Posts
Since the end of June, Ive been at my mums house in Italy. She lives in the countryside of Piemonte, surrounded by green hills covered in grape vineyards and hazelnut groves, with medieval villages and large villas dotted around. My mum and stepdad grow most of their own fruit and vegetables themself at the end of the garden in a patch the size of a small backyard. With all kinds of butterflies, bees, insects and lizards, its the perfect place to sit and ponder life. I often go down the garden with my Chinese tea set and spend hours just reading and drinking tea. Its a good place for me to get some intense Kung Fu training too. Generally I have 2 or 3 hour sessions of Kung Fu a day and spend the rest of the time doing some jobs for my mum like gardening, digging, picking fruit and vegetables, or reading and pondering life with my Chinese and Japanese teas.
Ive been reading the Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi (also spelt Chuang Tzu) a lot recently too. He is a very early Taoist philosopher, from around 2000 years ago, whos views on nature and stillness of mind are more attune to most Zen writers and poets of 10th century China and Japan than they are of the typical esoteric teachings of religious taoism that concentrates on immortality and new age practices. He was a wanderer, who liked a life close to nature and in tune with the Tao, that indescribable and impersonal force which guides the universe and keeps balance in all things.
Being in this environment, away from the greed and corruption of society, surrounded by nature, time to ponder and clear my head, has helped me to understand Zhuang Zi's ideas and to appreciate the harmony of nature. The flowers grow from the soil, the butterflies eat the nectar and help to cross pollenate, the dead flowers fall off and are eaten by insects and make new soil for the plants, and the insects are eaten by lizards, who are eaten by birds. Its all just so perfect and it makes me believe that if there was no force to regulate it all, there would be chaos and the universe would fall apart. Its just too perfect and it is also a very delicate balance. One which people seem determined to detroy with deforestation, mining and pollution. It makes me wonder if we really NEED the things we think we do. Do you really need a TV that big and expensive? Or all those expensive clothes made by children in Asian sweatshops? It seems to me, that in the west, the government controls people with debts, consumerism and celebrity gossip. People are too busy thinking about what new haircut David Beckhams got, than to do something to contribute to making the world a better place. People are more interested in buying the latest phone cum MP3 cum video camera cum sat nav cum whatever stupid invention they make next, rather than giving a few pounds to help starving people in Africa.
On the Kung Fu side of things, Ive had time to put together all Ive learned from different teachers, realising the similarities over the differences. Ive evolved my own training routines, so that I focus on all different aspects, including strength, fitness, flexibility, skill, basics, force training, arm/leg conditioning, Qi cultivation etc etc. Ive put together some drills and techniques I think are useful, combining elements of Wing Chun, Taiji and some Shaolin, along with bits Ive picked up from books, like Mantis, Xing Yi, Ba Gua etc. Ive also made a good workout that does all the important muscle groups and deep stetching for the whole body. ive actually found that rather than contradicting each other, the different styles compliment each other, and anyone who disagrees has probably not tried, WITH AN OPEN MIND, to do this, but in my experience, it works well.
So, all this is getting me ready for my return to China to spend a year taking my Kung Fu to the next level at Kunyu Shan Shaolin Kung Fu Academy, in the mountains of Eastern China.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Monday, 10 August 2009
The Role of Forms in Wing Chun
Wing Chun is very unique in the world of Chinese martial arts. It only has 3 empty hand forms, 2 weapon forms and a form on the wooden dummy. The forms are put together differently too. Rather than being put together in a beautiful way, like a lot of other styles, the forms are like an encycopedia that show the basic principles and ideas of Wing Chun.
