#cross cultural differences

[jordan-to-china]

Who lives in these buildings?

Hi Emily!

I hope you’re having a great time and learning a lot in Jordan!  I’m doing well; I’ve started teaching my own classes now and I am getting more and more comfortable getting around in Nantong. 

Whenever I bike around the city, it’s strange to see these massive apartment complexes with essentially no one living in them.  As I keep biking, I see more and more high rise apartment complexes being built.  I don’t understand where all of these people are supposed to come from.

These construction sights go on for miles, too. The artificial growth of the economy is really visible in this respect.  I think that those who build these complexes are expecting people from rural areas to live in these buildings, but this anticipated level of growth is almost absurd.  Especially when you realize that Nantong isn’t even a super city like Shenzhen or Guangzhou or Shanghai.  It’s just a normal sized city in China.  

拜拜！ (This means “bai bai” which is a transliteration of “bye bye” which you hear a lot here)

-Kirsten

[jordan-to-china]

Disparity and Hospitality

你好 Emily,

It’s a really interesting and tumultuous time for you to be in Jordan.  I think that volunteering with the refugees is a great idea, especially like when you say it’s easy for foreigners to stay in a comfortable bubble. 

In a much less extreme way, I can relate to you on seeing dichotomies.  In China, you see BMWs and Audis and other expensive luxury cars and then people bicycling rickshaws around or rickety bicycles.

As a foreigner, I benefit from a much higher salary than the Chinese tutors who I work along side.  It’s almost uncomfortable, the disparity in income between the foreign teachers and the Chinese tutors.  It’s easy to become comfortable in a certain bubble here, despite the strong language barrier, because foreigners are treated really well here.  I understand that my bubble is quite different from your bubble, though.

In other news, Chinese people are very friendly and hospitable, which is great for learning Chinese and getting around.  Everyone is patient with me when I’m in a store, and they usually will take the time to help me understand what they’re saying.  Sometimes, their hospitality can be a little uncomfortable because they might buy you presents after just meeting you (which has happened more than once to me, so far). 

You happened to go to Jordan at a really interesting time, and I can’t wait to hear how it all turns out!  Keep safe from those really crazy sandstorms I saw pictures of! 

再见！

-Kirsten

[jordan-to-china]

Jetlagged in Nantong

Hey Emily!

 I arrived in Nantong a few days ago and I’ve been trying to figure everything out while dealing with jet lag and language barriers, BUT so far everything is going really well.

I even made a Chinese friend on my first day here, so I feel like I’m doing pretty well.  Her name is Min; she and her boyfriend own a restaurant near my apartment.

Later when I have more consistent internet access and a better idea of what’s going on, I can tell you about Nantong and the apartment that I’m living in and the new friends, both Chinese and Western, that I am making. 

Talk to you soon!

-Kirsten