For the Love of the Grill

Nanning and its City Parks

I will never forget the first meal I ate in China. The plane landed at 11:30pm and a group of Chinese teaching assistants picked me up from the airport. The next morning, they took me out for breakfast. I was starving and looked forward to some nourishment. After taking a seat in the school cafeteria, a tray arrived of 'breakfast items', which included spicy rice noodles and sweetened, steamed bread. Images of bacon, pancakes, french toast, even some cold cereal or oatmeal, flooded the mind as I begrudgingly dug into the food with a smile on my face (for the assistants). I tried my best to grab the slippery noodles, since the chopstick skills were on par with a three year old. I prayed that the cuisine in China would improve, even if strips of hog and dairy product were unavailable. 

Little did I know that the rightful king of cuisine, barbeque, was alive and well in China. Instead of assuming the form of a propane or gas burner, it was now charcoal fed and delivered an even more remarkable taste. The Chinese know how to barbeque and they do it well. All vendors and restaurants have a signature grilling sauce, which can turn eggplant, stalks of grassy livestock feed and even tofu, into sizzling masterpieces. Meat is always served on a stick and chicken feet are not as bad as you would think (you just need to have some patience when maneuvering around the bones!).

The graduate student who is teaching me Chinese, invited me out to a class party of barbeque in the park. After barbequing straight from 10-5pm, I will never think of the term the same again. Some observations from the day of grilling:

- Public parks are a fairly recent phenomenon in parts of China. In Nanning you can only find them around the periphery of the city. They are very popular, perhaps due to the fact that the City of Nanning eliminated entrance fees in 2008.

- We went to 'Shimen Forest Park' and it was flooded with over a thousand locals. It came equipped with amusement rides, a lake, a highly developed trail system and a series of outdoor swimming pools. If you are looking for peace and quite, or to immerse yourself in nature, it would be wise to look elsewhere.

- Cooking and eating are very important aspects of Chinese culture. It is customary to prepare more food and drink then is necessary when cooking for guests, in order to show ones prosperity. Of all the supplies that the class brought, we only devoured half of it.

- Barbeque pits are concentrated at the top of one of the scenic hills of the park and are rented out. They book up quickly and are always packed. Charcoal and kindling are distributed to each of the sites.

- Smoke fills the air like a scene from Apocalypse Now, due to the amount of charcoal being burnt. As a foreigner you should not wander too far into the crowds and smoke, since you will quickly be classified as MIA. Groups of locals will call you over to their pits, offering you beers, baijiu (rice liquor) and cigarettes. Once a drink is poured 'Gan bei' (dry cup) is called and it must be chugged back. Whether the liquid is beer, hard liquor or wine, is irrelevant. Once you finish your drink, your cup will be refilled and another 'Gan bei' called. Repeat once more and you finish after the third. The Chinese love the meanings behind their numbers and three is a lucky one!

- Just like at a restaurant, all the food is shared and the cooking responsibilities fall upon the whole group. If you are worried about the groups communal food being manhandled by chopsticks and reaching hands cascading across the table, you will need to cast your western table manners aside.

It is easy to see why cooking outside at a barbeque pit, is so popular amongst locals. It is an excellent opportunity to socialize with others and surround yourself with good food and drink. I hope to visit more city parks in the future and integrate more with the local population. As nice as it is living on campus, in a complex of foreign teachers, it is important to escape the 'bubble' as much as possible and dive into the bee hive of millions.
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Learning Mandarin

'The Arduous Path Towards Mandarin Proficiency'

More than two months have passed since my arrival and I feel like I have only scratched the surface, in regards to learning about Chinese culture. Four important developments have taken shape in the past week:

1) I have started taking private Mandarin lessons, on a weekly basis.

2) After testing out several gym facilities, one has been found which is basically deserted and has dumbbells which weigh more than 25lbs!

3) After some arguments about the level of difficulty and usefulness of learning a Chinese Martial Art, one of my co-workers finally convinced me to take a Sambo class with him. We go for an hour and a half lesson, five times a week. I will do a proper update on Martial Arts in China later on. All I can say is that I could barely walk up the stairs or hold a pen after the first few lessons. There’s something to be said about being punched and roundhouse kicked into shape!

4) My siestas now take place on the balcony, thanks to the Vietnamese hammock and continued +30degree weather.

