I know from this blog it seems like all I do is fight with taxi drivers and hang out with my friends, but I do Peace Corps stuff too. For those of you wondering what Peace Corps does in China, this is your lucky day!
-Peace Corps has different job categories in different countries, such as teaching, business development, agriculture, social services, and healthcare. In China, all we do is teaching. The Chinese government forbids us being involved with any other type of work while we are here.
-This program started in the early 90’s on a trial basis. A few years later, a contract was signed. As part of the contract, the Chinese Ministry of Education decides where to place volunteers. This is unique; in most countries, the Peace Corps decides where to place volunteers.
-Our first priority is to teach English courses at universities in three provinces (Gansu, Sichuan and Guizhou) and one municipality (Chongqing, where I am). These are traditionally some of the poorest parts of China. I teach Oral English, Intercultural Communication, Listening, Tourism English, Research Writing, and American Culture. We create our own syllabus and course materials.
-We also do projects on the side, such as English conversation nights on campus, English movie night, Prom/Dances (these don’t exist in China for students) and other types of activities. Some volunteers tutor at elementary schools or community places.
-We are encouraged to find side projects, and here are some of mine: I tutor business faculty in business English, I do English movie night, I have office hours for students to come talk to me informally, and I help the Howard Johnson hotel in my city with English translation. (That last one I am doing as a favor to a former English student at my university who now does the marketing for HoJo in my city.) And the odd pageant hosting job, tree planting, whatever our school asks us to be involved in.
-We don’t receive any payment for anything we do. We receive from the Peace Corps a monthly stipend for food and clothing replacement. The universities where we work give us a place to live; Peace Corps pays our rent to them directly. In some places the school provides internet and telephone services, but they don’t have to do this. We pay for our own cell phone service.
-We also spend time studying Chinese and we are encouraged to make Chinese friends and integrate into our communities. We are tested yearly on our oral Chinese proficiency. We are also tested right before we end our service, and get a certificate documenting our proficiency level for future schooling or job opportunities.
And, of course, fight with taxi drivers and hang out with our friends and eat a lot. It’s a unique life. I’m glad I lived it for a while.
Showing posts with label cell phones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cell phones. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Chinese Stew
1. There are no solely left-handed Chinese. All kids have to be right-handed. Some kids who start out left-handed surreptitiously maintain the skill and are ambidextrous, but no one is just left-handed.
2. My Chinese to English dictionary (no English to Chinese) is 2,139 pages long. If I want to look up a character and I don't know the pinyin (alphabetized spelling), I first use a paper radical index to find the pinyin, then look up the word alphabetically in the dictionary. There are often pages and pages of characters that share the same pinyin. It gets easier with practice, it takes me less than a minute now to find a new character.
3. The standard greeting here is "Have you eaten yet?" This is because for so long there has not been enough food. Being able to eat is a big deal.
4. Most advertisements for Chinese products have elderly people in them because in Chinese culture the elderly are respected and admired for their wisdom. The exceptions: some Western products like Pepsi, which feature young celebrities.
5. In China, the leading cause of death for women is suicide, and more women commit suicide here than men. Very sad. I'm racking my brain thinking of something I can do to help while I'm here.
6. The word for maternal grandmother is 'foreign old woman.' According to my tutor, this is because women are traditionally outsiders in Chinese families; she comes from another family. But this is changing in urban areas in China, where girls are losing the "outsider" stigma. I wonder if this name will change.
7. The slang word for girls who lose their heads over a cute boy is 'foolish flower.' Asking someone "What thing are you?" is a huge insult.
8. My new cell phone has Chinese and English loaded, which means I can type in Chinese characters. This is really helpful for writing myself notes of character hotel names, city names etc. Also, texting in Chinese is a good deal, because you only get 160 letters/spaces in English, but 70 characters in Chinese (the equivalent of 300-400 letters/spaces).
9. I've been practicing Chinese character drawing this summer. There is a beautiful yin/yang aspect to the strokes, which must be memorized and drawn in the correct order and direction. I'm taking a calligraphy class in the Fall on my campus to learn to write characters with the large art brushes used in Chinese art. I'm really looking forward to it.
10. One more picture: our fans crowded into the window of a beauty salon to watch us go by. (Click to enlarge.)
I'm leaving again in the morning for a week or so. Take care, all!
2. My Chinese to English dictionary (no English to Chinese) is 2,139 pages long. If I want to look up a character and I don't know the pinyin (alphabetized spelling), I first use a paper radical index to find the pinyin, then look up the word alphabetically in the dictionary. There are often pages and pages of characters that share the same pinyin. It gets easier with practice, it takes me less than a minute now to find a new character.
3. The standard greeting here is "Have you eaten yet?" This is because for so long there has not been enough food. Being able to eat is a big deal.
