Back to School

Building 8 at Hua Hang

The biggest problem with being a teacher is not the hardships of teaching but the mournful melancholy that sets in at the end of summer vacation.  Teachers must say goodbye to the last blissful carefree days of summer and hello to chalkboards and textbooks.  As a student I used to hate when teachers would give homework assignments on the first day of class.  Now, as a teacher, I realize how much those first-day homework assignments was some form of self-imposed masochistic torture on the teacher!  Yes, it might be a torture to write a 50-word essay about, “What I did this summer.”  But the teacher is the sad sack that’s got to read and grade all those essays.  I’ve got 240 students!  Do you know how many words that is for me to read?  That’s 12,000 words!  That’s way too much work for someone recovering from the lazy hazy days of summer!  “Excuse me, airplane polite, be a dear and turn this thing around for fun and sun.  Thanks.”

But cry not for me, America.  Whereas the slough of despond may be filled with thousands of pages of homework assignments, the smiling faces of friends and students is the hope that pulls me from the depths.  Good friends are the much needed aid that makes life so much better.  But, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let me start my story from the beginning when I first arrive in China… again!

It all started on a 777 bound for Beijing. I did not feel too well on the flight and I had a headache most of the trip.  However, my newly acquired eye mask and neck pillow helped me get to sleep.  My plane arrived at 2:40 pm safely in Beijing where I was greeted by some nice sunny weather!  I was also happy to find that my luggage made it safely with me to China.  There is always a lingering dread in the back of my mind that my luggage might be lost in all the tussle and bustle of airplane travel.  However, they did not become lost and, in fact, my bag was among the first bags to hit the kiosk!  Soon afterwards I had a rather unexpected surprise... It was Gideon and Joshua!  They greeted me at the airport entrance. I had no idea they were coming.  I got a message on my cell phone merely moments before while I was getting my bags that I should, “look for a strange man in a farmer’s hat.”  I stepped out into the greeting area and there was Gideon wearing a traditional straw farmer’s hat!  It was hilarious. Both Gideon and Joshua helped me with my bags and then they helped me find the bus that goes directly from the airport to the South Beijing Railway Station.  Joshua was kind enough to pay for our tickets.  I didn't want to let him pay but he wouldn’t have it any other way.  We got to the railway station about 2 hours later and the trains were nearly full.  We had to pay a whopping 54.50 RMB for a first class ticket just to get back to Langfang.  Furthermore, the only tickets available were on the last train of the evening leaving at 8:20 pm.  So we had to wait.  We made for ourselves a nice little place to wait out our remaining time in restaurant in the lower portion of the train station.  We shared out stories from the summer and I shared with them the gifts I brought from America.  Then Gideon bought us dinner and we enjoyed a good meal together.  Once again, I didn’t want to let Gideon pay but he wouldn’t have it any other way.  (I’ve realized here in China that the only way to keep my friends from paying is to make sure I get to the cashier first!)  It was nice to be eating some Chinese food again! It was delicious.  I was too sleepy to continue talking after dinner so I took an hour and a half nap while the guys did some reading.  Then we hopped on our train and made our way back to Langfang.  Riding first class is really nice.  First class has personal pods each equipped with an automated mechanical seat that turns into a bed at the push of a button.  We were served drinks, a snack, and even given a pair of slippers.  It seems rather silly to get all that for only a 20 minute train ride. But it was the only way to get home.  We all were bemoaning the fact that we were spending 3 RMB per minute of travel! Ha ha.  In retrospect, we should have reserved our tickets online (“Live and learn,” as the saying goes).  When we got back to Langfang we could hardly find a cab willing to take us back to Hua Hang without charging an arm and a leg.  The cab drivers are like vultures hovering around the train station exit.  They see an American carrying luggage and they instantly see a way to make more money.  However, Gideon managed to get a three-wheel motorized cart for a good price.  It was quite the sight to see us trying to get two people and my luggage onto that tiny thing.  Gideon sat with his legs propped up in the air over my bags while I sat hugging my backpack.  It probably looked like a can of sardines going on vacation!  I wish I had a picture of the sight.  We finally got back to my apartment around 9:30 pm and it was time for bed.

Since that first day I’ve been busy preparing my classes, teaching, meeting with friends, and cleaning my apartment.  My new apartment is far better than my old apartment at the teacher’s college.  I have 10’ ceilings and rather large living quarters.  My kitchen is big enough to allow both a cook and eight people sitting at my dining table.  Everything was covered in a nice layer of dirt, but I expected that after sitting quite for two months.  Some friends came over in the week and we made short work of the first within no time.  We hung a few maps, cleaned the floors, and now this place is looking like a home.  I think I’m going to like it here.

Dinner with Friends

Dinner with friends.

The only way to travel.

Joshua has found the "comfort" button.

Gideon and Joshua are Relaxing

Di San Xian! So Good!

Fish!

Dinner with Mr. Yu

My Apartment

My Bathroom

My Kitchen

After a Long Silence

"Goodbye, my wonderful students!"

