Sunday, November 15, 2009
What's More Annoying Than a Gloating Packers Fan?
A: A Gloating Packers Fan 12,000 miles from Green Bay.
Schedule
I know that I have a rather unpredicatable posting schedule but I post when the news happens. Not everyday does something "blog worthy" happen. For the most part, it is a typical get up in the morning, go to work, come home at night type thing. Due to the session, I don't really have much of a chance to leave the campus, so that means for the most part I am surrounded by Americans. Let me update you on my typical day.
7:15 - Wake up.
8:00 - 9:50 Class starts. I usually try to be there at least 20 minutes early. My class this session is very low in English speaking ability so it often involves a lot of repeating things and learning to talk very slowly.
10-12 - I use this time to catch up on other things that are happening or will happen throughout the day.
12-1245 Lunch. I sit with my class and get asked the same questions every day. (Do you have a girlfriend? Do you like Chinese food? Do you miss America? Have you ever been to *insert rural province here*? What do you think of China? Doyouhaveagirlfriend? DoyoulikeChinesefood? DoyoumissAmerica? Whatistheairspeedvelocityofanunladenswallow? Haveyoueverbeento*insertruralprovincehere*? WhatdoyouthinkofChina?Doyouhaveagirlfriend?DoyoulikeChinesefood?DoyoumissAmerica?Haveyoueverbeento*insertruralprovincehere*?WhatdoyouthinkofChina?)
As you can see, it all kind of runs together after a while. They will ask these same questions every day for the entire three weeks.
1-4. I use this time to prep for my next class and/or sneak in a nap.
4-5 - Physical exercise time. This is a challenge to plan for. Our director wants the students to have more exercise in the day so he wants us to incorporate a game time. This is pretty hard when you have 30 plus students all in their late twenties to mid forties, who are also business professionals. There are just some things you can't do. ("red rover, red rover, send the primary school headmaster for Chaoyang District right over!") So coming up with a new activity each day that not only suits the students, but the weather as well is a challenge to say the least. Speaking of the weather, we now put things in the refrigerator to keep them from freezing solid. I left a can of soda on my window sill last night and this morning it was rock hard. It turned out alright as now I am enjoying a nice Coke slushie.
5-5:50 - Club time. This is another class that the students go to where they learn more about western things, such as holidays, sports, etc. The lesson planning for this is pretty easy but sometimes it gets a little fun trying to fill an hour talking about Thanksgiving. Go ahead, write down everything you know and do for thanksgiving. See if it takes you more than ten minutes.
6-6:50 - Dinner. See "Lunch"
7-8 - Reading time in the classroom. The students head back to the classroom and fill their minds with new information from American magazines and English language newspapers. Then they write a summary of the article as well as any new words they have learned while doing so. And that's the way it works in theory... In reality, I spend most of my time reminding them to do this, because students seem to think this is "The Sun is Down So I Officially Don't Have to Do Any Work Now" Time. For others, it is "I Don't Understand Any of This So I'm Just Going to Sit Here and Pretend" They are firm believers in the philosophy of "Asking Questions Only Makes It Harder."
Still others follow the more leisurely way "I Bet I Can Sneak A Quick Cigarette and Cell Phone Call Since We're Not Really Doing Anything Now." Time.
8-Only God Knows When - Staff Meeting. Normally pretty quick unless somebody asks an inane question or brings up a controversy about the schedule or something else completely off focus. Somebody always does.
That's the end of my work day, so after that I find time to relax and catch up on things in America and there's always a conversation I look forward to that makes everything better at night. So if you're wondering why I don't post more often, it's because the schedule hasn't deviated from the above in a while. I post when I have news that I feel is worth sharing, hence the title "News From Dan". If I posted everyday, it would be the "Daily Grind From Dan" and who would want that?
7:15 - Wake up.
8:00 - 9:50 Class starts. I usually try to be there at least 20 minutes early. My class this session is very low in English speaking ability so it often involves a lot of repeating things and learning to talk very slowly.
10-12 - I use this time to catch up on other things that are happening or will happen throughout the day.
12-1245 Lunch. I sit with my class and get asked the same questions every day. (Do you have a girlfriend? Do you like Chinese food? Do you miss America? Have you ever been to *insert rural province here*? What do you think of China? Doyouhaveagirlfriend? DoyoulikeChinesefood? DoyoumissAmerica? Whatistheairspeedvelocityofanunladenswallow? Haveyoueverbeento*insertruralprovincehere*? WhatdoyouthinkofChina?Doyouhaveagirlfriend?DoyoulikeChinesefood?DoyoumissAmerica?Haveyoueverbeento*insertruralprovincehere*?WhatdoyouthinkofChina?)
