ChinaTeacher

OBSERVATIONS

Went shopping at my local supermarket yesterday – I was shocked to observe some staffers culling through fresh eggs,‘tossing’ the cracked ones into a rubbish bin!  There were at least a hundred broken eggs in there!  Now, this is what I don’t understand:  nearby, cooks were preparing various food items which require EGGS!  Now, why wouldn’t the store have the women put the cracked eggs ‘carefully’ into a container and then pass them over to the cooks!  Such an incredible waste!  I could see by the looks on many local shoppers’ faces that they were thinking the very same thing!  Another big “WHY” in my books! 

Here in Hangzhou, modernization is barreling along at an incredible pace – we have import cars on our roads, construction has begun on our first subway line, luxury products are advertised in many shop windows – but still a large portion of the population is barely living a ‘hand to mouth’ existence.  Such wasteful disposal of those eggs is simply beyond my comprehension.  And I now realize this goes on every single store, and probably not only in my local supermarket!

You know, this country is well known for its lack of ‘safety precautions’ and ‘quality construction’.  Evidence of that was the terrible earthquake earlier this year in Western China. My own city, Hangzhou, recently faced a disaster of its own.  We are in the midst of building our first subway system.  Now, this will be of fantastic benefit to our city and its people, but my fears about safety are well founded. 

Last week, during construction a section of subway tunnel collapsed, trapping many workers underground, killing at least 8.  Rescuers said there was no chance of survival for 13 more workers still trapped in the tunnel.  The cave-in originally trapped at least 50 workers and engulfed 11 vehicles.  Questions have been raised about the perceived lack of safety at the site.  The sad thing about this incident is that apparently there were warning signs more than a month ago when cracks appeared on the road surface, and the roadbed near the construction site had sunk.  Admittedly, the construction company did notice these problems and to remedy it, decided to pave the roadbed and insert steel rods – I wonder if their efforts actually contributed to the collapse! 

Many of the victims were farmers from nearby provinces, who receive no construction or safety training before they start work on such projects.  Before coming to Hangzhou to work on our subway, I am told that most were planting wheat at home.  And these are the same workers who build Hangzhou’s skyscrapers! 

Here’s another example of the lack of safety precautions in China:  A friend of mine, from the U.S., is general manager of a company in Hangzhou.  When he first arrived to take up his job as General Manager, he was appalled to see that the factory workers wore no safety goggles and, instead of steel-toe boots, were wearing leather shoes, , runners, with some even wearing slippers!  His managers balked at having to buy the needed goggles and boots, stating the cost would be too high.  My friend said, “the cost to our workers’ health and safety is too high – buy them now”!

In a country as over-populated as China is, people’s health and safety continues to come last, with profit and position being the only consideration.  It’s a tough place for migrant workers to find safe, steady jobs with good incomes.

JANUARY HOLIDAY

I’ve been trying to plan my January holiday, with little success.  I had originally planned to travel to India for a month – well check out the news – I guess India is out now.  So, maybe instead I should go back to Thailand for a second visit – I really enjoyed it there.  Oops, demonstrators have taken over Bangkok International Airport, and violence is sure to follow – I guess Thailand is out too.  I don’t want to lie on a beach, so I guess I will stay in China and head out to one of my favourite destinations: Yangshuo (Guilin).  It is a very laid-back town tucked away in Guanxi Province, completely surrounded by the Karst Mountains that are so characteristic in Chinese paintings.  I’m going to ‘chill out’, do some Tai-Chi, learn how to play Mahjong, try my hand at Chinese painting, take long walks into the countryside and enjoy some great ‘western food’.  Many of Yangshuo’s cafes also do double duty as used bookstores, so I will be in my ‘element’!  And, I’ll save some cash, a definite Plus!

A former student called me late last night.  He wanted to hear how I am doing and to say “thank-you” to me.  He is a young businessman working in the construction industry here in Hangzhou.  I taught him Business English about 3 years ago.

Anyway, about a year ago, during one of our chats at Starbucks, I had suggested he apply for a Passport so he would be ‘ready’ should an opportunity to travel overseas present itself.

Well, turns out that this year he has travelled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E.  And, he told me he just got back from Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta in India!  It was so wonderful to hear him talk knowledgeably about people and places he knew absolutely nothing about just one year ago!

We talked for almost an hour about his latest achievements and his new company status.  For some time now he has been the only “English-speaking” worker at his company (his English wasn’t that great either!).  During meetings with his customers, the translators were often found to be useless because they lacked knowledge of the necessary construction terms.  So, he set out to learn these himself.  Now, his English is very clear and well enunciated.  He says he doesn’t hesitate to ask people to speak more slowly or to repeat themselves. “In India, some people have very heavy accents”, he said.  I am so proud of him!

My good friend, and former student, is now in charge of several university graduates who will serve under him so he can better accommodate his increased responsibilities.  It is possible that a trip Europe may be on the horizon for next year!

He told me over and over again that “it is thanks to you, dear teacher that I am doing these things today”. 

You know, his words of appreciation came at a really good time for me.  I’ve been feeling a little ‘down’ lately, lonely and depressed.  Hey, it happens, you know!  It’s impossible to always be in a state of high-energy and optimism.  Each and every day people approach me for kind words or advice, or simply just some form of encouragement.  I do love my role of Teacher.  But in many ways I feel like a celebrity who must put on her ‘public face’ every time she steps out the door.  I remember being asked by a student one day“how can you always be so happy every day?”.  I need to remind my students that I too have my ‘down’ days.  I tell them that in class I always try to ‘act happy’ and, after 5 minutes or so, I really do feel happy again!  I encourage them to try it.

So, my student’s call last night has made me think about the work I have done, and the students I have taught since I came to China 4 years ago.  I am still the same person who left Canada – Some days I am happy, some days I am lonely or depressed.  That won’t change.  I went through the same emotional highs and lows back home.  But, what has changed is the fact that here in China I am doing work that really can help some individuals shift their attitudes and make major achievements in their lives.  That’s something I’ve never gotten out of previous jobs before.  And, that’s exciting!   Hey, I’m feeling better already!