I was searching for something totally unrelated to this blog when I happened to be able to access a wordpress website. I got out of IE and tried it again. I accessed it again! So I decided to try over here. After a few password problems, I was finally able to login from China for the first time in 16 months!!! So let me tell you what’s been happening before the Chinese government decides to block me again.
The new semester started for me in mid-February with two classes of IELTS (International English Language Testing System) students. Until the end of March, I taught task 1 of the writing portion (there are four portions: reading, writing, speaking, listening). Task 1 deals with analyzing charts and graphs. The two groups are both from governmental agancies (MSA: Maritime Safety Administration and ESSP. No one seems to know what that acronym stands for). Both groups were good. The MSA class I was supposed to have until the end of June, and ESSPP until the end of April. So why aren’t I teaching them now?
Well, I’ve recently been tapped by The Powers That Be to pilot a referencing class to the Navigation students, then to the ESSP group I was with before, and then possibly a class of captains. This excites me for four reasons. First, I’m actually using my expertise as a librarian for something in China. Second, I get paid more money. Third, this goes all the way up to the Dean of the university, who used to be the Dean of Navigation. Fourth, I get an extra challenge and people in the upper echelons of the university are beginning to know who I am.
This program is extremely important to the university because of plagiarism issues. Plagiarism is rampant in China at all levels, including PhD. China has a history of judging the quality of work by how close a person can imitate the master. The closer you are, the more respect and prestige you earn. People here are only recently being introduced to the idea of intellectual property because they have always maintained the group mentality. Your idea and my idea do not exist: they are OUR ideas. China has gotten into huge trouble with tons of international organizations over this issue, and DMU (my employer) is no exception. If I can properly train these students in proper referencing and reduce the plagiarism issue, then the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Maritime University (WMU)will have more respect for DMU.
Other classes that I’m teaching include more Oral English, Oral Practice with the English majors, a literature class and a Reading Magazines and Newspapers class with English as Second Majors. I really like the English majors. They’re great. The ESMs are terrific, too. I’m glad that I have the weekend vacation (Qing Ming–gravesweeping) Festival to ramp up these last two classes a bit. I’ve been dragging lately because I’ve been floundering around trying to figure out how to best do these classes. I also still have my 14-year old TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) student on Sunday afternoons as well; I’ll have her until June.
In addition to all of this, I’ve contacted Cathy Hsiao at AppleTree Foundation, and she wants me to do some consulting for the AppleTree library here in Dalian. ATF builds English language libraries in China. They opened one up here about 8 months ago near Ren Min Guang Chang and it’s basically being very underutilized. I’ve been over there with Joy, and it’s a beautiful (if not very accoustically appropriate) space, and the librarian, Shirley, has done some of her study in Britain. Her English is very good and she’s very nice (as a librarian should be).
For those of you keeping track at home, thank you so much for the 40th birthday wishes! It’s not easy spending such a milestone so far away from home. Things that made me happy: getting cards from Aunts Leona and Mary Jane, phone calls from Aunt Sara and Mom, e-cards from Anne, Sue, Mer and Mike, and wishes from Cheryl, Lark, and other Facebook friends. They really made my day special! Robyn upstairs bought me a beautiful fruit -filled sponge cake with a lotus candle (this thing is amazing! It plays “HBD”, and the petals all fall out to reveal tiny candles on the end of each one. Beautiful!). She also hung a banner outside on her ballcony so that the whole campus knew. Joy and I went out for dinner to a fantastic Indian restaurant complete with floor show. It’s on the fifth floor of the Zhong Shan Hotel. I have never tasted Indian food so incredibly fresh! I can’t wait to go back!
Even with all of this going on, my schedule this semester is much lighter than last semester, which is a huge relief. I had hoped that I could spend some real quality time with my body, getting it healthy and back into shape, which has been a haphazard thing for the past seven months. So I’m very happy to have the time to do this. I’ve got my Qi Gong and Fertility Yoga going every day, and lots of walking as well. Dave and Li are going to let me use the bike that Li’s mother gave to her daughter (who will be going off to trade school next year), so when the weather gets better I will be doing some riding. I’ll also go back to swimming. Right now, the the water and the dressing room are frigid due to the fact that the gov’t has turned off the heat for the year. Who wants to walk through the cold air to undress in a cold room and dive into a cold pool, and then do the whole thing again in reverse? Not me. The only thing I’m really having trouble with right now is keeping my diet balanced. It’s hard when you live alone to cook for yourself, and the food downstairs is still ma ma hu hu and loaded with cooking oil (and probably MSG).
That’s all I can think of right now. I hope everyone is happy, heallthy and doing well!
I hope that my being able to get onto my blog is not a fluke. In any case, ’til next time! Zai Jian!
