We enjoy our young colleagues from UK, seven in all, two couples and three single people, all recent university graduates. They hadn’t met before this adventure, except of course, the couples. Apparently they all signed up with a recruiting company which hosted for them a training period in Beijing. They arrived here about a week before we did. They’re all still adjusting—I would call it culture shock, but they seem unaware. We’re adjusting too, but more on the “I had forgotten this” train of thought. They are taking photos right and left of things we barely see.
Rachel and Hannah invited me to go with them uptown on Saturday. Tim suggested he would go along, but I told him it was a girls’ day out. When I told Rachel, she said, “You’ve been married a long time, let’s have a break.” We split the taxi fare, unbelievably cheap by western standards, but I do think we could take a bus if we knew which one to take.
We went to H&M, a British store. It felt like home to them and they happily tried on clothes. I saw a lace top that I liked, and was surprised to see Rachel looking at the very same top on another rack. I said I would wear this over a tank top such as she was wearing, but she said “no, au naturel for me” and winked. I searched the store full of tiny clothes, and finally found a black long sleeved knit shirt, very soft like pima cotton, but I’m not certain of the fabric, and found an XL which fit nicely. It was only 99 rmb, about $14—a really good price I think. The girls called it a “jumper.” I saw some leather pants, and wondered about them. I see Chinese girls wearing such things. Just then Rachel saw them and said that I should get them—that’s what happens when you go out with the girls. No XL’s on that rack. Hannah was looking for a black skirt which she found. We tried on hats, we looked at scarves, we laughed. Rachel found a jumper, I’d call it a sweater, that fit her, but it had a snag on one sleeve. She bargained for a discount on that since there were no others in that size on the rack.
Then we went to Starbucks! We got sandwiches and tea. We sat inside on comfortable couches with a table between. We were in the window, so to speak, and Rachel suggested going outside, but I thought it was too hot, windy and noisy to go to the outside tables. I think Rachel wanted a cigarette, so she went out for that, while Hannah and I stayed inside. Then I bought a piece of chocolate cake and split it three ways, as evenly as I could guess. Rachel said she didn’t want to eat it all because then it would be gone and the wonder of it finished. We talked about life and love, as women together usually do, sitting there in the sunny day in Starbuck’s in China, all far from home, yet comforted together.
We proceeded to Walmart, where we found more familiar foods, albeit in the “import” (translate: expensive) section. We bought tuna packed in water instead of oil. I bought Reese’s peanut butter cups. They bought Coca-Cola. I bought some cotton bed sheets. I was looking for a large blanket, but the clerk managed to tell me, “Don’t have.” I bought more Twining’s tea. I now have Earl Grey, English breakfast, and Mint from Twining’s, and Jasmine which may be from a Chinese section of Lipton.
It was time to find another taxi and head for “home.” One problem, who had the address? To go anywhere, the girls show a picture on their I-phone, but they don’t have one of the school. So Hannah said in English, “#42 Middle School” and the driver said “OK” so we got in. I fished around in my bag to find my printed address for the school, and finding it, passed it to the driver who nodded. Rachel said, “Well done, you are such a Mother.”

In Fuling, six years ago, we searched for several weeks to find a toaster oven. We found one in late fall. Here we found a whole row of them in the local supermarket. We didn’t buy one, because it is readily available, we aren’t sure we want it this time, and we’re looking for other things. In 2009, we spent part of the winter holiday in Beijing, part in Shanghai. We searched the big city stores for cinnamon, which used to be a product of Vietnam. We found stick cinnamon, but no powdered form. Our friends sent a box that included a small tin of cinnamon. Here we found cinnamon in its familiar form, at the French store, in the imported foods section, in our first week here.
In Huanggang, we longed for butter which was not to be found in our area. One day our colleague went to Wuhan to visit friends. While there, he went to a supermarket, phoning us to say, “I found BUTTER” and brought some back to us. We used it so sparingly that we had some left at the end of our stay. Here, in our first visit to the supermarket we found butter, imported from New Zealand. We’re not so sparing with it, because it’s readily available, and we probably don’t need as much butter as we’re accustomed to using.
Here in Shijiazhuang, our two single beds have been pushed together and one large mattress put on them. A sheet was on this bed, a sheet that fit it, when we arrived, something one does not take for granted here. Now the weather is getting colder, and I am searching for a blanket that will fit this bed. I assume that if a mattress of a certain size exists, the bedding for it must exist also. I would assume that because I am an American. The local supermarket does not have anything that size, so we went to the Carrefor, a French store, which in Shanghai, for example, is quite deluxe. We had been there before, so when we arrived again, one of the salesladies got a manager who spoke English. I explained the size I wanted to this young man who really wanted to be helpful. I learned from him that “Chinese people go to the supplier and have things custom made.” I didn’t get the word on where these suppliers might be.
Long ago, my mom told me to keep one thing, a small thing, that would make me feel “at home” wherever I go. In the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, this one thing for the Ingalls family was the china shepherdess, an elegant figurine so out of place in the frontier homes. Over time, it’s been a challenge for me to feel “at home” anywhere, maybe because I couldn’t keep that one small thing from place to place. Still, I fix my mind on a few things that would make life easier, and part of  my focus is on the search for these things. For now, that main item is the wool comforter for winter, in a size that will fit our bed.
It took me a while, but I found the manicurist here. So, although I do not have a blanket that fits, I do have cinnamon, Hershey’s cocoa, and sparkly nails. Maybe one should revel in being “not home” instead of striving to find home where it can’t be found.

Good Afternoon! Welcome to the 2014 – 15 Academic Year at #42 Shijiazhuang Middle School, also known as Hebei International School. We the foreign teachers welcome you to the adventure of learning English, Italian, and Japanese language and culture. When we study a foreign language, we enhance our appreciation of our native language, we open ourselves to new ways of thinking, and we develop new understanding of the world beyond our own neighborhoods.
We have travelled from our own countries, Japan, Italy, England, and USA, to embark with you on this great adventure in the life of the mind. We’ll meet some storms, some doldrums, and some wonderful breezes. Through it all we’ll sail on. We will seem different from your Chinese teachers, because we are. We have different assumptions, different expectations, and different styles. But we are the same as your Chinese teachers in this way, we all want to help you to grow and learn what you need to know to develop your own lives.
Are you ready for this adventure? If you’re scared, it’s a sign you know that big things are ahead. If you’re confident, it’s a sign you’ll be tested. We’re all “in the same boat” and together we’ll sail.
Onward then, let’s go.

Monday, September 1, was a clear, bright and windy day. We the foreign teachers gathered in the Foreign Affairs Office at 2:15 in preparation for the special opening ceremony to be held at 2:30. We were each given a little plastic stool, and we walked together to the playing field where we were to sit in one front corner. John, The Foreign Affairs Officer, said to me, “Julia, you must sit on the stage with the other speakers.” So, off I went to climb the stairs to the stage set on one long side of the field. I took my place behind the long desk, on a chair with a back, between two people who spoke no English. They greeted me with smiles.
The students began to come to the field, carrying their little plastic stools. They assembled in lines and rows, packed very close together. All the students wear the same uniform, lavender pants with gold stripe down the leg, matching long sleeved jackets with the stripe on the sleeve. (We might call these “warm up suits” in the USA.) The boys wear blue polo shirts, and the girls wear white blouses with wide round collars edged in brown and white checked fabric. The boys have very short hair, almost a “buzz cut” as we used to say. The girls also have short hair, but wear bangs. The haircuts are specified as part of the uniform. One Chinese teacher told our colleague, “It’s so the boys don’t fall in love with the girls.”
I looked out at the six thousand students, all with short black hair, all wearing the same uniform. At a command from the person in charge, all turned and stooped to set the stools down, staying in that position until the next command, which allowed them all to sit. The front row students, presumably the best ones, wore red sashes with gold lettering. These were somewhat in charge of their lines. I thought of a time I went to Stone Mountain, Georgia for an evening concert. There were thousands of people there, spreading blankets and lawn chairs on the ground. No one gave any commands, but people formed rows and aisles anyway.

I had to listen carefully as the ceremony started, and people who were introduced, stood up and smiled. Just as I wondered, “What if I don’t recognize my name?” I heard my name, Julia, and stood up and smiled. After everyone was introduced, the speeches began. When people applauded, I clapped too, though I had no idea what had been said. Was I imagining it, or can you actually tell from the sound of applause whether it is simply polite, or heart felt? I learned that I was sitting next to the Head of School who gave a long speech. During this speech I looked out again at the crowd, amazed how they all looked alike, and how this was by design. As I kept looking though, I noticed the one distinct difference between the students, the one part of personal expression, their shoes. Red, blue, neon green, orange, black, white, Nikes, Converse, athletic shoes, stylish shoes, traditional shoes.
After several speeches, I was called to give mine. John was there—I hadn’t noticed when he arrived— on the stage, and we each took a microphone. We had practiced together, line by line, so I had to stick strictly to the written speech so he could translate. The wind was blowing the paper I held in one hand, while I held the microphone in the other. I was wearing my white dress with blue lotus flowers, and my blue hat to protect my face from the sun. I considered briefly taking off my hat and waving it, but my hands were full. I was afraid the wind would blow my hat away, but it didn’t. The speech was about 2 minutes, about 5 with translation added. I spoke s—l—-o—w—l—y, and John spoke in Mandarin fast.
We received applause, returned to our seats, and the ceremony went on. Given the context, I could guess that everyone said wonderful things about our school, and gave a pep talk about all doing our best. “Happy to be here, welcome to another great year….” What else is ever said at such events? At the end, an assistant principal spoke with me, praising the speech, and starting a conversation. I felt that day, that we were off to a good start.

Read the speech in the next post.

On Friday morning, we expected to take a quick shuttle to the airport with our many bags.  But, the shuttle driver said, “There’s been a terrible accident on the road to the airport, and that road is closed.  You’ll be taking the train.  Get in the van.”

We loaded our bags and took our seats.  Then a lady came to the van and sat in the front seat.  She uses this shuttle everyday to go to work at the airport.  She said she would help us with the train.  She used her own card to get us quickly through the turnstile, thus paying for our fare.  She carried some of the bags, and led the way.  At one escalator, I didn’t know how I would get on while balancing all my bags.  Another man came up and offered to take my bag.  I was a bit concerned, since that bag held my passport, wallet, and computer, money, food and medication, all the irreplaceable stuff.  Hesitating only a moment, I gave him my bag, and off we went.  At the top, he gave it back to me, all intact.  Anyone who has traveled anywhere knows how foolish this would have sounded to a policeman, if the man had taken my bag and run.  But such was the situation that I trusted the man, and he proved trustworthy.  We crammed onto the train, and got to the airport.  Then the lady walked us all the way to our gate, carrying some of our luggage for us.  She smiled and said it was her workout for the morning.  She did all this wearing high heeled shoes.

We got to our gate and waited for the plane to Toronto. When we arrived in Toronto, there was supposed to be only a short time between flights, so we hurried to the next gate, only to learn that then next flight was delayed.  So we ate lunch in the Toronto airport.  We ordered two hamburgers, and one order of sweet potato fries.  I paid with a  $50.00 bill. (United States Dollars)  I received  $26.00 Canadian dollars in change!  Even though the food was delicious and a large serving, it was the most expensive hamburger we’ve ever had.

It was a long flight, 12 hours, and we arrived two hours late.   Since the school had a group of students returning from a trip, we waited another hour for them to arrive, and then got on a tour bus for the four hour trip to our school.  We arrived at midnight Saturday.   We were shown to our apartment, where the bed was ready for us, and we were ready for the bed!

On the next morning, we had a meeting to learn our schedules, and meet our colleagues.  I was asked to give a speech for opening ceremony Monday afternoon, and to turn it in Monday morning so the FAO could translate it.   I’ll post the speech separately.

Thanks to all who have helped us on our way.  We’re here, we’re working, and we’re happy.