Problem-Solving as a Lao-Wai

Clearly, my Chinese skills are improving, or at least my ability to use what I have to solve problems.  The other day I turned the key in my lock farther than I was supposed to (with the door open, trying to test the security bolts), and found that I could not retract the bolts.  This meant that I could not close my front door.  It was almost 5 p.m., and, after some attempt to fix it myself, I decided I'd better call a locksmith before it got too late.

Now, I should have known better.  I had done the same thing before, while checking out the apartment prior to signing the contract, and the same thing happened.  That time, I insisted that the landlords fix it for me.  They did, and passed on the warning from the locksmith that I should not turn the key more than twice  while locking it.  So, this was really a boneheaded  move on my part.

Fortunately, however, they had also left the locksmith's business card.  That meant that I knew who to call; however, I was not confident of my ability to give my address and explain my need over the phone.  So, I went downstairs to find someone.  I managed, with my very limited Chinese skills, to communicate my need and my apartment number, and get the guy in the apartment office to call the locksmith.  Then, I went and waited in the elevator lobby.

To make a long story short, after about an hour, I called the guy directly, and understood that he was coming, "ma shan" which means something like "now" or "soon" or something like that.  Anyway, come he did, and he fixed the problem, and also the minor problem which had motivated me to mess with it at all.  It involved a missing spring that I had found on my floor (and fortunately kept).  So, that problem was solved.

Last night, I found I had another problem.  My China Construction Bank ATM card was missing.  Now I also have accounts at Bank of China and Bank of Jiangsu, so I could still get cash, but CCB is where my salary gets deposited by WKS.  And this morning I found that a drain pipe with an uncapped access hole was dripping onto my washing machine, and had soaked my instruction manuals.  (The water was clean, and it was raining for the first time since I moved in, so this pipe is clearly a rainspout.)  So, I had two more problems to solve.

I texted my apartment agent to learn where the maintenance office was, and went there.  Then I struggled with my Chinese skills, knowing how to say "Can you help me?", "rain", "water", and my address.  They sent someone up "ma shan" and he, after looking at the pipe, asked me something and gestured to indicate a screw-on cap that was missing.  I told him that I had none, and he said something about "ma shan" and left.  After a while he came back with a cap, which fit properly.  So, that problem seems to be solved.

Next, I had to go to CCB.  There are at least two branches in the New District that are convenient for me to go to, but, after having had to replace my Bank of China card, I was pretty sure I had to go to the particular branch where my account was opened.  Now, the CCB account was opened by the school finance guy, without my presence, but I had discussed the location with my supervisor Emma, and was pretty sure I knew where it was.  Going there by bus was easy, and when I got there, I found that it was open on Saturday.  I showed my passport to the first available teller, who spoke enough English to understand my problem.  It took a while, but they were able to replace my card that time.  (BOC, when I needed to replace a lost card, took a week.)  I just need to make sure the school finance department has my new card number.

Now, I'm in Lotus Café, having written two out of three midterms, relaxing and waiting for my girlfriend.  My VPN seems to be working better here than it was in my apartment, so I decided to use the access to write an update to all my loyal fans.

Prayer Requests

Firstly, praise God for helping me deal with these problems!  The lock problem was especially urgent, and especially stretched my communication skills.  I did learn a new phrase, even though I'm not exactly sure how to use it myself.

Also, please pray for my students.  I have a class of 5-year old kids, and three classes of middle-school students; 7b, 8b, and 9a.  The 9th graders especially need to learn respect and self-control.  We had a "school picnic" (actually an outing to a cheesy dinosaur theme park) yesterday (Friday).  Next week we'll be preparing for midterms, and taking them the following week.  My 9th grade class is smart, but their preference for chatting in Korean over attending to the lesson makes it hard do any meaningful teaching in that class.  I really need to learn patience, and to adjust my expectations to a reasonable level.

That's all for now.  I need to post this before Sophie arrives.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying!

Knocking the Dust Off

That's what it feels like to be back writing this blog.  I know a blog doesn't really collect dust, but a computer does, and in fact, when I started using my laptop again a few weeks ago, I did have to dust it off.

Firstly, I want to apologize to everyone for the long absence.  For the past year, I've been working until 9:00 p.m. four days a week, and until 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays.  It seemed hard to find a time to use the computer at home in a way that wouldn't mess with my sleep schedule or risk my being late for work, and being well-rested was absolutely essential to performing well in that job.  So, it was easier to just let it go.

In August, however, I got the word that my boss did not want to renew my contract.  That felt like bad news at first, but then, after I got over the initial shock, I found that new jobs were readily available.  In fact, after some brief confusion, I got what I consider to be the best job I looked at.  Better pay, better hours, better working conditions, and Korean food for lunch!

For those who haven't heard, I'm working at Wuxi Korean School.  Most of you should know that I spent almost three months teaching math in South Korea, about three years ago.  I really loved that job (even the food), and was really sorry to leave it, but a visa denial from the ROK government is one of the few problems I can't overcome, without marrying a Korean woman.  (I briefly considered that as a possible solution, but it wasn't workable.)

