28 October 2015

Gentlefolk,

This post describes the weekly class schedules of two of my Oral English classes: English Major 1502 (these are Freshmen, ie 1st year students) and Double Major - International Trade 1403 (2nd year students).

I also asked the students to comment on College life - see tables below.

English Major 1502

I have two Freshman English Major classes this semester: 1502 (15 students) and 1503 (11 students).  All girls. I’m used to having much larger classes, so will have to adapt my teaching activities for these smaller numbers.

They have 14 classes (28 contact hours) a week.

Weekly class schedule for English Major 1502 (Freshmen)

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
8 – 9.50am	-	Computing	Comm English	-	Comm English
10.10 – 12 noon	English listening	English reading	Comm  English	Computing	Comm English
2 – 3.50pm	Chinese culture	Oral English (my class)	-	PE	-
4.10 – 6pm	Marxism	-	-	Marxism	-
7 – 8.50pm	-	-	Military history	-	-

Notes:

Comm English = Communicative English.  Apparently this is a combination of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Purpose is to ensure that students don’t only know the theory, but can actually communicate in English.

The textbook for English Reading this semester is “Stories from the Bible”.

Chinese culture, Military history and computing are taught in Chinese language, the other subjects are all taught in English (by Chinese teachers, except Oral English which I teach them).

Freshman students attend a ‘seminar’ 8 – 9.50am on Saturday mornings, to discuss various aspects of College life.

All Freshman students do 18 days of full-time ‘military training’ when they start university.  The National Day holiday was Week 4, so their academic studies actually started in Week 5.  From Week 6 to 12 they all have to get up at 6am and do 30 minutes jogging around the campus.

About half the students said that English was not their first choice – most wanted to do finance/trade-related subjects – but their Gao Kao scores were not high enough to get them into other majors. 

Some comments about “college life” (Freshmen)

English name	Comments on “College life”
Iris	College is very different from High School.  The 18 days of military training were tough. We are busy and face various new situations every day. But overall I am positive about this new life.
Aurora	My teachers all talked up college life and I dreamt about it.  But it’s not nearly as easy or relaxed as I expected.  Actually, I have difficulty finding my way around this big campus, and often get lost.
Sally	I don’t like college – really miss my family – and I find English totally boring.  The military training was a drag and a waste of time.
Alice	This is the first time I have lived in a dormitory.  At first I found it uncomfortable sharing a small room with 5 strangers; but now I’m getting used to it, and am enjoying making new friends from all over China.
Jasmin	It’s too busy – we always seem to be running from one class to the next.  Studying English is difficult.  I miss my family, especially my mother - I’ve got to wash my own clothes now!
Evelyn	I’ve been going to sleep around 1am, and then have to get up at 6am to go jogging. I feel tired all the time. The military training was hard, but I was able to makes several new friends so that was good.
Julie	I am very busy. Apart from our classes we have to attend many meetings (such as the Volunteer Group which I joined). The Freshman will put on a concert next week, and we are busy rehearsing for that show.
Chany	I volunteered to be the class monitor (captain), and am busy from the time I get up to when I fall into bed.  Sometimes I don’t even have time to eat.
Kelly	I hate getting up at 6am to run, and I hate climbing up 5 floors for classes.  Also, the food isn’t great – I found an insect in one of the dishes last week. Still, I think college life will be colourful and interesting, but not perfect.
Penny	I don’t like the communal shower, where we have to be naked in front of all the other girls.  I’m from Sichuan and miss hot and spicy food. But my dorm-mates are nice, the weather is nice, and the teachers are nice.
Alyssa	We are almost as busy here as we were in High School. I found the military training hard, learning to march for 10 hours a day.  Now I don’t like having to get up at 6am to do exercise. But I love your oral English class (she’ll get on!).
Ivana	It’s my first time living in a dormitory and we have to use the shared toilet and washroom on each floor. I now realise how comfortable my home was, where I had my own bedroom. But my dorm-mates are nice and it’s making me learn how to get along with people.

I asked them for their recollections of doing the Gao Kao - the National College Entrance Exam – which they took on 7 & 8 June 2015, at the end of their 3^rd year of Senior High School.  Here are some of their comments.

