*What is your background (i.e education, training etc.)?

I have two degrees in photography so I guess that makes me an artist! All of the volunteers here at least have a Bachelor's degree. People have studied biology, education, political science, and anything else you could think of.

Before coming here I taught photography at a community college near Seattle. I could have kept that job but I had always dreamed of living overseas- so here I am! China had been in the news a lot recently in the U.S. so I was curious to see what the big deal was. Now I'm 29 but most of the other volunteers are a little younger, like 24 or 25 and have recently finished college. There are very few older people. Maybe it's too hard to drop everything and go to another country!

Panzhihua blossom

*We noticed that you are working at a university. Are you teaching there? What subjects? If you are not teaching, then what is your job? How do you like it? What has been the most challenging aspect of working in China?

I have taught oral English at two schools. First a medical college in Guiyang, Guizhou province and now at a vocational college in Panzhihua, Sichuan. It's named Sichuan Electromechanical Institute forVocational Technology. What a long name!

Most of the teachers and students live on campus. This is very different than in the U.S., where a lot of people live on their own and drive to school. Very few people here have cars and those that do are usually rich. The students live in a dorm room for 6 people, with a communall bathroom down the hall. There are about 5000 students here from many provinces. They study business, electronics, manufacturing, accounting, and many other things, including English.

I teach in the classroom for about 15 hours each week. It can be fun and can also be tough. Since English is a required course, many people dislike it but I do my best to be a fun and enthusiastic teacher. We often play games and do dialogues to practice.

Teaching buildings

*How many characters do you know? Can you read Chinese?

Well, I'm terrible at writing Chinese but I can read a lot! After being lazy for a while I've picked up the pace of studying and have now done about two semesters worth of Chinese. I can read several hundred characters, more or less depending on what I'm reading. If it's my textbook, no problem, but if it's something else I may be able to read all the characters but have no idea what it means!

Students often ask me if studying Chinese is difficult. I tell them that writing and remembering the characters is tough. For them using verbs and describing past/present/future is difficult. I thought learning a foreign language would be easy. I was wrong! Even living here requires diligence. Some other Americans learn faster than me but I'm an average language-learner.

Most Chinese usually do not speak Mandarin- or as it's called here "putonghua." They speak the local language but they still study Mandarin in school.

Graffiti on the gym walls

*Do the Chinese think learning English is difficult? Why or why not?

Everyone in school is required to study English. They used to study Russian until about 1980. Most people dislike it because it is not really used for talking, but used for testing.

To get into college, the English part of the test is as important as math or Chinese! Do you study Spanish or French, too? Of course, there are a lot of people who love English. It's fun talking in another language. A lot of clothing and signs have English so English is kind of cool. Look at a few of these strange things from the covers of Chinese notebooks!

I am always happy luckying. Don’t forget it.
I’m always waiting for you.
Let’s go little boy world.
Pursue your object, be what it will. Back to future, steadily and indefatiguiably.
Guarantees quality. Trust yourself.
You know how long for you
My heart grows strong for you
The mild music notes rising from tranquility.
Can bring you in silence full load of happiness and joy.
Wishing you happiness on your holiday and always
My white friends!
It introduces my friend!
My friend is very sure and bright.
Also the white egg it had a same smile!
Natural, an egg.

China or "Zhongguo" as it's known here

*Do you think you will use your Chinese when you return to the states? How?

I hope to volunteer with a group in Seattle that helps Asian refugees. There are a lot of Chinese in Seattle, including elderly people, so there should be someone I can practice talking with. Some people who have already gone back to the States have said that people in Chinese restaurants love it when you speak their language.

Some of my students

*Do you train adults or work with college age students? What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

At my last school I taught undergrads, grad students, as well as middle-schoolers and children. Whew! It was too much. Here I only teach undergrads so I have much more free time. Most of the students come from poor backgrounds. They don't have cars or fancy things. It's a big deal for them to come to college. Still, most of them have mobile phones and they love their mp3 players.

The most rewarding aspect of my job is working with students who are open to new ideas and have some understanding of American culture. Curious people are always nice and most Chinese have never met a foreigner so I do my best to be friendly to as many people as I can.

Because the English level of my students is somewhat low, we can't have too many "serious" conversations but sometimes a student will tell me I'm their favorite teacher or that their speaking ability has improved thanks to me. That's a nice feeling. I'm also not afraid to look silly in the class by speaking some Chinese. It helps them to know that I struggle with language, too.

Waving the peace sign

*Do you live with a family or on your own? What was the hardest part of adapting to life in another country? Did you speak Chinese (Mandarin) before going abroad?

I live alone in a really big apartment. People here don't live in houses like in the U.S. Everyone lives in apartment buildings. With 1.3 billion people there's just not enough resources for people to live like we do in the U.S. with one family per building. Usually an apartment as big as mine would have 5 people: mom, dad, a child, and grandparents.

Before coming to teach at these colleges, I lived for two months with a Chinese family in the city of Chengdu. That was fun and also kind of a nervous experience since I spoke no Chinese and they spoke only a little English. It was crazy and wonderful. They were my introduction to Chinese culture and were extremely friendly. This year they had a 3rd volunteer stay with them so their generosity continues year after year.