The first form, Siu Lim Tao, gives you the basic structures of Wing Chun and the core ideas, such as centreline, triangulation, straight lines etc. Siu Lim Tao gives you the ABCs of Wing Chun and translates as "small intention". This gives a clue as to the fact that Wing Chun, although being slightly hard in appearance, is an internal art. The form differs from most other Kung Fu forms, as it contains no footwork, or any other movement other than the arms. This is deceiving, as the body is in fact moving in a coordinated way (which will only be realised at higher levels), and the techniques, which are driven by the elbow, are in fact supported and driven by the whole body due to the structure. The stance is called Yee Jee Kim Yuen Ma, it is narrower than classical horse stance, and has the toes pointing in. The Dan Tian is pushed forward and it is a very compact and strong structure.
The first section as called Saam Bai Faat, which means 3 prayers to buddha, and is done very slowly, driving the elbow forward. This accustoms the practitioner to the basic pathway of having the elbow on the centre and when practiced slowly and regularly, builds up the internal power. At this part of the form it is especially important to concentrate the mind on the movements, in order to build up the internal power. The second and third sections train you to develop your Fa Jing, or force emission, which is a springy, explosive kind of power.
The second form, Chum Kiu, means searching for the bridge, and formally introduces footwork, pivoting and more complicated structures. Once you have learnt the basic structures, you need to learn how to find the "bridge", which is contact with the opponents arms/legs. Wing Chun is a small frame art that specialises in trapping and sticking to the opponent and it redirects rather than blocks force. Chum Kiu is generally the level where a practitioner would become a proficient fighter, as grandmaster Yip Man said, someone who fully understands Siu Lim Tao and Chum Kiu should never lose a fight. Chum Kiu also introduces the student to Qin Na (Cantonese, Kam Na), which are locking and controlling techniques. These are important in modern times, as the law states that you must use reasonable force to defend yourself, so they can avoid a lot of trouble for you later on.
The third form, Biu Jee, is also known as first aid hand. Biu Jee itself translates as Thrusting Fingers. It was traditionally only taught to the students with the highest level and understanding of Wing Chun, the masters inner circle of trusted disciples. Biu Jee teaches you how to get out of bad situations, to fight off centreline and to regain centreline. At this level, the "rules" of Wing Chun have been learned well and practiced, and so the student can progress beyond the "rules" and explore the art him/herself. Biu Jee doesnt contain any "secret" or "hidden" techniques, but as with all forms, requires a lot of study, so that every movement, no matter how insignificant, is understood as a possible technique. The student should think outside the box, and explore the forms, not relying on a "Sifu says" mentality or being a robot. Biu Jee changes the structure too, it introduces the student to more circular movements, helping to internalise their power further.
I will only briefly introduce the weapons and dummy forms here, as I dont feel I am qualified to write about them in detail. The wooden dummy form throws everything from the hand forms into a melting pot, mixes them up and throws them out. It develops the students understanding of angles in a way that an empty hand form couldnt. It further develops power, as the dummy is wooden, you have to use the correct springy kind of power, or you risk injury. It also helps to condition the forearms, toughening them to deal with impact. The time at which a master teaches the student to use the dummy varies, some will teach it before Biu Jee, some after. The knife form uses 2 short Chinese broadswords, sometimes called butterfly knives. It takes the empty hand techniques as its basis, but due to the extra length of the knives, extends them. It develops wrist strength and very explosive power. The pole form uses a long pole, which can vary from 6 to 9 feet long. It is a simple form, having 6 movements and 1 "point". The pole form encourages the student to focus their power down a long pole, developing incredible internal power and develops the upper body strength too. Both these weapons have a whole lot more depth to them than I have written, like I said, they are above my level, so Im not qualified to explain them thoroughly.
The first form, Siu Lim Tao, gives you the basic structures of Wing Chun and the core ideas, such as centreline, triangulation, straight lines etc. Siu Lim Tao gives you the ABCs of Wing Chun and translates as "small intention". This gives a clue as to the fact that Wing Chun, although being slightly hard in appearance, is an internal art. The form differs from most other Kung Fu forms, as it contains no footwork, or any other movement other than the arms. This is deceiving, as the body is in fact moving in a coordinated way (which will only be realised at higher levels), and the techniques, which are driven by the elbow, are in fact supported and driven by the whole body due to the structure. The stance is called Yee Jee Kim Yuen Ma, it is narrower than classical horse stance, and has the toes pointing in. The Dan Tian is pushed forward and it is a very compact and strong structure.
