28 March 2014

Hello everyone,

My 4th post - slowly getting used to blogging.

Note: all dollars are US$.  The exchange rate I am using at the moment is US$1 = Yuan 6.2

I shouldn't have said anything about Spring arriving in the last post - the following morning 24 March dawned grey and cold and then rain arrived on 25 March.  Jinxed it! We have put away the long-johns, but it looks as if it will be a while yet before we are wearing shorts.....

At the end of each month I will include lists of key events, international and Chinese, which took place.  We live in an age of 'information overload' and I find that unless I compile such lists important events quickly become a blur.

Today's post focuses on students and teaching.  We have just completed the 5th week of this semester (30% of the way through already!) and I have compiled information on my students which is provided below.

I will do another post over the weekend which will focus on news items.

China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, Shandong Province (www.upc.edu.cn )

A brief introduction of the China University of Petroleum (UPC).

UPC has two campuses, one in Dongying and the other in Qingdao, both in Shandong Province (roughly half way between Beijing and Shanghai).  Our campus is located about 30 km south of Qingdao City, in the suburb of Huangdao.  The campus is on Tang Dao Wan Bay - see map below.  We are very fortunate to be right on the coast, which makes for a fairly temperate climate and relatively fresh air.

The campus of China University of Petroleum is across the road from Tang Dao Wan Bay.

The main gate (North Gate) of UPC with the tall Administration Building in the background.

The symbol of UPC is the 'Goddess of the Sun', the provider of nature's bounty such as oil and gas resources.

The emblem of UPC incorporates the Goddess of the Sun symbol. The university was founded in 1953.

UPC has about 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 post graduates and a teaching staff of about 1,500.  As the name implies, it focuses on subjects related to oil and gas, such as Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geology, etc.  But it also has other faculties such as Languages, Finance, and Administration.

UPC is one of three key universities in Shandong Province which are directly administered by the Ministry of Education in Beijing.  They are Shandong University in Jinan, and Ocean University and China University of Petroleum which are both located in Qingdao.

Vera and I had one year in Dongying (2009-10), and this is our third year teaching on the Qingdao campus.

My teaching schedule, February to June 2014

At the moment I have 6 classes a week (expect to get 2 more in April).  My teaching schedule is:

Monday, 7 – 9pm (NM65, Western Culture)

Tuesday, 7 – 9pm (DM1202, Oral English)

Wednesday, 4 – 6pm (DM1202, Oral English)

Thursday, 4 – 6pm DM1202, Oral); 7 – 9pm (NM224, Culture)

Saturday, 7 – 9pm (DM1201, Oral).

Unusually, this semester I have 4 night classes, and no morning classes.  Thursdays are a bit tight with only an hour for dinner between classes.

I am still getting used to teaching on Saturday nights.  Actually, I asked the students if they wanted to change the time to Saturday morning or afternoon, but they preferred to stay with Saturday night.  Ugh!  These kids are keen - can you imagine Australian or American college students going to class 7 - 9pm on Saturday night?  No way.

Teaching the night class can be challenging.  It is the end of a long day for the students, and many are tired.  I recall when I had night classes (almost 50 years ago!), despite my best efforts I would always drift off for a few minutes about half an hour into the lecture.  I try my best to make the classes interesting but often see students nodding off.  

Still, I’m happy with my teaching schedule this semester.  Twelve hours a week has been pretty cruisy, and I've had a lot of time for personal activities (such as starting this blog!).

Yesterday I heard that a group of 28 staff from the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) will arrive in 2 weeks to start a three month intensive English course and I have been asked to take them for 3 classes (6 hours) a week.  So, my relaxed lifestyle is about to come to an abrupt end.

Still, even 18 hours a week should be fine. Chinese students are dedicated and respectful, and I enjoy teaching them.  An adult group will be different, but should provide opportunities for interesting discussions.

Foreign teachers at this university are paid a basic Y2,000 per month plus Y50 for each teaching hour.  So at the moment with 12 hours a week I am earning Y500 + Y600 = Y1,100 ($180) per week. Our accommodation is two rooms in one of the residential buildings on campus and is free. We don't pay for utilities such as electricity, but we pay for our own drinking water and meals.  We don't have a kitchen, so eat in student dining halls or sometimes at restaurants outside the campus.