So, this feels almost like coming back.  If you compare salaries dollar-for-dollar using current exchange rates, it doesn't pay as well as a similar job would in Korea.  However, the salary and housing allowance are better than I've had, or even been quoted, anywhere else in China.  I'm sure higher salaries are available to experienced teachers in places like Shanghai or Beijing, but then, the prices are higher there too.

Shortly after taking this job, my apartment agent asked me about renewing my contract, and I explained my situation.  Since my old apartment is rather far from my new job, and the new housing allowance allows me much more choice, he found me a small but comfortable apartment right next to the school.  The hardest part of moving in was the washing machine.

Now, in China, rental apartments are normally furnished with bed, table, and basic appliances, including washing machines.  So, my apartment includes a washing machine.  So did the last one, and the one before that.  However, the last one was not good.  (It was a typical Chinese machine.  Some Chinese machines have a tendency to eat clothing for lunch.  In general, the quality of Chinese goods is mediocre at best by American standards, and most Chinese I've met would agree that goods produced by foreign companies are better.)

I have a friend who works for BSW (a joint venture of Bosch and Seimens), making washing machines for the Chinese market, with a plant here in Wuxi.  With his GM's permission (the GM also goes to our church), he was able to get me a machine out of their test lab.  This one had been through about half of the lifetime-test regimen that they normally run on such machines, and still had plenty of life left.  For its size, you can't get a better washing machine.  It's designed to use cold water (as are all the washing machines in China), but this one has a heating element and allows me to control the temperature, the spin speed, and even the start time.

So, this washing machine was the only thing I could not move by myself.  I had to have some help to hire a moving company.  This "moving company" chosen by my girlfriend turned out to be one guy with a "truck", actually more of a frankencycle.  It held the washing machine, though, and a couple of other boxes, and since I had secured the transport bolts properly, I wasn't too worried about it.

That happened last Saturday.  Today, I went to China Telecom to order and pay for an Internet transfer, and then, after lunch and a little shopping, went to my old apartment, put the last fridge stuff in my backpack, and rode my bike back.  On the way, I got a phone call.  The caller didn't speak English, but he did mention my address in Chinese.  I think he was expecting me to be there.

Now, I had tried to forestall this problem at China Telecom, by insisting that they book the installation appointment at that time, where we could point to a calendar day.  (I'm still not good at dates in Chinese, but I understand everything from "yesterday" to "the day after tomorrow".)  They wanted to let the installer call me, which I would not accept.  Finally, they made a phone call and said he would come tomorrow (Sunday) at about 1:00 p.m.  With the switch to the morning church service in October, that would work for me, although I'd have to forego a relaxed lunch with my friends.

So, today's phone call was a bit of a surprise.  I was able to say, "Deng yi xia, wo kuai dian," which means, "Wait a moment, I hurry."  After I arrived, I started looking for him, and when he called me again, I was able to find him in the elevator lobby.  Once in my apartment, he did some things at the downstairs panel, then hooked up the computer upstairs.  Other than the fact that there's no WiFi, and the Ethernet cable's rather short, it seems to work fine.  We'll see if I'm able to post this.

Otherwise, things are going pretty well now.  The hardest part of my new job is classroom management, which is another way of saying that several of my students would rather play or chat with each other in Korean than pay attention to the lesson.  I need to make sure they know who the boss is, and then try to make it fun.

It's just about time for dinner now.  I had fried rice yesterday, and bibimbap (Korean mixed rice, vegetables, and egg) for lunch today, so it'll probably be fried noodles today.  I'm getting better at reading a menu (that means I know the characters for "beef"), and at ordering food.  Still, sometimes I get something unexpected.  But, knowing how to ask someone not to smoke makes small Chinese restaurants much more tolerable.  And the meals are so cheap!

Prayer Requests:

Firstly, praise God for providing a new job (with a better compensation package) here in Wuxi!  I was very close to signing a contract and moving to Hangzhou, which is supposed to be a nice place, but far from my friends and church in Wuxi.  The offer here came at the 11th hour, clearly God's timing.

I've broken up with my previous girlfriend, Wu Yi Feng.  After about a year together, it became clear that things were just not working out between us, and we agreed to just be friends.  She's still doing well, and teaching Chinese at the Number 3 High School.

However, I have met someone else, at church.  Her English name (chosen by me) is Sophie.  Her English is rather weak, but she also speaks Korean.  She's visiting her family in Xuzhou right now, because October 1 is Chinese National Day, which means a one-week holiday for most workers.

Sophie was interested in me from the beginning, which was flattering, but after my last experience, I'm trying to be careful.  Communication is very important.  So, please pray for her English skills to improve, and with it the quality of our communication.  She's very sweet, and she tries hard to express herself in English.

My apologies again for the long silence.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying!