First Few Days in China

August 29, 2014

Suzette and I had a wonderful trip to Qingdao. Although the day was long, it was exciting. I think I am still wondering if all this is real.

We left our friend’s home (John and Joni Mantell) at 7:15 am on Tuesday, August 26^th. We arrived at our apartment on Thursday, August 28 at about 1:30 am – about 27 hours. 

The flights were smooth and it was nice to begin hearing Chinese since we were in the company of many. Our first experience with Chinese culture came in Seattle Airport. The concept of a queue or being in line is foreign. We were trying to be courteous by allowing people in line. I learned quickly that you can’t do that or you would never get anywhere. I thought about this a came to realize that when you are one of 1.3 billion, you better get in line. This cultural norm is expected and it seems that the Chinese are good with it. 

 

Above shows Suzette and I and our other team members (Kathy Porter and Meghan Schwanke) who are just behind us. Below shows us in the Shanghai terminal I did not take pictures of the Qingdao terminal. We did not look as good. We were so tired.

Our apartment is sufficient for our needs. It does not have all of the comforts we have become accustomed to, but it is much more than what is common for most of the Chinese. We have about 400 square feet (perhaps slightly more than the size of our family room in our house in Layton. Here are some pictures of our home for the next couple of years. 

Here is the entry for our apartment. The kitchen is on the right and the bathroom on the left.                                                                                                                                           The kitchen (shown below) comes with a two-burner propane hot plate. The fridge is nice and will be adequate since the stores are not too far away. Even by bus, it is only 2 Yuan each way for both of us ($0.32). The yellow cupboards below the stove hold all of our food and kitchen ware. We will not be hoarding a lot of food.                                                                                                                                             The clothes washer is also in our kitchen and is to the left of the water container and dispenser (see on the right) In front of the washer is a small toaster oven and above the refrigerator is a microwave.

We our well set up as you can see and yes, we do need to hand our laundry to dry.  We do have a small porch outside the apartment for drying and for additional storage for the stuff we cannot store in the apartment. It is really adequate for the two of us. We live large in the States.

  

We do enjoy the privilege of a Western bathroom. It is a bit different, though. For example, you may ask, “Where is the shower and tub?” There isn't any. We pull a shower curtain close that is to the right of the toilet. The water pours on to the floor and down the drain. Above and to the right of the toilet is the hot water heater. We only turn it on when we need hot water. There is a notice to unplug the water heater prior to taking a shower, otherwise, this story may not be told and that would be shocking. No pun intended.

We have a nice little living room that includes a desk, a futon couch, entertainment center with a TV and DVD player, and a small dining table. It is comfortable and quiet. Once school has started, we will be able to have a few guests over occasionally.

Our bedroom has a large wardrobe so Suzette and I do have some place for our clothing. There are no dressers, so we place all of our clothes in the wardrobe. The bed is a king size (two twin beds put together and is comfortable. The Chinese do not sleep on soft beds, so this is a very firm bed. I have not had back aches, yet, so it must work.

We have put up family pictures and pictures of our travels together, so that we can feel at home. (See the pics behind the bed, in the desks, not shown are the pics on the windows in the living room).

I find this place both interesting and exciting. The Chinese are reserved, but welcoming. Once you get to know them, they will do anything for you. According to our host, Joyce (our Waiban), the students are anxious to do well and to please. If we need anything, the students will assist us all they can.

We will miss all of our family and friends, but are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to be here.

The second week of training was intense and I feel we learned a lot. We received our passports, visas, work permits, and travel arrangements. We leave Salt Lake City on August 26th; arriving in Qingdao very late on August 27th. We fly to Qingdao via Seattle and Shenghai.

I was very touched listening to a guest speaker at our training. This woman told us of her life. Whenever I get discouraged, I know there are many more who have endured challenges much, much greater than If life is a test, some get some difficult questions on their exam.

Suzette and I met the couple who lived in the apartment we have been assigned last year. Our apartment is on the sixth floor (there is an elevator, but I think I want to take the stairs - we'll see how that goes). They assured us it is a very comfortable apartment. It is situated close to the main campus and the shops.

