Easier than you think

Many comments speak wistfully of the wish to go to China. It actually isn't that hard-- if you want to teach or share other technical skills. China, at this time is open to the West and very hospitable to those of us who come. I prefer the extended trip where I work to a fast paced tour where I just see a bunch of monuments. Such excursions cost less, but theys are possible only at certain times of life, for it's hard to arrange a long stay abroad while raising a family. Some people do it, though. Working in another culture takes a willingness to step outside one's comfort zone, but deciding to do this is a choice we make. While I enjoy Chinese history and monuments, I like everday China more.

If you're interested in teaching abroad, be in touch: rrgann@gmail.com

Scenes from everyday China

Above: Man using traditional scale.

Below: Shoppers in a Jinan supermarket

What do I call you?

In a recent comment, John Quigley inquired if our Dean "made" us call him Dr. Knight. The answer: don't be silly. We are Americans, and we are adults. Our culture is extremely informal when it comes to names and titles. But we were influenced by the practices of the Chinese, who are much more formal than we. I couldn't call my Dean 'Hal' if I addressed a host as 'Mr.' or 'Professor.' Social behavior is contagious in this way.

American informality is likely confusing to those unfamiliar with our culture. In China, there are all sorts of markers of rank such as titles and uniforms.

Formal occasions: a ceremonial signing (above); ceremonial banquets (below).

More Sights and stories

This last trip to China was very compressed-- business trips are like that, I'm told. We did lots of work, and a good deal of sight-seeing, butI didn't have much time to blog while I was there. I have a lot more pictures to post and stories to tell. On teaching trips, I often spend an hour or two a day writing and/or playing around with the blog-- more than I do at home. I think that's because I'm always a bit isolated when I'm over there. Maybe if I did something else for a living, I couldn't justify taking so much time from my day for something I enjoy as much as writing. But an academic is SUPPOSED to write, and blogging is lots of fun, since you don't have to follow the conventions of an academic journal.



Above: The Great Wall of China. Jack Rhoton thought I ought to post a picture of this extraordinary structure on its own.

Below: Dr. Knight stands before a temple at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

Losing the Dean

The Summer Palace was the summer residence of the ancient Chinese emperors. One day when we visited the Summer Palace in Beijing, we lost Hal Knight, our Dean. Dr. Weixing Chen was not with us, since he had been to this monument park many times. It was me, Dr. Rhoton, Dr. Knight, and a beautiful young tour guide who goes by the English name Lillian. One minute, Hal was with us. The next, he had vanished. We scoured the spacious grounds but couldn't find him anywhere.

After an hour, we were panicky. It was time for lunch, but we were not interested in eating. Lillian advocated talking to officials-- maybe the monument park had a loud speaker system on which he could be summoned. Jack and I thought we should keep looking on our own awhile longer, but agreed we would have need help soon. Had Hal been abducted? Could this happen in China? What if we didn't find him? How could I explain to his secretary, and all the other people who work in Hal's office on the third floor? It would be an international incident. Our university would do no more exchanges with China. There would be a job search to find a new Dean.

We reasoned Hal would go to the front of the park once he realized he was separated from our small group. All of a sudden, Hal appeared from the opposite direction. In his own mind, he had never been lost. He was walking the length of the park to explore. Like an eight year old kid who "loses" parents in Disney World, he had had a good time. Hal had even spotted someone eating a Snickers Bar and bought one for lunch.