Magic 8-Ball

This post has been awhile in the making.  If we didn't mention it we'd be deceiving readers that life overseas has been a perfect dream for us.  This decision has consumed us completely the last few weeks.

What are we doing next year?

Just 18 months after making our decision to take the jobs in Shanghai we have another big decision to make. We were offered new contracts last Monday and our decision is due this Friday.  Sure we could sign now and break it in a few months but we'd be punished financially.  Further more, do you really want to play the game of life like that?

We would like to stay overseas at this point.  We both agree that getting closer to home is a priority when we take another position but closer to home when you're in Shanghai could be Tokyo.  Jobs are opening up but its still very early so when we look at job possibilities they're sparse.  In January when most international teachers have declared intentions to stay or leave the picture will be more clear…but nobody gets to see that picture until it already begins to develop.  We've had preliminary discussions with some schools in the Caribbean but nothing serious enough to hedge our bets on.  

Our contract offers for Shanghai increased this year.  We know that if we leave Asia we won't have an offer that compares to this.  Central and South America pay less and Europe costs a fortune.  In Africa packages are diverse but the best are in dangerous areas so bring your bulletproof jacket.  Of course there is the Middle East where we'd make a small fortune but really?  We'd live in a compound and have restricted movement outside of our neighborhood.  No thanks.

Financially the savings we've had the past two years has been a blessing but the experiences we've had are priceless.  If we stayed for a third year Bri would have 3 months paid maternity leave if we chose to use it next school year.  Another perk in our third year would be paid leave days to go to the teacher fair and get new jobs where as this year, if we went to the fair, we'd have to use our own vacation days.  

Do you understand our dilemma?  So many factors to consider.

Pros of Staying

-Familiar with culture and city

-Shanghai is an international city which makes our lives relatively easy

-Great travel opportunities

-Great students

-Maternity leave

-Tax Free

Cons of Staying

- Difficult to get to know locals in this culture

- Air quality is horrible

- So far from home

- Ready for a new experience

Obviously the above isn't a complete list but it gives you a little peek into our lives and our decision.  Please send prayers for guidance or good vibes whatever your thing is… We appreciate your support as always. 

Vocabulary Problems

At times, not learning Chinese is really not a problem.  We have both learned a minimal amount and we seem to get along just fine.  Once in a while however we are reminded of the importance of being specific. 

We went to eat with some friends at a restaurant geared towards expats.  At the end of our meal I ordered two margaritas for my friend and I.  The waiter repeated what I said and I nodded in agreement.  It was taking our drinks a really long time to come out and when I asked about them he said that they were almost ready.  The next thing I knew, he was carrying two regular sized pizzas to our table.  Then it occurred to me, he thought I meant Margherita PIZZA! 

We ended up boxing up the pizza and paying for it anyway because I am sure that when the waiter asked for clarification, I told him that we wanted pizza.  Looks like we will be having leftovers tomorrow night!

Sunny

Lately I have been a bit negative about China.  I am aware of this and I apologize to the country of China itself and to you, our readers.  You must be wondering what we are still doing here if we hate it so much.  Well the truth is, we don’t hate it here.  We quite enjoy ourselves on a daily basis.  It is just those times when being in China is a bit too much that you get to read about it.  

This post is dedicated to one of my personal favorite parts of China; Sunny.

You see, Sunny is a little man that speaks English well enough to receive and send text messages.  When I send him a message he shows up a short time later and gives me a massage at my apartment. I have a weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) appointment on Thursday after my meeting.  

I pay him 120 RMB for 90 minutes.  That is approximately $18.  When I have those days when I want to punch China in the face, I don’t even have to leave my apartment, Sunny just shows up with his magic hands and an hour and a half later I am okay with China again.  

Here is a picture of me and Sunny.  I am not sure what he thought about Matt taking a picture...

Victory

Often when I see imported goods I get very excited.  Last year I saw Pop-tarts, spent $10 on a box and I don’t even really like Pop-tarts.  I long for things that I really do like, for instance cows milk that doesn’t TLC (Taste Like China) 

Matt and I went to a grocery store called Metro that we'd heard about but never visited.  My hopes were not high.  Matt even warned me before we went inside to put my Patience Pants on because my track record in Chinese grocery stores is not so great.  Normally, I reach a point where it takes everything I have not to yell, cry and take a taxi to the airport because I am so done with China.  It is everything that I hate about China rolled up into one terrible, terrible place.  Normally the stores have the highest concentration of humans that I have experienced in my life.  Now imagine that you are looking for, say, vinegar.  Now picture that you are in a multi-level, hot, smelly ass, Wal-Mart, with hundreds of other people and you can’t read any of the labels.  There are three to four Chinese workers per isle that don’t seem to have any idea that their isle is connected to any other isles because they have no clue where to find anything other than their own special items.  The lines are long, people see rats, need I say more?