4. Most advertisements for Chinese products have elderly people in them because in Chinese culture the elderly are respected and admired for their wisdom. The exceptions: some Western products like Pepsi, which feature young celebrities.
5. In China, the leading cause of death for women is suicide, and more women commit suicide here than men. Very sad. I'm racking my brain thinking of something I can do to help while I'm here.
6. The word for maternal grandmother is 'foreign old woman.' According to my tutor, this is because women are traditionally outsiders in Chinese families; she comes from another family. But this is changing in urban areas in China, where girls are losing the "outsider" stigma. I wonder if this name will change.
7. The slang word for girls who lose their heads over a cute boy is 'foolish flower.' Asking someone "What thing are you?" is a huge insult.
8. My new cell phone has Chinese and English loaded, which means I can type in Chinese characters. This is really helpful for writing myself notes of character hotel names, city names etc. Also, texting in Chinese is a good deal, because you only get 160 letters/spaces in English, but 70 characters in Chinese (the equivalent of 300-400 letters/spaces).
9. I've been practicing Chinese character drawing this summer. There is a beautiful yin/yang aspect to the strokes, which must be memorized and drawn in the correct order and direction. I'm taking a calligraphy class in the Fall on my campus to learn to write characters with the large art brushes used in Chinese art. I'm really looking forward to it.
10. One more picture: our fans crowded into the window of a beauty salon to watch us go by. (Click to enlarge.)
I'm leaving again in the morning for a week or so. Take care, all!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Pics, Reproduction and DDT
I'm back home for a week. I'll be leaving this Sunday for a trip to another province with friends for a week or so. A few things I want to share:
1. I went to get my new cell phone the day I returned. The sales lady was very nice and we had the usual spiel you have here: I'm American, I'm a teacher, I've been here a year, I go home next year, etc. etc. But then she asked me if I had any kids. I told her no, and she asked if I would have kids when I returned to America. It struck me I don't really know how to talk about my reproductive decisions in Chinese. I didn't expect to be asked. But then I thought about it, and it makes sense it's totally acceptable to ask a stranger when they're having kids. The fact someone might not want kids isn't part of the local culture, so there's no reason not to ask. Anyway, it was one of those moments that really illuminates the differences between Chinese and Western culture and concepts of privacy.
2. I was worried I'd come home to a giant spider nest in my apartment, but instead I found a giant dead spider on the floor next to the wall where I'd found the last one. Near as I can figure out, the leftover residue from my previous Chinese Raid attack killed the new spider. Yikes, maybe I shouldn't be breathing this stuff. I'm pretty sure it has DDT or something in it, it kills bugs in about 20 seconds. And evidently works for weeks on end. If I DO ever have kids, mine will be the ones with the tails and gills.
3. Two pics: the solar eclipse, and some playground equipment I came across. I guess this is what playground equipment looks like when there is no chance of suing someone if you get hurt. I'll post some more pictures of random things tomorrow.
1. I went to get my new cell phone the day I returned. The sales lady was very nice and we had the usual spiel you have here: I'm American, I'm a teacher, I've been here a year, I go home next year, etc. etc. But then she asked me if I had any kids. I told her no, and she asked if I would have kids when I returned to America. It struck me I don't really know how to talk about my reproductive decisions in Chinese. I didn't expect to be asked. But then I thought about it, and it makes sense it's totally acceptable to ask a stranger when they're having kids. The fact someone might not want kids isn't part of the local culture, so there's no reason not to ask. Anyway, it was one of those moments that really illuminates the differences between Chinese and Western culture and concepts of privacy.
2. I was worried I'd come home to a giant spider nest in my apartment, but instead I found a giant dead spider on the floor next to the wall where I'd found the last one. Near as I can figure out, the leftover residue from my previous Chinese Raid attack killed the new spider. Yikes, maybe I shouldn't be breathing this stuff. I'm pretty sure it has DDT or something in it, it kills bugs in about 20 seconds. And evidently works for weeks on end. If I DO ever have kids, mine will be the ones with the tails and gills.
3. Two pics: the solar eclipse, and some playground equipment I came across. I guess this is what playground equipment looks like when there is no chance of suing someone if you get hurt. I'll post some more pictures of random things tomorrow.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Ode to Moms (and Pink Socks)
I probably wouldn't be in China if it weren't for the support of my mom. Not only is she taking care of my car and all my belongings, making it possible for me to be here, but she sends me the little things that make life a little more enjoyable (pepper grinder, cherry limeade, yoga pants, magazines, masa flour for tortillas, books etc.). Here's a picture of us taken when she was about 25:
My cheeks and legs haven't changed much, I still have chubby cheeks and frogger legs, but I'm also still super cute in pink knee high socks!