As you can see, it all kind of runs together after a while. They will ask these same questions every day for the entire three weeks.
1-4. I use this time to prep for my next class and/or sneak in a nap.
4-5 - Physical exercise time. This is a challenge to plan for. Our director wants the students to have more exercise in the day so he wants us to incorporate a game time. This is pretty hard when you have 30 plus students all in their late twenties to mid forties, who are also business professionals. There are just some things you can't do. ("red rover, red rover, send the primary school headmaster for Chaoyang District right over!") So coming up with a new activity each day that not only suits the students, but the weather as well is a challenge to say the least. Speaking of the weather, we now put things in the refrigerator to keep them from freezing solid. I left a can of soda on my window sill last night and this morning it was rock hard. It turned out alright as now I am enjoying a nice Coke slushie.
5-5:50 - Club time. This is another class that the students go to where they learn more about western things, such as holidays, sports, etc. The lesson planning for this is pretty easy but sometimes it gets a little fun trying to fill an hour talking about Thanksgiving. Go ahead, write down everything you know and do for thanksgiving. See if it takes you more than ten minutes.
6-6:50 - Dinner. See "Lunch"
7-8 - Reading time in the classroom. The students head back to the classroom and fill their minds with new information from American magazines and English language newspapers. Then they write a summary of the article as well as any new words they have learned while doing so. And that's the way it works in theory... In reality, I spend most of my time reminding them to do this, because students seem to think this is "The Sun is Down So I Officially Don't Have to Do Any Work Now" Time. For others, it is "I Don't Understand Any of This So I'm Just Going to Sit Here and Pretend" They are firm believers in the philosophy of "Asking Questions Only Makes It Harder."
Still others follow the more leisurely way "I Bet I Can Sneak A Quick Cigarette and Cell Phone Call Since We're Not Really Doing Anything Now." Time.
8-Only God Knows When - Staff Meeting. Normally pretty quick unless somebody asks an inane question or brings up a controversy about the schedule or something else completely off focus. Somebody always does.
That's the end of my work day, so after that I find time to relax and catch up on things in America and there's always a conversation I look forward to that makes everything better at night. So if you're wondering why I don't post more often, it's because the schedule hasn't deviated from the above in a while. I post when I have news that I feel is worth sharing, hence the title "News From Dan". If I posted everyday, it would be the "Daily Grind From Dan" and who would want that?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
The Layouts....They Are a'Changing!
As you can see, there are some major changes around here. I happen to like them, so if you don't, tough :) I think that the new banner has a sort of "retro postcard" feel to it.
You can thank the blog's makeover on the new roomie, Geoff. Back in Cincinnati, he owned his own graphic design firm, so tonight was a night of hexadecimal color codes, CSS code and Macromedia Fireworks. Getting into the technical side of things, this blog is best viewed in Mozilla Firefox. If you don't have it, get it at mozilla.com. It's easy, it's free and it's a heck of lot better than Internet Explorer. You win, Caitlin.
You can thank the blog's makeover on the new roomie, Geoff. Back in Cincinnati, he owned his own graphic design firm, so tonight was a night of hexadecimal color codes, CSS code and Macromedia Fireworks. Getting into the technical side of things, this blog is best viewed in Mozilla Firefox. If you don't have it, get it at mozilla.com. It's easy, it's free and it's a heck of lot better than Internet Explorer. You win, Caitlin.
Monday, November 9, 2009
What Kind of 401(k) Does the Kingdom of Heaven offer?
As you might have seen from a post a while back, payday is a bit different here then in the United States and usually this doesn't cause too much of a concern, but for the past few days it has been a divisive issue on campus. Our pay is ten days late and as of today has been delayed until Friday at the earliest. Needless to say, the workers are not amused.
As for me, it doesn't really bother me. I have enough saved over from previous months to tide me well into 2010 and I know that I'll get paid eventually. I'm really not concerned about this at all, and myself and a few others as well as the leadership here have been trying to convince the others, most notably the new recruits, to put down the pitchforks and torches and listen to some reason. There are three main reasons why I am not worried or upset about a delayed paycheck, er..stack of bills. They are as follows.
The first one is cultural. This is China. If any place in the world is going to act the opposite of America, it's going to be China. While a set standard of pay (such as every Friday, or the first and fifteenth) is the standard in America, such agreements are practically non-existent anywhere in China. Employees either work on commission, or know that they will receive an envelope filled with cash sometime during the month. Delays happen. It may not be as efficient as the American system, but it works and it's the culture. Frankly, I'm not one to mess with the system that pays over a billion and a half people. That seems dangerous. Sure, it's different from what we know and love. But so are squat toilets, boiled intestine surprise, and room temperature beer. But we got used to them. Doesn't mean we have to like them, but it does mean we have to go by them. When in Rome and all that.