My pay of $180 per week doesn't sound like much, but the cost of living is low and Vera and I can manage easily on my salary, except for our regular trips back home which we have to fund from our own sources.

My impression is that my pay is about average in urban China.  One of the American teachers is married to a local girl, who has a clerical job in the university's foreign students section - she has a college degree and good English - her salary is about $80 per week.  So I am not doing too badly compared to her.

It's nice to be in a place where you can still get a meal for under $2 and it costs 15 cents to ride the bus across town.

The following table contains an overview of my classes this semester.

Summaries of Alex’s classes, February – June 2014

	Double Major 1201	Double Major 1202	Non Major 65	Non Major 224
Course	Oral English	Oral English	Western Culture	Western Culture
Hours per week	4	4	2	2
Number in class	42	41	60	60
% girls	60%	76%	33%	27%
% boys	40%	24%	67%	73%
Main major
Petroleum Engineering	9%	6%	18%	43%
Storage Engineering	14%	-	3%	2%
Control Engineering	5%	9%	6%	2%
Safety Engineering	2%	9%	6%	-
Resource Engineering	9%	11%	3%	10%
Law	14%	2%	-	-
Other majors	47%	63%	64%	43%
Left handed	5%	0%	7%	5%
Drivers licence	12%	8%	13%	17%
Given name
One character	33%	33%	27%	32%
Two characters	67%	67%	73%	68%
Home Province
Shandong	67%	54%	42%	26%
Other provinces	33% (6 other)	46% (11 other)	58% (19 other)	74% (18 other)
Parents jobs
Farmers	14%	17%	28%	30%
Workers	35%	33%	37%	24%
Business	11%	14%	4%	8%
Teachers	11%	9%	10%	14%
Doctor / nurse	5%	10%	2%	3%
Other	24%	17%	19%	21%
Hobbies (most popular)
1st	Movies	Reading	Movies	Reading
2nd	Reading	Movies	Basketball	Basketball
3rd	Music	Shopping	Reading	Music
4th	Jogging	Music	Music	Movies
5th	Swimming	Sleeping	Football	Football

Comments on class summaries

Double Majors

These students are doing 2 majors:  their ‘main’ major (such as Petroleum Engineering) and English as their ‘minor’ major. They have to be in the top 30% of their main majors before they are admitted into Double Major.  They are the busiest students on campus, with over 40 'contact hours' of lectures a week (see example of weekly schedule below for details).

Double Majors will graduate with two degrees: one for their main major (eg Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering) and the other for English (ie a Bachelor of Arts in English).  I think we call this a Double Degree in Australia.

I’m intrigued that there are more girls than boys in the Double Major classes because most of the students come from Engineering and there are 4 or 5 times as many boys doing those courses.  I guess girls are more interested in English (and better at it) and maybe they also have to get that extra edge to compete with boys in the job market.  But I am still surprised that, relatively, so many more girls are willing (and able) to take on the additional burden of a second major.

The students in my Double Major classes are Sophomores – that is, in the 2^nd year of a four year degree.

Non Majors

These students come from a variety of majors.  All students can apply to do one or two “optional” or “elective” classes each semester.  They can select from a wide range including Chinese History; Western Music; Calligraphy; Multimedia; Marketing; Finance; Psychology; Western Culture; etc. 

About 150 students applied to do each of my Culture classes, and 60 were successful.  The course will go for 16 weeks, with the final exam in Week 17.

Most of the students are Juniors (in 3^rd Year), with some Sophomores (2^nd Year).  Previously I have also had some Seniors (4^th Year) but not this semester.

We use the descriptor "Non Majors", but it would probably be clearer to call them Non English Majors. All  English major students do Western Culture as a compulsory unit, but students doing other majors can take it as an 'optional' unit.

Hours per week

Each class comprises 2 x 50 minute lessons.  The Double Major students have 2 Oral English classes a week, and the Non Major students have one Western Culture class a week.

Handedness

From my research on the web, about 9 - 10% of the population in Western countries is left-handed.  My observation of Chinese college students is that the proportion of left-handedness is about 4 - 5%.   I ask this question to see how many left-handed students there are in my current classes.

