Jadayah's English First Blog in China

[jadayahsef-blog]

OK so let me start out by saying that Saturday's Life Class Fencing Event was AMAZING! 

I am someone who has wanted to fence ever since I was a child (I think anyone who's ever watched The Musketeers would agree with me), so I was super happy to be given the opportunity to do so by EF. The Life Class Fencing Event was located at the SECA Cultural Center, about a 15 minute drive away from ___. 

As we walked into the training center, the elementary-aged school children had just finished their class, and the middle-aged children were about to begin class, so I got to see the students practice. It's incredible to see these young and innocent looking children transform into absolute swordsmen right before my very eyes!

Anyway, when class started, the learning curve was very gentle, and I was comforted to know that basically everyone else around me (there were 12 of us in total), was an absolute beginner too!

Our hilarious British teacher Matthew talked us through a philosophical metaphor illustrating the similarities between fencing and language.

"Fencing is like an argument. You use tactics. You attack. You try to provoke. All for the sake of outwitting your opponent."

"In any language, you can gauge how well you speak by how many words you use. The fewer words you use to convey an idea, the better speaker you are in that language. LIkewise, in fencing, although you can do all the fancy moves in the world, sometimes the best move is the simplest, and the quickest, simplest move can lead to victory".

We started out learning how to go En Garde (get into fencing position). We sat in frog position, and jumped into En Garde position. We shuffled back and forth around the room, learning how to move forward and back while fencing, and how to shift our weight. Then he taught us some basic techniques in fencing, where the objective was to touch the opponents torso with the tip of a foil (the pointy-style fencing sword. The other kind of sword, a sabre, is a fencing sword that you can use the side of the sword to attack, with as well).

I had lots of fun practicing my Chinese with my fellow EF participants, and they got to practice their English too. Sometimes when they didn't understand what our instructor was saying, I'd try to use my limited Chinese to translate. Sometimes, I actually succeeded!

We paired up to practice these techniques, first using only our pointer fingers as swords, learning how to parry, redirect, strike, and lunge at our opponent. Just imagine a group of adults using their pointer fingers and imagination to fence. Pure hilarity.

Eventually we split into two teams of six, to actually apply what we had learned, in a practice match! We had the fencing mask and chest guard and everything! 

It was a super fun experience cheering on my teammates in their matches! And when it was finally my turn to battle, my team was up by two points, score 9 to 7, with game being 17 points. I put on my battle gear (in my mind it was battle armor!), did the super cool salute, and then our instructor said "Allè!" which I figured was french for "Start the Battle!" or something like that!

Anywho, the girl who I went up against was super fast! She circled her foil sword around so fast, it was actually hard to see it! But then I remembered that it's often the simplest movement that can win a match, so I just advanced forward and put my sword in contact with her torso, earning a point for my team. 

To make a long story short, I won my three points for my team, and our instructor said that our rounds were some of the greatest, and most intense fights he'd ever seen amongst beginners.

He asked me and my opponent (a sweet girl with the English name Claire) if we were martial artists. (We Are!), and said he could tell by the style of our movements.

Yeah that felt good. 

My team eventually went on to win! After 2.5 hours, our lessons were over, and we all traded WeChat information, took pictures together, and went our separate ways.

Now I cannot WAIT until I have the opportunity to fence again! 

I'll just keep practicing my fencing steps in the meanwhile! :) 

Allè!

[jadayahsef-blog]

On Cultural Shock 

these are pictures of me with some people who either wanted pictures of me, or with me. Some people try to be like Paparazzi and take pictures without even asking, so I turn the tables on people by taking pictures of and with THEM as well. What started off as just "turning tables" became a really fun way to document the wonderful people that I meet here in China. Some people wish to document you without even interacting with you (I guess they're shy?), but I try to engage every person that wants a picture of me, for humanity's sake.

Coming to Shanghai, I tried to be as prepared as humanly possible for the differences that I might face here. I asked every single friend I knew that had been to China, specifically to Shanghai, about what I ought to expect:

"Being a vegetarian is really difficult in China" they said "everything has meat in it." They said.

"Things are cheaper here, unless they're exports, in which case they're way more expensive than you'd find in the United States." They said.

On the whole "being Black" thing, my friends told me that Shanghai is a more cosmopolitan city than most of China, so I'll still be stared at, but I'll get less stares than as if I were elsewhere. That happened.

They said I'd often feel like a celebrity or a freak, since many people would want to take pictures with me. That happened.

In a more extreme example, a friend told me some people would want to touch my hair, and still others might rub my skin, as if to see if the darkness would come off. This also happened.

I'm an anthropology student, so naturally being the "different" person in a "different country" (after all I'm Black, Muslim, and Vegetarian in a decidedly non-Black, non-Muslim, and meat-eating country) appealed to me, just a tad.

For some people, such as the Chinese tourists from more rural parts of China who come to Shanghai to sightsee, I'm actually the first real-life Black person they've ever seen. To draw a parallel, I imagine it might be a similar feeling to me walking down a street of New York and happening upon a naturally Green person. I mean, I'd stare too! Heck, I might even ask for your picture, and ask you what's life like being Green. 

I generally try to deal with it with a smile, since after all, I have a new opportunity to educate the people around me about Black people (lesson number one: we exist :) ) and bridge the gap between my people and the people who's country I'm currently a guest in. Most times it's pretty fun!

Honestly, because I came to China so expectant of the fact that I'd get treated differently as a result of my skin color, the greatest Culture Shock I experienced wasn't even that, although it still is quite the experience being shocked to see another Black person (we're like unicorns!) whilst in Brooklyn there are people of my complexion all around me.

The MOST shocking thing about coming here, was from sheer virtue of me being a born-and-raised New Yorker: Things close down around here at night! No seriously this was a really big deal for me. For example, the subway lines all close at around 10:30pm?! I don't even stay out that late on most days, and I gotta say as a New Yorker, accustomed to a 24-hour train system, that is extremely early to me.

Also, the lack of certain foods that I'd get back at home is painful. I haven't seen a regular Kit-Kat since I got here, and it took me more than a month to find Paprika (you have to go to one of the more Western markets that cater to foreigners to find it). To cope with it, I've taken to cooking at my apartment most days, whipping up some vegetarian food just like mom makes back at home. (She'd be so proud!) 

As far as preparedness goes, I feel that since I had a somewhat working knowledge of Chinese before I got here (though I am essentially still functionally illiterate), and the fact that I prepared as much as I can before arriving here, the one thing I wish I knew about before coming to Shanghai, was how to reach other places outside of Shanghai, from Shanghai. How to work the national train system, and how to pay a phone bill, (would you believe it costs more to call someone outside of your city?! Yeah that shocked me.), and lastly how to set up a bank account. These things would've come in handy to know beforehand, but just as in life, we learn as we go!

It's a part of the adventure, and the best thing you can do is to remember that, and enjoy the journey! <3

Over and Out,

-Jadayah

[jadayahsef-blog]

Hi! I'm Jadayah (or Diya-迪雅, in Chinese), from the far-away land of Brooklyn! Pleased to meet you. I'm a part of the Ef Student Leadership Program here in Shanghai, and here I'll be sharing of my experiences and adventures with you! 

My hobbies include traveling, reading, playing Ninja, pondering life, talking about dreams and ambitions, and sleeping. 

I look forward to chronicling my journey here with you all :)

-Jadayah