Towards the end of my first semester at Yuexiu University, it was announced that all continuing teachers were to be measured for a uniform. There was a post it note on my door advising me of my appointment time for measuring and I duly went. It was quite a funny occasion as I questioned the Chinese staff about it. When would I have to wear this uniform? All official occasions was the response. Mmm. Still not clear. In any case I submitted to the measuring which was quite detailed.
After two months away from the university for summer holidays we returned for the next semester, and a few days later were called to pick up our uniforms. They were all in the same fabric - a light pin striped fabric made into a three piece outfit - a smart jacket or blazer, trousers, and a skirt - a mini skirt.
I tried them on one day in my apartment, and then hung them in the wardrobe awaiting instructions on when to wear the uniform. It never came. In the whole semester the three piece outfit sat in the wardrobe, and when I packed to return home to Australia, I packed it into my suitcase. I knew that no Chinese would ever wear it - as they are all much smaller than me.
And again it has hung in my wardrobe here. When I go back to Yuexiu I will take it - but I've not had any occasion to wear it - that is, until Wednesday.
I had a Chamber of Commerce breakfast function to attend - so I work the slacks/trousers and jacket, complete with my new brooch with a sparkling kangaroo on the lapel.
Very comfortable, and very suitable for the occasion
Last night I attended the farewell cocktail party of the Greater Brisbane Area Consultative Council - a government funded body that helped organisations with government funding - which has been disbanded by the Labor Government (who originally set them up years ago). This time I wore the jacket and the mini skirt. I procrastinated about the skirt for it was far shorter than anything I normally wear, but it was comfortable and looked OK, even if I was a little sensitive about the high hemline.
So, after nearly 12 months since it came to live with me - I have worn all three pieces of the suit.
And I'm likely to dust it off and wear it more often - even the skirt!
Showing posts with label university. Show all posts
Showing posts with label university. Show all posts
Friday, 21 August 2009
Friday, 21 November 2008
The Performance
The Chinese people love performances - and it is a common event at regular "parties" and other occasions at the university. We get frequent requests but more likely we are 'advised' as we arrive at an event.
The event that occurred last night was not quite like that. We had warning. One week! An email just on a week ago asked me to organise the foreign teachers' performance at the "Opening Ceremony of the Cultural Festival and Welcome to New Students." This event was to be held on the sports field at 6.30 pm on Thursday night. Actually I was just given the date - not the time and venue.
So I sent an email to the director asking for more information, and then an email to the foreign teachers asking for Heeeelp!
A day or so later, we had a suggestion that we should do the "Hokey Kokey" or "Hokey Pokey" as most Aussies knew it. Amidst much mirth it was decided to go ahead. Anything else suggested just didn't make it!
In the end we had a couple of rehearsals - again laughing all the way. What were the Chinese to make of all this?
Then we were asked to provide our music. Try as I might we couldn't find anything to download other than a short piece of "Hokey" Music, so it was decided that we would walk on stage to this music clicking our fingers and get into formation while the music played.
Rehearsals would be on Wednesday night at 6.30 pm. By Tuesday night we had a request for rehearsal at the stage area on Tuesday just after midday. As it turned out only two of our group of 9 could attend, so we went - checked out the venue,and left as we both had classes and in typical chaos style no one could work out what was going on.
By Thursday morning (yesterday) we had another request for a rehearsal (dress rehearsal!!!) - again only a few of us went, but we went on the stage, stood like a row of penguins and talked our way through the routine. I did a few fancy classical ballet moves, much to the amusement of my students and others who had gathered. I wonder what they think we were going to do?
Costume? Well, as you can imagine, we had none. So chose to just wear black pants and colourful shirts. We learned that we were number 3 on the program. (I must find one - have not seen it!)
We were asked to be stage ready by 6.20 pm, so decided that we would have our final rehearsal in the Leisure Bar with a few drinks first. And we learned we could get double alcohol in our drinks without any extra money. So funny!
At the bar, two other people had joined us. The UK couple had friends, - one as it turns out was a nurse and had been the "boss" of one of our Aussie teachers who is also a nurse, in the UK. Small world??? Anyway, after a drink or two they joined in the singing and dancing troupe. We went through the routine once in the bar and headed to the Sports Field in temperatures that were almost at freezing point.
The stage area was crowded with students - but we managed to get through. We had a student and a non-dancing teacher to hold our bags and coats as we prepared for our performance.
Then to the strains of Hokey Pokey we clicked onto the stage. The music lasted longer than we had prepared so we gyrated around the stage as the students shrieked and laughed. Then we "performed" as the students cheered, clapped and shouted. Throughout the routine a few mistakes were made (left foot or right foot???) but in the end all was done, we climaxed with a shout, a bow and headed off stage, glad that it was all over.
