I feel like I preface each post with an apology for not updating more often. Well, not this time. Let’s just assume that I am embarrassed by the length between updates and feel bad constantly because of it. If we assume that, then I have no need to apologize at the beginning of each post and it saves us all time, and me some effort.
I have begun tutoring some Senior 3 students (senior high is only 3 years here, so they are preparing for college admission). It is a vastly different dynamic to be tutoring in small groups compared to the usual classes of 56 Junior 1 students. There is certainly more pressure to be a good model of the language. I have one group of 3 girls who all have pretty good English. They make an extremely difficult group to tutor because we now get down to the splitting-hairs type of language stuff. Granted, there are some legitimate grammar mistakes, but nothing that greatly impedes comprehension. However, once we work some of those kinks out, the 3 of them will be getting close to fluency, a truly amazing feat. I’m really lucky to be working with them, but the pressure is on for me to help them get to that next level.
And now we shall return to the hospital adventure!
A quick note on the cast of characters: there were a lot of people involved in this particular misadventure, but many of them played a big part. For the sake of clarity for later explanations and retellings I’m going to make a list of them.
Dramatis Personae
Me - I realize it’s a bit superfluous to include myself, but as I am the protagonist I thought it only fitting; and, it makes me feel special.
Jinduo - Jinduo is one of the people that works in the foreign affairs office, and for this particular story, my angel. She was with me everyday for about 12 hours (getting to the hospital between 7:30-8 in the morning and leaving around 7:30 at night to make the usually hour-long trip back to her home). She has been my translator numerous times, and for the hospital stay, we spent lots of time talking to pass the time. She was essentially my surrogate family member, taking care of me while I was an invalid. I cannot begin to thank her enough.
Momo - Momo is another woman that works in the Foreign Affairs Office. She’s been working at the school for I think 5 years. Her spoken English isn’t as good as Jinduo’s, but between the two of them, they take great care of us foreigners. She was not around much during my hospital stay, but that’s because she was “drafted” to work in the Administration Building a couple days after I went on my “holiday.” Apparently someone left for whatever reason and they needed her to start working right away. That makes the fact that Jinduo was spending 12 hours with me each day even more impressive when she had mountains of work to do as she was effectively the only one in the Foreign Affairs office at that point.
Scott - Scott is one of the Junior 1 Chinese English Teachers. I met him my first day of observing classes. His English is really good. He admits that he has trouble recalling words sometimes, but that is the only issue between him and legitimate fluency. His pronunciation is fantastic too. He was kind enough to come stay at the hospital my first night after surgery so that I wouldn’t be alone. Whether the school asked him to go or he volunteered I think is a moot point. I am indebted to him as well. We spent a lot of time talking about all sorts of things. He made the stay really enjoyable. I am currently trying to think of a small gift to get him as a gesture of thanks. I wish I had brought small gifts from home, but I didn’t anticipate circumstances such as these.
Daniel - Daniel is another Junior 1 Chinese English teacher. He stayed with me the second night after surgery. We didn’t talk much because I was taking a catnap and then reading. However, as with Jinduo and Scott, I am eternally grateful for his help (anyone that empties your urine container because you can’t walk very far deserves a great big thank you in my opinion). He went out and bought me breakfast before he left for school in the morning and he was relieved by Jinduo.
Lisa - Lisa is essentially my liaison with the Junior 1 Chinese English teachers. She has helped me at every turn and I think she was in charge of recruiting teachers to stay the night with me. While she wasn’t able to visit me, she called Jinduo a few times to check on me.
Young Doctor - I was fortunate enough that the hospital I was at was affiliated with the Medical University of Hebei (the province I am in). As such, they had a resident who had some knowledge of English there to help the surgeon who was going to perform the operation. I never did find out his name, but I am going to ask around. He wasextremely nice and helpful. His presence helped me a lot.
Lady Doctor - While this name seems a bit sexist, and maybe too general, for the purposes of our story, it is the perfect label. My surgeon was the only woman in the department. She was also a professor of Medicine at the Medical University. I was in good hands. I am assuming that she was probably the best surgeon in the department based solely on the fact that she was a woman in a male-dominated profession, culture, and department. She would have to be pretty damn good to be where she was. I didn’t worry too much about it. She didn’t speak much English, so the Young Doctor was our liaison of sorts. She also made a good financial decision on my part: the mesh that she used was a Johnson & Johnson product, but it was 1/3 less expensive than the mesh another surgeon used on the guy who was in the bed next to me for a few days. Just as in the U.S. with tests and procedures, the choices the doctor makes impacts the financial outcome of the operation just as much as the physical outcome. I am extremely grateful to her for her experience and skill.