Drivers licence

This is a sort of economic indicator, and I usually ask my classes how many students have drivers licences.  I’ve noticed a significant increase in the last 4 years - at that time only 1% or 2% had drivers licences - which is a reflection of the rapid economic development of China and the spreading wealth.

Given names

Overall, about 40% of Chinese have given names of one character and 60% have two characters.  I like to see how my students compare to the aggregate.

.

Home Province

I am interested to know which area of China my students come from.  The University of Petroleum is located in Shandong Province and the greatest number (often more than 50%) come from this Province. 

Shandong Province is about the same size in area as the State of Florida in the USA, or about 70% the size of the State of Victoria and 20% the size of the State of NSW in Australia.  The 2010 census showed Shandong with a population of 96 million (the second largest Province in China by population).

Shandong Province. Our campus is near Qingdao City, on the coast of the Yellow Sea.

Parents jobs

This statistic can be a guide to the socio-economic background of the students, particularly how many students come from “the countryside”.  But it must be taken as an indication only, because these days so many farmers have jobs as “workers”.

The other point to note is that in China the descriptor “workers” is often used in a very general way, covering blue collar and white collar jobs.  So this statistic needs to be viewed with care.

Hobbies

This provides an idea of what the students like to do in their spare time.  But, again, it is an indication only as hobbies can vary greatly with time and place.  Many students say 'reading' is their main hobby, but when I delve further very few have actually read books (either paper or electronic) in recent months.  Perhaps it is more of a wish than reality in their busy study schedule?

Incidentally, 'football' refers to soccer, which is becoming popular here. It is the only kind of football they know.

A Double Major student's weekly class schedule

Weekly class schedule for a student in Double Major 1202 whose main major is Safety Engineering, February – June 2014

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wed	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
8 – 9.50am	Electrical engineer	Materials engineer	English (college)	Thermo-dynamics	Psychology (optional)	Electrical engineer	-
10.10am – 12 noon	English (college)	Thermo-dynamics	Physical education	Electrical engineer	-	-	-
2 – 3.50pm	Marxism	Chemistry	Environ (optional)	Chemistry	Physics	Western culture	-
4.10 – 6pm	Western Culture	English (listening)	English (oral)	Marxism	Physics	News (optional)	English (reading)
7 – 8.50pm	English (listening)	English (oral)	English (listening)	Materials engineer	English (reading)	-	-

Per week: 25 normal classes plus 3 optional classes (environment, psychology, news).

Each class comprises 2 x 50 minute lessons. There is a 10 minute break between the two lessons.

So, this Double Major student has 25 classes a week which is 50 lessons (or 50 ‘contact hours’ with lecturers).  On top of that she has registered for 3 optional or elective classes which are subjects of personal interest to her.  

Some other students said they have slightly fewer classes than this girl doing Safety Engineering, but all have more than 20 classes (40 contact hours) per week.

The students said their teachers don’t allocate much homework.  Most said they do about 1.5 hours of ‘self-study’ a day, usually from 9pm when their lectures finish.  They are normally asleep by 11pm.

You can see that a Double Major has a very tough schedule.  Actually, it's more than most full time jobs; certainly doesn’t leave much time for other activities.

I asked some of the Double Major students why they had taken on such a huge burden?  Most said that a good knowledge of English is important in China today and they hoped that their English skills will give them an edge when they look for a job after graduation.

From my observation, Chinese college students have at least twice as many ‘contact hours’ with lecturers compared to Australian college students.  This is a reflection of the different approach to learning.  Here students are given much more information by lecturers, while in Australia a lecturer will normally introduce a concept and then students have to research it to develop their own understanding.

Teaching approach

A report released 6 March concluded that "...an informal environment, sited in reality, is best for learning a second language .... with a focus on active communication rather than vocabulary and grammar."

My sentiments exactly.  It reflects the teaching approach I have developed over the last 3 years.

The China Daily did a story on an unusual activity I did in my Oral English classes last year.  I asked them to compose love poems with an International Trade theme.  The journalist called it 'wacky', but I prefer to think of it as innovative or perhaps unorthodox.  What do you think?

Follow this link:  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-07/05/content_16737867.htm 

...

That's all for now.

Best wishes,  alex & vera olah
Teaching English at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao Shandong
Friday 28 March 2014

23 March 2014

23 March 2014

The mystery of the missing plane

It is now 15 days since the disappearance of MH370 on the morning of 8 March 2014.