The first section as called Saam Bai Faat, which means 3 prayers to buddha, and is done very slowly, driving the elbow forward. This accustoms the practitioner to the basic pathway of having the elbow on the centre and when practiced slowly and regularly, builds up the internal power. At this part of the form it is especially important to concentrate the mind on the movements, in order to build up the internal power. The second and third sections train you to develop your Fa Jing, or force emission, which is a springy, explosive kind of power.
The second form, Chum Kiu, means searching for the bridge, and formally introduces footwork, pivoting and more complicated structures. Once you have learnt the basic structures, you need to learn how to find the "bridge", which is contact with the opponents arms/legs. Wing Chun is a small frame art that specialises in trapping and sticking to the opponent and it redirects rather than blocks force. Chum Kiu is generally the level where a practitioner would become a proficient fighter, as grandmaster Yip Man said, someone who fully understands Siu Lim Tao and Chum Kiu should never lose a fight. Chum Kiu also introduces the student to Qin Na (Cantonese, Kam Na), which are locking and controlling techniques. These are important in modern times, as the law states that you must use reasonable force to defend yourself, so they can avoid a lot of trouble for you later on.
The third form, Biu Jee, is also known as first aid hand. Biu Jee itself translates as Thrusting Fingers. It was traditionally only taught to the students with the highest level and understanding of Wing Chun, the masters inner circle of trusted disciples. Biu Jee teaches you how to get out of bad situations, to fight off centreline and to regain centreline. At this level, the "rules" of Wing Chun have been learned well and practiced, and so the student can progress beyond the "rules" and explore the art him/herself. Biu Jee doesnt contain any "secret" or "hidden" techniques, but as with all forms, requires a lot of study, so that every movement, no matter how insignificant, is understood as a possible technique. The student should think outside the box, and explore the forms, not relying on a "Sifu says" mentality or being a robot. Biu Jee changes the structure too, it introduces the student to more circular movements, helping to internalise their power further.
I will only briefly introduce the weapons and dummy forms here, as I dont feel I am qualified to write about them in detail. The wooden dummy form throws everything from the hand forms into a melting pot, mixes them up and throws them out. It develops the students understanding of angles in a way that an empty hand form couldnt. It further develops power, as the dummy is wooden, you have to use the correct springy kind of power, or you risk injury. It also helps to condition the forearms, toughening them to deal with impact. The time at which a master teaches the student to use the dummy varies, some will teach it before Biu Jee, some after. The knife form uses 2 short Chinese broadswords, sometimes called butterfly knives. It takes the empty hand techniques as its basis, but due to the extra length of the knives, extends them. It develops wrist strength and very explosive power. The pole form uses a long pole, which can vary from 6 to 9 feet long. It is a simple form, having 6 movements and 1 "point". The pole form encourages the student to focus their power down a long pole, developing incredible internal power and develops the upper body strength too. Both these weapons have a whole lot more depth to them than I have written, like I said, they are above my level, so Im not qualified to explain them thoroughly.
Tuesday, 14 July 2009
my new google group
hi guys. if you like what you read here, i've created a google group where like minded people can meet, network, discuss etc.
http://groups.google.com/group/empty-your-cup
http://groups.google.com/group/empty-your-cup
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Gong Fu Tea
In China, there is a special kind of way of drinking tea. Gong Fu Tea has nothing to do with karate chops and flying kicks, it is a very refined and cultured way to drink tea. In Chinese, the word Gong Fu (功夫) means a skill attained through hard work and perseverance. The first character, Gong, is made up of the particles work and strength, which implies what I said above.