Students shouted at us from the sides. "Great, wonderful." And the student reporters were there to interview us. "That was so interesting, how long did you have to practice?" I started to say a week, but after a nod from one of the teachers, I changed my story. "It was a very difficult traditional dance, and we have been practicing for weeks." The reporters wrote their notes.
Can you tell us about the dance? Mmmm. An old English traditional dance that has been done for hundreds of years."
Can't wait to see the newspaper - but, ah, I won't be able to read it anyway. Photos! Shouts!
We watched a few more performances over the heads of the crowd - there were seats for us, but we could not get to them.
So off to the Ba Boru for an Indian dinner and more laughs about our wonderful performance.
When I arrived "home" I checked my cellphone as I had left it behind.
"Your performance is very good! We love you and your friends. That is amazing!"
The event that occurred last night was not quite like that. We had warning. One week! An email just on a week ago asked me to organise the foreign teachers' performance at the "Opening Ceremony of the Cultural Festival and Welcome to New Students." This event was to be held on the sports field at 6.30 pm on Thursday night. Actually I was just given the date - not the time and venue.
So I sent an email to the director asking for more information, and then an email to the foreign teachers asking for Heeeelp!
A day or so later, we had a suggestion that we should do the "Hokey Kokey" or "Hokey Pokey" as most Aussies knew it. Amidst much mirth it was decided to go ahead. Anything else suggested just didn't make it!
In the end we had a couple of rehearsals - again laughing all the way. What were the Chinese to make of all this?
Then we were asked to provide our music. Try as I might we couldn't find anything to download other than a short piece of "Hokey" Music, so it was decided that we would walk on stage to this music clicking our fingers and get into formation while the music played.
Rehearsals would be on Wednesday night at 6.30 pm. By Tuesday night we had a request for rehearsal at the stage area on Tuesday just after midday. As it turned out only two of our group of 9 could attend, so we went - checked out the venue,and left as we both had classes and in typical chaos style no one could work out what was going on.
By Thursday morning (yesterday) we had another request for a rehearsal (dress rehearsal!!!) - again only a few of us went, but we went on the stage, stood like a row of penguins and talked our way through the routine. I did a few fancy classical ballet moves, much to the amusement of my students and others who had gathered. I wonder what they think we were going to do?
Costume? Well, as you can imagine, we had none. So chose to just wear black pants and colourful shirts. We learned that we were number 3 on the program. (I must find one - have not seen it!)
We were asked to be stage ready by 6.20 pm, so decided that we would have our final rehearsal in the Leisure Bar with a few drinks first. And we learned we could get double alcohol in our drinks without any extra money. So funny!
At the bar, two other people had joined us. The UK couple had friends, - one as it turns out was a nurse and had been the "boss" of one of our Aussie teachers who is also a nurse, in the UK. Small world??? Anyway, after a drink or two they joined in the singing and dancing troupe. We went through the routine once in the bar and headed to the Sports Field in temperatures that were almost at freezing point.
The stage area was crowded with students - but we managed to get through. We had a student and a non-dancing teacher to hold our bags and coats as we prepared for our performance.
Then to the strains of Hokey Pokey we clicked onto the stage. The music lasted longer than we had prepared so we gyrated around the stage as the students shrieked and laughed. Then we "performed" as the students cheered, clapped and shouted. Throughout the routine a few mistakes were made (left foot or right foot???) but in the end all was done, we climaxed with a shout, a bow and headed off stage, glad that it was all over.
Students shouted at us from the sides. "Great, wonderful." And the student reporters were there to interview us. "That was so interesting, how long did you have to practice?" I started to say a week, but after a nod from one of the teachers, I changed my story. "It was a very difficult traditional dance, and we have been practicing for weeks." The reporters wrote their notes.
Can you tell us about the dance? Mmmm. An old English traditional dance that has been done for hundreds of years."
Can't wait to see the newspaper - but, ah, I won't be able to read it anyway. Photos! Shouts!
We watched a few more performances over the heads of the crowd - there were seats for us, but we could not get to them.
So off to the Ba Boru for an Indian dinner and more laughs about our wonderful performance.
When I arrived "home" I checked my cellphone as I had left it behind.
"Your performance is very good! We love you and your friends. That is amazing!"
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The final exams
We've had a few dramas with the planning for the exams. In part because we seem to be "ignored" by our college leaders, until things go wrong.
When we arrived we were given a program - in Chinese - despite the fact that we work in the English Faculty. This faculty does not write anything in English. So we are often "kept in the dark".
Last week some of the foreign teachers received an email from the Faculty with some instructions about the upcoming final exams - too late, as many of us have conducted the examinations. Some of us have planned to leave the college on or just after the 20th June, but appears we are expected to remain until 27th of June. Even though there will be no classes for us in that last week. (Perhaps next semester we will get more notice of changes.)
