Here I sit in the comfort of my apartment in SuZhou city, wondering if tomorrow my Chinese friends are going to turn up to collect me for our scheduled trip to AnHui province. 

I say 'wondering', because if you didn't know already, China is in the grip of the worst snow in 50 years.  We here in SuZhou, or at least in my little part of it seem to be doing OK.  It hasn't snowed often, but when it did, it snowed a lot. China is certainly a beautiful place to be in the snow - it covers such a multitude of sins.

Decorative pond outside the classroom

To look out my window and see brilliant white everything for as far as the eye can see, is certainly a 'spiritual' event. It's not that I am not used to being moved by huge expanses of white, although compared to the snow, the pearly white beaches of Queensland are more aptly described as golden.

For someone who is used to running around in the appropriate attire for sunny Queensland's Winter, the bracing cold of this snow white Chinese winter is a little much.  Notice that I did not say that I go running around in this snow.  My co-ordinator came to my house a few days ago and told me it is best if I do not go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

"Get real!" I replied: "How many times have you phoned me this week and woken me up from my slumber?  I ain't goin' nowhere!" I did of course go out to take some photos of the school.  Were it not that this frail 'sunny weather' body simply refuses to obey my mind, I would go and take some photos of Han Shan Temple which was looking wonderful as I went past it on the bus to the supermarket the other day.

R.P.BenDedek in his Winter clothes at home in Sunny Queensland

Although it was my intention to stay here in SuZhou for the duration of the Winter Vacation, some friends badgered me into agreeing to go with them to AnHui on February 3rd.  The trip was scheduled for 9 days.  I didn't really want to go, but didn't know how to get out of the deal. I did accept that it probably would be good for me to get away, but here I sit knowing that despite all the transport problems that the snow has brought, my friends may turn up tomorrow ready to head out.

On the other hand they may not!  I haven't a clue.  I can't phone them because I lost their number - and - they haven't phoned me.  This could mean that they expect me to know that the trip is cancelled, or that the trip is still on.  And even if they don't show up, they might still turn up in a weeks time and expect me to be ready to go with them then. Oddio!

Anyway, my time has been put to good use.  I have almost finished updating all my kingscalendar files; have written a few articles; and I have prepared some new lessons for my students next semester.

I taught 5 classes last semester, and 4 of them were excellent.  They grasped hold of the mechanics of conversation; began using all the skills, and in the process, discovered that they do have ability to discuss more complex matters than which 'pop group' they do and do not like.

For Two of the classes it was their last semester at school, but the other two will return after spring festival break.  Having accomplished more than I expected them to, and more than I have ever managed to teach before, I am now faced with the challenge of preparing new lessons that specifically focus on the subject of business.

My classes are conversational. That means that the students have to do the talking, and no matter how much they dislike discussing the topics that I prepare for them, the fact is that until they learn the skills of just plain ordinary conversation, they will never be able to discuss business matters. So this semester, for those two classes at least, I have to be prepared to challenge them to discuss issues related to business.  You know the sort of things I mean.  Things like:

• How does the RMB exchange rate effect Import and Export costs?
• What licenses, fees and expenses are involved in importing and exporting?
• What skills are involved in 'making a sale'?
• What is the difference between 'gross earnings' and 'net profit'?
• What would be a company's start up cost in hiring and outfitting an office?
• What is the tax rate disparity between personal and business tax in the USA and China?
• Based on 'cost of living' expenses, which of these two countries people are better off?
• How does one determine profit margins?
• How does one define wealth?

SuZhou Polytechic Institute of Agriculture in the snow

I have made good progress in preparing lessons, but I already know that there will be complaints.  No matter what you try to make students discuss, they find everything boring. 

Last semester many of the students who had secured jobs prior to the final examination time, had to organise to see me to do their final exams. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them, eager to learn of their experiences in the outside world.  I had a good time laughing at their responses.

I do tell my students that they are little children who know nothing of the grown up world.  Being a part of the 'One Child Policy' generation, and having been the first to grow up in 'economically modern' China, they have been spoiled beyond their knowing.  Once they get to work however, they soon find that the rules of the game have changed.

