Hi all,
I write you for my office in the prestigious university of Zhengzhou. This job is a good way to practice my English, as I feel something not so sure about some spelling or the exactness of the words I use. I always thought that mastering English was one of the most basic competency I would need in my future life, would that be for my career, for social activities or to acquire knowledge (from classes, books or the internet). A short summary of my trip for those poor English-only speakers who do not share the privilege to speak French ? And as a reading exercice for my parents who definitely need to learn better the commun language. (Vulga lingua)
My name is Florian. Or Fu Li An. Or whatever, since Chinese can not say Florian right and I can not really say Fu li an right. I somehow tried to learn Chinese in France. Not easy enough. So, here I am in China, to get it into my brain quickly and efficiently. I saw Beijing. This is too big a city. I do not like these huge megalopoles. (Shanghai is even bigger but, weirdly, is still appealing). Then I went to Shijiazhuang, met welcoming persons who wanted me to stay there and work there, but I felt the need for seeing more of the country. At this time, I understood that China was as big as Europe, comparable to the Indian subcontinent, or to the US. I stopped for a week studying Wushu (by the way, Kungfu is actually "Gongfu"). Interesting, but I would not learn it for a year as a French judoka I met there plans to do. I met then some foreigners (i.e. non-Chinese persons) who were teaching in Zhengzhou, spent a few days there and got hired a ! s a university teacher.
A major drawback in this job is the stong relationship it has with mathematics and computers. On the other hand, it is a great internship in order to be a teacher in any international school, as I feel the French-speaking educational system does not offer as a wide range of opportunity all over the world.
Do I really want to be a teacher ? No. But it is acceptable for now, as long as I am learning something and having some fun. I was thinking of going back to university, studying linguistics, sociology, ethnology, politics or international relations. Or going to Canada, USA, Japan, Australia, Germany, Spain, Brazil or Salvador, (I even thought of France), to work in the business word : not as a teacher, but as an international relations person. I have no clue about what they could do thought. I need to figure that out, meet people here in China and maybe move to Shanghai where things are happening...
Chinese people are not crazy but they do have different ways to behave. Spitting is ok, when blowing your nose is perceive as very dirty if you put your handkerchief in your pocket, it is actually better to throw it on the floor. They believe that they are many. Sure, they are more that one billion, but this is not the reason why the streets should be crowded. The true reason could be that their houses are not wonderful, and very small, that would push them to live more often outside. Paris is bigger than Zhengzhou and people do not talk to strangers and live most of the time tight up into their flats. The counterpoint to say that Chinese people actually do not go out is that China does not have too many of these bars we like in Europe, where you go to chat with your friends, have a beer, and meet people. Enjoy them while you can,
Florian
My English is crappy, sorry !