We have learned of the man opportunities to travel and experience much of what China has to offer. We will not be going on the Silk Road tour in October of this year, but will go to Beijing in November and Hong Kong for the annual conference at the end of January. We will expand out of the Qindao area as we get our bearings.

One city I want to go to that is only a couple hours away is Jinan. It is a beautiful city with a lakes and beautiful parks. We have a team of teachers in our program that are teaching there in Shandong University.

  

There are some very beautiful cities in China. We look forward to visit many of them.

This past week we learned about the government and the current affairs in China. It was fascinating all that the country has accomplished. Their economy is growing and they are becoming much more prosperous. This is good for country. Like the USA, they have many problems they are struggling with, but they can be commended for the progress that has been made.

I hope Suzette and I can be excellent ambassadors. We are representing BYU and the USA. We want to be a positive face of America.

I will close this blog by sharing a video that we were made aware of. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XTBwvi0h2E My Chinese, like these young men, is not so good.

Ni Hao,

The first week is over. We have learned a great deal about China and how to conduct ourselves. There are specific things we must avoid. Some of these are:

• Do not discuss the 3 T's, Tienanmen Square, Tibet, and Taiwan
• We should not discuss Politics
• We absolutely must not discuss Religion

We are their guests. As such, it is important to show respect for their country, values, and way of life. I expect the same from those visiting the United States. China has a very old and enduring culture. They can trace their existence back about 5000 years. Noodles, Ice Cream. Gun Powder, are just a few things we enjoy as a result of this great people. At left is a mechanical clock.

We have learned they are a disciplined people. The students will be obedient and compliant. There is much expected of them. University attendance is highly competitive. Only the very best make are able to attend. Many have goals to further their studies at such places as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford in the United States, and Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom. 

It is rare for Chinese young people to date prior to attending university. Hence, they may be shy and socially awkward. This is complimentary. There is total dedication to learning that there is no time for the dating scene. The cartoon at right is indicative of the cultural differences with respect to studies:

 

Although perhaps somewhat stereotyping, I have found this to be true of many of our young adults. Studying is not generally accepted as the "cool" thing to. Many of our students who try to do well in school are ridiculed. This is not the case in China.

We learned about the Chinese system of government. I found that discussion particularly fascinating. Any who know me will not be surprised at that.

Each day is going to be a learning experience. I will learn as much from the good Chinese students and people as I hope they learn from me.

Zhēnchéng

Gary

Gary and Suzette Wilson

David M. Kennedy Center

Brigham Young University

August 6, 2014

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We are on day 4 of training and learned days, and months. Chinese does not have names for days or months. Rather, Monday literally is day 1, Tuesday is day 2 so forth. The same holds true with months; January being Yiyue.(1 month). This is the Westernized version used to enable China to operate in the Global Marketplace. The actual Chinese calendar is still used, but primarily for the timing of holidays.

The picture at right shows the German Cathedral in Qingdao. Note the other buildings as well. I think the only indication that is a Chinese city in the writing for the signage. Otherwise, this could be a city right out of Germany. I think that is one of the things that will make this visit very interesting.

We were able to meet the couple who's apartment we are taking. They indicated that we should not take anything other than laptops and clothing. Everything else is there. The apartment is on the sixth floor and is considered the best on the floor. We are within minutes of Fushan (the mountain and the National Forest) that sits behind the campus. We can be to the top of the mountain within 25 mountains.

The beach is only a short walk. The picture below shows Qindao from the area around the main campus of the university.



The University has four campuses in the city. We will be travelling by bus if we have to go to the other campuses away from the main campus. The bus costs about 16 cents. We do not know what or where our classes are, yet. We remain excited and will be flexible.

Day Three of Training

                         

Day Three of training has ended. It has been a great three days so far. We have learned so much so far that sometimes my brain has felt that it is on overload. There have also been a couple of times that I have almost fallen asleep. Not because the classes were boring, but because we sit a lot and it is so much to listen to. 

Today we got to hear from many of the teachers who were in China this passed year. It was great! They gave us many tips and insights into teaching in China. They also gave us quite a few ideas for the lesson plans. I have so many ideas now that I am getting very excited to go. 