Everyone was buoyed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott's announcement on Thursday that two large pieces of debris ('a solid lead') had been spotted by a satellite more than 2,000 km south-west of Perth, in the vast Southern Indian Ocean. Could this, at last, be a clue to the whereabouts of the missing plane?  Although excited by the news, I said to Vera that I hoped he hadn't "jumped the gun"; shouldn't he have waited until the evidence was more solid?

Sure enough, by the next day Mr Abbott was backtracking and qualifying his remarks.

I just  hope they find something down there.  The families of passengers have been through so many highs and lows.  I guess politicians can't resist the limelight, but they really need to constrain their impulses and wait until solid evidence is available before raising expectations.

I am starting to feel sorry for Malaysian Airlines staff.  They did the right thing by quickly arranging for relatives of the 154 missing Chinese passengers to stay at the Lido Hotel near Beijing International Airport. A few days later some of the relatives took up the offer to fly to Kuala Lumpur to be closer to the search & rescue headquarters.  But no one expected this drama to drag on so long -  the interminable waiting is taking its toll - turning into a nightmare for everyone concerned.

What did you think of the spokesman for the Thai military who said that their radar had tracked the plane as it changed course and flew back across the Peninsular and into the Straits of Melaka?  When asked why it took them 12 days to provide that information, he said "We were not asked."  Unbelievable.

Puzzle: with so many satellites up in space, don't you think it strange that none of them 'saw' where that plane flew and what happened to it?

Another question: why do we still rely on the 'black box'?  Surely in this day and age they could design a system whereby a plane's details are relayed to the company's computers continuously, in real time.

Girl power

It took a special event to knock MH370 off the front page.

China's First Lady, Peng Li Yuan hosted a 7 day visit to China by US First Lady Michelle Obama accompanied by her two daughters Malia and Sasha and her mother Marian Robinson.  They will spend time in Beijing, Xian and Chengdu.

The media has called it "First Lady Diplomacy".  Last year the two Presidents spent quality time getting to know each other and now it's the wives' turn.  I think it is terrific that the families are getting to know each other - can only enhance understanding.

The Obama girls arriving in Beijing, 20 March 2014

Meeting with President Xi Jin Ping and his wife Peng Li Yuan

Calligraphy lesson followed by ....

.... a table tennis lesson.

Since becoming China's First Lady a year ago, Peng Li Yuan has impressed with her poise and charm

...

Our wonderful grandkids

Eddie one week old, already looking very much at home. Like father like son.

21 March Eddie's cousins Kurt, Nate and Sid off to first rugby training.  They play for GPS Ashgrove.  

Now four family members with birthdays in March: Eddie (14th), Nate (16th), Vera (21st), Caroline (25th).

...

Most expensive cities

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) rated 131 cities around the world based on the cost of a basket of 160 items (New York City was taken as the 'base' against which the other cities were rated).

According to this report the 10 most expensive cities in the world are:

1. Singapore
2. Paris
3. Oslo
4. Zurich
5. Sydney
6. Caracas
7. Geneva
8. Melbourne
9. Tokyo
10. Copenhagen

New York City was ranked No. 22.

Two Australian cities, Sydney and Melbourne, are in the top ten - a dubious honour.  Twenty years ago Australia had a relatively reasonable cost of living, but that has changed dramatically.   Many costs, such as housing, transport, power and food, have gone through the roof.  Why?  Some commentators say "privatisation" has back-fired, but can that be the whole story?

It seems crazy that Sydney and Melbourne are so much more expensive than a big international metropolis like New York.  What's the answer?

World's largest economies

For my Western Culture class last week I researched the world's largest economies.  See table below.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 2013 estimates

Top 10 economies, by GDP/PPP, US $ trillions

Country	GDP/PPP (US$ trillion)	GDP/OER (US$ trillion)
1. USA	16.72	16.72
2. China	13.37	8.94
3. India	4.96	1.76
4. Japan	4.73	5.01
5. Germany	3.23	3.59
6. Russia	2.55	2.11
7. Brazil	2.42	2.19
8. United Kingdom	2.38	2.49
9. France	2.27	2.74
10. Mexico	1.85	1.33
18. Australia	1.0	1.49

Source:  CIA Wrold Factbook www.cia.gov accessed 22 March 2014.

