7 June 2014

Hello everyone,

This semester is rapidly drawing to a close.  My classes will have exams next week, then marking.  On 24 June Vera and I will leave for Kuala Lumpur and then down to Oz.  We'll be back in China at the end of August 2014 for the start of the 2014-15 academic year.

I plan to do two more posts on my blog before our departure - hopefully on 15 June and 22 June.  Not sure if there will be time for posts during our travels - will see how it goes.

Graduating students

A common sight around the campus at present - students who will graduate this month taking class photos in their academic gowns.  These were Geology majors at the South Gate.  Their undergraduate days (4 years) are almost done and the next phase of their lives is about to begin.  Many will start work, others will go on to do post-graduate studies.

Birthday boy

2 June 2014 we celebrated Steve's birthday with 'coffee & cake'.  Left to right: Sherry, Paul, Ben, Steve, Amy, and Vera.

Recent incidents

The following were four recent events which made interesting discussion topics with my Oral English students this week.

(1) A young man was hired by a car rental company in Guangzhou.  He died at work a month later; the medical certificate said his death was due to a drug overdose.  The family asked for compensation, but the company refused on the grounds that the death was self-inflicted.  They went to court, and the judge decreed that the company should pay the family $12,900 compensation.

Although most all the students felt that the company had little responsibility to pay compensation in this case, they also agreed with the judge's decision that some compensation was warranted, at least on moral and compassionate grounds.

(2) A man visited Thailand as part of a tour group; he drowned while snorkeling.  The family took the travel agency to court.  The judge decreed that the travel agency was liable, and should pay compensation of $120,000 to the family.

The students thought that this case was a more clear-cut than the previous one.  They agreed that the travel agency was responsible for everything related to the group they organised, and should pay compensation for the death of the man.

(3) A young woman in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, bought a kitten.  A week later she killed the kitten, and posted photos of her handiwork on the internet.  In response to criticism by netizens, she explained that her father's extra-marital affair had devastated the family and she decided to take out her anger on the kitten.  Netizens in their thousands criticised her even more.  Finally she removed the pictures and posted an apology for her actions.  Apparently her company fired her, and her life is a mess.

While some students sympathised with the woman's situation, most agreed that cruelty to animals was not the way to solve personal problems.

 (4) Wu Shuo Yan, 35, was waiting for her husband and son in a McDonald's restaurant in Zhao Yuan, Shandong Province when a group of six people (a man, four women and a boy) approached and asked for her mobile phone number.  When she refused their request, they got angry and started beating her.  They were not armed, but hit her with a chair, a broomstick and whatever else they could lay their hands on.

The police arrived and stopped the assault.  Wu was taken to hospital, but died of her injuries.

Police said later that the six were members of a doomsday cult called "Church of Almighty God" which was founded by Zhao Wei Shan in Henan Province in the early 1990s.  It is one of 14 cults which have been banned by the government, but obviously it still has some adherents.

Apparently the group was soliciting mobile numbers with the aim of trying to recruit people to their cult.  When Wu refused to give her number, they called her a 'demon' and assaulted her .  As the group was led away by police, a journalist asked the leader if he was worried. His reply: "We're not concerned about the law, because God is on our side!"

One of the bystanders in the restaurant filmed the assault on his mobile phone, and the video went viral.

The bizarre nature of the incident made it headline news in China.  Firstly, it happened in a busy restaurant; secondly, the unusual brutality; thirdly, the involvement of a religious cult; fourthly, that no one intervened.

The students expressed shock and horror at this incident.  The only logical explanation was that the attackers had been brain-washed by the cult.  They said that the police should take more care to ensure that banned cults are really eliminated and don't just go underground.

The students said they understood why no one intervened to help the woman.  It would be foolish to take on a group of 6 people - only the police are strong enough to intervene in a situation like that. Apparently after calling the police the restaurant manager tried to stop the altercation, but she was brushed aside. Almost 2,000 netizens have signed an online petition to McDonald's asking that the company put in place emergency strategies to better protect customers in its restaurants.

Vera and I have seen very little unprovoked violence in China, and generally feel safer here than in many parts of Australian cities.  Of course violence occurs, but given the huge population, there is relatively less here than in many western countries.  Many Chinese like drinking alcohol, and occasionally one sees drunks on the streets.  But, in-the-main, they seem to be passive drunks rather than the aggressive types we get back home.  We haven't heard of teenage gangs and motor bike gangs existing in China - they might, but we have not seen any evidence of that kind of thing here.

We occasionally hear of drugs in China (such as in story (1) above) but they are much less common than in Western countries and so fewer criminals and gangs are involved.

