(Dareus)
I’m going to give you the lowdown on what we did today because that is what I am supposed to do; later I will tell you what I really want to talk about.
So today started off with an exceptionally tasty breakfast. I inhaled what is called Ba Tsung in the backseat of my host dad’s car on the way to school at 6:30 in the morning. Ba Tsung is essentially sticky rice, meat, peanuts, and mushrooms formed into roughly the shape of a triangular prism. This triangle of rice and stuff is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed to cook it. Afterwards you unwrap this geometric prism of deliciousness and eat it. So that was worth noting.
As usual, I was the first of us to arrive at room 209 so I jacked my phone into the audio system and played music while I wanted for the others to arrive. After some horseplay and shenanigans, Kay who came to DS last year, guided us to the schools woodshop wing where our woodshop teacher Mr. Tang taught us how to make a phone/tablet stand with a piece of wood. After putting the finishing touches on our stands we headed to yet another private secluded lunch in what the students there call the “canteen”. When our lunch concluded we messed around back in 209 until 3:00 and then I followed Timmy to his presentation that he gave to the class. It was a fun little pow wow while it lasted. After that my host brother and I went home and ate dinner.
I know, I know that was monotone and boring and Mr. Catalfano will probably berate me for “telling” not “showing”. The point is, I didn’t put much effort into describing today because I have a much bigger issue to talk about in this post.
The problem I want to address is the way Hangzhou high school treats us. Now right now you’re thinking “oh my god is he going to say they don’t treat them well enough?”. No, actually I’m saying they treat us a little too well. Now you’re asking “why would you complain about being treated well?”. Let me explain. It’s like when someone goes to a foreign country just to stay at a resort which brings the comforts of home to where they are. If you go to a foreign country get down and dirty and get to know the real culture of the place, don’t hide in a resort that you probably could have stayed in if you went to a different state back home. The people at Hangzhou high school feel the need to almost seclude us and make everything especially cushy just because we are exchange students. They have us eat lunch in a separate room at a nice dining table with the meal prepared by our own personal chef who even tailors a vegetarian meal for Caitlin; everyone else sits outside in the lunchroom at cramped tables with normal lunch food. Our classes are most of the time just the four of us plus a translator and sometimes even Mrs. Lockrow when she is not teaching. When we have free time we sit in room 209 which is entirely devoted to housing us exchange students when we don’t have anywhere else to go; They even have a bottle of coke, a bubbler of water, two crates of bottled water and a bowl of candy and snacks ready for us every morning we come in. By now you should notice the trend of isolation that keeps us semi separated from the real Hangzhou High School.
Now before you call me out as an ungrateful idiot I just want to say that I am more than grateful for everything the school has done for us and I do appreciate everything. It has been an exceptional stay so far. I simply wanted to address the fact that we did not come here to Hangzhou high to be treated like we’re more important than the average student. The entire point of a cultural exchange is to “get in with the locals” so to speak and take part in the everyday life that everyone else has. The point of this exchange is to get neck deep in averageness and become a student for a month. The point is to see and do what every other student does. Maybe it’s because students here are too busy and focused to be distracted by foreigners in their class or even more likely, it’s just that the school is incredibly hospitable, I don’t know. I wish there was more time to mingle with the students and become familiar with them. I truly appreciate every single step the school has taken to pad our visit but I want to be thrown head first into the life of an average Hangzhou High School student.
I know, I know that was monotone and boring and Mr. Catalfano will probably berate me for “telling” not “showing”. The point is, I didn’t put much effort into describing today because I have a much bigger issue to talk about in this post.
The problem I want to address is the way Hangzhou high school treats us. Now right now you’re thinking “oh my god is he going to say they don’t treat them well enough?”. No, actually I’m saying they treat us a little too well. Now you’re asking “why would you complain about being treated well?”. Let me explain. It’s like when someone goes to a foreign country just to stay at a resort which brings the comforts of home to where they are. If you go to a foreign country get down and dirty and get to know the real culture of the place, don’t hide in a resort that you probably could have stayed in if you went to a different state back home. The people at Hangzhou high school feel the need to almost seclude us and make everything especially cushy just because we are exchange students. They have us eat lunch in a separate room at a nice dining table with the meal prepared by our own personal chef who even tailors a vegetarian meal for Caitlin; everyone else sits outside in the lunchroom at cramped tables with normal lunch food. Our classes are most of the time just the four of us plus a translator and sometimes even Mrs. Lockrow when she is not teaching. When we have free time we sit in room 209 which is entirely devoted to housing us exchange students when we don’t have anywhere else to go; They even have a bottle of coke, a bubbler of water, two crates of bottled water and a bowl of candy and snacks ready for us every morning we come in. By now you should notice the trend of isolation that keeps us semi separated from the real Hangzhou High School.
Now before you call me out as an ungrateful idiot I just want to say that I am more than grateful for everything the school has done for us and I do appreciate everything. It has been an exceptional stay so far. I simply wanted to address the fact that we did not come here to Hangzhou high to be treated like we’re more important than the average student. The entire point of a cultural exchange is to “get in with the locals” so to speak and take part in the everyday life that everyone else has. The point of this exchange is to get neck deep in averageness and become a student for a month. The point is to see and do what every other student does. Maybe it’s because students here are too busy and focused to be distracted by foreigners in their class or even more likely, it’s just that the school is incredibly hospitable, I don’t know. I wish there was more time to mingle with the students and become familiar with them. I truly appreciate every single step the school has taken to pad our visit but I want to be thrown head first into the life of an average Hangzhou High School student.
1 comment:
Point taken. Speak to Mrs. Lockrow about it. In the meantime show your appreciation to school and host family with action.
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