Memories of China
(All dollars are US$ )
What are our main take-aways after 6 years living and
teaching in China (one year in Dongying, 5 years in Qingdao)?
It’s actually
surprisingly hard to put into words.
This is an extraordinary country – first we were overwhelmed by
everything and then slowly absorbed by the new environment.
I believe that we were always on the periphery of society,
never really part of it. To really
integrate is difficult and at the very minimum needs fluency in reading,
writing and speaking the language. Vera
became quite proficient in speaking Mandarin and that enabled her to get closer
to locals and their way of life than I did.
I have tried to list those things we will miss, and those
things we won’t miss – see below – as a way to describing our feelings.
(1) What we will miss
The challenge & excitement of teaching and the rewards
of seeing progress
Students reading/reciting aloud in corridors and class rooms
Students respectful and polite; good-looking, healthy, eager
kids
Students calling out greetings (particularly Vera in
Dongying)
No tipping
Bus fare $0.15 across town; $0.60 for a large bottle of
beer; $2 for a haircut
Cheap meals ($2 max) in campus canteens, and also outside;
delicious food
Going out for dinner on Sunday night with colleagues &
friends
‘Monday night @ the movies’ in our apartment with Vera’s
cooking, to watch Better call Saul and Game of Thrones
Friendly people, little violence
Apartment – easy living; great view of Tang Dao Wan Bay; biking
around the Bay
The China Daily newspaper, my ‘window on China’
Friends: teaching colleagues, other staff, some students,
others.
(2) What we will NOT miss
Cold wind in winter (the wind chill factor can bring the
temperature down to minus 20 or lower)
Pollution: air and water
Crowds everywhere, especially during holidays
Lack of discipline/courtesy by drivers
Littering; smoking; spitting
Smelly toilets / squat toilets
Cheating in exams
Questions about age and salary
No queuing, always trying to push in
No access to English language TV
People speaking loudly on their mobile phones.
Differences China – Australia
The cultures are hugely different in almost every
aspect. Here are some which spring to
mind:
Food. Chinese LOVE food; eat out a lot; always take
photos of the food they are eating; normally eat early and go to bed early; use
chopsticks; love pork; drink hot water/tea
Workers: work hard, long hours; competitive
environment; construction workers work in all conditions and seven days; finish
projects quickly; have few holidays; banks open on Saturdays and even Sundays
Students: respectful and keen to learn; want top
marks; lots of lectures; all live on campus; conform – very little
individuality but they are all different; love long, hot showers once or twice
a week; gyms becoming popular (fit, healthy bodies); girls wear short-shorts in
summer; girls with long black hair; everyone has a smart-phone; boys love
computer games and watching NBA basketball; singing (choirs) popular; studying
Marxism is compulsory but disliked (“boring”);
Alcohol: love
to drink, especially men (and smoke, although that is declining); they seem to
be happy drunks; there is little violence in Chinese society;
History: very much part of every-day living, they
know all the famous historical figures; seem to have a much stronger sense of
history than young Australians; strong family ties
Buildings: almost everyone lives in high-rise
apartment buildings; buildings usually face South to utilise the sun; most
buildings have solar panels on the roof;
...
Well, that's it for this post. I know there is much much more to say about China, but my brain refuses to do more tonight.
Tomorrow we start driving north, to Brisbane (about 1,300 km) to visit our daughter and her family. I'll try to do some posts on our European holiday last July - August, but not sure if I'll have the time or the inclination. Let's see.
...
Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.
Alex & Vera Olah
Canberra, Australia
14 February 2017
