Jul 2008

When the wheat is harvested they put it out on the street to dry. This is the street that the new campus is on. The bus just drives straight over the top. It really is quite amazing.

After it is dried they then collect the grain. The grain is then further spread out onto the street I guess to dry even more.

The unused parts are then made into brooms. It really is an interesting process to watch over the days.

I am a keen football supporter so I convinced Barbara and Rebecca to go to a Football game in Jinan. We decided on the game on the 28 June. Shandong was playing Chengdu.

Off we headed to Jinan for the weekend. When we arrived in Jinan I announced that I had left the Chinese instructions to give to the taxi driver back in my apartment. OOPS! All was OK the hotel spoke enough English for us to get the information we needed.

Off we headed at 6.30 pm to the game. Stopped at traffic lights we had scalpers trying to sell us tickets. They didn't speak English, neither did the taxi driver and of course we don't speak Chinese. We declined their offer.

Off to the ticket booth and others were trying to sell us tickets. The full price was Y120 ie $20 and they were being offered for Y50 ie $8. After some negotiations I purchased the tickets, three in a row on the half way line.

Now we needed to buy some merchandise. We went in the hunt for a t-shirt, Guernsey, flag, wristbands anything. In the end we came out with flags.

Now to our gate. We located the gate and entered the stadium. Someone was sitting in our seats. I spoke to the security guard who told me that we could sit somewhere else. It now dawned on me that it is the same as Brazil. You buy a ticket for a section not for a seat. But all was good as we were in a good section and you could see from anywhere.

The seats were filthy. We had to clean them with tissues before we could sit. Others used paper or cardboard. Something to note for next time!

A Chinese man came to sit next to me but my bag was on the chair. I moved my bag and he sat there. Then he wanted photos taken. I obliged.

The stadium was amazing. I have never been to Wembeley stadium but it certainly had that feel and look about it. What more the view was spectacular.

The football started and it was an entertaining first half. Shandong were up 1 - Nil. The football was fast and they had some real pace about them.

Chengdu scored in the second half to equalize and then Shandong came back with another to win 2 - 1.

There is not much to do in Tai'an for entertainment except for Bowling. I've been once and it probably will be my only time. I'm not very good at bowling and I'd rather read a book

The exam was sat by the students on Sunday 22 June. The foreign teachers were not required to attend the exam. Later I would find out why I believe this to be the case.

Monday the 23 June I received the papers to mark in the afternoon. Quite overwhelming when you have 269 Chinglish papers to mark. I set myself the task of marking one class per day. This in itself is a huge task.

The first part of the exam was multiple choice. I learned the letters verbatim. Sometimes the student gave me the choice of answer with the answer being a, b, c, d. Other times you would notice that the answers were marked originally in blue pen, however they were corrected in black pen. This could only lead one to believe that they paper had been swamped between students to correct.

The next part was simply one word answers. Some students had the right answers but in the wrong place.

The final part of the exam was writing. Some students wrote directly out of their text book. Other students copied information from the exam paper. Others started with information and then continued to copy the question as if to think that you wouldn't read it.

In the end only 3 students failed the final exam. However I don't think any of them failed overall.

It was interesting to find that the students were quite proud of their cheating. One student told me how he was the first to finish and he sent an SMS to the class monitor who then sent the answers to individual students. When I questioned him over this he told me that yes there was a teacher supervising but they just turn a blind eye because they don't want anyone to fail.

Now we know why the foreign teachers were not required to supervise their classes.

A Chinese teacher who I taught who is going to Brazil invited me to her wedding. Rather excited I was as I had never been to a Chinese wedding in Australia let alone a traditional wedding in China.

The wedding was held on the 24 June. I would be met at the front gate by a Chinese Teacher. I went to ask the leaders what is an appropriate gift and what should I wear. I found out that the gift is money in a red envelope and that the attire is whatever you want to wear. I didn't have to work the next day so I could be out as late as I felt necessary.

Being the girly girl I am, this would mean a new frock, shoes and handbag. Normally at home I would also do the hairdresser thing, but really a waste of time here with the humidity. It would just be frizz anyway. I had to also go in search of red envelopes to put money into. I found red envelopes but they all had different Chinese symbols on them. So I bought them all.

All dressed up ready for a night of food, music and dancing I went to the front gate to meet John, the Chinese teacher. He's dressed in his work clothes with reef sandals. I guess you can wear whatever you want but I would have thought you could put a bit more effort into it than that. I showed John the envelopes and he picked the ones that were related to a wedding. All sorted off we went to the restaurant for the Wedding Banquet.

Outside the restaurant we are met by Kelly and her husband. Kelly was not dressed in her wedding attire. Formalities are done and we are told to go to the 3rd floor. We walk into the room and there are heaps of tables and chairs, I'm thinking 200 - 300 people. This is going to be huge! Then we are directed to a room.

In this room there are 10 place settings. Now I'm starting to get confused. John tells me to sit. I tell him that that is not custom and I have to wait to be told where to sit. He said that we could sit for now and when the others arrived we will stand.

Other guests arrived, some in jeans and T-shirts. Nobody was as dressed as I was. Oh well better to be overdressed than under dressed, so they say.

We are seated. Still no bride or groom. Food starts to arrive. We are told to start eating. Almost towards the end of the meal the bride and groom arrive with a couple of men. The groom is holding a plate with 4 port glasses. The groom pours me a drink and tells me that it is bottoms up, IE Skull. I do as I'm told, I don't want to upset the natives. He then refills my glass and tells me that I need to take a sip. This happens to every guest at the table. The bride and groom leaves. And so do we!

I've tried to ask the natives what really happens. I have been told that the grooms family go with the groom to pick up the bride and they eat dumplings and noodles. The grooms family pay a dowry to the bride's family. The groom's family then carry the bride back to the grooms village where a civil ceremony is held. The modern tradition is that the bride leaves her family home in red and changes to white when she arrives at the Grooms village.

Here I was all set for a big night and I left my apartment at 6 pm and was home by 9 pm!

They then have a wedding banquet with the family and friends. The reception as we would call it is segregated, ie everyone is in different rooms.

So off I went to this wedding expecting food, music and dancing and all I got was food.