A Speed-Date style Interview

Last Friday morning, I went for a second round of interviewing at 新东方 (New Oriental), one of China’s largest foreign language schools, as I hope to start working a couple of hours a week and then complete my internship there in the Spring (focusing on the business side of running a school, contacting parents, recruiting students, etc). The first time I went for an interview it was typical of foreigners wanting to teach in China. They invited me in to teach a class, almost completely unprepared. I personally thought it was a huge failure, but my handler Queenie said I did fine. For this second round though, there would be many teachers present. I took this to mean there would be many teachers present in the class I would be teaching, but it actually meant I would be teaching a classroom full of teachers! I prepared a simple lesson on weather that basically included about ten vocabulary words and a song with a funny dance—the kids are only six and barely understand a word. I arrived early to prepare and patiently awaited the moment the clock struck ten. Queenie led me downstairs to the classroom and I found there were many Chinese teachers all sitting in desks and one was standing up teaching a lesson on family, holding up a picture of a woman and repeatedly saying “mommy”. After just a few moments, one very professional and cold looking woman who was sitting in the back holding a grade sheet interrupted her. “That’s enough. Do you have anything else?” she said. The teacher quickly explained the rest of her plan in Chinese and sat down. Another teacher stood up and began the “mommy” chant as well but in a slightly different fashion. She drew pictures. It continued this way until the other foreigner who was interviewing that day as well arrived and then we began our little performance. I went first and once I finished guiding the class in a little song and dance, the cold woman asked me how I would teach a dialogue to these children who barely understand English and cannot recognize the alphabet. I explained that the lyrics in the song formed a question and answer dialogue that the children could memorize, although it was admittedly very simple. I replied in Chinese, so I think that impressed her. At the very least it wiped the smirk off her face. I think it also helped that the other guy had no idea what he was supposed to do and arrived without a lesson to teach. Once he finished we were escorted to another room where they explained a couple things, and then I was told that I should come back next week to do this again. Apparently, New Oriental hiring policy, as a way to ensure that potential hires are committed, requires the multiple rounds of “practice teaching”. And, the last “Kevin” they hired ran out on them, so they just want to “make sure”. (No, really. They said that.)

White Pandas of Shaoxing

This week we were sent an email about a “Free Trip to Shaoxing”, which would include a one-night stay at a 4-star hotel, free lunch and dinner, free transportation to and from Shaoxing, a tour of a famous Huangjiu (a type of rice wine) Museum, and a visit to Lu Xun’s house (a famous 20th century writer and critic). Oh, and did I forget to mention the Textile Expo? For some reason, I thought it might be a history of textiles or something that was lost in translation, but I was wrong. (I should mention, though, this trip was definitely worth it. The following is just a reflection on something that is probably very common in China’s drive for international recognition.)

Meeting at a Nanjing Hotel early Saturday morning, I was surprised to find that there were probably over a hundred people that I had never met all waiting around the front door and lobby. I assumed they were going to another venue or that even this hotel was a junction for long-distance busses. Then I ran into some other students from UM that weren’t in the flagship program but were also going to Shaoxing. It seems this information was sent through various channels to almost all the foreigners at Nanjing University and even attracted some random foreigners just simply living in Nanjing. Although I was definitely confused, I thought “the more, the merrier” and boarded the bus. Five hours later, we were touring a wine museum in Shaoxing, visiting the famous street by Lu Xun’s house and then finally making our way to the hotel. Each bus had stopped at different places and arrived at different hotels. Our driver was lost (a phenomenon that occurs all too often in China), and we were searching for our four star diamond in the rough for more than an hour. Once we arrived though, I realized why we had been shipped so far away from home: the textile expo. Before dinner we were all given a big orange bag stuffed with books, pamphlets and contact information for purchasing vast amounts of high quality, low priced textile products! At dinner I met some foreign teachers working at one of the most prestigious (and most pricey) school in Nanjing. They had come on the very same trip the previous year (also for free) and apparently the entire point was to show off a bunch of jinfa biyan laowai (a set term used to refer to foreigners that literally means “blond hair blue eyed foreigner”) at the textile expo so that the local government could appear to regional business leaders as being successful in attracting an international business crowd. At least there was free beer with dinner!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Susan’s landlord has been very helpful in connecting us with tickets to watch some shows at the Jiangsu Broadcasting Station here in Nanjing, and last week she called me with a request to help her director friend who has been providing us with the tickets. Upon her request he had written a script that had a part for a (barely) Chinese-speaking foreigner and was under a deadline to quickly find an actor for the part so that filming could be completed. I contacted the director right after she called and he asked that I come to the station as soon as I could, so I changed clothes and rode my bicycle to the TV station around 7:30pm for a meeting. Apparently I made a decent first impression and he decided on the spot that I would be perfect for the part. Filming would start next week! With the script in hand, I peddled back and reviewed the story: a young Chinese girl goes to America to study abroad and starts dating a foreigner who drops in for a surprise visit and sparks a huge uproar when the mother finds out. Scandalous!