So Gong Fu tea is a method of preparing tea which takes skill. It is also a way of clearing the mind of troubled thoughts and getting back to nature. The sound of pouring water has a calming effect and and the delicate flavour and smell of tea is symbolic of purity. Another name for Gong Fu tea is the tea ceremony, or Cha Dao (way of tea), but these are more often associated with Japan, whose tea culture is very different. The Japanese tea ceremony (correct me if Im wrong) seems to be more about the preparation as a ritual or an art in itself, whereas in China, it is more about the tea that is drunk.
Different teas all have their own brewing methods, using different shape teapots and different temperatures of water. A full set is required, a teapot, Yixing Zisha is the best, a pouring jug, small drinking cups and sniffer cups. The tea is poured from the pot into the jug and then into the sniffer cups, which are long, thin cups that hold the fragrance of the tea inside. The small cup is then put on top of the sniffer and it is turned upside down, the sniffer cup is taken away and then it is drunk.
The Yixing Zisha teapot I mentioned is made of a special purple clay from Yixing region in Jiangsu province. Zisha means purple clay. The teapot should never be washed with soap, as the clay absorbs the colour and flavour of the tea. Instead it should just be rinsed with water. If you dont use the teapot for a while, you should occasionally leave some tea and hot water standing in it for a night.
History of Taiji
According to legend, a Taoist immortal named Zhang San Feng (12th century) created internal martial arts. It is said that he had studied Kung Fu at Shaolin and later became an ascetic at Wudang mountain in central China. After observing a fight between a snake and a crane and seeing the interplay of Yin and Yang, he is said to have mixed what he learnt at Shaolin with Dao Yin, a primitive type of Qigong, and the principles of Taoism into a martial art. He was said to have created the 13 principles of Taiji and wrote them into the first part of the Taiji classics.
Zhang San Feng was believed to have taught a man named Wang Zong Yue. Not much is known about him, other than that he wrote the second part of the Taiji classics.
However, there is no concrete evidence that Zhang San Feng existed and the first written evidence of Taiji comes from the Chen clan in Henan province. They migrated from Shanxi province in ancient times and settled in Chen Jia Gou, a village close to the Yellow River and Shaolin Temple. Chen Wang Ting (1600s), a Ming dynasty general is credited by the Chen family as the founder. It is certain that he codified various theories and techniques on internal kung fu into two long forms and push hands excercises. Some sources suggest that Chen Wang Ting had learnt this internal kung fu from Wang Zong Yue.
Chen Chang Xing is another famous master of the Chen family. It was him who in the early 1800s taught the first non family member, a man named Yang Lu Chan. It was said that Yang learnt Taiji by working as a servant for the Chen family and pretending to be deaf and dumb. This way the family were confident that Yang wouldn't let out the secrets of Taiji. Yang practiced what he saw and heard in secret. Eventually, the Chen family found out what happened, but were so impressed at his skill level that Chen Chang Xing accepted him as a disciple. Yang eventually moved to Beijing, where he taught his sons Yang Jian Hou, Yang Pan Hou and a man named Wu Yu Xiang, creator of Wu (武)style and writer of the third part of the Taiji classics, from whom three generations later, a disciple named Sun Lu Tang, a famous internal martial art master, created Sun style. Yang Jian Hou passed it to his son Yang Cheng Fu and Yang Pan Hou passed it to his disciple Wu Quan Yu, who created Wu (吴) style Taiji.
Yang Cheng Fu is credited as codifying what we commonly see as Taiji today.He took away the hard, powerful movements, jumps and stomps and made the form softer and more flowing, with expansive stretching movements. This was more suitable for the general public and he became a very famous master in China. Yang Cheng Fu had a famous student, a man named Zheng Man Qing (Cheng Man Ch'ing),who feld to Taiwan with the Guomindang before moving to America and being one of the first masters to teach westerners. He simplifiedyang style further into the 37 movement form, which is very soft and is commonly practiced in the west.
The name Taiji (太极), often seen in English as T'ai Chi, roughly translates as The Supreme Ultimate and represents the interplay of the forces of Yin and Yang. The symbol of Yin and Yang is known as Taijitu in Chinese.
