Dépaysement

Dépaysement (French) is one of matadornetwork.com's 20 Untranslatable Words. They take it to mean "the feeling of not being in one's homeland."
That's what the first few weeks felt like as my jet-lagged and culture shocked self wandered the streets of China with only a few phrases under my belt (thank you, hello, goodbye). I had no idea how to navigate by using the bus system or the difference between a half kuai coin and a dime coin. Everything was so busy-people were everywhere, the streets were packed and the stares were intimidating. After time I got used to it, the rhythm of the city, the curious looks of the Chinese, and the traffic. I'm not sure what I expected, but I've discovered so much; monks on e-bikes, quiet monasteries, curious cafe baristas, and fish flavored eggplant.
And yet, Hangzhou is best in the early morning when I'm running and the only people I see are monks and tea farmers. It's really worth savoring what's left after the tumult dies down.
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McDonald's Runs: 6

Yu Xiang Qie Zi

Yu xiang qie zi.
I say it three times before someone understands me-I’m just glad they bring out the right dish, fish flavored eggplant. It’s really just eggplant with small pieces of pork, peppers and onions in a special sauce, which I like to eat with rice (mi fan). It’s easier to order rice than anything else.
I settle into my chair, reading River Town by Peter Hessler. The book details Hessler’s time in Fuling, China while serving in the Peace Corps. It’s interesting to read about his experiences with the staring, the language barrier and just how different everything is.
It’s been two and a half weeks, but it feels like a month. The rain has been torrential but is now familiar, I no longer cringe when rainwater hits my flip-flopped feet. I have regular haunts; the white house restaurant down the street from my apartment, the Vineyard Café in town, and McD’s for a weekly McFlurry indulgence.
Overall, China is an experience. I’m learning so much. I have 25 characters under my belt, just enough to make out one character from random business buildings around town. I know enough phrases to survive around town, I can get around on the bus, and I know my way around the lake. I’m more self-dependent, I don’t need other people to figure out my way-which is good, because asking them would be a pain.
In short, I’m loving it here so far and I hope it continues to be this sweet.

Back in Hangzhou

Went back to Hangzhou today. The bus ride back was...interesting. We got one of those awesome busses where everyone sits on the second level, so that was cool. Unfortunately, the old lady behind me was having some serious carsickness, so that kinda but a damper on the whole 270 degree view of the highway and Chinese countryside thing.
Oh well, so it goes.
I'm back in Hangzhou, chilling in "Paris Baguette", one of the many pseudo-French bakeries which hardly have any sweet pastries...but the "pizzas" and "doughnuts" are pretty tasty. The baguettes are legitimate, especially the garlic ones. The baristas (I guess?) where black and white striped shirts and berets. Cute.
I have about an hour or two before I teach.
I'm just observing the couples who are sitting nearby...there's at least 3. Is Hangzhou a city of love or something? Everywhere I turn, there are couples-you can tell because a lot of them like to match. Chinese girls have some sweet style. I want their clothes, but
1. I don't know how Chinese sizes work but I'm pretty sure I'd have to have XL everything
2. I don't know where to get these clothes for cheap.
But I will find out!
Learned more characters yesterday. :]
Also, I saw a WHOLE GROUP OF LAO WAI today in Hangzhou. It must've been a field trip for international school kids or something. By that, I mean kids who go to an international school in Shanghai
I will start counting how many times I go to McD's. It's the best place for reliable food, where I don't have to worry about ordering the wrong thing...and McFlurries are really goooood.
McDonald's Runs:
3

Chilling in Ningbo

So I'm sitting in the Zeal Education Group office in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, China. Basically, Zeal is a company that helps Chinese high school students apply to American colleges and universities. This is a booming business in China, a country where (from what i've gathered) high school students focus on testing and analytical essay writing, so when the time comes to write personal statements or narrative essays for college applications, they're pretty lost.
It was great talking to Chinese students about the differences in Chinese and American education. One girl told me she started learning math in 1st grade. There were no breaks and students were punished for answering questions wrong. Compare this to America where I had recess until 7th grade (well, it was basically a 15 minute break but still) and where math was never the focus of my education and was rather the bane of my existence. Different, right?
Not to mention, a lot of Chinese teaching revolves around dictation and reciting facts or poems or essays. America likes to discuss things (for the most part) and have seminars and the like.
These differences interest me quite a bit.
I also enjoyed answering student's questions about American colleges and universities....a lot of them are worrying about SATs already. One parent asked me what it took to get into Amherst. I couldn't just say "Get a 2400" because that's not what it takes. I believe Amherst cares about grades, but they care more about the actual student. What does the student love? Does show what he loves through the essay?
Not to mention her daughter, who is a sophomore, had a 2100 or something ALREADY. Wow.
Look up "tiger mother" on Google for an interesting article...

tests and dictation vs. discussion, success vs. acceptance of lower standards...
Oh, and I explained SATs and SAT subject tests (in Chinese) to a room full of parents and students. ACK! Pinyin saved my life.
I apologize if I cursed anyone out by accident with my horrible American tones.



Pokemon Ice Cream. It exists.
P.S Happy Graduation, Tabor-ites. Enjoy!

Being a Laowai

One thing you'll notice as a foreigner in China (or at least in this part of China, Hangzhou) is that the Chinese like to stare. They stare at anything remotely different, interesting, or cute. And they especially like to stare at foreigners, or Laowai. The younger Chinese people will sometimes say "Hello!" as you're walking down the street, and laugh if/when you answer back. The older ones will just stare quietly and, in my experience, are less likely to smile or greet you. These aren't rude stares, they're merely curious stares that may lead to conversation about my origins (meiguoren (American), I say, pointing to myself).
It's interesting, coming from a place where so many different people live and work together to Hangzhou, where I usually don't see more than 10 foreigners in a single day of walking about, unless I head to an ex-pat cafe or bar like the vineyard.
...
You know you've been in Hangzhou for two weeks when:
-You’re still surprised everytime you see a laowai (foreigner)

-You’re used to the staring

-You’ve find your way past the Great Firewall

-If you have bad Chinese, you stick to ordering street food by pointing or going to Starbucks or McDonald’

-You know which busses take you home and which take you where you need to go (for the most part) but when someone throws a new bus into your system you can’t figure out where to catch it

-You’ve learned bartering vocabulary