One rarely sees people fighting in China - verbal arguments sometimes, but rarely physical confrontations.

What surprised me was not the killing itself - there are crazies in every country, viz the shootings in Santa Barbara last week - but the fact that no one intervened.

What do you think of the four incidents described above, and the student's reactions?

What would happen if there was a fight in a Maccas near you - would you (or other customers) intervene?

...

Feedback on the semester

This week I asked the students in my Oral English classes for feedback on this semester.  The following table shows some of their comments.

Comments by selected students in Double Major 1202 (oral English), June 2014

Jasmine	First of all I would like to say ‘thank you’ for teaching us this semester.  I enjoyed your Oral English class, but I don’t think my spoken English has improved a lot.  I am still hesitant, and often can’t find the right words.
Nina	I still feel nervous when you ask me to speak.  I would prefer it if you gave us some notice about debates and other activities, so we can be better prepared.
Kris	I know you said you would not correct our mistakes, but I think it is necessary.  How else can we know what we are doing wrong?
Lily	I used to be very nervous when I had to speak English, but now feel more confident.  It is exciting to think that I can actually communicate in English; I never thought that would be possible.  I liked the games we played - a fun way to learn.
Bernie	Thank you for providing many chances for me to speak English in your classes. I think my spoken English has really improved.
Mandy	My spoken English is better.  You are the first foreigner I have ever spoken to, and I was nervous at first.  But you encouraged us, and gave me the courage to speak.  I like the way you focus on the student speaking, and really listen to what we say - it makes us feel special.
Pearl	I know some foreign students on this campus, so get to talk English almost every day.  But what I liked about your class were the discussions on social issues.  You helped me develop critical thinking skills, and to express my thoughts in a logical way.
Crystal	Your approach is very different from our normal Chinese teachers.  You make us feel relaxed and comfortable and gave us the courage to speak English.  I believe my spoken English has definitely improved this semester. I particularly liked discussing recent news items, and also remember when you read some English poems to us.  That was nice.
Catherine	I liked the way we discussed current issues in your class.  It felt good to be able to express my own ideas about events.  We never use English in our normal lives.  Sometimes I have tried to practice with my dorm mates, but we always revert to Chinese.  This is really the only venue we have to use spoken English.
Colin	You made us stand on the stage during debates.  It was frightening at first because I had never spoken in front of my class mates.  But it was good practice and I feel more confident now.
Lyra	I liked this class because you always made us feel at ease.  I have now become more interested in daily news as we often discussed events in your class.  I also liked the small number of students, which gave me more opportunity to speak.
Amy	I liked the different games we played, such as the guessing game, and hot seat.  It makes learning fun.
Ella	I will always remember that you praised me whenever I spoke.  It really encouraged me.  I think you are a gentleman, and you have a nice smile too!
Miranda	Up till now I have always regarded English as just another subject to be passed in the exams, but you made me realise that language is all about communication.  I feel more confident in using spoken English now.

Well, from my perspective I think they all made good progress this semester. It was rewarding to see them grow in confidence and competence.

I am really impressed that these students can switch over to English so readily, after spending all their time immersed in Chinese - the capabilities of the human brain are truly amazing.

Students in Double Major class 1202 (Oral English): left to right: Sybil; Catherine; Amy; Mandy; Annie; Kevin; Me; Bernie; Miranda; Vincent; Daphne; Belle; Jenny; Ella and Jackie. 

Other students of Double Major class 1202, left to right: Alice; Laura; Crystal; Tina; Nina; Me; Kevin (hidden behind me); Kris; Lily; Ann; Celine; and Jasmine.  

Although there were 40 students on the class list of DM1202, often only half of them turned up as they had clashes with other subjects.  Double Major students are the busiest on campus, with over 20 classes a week (40+ contact hours).

I have gotten used to large classes of 30 or 40 or even 50 students, so it was quite a change for me to have much smaller numbers in these classes this semester.  Sometimes only 10 or so would turn up.  On those occasions I had to change my teaching style - often became more like a chat than a formal class.

An interesting observation was that there were about twice as many girls as boys in the Double Major classes, and yet most of their 'main majors' were engineering subjects where boys predominate.  When I asked the girls, most said that they liked English at school and wanted to continue with it.  Another reason was that they hoped having a double degree would help them find a better job - boys are generally preferred by engineering companies, so the girls felt they needed something extra to compete.

China's Leading Ladies

Traditionally the wives of Chinese leaders have not had a public profile.  But that changed in March 2013 when the current leadership took over: Xi Jin Ping became President (Head of State and Head of Military), and Li Ke Qiang became Premier (Head of Government).