Zhang San Feng was believed to have taught a man named Wang Zong Yue. Not much is known about him, other than that he wrote the second part of the Taiji classics.
However, there is no concrete evidence that Zhang San Feng existed and the first written evidence of Taiji comes from the Chen clan in Henan province. They migrated from Shanxi province in ancient times and settled in Chen Jia Gou, a village close to the Yellow River and Shaolin Temple. Chen Wang Ting (1600s), a Ming dynasty general is credited by the Chen family as the founder. It is certain that he codified various theories and techniques on internal kung fu into two long forms and push hands excercises. Some sources suggest that Chen Wang Ting had learnt this internal kung fu from Wang Zong Yue.
Chen Chang Xing is another famous master of the Chen family. It was him who in the early 1800s taught the first non family member, a man named Yang Lu Chan. It was said that Yang learnt Taiji by working as a servant for the Chen family and pretending to be deaf and dumb. This way the family were confident that Yang wouldn't let out the secrets of Taiji. Yang practiced what he saw and heard in secret. Eventually, the Chen family found out what happened, but were so impressed at his skill level that Chen Chang Xing accepted him as a disciple. Yang eventually moved to Beijing, where he taught his sons Yang Jian Hou, Yang Pan Hou and a man named Wu Yu Xiang, creator of Wu (武)style and writer of the third part of the Taiji classics, from whom three generations later, a disciple named Sun Lu Tang, a famous internal martial art master, created Sun style. Yang Jian Hou passed it to his son Yang Cheng Fu and Yang Pan Hou passed it to his disciple Wu Quan Yu, who created Wu (吴) style Taiji.
Yang Cheng Fu is credited as codifying what we commonly see as Taiji today.He took away the hard, powerful movements, jumps and stomps and made the form softer and more flowing, with expansive stretching movements. This was more suitable for the general public and he became a very famous master in China. Yang Cheng Fu had a famous student, a man named Zheng Man Qing (Cheng Man Ch'ing),who feld to Taiwan with the Guomindang before moving to America and being one of the first masters to teach westerners. He simplifiedyang style further into the 37 movement form, which is very soft and is commonly practiced in the west.
The name Taiji (太极), often seen in English as T'ai Chi, roughly translates as The Supreme Ultimate and represents the interplay of the forces of Yin and Yang. The symbol of Yin and Yang is known as Taijitu in Chinese.
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
correct translations of wing chun terminology
In the west, there are thousands of people who practice Wing Chun. Unfortunately, they often translate the words wrongly, so I thought I would outline some basic techniques, with the appropriate characters and translations.
詠春拳 (mandarin: yong chun quan/cantonese: wing chun kuen) literally: sing spring fist. the simplified version of the first character (咏）is made up of 永(forever, also pronounced yong) and the radical 口(mouth). there is no reference to beauty in the meaning of the character.
小念头 (xiao nian tou/siu lim tao) literally: little/small, and the second and third characters together mean thought/idea/intention
寻桥 (xun qiao/chum kiu) literally: seeking bridge
标指 (biao zhi/biu ji) literally: shoot fingers
摊手 (tan shou/taan sao) literally: spreading hand
膀手 (bang shou/bong sao) literally: wing hand (the first character has many meanings, including shoulder, wing, upper arm and swollen
覆手 (fu shou/fuk sao) literally: cover hand
黐手 (chi shou/chi sao) literally: glue/stick hand
詠春拳 (mandarin: yong chun quan/cantonese: wing chun kuen) literally: sing spring fist. the simplified version of the first character (咏）is made up of 永(forever, also pronounced yong) and the radical 口(mouth). there is no reference to beauty in the meaning of the character.