Notes:

GDP = Gross Domestic Product.  This is a way to measure the size of a country’s economy, by adding together all the products and services produced in a country.

PPP = Purchasing Power Parity.  The World Bank calculates GDP/PPP by allowing for different cost of living in countries.  It tries to calculate what a US dollar will purchase in each country.  This is now accepted as the best measure by which to compare the real size of economies.

OER = Official Exchange Rate.  Each country calculates its GDP and then converts to US$ using the country's official exchange rate.  Different domestic cost structures are not taken into account and exchange rates can skew the final result - that's why people prefer using the GDP/PPP measure these days.

Note the big gap between the first two economies and the rest of the world.  The US and China are in a class or their own, and I can't see any other countries catching them, can you?

On GDP/PPP basis China's economy is now 80% of USA's.  If China keeps growing as it has been, it could overtake the USA by 2020 and become the world's #1 economy.  America's GDP grew by about 2% in 2013, while China's grew 7.6%.  China's target for 2014 is 7.5%.

Doctor - patient stress in China

Following a number of physical assaults by dissatisfied patients and families against doctors and nurses, many hospitals in China now employ security guards.

Traditionally doctors were greatly admired and regarded as "Angels in white" (because of their white coats). So why have doctor - patient relationships deteriorated to the extent that many doctors and nurses now fear for their safety and hospitals have to employ security personnel?

A recent survey found that 70% of patients distrusted doctors. Patients are unhappy with the brief consultations, and the subsequent prescription of expensive tests and medicines.  On the other hand, 71% of doctors said that they regretted choosing this career as it was a stressful and low-paying job.

Cartoon of an unhappy patient assaulting his doctor

Graphic showing doctors salaries and satisfaction - both low

I made this topic the theme of my Oral English classes this week.  I introduced the subject and then asked each student for their comments.  Some students spoke for 2 or 3 minutes, while others spoke longer.  Health issues are of universal interest.  They all had an opinion and seemed to enjoy the opportunity to express their views on what they see as an important social issue.

There were many interesting comments.  Here are three.

One of the girls tried to put the issue into a historical perspective.  100 years ago, even 50 years ago, about 85% of Chinese were farmers living in the countryside.  If they got sick they tried traditional remedies, which may or may not have worked.  In any case, they had no one to blame if their health didn't improve.  Life expectancy was only about 35 years, and dying early was not exceptional.  But now medical services are available to most of the population - expectations are much higher - and they have someone (the doctor) to blame if their ailments don't improve.

Another girl described her experience last year.  She became ill and went to a private clinic near her home.  The doctor said she had a serious problem and recommended immediate (and expensive) surgery.  Luckily she sought a second opinion at a large public hospital, and there she was diagnosed with a relatively minor complaint which was easily fixed.

A third girl spoke about her parents, who are both doctors back in her home town.  They work very hard and come home exhausted every night.  They did not want her to do medicine (she is doing computer science).  In a recent survey 77% of doctors said they would not recommend medicine as a career to their son or daughter.

It's a complex issue.  Several students said that it is an "open secret" that pharmaceutical companies pay kick-backs to hospitals; and there is a general perception that patients are expected to give doctors a "red envelope" (tip) to ensure their full attention.  Many people are now suspicious of doctors' motives.  On the other hand, doctors complain of long hours and aggressive patients.

There seems to be a growing dis-connect between the expectations of both sides.

I suspect that medical services have not kept pace with the tremendous development which has taken place in China in the last 30 years, and that has created stresses: growing demand, not enough supply.  According to the CIA website, in 2011 China allocated 5.2% of its budget to 'health expenditures', while the figure for the UK was 9.3%, Australia 9% , Germany 11.1%.

Incidentally, China's life expectancy is now 75 years.  A remarkable change in just 50 years.  So while there are obviously problems at the micro level, on a macro level there has been much progress in health care.

It was a good, high-energy discussion and I learnt a lot too.

Crisis in the Ukraine

Events moved very quickly this week.  When I wrote my post last Sunday, the citizens of Crimea were voting in a referendum.  The vote was overwhelmingly (97%) in favour of joining Russia.  Ukraine and 'the West' (USA and EU) rejected the result, but President Putin quickly welcomed Crimea as new member of the Russian Federation.  The West imposed sanctions and Russia reciprocated.