I have begun tutoring some Senior 3 students (senior high is only 3 years here, so they are preparing for college admission). It is a vastly different dynamic to be tutoring in small groups compared to the usual classes of 56 Junior 1 students. There is certainly more pressure to be a good model of the language. I have one group of 3 girls who all have pretty good English. They make an extremely difficult group to tutor because we now get down to the splitting-hairs type of language stuff. Granted, there are some legitimate grammar mistakes, but nothing that greatly impedes comprehension. However, once we work some of those kinks out, the 3 of them will be getting close to fluency, a truly amazing feat. I’m really lucky to be working with them, but the pressure is on for me to help them get to that next level.
And now we shall return to the hospital adventure!
A quick note on the cast of characters: there were a lot of people involved in this particular misadventure, but many of them played a big part. For the sake of clarity for later explanations and retellings I’m going to make a list of them.
Dramatis Personae
Me - I realize it’s a bit superfluous to include myself, but as I am the protagonist I thought it only fitting; and, it makes me feel special.
Jinduo - Jinduo is one of the people that works in the foreign affairs office, and for this particular story, my angel. She was with me everyday for about 12 hours (getting to the hospital between 7:30-8 in the morning and leaving around 7:30 at night to make the usually hour-long trip back to her home). She has been my translator numerous times, and for the hospital stay, we spent lots of time talking to pass the time. She was essentially my surrogate family member, taking care of me while I was an invalid. I cannot begin to thank her enough.
Momo - Momo is another woman that works in the Foreign Affairs Office. She’s been working at the school for I think 5 years. Her spoken English isn’t as good as Jinduo’s, but between the two of them, they take great care of us foreigners. She was not around much during my hospital stay, but that’s because she was “drafted” to work in the Administration Building a couple days after I went on my “holiday.” Apparently someone left for whatever reason and they needed her to start working right away. That makes the fact that Jinduo was spending 12 hours with me each day even more impressive when she had mountains of work to do as she was effectively the only one in the Foreign Affairs office at that point.
Scott - Scott is one of the Junior 1 Chinese English Teachers. I met him my first day of observing classes. His English is really good. He admits that he has trouble recalling words sometimes, but that is the only issue between him and legitimate fluency. His pronunciation is fantastic too. He was kind enough to come stay at the hospital my first night after surgery so that I wouldn’t be alone. Whether the school asked him to go or he volunteered I think is a moot point. I am indebted to him as well. We spent a lot of time talking about all sorts of things. He made the stay really enjoyable. I am currently trying to think of a small gift to get him as a gesture of thanks. I wish I had brought small gifts from home, but I didn’t anticipate circumstances such as these.
Daniel - Daniel is another Junior 1 Chinese English teacher. He stayed with me the second night after surgery. We didn’t talk much because I was taking a catnap and then reading. However, as with Jinduo and Scott, I am eternally grateful for his help (anyone that empties your urine container because you can’t walk very far deserves a great big thank you in my opinion). He went out and bought me breakfast before he left for school in the morning and he was relieved by Jinduo.
Lisa - Lisa is essentially my liaison with the Junior 1 Chinese English teachers. She has helped me at every turn and I think she was in charge of recruiting teachers to stay the night with me. While she wasn’t able to visit me, she called Jinduo a few times to check on me.
Young Doctor - I was fortunate enough that the hospital I was at was affiliated with the Medical University of Hebei (the province I am in). As such, they had a resident who had some knowledge of English there to help the surgeon who was going to perform the operation. I never did find out his name, but I am going to ask around. He wasextremely nice and helpful. His presence helped me a lot.
Lady Doctor - While this name seems a bit sexist, and maybe too general, for the purposes of our story, it is the perfect label. My surgeon was the only woman in the department. She was also a professor of Medicine at the Medical University. I was in good hands. I am assuming that she was probably the best surgeon in the department based solely on the fact that she was a woman in a male-dominated profession, culture, and department. She would have to be pretty damn good to be where she was. I didn’t worry too much about it. She didn’t speak much English, so the Young Doctor was our liaison of sorts. She also made a good financial decision on my part: the mesh that she used was a Johnson & Johnson product, but it was 1/3 less expensive than the mesh another surgeon used on the guy who was in the bed next to me for a few days. Just as in the U.S. with tests and procedures, the choices the doctor makes impacts the financial outcome of the operation just as much as the physical outcome. I am extremely grateful to her for her experience and skill.