Tomb Sweeping

I mentioned in my last blog that my schedule has been choc-a-bloc.  Well, something had to give.  After a few weeks of juggling teaching, education, my new hobbies and sightseeing, I realised that I was trying to do too much at once.  As a consequence I’ve stopped my Mandarin lessons at Global Village on Tuesday and Thursday.  However, I’ve paid the school ¥1000 (£100), which equates to 40 hours worth of lessons, and so far I’ve had less than half of those.  I was hesitant to ask for a refund, because I don’t think China is big on the Western “We want you to be satisfied with your purchase.  If you’re not, then we’ll give you a 100% refund guaranteed” policy.  Instead I’ve asked for private tuition; it’s a lot more expensive, meaning a lot less lessons, but it also saves me a 3 hour round trip going to the school.

This free time has been put to good use, as I’ve been able to review what I’ve learnt during the lessons at Global Village and also during the free lessons with Aston.  In effect I’m actually retaining more Mandarin than before.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a beginner (in every sense of the word), but transactional Chinese is becoming easier.  Buying groceries and directing taxis is less daunting.  Although, as well having to know the name of where you want to go, you also need to know the pronunciation.  Otherwise you leave your destination up to the interpretation of your given taxi driver at the time, as I found out the other day when I vacated a taxi before realising I didn’t have a clue where I was.

I’ve pretty much got the numbers down:

一 yī (one)

二 èr (two)

三 sān (three)

四 sì (four)

五 wǔ (five)

六 liù (six)

七 qī (seven)

八 bā (eight)

九 jiǔ (nine)

十 shí (ten)

When you’re buying something this can become complicated, or less complicated depending on how much effort you’re willing to put in.  The simplest way to go about buying, say 4 apples, would be to point, say “zhège” (this one) and “sì”.  The correct way to do this is to say “sì ge”, meaning four of that.  In turn then, it’d be wǔ ge, liù ge, qī ge (5/6/7 of that) and so on.  However, two is different.  The Chinese don’t say èr ge, but instead they say “Liǎng ge”.  I’m not entirely sure why; it may be similar to Westerners saying “a couple of” something, as opposed to two.

Regardless of whether you’re saying something correctly or not, the Chinese will sometimes still laugh at you.  Perhaps due to poor pronunciation, perhaps because of the fact you’re a Westerner or maybe because they didn’t expect you to be able to speak any Chinese at all.  And here is something else to be wary of: do not tell Chinese people you can speak a little Chinese, when you know that even “a little Chinese” is a vast stretch of the truth.  I’ve made this mistake twice now.  Mainly because within my first Chinese audiotape I was taught the phrase, “I can speak a little Chinese”.  Wow.  Each time I’ve said those words I’ve been bombarded with more Mandarin than I know what to do with.

The other day, hung over and not really caring what anyone thought of my pronunciation, I bought a bottle of water.  In Chinese, I said hello, I asked for the water and I said how much.  The Chinese woman replied slowly, “yī kuài wǔ”, which I casually repeated as I counted my money.  She was slightly surprised by the fact and I didn’t say “what?” and asked if I spoke Chinese.  I replied with, “wŏ bù huì shuō zhōng-wen”, which translates into English as, “I don’t speak Chinese”.  Obviously the conversation was simple, she understood everything I said and it left open the possibility that I might actually know a little bit more than I was letting on.  For now I’m much happier to do this, than to say, “oh yeah I know Chinese”.  Just to be thrown head first into a sea of unknown vocabulary and then at the end of the ordeal splutter an idiotic, “sorry, what?”

Another little gem worth mentioning: Chinese is in many ways a frustrating and difficult language to learn, because the tones can completely change the meaning of the word you’re using.  However, at times, it’s almost too simple.  For example, unlike English, their verbs don’t change depending on the past, present or future tense.  So played, playing and play would all stay as play.  Thus, yesterday I play, today I play, and, tomorrow I play.  There are also other very logical aspects to the language, like the fact they don’t have names for days or months, but just numbers: day one, day two or month one, month two etc.  And the numbers are extremely simple after 1-10.  Remember that “shí” is ten? Well 11 is shí yī, 12 is shí èr and 13 is shí sān. By the same token, 20 is èr shí, 21 is èr shí yī and 22 is èr shí èr.