The incorporation of Crimea by Russia seems a 'fait accompli'.

There are strong feelings on both sides.  Some commentators think it might be the start of another "Cold War".  I hope not, but I suspect there will be a lot of huffing and puffing to go, before things settle down.

China found itself in a difficult position.  It has always been a strong advocate of "non-interference" and supported the Russian stance on Syria. In the Security Council debate last week China obviously couldn't support Russia (which was 'interfering'), but didn't want to openly criticise its new buddy.  So it called for negotiations to settle the dispute, and abstained in the final vote.

Could this be the start of Spring?

The weather this week has suddenly warmed up: daily maximums around 14 to 17 C; nights are still cold, with minimums around 0 to 5 C.  But the days have been nice and I've started cycling.  We are so lucky to be across the road from a nice bay which is a good place to bike.  The magnolia trees are blossoming and others can't be too far behind.

The university turned off the central heating in the residential buildings on Friday night, so I guess they think the warmer weather is here to stay.  Let's hope so.

Well, folks, that's it for another week. Keep well, and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah (in Qingdao, China)
Sunday 22 March 2014.

16 March 2014

Hi  everyone,

My second weekly post.  Still feeling a bit nervous about blogging, but here goes.  Please note that dollars in my blog are US$, unless otherwise stated (the Aussie dollar is too volatile).

Canberra connection

Over 3,000 local and foreign journalists covered the annual meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing 5 to 13 March 2014, so it is likely that you saw some coverage on your news channel.  Did you recognise the spokesperson?  You may have - she was the Chinese Ambassador to Australia 10 years ago and some of you would have met her at that time.

I am talking about Fu Ying, China's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.  She was Ambassador to Australia and then to the United Kingdom, before taking up her current position in 2009.  Unusually, Fu Ying  is from the Chinese Mongolian minority; she was born in the Province of Inner Mongolia in 1953.

21 June 2004 Ambassador Fu Ying in Canberra receiving illegally imported Chinese fossils seized by Australian Customs.

5 March 2014 Fu Ying answering questions as spokesperson of the NPC meeting in Beijing.  She impressed with her wit and urbanity.

As an activity this week, I asked the 82 students in my Oral English classes to talk about a recent item of news, and why they thought it was of interest.  Guess how many mentioned the NPC meeting in Beijing?  Not one!

The most popular topic was the disappearance of flight MH370, followed by World Consumer Rights Day (15 March), and other topics, but none chose the NPC and yet that has been the lead story on every news broadcast (TV and newspapers) for the last week. Interesting - do they see through all the hoopla, and consider it just a big talk-fest?  Or maybe Chinese college students are just not interested in politics (same as most college kids the world over!).

Welcome little Eddie

Andrew and Caroline had a baby boy on 14 March 2014, our 4th grandson!  His name Eddie Zoltan Olah, 3.7 kg, 49.5 cm.  After a long and complicated labour, finally Caroline had a C-section.  Mother and baby (and father) doing well.  He has already been nick-named "Teddy" because he is as chubby as a little teddy bear, but my preference is "Zolly".  What do you think?

By the way, he is the 5th generation Olah with the name Zoltan (my grandfather, my father, me, Andrew, and now Eddie).  Something special.

Medical issues

A little mole appeared on my forehead a couple of months ago, so last week I went to a big hospital near us and saw a skin specialist.  She examined the mole, and said it was not serious.  I asked her to 'freeze' it off, but she didn't want to and instead prescribed an ointment which she assured me would shrink the mole over time. Two small bottles of the ointment cost all of $1.60!

We then went to the dental clinic in the hospital and spoke to an oral surgeon about a tooth implant.  He had lived in Canada so it was great to be able to converse in English.  He immediately arranged for an x-ray ($45), which showed that an implant was possible. He explained that there is Chinese material but the quality is variable and his clinic only uses imported material from Korea. America and Germany.  He quoted between $1,500 and $1,700 for the implant, depending on the origin of the material.

Gulp, that's 10 weeks salary for me! But the place was spotless, they had the latest equipment, and I could communicate with the dentist so I decided to go ahead. I chose the German implant, and made an appointment for later in the week for the operation.

