Getting along at school

Last week my roommate Bengt participated in a soccer match between Renmin University's Korean student soccer team and a team of made up of other international students. In lower than ideal temperatures they squared off in a field half the size of a real soccer field. Bengt's team won 3-2 after three periods. There actually should only be 2 periods, but an extra period was added so everyone could get a chance to play. I stood on the sidelines cheering on my classmates and taking pictures.

Besides that, nothing really exciting has happened recently. I go to school in the mornings, study in the afternoons, go to work at night. Somewhere between those activities I find time to eat, do a little exercise, talk to friends, etc. All the savings from my job will go to paying for another semester at Renmin University. Once that is paid off I plan on cutting back on my work hours. I work 18 hours a week now.

I try to make the time I work teaching English an opportunity for me to learn about how Chinese people think, their cultural beliefs and customs. Like killing two birds with one stone, I can get paid and learn more about China. For example, what holidays are important to Chinese, how do they celebrate them, what foods do they eat and so on. But we have also discussed very serious issues such as AIDS, the environment, getting a job, privacy rights, and gun ownership. I have had many students compliment me on how I teach English. I rarely use the book and ask everyone for their thoughts and opinions. The students say they have learned a lot from me and are happy for the increased opportunities to speak and express themselves. I hear that many other teachers rely on the book and the students may only speak when reading aloud from the book. But these teachers are not professionals either, most are working part-time to live in China like myself.

A couple of days a go, the temperature in Beijing dropped significantly. For the first time in years I felt that cold chill that penetrates you down to your bones. I ran back to the dorm and put on a pair of long-underwear! As I came home from work last night I saw flecks of snow drift down in the street lights. I heard some Chinese nearby say "Ah, xia xue le!" which means "its snowing!" I like to eat yejun-mian for dinner on cold nights. It is noodles with fat wild mushrooms and green vegetables in hot soup. It warms up your body for many hours.