Recollections of the Gao Kao, June 2015 (almost 5 months ago for these students).

Iris	The last year leading up to the Gao Kao was a nightmare.  Just study, study, and more study.  We only had one night off a fortnight. By the end of the first day of the Gao Kao I was mentally and physically exhausted; don’t know how I got through the second day.  When it was over I slept for 24 hours.
Aurora	I lived in a dormitory and it was study from early morning to late at night every day.  We’d wake at 5am to wash, then do some exercise and reading. Breakfast at 6.30m. In classroom by 7am for private study.  Class started at 8am. 12 noon lunch, then a nap. 2pm more classes. 5.30pm dinner, then self-study from 6 – 10.30pm. Lights out at 11pm. Crazy schedule.
Ivana	I try not to think about that last year of High School.  Intense pressure to study.  We had regular ‘practice exams’ based on previous Gao Kao papers which added to the stress.
Alyssa	The last year of High School, leading up to the Gao Kao, was a torment, but in a strange way I miss it.  We were all in the same boat, which gave us a strong feeling of friendship and togetherness.
Chany	It was awful, so much pressure.  I grew to hate those text books and never want to see them again. There must be a better way of achieving our dreams than going through that torture.

 

Students in English Major 1502. They are Freshmen (1st year). My first all-girl class. From left: Kelly Mo Ya Qi; Ivana Sun Yan; Carol Li Le Nan; Sylvia Wu You; me; Aurora Chen Li Min; Penny Xiao Yue; Leighton Zhang Yi Fan; Alyssa Yang Lu Yao; Sabrina Liao Si Qi; Iris Yu Lu Yao; Chany Chu Ya Xin; Alice Yin Ya Ting; Violet Qu Ya Nan; Jasmin Wang Mi; Sally Xing Lu Yuan.

Double Major - International Trade 1403

I have a combined class of Oral English with Double Major/International Trade classes 1403 and 1404.  These are Sophomores (ie, in second year). 32 students in total.

These are Double Major students so will end up with two degrees: International Trade and English. 

Double Major students have a very busy schedule, with 25 classes (50 contact hours) a week.  They are also expected to take at least one optional class, usually held on Saturday afternoon or taken online.  Optional subjects include: Physics; Career planning; Internet; Architecture; Deportment; First aid; etc

I really don’t know how they manage – they have classes from 8am to 9pm Monday to Friday.  When do they do homework/study? When do they socialise and relax?

Weekly schedule for Double Major/International Trade 1403

	Monday	Tuesday	Wed	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
8 – 9.50am	Oral English  (my class)	Comm English	English listening	English writing	Comm English	Western Culture
10.10 – 12 noon	Marketing	Comm English	Inter Trade	Inter Trade	Comm English	-
2 – 3.50pm	Math	Marketing	PE	Math	English Translation	-
4.10 – 6pm	Marxism	Economics	English Translation	English Literature	-	-
7 – 8.50pm	Inter Trade	English writing	Marxism	Economics	English technical reading	-

Notes:

Comm English = Communicative English.  Apparently this is a combination of reading, writing, listening and speaking to ensure that students don’t only know the theory, but can actually communicate in English.

Inter Trade = International Trade.

I asked them what they thought of their college life now.  Here are some of their comments.

Comments about College life (2nd year Double Major students)

Bob	I’ve made many new friends, including some foreign students.  We have fun sometimes by going to dinner and KTV.  I was in a student club, but had to leave it - just too busy with all the Double Major classes.
Lisa	Our High School teachers said that College would be easy and everyone has a boyfriend.  But the double major course is very busy and I haven’t found a boyfriend yet. I attend so many classes every day, but sometimes at the end of the week I wonder what I have actually learnt?
Cathy	College life is certainly different from High School and I’ve made many new friends.  I have many classes, but often feel that a lot of what we are learning is not really practical or useful. I was in a Student Association, but now that I am the class monitor, I have had to give up all extra activities.
Spring	I have four wonderful dorm-mates who have brought me out of my shell.  I feel pretty optimistic about the future.
Toni	Things are good and bad this semester.  I am learning a lot, but doing a Double Major is so busy.  I have to get up early every day, and sometimes get jealous when my room-mates can sleep in.
Enya	High School was boring, just studying the same old things time and again.  But here we do so many different subjects, it’s busy but stimulating. It’s good to challenge ourselves. Like the others, I have resigned from various student Associations because there is just not enough time – pity.
Celina	College is like living in a village where everyone is kind and nice.  But of course the real world is different. Making friends is important, and we can do that here.  I would have loved to study another language, such as French or Spanish, but the Double Major course is too busy and doesn’t allow time for other interests.