Second reason is our employer. We work for ESEC who in turn has a partnership with Peking University. One of the largest and most prestigious (if not the most prestigious)university in all of Asia. Hilary Clinton and Obama have both left slime trails on the main campus on their official visits. The founder of modern China and the guy whose mug graces all the bills on the country started out as the librarian at Peking University, or Beida as it's more colloquially called. It has around 50,000 students in 14 major departments and operates large hospitals, printing houses, research centers, and many more things. You can't go five feet in downtown Beijing without seeing the Beida logo on something. ESEC is one fish in a very busy river. So expecting that they will be consistently on time with the pay of a mere twenty five or so foreigners on a slightly backwater campus, in a culture where the myriad professors and deans themselves probably don't have this luxury, is ridiculous. Delays happen. Especially when you have our location on the totem pole. It's selfish and dangerously ethnocentric to think that special privileges should be extended to you just because you are used to something else.
The third reason is the most important. None of us are here for the money, as what we make here translates into roughly minimum wage in America for much more than 40 hours a week. Even if you did come to China for the money, almost any other English program will pay more. We came, all of us, because we were called by a higher authority. I, for one, think it shows a lack of faith to suggest that the One who called us here would abandon our financial needs when we got here. Sure it might stretch us a little, (for instance, I can remember when I was 12 hours away from complete homelessness on the streets of Seoul with no cash whatsoever) but that only serves to increase our faith. Now, I'm not saying I don't care about money whatsoever, that's most certainly not true, but I'm not going to completely lose focus on my purpose for being here just because I'm getting paid a bit late. Paul's first letter to Tim he says "Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." Food? Check. Maybe not always the best looking and/or tasting but I have it. Clothing? Check. And quite stylish may I add. Content? That's what we need to be working on now.
So basically what I have been trying to say to those who are stressed about our financial crisis here is, Chill out. He's in control. The new session starts tomorrow. Do your job and Friday will be here before you know it.
As for me, it doesn't really bother me. I have enough saved over from previous months to tide me well into 2010 and I know that I'll get paid eventually. I'm really not concerned about this at all, and myself and a few others as well as the leadership here have been trying to convince the others, most notably the new recruits, to put down the pitchforks and torches and listen to some reason. There are three main reasons why I am not worried or upset about a delayed paycheck, er..stack of bills. They are as follows.
The first one is cultural. This is China. If any place in the world is going to act the opposite of America, it's going to be China. While a set standard of pay (such as every Friday, or the first and fifteenth) is the standard in America, such agreements are practically non-existent anywhere in China. Employees either work on commission, or know that they will receive an envelope filled with cash sometime during the month. Delays happen. It may not be as efficient as the American system, but it works and it's the culture. Frankly, I'm not one to mess with the system that pays over a billion and a half people. That seems dangerous. Sure, it's different from what we know and love. But so are squat toilets, boiled intestine surprise, and room temperature beer. But we got used to them. Doesn't mean we have to like them, but it does mean we have to go by them. When in Rome and all that.
Second reason is our employer. We work for ESEC who in turn has a partnership with Peking University. One of the largest and most prestigious (if not the most prestigious)university in all of Asia. Hilary Clinton and Obama have both left slime trails on the main campus on their official visits. The founder of modern China and the guy whose mug graces all the bills on the country started out as the librarian at Peking University, or Beida as it's more colloquially called. It has around 50,000 students in 14 major departments and operates large hospitals, printing houses, research centers, and many more things. You can't go five feet in downtown Beijing without seeing the Beida logo on something. ESEC is one fish in a very busy river. So expecting that they will be consistently on time with the pay of a mere twenty five or so foreigners on a slightly backwater campus, in a culture where the myriad professors and deans themselves probably don't have this luxury, is ridiculous. Delays happen. Especially when you have our location on the totem pole. It's selfish and dangerously ethnocentric to think that special privileges should be extended to you just because you are used to something else.
The third reason is the most important. None of us are here for the money, as what we make here translates into roughly minimum wage in America for much more than 40 hours a week. Even if you did come to China for the money, almost any other English program will pay more. We came, all of us, because we were called by a higher authority. I, for one, think it shows a lack of faith to suggest that the One who called us here would abandon our financial needs when we got here. Sure it might stretch us a little, (for instance, I can remember when I was 12 hours away from complete homelessness on the streets of Seoul with no cash whatsoever) but that only serves to increase our faith. Now, I'm not saying I don't care about money whatsoever, that's most certainly not true, but I'm not going to completely lose focus on my purpose for being here just because I'm getting paid a bit late. Paul's first letter to Tim he says "Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content." Food? Check. Maybe not always the best looking and/or tasting but I have it. Clothing? Check. And quite stylish may I add. Content? That's what we need to be working on now.