Because of my melt-downs, Matt does nearly all of the shopping.  What a good husband I have! 

So back to my Metro story… I am mentally preparing myself for the fetal position when we enter my new favorite place.   It was glorious.  It smelled like Costco in the US.  You could see to the end of every aisle because there were not 50 people in your way.  Everything was spread out in a logical fashion and we could identify nearly every item.  I was just feeling great when we rounded the corner to the wine department.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Immediately I turned around to find Matt for him to confirm that it was not an illusion.  I then literally frolicked over to my favorite wine that I buy in AMERICA!  Then, as if it were a gift from God the price tag was only 90 RMB a bottle!  I bought 2 cases of the previously mentioned magic juice. Appreciate the little things.    

Ms. Yu

An added benefit to living in China is our Ayi, Ms. Yu.  Here are 10 facts about her;

1.    She comes to our apartment 3 times a week to clean, do laundry, pay some bills, cook and run errands. 

2.    She does not speak English.

3.    She will only iron Matt’s clothes.

4.    She makes good dumplings.

5.    She only smiles at Matt.

6.    She has a son and a husband.

7.    She has a secret hidingplace only she knows about for my socks.

8.    She was thoroughly confused on Halloween when 15 or so children showed up at our apartment dressed like monsters. 

9.    She carries a Prada purse.
10.  We don’t think she knows our names. 

Matt and Ayi making dumplings last spring.

indifference

Good article on China's reaction to its new leader.


http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/12/15103829-communist-partys-congress-grinds-on-amid-widespread-indifference-in-china?lite

To squat or to sit? This is the question.

Across Asia we often encounter these signs;

     Westerners think they are funny and don't understand why they are nessesary.  Well my friends, I have a story for you.

     When we were in Thailand we went on a day trip to some nearby islands.  It was beautiful, breathtaking and relaxing.  Then we went to lunch.  There were many tour groups stopped at this particular resort for lunch.  Because it was Chinese National Holiday there were many Chinese people visiting Thailand.   At this particular spot multiple tour groups were stopping for lunch so we encountered large herds of Chinese tourists.

     Now, living in China I realize that I have made a choice to live here and for the most part try to accept their culture and know that I am the outsider.  I get frustrated and realize that I am making generalizations when culture shock is at it worst but when I leave my apartment in China I expect to be smacked in the face with Chinese culture.  I wasn't expecting this in Thailand.  I mean, I left China for a break from China.

     So anyway, back to my story.  I went to wait in line for the bathroom and right outside of the bathroom, in the dining room, a woman had propped her 6-8 year old daughter over the trashcan to use as a toilet.  I am not sure if you know this but 6-8 year old girls don't have the best of aim in ideal situations so you can imagine the mess that was made IN THE DINING ROOM.

    Okay, okay, that is one Chinese person of Billions I get it....deep breathe...patience....count to ten....
So I continue waiting in line for the bathroom and it is taking a really long time.  All of the women before me are Chinese.  I can't figure out what they must be doing in the bathroom that is taking so long.  Some of the women are wearing one-piece swimming suits but still, that cannot explain why everyone is in there for 5+ minutes.     I am hungry and I have to pee, my patience is wearing thin.

     My turn finally comes I turn into the stall and there are two sand footprints on top of the toilet seat.  A perfectly good toilet seat has now been polluted by an unknown number of feet.  I feel rage enter my body and I say out loud "What?" Two things are going through my head at this point.

1.  If you find the need to crawl onto a toilet because you think it is just too dirty to sit on, then please for the love, clean the sand off for the next person.

2.  Realize that this toilet is not built into the ground for a reason. It has a seat, sit on it...or even squat over the seat, but don't stand on the seat!

     By the time I make it back to Sara, Kristina and Matt I am fully enraged.  At first I cannot explain my reaction but after talking it through with me impromptu counselors, I realized that I had left my patience for China in China and that I was not prepared to have to deal with some of the 'annoyances' in Thailand because I was in fact, IN THAILAND. 

This time culture shock took me by surprise. 

Help me?

     Last year a story of a Chinese baby getting run over by 2 separate vehicles made world headlines.  It was so shocking because no one stopped to help the 2 year old lying unconscious in the street.  If it weren’t caught on video, we probably would have never heard about the incident. 

     Recently Matt and I read a story where a woman was stabbed in the airport and no Chinese person stopped to help her.  A visiting American was the person that finally asked if the Chinese woman was okay. 

     Once when we were in the subway going up a crowded escalator, a woman walking down the rainy steps fell.  Everyone just walked around her. Nobody stopped to check on her.  Matt and I were trapped  on the crowded escalator and we couldn’t help the lady.

    This all seems unreal to me and it can't help but generate negative stereotypes when these things are publicized.  I found this story that can provide a little explanation to why some Chinese people behave this way. 

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/10/nanjing-judge-blamed-for-apathy-in-toddlers-hit-and-run/