"The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land;it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land."- G. K. Chesterton"Sailing round the world in a dirty gondola oh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola!"- Bob Dylan
"It is far easier to travel than to write about it."- David Livingstone
Once again I am back in the USA; a two-month sojourn among family, friends and familiar places. Since I have been unable to access Blogspot, this entry will be an arbitrary recap, primarily through pictures, of my recent months in Yiwu, China.
I have enjoyed my teaching situation at the college, both the schedule and the students. My work week consisted of ten teaching hours spread out over 6 classes. Not too strenuous. Since I am teaching oral English, I have had the opportunity to select a variety of topics for the students to expound upon: What is more important, freedom or security? How do you think the rest of the world views China? How has China changed in the last 50 years? What is the ideal life? Etc… Typically I only comment on their grammar and pronunciation, but it allows me a unique and fascinating view into the student’s values and perspectives.
When I am not working, my time is spent at home, socializing or wandering the streets. At home I am usually on the computer; emailing, watching movies or surfing the web. My social outings are usually with other teachers or students, and each interaction subtly deepens my understanding of the culture and people. When I aimlessly wander, there is a constant barrage of sights, sounds and aromas. Maybe there are in the West as well, but prolonged exposure has relegated them to a less conscious awareness on my part. Whereas here, people working, children playing, vendors, shops…. All possess an arresting quality.
Yiwu is the largest small commodity city in the world, and the business of buying and selling is evidenced everywhere. The actual commodity market itself is made up of about 60,000 small shops selling everything imaginable.
I have had the chance to take a few short trips. The first was when one of my classes asked me to join them on a school-sponsored camping trip. It turns out that ‘camping’ is a relative term. Expecting tents and a campfire, I found myself on an outward-bound type of adventure, Dressed in army fatigues, we crossed rope bridges, scaled climbing walls, and navigated through a variety of obstacles and challenges.
I spent a few days in Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain). These are the craggy peaks one often sees depicted on the walls of Chinese restaurants. Instead of an earthen trail, steps are carved into stone. There are hotels to stay at on top of the mountain, and their supplies are carried in by porters. Tough job.
I also spent a couple of days in Hangzhou with some of my students, and have had a variety of day trips with students or other teachers.
Enjoy the pictures!
I have enjoyed my teaching situation at the college, both the schedule and the students. My work week consisted of ten teaching hours spread out over 6 classes. Not too strenuous. Since I am teaching oral English, I have had the opportunity to select a variety of topics for the students to expound upon: What is more important, freedom or security? How do you think the rest of the world views China? How has China changed in the last 50 years? What is the ideal life? Etc… Typically I only comment on their grammar and pronunciation, but it allows me a unique and fascinating view into the student’s values and perspectives.
When I am not working, my time is spent at home, socializing or wandering the streets. At home I am usually on the computer; emailing, watching movies or surfing the web. My social outings are usually with other teachers or students, and each interaction subtly deepens my understanding of the culture and people. When I aimlessly wander, there is a constant barrage of sights, sounds and aromas. Maybe there are in the West as well, but prolonged exposure has relegated them to a less conscious awareness on my part. Whereas here, people working, children playing, vendors, shops…. All possess an arresting quality.
Yiwu is the largest small commodity city in the world, and the business of buying and selling is evidenced everywhere. The actual commodity market itself is made up of about 60,000 small shops selling everything imaginable.
I have had the chance to take a few short trips. The first was when one of my classes asked me to join them on a school-sponsored camping trip. It turns out that ‘camping’ is a relative term. Expecting tents and a campfire, I found myself on an outward-bound type of adventure, Dressed in army fatigues, we crossed rope bridges, scaled climbing walls, and navigated through a variety of obstacles and challenges.
I spent a few days in Huang Shan (Yellow Mountain). These are the craggy peaks one often sees depicted on the walls of Chinese restaurants. Instead of an earthen trail, steps are carved into stone. There are hotels to stay at on top of the mountain, and their supplies are carried in by porters. Tough job.
I also spent a couple of days in Hangzhou with some of my students, and have had a variety of day trips with students or other teachers.
Enjoy the pictures!
1 comment:
Greg! I stumbled across your website today! Making me jealous with all your travels while I am stuck in Sioux City, Iowa ... hmmm...
Any plans on moving back to Thailand??? I know Danny is missing us with only our big ol' jolly friend to socialize with.
Anyways, hope all is well and you enjoy your time back in the US of A!
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