So basically what I have been trying to say to those who are stressed about our financial crisis here is, Chill out. He's in control. The new session starts tomorrow. Do your job and Friday will be here before you know it.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Things That Please Dan
- 1 kuai mutton sticks.
- 1.5 kuai Tsingtao
- the new coffee machine on campus.
- chahshka!
- temperatures that are above freezing, for a change.
- www.youku.com
- the Dallas Cowboys defense
- the lack of same on the New York Giants
- being able to actually watch these games
and lately,
- getting up in the morning and finding out that Republican governors are elected in two states that went blue a year ago.
- checking again to find out that Maine voters defeated a gay marriage bill.
- doing a little research that shows Maine is the 31st straight state (no pun intended) that has shot down gay marriage amendments. You think that when every state it has been introduced in, including California and Vermont -- the two most supportive states--it might be time to give up the idea. Not being able to get this bill passed in either of those states nor any other state is akin to not being able to pass a pro cattle raising amendment in Texas, Wyoming, or Oklahoma.
I know that this isn't a political blog, and for my part I have tried my best to keep it that way, but every once in a while it's a good thing to let ol' Dan have his say. Thanks!
- 1.5 kuai Tsingtao
- the new coffee machine on campus.
- chahshka!
- temperatures that are above freezing, for a change.
- www.youku.com
- the Dallas Cowboys defense
- the lack of same on the New York Giants
- being able to actually watch these games
and lately,
- getting up in the morning and finding out that Republican governors are elected in two states that went blue a year ago.
- checking again to find out that Maine voters defeated a gay marriage bill.
- doing a little research that shows Maine is the 31st straight state (no pun intended) that has shot down gay marriage amendments. You think that when every state it has been introduced in, including California and Vermont -- the two most supportive states--it might be time to give up the idea. Not being able to get this bill passed in either of those states nor any other state is akin to not being able to pass a pro cattle raising amendment in Texas, Wyoming, or Oklahoma.
I know that this isn't a political blog, and for my part I have tried my best to keep it that way, but every once in a while it's a good thing to let ol' Dan have his say. Thanks!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Weekend Update
It has been a great start to the break between sessions and so far a lot has been going on.
Saturday
I didn't even realize it was halloween until I stopped by an American chain restaurant for dinner and the waitresses were dressed up. I guess that's what happens when you're not surrounded by constant commercial advertising. =)
That night we had a quick Halloween party that was a lot of fun with the theme being "scary things."
For example...
Then Sunday morning, I woke up and heard what sounded like soft rain falling, so I opened up my curtains to find that the city had been coated in a fresh layer of snow overnight. My guesstimate was four inches in some places. No, this isn't usual. It snows in Beijing, but not this early!
Finally, today was a busy one. Four in the morning found my boss Holly and I headed out to Lush to actually watch the Vikings-Packers game, courtesy of the NFL posting the game online (for a not-so-nominal fee of course...) and then this being Holly's birthday, Brett Favre won the game for her and we took her out to dinner at the Kro's Nest, an American style pizzeria with family style dining. The Kro's Nest has several plaques at the entrance declaring it to have won The Family Friendly Award for such and such a year and Excellence in Family Dining for another year by this and that organization. They even had coloring pages and crayons for the kids, which is pretty rare for Beijing.
yes, that is Kaptain Kro smoking a cigarette while bringing you alcohol. In "the most family friendly restaurant of 2008."
Saturday
I didn't even realize it was halloween until I stopped by an American chain restaurant for dinner and the waitresses were dressed up. I guess that's what happens when you're not surrounded by constant commercial advertising. =)
That night we had a quick Halloween party that was a lot of fun with the theme being "scary things."
For example...
Then Sunday morning, I woke up and heard what sounded like soft rain falling, so I opened up my curtains to find that the city had been coated in a fresh layer of snow overnight. My guesstimate was four inches in some places. No, this isn't usual. It snows in Beijing, but not this early!
Finally, today was a busy one. Four in the morning found my boss Holly and I headed out to Lush to actually watch the Vikings-Packers game, courtesy of the NFL posting the game online (for a not-so-nominal fee of course...) and then this being Holly's birthday, Brett Favre won the game for her and we took her out to dinner at the Kro's Nest, an American style pizzeria with family style dining. The Kro's Nest has several plaques at the entrance declaring it to have won The Family Friendly Award for such and such a year and Excellence in Family Dining for another year by this and that organization. They even had coloring pages and crayons for the kids, which is pretty rare for Beijing.
yes, that is Kaptain Kro smoking a cigarette while bringing you alcohol. In "the most family friendly restaurant of 2008."
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