小念头 (xiao nian tou/siu lim tao) literally: little/small, and the second and third characters together mean thought/idea/intention
寻桥 (xun qiao/chum kiu) literally: seeking bridge
标指 (biao zhi/biu ji) literally: shoot fingers
摊手 (tan shou/taan sao) literally: spreading hand
膀手 (bang shou/bong sao) literally: wing hand (the first character has many meanings, including shoulder, wing, upper arm and swollen
覆手 (fu shou/fuk sao) literally: cover hand
黐手 (chi shou/chi sao) literally: glue/stick hand
Saturday, 20 June 2009
My Experience of Teaching English in China
As my time in Qingdao draws to a close, I want to reflect on my year and a half teaching here. Its been over 2 years since I first set foot in China, back in Xi'an, and it feels like a lifetime ago.
When I first arrived in Qingdao airport, my new boss was due to meet me at the airport. I couldnt find him anywhere, and then I decided to walk around outside the airport where I eventually found him. He had been waiting for me in the wrong place and then asked me what took me so long! This pretty much set the tone for things here- crap organisation! I had no experience in teaching or qualifications to do it, but that didnt matter in China, I had a white face and spoke English.
The first day we went to the school to meet our teaching assistants I was pretty nervous. I met my assistant, who seemed to be under the impression I knew exactly what to do and I had to make a lesson plan with no help or suggestions. I didnt even know where to start and when I asked for help, she just said to me "you're the foreign teacher, you decide." Then we went to a classroom and taught our planned lesson in front of all the foreing teachers and assistants, with a couple of superiors taking notes. That was probably the most nervous I felt during my time. So that concluded what was supposed to be a weeks training; doing a practice lesson and never getting any feedback.
My first day at school, I was also really nervous. That moment I first walked into the classroom was a big moment in my life. I saw 50 plus Chinese kids all staring straight at me, and then this 20 second piece of classical music played which signalled the start of the lesson (I guess it's more imaginative than just a bell). Then my assistant gave them a speech in Chinese and it was my turn to start. The first words I said were "hello, my name is Will and I'm from England." I shakily wrote my name on the board. We went through the lesson, which was based on a chant:
"Spring is green,
Summer is bright,
Fall is golden,
Winter is white."
Then at the end we played a game where I hide a card under someones desk and a kid has to find it while the other kids all shout the word louder as the kid gets closer. After that initial lesson, I got into the swing of things and it became natural. Now I feel so much more confident in myself from this experience.
Morning break consisted of the kids going to the playground, standing in perfect lines while military themes play from loud speakers and a man bellows Mandarin at them. Then some happy music plays and they all do a strange dance in perfect formation. Sometimes they got in circles and danced too. Every Monday was a flag raising ceremony which involved military themes and all the teachers had to wear formal dress (as opposed to normal days, when teachers wore anything they liked). Now, I think the strangest thing for any westerner, is the eye excercises every morning at 11 o'clock. Some really trippy music plays while the kids massage their eyes for 10 minutes to the count in Mandarin "yi, er, san, si, wu..." As this is going on, the monitors walk around with canes and hit their classmates if they do it wrong.
The monitors are glorified grassers (tattle-tale for the Americans reading) basically. Their job is to keep discipline in class when the teacher isn't there. It's a job all the kids want, and when they get it, they become little drill sargeants. Hitting, however is technically forbidden, although some teachers do it, and hard.
Chinese students are excellent as memorisation, a lot of their education involves memorisation of textbooks, phrases etc. This has it's good points, but it does kill their indivuality and imagination. When we give them the oral exam (which we are not allowed to fail any kids at), they usually have a standard reply to a question:
"How are you?"
"Im' fine, thank you and you?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm watching TV."
Teaching them new words, we were told to make them repeat it twice in English, twice in Chinese, sometimes we could spend up to 20 minutes doing this- "big big, da-de, da-de."
"little little, xiao-de xiao-de."
In my time here, I really bonded with the kids. I felt like all 600 of my students were like a family to me, and I was always happy to see them in the streets or shops outside school. I would love to come back and teach again, it is an amazing experience, something you probably only realise after you finish. it's changed my life anyway. China will always have a big place in my heart. Not the government, but the common people; the taxi drivers with dirty suits and bed-head, the old men who sit on the street and miss out all the consonants in words when they speak to you, the geeky looking teenagers who shout hello at you in the street and run away, the man at the market who pretends to get offended when you bargain the price down, the women whose job is to stand at the supermarket door and shout "huan yin guang lin" (welcome) at you as you walk in.