The past week or so it’s been getting gradually warmer.  Living on the top floor of our apartment, Brian and I decided to see if it was possible to get out onto the rooftop.  As expected, access to the roof was extremely easy and the door was wide open.  The view from the rooftop is breathtaking, as is the lack of preventions in place to stop you falling off the edge; there is literally nothing there.  There is a small gap about two feet deep before the edge, which you can sort of sit in and look out of.  We’ve spoken to a few other Aston teachers about going up there for beers and a bbq in the full swing of the summer.  I’d be lying if I said the prospect of getting drunk next to a seven floor drop didn’t worry me slightly though.

Brian and I have continued to explore the city.  We’ve even been finding new things in areas we’ve already been too.  China loves its European bars, but even more so, it loves its German bars.  In fact, there’s one less than 5 minutes away from our apartment.  The only problem is the price of the European beers in the Europeans bars (Chinese beers are cheap almost everywhere), which aren’t necessarily expensive by European standards, but they are expensive by the standard of our living wage.  This brings me onto another key point, or rather, mistake: don’t compare what you’re buying to prices back home, but compare it to your living wage.  It’s taken me awhile to break this habit, and needless to say, I might need to budget slightly when I do eventually get my first paycheck next month.

The idea of budgeting isn’t helped by the discovery of new places like these.  Nor are they helped by the discovery of not just one new place, but two places simultaneously.  On Monday a small group of us found another German Bar near The Big Goose Pagoda, which just happened to have the nicest draft beers we’ve had since arriving.  We sat outside drinking in the sun, and after a couple of points we came to the realization that we were also sitting opposite a curry house.  Well, if were amazed by the standard of the beer in this pub, then we were even more dumbstruck by the quality of the Indian food in the restaurant.  The curry house was filled with other Westerners and many of the staff were from India, speaking perfect English.  We even got to use a knife and fork … for the first time in a long time.  It was a welcome change because we’re constantly laughed at by the CTs for our chopstick skills.  So, on this rare occasion, the tables turned.

Coming up is China’s National Tomb Sweeping Holiday, referred to in China as Qīngmíng Jié.  In all honesty I’m ashamed to say I know very little about this holiday, except for the fact I have Saturday and Sunday off teaching because of it.  If I’m not mistaken, this is a time for the Chinese to remember deceased loved ones by visiting their graves, paying respects, offering gifts and, well, sweeping tombs.  As you can see, I definitely need to do more research in this area.

Anyway, as a result of this holiday, schools and businesses close.  The schools close during the week and the students are then expected to make up this time up over the weekend.  Hence why Aston is closed.  Due to a distinct lack of holidays over the course of my six-month stay here (one weekend off), Brian, myself and two other teachers have decided to use this as an excuse to go to Shanghai.  Originally we attempted to purchase tickets for an overnight train on the Friday after work, because we’d be sleeping whilst travelling, we’d be saving money on planes/hostels and it’d be another slightly surreal Chinese experience.  However, because of our “last minute” idea, the trains were sold out and we’ve had to spend a lot more than we wanted on flights. 

At the end of the day though, if we don’t grasp opportunities like these, we won’t see very much at all!  I’ll report back in a week or so on my Shanghai experience!

Settling in. Well, sort of.

So I broke Carol’s golden rule: don’t get drunk in China; it was quite hard not to.  It was one of my first nights out, and for other teachers it was their last night out, because they were leaving Aston, and Xi’an.  I was thrust into the swing of things and taken to “The Belgium Bar”, where people were buying rounds of Tsingtao at 6 for 60 kuai (6 for £6).  At those prices becoming intoxicated became inevitable.  Several rounds later the Aston teachers began eyeing up the spirits menu and asked what we would all like to split between us.  Due to the exchange rate and the prices of spirits here more generally, it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever been able to seriously contemplate an answer to that question.