After a long silence I am finally posting a new blog update!  Hooray!

Firstly, I want to apologize for my lack of updates.  Secondly, I want to explain why my blogs have not been updated as frequently as some may like.  I’ve been going through a period of turmoil for the past few months and I wanted things to get worked out before going public with any news… 

...So let me jump right in and start off by saying that I’m no longer a part of IECS.  After some disagreements with management it was agreed upon that it would be better that we go our separate ways.  I’m very thankful to IECS for bringing me to China and I wish them nothing but the best for the future.  But, enough said about that…

Since mid-May I knew of my ending involvement with IECS and it was sadly at that same time that I learned I could no longer work at Langfang Teachers College.  I loved working at the college.  I still love the facility and my students very much.  So it was very hard on me knowing I could not come back and work there the following year.  What I was supposed to do was to finish out the year teaching and then I was to return to America by June 20th.  So I was very soon to be without a job and a home in China.  It was at this point that I began job hunting.  I put my resume online, I made phone calls and I sent out emails to potential schools.  I’m happy to report that there was no lacking of positions available for an American English teacher in China.  The problem was with finding a place where I wanted to teach.  I looked at high schools, private schools, and several colleges all across China.  I went to several interviews and I had several Skype interviews online.  Some places liked me and others turned me out.  Yet, all-in-all, what I really wanted was to stay in the city of Langfang.  I had made a number of friends in Langfang and this small city felt very much like my second-home.  I didn’t feel it was time for me to leave.

It was during this time of searching that a good friend pointed out to me that there was another college in Langfang looking for a foreign teacher.  This college was known as the North China Institute of Aerospace Engineering (北华航天工业学院 = běi huá hángtiān gōngyè xuéyuàn), or simply” Hua Hang” (华航 = huá háng) for short.  Hua Hang is an Engineering school with about 10,000 students.  It’s smaller than Langfang Teachers College but it still holds a rather prestigious position in North China.  However, applying for this position was a lot harder than I first imagined.  There were no public advertisements for foreign English teacher as the college already had as many foreign teachers as they needed.  But, as I was searching for a job, one Hua Hang’s foreign teachers decided to leave their position for a better position in Beijing.  This was perfect timing.  While this was going on, I was busy searching for some kind of contact information on the internet.  I found an old advertisement from the college for a foreign teacher that dated back to 2005.  It had the contact information still on the advertisement so I called thinking that there was no way I would get someone.  To my surprise, I got someone who worked at the college and they directed my call immediately to the right person.  Within an hour I was talking to the foreign affairs official at Hua Hang and setting up an interview for the following day.  Everything was working out great.

The interview went great and Hua Hang decided that day that they wanted me.  There was just one minor problem: I was leaving the country within two weeks with no way to return.  Hua Hang needed some more time to get the paperwork in order so I needed an extension on my visa.  This is where I can only say how thankful I am to the staff at Langfang Teachers College.  They accepted my request to stay longer on their work visa and told me that I could take all the time I needed in getting myself situated with finding a new job.

Rachel (my contact at Hua Hang) and I got right to work on getting all the necessary paperwork filled out for my work visa transfer request.  It was going to take some time for my new visa to be processed so my return date to America got bumped from June 20^th to July 3^rd.  I was quite glad I could get my flight changed as there were very few seats available on the July 4^th weekend.  But, it all worked out.  On July 1^st I packed up all my belongings and moved out of the apartment at the Langfang Teachers College and moved into my new apartment at Hua Hang.  Two teacher friends came with their cars and six students showed up that morning to help me move my things.  My small army of helpers had me moved out of my old place and into my new place within three-hours.  All was well!

On July 2^nd I stayed my first night in my new apartment.  My new place is a lot nicer than my old apartment.  There is more room and the plaster isn’t falling off the wall in the kitchen.  I have new appliances and a huge new bed.  There are still a few things that need work but that is not a surprise.  The bed is still just a board under sheets but I’m getting used to sleeping on a hard surface.  I slept well that night.

July 3^rd finally rolled around and I was off at 8:00 am to catch my ride home.  The morning started out with a taxi ride to the train station, a train ride to Beijing, then a subway ride to the Beijing airport.  I check in my bags around 1:00 PM and then grabbed a bite to eat with a good friend.  My good friend, Redy, had come to escort me on my way through Beijing and I was happy for the company.  Even though Redy lives in Beijing, I am still more adept at finding my way around, so I acted as the guide for both of us rather than the other way around.  But it was still nice having her along.  We had a good lunch together and I said goodbye at the terminal.  I was soon on the plane and headed back to America.  After ten months of being away I was finally coming home.

-- Reflection --

My first year in China was an amazing experience.  The people of China treated me with such great hospitality and they welcomed me into the country with open arms.  I made many good friends there and forged new last relationships.  Personally my own view of the world as broadened as the horizons became clearly.  In a way, China made me into a new better man.  It was a year not without its many hardships but I managed to pull through on the other side.  In a way, I would happily go through all the trouble again if it meant experiencing all the good that happened during my year there.  I have seen the world and I am now a wiser man because of what others have taught me.  I’m longing to go back again to learn new things, to meet new friends, and to have many more new adventures.

