New start --
Was that a dream? No, it was reality. Today it’s been almost one and half years since I am in the soil of China and sharing my experience, livelihood with many nations such as: Chinese, Americans, Australians, Kazakhs, Uighurs, Koreans and so on…
O.K, let me introduce myself. I am Ali, ESL teacher in Gansu, Northwest of China. Within this long period I've been traveling to many places in China and have been trying different customs, different cuisine, and different manners. Before, even until this day, I had a bit kind of unacceptable spirit towards Chinese culture and living style. Especially, my first couple of months I couldn’t even eat good food, because of different cuisine and some table manners. I just had some snacks and crackers to make myself comfortable. Almost all restaurants I went to, had Chinese food and it seemed to be very impolite when I heard people making noise while eating, and on the way to restaurants I could see people spitting out from their lungs, which made me want to throw up and lose my appetite. Those things were not tolerable and I better had meals inside, in my hotel room. Sometimes I got potty when they looked at me while I was eating food. And later, as soon as my Chinese language was improved I told them not to look at me while I was eating, especially waitress/ waiters are used to looking at you at any place you have meals.
As to my teaching it was very good beginning. I was warmly welcomed by school stuff, as well as students. My first lesson performance encouraged me and opened prosperous ways towards my future teaching. I was so happy to hear inspirations of collegues saying " Ali, you did wonderful" " Thats a good job". Everything went well. I had really good classes, of course I faced problems like lazy students, most students studying under force, and attending foreigners’ classes just for fun (not any intention to learn English). But still I tried to be professional, tried to solve all problems patiently, as I am an educator and those problems motivated me to be much more hard working. As for Chinese colleagues, they are really amicable, sociable, willing to know more about the west, and always want to spend sometime talking to foreigners. Sometimes I really liked when they came to me and began talking “Ali, do you like beef noodles? Ali, do you have many friends in China?”(my early months) And I was always there to answer them. But my language barrier was a real problem as most of them can not speak English. But sometimes when I was in bad mood it was a bit annoying, they didn't understand and kept on coming and asking some questions, but patience was my best armor.
How about today? While experiencing in China I could see some positive and negative points. Because of the different culture most foreigners don’t like Chinese culture, can not tolerate and can't stay in China for a long time. Especially, foreigners seeing littering everywhere, spitting, smoking in public, speaking loudly in public, talking on the phone loudly and peeing on any corner, get so angry and blame them to be out of their mind. Honestly, I had also such kind of hatred towards Chinese and I always blamed them to be ignorant and lacking good habits.
But today I think I was a bit fast. Maybe ‘cause of the period I was here and my interest to know more about this nation an it’s culture, people and customs. Today I am trying to open my eyes to the real world and convince myself that there is no nation, country in the world that we can say perfect. Today I see this is China, this is a nation, this is their culture, this is how they live, this is what they are and will be. We can’t get rid of them. Even I read on a net from come Chinese friends responding to foreign friends “this is China! Love it or leave it!” and I brainstormed it in my mind, Why should I hate Chinese? This nation is not blaming me!!!! why should I? They are showing great respect and warm welcome instead. I better try to discover more and uinderstand them.
A couple of days ago I saw on a net a Chinese guy saying to westerners( it was a kind of dispute between foreign and chinese guy) “Western dog! You came to China to look for food? I will give you food!” and I felt a bit disappointed that in education there are so many people who even don’t know about education and I am sure even they hardly finished their high schools. And I put myself into his shoes. For Chinese my negative feelings towards them might give them a bad reputation of foreigners, Chinese never think they are doing wrong, of course not, that is what they are, and that is this nation. I better understand and respect this culture instead,even I don't do the way they do though. Of course Chinese have some good points that we are, foreigners, still missing. Especially, I do appreciate the warm welcome and hospitality of Chinese . They love their guests much more then everything they do and always willing to do their best for guests.
As to teaching, before I was a bit disappointed to see lazy students and students without will to learn English. But today I am different. Of course lazy students are one of the reasons we need to be creative, do new things, think of new methods of teaching English. So I confidently say that today lazy students, hooligans, students without any will to learn English make me more creative and more enthusiastic in my teaching.
Day by day, as my Chinese language skills are getting better, I feel fresh and enthusiastic to create new things, to make my own world and introduce real China to the world.
Today China is facing to the world .We all see China’s rapid development and it’s warm welcome to foreign friends. Hope each foreigner will enjoy his/her stay in China.
Ali
ESL teacher in Gansu, China