Mike Latza in China!

Dear CLC family,

Hello from Xi’an, China! I’m sorry that we have not been more communicative from here—busy, busy, busy—either learning to shop by picture, learning to communicate with taxi drivers through cell phone intermediaries, Changing class schedules and syllabi, and, of course, going to class. Also, we have had a few technical glitches here (nothing major), so we need to work around them. The web site which I had intended as a showcase for our words and pictures, xianroad.com, is not accessible to us here in China. We think it is because of the Great Firewall of China. Also, it is nearly impossible to attach a picture to an email sent from here (program stalls and runs out of time). So, we will be sending our words and picture through alternate routes.

How do they say it on the postcards? Weather is here, wish you were fine. The weather here has been pretty constant. It has been warm, around 84 degrees Fahrenheit or so, often accompanied by a haze. I don’t know how much of that is pollution and how much of it is inversion because we are close by the mountains; however, I haven’t been smelling much in the way of industrial smog, so I guess it is a combination of the two. It is most humid in the late afternoon. Yesterday, a rain blew through, and a slightly cooler breeze let us know that winter will indeed come to Xi’an. However, today is back to warm.

One of the many adjustments we have had to make is in the way of water. We take potable water for granted in the US. Here everyone drinks bottled water, or boils their water, and either drinks it warm (better for the digestion) or allows it to cool and then drinks it. Every room here has an electric kettle, and you can tell when someone boils water because the kettle sings the first few strains of Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” when it is done. If a student is whistling “Fur Elise,” while walking down the hall, you know they have just been boiling.

We at the foreign student hotel have Western toilets, and thanks to the efforts of Li-hua Yu, Rich Haney, Jim Rock and others, the rooms have all been remodeled by our hosts. We have new everything. However, no hot water in the kitchen. You boil there.
I have spoken with some of the local students, and have seen their rooms. There are 8 to a room in the cheaper dorm, 6 in the middle, and 4 in the most expensive. And the instructor quarters do not come up to our quarters either. We have had some issues with plumbing (the pipes do not like toilet paper) however, it is better than the squat toilets which are everywhere else. Brian Sack has written about the experience: http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000348.html.

I have had to revise my syllabus completely to match the comprehension abilities of the Chinese students. It is kind of like teaching at the middle school level in language skills, but they are anxious for the knowledge. Not only is it a matter of language comprehension, but also of cultural difference. If I speak of a vacuum cleaner, I can be assured that many (most) of my students don't know what a vacuum cleaner is. However, once they bridge the language and cultural gap, they make the connections necessary to delve into the work. For many of these students, the value of education is just recently available. Most are the first members of their families in college. Most will not pursue higher education, but they are using language to help them find better jobs and opportunities in today’s global market.

We too have been stumbling along with our Chinese language limitations. We often stare blankly after the vendors tell us how much something is. Then the hand signals begin. But the people have been unflaggingly friendly here, always anxious to help and not losing their patience with us Westerners. Often we feel like we are the rock stars because everyone is staring at us. People follow us around to see if we need help, or just to listen to us speak English.

Our CLC group has had its share of personality conflicts; however we are working through them. For many of our students, it is the first time away from home for such a long period, and with so much freedom. I think it is the freedom which we need to come to terms with. But all in all, they are a great bunch of ambassadors, taking the initiative in meeting Chinese students and forging connections. Often, I walk down the hall and see many new faces as friends are made and information exchanged among people from all parts of China and surrounding countries.
We had a short trip to Shanghai last weekend, and saw a great concentration of investment in the Chinese Financial district. New buildings every week! It is said that the skyline changes weekly here. This is truly the entrepreneurial capital of the world. It sometimes seems like everyone here has their own business.

The food here is great, although often I am at a loss as to just what I am eating because of the different cooking styles and foods available. A great big bowl of fried rice, with peanuts, vegetables, and everything else is about 44 cents. Today I had breakfast consisting of two breakfast sandwiches (egg in the middle of a fried bun of some sort) for 3 Yuan. Of course, McDonalds is available nearby, for about 23 Yuan for a Big Mac meal, or $3.36. Yes, and it tastes just like McDonalds.

English books here are a treat for expatriates. I had a Canadian fellow, Paul, who teaches here in Xi'an, cross the street when he saw me on a walk last night, and tell me, "Thank you for those books you lent me, and especially that Willow Review. That magazine is just a delight to read. More of this kind of thing needs to get out in the world, the everyday Americans and their lives. A lot of people in this part of the world see Americans as too rich, too powerful--pushing their will around the world, and their spokesman... well, that's going to change. But it would be so great if they could see the regular concerns of regular people, like those expressed in Willow Review." I was never so proud.

I just rode a bus during rush hour the other day. Imagine millions of people on the street at the same time and aiming for the same bus. Crowded doesn't express it. Several times I heard the bus driver demand something in Mandarin. Everyone then crowded back. It is good to see that there are some things which everyone in the world has in common.

Peace,
Michael Latza