Cui (Sabrina) Lirong and Luo Laoshi at EET Baotou

I recently wrote an article entitled 'Farewell YanCheng - Hello Baotou' in which I stated:

"When I was approached by EET (Easy English Training) to help them set up a new 'Private School' English Teaching branch in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, I found it impossible to refuse".

Two weeks ago, on June 26th 2009, I finally flew to Baotou Inner Mongolia and I can't help but wonder if I would have found EET's offer 'impossible to refuse', had I known how hard I would have to work. These last two weeks have been the most exhausting of my life.

Unfortunately for me, I was already feeling exhausted when I arrived. All those goodbyes and farewell dinners that I endured that last week in Jiangsu Province left me drained.

Had I known what awaited me here in Baotou, I would have stayed in bed that last week in Yancheng - under complete sedation.

As I mentioned in that article, Zhan Yan, who had lived with me in Hong Hu when he was 13 years old, was coming to visit me in Yancheng. He arrived on June 19th. and from that date onwards, my life became both hectic and exhausting. Here is a list of some of the things that have happened since Zhan Yan arrived.

Mongolian Grasslands. Photographer Chiara Braccagni. (C.B.)

June 19th After a late night on the 18th, I had an Early trip to the train station to meet Zhan Yan. That night (from Memory) Sophie and I gave him a Welcoming Dinner.

Jerry, Zhan Yan and I in Suzhou on the Canal Ride

June 20th The YanCheng Foreigners had their last Saturday night dinner for the Semester. Although I had not attended a dinner for such a long time, I went so that I could say my goodbyes. I took Zhan Yan with me. I don't think he has ever seen so many foreigners in one place at one time.

June 21st In the evening I had a Farewell Dinner with Mr. Tang, (the man who helped me find my teaching position in Yancheng). We were joined by Sophie Cho, Zhan Yan, and Kurt, a good friend and a graduate student of Yancheng Teacher's College.

June 22nd This was a really busy day, and it was the day I posted a parcel of belongings to Baotou. It was such an ordeal posting it because the staff at the post office made me pull everything out so they could inspected it all. When it arrived in Baotou, the only thing broken was the one thing I wanted safely delivered. That's Murphy's Law! Or then again, it is so difficult to imagine how the item got broken, that I just had to wonder if a former student of mine was now working for the Post Office.

That night (Monday June 22nd), I was treated to a Farewell Dinner by Mr. Tao Hong, the owner of the Latin Dance Studio in Yancheng.

L-R. MeiMei and Chen Rongmei from Suzhou

June 23rd Early in the morning, Zhan Yan and I took a bus to SuZhou so that I could meet up with a few people and so that he could take the train home to Hubei.

That night I threw a farewell Dinner at the Muslim Restaurant at Shilu for 4 of my friends, and we followed this with a boat ride up the canal. Guests included my friend Chen Rongmei, her sister Meimei, Zhan Yan and Jerry who had arrived that day from TianJin to take up a new position in Suzhou.

June 24th I spent most of the morning resting, before taking Zhan Yan on a bus trip around Suzhou and then taking a taxi out to Jinji Hu (the lake).

Finally, At 3pm I took the bus back to Yancheng. (Zhan Yan returned by train to Hubei)

That night in Yancheng, I had dinner with Sophie Cho (New Zealand/ Korean teacher) after which we called a student to join us. We had a very late night.

Old street Suzhou - canal view / Shang Tang jie

Suzhou canal boat ride taken near the old city gate near ShiLu

June 25th At 8am, Will and Amies Liebenberg (South Africa), Sophie Cho, and I, were escorted by the school driver to Shanghai so that we could take our various plane trips on the 26th.

We first went to Pudong Airport district to drop the others off, and then to HongQiao to drop me off.

In all, I was in the van for 6.5 hours. When I got to my hotel I was so glad. I needed a rest.

Now I want to go off topic here for a moment. This is really important, and it relates to my constant use of the term 'Murphy's Law'.

Some people tell me that my constant references to Murphy's Law indicates that I have a negative personality, and that either God or the universe rewards my negativity with bad happenings. So I want to show you a photo right now, of something I encountered in the Hotel I stayed in Shanghai.

I checked in, took the lift to the appropriate floor, and went looking for my room. Now look carefully at this sign and tell me if you can guess which room I was looking for. I tell you, when Murphy's law latches onto someone, it latches on with vigor.