The night continued, moving onto “Yi-Jiā-Yi” (one + one) - a nightclub in the center of Xi’an.  Clubbing in Xi’an seemed to draw even greater attention to the large group of Westerners, with people approaching you, wanting to buy you a drink or even just dance.  The evening was almost surreal, as people (men and women) surrounded you on the dance floor.  It didn’t even matter how you danced, because regardless, people were impressed.  There was even a point where people were forming a circle around you to watch you dance and then show you their own (and usually much more impressive) dance moves.

The evening seemed to fall apart from here.  The group (or at least the remnants of it) decided to go to “KTV”.  KTV is infamous in Xi’an (and perhaps the whole of China); KTV is everywhere.  There seems to be as many KTVs here as there are McDonalds in New York; they’re in abundance, to say the least.  So what is KTV?  It stands for Karaoke Television.  Basically, you purchase a room, you have a few drinks and you sing the night away.  The Chinese absolutely love singing at KTV, but there’s one thing they love even more: a Westerner singing at KTV.  Or so I’m told, because as it happens, we didn’t make it to the infamous KTV.  Nor have I been since the very evening I’m describing (which was awhile now).

So the night came to an abrupt end, as did my sleep the next morning when my phone went off.  Gingerly I picked up, greeted by the news that I could move into my new apartment.  I was ecstatic to after living in my hotel room for over a week, or “the box” as I came to know it.  I went to the school and my new housemate, Brian, greeted me.  Brian’s Irish and pretty down to earth.  He has got one major fault though: he’s a vegetarian, but hey, we can’t all be perfect right?

Eventually, we made it to our apartment.  After an hour it became evident that Xi’anese taxi drivers don’t like the idea of picking up two Westerners with a lot of luggage.  So with the help of two CTs (Chinese English Teachers) from Aston, we were escorted to our apartment by bus.  I felt quite bad for the two female CTs on arrival to the entrance of our apartment, because they made the mistake of offering to carry our hand luggage … up to our flat … on the 7^th floor … and there’s no lift … and our hand luggage was massive. I don’t think they’ll be repeating that offer in a hurry.

The apartment is alright.  In fact, by Chinese standards it's pretty good.  By Western standards it's functional.  By my standards it's basically student accommodation all over again.

The same evening Brian and I explored the area.  We’re living outside of Xi’an’s city walls, which you can actually walk/cycle around, whilst overlooking the city center.  Wanting to try the local cuisine we eat out, and Brian introduced to me tofu, or “dòufu”. Dòufu was a pleasant surprise and it’s something I’ve eaten quite a few times since.  In China there’s a variety of dòufu; I am slightly hesitant to try “smelly” dòufu (apparently smelly is an understatement). 

We’ve become extremely happy with this location for a number of reasons.  Firstly, as the area is outside of the city center, we’re able to experience more of the “local” Xi’an.  By local, I mean that there is a multitude of fruit and veg stalls, and also tiny, family run bbq-type-restaurants, which spill out onto the pavements as the summer approaches.  Secondly, all the flats within the city walls become inaccessible after 11 p.m. due to curfews (unless you bribe the guard at the gate); those outside of the city walls do not suffer the same deadlines.  Thirdly, Aston has four schools located in Xi’an, and ours is Aston three, which is both newer and nicer than Aston one.

On top of teaching, lesson planning and the occasional night out, my schedule has become jam packed with other new hobbies.  These include Mandarin lessons at a school named Global Village, free Mandarin lessons at Aston, going to the gym, one-on-one kickboxing sessions and exploring what Xi’an has to offer.  Hopefully this provides a slight excuse as to the delay of this blog, as I'm struggling to find a spare moment.

As it stands, this is my timetable:

Monday – This day is completely free.  Generally, it is spent lying in from teaching over the weekend/the night before.  Sometimes I’ll also go to the gym, do a food shop, or go sightseeing with Brian and other teachers.

Tuesday – Wake up at 7:30.  Leave the house at 8:00.  Arrive at Global Village for Mandarin lessons from 9:30-12:30.  Afterwards go to the gym or have a kickboxing lesson, which means I eventually get home between 4-5, exhausted.

Wednesday  - Wake up at 9:00.  Leave the house for 9:40.  Arrive at Aston 3 for the Mandarin lessons 10-12:00 and then gym or kickboxing again in the afternoon.  Possibly start lesson planning for the weekend.