There is conjecture about the poor communication with the foreign teachers. Is is just the language problem? Or is it the way that our leaders here operate with all teachers? Do the Chinese teachers accept this late information without protest? Is it a control thing for the foreign teachers e.g. keep them in the dark and they will have to comply? In all the time we have been here, there has been no staff meeting and little correspondence. Questions asked remain unanswered. I asked for a meeting with the faculty head - a man we have never met.
Initially it was too difficult to arrange - but now it is on today. It will be interesting.
Another funny thing happened yesterday. A student leader was distributing the latest issue of the school newspaper - a fancy full colour glossy mag with stories about the recent ceremony to celebrate the college's upgrading to an university. He came over to chat to me and told me he was giving out the newspaper. I asked if I could have one. His one word reply was "No". When I asked why not he said it was all in Chinese and I would not be able to read it. I replied "Then can I look at the pictures?" as I could see a few photographs on page one. He thought for a moment and gave it to me. Here I am after four months, receiving my first copy of the newspaper, which I might add often includes stories about the foreign teachers. When I opened it , there was a paragraph in English - in fact a speech by one of the foreign teachers at the ceremony! I knew about the ceremony of course, but not the foreign teacher's involvement. We are ill informed in the college. Or not at all.
Maybe today at the meeting we will resolve some of the problems with the final exam - to the satisfaction of the college and the foreign teachers.
When we arrived we were given a program - in Chinese - despite the fact that we work in the English Faculty. This faculty does not write anything in English. So we are often "kept in the dark".
Last week some of the foreign teachers received an email from the Faculty with some instructions about the upcoming final exams - too late, as many of us have conducted the examinations. Some of us have planned to leave the college on or just after the 20th June, but appears we are expected to remain until 27th of June. Even though there will be no classes for us in that last week. (Perhaps next semester we will get more notice of changes.)
There is conjecture about the poor communication with the foreign teachers. Is is just the language problem? Or is it the way that our leaders here operate with all teachers? Do the Chinese teachers accept this late information without protest? Is it a control thing for the foreign teachers e.g. keep them in the dark and they will have to comply? In all the time we have been here, there has been no staff meeting and little correspondence. Questions asked remain unanswered. I asked for a meeting with the faculty head - a man we have never met.
Initially it was too difficult to arrange - but now it is on today. It will be interesting.
Another funny thing happened yesterday. A student leader was distributing the latest issue of the school newspaper - a fancy full colour glossy mag with stories about the recent ceremony to celebrate the college's upgrading to an university. He came over to chat to me and told me he was giving out the newspaper. I asked if I could have one. His one word reply was "No". When I asked why not he said it was all in Chinese and I would not be able to read it. I replied "Then can I look at the pictures?" as I could see a few photographs on page one. He thought for a moment and gave it to me. Here I am after four months, receiving my first copy of the newspaper, which I might add often includes stories about the foreign teachers. When I opened it , there was a paragraph in English - in fact a speech by one of the foreign teachers at the ceremony! I knew about the ceremony of course, but not the foreign teacher's involvement. We are ill informed in the college. Or not at all.
Maybe today at the meeting we will resolve some of the problems with the final exam - to the satisfaction of the college and the foreign teachers.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Will I come back to China?
A reader has commented that perhaps I have had to many challenges here to return - but this time of the semester we are considering returning. I must say I have had some days when I think I would be mad to return, but others I ponder my unfinished business.
I still need to see more places - I haven't seen enough, and I have learned that it takes one semester to find your way around the issues that initially take so long to resolve.
Today I am feeling 100% well ( a change from previous weeks), my computer seems to be working OK, and I've been able to ramp up the material for students - I've felt so bad about my lack of resources. I will be able to bring more resources from Australia when I go home. I KNOW what I want to bring now.
As well, we have opened a dialogue with the college - that will make it easier for "foreign teachers" in the future. We have made some changes.
Additionally the college has been granted University status - and I'd like to be here for the first semester as a university.
Yes, I'll come back.
(As well, as I am a senior, my future opportunities are shrinking!)
I still need to see more places - I haven't seen enough, and I have learned that it takes one semester to find your way around the issues that initially take so long to resolve.
Today I am feeling 100% well ( a change from previous weeks), my computer seems to be working OK, and I've been able to ramp up the material for students - I've felt so bad about my lack of resources. I will be able to bring more resources from Australia when I go home. I KNOW what I want to bring now.
As well, we have opened a dialogue with the college - that will make it easier for "foreign teachers" in the future. We have made some changes.
Additionally the college has been granted University status - and I'd like to be here for the first semester as a university.
Yes, I'll come back.
(As well, as I am a senior, my future opportunities are shrinking!)
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