I dare anyone to tell me that it was my attitude that caused what is shown in this photo.

Home Inn Shanghai but where is my room? R. 322

Let me give you another example of Murphy's Law. For six and a half years in China, I have carried a useless, pointless, space consuming black akubra hat with me. I have never worn it in China because I never needed it. So before I left Yancheng, I gave it away as a gift. Now I find here in Baotou, that if you walk for 15 minutes in the sun, even your eyelashes turn beetroot red. Now I need the hat, I don't have it. That is Murphy's Law. Anyway, back to my story.

This is what I call a bed. A 2 inch mattress on top of 2 large boxes each containing 2 storage compartments. Very beautiful; fully supporting the back, and very practical for storage

Once I did find my room, I stowed my gear, took a shower, and then ducked out to buy something to eat.

When I returned I connected my computer to the internet - the first time in 3 days.

With so much to catch up on and unsure when I would next be connected, I stayed up late working.

June 26th I took an 8 am flight to Baotou. I got up at 5am and arrived in Baotou around 1pm.

I was collected at the airport by EET Baotou Manager Sabrina Cui (Cui Lirong) and was taken to my brand new, one room apartment that contained, a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe.

I have currently been here 13 days, and so far the only additional things that we have managed to find time to buy, are an air cooler and a microwave oven.

The washing machine and refrigerator, and a bench on which to prepare food, will have to wait until we get some free time to go shopping. But I am getting ahead of myself here.

My unfinished apartment in Baotou. (Photo by C.B.)

Sabrina - Cui Lirong. My boss.

Within an hour of arrival in Baotou, I was off to work for EET.

As Baotou EET is a new business, there is a lot to do, and the advertising says that our first classes will commence on July 20th.

[I can now tell you that the first 3 classes commence on Friday 10th]. At the time I arrived at EET, we had 3 staff - Sabrina, myself, and Mae (a lovely lady who speaks no English - we do have fun communicating when no one else is around).

From June 26th to and including July 3rd, I was waking up everyday at my usual time of 6:30am (I have no alarm clock).

I would leave for the office at 8:50am; return to my room for an hour at lunchtime, then return to the office for the afternoon.

After work, (although I was never sure when work actually finished) we would go to all manner of hotels to meet all manner of people that were either personal friends of Sabrina's or people that we as a business are going to be doing business with.

Most nights I got home around 10pm and 'worse for wear'. If you have never been to China or have never been out to dinner with mainland Chinese in China, then you have no idea what it is like trying not to be forced to drink either Baijiu (white spirits - akin to moonshine or mineral turpentine) or beer.

Parklands Theme Park Baotou. (CB)

Park just down the street and mosque on this side out of frame

Whilst I have no hesitation is standing against any and all who want to force me to drink, I do nevertheless have at least one shot of baijiu before I leave, and a glass or two of beer. Since I am the proverbial 'two pot screamer' (two drinks = I'm drunk), most nights I have had no ability to do anything other than go to sleep when I returned to my apartment. I think July 4th was the first night that I did not go out to some sort of dinner.

Mosque one block from home in Baotou. Taken by Chiara Braccagni (CB)

Looking South

On the afternoon of July 5th, the big boss from Shanghai, who had been here for several days, confiscated all (office supplied) mobile phones (so no one received any calls) and told Mae, Sonya (the new office lady) and I, to take a day and a half off. Oh the joy!

But you know, within every joy there is an 'oy!'. On the afternoon of the 5th when I went home, I slept for 2 hours, then got up and went to the business district to eat a big Mac, and then returned home and slept for 13 hours.

Mae on my left in the photo organised a birthday party for me - June 30th.

Looking North toward mountains. (Desert is to the east - my room faces south)

At 11am on the 6th however, I had to be at the railway station to meet with Chiara, who has for the last 3 months been back in China studying Chinese. Because I had been so busy I had not had time to arrange a hotel for her, and so from the railway station we travelled to my apartment to search the net for one.

To cut a long story short, everything was far too expensive and so I went to see Mr Wu, who manages this building. Explaining that we wanted something common, cheap and close, he took us down the road and around the corner to a very adequate hotel that cost 98 rmb per night. He then did the Chinese thing and invited Chiara and I to have dinner with him.

