We are finally in China, and have had some interesting experiences, so it’s time to make our first report. We finally arrived on Thursday, October 13th, about six weeks past the start of the school semester at the Zhuji Foreign Language School. Let me start with an interesting incident during the trip.
We flew from Salt Lake City, Utah to Los Angeles, then switched to Korean Air and made our first ever visit to South Korea, to the Incheon Airport. While passing through security there, the scanner found a small bullet in my fanny pack, one that had escaped detection in the first two scans (SLC and LA). We were detained for investigation by Korean airport police, and Kate was rather annoyed that I hadn’t checked my pack and removed the clutter (bullet). I told them I didn’t know I had or where I had even got it, that I had probably found it on a street in the USA and put in my pack to show it to a grandchild. I told him I didn’t have a weapon, so I could hardly do anything destructive with a lone bullet, trying not to be flippant. I had to show documentation that I was hired to teach school in China. The conclusion of the matter brought me great mirth. (Kate still doesn’t think it’s very funny) I signed a form to relinquish the bullet to the airport police, and the policeman dictated what I had to write on the form: “I forgive this item.” We suggested other more appropriate words, but he insisted I write what he had dictated.
Before leaving the airport in Korea for our final leg to Shanghai, we were met by Kate Hee Dyuk Park, a young English teacher lady whom I had tutored in Boston. She had returned to Seoul, and wanted to see us, which pleased us immensely. As we had seven hours wait for the final flight, we were happy to join her at an airport restaurant for Korean food (at a buffet). Being of Asian culture, she insisted on treating us. I believe all Asians are incredibly generous and kind. I love them.
Our worry about how to get five tubs, two suitcases, and two other bags with computers from the Shanghai airport to a train station and then onto a train bound for Zhuji in Zhejiang Province was unnecessary. We were met by our school waiban (the one who deals with foreign employees/affairs), who had a driver and a truck. We only needed to sit in the back seat and fall asleep or read or play Sudoku for a no-worry trip to our new home and employment. But there were still surprises in store. We were hired to teach English at a high school, which meant we would have to stay in a hotel for a couple of months until the new residential building under construction was ready for occupation. Instead, we were driven to a different campus of the Hailiang School (www.hailiangschool.cn), in a different city, the campus where primary and middle school children board. Despite the shock that I might be teaching elementary school, we at least were able to move into a fairly comfortable apartment on the top (fourth) floor, an older place without an elevator. Looks like we are going to stay quite trim.
In the interest of sparing you from fatigue and boredom, I will tell only a couple of other interesting details, saving the rest for later. Although we have spent a year teaching English previously in China (in Beijing at China Women’s University), this experience will be very different. We are in a suburb of Zhuji called Diankou, about 45 minutes drive closer to Hangzhou than Zhuji. That’s a big plus because we will attend church in Hangzhou each Sunday. We live on campus and see little noisy cute kids all over the place. The kids at this boarding school range from first grade through eighth or ninth grade. Kate will be teaching 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade kids to speak English, and I’ll be teaching 7th and 8th and will be tutoring one-on-one 24 Chinese English teachers, including the campus principal.
There is a canteen (dining hall) for the adults and older students. There are only a few dishes prepared each meal, and the dinner and lunch dishes are prepared with MSG, which is practically deadly for Kate. If we order our meals in advance, we can get dishes prepared without MSG. Once we ordered these and got our eating time mixed up and missed dinner. Once I was eating beef combined with bamboo shoots (and MSG), and discovered at the very bottom in the dark brown sauce a dead fly. I found that rather repulsive, though I didn’t gag. I kept the container to show a Chinese teacher and asked her if this were something we could expect frequently. She tried to reassure me that all the other Chinese faculty regularly eats at this canteen, so we had nothing to worry about. Did I feel reassured? Go figure.
Today, Sunday, we got to attend church for the first time. It required a 1.5 hour bus ride to the Hangzhou bus station, followed by a 15-minute taxi ride. We were late for church, but didn’t miss the sacrament. It cost us about US $20 in bus and taxi fares to make the round trip, and this is what we may anticipate each Sunday. Since there is no group of our faith meeting in Diankou or Zhuji, we will plan to make this journey every Sunday. Our church friends, the Roths (of Springfield, Massachusetts), were assigned to the Zhuji campus farther away, and sometimes they have to teach on Sunday. I don’t know if we will get to see them or travel to church with them much. Anyway, we received the most enthusiastic welcome from fellow church members in Hangzhou. I love our church and the attitudes of love and service that emanate from the faithful, converted members.
That’s enough for this report. Enjoy a few pictures. If you have any questions or comments, just reply, and we’ll love to hear from some of you. We’ll do our best to live and love our experience vicariously for the rest of you. We are going to love it here!
Richard and Kate Armstrong
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PHOTOS
1:Long Johns 2:Chinglish for ATM Online Banking Experiencing Zone 3:Kindergartners hold shirt of kid in front 4:School entrance 5:Sugar cane for sale
