just another day in china

I moved today. I feel guilty moving from a perfectly fine home to an even nicer home. I am grateful for what the school has given me, but it just doesn't seem right that I ought to be living in the lap of luxury when the other teachers on staff, the students, and the rest of the college community are living at a sub-standard level. I want my house to be a place people can always come visit, but I am ashamed of its niceness and don't want Chinese to come over....it would be like saying "hey, why don't you come over to my place so you can see all the nice shit I have that you won't ever be able to have, even though you are a hard worker, because i am an American and you are not." Argh.

I can't believe what I am seeing on the news about the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. I know the subject has probably been beat to death in America, but here we've only been getting a bit of news about it. I know people are the same everywhere, but it just seems that the anarchy that is going on should be happening in another country or another era. It is strange to read about how everything has been turned on its head in New Orleans. It is truly unbelievable and dreadful.

I went to the hospital the other day. No worries, I am fine, a Chinese friend was just helping me to a prescription for meds I take in America, so I can buy them here. First, though, I had to be examined. Like a regular hospital there are examining rooms, but when you get there, you take a number and wait outside the door. When it was finally my turn I went in. I hadn't been in the examine room for more than 2 minutes before the door opened and some Chinese people that were waiting for there number to come up shuffled in . Then a few more people, and then more, and more, and finally half the nation of China was standing in my examine room to see what was wrong with the foreigner sitting on the examine table.It was like a play in which the starring characters (the doctor and I) have speaking roles, and then there is the chorus that speaks in one voice. The doctor continued the examination taking no mind to the 20-plus people in the room with us. He knew a little English so he would ask me a question, make a note, and then turn to translate for the group. In unison the group would then respond to the answer with "OOOHHH," or AHHHHH and the like. He started asking what the medicines I was taking were for. I answered grudgingly and then he turned and told the curious group "Oho!" they responded. By the time I left the hospital, I am quite sure that everyone there knew the exact details of my medical file. Ah, well.....just another day in China.

I start teaching tomorrow. I got the textbooks this afternoon. I have a three hour class on "selected newspaper readings" and then later in the week will have my oral English classes. I am very nervous, but I am looking forward to getting started. Too much time in idleness causes one to become a little self-involved--I am reading to be a little others-involved.