One view of dust cloud taken from my 11th floor apartment window

I then responded with a request for him to take us to a particular restaurant to which he had previously taken Sabrina and I, and I told him that if he would do that, then I would invite him to supper. He was obviously pleased to agree. At 7pm that night he turned up at my apartment and asked me if I had invited his good friend and my boss, Sabrina.

Mongolian Grasslands. Photographer Chiara Braccagni. (C.B.)

Oddio! We had never even planned to dine with Mr. Wu, but for the sake of politeness we had had to invite him to join us.

Now he was putting 'me' on the spot by mentioning my boss. This immediately caused so many problems.

Firstly, we were all supposed to be having a day off. To invite Sabrina I would have to interrupt her on her day off.

Secondly, if I invited her friend but not her, then I was quite possibly committing a cultural faux pas. This could result in some unpleasantness.

On the other hand, (point 3) if I invited her to dinner, than perhaps she would feel obliged to come at a time when she quite reasonably expected to have the night off.

Then of course if she did come I now had another mouth to feed, since I was the one paying the bill. OK the bill bit doesn't count. Sabrina had shouted me to so many dinners that I did in fact owe her one. But I seriously didn't know what to do. Finally, I figured I had better call her.

When she answered the phone, I told her that I was extending to her a 'Western Invitation' that she could freely accept or reject without causing any offence. She promptly informed me that she would be delighted to accept such a kind invitation. Then she asked if I had invited the Big Boss!

Theme Park Baotou. (C.B)

Mongolian Grasslands. Photographer Chiara Braccagni. (C.B.)

Mongolian Grasslands. Photographer Chiara Braccagni. (C.B.)

Double Oddio! I had not of course invited him.

I had never planned to dine with anyone other than Chiara, we we had only planned to eat in the nearest and cheapest eatery.

Now not only was I taking 4 people out to dinner, but faced again with a Cultural situation.

Not to invite the big boss would be a big 'No No', but to invite him would put him under obligation to come, because Sabrina was going to be there.

Oh the web of complication involved in Chinese cultural relationships.

In the end all 5 of us went to dinner.

Suffice it to say we all had a great night. There was absolutely no pressure to drink!

I already knew that the neither Sabrina nor the big boss liked to drink, and as it turned out, neither did Mr. Wu the building manager.

There was no pressure put on Chiara or I to try a little of this or that Chinese dish (which people have been insisting I try for 7 years now). It was just a relaxed gathering of friends in a pleasant atmosphere over a pleasant dinner. Oddio! I just thought of something.

Luo Laoshi with the Kindergarten children next door to EET office Baotou

When Mae (the non English Office Lady who doesn't speak English) finds out that I took the others to dinner but did not give her an invitation - I am in big trouble!

Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we receive anything from anyone in China. As a Chinese proverb says: 'There's no free lunch in China!'

So here I am today, Wednesday July 8th, at home for the evening, finishing off this story I started on June 30th.

Tomorrow I have a real day off to enjoy. Well, maybe that is stretching it a bit. In fact I start 3 different classes on Friday, and I will have to spend tomorrow organising material for the lessons.

Doesn't matter! It's not important! Do not worry! There is plenty of time before Friday morning to do it.

'What was that Sabrina?'

"Did I get all that other stuff written up? That stuff that you asked me a week ago to write up?

That material that I can only prepare at home because there is nowhere to plug in my computer at the office - and I can't do anything at home except collapse into bed and sleep?"

Mmmm! OK - Maybe I will enjoy my day off doing office work at home!

Oh well! That's life! I can just have a day off next Tuesday!

Oh Well! As they say: 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!'  I do sincerely hope that I get stronger!

You folks enjoy yourselves and do take it easy!

And May your lives be peaceful and contented and free of Chinese cultural relationships!

My special thanks to Chiara Braccagni for allowing the use of so many of her photographs of Baotou. I'm sure we will in the near future be able to read of her experiences in Baotou. She has provided Magic City Readers with several photographic stories to date including the one on the Summer Palace Beijing

More, Different, and Larger Photographs

R.P.BenDedek

Email: rpbendedek@hotmail.com

P.S. If you are interested, you can follow my experiences at EET Baotou on my student website.

For An Update on this story: Read: letter of complaint to David Gao EET Shanghai.

R.P.BenDedek is the pseudonym of the Author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' (http://www.kingscalendar.com/), and is a guest columnist at Magic City Morning Star News. An Australian, he is currently employed by EET Baotou to organise, supervise, and teach Conversational English classes in Inner Mongolia China.

Stories from China 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