The school system in China clings to the last vestiges of the 'Cultural Revolution', in that students still 'report on' teachers.  Students very much control the fate of their teachers. (Some in the west want this system introduced into schools there. Be Careful what you ask for!)

Students just love to complain.  Most of my students begin by complaining, and end up thanking me for helping them to develop their skills. Of course, by that time it is already too late for me, I have had to endure the complaints from 'on high' about what I can and cannot say in class.

I continually tell the students and the teachers that I will not follow the school's directives that relate to student complaints.  I'm there to do a job and I can't do that job if they tie my hands so tight, that there is no possibility of having 'normal' discussions in class.  The students are used to memorizing 'role plays' and pretend that those role plays are real conversations.  My classes are somewhat different. There is no place for memorizing conversations in my classes. Students learn to hear, understand, think, and respond 'on the spot' in 'real time'.

As a result of some of the complaints laid against me, I had some difficulties come end of last semester, and actually resigned my job. The resignation was not accepted and I spent 3 days involved in discussions with various people.  During that time, for the first time in 5 years, I understood that it is time for me to leave China. 

I came here for just one year to 'kill time' and stayed (5 years now) because in addition to falling in love with this country and it's people, I discovered that I had something valuable to contribute; something that many people were eager to receive.  I have always said that the day I stop being happy in China is the day that I will go back to Australia.  I finally reached that day at the end of semester.

When I came to this school I did so having decided that it would be my last teaching position in China.  It did not matter if it was for 2 years or 20 years; when I leave this school I go back to Australia.

Soon I will be back in class, teaching both former and new students.  I am not concerned about my former students.  They know and understand me already.  The new ones however will start up with a new round of complaining that ultimately is designed to justify their own lack of desire to think, speak and work.  You think I am being unkind?

One group last semester, in a written exercise, complained that they did not like me because:

• I don't teach Conversational English in the Chinese Language
• I make them speak English all the time
• I make them think
• I make them discuss in groups with people they don't know or like -and -
• I make them talk about Chinese Society, and they are not interested in Chinese Society.

December 2007 - no snow

I've been told that I should not involve students in discussions on Sex, Aids or homosexuality because it is offensive to their Chinese sensibilities, and this, despite the fact that both the Chairman and Premier of China said on national television that we must make people aware of the dangers of unsafe sex practices.

I've been told that I must not make them discuss Taiwan because that is a political matter, but then again so is India, Vietnam, Japan, the USA and Iraq.

One can't discuss Education in terms of Political education or sex education because that is taboo, but if you avoid those two aspects, all you hear from students are complaints about China's education system, this particular school and it's teachers. B-O-R-I-N-G!

Students want to know about foreign culture, but get offended if, when they use an accidental idiom, you explain the (sexual) culture behind the meaning of what they just said. Or if they mispronounce words and in doing so use really foul English, you are not allowed to explain why the word cannot be used.

Until such times as they are using the language in a normal way, they cannot possibly begin to understand it, because they view English through two lenses. One is the lens of a dictionary and the other is the lens of Chinese culture. You can't explain for instance that all those boys who tell me that they think I am sexy, would find themselves in hot water in the west if they went around saying this to every man that they thought was sexy.  Girls of course don't say it because in Chinese culture that would be wrong.  It is difficult to make them realise that you can't put Chinese values and cultural meaning onto English words.

So next semester I will be in trouble again, because I simply refuse to treat these 20+ year olds like little children.  If they are studying English for use in the business world, then they really need to come to grips with the daily use and meaning of English. Moreover, they need to grow up and have someone prepare them for the real world.

Golden not white - sunny Queensland Beaches

Who knows where I will be this time next year. At the moment I face either being sacked at the end of my contract in Summer, or of walking away, too tired to put up with the childishness.  Either way, one thing is for sure, this time next year I won't be freezing my butt off under 18 inches of snow.

R.P. BenDedek

Email: rpbendedek@hotmail.com

• What is the Foreign Teacher's Job?

List of KingsCalendar Academic Articles at Magic City

"The King's Calendar" is a chronological study of the historical books of the Bible (Kings and Chronicles), Josephus, Seder Olam Rabbah, and the (Essene) Damascus Document of The Dead Sea Scrolls.