We did a fun writing assignment today. We got to free write or Quick Write as our trainer called it. She did it at the first of each of her classes. She set a timer and gave the student's a topic. Then they had to just write for 7 minutes. I love to write, so it was a fun activity.

Another nice thing that happened on our first day was that I got to see my friend, Katie Kershaw, at her work. She works at the BYU Bookstore and our training is at BYU, too.

She is getting married in a week and a half and going through the temple this week. I am so happy for her! It was good to spend a few minutes with her even though I was able to see her on Saturday at her shower. I wish her all the best in her life!

I love the thought-provoking poem entitled "The Dash" by Linda Ellis (http://www.linda-ellis.com/the-dash-the-dash-poem-by-linda-ellis-.html) The poem describes a funeral. The theme of the poem is that we all have a birth date and we will all have a death date. These dates are not nearly as important as the dash between them. Our legacy is how we lived the dash.

This is certainly true for Wendy Tidwell. She lived her dash well. We learned much more about Wendy from those who spoke of her at her funeral today. Kind, pleasant, always making sure everyone around her was well were some of the comments. She was also noted for her sense of humor. All that eulogized her, spoke highly of her. My experience with Wendy has been the same.

I was grateful that time permitted Suzette and I to support the Tidwell family and attend the funeral. I am confident that Gary and other family members have been well supported.

We have completed our first day of training. There is much to learn. I love it. We learned some about Chinese history, began Chinese language training and were briefed on travel. This is so exciting.

We learned that our documents for our visas are in Washington D.C. at the Chinese Consulate. We should be able to set our travel arrangements by Friday or Monday. Much as we will miss family, we cannot wait to get there.

We are at the David M. Kennedy Center. There are 72 individuals from throughout the United States representing Brigham Young University going to several different universities and cities. I have been impressed with the quality of instruction we are receiving and the quality of our colleagues that will be travelling. This is a diverse group. I think Suzette and I will gain much as we work with our colleagues to develop the English skills of our students.

The travel presentation was phenomenal. I need someone to will the lottery and provide Suzette and I a gift. We could spend a lot of money on travelling. We have some time available. One of the tours available to us takes us on the Silk Road. We would be able to ride camels, donkey carts, sleeper trains, and see the Terra Cotta Warriors

We are also learning how to teach English. We need to know the students and this should drive instruction.

More to come

First Day of Training

I thought I would tell my view of the first day of training for the China Teachers Program, so that you can get two points of view, mine and Gary's.

I knew there would be a lot to learn, but I also realized that I already know how to do many things. I have read four books about China and we discussed many of the things I read in our history lesson. It is quite fascinating, really! It is hard to comprehend that a civilization is that old and has been around continuously for so many years.

We started our Chinese language lessons yesterday. We learned the tones. There are five tones, one of which is neutral. This lesson was not quite as hard as I thought because Gary has been researching the language and how to learn it. He has already taught me the tones. It was nice to be a little bit ahead of the game.

We had ESL classes, too. This is where I think I may struggle at first. He gave us many ideas and we have to come up with a lesson plan to teach others next week.

We had the travel agent come and talk about the many tours he is offering during the coming year. It is going to be really hard for me to decide which one we want to go on. Bejing, Terra Cotta Warriors, Tibet, Thailand, Cambodia, Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and many other places are on tap. I can't wait!!!

Overall it was a great day!! I am getting more and more excited each day to go over to China and teach English. More to come later!

 
Yesterday was supposed to be my last day working for CACI International. It has been an honor and pleasure to work for this organization. We are contractors serving military members, veterans and their family members. I feel that I have contributed positively in assisting them.

I have the opportunity today to ensure the briefings go well. We have representatives from the Department of Veteran Affairs, CALIBRE Systems (the prime contractor) and the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City. Each wanted to observe to ensure we are serving in our assignments well. Sean McKay is our adviser briefing today. He always does well.

Yes, I gamed the system. I wanted to make sure when we have visitors, we have our very best in front. That said, however, I believe my entire team would have done very well no matter who was briefing and who is visiting.