T Minus 3 Days
Just after my wonderful epiphany that I had truly "settled" into my routine and life in China - and that I was blissfully and wonderfully content - Michael sent me a quick message one night, a warning that I would soon be sent to another city. (It really helps having an American buddy here that can overhear Chinese conversations for you.) Being thus prepared, I wasn't upset by the news that I would go to Jiangshan (4+ hours away) to temporarily replace the foreign teacher who had gone home unexpectedly.
I was reminded of the great investment us foreign teachers are for these schools. Before the journey, I was introduced to my new headmaster and a collection of new faces around a large table at the famous Lou Wai Lou in Hangzhou (on the Bai Causeway overlooking West Lake, a restaurant where many political leaders have dined). Needless to say, it worked like a charm; I felt important and special, and I became excited for my new adventure.
I was also reminded how annoying it is that alcohol is part of the social protocol in formal and semi-formal dinners. Michael had mentioned that the foreign teacher in Jiangshan before me had really impressed them with her beer-drinking abilities. I told him that they were in for a disappointment then. (While perhaps at first put off by my refusals to even take a sip, I think they've since grown to appreciate my position, even if they don't fully understand it.)
The Big Welcome
That monday the headmaster sent his driver to pick me up in Hangzhou. After a four hour road trip across Zhejiang province (although it seems very improbable I'll be able to do it, I think a future cross-China road trip would be a lot of fun), we stopped near the entrance of Jiangshan at the then unimpressive "modern bridge" and "monkey hill" park (the bridge is actually quite cool at night when they light up the entire area in blue). The city was quiet, and although the sidewalk flanking the river was obviously a central leisure location, there were not many people about. (This is all relative of course; Jiangshan is small geographically but is home to some 600,000 people - but in China that probably qualifies as a mere town, and you must remember I'm used to the bustle and buildings of Hangzhou.)
(I feel like I'm over-using the convention of quotation marks. Sorry.)
Then we pulled up to the school...and I got my big welcome: A huge bouquet of flowers (can I tell you how silly I felt carrying that around?), a large welcome sign, a throng of hundreds of students - everything except the red carpet. All of this was unexpected of course, and after a largely uneventful car ride, I was a bit in sensory overload.
Life in Jiangshan
My opinion of Jiangshan was skewed a bit for the first few days, as my apartment's balcony overlooks a rather third-worldish-looking neighborhood, and I didn't see the rest of the city until later that week. The city is doing pretty well for itself, having a solid agricultural base and a few thriving factories. (It has one KFC - which is one measure of economic success, right?)
The apartment is nice and spacious (the large, brand-new air conditioning units are a godsend in this heat), but as it is in the school, I have felt a loss of independence living here. While they don't enforce a curfew for me, I need to be back before eleven or I'll have to wake up the guard, and they usually insist on knowing where I am. Luckily, since I'm not long-term and on VIP status, they are pretty anxious to keep me happy.
But sometimes too anxious. For the first week, I found my patience wearing thin (I've realizing my patience isn't as amazing as I thought it was) as the teacher assigned to me hovered incessantly (I wanted to shout, "I've been in China for three months! I can ride a taxi alone! I know how to go shopping! I don't need the play by play description on everything! Please, give me some space!") Of course, had I been new to the country, I would have undoubtedly appreciated the attention. Thankfully my subtle hints have been noticed, and I don't feel quite so smothered.
Near the middle school is a huge, three story Protestant Church (it really is pretty impressive given the size of Jiangshan) which greatly surprised me - apparently the mayor, sympathetic to religion, turned a blind eye as it was planned and built. Christianity is doing better in China than I had previously thought. I tiptoed late into the service on my first Sunday, and I found that it is very well attended. While I was unable to communicate with most people at the Church (Jiangshan dialect is impossible, and their accent in Mandarin is difficult for me), I was able to connect with a doctor who knew English from college, and who was willing to share with me his conversion story.
In terms of the work itself, I'm glad I now have experience in the classroom and am not coming here fresh from the States. In the more boisterous classes, the kids must respect your authority or you're simply doomed, as you'll be hard-pressed to win them back over once you've lost control. (Not to say that I struggle constantly with troublemakers, but I have had it.) I'm in charge of oral English lessons, so the lesson material is left entirely up to me. I prepare two different lessons a week, which I teach to about eighteen different classes, so by the end of the week, they're nearly perfected.
I can't really directly compare these two radically different experiences - coming to Hangzhou and coming to Jiangshan. Both cities have their charm in different ways, and it is difficult to judge which one I prefer, having been in Jiangshan such a short time. One thing is for certain: I could live happily in either, so Jiangshan has confirmed and strengthened my love for China as a whole.
Reading - Anne Karenina. Ummm...can I just say that Tolstoy is simply brilliant? Its pathetic, but I've devoured this in less than a week between classes and appointments.
Watching - The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I'm really curious how one would have reacted if they weren't familiar with the novel. The movie wasn't bad, and I appreciated the old-school feel to it. But it definitely won't be the classic that the book is.