Students in Double Major/International Trade 1403. My Oral English class is 1403 and 1404 combined (total 32 students).  From left:Nancy Ren Cui Cui; Vivian An Wei Wei; Celina Chen Hong Jing; Don Wang Liang Jie; Bob Zhang Pei Liang; Russo Wang Ruo Xi; me; Cathy Lu Yi; Toni Liu sha; Spring Zhou Chun Yan; Lisa Zong Yan Yan; Angie Wang Hui Min; Enya Liu Ya Nan; Kira Zhang Xiao Yi (Absent: Sherry Xian Hui).

...

That's it for this post.

Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah

English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao

www.upc.edu.cn

Wednesday, 28 October 2015

24 October 2015

Gentlefolk,

Previously I was pretty good doing weekly posts describing our lives in China, but recently the blog has taken a bit of a back-seat.

Why do I lack motivation? Here are some possible reasons (excuses):

The start of a new semester is always busy, getting to know the new students, and preparing suitable lesson plans.

Another reason may be the lovely weather (see below).  I've been riding my bike around Tang Dao Wan bay, and going swimming, and going to the gym.  All good fun, but of course take time.

Can I also blame 'naps'?  My brother, Papa Andy, has long espoused the benefits of an afternoon nap, but I have never felt the need.  Until now. This semester I've started having a nap most days - and finding it great, especially when I have night classes (7 - 8.50pm).  It gives you that extra bit of energy to carry you through a long day, but again it takes time.

Another reason is that I've started reading "Mao, the unknown story" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday. I'm on page 366 and still have 500 pages to go! I'll talk more about that below.

And, WeChat; finally, I've succumbed. Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are blocked by the Chinese Government so, thankfully, we are spared those temptations, but I have joined China's answer to Whats App for contact with local friends.  That little 'ping' sound as a new message arrives is so seductive, isn't it?

And, finally, after 5 years working and living in China, we might be getting used to life here, and there don't seem as many strange or unusual events or issues to record.  Are we in a 'new normal'?

Anyway, the blog is not a 'do-or-die' situation, so I'll just relax and do posts whenever inspiration strikes.

Here are some comments on recent happenings.

Autumn

We've had a great Autumn. It's normally cooler by now (they've had first snow-falls up North already), but here the temperatures are still around low-20s Centigrade - very comfortable - although temperatures are forecast to drop next week.  It's usually windy here in Autumn, but not this year, which has been great.

 Michael (an American colleague) and I have been riding our bikes to Silver Beach (about 30 minutes by bike) a couple of times a week, and swimming in the Yellow Sea. It's a shallow, safe, beach. Normally pretty calm, but yesterday the waves were bigger and we were able to body-surf.

My students can't believe that we are still swimming in the sea; they all put their shorts away on 30 September.

A view of Silver Beach at low tide. It's off the beaten track. so not crowded.

The Grand Wyndham Hotel looks over Silver Beach. It's a big modern hotel with good facilities, but few guests - it has been a bit of a "White Elephant". 

Yours truly enjoying the water last week.

Wedding anniversary

Last Sunday was our 42nd anniversary.  Brought back memories of our wedding which took place at the Australian Ambassador's residence in Jakarta.  The Ambassador, Bob Furlonger, conducted the marriage ceremony in front of 200 family and friends. A night to remember!

We invited some friends around and Vera cooked a wonderful meal.    She is amazing, the way she can knock up a great meal for a dozen people.