North China Institute of Aerospace Engineering

Slow Ride to Ping Guo

May 1^st is a special day here in China known as International Workers’ Day or Labor Day.  Most people have off only the one day off but the college gave the teachers and students a nice five day holiday.  A lot of students choose to travel home during this period.  I, however, was invited to join a small group for a bike trip.  Our destination was the city of Ping Guo Yuan just northeast of Beijing.  Our mode of transportation was bicycles.  Our distance to conquer was 220 miles. 

I travelled with three students (Leo, Solomon, and Vivian) and a retired teacher named Phoebe.  Phoebe is a relatively new member to the community of Langfang and one of my newest friends.  She moved to Langfang only a couple of months ago as the roommate of one of my good friends and the two of us soon became friends.  I’ve learned during my time here in China that people in Langfang are very community centered.  People like to do things in groups.  I get to meet all kinds of new people each time I meet with old friends.

Our trip began on June 30th at 8 in the morning.  I was actually joining the trip under the false assumption that we were doing a 50 mile bike ride to Tianjin.  One of the students (whose English is very poor) told me the wrong name of the city by accident.  So I was not prepared, or even aware, that we would be biking for three days.  I didn’t even know the truth of our destination until about mile 60 when I realized we were nowhere near Tianjin.  But it was okay.  Despite not knowing, I really had a good time.  We biked at a leisurely pace through the farmlands of northern China.  I got to see things I’ve never seen before.  Vast fields of rice, greens, and other vegetables for as far as the eye could see.  We saw beautiful forests, wide open plains, and many small little towns.  There were a few big towns that we passed through and even a few construction zones.  During our ride through one the dusty construction zones one of the bike tires was punctured by something sharp and became flat very quickly.  Thankfully, China is full of both bikes and bike repair places.  We did not have to walk for too far before finding a place that could repair our broken tire.  Within hardly any time at all we were back up and traveling.

The girls had come more than enough prepared for the journey.  They had packed a feast for each day.  When we would become hungry we would normally find a park or forest to stop and we then we would have ourselves a picnic.  Bread, fresh cucumbers, nuts, cooked chicken, and sausages were all part of the main course.  Then we would all settle down for a nap before getting back on the road.

Our first day of biking was quite the challenge.  We rode a total of 95 miles in a period of 13 hours.  We couldn’t stop for the night until we got to our destination so we kept powering-on even after dark…. And does it get dark in the Chinese countryside!  The stars were out in full force but the moon was nowhere to be seen.  It was so dark that you could hardly see anything in front of you.  So we kept our heads down and watched the white line on the roadway as we continued on to our destination.  We finally arrived in a remote village in the county of Ping Guo and we stopped for the night at a small motel.  However, we quickly learned that the hotel manager had given our room away by accident.  They apologized for this accident and then invited us to stay in their personal home.  So we did.  The guys and I slept in one bed while the girls slept in the other.  The sleeping arrangements didn’t bother me in the slightest.  I was so tired that I was out within a second.

The next morning we woke bright and early to prepare for the continued journey.  We ate a leisurely breakfast, sang songs together in English and Chinese, and then began our journey onward.  Our original plan was to go to a musical festival in the northern mountains but everyone decided they were too tired from the bike trip to do hillside biking.  So instead we headed into the peach tree orchards of Ping Gou to see the beautiful spring blossoms.  It was a simply amazing sight.  There was a vast see of pink blossoms for as far as the eye could see.  No matter where we would go we were still completely surrounded by pink trees.  It was like riding through a dream.  How different this beautiful morning scene was in comparison to the pitch blackness of the night before.

Phoebe started feeling bad and we quickly realized she was coming down with a cold.  We then all agreed that it might be best to start heading back to Langfang.  We biked for about 43 miles before finally stopping in the town of San Hua.  We stayed the night in a small hotel and we got Phoebe some medicine for her cold.  The students and I then headed out for the evening into the local park to enjoy the May 1^st holiday festivities.  There were many street vendors and I was happy to find a place that sold cheap t-shirts.  I hadn’t planned on a three day journey so I was still wearing my clothes from the morning we left.  I bought myself some clothes, took a shower in the hotel and then I felt much better.

The next day we began the long journey back.  We stopped only twice to visit a couple of beautiful parks along the way.  We would rest and eat each time we stopped as to give us all the energy we need to finish the journey.  Finally we arrived back in Langfang at around 6:00 pm that evening.  It had been a long hard journey but it was now complete.  Each of us felt better for having accomplished such a great feat.  However, Leo (our guide), apologized for such an agonizing journey.  He said that he had never done this before and he underestimated the time it would take to get there and back.  We all then agreed that the next time we would go biking we will make sure to space the journey out so that we will be able to enjoy our destination more.  It didn’t matter to me.  I loved the trip.  I really enjoyed the company and the sights.  It was a journey that will not be easily forgotten.  However, it did take two days for my legs to recover!