Peng Li Yuan 

Peng Li Yuan (Chinese: 彭丽媛; pinyin: Péng Lì Yuán) is the wife of Xi Jin Ping. 

The new President undertook his first overseas trip in April 2013 (to Russia and Africa) and the world was introduced to China’s new First Lady.  This was a big change as previous Chinese leaders had kept their wives very much in the background.

Until 2007, when Mr Xi became Vice President and heir apparent, Peng was actually more famous than her husband.  When people asked “Who is Xi Jin Ping?” the answer was usually “Oh, he’s the husband of Peng Li Yuan.” (In China, women keep their maiden names after marriage).

Peng was born on 20 November 1962 in Heze, Shandong Province.  In 1980 she joined the People’s Liberation Army entertainment corps.  Two years later she made the first of many appearances in the Spring Festival TV Gala, screened every year at Chinese New Year.  It is the most-watched TV show in the world, with an audience estimated at over 700 million (eat your heart out Super Bowl!).  Her speciality was patriotic and revolutionary songs and Peng quickly became the most famous singer in China. 

Peng met Xi (ten years her senior) in 1986.  They married in September 1987 and their daughter, Xi Ming Ze (习明泽), was born in 1992. She is believed to be studying at Harvard University.

President Xi Jin Ping and his wife China's First Lady Peng Li Yuan, April 2013.

The young couple in 1989.

Peng Li Yuan as a young singer learning her craft.

Peng Li Yuan was a member of the Army's Entertainment Corps and rose to the rank of Major General.

Peng Li Yuan hosted the recent visit to China by Michelle Obama. 

Peng Li Yuan has become a fashion icon for Chinese women.

Cheng Hong

Now the Premier's wife, Cheng Hong  程虹 has hit the spotlight too.

Last month, in May 2014, she accompanied Premier Li Ke Qiang on an official visit to Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola and Kenya. 

Cheng Hong was born in 1957 in Zhengzhou, capital of Henan Province. 

In 1982 she graduated in English from the PLA University of Foreign Languages.  She was a post-graduate student at Peking University, where she met her husband, Li Ke Qiang.  She has a PhD in English Literature and he has a PhD in Economics. 

Cheng Hong's career has been as a Professor of English at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing. She spent 1995 as a visiting scholar at Brown University, Rhode Island, and discovered American writing on nature and ecology, which became her main interest.  She has translated several books into Chinese.  

The couple has a daughter who graduated from Peking University (medicine) and is now a post-graduate student in the United States.

Itinerary of Premier Li Ke Qiang's visit to Africa, May 2014.

4 May 2014. Premier Li Ke Qiang and Cheng Hong arriving in Ethiopia.

As an 'educated youth' Cheng Hong was sent to work in the countryside during the Cultural Revolution to learn from the peasants.   Her husband had a similar experience.

Cheng Hong (right) with other Commune workers during the Cultural Revolution.

Cheng Hong (left) with Commune leaders in 1975.

Four of the books on nature Cheng Hong has translated from English to Chinese: The Outermost House;  Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place;  Singing Wilderness;  and Wake Robin. 

5 May 2014. Cheng Hong meeting scholars at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.

7 May 2014. Nigerian First Lady Patience Jonathan introducing Cheng Hong to other wives, Abuja, Nigeria.

China's First Lady and Second Lady are impressive and accomplished women. Leaders in China normally serve two 5 year terms, so they (and their husbands) will be around for a while.

Eddie goes to Paris

Caroline and Andrew and little Eddie had a stopover in Paris for a few days enroute to a friend's wedding in Italy.  Michelle and David came over from London, and Mikey was able to join them from the San Francisco.

Eddie is certainly getting around: in his first 3 months he has already been to Singapore and now to Europe.

Stopover in Paris, enroute to a wedding in Italy.

Met up with friends in Paris.

Andrew changing Eddie's diaper outside the Louvre.  David getting some tips, but Mikey looks nonplussed.

C'mon Eddie, how about a little enthusiasm for the miniature tennis racquet you got at the French Open.   

Fast Eddie, jet-setter.  A bundle of joy.

Well, that's it for another week.

Wallabies had a big win over France tonight 50 - 23 (7 tries to 2).  I didn't see the game because I have a class on Saturday night, but I was with them in spirit.  Bad luck for Stephen Moore - his first game as captain  -  injured and came off in the 4th minute.

Best wishes, and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah

English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao

www.upc.edu.cn

Saturday 7 June 2014 (near midnight).