Mandarin is much harder to learn then I anticipated. The tones, varying dialects, speed and plethora of characters, are some major hurdles to overcome. From my observations the majority of foreigners who come to China to work, do not invest the time or energy in learning the local language. You would be surprised how easy it becomes to use body language and "jigga, jigga's" (that, that), in order to go about your daily business. At the bare minimum I want to learn enough 'survival' Mandarin in order to travel, haggle and order food (without playing the point and guess menu game). Hopefully when the Spring break arrives in January (four week holiday), I will know enough Mandarin to feel comfortable traveling North, via rail, to Beijing.

National Holiday - Vietnam Style

The first National Holiday of the 2011-2012 academic year, took place from October 1st-7th. The University shut down and students flooded the transportation networks, in order to catch a lift home. I decided to take advantage of the break and travel to Vietnam, with two of my fellow coworkers. After some last minute planning, we had our Visa's and bus tickets in place. Our destination was the capital city of Vietnam - Ha Noi.

The trip was an interesting one, especially since the Nanning to Ha Noi route was used extensively during the Vietnam war by the Chinese Government, to ship munitions to the North. The terrain was quite mountainous and lush foliage blanketed the landscape. After a few Chinese karate movies and a prolonged border crossing, we arrived at our destination. Outlined below are ten things that I learned while vacationing in Vietnam.

1) Vietnamese food is simply amazing. This is largely due to the fact that Vietnam was colonized by the French and did not gain its independence until 1954. Cafes can be found everywhere, the bread is great and Western style food is readily accessible (in the cities).

2) I was surprised by level and amount of English spoken by the under 30 Vietnamese crowd. Unlike Southern China, it is easy to mingle with locals, order food and book trips/arrange lodging.

3) Many Vietnamese perceive you as a rich American. Haggling for goods is part of the game. Automatically cut all costs in half and hold your ground. Turning ones back and walking a few paces away from the vendor, usually reaps great reward! If you walk, they usually throw some 'bargain tackle' on the line, to reel you back in.

4) The currency makes you feel like a 'Boss'. For example, 500,000VDN = $25CDN.

5) Just like in Southern China, the food, consumer goods and lodging is cheap. I lived very comfortably off of $50CDN a day (including shopping).

6) The streets of Ha Noi make Nanning look like abundant swaths of freeway. There are motorcycles everywhere! Motorists generally honk once every 5 seconds, due to the competition for space.

7) The history of Vietnam and its people is arguably the richest in Southern Asia (especially if you are a history buff). Museums, temples and war relics are rife and well worth a visit.

8) Don't stay at the cheapest hostels. Pay the extra $1-$2CDN and stay at a reasonable establishment. I am a heavy sleeper and awoke my second night to a dance party of rats in our room. I can handle a cockroach or two, but when it comes to an infestation of plague loving vermin, any chance of a 'good morning Vietnam' wake-up is out the window. 

Ha Long Bay

9) Trips to major tourist attractions are reasonably priced and well worth seeing. Ha Long Bay (UNESCO World Heritage Site) was stunning and the traditional Vietnamese Junks take you back to 67'.


10) The 'No Fun Police' shut down the bars at 12:00AM. Don't sweat it though, as there are always underground establishments that fill up with foreigners and stay open till sunrise.

I am quite fortunate to be residing in Nanning, which is only 160km from the Vietnamese border. During the spring break (January & February) I will have 4 weeks off, after exams, to travel. I plan on entering the 'War Room' and drafting up a second tour to Vietnam. This time I will be accompanied by my Father and we will make our way down to the DMZ and Saigon!

Teaching in China - Sino Canadian International College

I just finished my second week in the classroom at SCIC and it has been an interesting experience. I teach English to first year University students and have four different classes: Listening & Speaking, Writing, Reading and an English Interest Corner. Some of the major changes in comparison to a North American classroom:

- There is an utmost respect for educators amongst students and behavioral issues are minimum.

- For many, I am their first foreign teacher. Hence, it was easy to understand why they we're so nervous during the first few classes.

- Participation can be a problem and you often have to start 'calling names' - something which is discouraged back home.

- Chinese students go to high school for 12hours a day, 6 days a week. When they come to University it is the first time in their lives when they actually have enough free time to take up various sports, hobbies and to pursue love interests

- Every class has a junior communist member. It was not hard to figure out who it was in my classroom, as only one student filled out that their hero was 'Chairman Mao' on my 'Who Are You' questionnaire. Stay clear of issues regarding Tibet, Tienanmen Square and Taiwan.

