外国人

外国人 － wàiguórén

Literally, "outside country person"

Used by Chinese to collectively describe anyone who is not of Chinese ethnicity. In my view, an endearing name given to me (and people like me) in a nation not accustomed to outsiders. Sure, there is much Western influence here - you can see it in the fashion, hear it in the music - but China is still very much a country steeped in thousands of years of history which will not (and should not) easily go away. Being called a foreigner is not something to be offended by here; rather, my experience leads me to believe it is used in appreciation of those who come here and try to be a witness to the rich culture they have. It is rather amusing, though, when some Chinese assume I do not speak any Chinese. Yesterday, as I was opening a taxi door, I hear a young man about my age say  "外国人" to his friend next to him. While getting in the taxi, I turn around, look at him, say "你好" (nǐhǎo - hello), and shut the door. Pulling away, I smile as I watch the pair of them laughing (in amusement? Embarrassment?), obviously caught off guard by my reply.

I have been in China a week now. It has been very different than when I stayed here last summer. Then, I was with 11 other Aggies and a familiar teacher and followed a strict schedule which varied between attending organized events, classes, and completing homework. Even after the week long break and our teacher left, the class schedule and attempts to get as much out of the Chinese experience as possible before leaving seemed to keep me very busy. This summer, I have found myself with a lot of down time. Each morning, I have breakfast at around 8:30 before going off with a new volunteer to practice my Chinese from about 9 until 11:30. Then, we are joined by Jerry (the head volunteer, it seems) for lunch, after which they let me "have a rest" before leaving to a nearby Xi'an high school (which we travel to by 公共汽车 gōnggòngqìchē - public bus #48 every day). We are usually at the high school from around 2:00 until 4:30 every day, during which I teach two different classes. After that, I am free to do as I wish. So far, this has meant karaoke, ping pong, billiards, and Chinese movies. This evening, a blog is born.

 

My Chinese is improving, but in a different way than what a class would teach me. I'm having a harder time learning new vocabulary. Now and then, something a new friend says will stick with me. But, more than anything, I am gaining more confidence in the Chinese which I already know. This is helpful. This is practical. But I'm craving a little more. I've been confident for almost a year now that I would like to attend graduate school in China. There are options in Nanjing and Beijing which I am considering. I even have a trip to visit the graduate program in Nanjing a week from tomorrow. For the Nanjing one, my Chinese will need to be very good. I'm passable right now, with very good somewhere on the far (but visible) horizon.

I have met people here that have been teaching English in China for a little over a year now. Their experiences, plus the surprising amount of enjoyment I am getting from teaching English here after only a week, makes all of this seem more plausible. Perhaps teaching English for a year while simultaneously taking formal classes in Chinese would get me at a level where I could excel in Nanjing while also making money on the side. Or, hopefully my Chinese gets to that level without the extra year. Regardless, options are there.

Why did I pick "wayfaring waiguoren" as my blog name? Simple. I love to travel. One thing I'm sure of is that I want my future career to include traveling, as well as the ability to learn more languages to go along with the places I will see. Wherever I go, I want to be a 外国人 type of foreigner. That is, I want to be able to show a true love for whatever I do and wherever I go in this world while respecting their culture, but I also must know that I am always a foreigner in their land and never forget the amazing opportunities I have found at home which led me to where I am today.

Until next time,

再见 (zàijiàn - goodbye)!