to ensure that the lawn is mowed, the winter’s snow is cleared off the sidewalk and driveway and that the plants in the house don’t die of thirst.  Going to China is that much easier for us because of our home community.

In a way, when you, if you decide to make the journey to China to be an ESL5 instructor, you do so with the support of a host of people, many of whom you will never know.  Leaving is easier when you know that you will return home.

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All Our Bags are Packed, We’re Ready to Go

Posted on 23 August 2010 by gypsy

Well, it is only two days until we lock up our house in Saskatchewan and begin the journey back to Changzhou.  As you can see, all of our bags are packed.  Of course, these two are just part of our baggage heading for China.

At this point, it becomes more of a waiting game.  We are delaying the final few tasks until the last day before heading to the city and the airport.  I don’t think that we have left anything out of the backpacks and luggage that we need.  In fact, I am positive we have again packed too much.  I think it is a universal practice, pack and take more than you need.

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Co-Teachers

Posted on 20 August 2010 by gypsy

This photo was taken in September, 2006 using my old Sony DSC-H5 camera.  In the photo are both of us and our co-teachers, Mindy and Sarah.  These two young women remained as our co-teachers for the two years we spent in Changzhou at C.I.T.  Who will be our co-teachers this time around?  I do know that Sarah won’t be my co-teacher this time around as she will be taking leave at some point in the coming school year, parenting leave.

Co-teachers have a tough role having to be responsible for the quality of documentation that Foreign Teachers submit at the end of a term.  During the term, they try to help navigate the mysterious world of Chinese university administration and help the FTs cope with sudden changes to the teaching schedule because of university decreed days off which have to be made up so that students get their full contact time with their teachers.

Thankfully for us, we had co-teachers who were friendly and helpful.  Taking time to get to know our co-teachers in social settings was a key part of ensuring continuing good relations during the two years we worked together.

When there is a breakdown in relationship between the co-teacher and the FT, it almost is always due to unrealistic expectations on the part of the FT, usually who doesn’t accept the Chinese way of doing things.  Sadly, many FTs forget that they are there to serve the needs of the university and not the other way around.  Fortunately there are enough FTs who continue to meet the needs of the students and the university while enjoying the experience of being an ESL lecturer or teacher.

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