The operation took about 90 minutes and seemed to go well.  He wants to see me in a week for a check-up; then wait for 3 months for the jaw to settle before adding a crown, which will cost an additional $600.   So, all up the new tooth should cost about $2,400.

That may sound reasonable by Australian standards (why are implants so so so so expensive?), but it is a lot of money in China.  One is never too sure about the quality of dental care in another country, so fingers crossed that it all works out OK.

The mystery of the missing plane

Yesterday the Malaysian Prime Minister announced that MH370 had veered far off its designated course.  Why did it take 7 days to figure that out?  More questions than answers at this stage, but it does not look good for the passengers.

On 15 March it was announced that MH370 turned left and crossed the Malaysian Peninsular. Where did it end up? CNN came up with this graphic showing two likely flight paths.  

The whole world is holding its breath .....

Ukraine

The situation in the Ukraine is messy; a nightmare finding a solution acceptable to the major interest groups.  A referendum is being held today in Crimea on its future status - predictions are that more than 80% of the populace support joining Russia.  If true, how can such a decisive majority be ignored?  What would you do?

I didn't realise that so many people in the Eastern part of the Ukraine have such strong links to Russia.

...

That's it for another week.

Take care, and keep smiling.  After a cold spell last week the weather has suddenly warmed.  Today reached 14C.  Could this be the start of Spring?

This changeable weather has affected many - including Vera - she has had the flu for about 10 days.  Get well soon!

Best wishes,  alex & vera olah (in Qingdao, China)

9 March 2014

Hi everyone,

I am still trying to get my head around blogging.  As mentioned in my February 2014 post (my first), my intention was to use the new blog as a site for my monthly "Letter from China".  But quite a lot has happened in the last week, so I have decided to do a post now.  Feels a bit awkward, but here goes.

We've just finished the 2nd week of teaching for this semester.  At this stage I have 12 hours (4 Western Culture and 8 Oral English) a week, but will get another 4 hours a week in April.  The first couple of weeks of a new semester are always busy, as teachers get used to their schedules and students get used to their teachers.

Terrorist attack in Kunming, Yunnan Province

Injured victims receiving treatment

At about 9.10pm on Saturday night 1 March 2014 a gang of eight people (6 men and 2 women) entered the Kunming Railway Station armed with long knives (swords) and indiscriminately attacked men, women and children.  In 15 minutes of mayhem, they killed 29 and injured 143.  It must have been a horrific scene of carnage with bodies, severed limbs and blood everywhere.

Armed police arrived and in the ensuing fight four of the attackers were killed and one captured.  The other three were captured the following day. It was announced that the group were Uygurs from Xinjiang, and related to the separatist East Turkistan Liberation Movement. The Uygurs are the largest minority group in Xinjiang Province.  They are of Turkic origin and Moslems, so very different from Han Chinese (who constitute about 92% of China's population).

There have been intermittent clashes between police and extremist groups in Xinjiang over the years, but now they seem to be taking the fight to other parts of China.  In October 2013 a jeep drove into a group of tourists in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and exploded, killing two (plus 3 attackers) and injuring 40.  And now this incident in Kunming.

Somehow the Beijing bombing seemed a bit unreal, but everyone could relate to what happened in Kunming.  Trains are the primary form of transport in China, and people are always at railway stations.

I was disappointed by the way some Western journalists reported this incident, including Stephen McDonell the ABC correspondent.  They seemed reluctant to call this a terrorist attack, and related it to Uygur - Han tensions.  Whatever their motives, attacking unarmed, innocent people is clearly 'terrorism'. Period.

In my Oral English classes last week I asked my students for their opinions about this incident.  As I expected, they all expressed shock and dismay.  But what surprised me was that many of them felt that "something bigger" / "foreign forces" were behind the attack.  They believed that this was part of a plot to de-stabilise China and constrain its development, through separating Xinjiang (and Tibet) and thus weakening China.  Digging further, they thought that the USA was behind it all.

Wow, that was unexpected.  A conspiracy theory!    Chinese xenophobia?  How widespread are such views? On reflection, why should Westerners be the only ones to engage in conspiracy theories?