- Classes are close knit communities. For example, my students will often come into class early to study and they will plan weekly social activities.

- The student - teacher relationship is somewhat different than in North America. For example, I have weekly lunches at the Cafeteria with groups of three students. It helps the students 'gain face' amongst their peers by going for lunch with their foreign teacher and they will not let you pay for lunch - no matter how hard you try.

- Plagiarism is a major problem in the classroom. For most, this is the first time in their lives where copying is not allowed. The Chinese way is to copy...I mean borrow...and then find ways of doing it more efficiently, both time and cost wise. Due to this, creativity is stifled.

- Since Facebook is blocked by the Great Firewall of China, students here use something called QQ. Picture MSN Instant Messenger circa 2003. That is what QQ is here. You will not meet a single student who does not have it.

All in all, teaching in China is an amazing experience. I would highly recommend it to all those out there. Living accommodation is usually provided and the work hours are highly agreeable. For many teaching jobs here, all you need to be is exotic (a Westerner) and have a regular B.A. If you have your B.E.D. even better, as it will open up the doors to many more positions, prepare you for the classroom and ladder you up the pay scale! An ESL certificate is also handy. 

10 Things I have learned about Southern China thus far:

1) The roads are virtually lawless. If you want to pass someone all you have to do is honk. Bonus points for veering over the two yellow lines and weaving through oncoming traffic.

2) You wallet always goes in the front pockets. Thievery is rife here, hence bars on almost every first floor window.

3) It is cheaper to eat out, than to cook for yourself (low cost of labour). Expect to pay under 40rmb (around $7CDN) at most Chinese restaurants, drinks included and under 14rmb ($2CDN) at a take-out/cafeteria.

4) Do not look into a Chinese kitchen...just go to your happy place and dig into the food.

5) The washrooms of many Chinese businesses are like the movie SAW. Oh and bring your own toilet paper, napkins and hand-wash, cause they don't have them.

6) There are not many building codes here. Maintenance is almost unheard of too and the bare minimum is done. The Chinese way is to build it big (vertical), fast and  flashy. After 5-10 years it is better to just tear a building down and build a new one...maintenance is too much of a hassle.

7) Bars do not close, as long as you continue to buy drinks. If you want to experience a Varsity Blues 7am walk home, this is the place....and for $50cents a Chinese beer.

You Mean I Can't Throw Bottles
 at People, Out of a Moving Train?

8) You will spend a great deal of your salary if you continually eat Western food. Man up and dig into the mystery meat.

9) The Chinese love their bones and cartilage. The breast of the chicken is the most undesirable part. The feet are probably the best...packaged chicken feet, pickeled feet, bbq'd feet, deep fried feet...The Chinese love their chicken feet as much as Bubba loves his shrimp.

10) If it looks like an animals genitalia on a skewer...it probably is...beware!

14 Days Later

Main Entrance - Guangxi University

After months of paperwork and going through the Visa process, it was a welcome relief to finally make it over to China. Nothing you see on television, or read about, can prepare you for the culture shock of such a different place. Fairly westernized metropolis centers such as Hong Kong are one thing, but Guangxi Province and more specifically Nanning, are eye openers. Going from a summer camp in Kirkfield, Ontario (population 300), to a city of 6.5 million is quite the change. As different as it it, I have been thoroughly enjoying the process. After all, it is all part of the adventure!

During my initial arrival in Nanning, I was welcomed by several senior students at the airport. I was informed that they would be my assistants throughout the academic year. They have been a blessing these first couple weeks, as I was basically a blind sheep upon arrival, who had to be guided through the setup of a bank account, residence permit, shopping, dinning, etc. Their level of English differs and the stronger ones are generally working towards a major in the subject. I felt like a rock star the first week, as I toured the city with my assistants and many of their friends in tow. My shopping cart would be pushed, bags carried and bartering taken care of!

Campus Scenery

What strikes me the most about Southern China is the absence of Westerners. There are probably under 200 in Nanning, most of which of course...teach English. You are an object of curiosity here, especially when you are over the 6' mark. Expect a few hundred point blank stares whenever you go out. The best is when you get a large group of students yelling 'hello' at you. Overall, the Chinese are a very welcoming and kind people.

Making a Cake for the Birthday!

I have another week left of orientation/prep, before I start teaching first year English (Reading, Writing, Listening/Speaking). It will be nice to finally have my own classroom and there is a great deal of freedom with the curriculum. Looking forward to kick-starting the year and will provide updates as the adventure progresses.