Last Wednesday and Thursday we filmed at various locations in Nanjing for 12-13 hours a day—pure slavery—but I was fed and paid 400 RMB for my troubles. It was an incredibly interesting and worthy experience as I met some really neat locals and learned some phrases in the Nanjing dialect. According to the director, I performed “not badly” since all the actors were amateurs and 80% of my lines were in Chinese (although he repeatedly had to remind me that I needed to act like I didn’t speak Chinese and purposefully mess up my tones and rhythm).

It’s interesting to see Chinese media from the inside. The script was written in about two weeks, which is “slow” by Chinese standards. Typically a script is written in a few days, but since the director wrote it himself, the process took considerably longer. The filming, which is usually a three day process, was completed in two days so that the cameraman and director could attend a meeting with some foreign media representatives. What that all means is that an hour-long “short movie” can be dreamt up, written, filmed, and sent for processing in less than a week’s time. It felt like the fast food of TV mini-drama. I’m guessing that with the amount of “short movies” and TV drama’s I’ve seen on TV lately, this is the Chinese equivalent of the endless reality TV spinoff shows we have in the States. Some people have argued that Chinese TV isn’t that creative, but I’m pretty sure that the problem is that Chinese TV isn’t made for us (foreigners, youngsters, intellectuals, and whatever group “us” might fit into). Chinese TV serves that select group of middle-aged housewives that have time after doing dishes in the afternoon or late evening to watch an hour of two of some other family’s drama. From that perspective, it makes more sense that the majority of these shows are not like the typical shows coming from the States. The youth get on the Internet. Mom watches TV.

--The above was a journal entry I've written as a part of the Flagship documentation requirements for being abroad. I hope to be posting those on this blog as well as a way to keep up with anyone else (family most likely :P) that wants to know what I'm doing. Luckily, Mrs. Qiao was gracious enough to document the whole filming process and the links below point to her blog which have all the pictures from those two days. Enjoy!

Day 1, Day 1, Part 2, Day 2

New Year, Old Me

It's been a while since I've posted; but, in the spirit of the recently passed Chinese New Year, I will post some thoughts about life this semester. I'm disappointed with returning to America. While I was in Hangzhou studying, I really thought that coming back to the States would be an awesome occasion. Instead I found that sometimes I felt more comfortable living in China (and ironically it has nothing to do with the cost of living). It may be the difference between city and country life. Oxford, Mississippi is such a very rural place to call "home", as it feels more "home" than "home" really does. Sometimes that's good: the slow pace of weekends, sunny afternoons with not a lot to do, watching squirrels fight in the yard or birds chasing each other through the bushes. The call of nature can be relaxing for sure.

But the pace of the city tugs at me. I never thought my personality fit in such a "small" place like Mississippi. Of course that's not to say my personality is "big" (because that would be too easily egotistical), but alas I miss the city. My mind often wanders back to China, what my friends or loved ones are doing there, and when I can definitely return. I worry it might be detracting from my school work, but that's another topic altogether.





I've never really liked schoolwork...





Ever...






So I guess it's a new year with new hopes, dreams, and ideas... and the same old me.