When I first arrived in Qingdao airport, my new boss was due to meet me at the airport. I couldnt find him anywhere, and then I decided to walk around outside the airport where I eventually found him. He had been waiting for me in the wrong place and then asked me what took me so long! This pretty much set the tone for things here- crap organisation! I had no experience in teaching or qualifications to do it, but that didnt matter in China, I had a white face and spoke English.
The first day we went to the school to meet our teaching assistants I was pretty nervous. I met my assistant, who seemed to be under the impression I knew exactly what to do and I had to make a lesson plan with no help or suggestions. I didnt even know where to start and when I asked for help, she just said to me "you're the foreign teacher, you decide." Then we went to a classroom and taught our planned lesson in front of all the foreing teachers and assistants, with a couple of superiors taking notes. That was probably the most nervous I felt during my time. So that concluded what was supposed to be a weeks training; doing a practice lesson and never getting any feedback.
My first day at school, I was also really nervous. That moment I first walked into the classroom was a big moment in my life. I saw 50 plus Chinese kids all staring straight at me, and then this 20 second piece of classical music played which signalled the start of the lesson (I guess it's more imaginative than just a bell). Then my assistant gave them a speech in Chinese and it was my turn to start. The first words I said were "hello, my name is Will and I'm from England." I shakily wrote my name on the board. We went through the lesson, which was based on a chant:
"Spring is green,
Summer is bright,
Fall is golden,
Winter is white."
Then at the end we played a game where I hide a card under someones desk and a kid has to find it while the other kids all shout the word louder as the kid gets closer. After that initial lesson, I got into the swing of things and it became natural. Now I feel so much more confident in myself from this experience.
Morning break consisted of the kids going to the playground, standing in perfect lines while military themes play from loud speakers and a man bellows Mandarin at them. Then some happy music plays and they all do a strange dance in perfect formation. Sometimes they got in circles and danced too. Every Monday was a flag raising ceremony which involved military themes and all the teachers had to wear formal dress (as opposed to normal days, when teachers wore anything they liked). Now, I think the strangest thing for any westerner, is the eye excercises every morning at 11 o'clock. Some really trippy music plays while the kids massage their eyes for 10 minutes to the count in Mandarin "yi, er, san, si, wu..." As this is going on, the monitors walk around with canes and hit their classmates if they do it wrong.
The monitors are glorified grassers (tattle-tale for the Americans reading) basically. Their job is to keep discipline in class when the teacher isn't there. It's a job all the kids want, and when they get it, they become little drill sargeants. Hitting, however is technically forbidden, although some teachers do it, and hard.
Chinese students are excellent as memorisation, a lot of their education involves memorisation of textbooks, phrases etc. This has it's good points, but it does kill their indivuality and imagination. When we give them the oral exam (which we are not allowed to fail any kids at), they usually have a standard reply to a question:
"How are you?"
"Im' fine, thank you and you?"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm watching TV."
Teaching them new words, we were told to make them repeat it twice in English, twice in Chinese, sometimes we could spend up to 20 minutes doing this- "big big, da-de, da-de."
"little little, xiao-de xiao-de."
In my time here, I really bonded with the kids. I felt like all 600 of my students were like a family to me, and I was always happy to see them in the streets or shops outside school. I would love to come back and teach again, it is an amazing experience, something you probably only realise after you finish. it's changed my life anyway. China will always have a big place in my heart. Not the government, but the common people; the taxi drivers with dirty suits and bed-head, the old men who sit on the street and miss out all the consonants in words when they speak to you, the geeky looking teenagers who shout hello at you in the street and run away, the man at the market who pretends to get offended when you bargain the price down, the women whose job is to stand at the supermarket door and shout "huan yin guang lin" (welcome) at you as you walk in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)