Thursday – Repeat of Tuesday.  Plus lesson planning.

Friday – Repeat of Wednesday.  Plus meetings at the school and then I begin my weekend of teaching from 17:15-21:15.

Saturday – Teaching begins at 8:00 and finishes at 18:30.  Sometimes I go out for food with other teachers afterwards.

Sunday – Teaching schedule is similar to Saturday, starting at 8:00 and finishing at 18:30.  After a very demanding weekend of teaching all Aston teachers go out for drinks.

As you can see, this schedule means I’m on the go 24/7, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  The 23-hour contract that Aston has provided me is ideal, because it allows me to do exactly what I want during the week.  When I get paid next month, I can continue to keep up this grueling schedule, or I could take a break and go travelling.  On a Sunday when I finish I could get an overnight train and be in Shanghai, Beijing or Hong Kong by the morning.  Basically, with this contract, China and all it has to offer is completely open to me.  Moreover, Xi’an’s central location is close to perfect, because it allows me to choose a variety places to visit, without having to worry (for the most part) about where I want to go.

In terms of sightseeing thus far, we’ve explored a lot and yet very little of what Xi’an has to offer.  So far we’ve been to The Bell Tower, The Drum Tower, The Muslim Quarter and the fountain show at The Big Goose Pagoda. 

The Bell Tower and The Drum Tower are unmistakable due to their size and location.  The Bell Tower sits in the center of Xi’an on a roundabout, which is connected to the North, East, South and West streets.  The Drum Tower is close by and The Muslim Quarter is adjacent to this.  From the towers you can see a great deal of Xi’an’s traditional architecture, which is strangely juxtaposed with an array of shops and modern, overbearing shopping malls.  The Muslim Quarter has a lot to offer, especially in terms of food.  The meat in the area is some of the best in Xi’an (sometimes it’s difficult to know what type of meat you’re eating), but the quarter also offers something else: sweets. 

A view of The Drum Tower from The Bell Tower

Brian at The Bell Tower

Chinese sweets have grown on me at an alarming pace.  They’re sweetened far more naturally and quite often with honey; they taste completely different and are, in many ways, nicer than Western confectionary.  Needless to say we tried and stocked up on a lot of new foods here.  Buying things can still be difficult, as the Chinese don’t necessarily always accommodate the pace of their speech for Westerners.  What’s more, they only count from 1-10 on one hand, using symbols for 6-10.  As if Mandarin wasn’t hard enough. 

Looking around the Muslim quarter (see top photo), you can sometimes spot the odd foreigner, maybe more so than in the rest of the Xi’an.  Yet it’s still abundantly clear that you are a minority in this strange country, and that realisation still hits me from time to time.

The fountain show at The Big Goose Pagoda was simple and elegant.  It’s the biggest fountain show in the whole of Asia, and on the face of it, I wasn’t expecting much.  The assortments of fountains start off slowly, growing bigger and changing pace with the music.  The music is a mixture of traditional Chinese music and classical Western music.  It definitely plays its part.  We were taken here by some of the CTs from the school, and to them the evening was probably mediocre, because the fountain show is on every evening at the same time.  For me it was awesome to watch, as it was another small reminder of where I am.

Oh, and the teaching side of it.  Well, I’ve actually surprised myself. The first weekend of teaching was, as expected, extremely nerve racking and difficult.  The first weekend was an enormous low point, but luckily that weekend was followed by the first night out that I discussed at the beginning.  The second weekend I felt anxious, with some lessons going well, and others, well, not so great.  The third weekend I actually enjoyed it, which meant the kids enjoyed it. 

During my CELTA I came to the realization that the atmosphere in the classroom is largely dependent on you.  What I didn’t realise was just how much you and your students bounce off of each other; your mood and manner influences there’s and vice versa.  Basically, if you can bring yourself to enjoy teaching, the kids will enjoy learning (most of the time!).  My girlfriend always knew she wanted to be a teacher, and this is something you can spot the moment you meet her, because she has one of “those” personalities.  For me, teaching was something I had to adapt to and learn, and that’s not something you can simply gain from a weekend TEFL, or even a four-week CELTA.  It’s like learning to drive: the real experience comes when it’s just you in the car.