Best thing I ever did, marry that gal!

Some of the guests at our Anniversary Dinner. From left: Vera; Graham (Australia); Rai (India); Michael (US) and Steven (US).

Other guests, from left: Thomas (Germany); Sun Yu (China); Vera; Baby Luna and her mother Hao Yu (China); father Gautier (France).

Some of Vera's dishes - always delicious!

One of our guests was Laxmisha Rai who teaches Computer Science at Qingdao University of Science and Technology.  We both featured on Qingdao TV last year when they did a series on foreigners living and working in Qingdao.  Andrew put a copy on YouTube - to see the program click HERE, but be warned, it's about 25 minutes long and the story alternates between Rai and me.  It is in Chinese, but there is enough English to get the gist of it.

Book on Mao Ze Dong

As mentioned above, I am reading "Mao, the unknown story" by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday.

Jung Chang is probably better known for her 1992 book "Wild Swans" which illustrates much of the history of China in the 20th Century through the experiences of 3 generations: Jung Chang, her mother, and her grandmother. A fascinating story, the book was an international best seller, selling more than 10 million copies in 30 languages.

  

Jung Chang (Chinese 张戎; pinyin: Zhāng Róng).  She was born (1952) and raised in Sichuan.  Her parents were upper-level CPC cadres who were purged during the Cultural Revolution; she was sent to the countryside to work as a "bare-foot doctor".  In 1978 she got a scholarship to study in the UK, and became the first PRC-citizen to earn a PhD from a British university (1982, York University, Linguistics).  She is married to Irish historian Jon Halliday.

Jung Chang in London in 2010.

The "Mao" book was published in 2005.  Apparently it took 12 years to research and write - the Bibliography of Sources covers more than 50 pages, and the list of interviewees is 15 pages long!

The book seeks to explode the myths surrounding Mao.  He is exposed as totally self-centered, a megalomaniac, a tyrant, cunning and vengeful, who showed no mercy for opponents, inside or outside the Communist Party of China (CPC), and was responsible for the deaths of many millions (an estimate of "up to 70 million" is given).

What a journey for Chang: from adoration of Mao as a 14 year old Red Guard, to total loathing at 50.

Could Mao really have been as bad as portrayed by Chang and Halliday?  They put him in the same category as Stalin or Hitler, even worse.  While admitting that he made some mistakes, Mao is greatly admired by most Chinese as the founder of "New China".  They are brought up on a diet of praise and love for "The Chairman" and of course Jung Chang's and other critical books are banned in China.

There are many "wow" moments in the Mao book as parts of Mao's character and exploits are revealed. At present I'm up to the 1948-49 period when the civil war between the Nationalists and Communists is climaxing.  It is an epic story.  The idea that a rump of 8,000 bruised and battered Communists at the end of the Long March, could, within 15 years, defeat a strong opponent and rule the most populous country on earth seems completely fanciful. But that is what happened, and this book explains how and why, in great detail.  Fascinating stuff.

Some of the most surprising things for me so far:

• Many of the "battles" waged by the Communists, either against the Nationalists or the Japanese, didn't happen (or at least not in the way portrayed in current Chinese history books).  A good example that 'history is (re)written by the victors'.

• I didn't realise how close relations were between the young CPC and Moscow.  The Communist revolution had succeeded in Russia and Moscow was a vital source of funds, weapons, personnel, and constant advice/direction. Stalin took great personal interest in developments in China - what a coup if China were to become communist!  According to Chang's book, the CPC would not have succeeded without Soviet help.

• Before he turned against the CPC, Chiang Kai Shek (pinyin: Jiang Jie Shi) sent his son to study in Russia. According to the book, Stalin held him as a hostage, and as a consequence Chiang was softer on the CPC than he could have been.

• In the early years in Yan'an (the CPC base at the end of the Long March) Mao & co resorted to growing and selling opium as a source of badly-needed funds.

When I finish this book I hope to read Jonathan Fenby's "Generalissimo: Chiang Kai Shek and the China he lost". I like Fenby - his "Modern China" is excellent - and I think his book would make an interesting balance to Chang's book on Mao.

