First Day of Class in China

This will have to be a hasty post, as life has speeded up tremendously all of a sudden. Yesterday was my first day of classes. I had been a little confused about the times they were to be held. One of the ones I planned on going to was being held from 7-9, and I wasn't sure whether that was 7-9 AM or 7-9 PM. As my tutor, assigned by the Communication Association, had just written me a first e-mail, adding that if I had any questions I should ask her, I did ask her. Thank goodness I did, or I would have been confused the entire day! It turns out that those numbers, which looked like hours to me, are actually "periods" and are inclusive. So 7-9 means seventh, eight, and ninth period! That also means that a class from 5-7 conflicts with a class from 7-9. And it also means that the classes I thought were one hour long were actually two hours long. And the classes I thought were from 1-2 were actually from 8-10 AM! So I had to dash out of the house in a big hurry after reading her e-mail, but fortunately I was only a few minutes late, and it's shopping period so many people were later than I.

I did have to sit near the back. And I confess I barely understood a word. The class was "The History of Chinese Historical Study," and seemed very wide-ranging, based on the names I recognized. But it was very hard to get a sense of what was going on, as there were no written materials whatsoever, and the professor spoke rather too softly. Next time, I must go early and get a seat at the front, if I keep going at all. Another problem was that what he wrote on the board was so cursive that I could only read about half of it.

The second class was a complete contrast. It was a Chinese department class, "On the Use of Chinese Research Tools," and was designed for foreigners. By foreigners, I do not mean Westerners. I think I was the only Westerner there. That meant that the professor spoke more clearly and with more explanations, and also wrote a lot of things on the board--in a nice, non-cursive hand. I understood practically every word, and what I didn't understand I could guess. Of course, the content was also much easier. Still, I learned a few interesting things. Also, the professor of this course was the one I had originally come to study with, YHz. She recognized me from our awkward meeting last spring, and was much more friendly and open on this occasion. We chatted for five or ten minutes in the break between classes, and she added kindly, as everyone does, that if I had any questions or troubles I should feel free to e-mail her. I wonder if they mean that when they say it. But I will probably do it anyway.

I had to leave her three-hour class an hour early (after apologizing to her and obtaining her permission) to make it to the third class I was trying out, a graduate class on Ancient Chinese History. I don't think I will be continuing with this one. It had the feeling of everyone sizing each other up, a tremendous awareness of status depending on how far along you were, what your subject was, who your teacher was, and so on. The professor made little in-group nods and winks to certain of his favorites. And none of that would have been a problem--I am completely outside of it anyway, as a one-year visiting student, so why should I care--except for there was little content outside of that. The first half of the class was spent listing famous professors who belonged to the research center this professor was promoting, and the second half of the class was devoted to a long narrative (what amounted to a chronological biography) of this professor's teacher, ending with an important lesson the teacher had taught him--the four keys of history are 1) bureaucratic titles, 2) chronology, 3) historical geography, and 4) bibliography. "The study of history is exactly the study of historical materials." As my advisor MK said to me later, the History Department here is very traditional. It's not that there's nothing to learn from them, just that they aren't really talking about such interesting things, and what I could learn from them I could learn less time-consumingly from a book. Also, it seems that the entire content of the course will be guest lectures by older professors coming in to talk about their experiences as Chinese historians. Clearly appropriate for people who are in the loop and worried about teacher-disciple filiations, interested in meeting these famous old guys…not so appropriate for me. During the middle part between the two parts of the class, we had to introduce ourselves and I was completely terrified. No particular reaction to my existence except the professor asked, "You're a visiting student?" "Yes." "Okay, next."

One student did talk to me for a bit, though. I learned that he does Liao and Jin history--I mentioned my friend JS and how he is interested in the same period because he loves reading the novels of Jin Yong, which got a good laugh. I have never read the novels of Jin Yong myself, but JS has talked about them a lot. He is a popular historical fiction author who writes martial arts novels about the Liao-Jin period, and everyone knows him whether they like him or not. Anyway, this guy who talked to me was focusing on one particular ministerial position in on particular section of the Jin bureaucracy. I was pleased that I was able to understand what he was saying. On the other hand, I am so glad I am not trying to get a degree in this department. I would never make it.

There seems to be a rule that all the class time be used, even on the first day. By the end of the third hour of hearing about the four keys (in great detail) and this professor's teacher, I was ready to die of hunger and thirst and having to go to the bathroom. I have found one nearly first-world bathroom on campus, so I went to use that. Had some sour plum juice, which was really tasty--a bit like cranberry cocktail--and a hamburger. Yeah I know, but I didn't feel like standing in a long line and trying to order unfamiliar food. I just haven't got the cafeterias figured out yet. Then I went home and chatted with Colin for a while, read a bit of reptile-related news on National Geographic, and finally spent the last couple minutes of consciousness I had left studying the Chinese handwriting book I had brought with me. Why oh why had I not been reading it all summer? I am a fool.

The problem is that professors tend not to say the particularly important things. If they have something important to say, they turn around and write it on the board, mumbling the content in a low voice as they write. And they have beautiful, calligraphic…cursive…handwriting. I copied the scribbles as best I could in hope of later decipherment. It would be even more effective if I could take pictures of the board that I could later puzzle over, but I'm afraid that would attract too much attention and unfortunately I don't have a spy camera. So I better get down to work with the handwriting book. MK says I should take a calligraphy class somewhere, and insists I should work on my Chinese immediately.

I really can't write anymore, as I have to get ready for another long day of classes. Students here tend to take seven or eight classes at least, because they don't really have readings or homework in the same way that our classes do. The professors really do impart information rather than just lightly discussing readings that are supposed to impart information. Besides, even if they did have homework, I as an auditor wouldn't (possibly wouldn't even be allowed to) do it, so I can do what I like. And I figure I might as well do a broad survey, get a good sense of what courses here are like by going to every possible one, before choosing the ones I will eventually sit in on. They ALL seem to be big lectures, so it's no problem.

One more word about the classrooms: rows of chairs with one long table in front of each row, tiny cubbies under the table top for your bag. The chairs and the tables are so close together that if you want to get into the middle everyone along the way has to stand up for you. But not so close that it's a comfortable writing distance. Everything creaks and bangs and generally makes loud noises when you even move. Also, heavy construction is going on outside the open windows, sometimes drowning out the professor's voice. The sound of the new China. They must get so tired of it.