There seems to be a general feeling that the US fears China's rise and wants to constrain it.  They point to the leaders of the East Turkistan movement being based in the USA.  And the recent meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama (and the Dalai Lama leading prayers at Congress last week).  There is a suspicion that the US talks friendship, but has a hidden agenda.  A classic case is Taiwan. While the US espouses a "One China" policy, American companies sell sophisticated weaponry to Taiwan. Surely a real friend of China would not act like that?

I asked for evidence of US government involvement in separatist movements in China, but of course there is none (although I have read that the CIA supported some groups back in the 1950s and 1960s).

My 'sample' was small - the 82 students in my Oral English classes.  It was difficult to gauge exactly how many students subscribed to this conspiracy theory - from observation perhaps 50%, but that's a guess.  So this little survey should be taken as indicative only.  Still, it's useful to understand how ordinary Chinese view these matters, and the world.

The Ukraine crisis

The situation in the Ukraine has escalated in the last week.  It is a complex scenario, which hopefully will be resolved peacefully.  I feel for ordinary Ukrainians - they are suffering through this period. Sometimes we feel isolated Down Under, but at times like this we are thankful for the relative tranquility of our country, and the absence of such historical hang-overs which affect many of the countries in Central/East Europe.

I had to chuckle when John Kerry visited Kiev a few days ago and lectured Russia about invading other countries. Selective memory, don't you think?

Actually, Kerry has been incredibly active in his first year as Secretary of State, including ten visits to the Middle East.  That's a thorny and thankless issue, but Obama & Kerry seem determined to give it their best shot.

Apparently Obama has been in regular phone contact with Putin over recent days. All I can say is "Thank God for Obama."  Can you imagine George W Bush doing that?

Kevin Rudd

In the November 2013 "Letter" I wondered what next for ex-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd?  I was interested to read that he has now taken up a position as a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University, to manage a project called "China's role in the global order." While I would have liked to see him do something of direct benefit to Australia, I guess the scars are still too raw.

I am sure that he will enjoy the peaceful environment in Boston and the intellectual challenges of his new role. It is likely that China will overtake the US as the world's biggest economy by the end of this decade, and how China relates to the community of nations (and we to it) will be crucial to world peace and development.

Onya, Kev!

Chinese Government

The annual meeting of the National People's Congress started in Beijing this week.  It marks the first anniversary in office of the new team of President Xi Jin Ping and Premier Li Ke Qiang.

Can you imagine running a country of 1,350 million souls? Lots and lots and lots of issues, but they seem to have made a good start.  Environmental degradation has become a major concern and the Premier was applauded when he announced a "War on Pollution".  Good news, as the full force of the government will now be brought to bear on this problem, and not a moment too soon.

Defence budget

The Chinese government announced a 12% increase in the defence budget (to about 2% of the total budget), which excited many observers.  But that is still only about 20% of America's $600+ billion p.a. defence allocation (4.3% of their budget).  Begs the question: why does America spend so much on defence?

Teaching

During the week I was asked to assess the oral English ability of some PhD students who are applying for scholarships to do part of their study overseas.  I chatted with each student for 4 or 5 minutes and then gave a score based on comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and pronunciation. At the end of his exam, one of the students said to me "Please give me a high mark, as I am very keen to study overseas."  I don't know if they make such appeals to Chinese teachers, but it didn't go down well with me and I gave him a slightly lower mark than I would have otherwise!

Actually, one of my students from last semester sent me a text message asking if I can increase the final mark I gave her back in December?  Of course I refused, but in any case the marks are in the system and can not be changed.

This is the first time in 3 years that I have had such a request.  I try to be helpful when I can.  For example, last semester a girl missed the Culture exam.  She called me the next day, apologised profusely and admitted that she just forgot that the exam was on.  I arranged for her to take a new exam paper, which I supervised. The Chinese teachers were surprised - they would not normally help a student in such circumstances.  But I will not change marks once given, and must admit that I get annoyed when asked.

Missing plane

As I write a huge search has been launched for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 which suddenly disappeared while on a flight from KL to Beijing.  239 passengers, including 154 Chinese and 6 Aussies. We shouldn't jump to conclusions, but it appears a tragedy in the making. Our thoughts and hopes are with all those on that aeroplane and all their families.

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That's all for now, folks.  Keep smiling and fit and well.

Alex Olah
Teaching English at the China University of Petroleum in Qingdao, China
9 March 2014