1. Never wear a flannel nightgown to bed. Wear lingerie or nothing at all. Nightgowns are frumpy and unsexy. (I was 13 and at the mall with my mom and commented on a nightgown in a store window we passed. I was mortified at the time.)
2. If you drink through a straw, place it in the corner of your mouth and don't purse your lips. Putting it in the middle of your lips and pursing causes wrinkles.
3. Let your hair almost dry all the way naturally, then blow dry it upside down. Best volume ever.
4. Use a needle to separate your eyelashes after applying mascara. Nothing works as well as a needle.
5. Wear lipstick at all times. Flat shoes are for wimps. And always look your best in public!
My cheeks and legs haven't changed much, I still have chubby cheeks and frogger legs, but I'm also still super cute in pink knee high socks!
Some advice my mom has given me over the years:
1. Never wear a flannel nightgown to bed. Wear lingerie or nothing at all. Nightgowns are frumpy and unsexy. (I was 13 and at the mall with my mom and commented on a nightgown in a store window we passed. I was mortified at the time.)
2. If you drink through a straw, place it in the corner of your mouth and don't purse your lips. Putting it in the middle of your lips and pursing causes wrinkles.
3. Let your hair almost dry all the way naturally, then blow dry it upside down. Best volume ever.
4. Use a needle to separate your eyelashes after applying mascara. Nothing works as well as a needle.
5. Wear lipstick at all times. Flat shoes are for wimps. And always look your best in public!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Good Things
Remember Martha Stewart Living? She always had a section called "Good Things." So as part of my effort to enjoy the present, here are some "Good Things":
1. Technology! I can keep in touch with friends and family. I don't have 24/7 internet access, but when I get on and see emails and updates, nothing makes me happier.
2. Really cheap cell phone service. My cell phone costs me about $3.00 a month to use. Eat that, Verizon! And no contracts.
3. Delicious bottled tea. Jasmine tea is very popular here as a cold drink, and you can buy it bottled just about everywhere. Light and refreshing and just slightly sweet, it's my favorite tea drink.
4. Dim Sum on the street. There are street vendors selling dim sum and Chinese BBQ all over the place. (Pics soon!) It isn't cheap or healthy, but it is plentiful and readily available, if you want it. And it makes your walk anywhere quite an adventure, all the smells and smoke. Occasionally I do treat myself to veggie potstickers on the way home. A lady sells them right outside my gate.
5. Little Chinese kids. They are just the cutest things ever. Today I was behind a little 1 1/2 year old or so girl with her mom on the escalator. She had on a little red traditional Chinese coat, and little red shoes. She kept sticking one leg waaay out in the air, preparing to step off. I could hear her mom keep telling her "Not yet." Finally she got to the bottom and got her leg all ready to step off and leapt off the escalator. She was just so cute. It made me smile.
1. Technology! I can keep in touch with friends and family. I don't have 24/7 internet access, but when I get on and see emails and updates, nothing makes me happier.
2. Really cheap cell phone service. My cell phone costs me about $3.00 a month to use. Eat that, Verizon! And no contracts.
3. Delicious bottled tea. Jasmine tea is very popular here as a cold drink, and you can buy it bottled just about everywhere. Light and refreshing and just slightly sweet, it's my favorite tea drink.
4. Dim Sum on the street. There are street vendors selling dim sum and Chinese BBQ all over the place. (Pics soon!) It isn't cheap or healthy, but it is plentiful and readily available, if you want it. And it makes your walk anywhere quite an adventure, all the smells and smoke. Occasionally I do treat myself to veggie potstickers on the way home. A lady sells them right outside my gate.
5. Little Chinese kids. They are just the cutest things ever. Today I was behind a little 1 1/2 year old or so girl with her mom on the escalator. She had on a little red traditional Chinese coat, and little red shoes. She kept sticking one leg waaay out in the air, preparing to step off. I could hear her mom keep telling her "Not yet." Finally she got to the bottom and got her leg all ready to step off and leapt off the escalator. She was just so cute. It made me smile.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Pijiu Wednesdays
A few of us get together on Wednesday nights to kickback and drink pijiu at an outdoor beer garden ("pee-geo" = beer). After weeks of cramming Mandarin into my head, eating new foods, walking new streets and generally facing the unfamiliar every day of my life, Pijiu Wednesday is an oasis. And I always laugh really, really hard- my friends here are hilarious. The best mental health medicine ever.
I snapped this recently about halfway through the night. Guess which drink is mine? (And that's my new phone on the table, which I also love. Seriously.)
P.S. Today is Chinese Valentine's Day. I love you all!
I snapped this recently about halfway through the night. Guess which drink is mine? (And that's my new phone on the table, which I also love. Seriously.)
P.S. Today is Chinese Valentine's Day. I love you all!
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