MELODY TIENYUN

My first day here felt like I was moving into college again except everything felt much more uncertain. This week was a battle with unexpected circumstances and a lot of adjustment with the way things work in a small city in China, but I’ve tried my best to stay positive despite it all. The first lesson I’ve learned is don’t get your hopes up and adjust your expectations accordingly. 

When the contract says that you will have your own studio room, the school says, “You have a roommate/flatmate and you get the smaller room with no desk.” It turns out that other teachers that came through the same program as me didn’t have this dilemma, but my roommate Elle (pseudonym) was also not notified of this setup. 

“Wifi included.” 10 days later and the wifi still hadn’t been fixed. Furnished with “necessary living conditions.” There’s some moldy/ burnt kitchen pans and dirty cleaning supplies, but I knew that the standards would not be the same. These rooms probably have the only Western toilets in the entire city (aside from hotels). 

This region’s specialty is spicy food, Xiang is of the 8 main cuisines of China, but because I have chronic stomach issues, I was cautious about ordering food on the street. To make sure I can find sustenance, I decided I’d cook frequently and I attempted to use the old pot to try and cook eggs, but because I didn’t add water and this pot or setting was only for boiling, it CAUGHT ON FIRE. Pans are only meant for certain stoves and some pots are only meant for boiling! Why china why. Why can’t I simply turn on the stove and cook! The learning curves of living in China. I just appreciated America’s stoves that accept all pans equally.Though the bed and room is quite cozy, the blaring horns and rumbling from the trains outside across the river made it feel as if the train is actually coming full speed into your room. Then, when the students moved in to the dorms the next night, the noises piled on with their running, stomping, basketball dribbling, proctor whistle blowing, and screaming over my head, which felt like they’re about to fall right on top of me as I sleep.  

Thank you to my friends who suggested I buy the Chacos for China (you know who you are). It’s nice knowing I can wash these waterproof sandals off easily when I step in the saliva that the man next to me hawks up and spits in my pathway. I had no idea when I actually begin teaching, what I need to teach (though they said they have some sort of a guide book for what topics you plan your lessons on), and what any sort of schedule will be like for the day. At the moment there are three other teachers from the U.K. and India; because two guys have been working at the school for awhile already, they know all the places to go for coffee and have made connections with the local businesses. 

I am grateful for these human replacements for Google and Yelp. 
We spent our Friday like tourists going to the ancient city. Wanda* is the obvious foreigner, so people were taking photos of her at street corners, coming up to shake her hand, and coming up in hoards asking to take selfies with her—we joked that she should start charging 1 yuan for each photo.

 Things I appreciate about this place so far:

• the scenery, air quality, laid back nature of the small city
• walking along the river seeing people fishing and washing their clothes knowing that there is still some preservation and natural resources still pure enough to use
• Telling people I’m from America and that I’ve never been to China as an ice breaker, most people here are ethnic minorities and many have never been outside this region let alone outside of China. I love that they get so excited–one even asked to see an American dollar, which she at first called an “American yuan”

The city is divided into two parts and there are basically two main, narrow roads. I can’t wait to explore more of this city, but first and foremost, I want to feel comfortable walking around these streets and know where I’m going. At least I know how to get home now!