Well I never ...

There have been several instances where Vera & I have reacted with "Well, I never expected to see that in China".

Buses

Public buses used to drive through pedestrian crossings, just like cars do.  But no more, at least in our suburb of Huangdao.  Bus drivers now stop if there are any pedestrians on zebra crossings.  Cars still, as previously, push their way through any pedestrians, but now buses stop.

Never thought we'd see that happen here.  A great start ... maybe car drivers will follow suit one day?

Sidewalk vendors

One of the things we've always liked about China and Asia in general is the busy, lively, chaotic but always interesting, street life.  Vendors set up a little stalls in any given space, sometimes just using a simple rug, to sell all manner of things and try to turn a profit - see photos below.

But no more. The local government has cracked down on side-walk vendors, and they are not allowed to operate now.   At least that was the case in September, when we returned to campus. Now, slowly, we see some vendors sneaking back, usually working off the back of a parked truck or van, ready for a quick get-away should the fuzz appear.  I, for one, hope the local govt relents and lets the vendors operate again.

Toilets

One of our abiding fears has been to be "caught short" and have to use public toilets. They are all squat-type, of course, and not conducive to our old bones.  But more important was the cleanliness, or lack of it - invariably they were smelly and filthy.

A couple of years ago our area of Huangdao built new facilities in key locations around the city. What a welcome change that has been.  I don't know about other locations in China, but we feel much "safer" now.

These new toilet facilities are now dotted around Huangdao.

The original urinals in the new toilets, as pictured, were much too small, and always overflowed when flushed.  After 6 months they were all replaced!

Like father, like son

We were delighted to learn this week that the Liberal Party of Canada had won the general elections, and that the new Prime Minister will be Justin Trudeau.

Justin's father, Pierre Trudeau, was the Prime Minister of Canada when we lived in Vancouver 1975 - 77.

Tall, handsome, debonair, clever, progressive, Pierre Trudeau dominated Canadian politics for 15 years.

He was Whitlam-esque, before Whitlam.

Trudeau was one of the world's most eligible bachelors and dated several famous women, including Barbara Streisand. Imagine the shock when, in March 1971, he married Vancouver girl Margaret Sinclair.  He was 52, she was 22.

They had 3 children, all boys, in six years: Justin, Alexander, and Michel.  Then the marriage fell apart; the age difference was just too great.  Pierre was engrossed in running the country, but Margaret couldn't stand the official 'cage'.  He got custody of the boys, and she went to New York to party with the Rolling Stones.

Pierre died in 2000, at the age of 80.  Many dignitaries attended the funeral, including Jimmy Carter and Fidel Castro.  A life well lived.

Wedding day, 4 March 1971. North Vancouver. 

Happy days.

Family photo in 1976.  They separated the following year.

Pierre Trudeau brought up the three boys.

Justin Trudeau with his mother, Margaret, in 2013 when he became leader of the Liberal Party. In October 2015 the Liberal Party won the general election making Justin the 23rd Prime Minister.

Pierre would be proud of you, Justin.  Let's hope this is the beginning of another great Trudeau era for Canada.

Jean Chretien

One of the enduring memories I have of that time is a speech by Jean Chretien.

Jean Chretien held several Ministerial portfolios in Pierre Trudeau's administrations.

In 1977 he visited Vancouver in his capacity as Minister for Trade and Industry.  He was guest speaker at a lunch hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in the grand old Hotel Vancouver.  Generally, businessmen in Western Canada didn't like the Liberal Party or French Canadians, so he had a hostile audience.

Chretien wasn't particularly clever or imposing.  In fact, he had a facial impediment which meant that he spoke in a strange way, out of the left side of his mouth.  But he was a 'man's man' and possessed great charm.  It was an unforgettable  performance - from the moment he started speaking, he captivated the audience and at the end he got a standing ovation.  Remarkable.

Fifteen years later Jean Chretien became leader of the Liberal Party, and was Prime Minister of Canada from 1993 to 2003.

...

That's it for this post.

Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Saturday, 24 October 2015

PS Australia plays Argentina in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in 24 hours - go the Wallabies!