I didn't study Chinese before coming here but now study as much as I can. The Peace Corps pays for us to have teachers so I want to get the most for my money! Now that I'm more than halfway done, I have less stress and studying Chinese is more fun. My skills are just so-so but I plan to improve them a lot before leaving next year. Knowing another language is fun!

Teacher's Housing

*How's the food? Have you learned how to cook Chinese food? What foods from the US do you miss the most?

They eat a lot of pork here! Pork is in practically everything. It's good but sometimes oily and food is very spicy here in Sichuan province. I miss pizza. They don't eat much dairy here so there's no fresh milk or cheese. Mmm...pizza!

I think that Chinese food is great. It's very different than what we call "Chinese food" in the United States. It's generally less sweet, more spicy, and features more fresh veggies.

At home I often cook a strange eastern/western stir-fry with lots of vegetables and tofu (dofu).I also eat lots of fresh fruit. Our area produces tons of delicious, cheap mangoes! At our school there are always people selling fruit next to the bus stop.

Fresh Pineapple on a chopstick

*What is the grossest thing you have eaten so far? (sorry, a typical 6th grade question) Did you know you were eating this gross stuff?

Gross foods I have eaten:

Cow throat
Congealed pig blood
Pig foot
Pig Stomach
Intestines/Tripe
Ants in a pastry

Except for the pig blood, I knew what I was eating. It doesn't hurt to give it a try, right?! The cow throat was much too chewy for me. Same goes for the FEET. Intestines always seem to taste like intestines. I just can't get into it! Bleck! At the store right now they're also selling pig FACE. I don't know how you cook that! That also sounds chewy, yes? Other less gross food that I've eaten at fancy dinners includes: rabbit, turtle, and snake. It was all okay but I wouldn't seek it out. I never think, "Hmmm...how about some turtle tonight?!"

Lunch at the cafeteria for 40 cents

*Did you eat any special foods on New Year's? What do people do on New year's Eve? Did they have any Christmas like decorations in your city?

Alas, I did not eat anything special for New Year's BUT it is considered popular to eat Goat/Sheep meat or Dog meat. Why? I have asked. The answer is that, "It will keep you warm." How it keeps you warm I don't know. Any guesses?

This may sound kind of strange but in the big cities for Christmas and New Year's people beat each other with giant inflatable/balloon hammers. Hundreds or thousands of people do this. I hear that it can be quite scary, especially if you're a foreigner. Christmas here has no Christ or Christianity. They like decorations, trees, and Santa, but that's about it. It's just a day to have a party. For Christmas they also love to shoot silly-string.

Snacks of mostly sunflower seeds

*What will happen for Chinese New Year?

Most people will have the week off so they'll go to their hometown and be with the family for a few days. The Chinese will take 2 billion trips during this period. It can be crazy getting around. People will get together, eat tons of food, drink, and see old friends.

Many families will visit the graves of their ancestors, where they will clean the area, leave blessings of fruit, and burn incense or paper money to ensure the deceased have a bountiful afterlife.

Getting hot water for tea and cleaning

*We have read that pollution is a real problem in China. Is this true? Has it affected your daily life and/or health?

The pollution is horrible and seems only to be getting worse. Lots of people have problems breathing because of bad air. Litter is also a major problem. China is developing very quickly but they may have to slow down to protect the environment. Some of the other volunteers have air purifiers in their homes. It hasn't affected me much but there's a lot of industrial pollution in this area because of steel processing. The air gets hazy from Carbon and Sulfur.

My student "Fighter" is always exercising

*Have you traveled within China or outside of China? Where did you go and what did you do/see?

I've been to Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Vietnam was great! It's a really beautiful place with friendly people. They are also excellent tailors so I bought a suit and my girlfriend had several skirts made. Beautiful beaches, too!

In China I've traveled a bit in Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan. Get your map out! I've seen the giant Buddha at Leshan. You should look that up! I've also seen the Dujiangyan irrigation project. It's the oldest water system in the world!

Our campus' little pond

*What really concerns you about China? What inspires you about China? When will you return home and what do you plan to do?

There is a big gap between rich and poor here that seems to be getting larger. Farmers are so poor! Do you know what a migrant worker is? They actually make 33% more than farmers! The POLLUTION is HORRIFYING. They have to think more about the environment. In some cities during the middle of the day it looks like dusk. Things that we buy in America from China are really cheap, but the PRICE to the environment is higher than what we actually PAY. I hope to use LESS when I return to the United States.

Walking the cows and goat

*When do you return home? Where is your home? How often do you talk to your family?

I'll be returning to Seattle in August of 2007 to be with my girlfriend. My family lives in several cities in Kansas but I actually haven't lived there in almost ten years! I talk to my family every few weeks. Thanks to the computer and cheap calling cards, it's really not too expensive.

Ania and me

*Would you recommend China to Americans as a good place to visit? Why or why not?

Come to China! See the world! Traveling is fun and it's one of the best ways to understand people of different cultures. It's expensive to get a planet ticket to come here but food, buses, trains, and lodging are incredibly cheap.

A lot of people will want to practice English with you and maybe even take your picture! It's a country of about 1.3 billion people so most people have still never met a foreigner. They will call you "laowai."

Panzhihua blossoms

Look for more pictures in the spring of 2007!

View pictures from my friend's visit to China here.