ChinaJim meets the Whisperer

The Whisperer grabs some time between nursery drop-off and vet appointments to chat to ChinaJim .

[09:48:03] Whisperer says: It is 16 months you've been in China now?

[09:48:30] ChinaJim says: Just counting on my fingers - yes, about 16 months

[09:48:47] Whisperer says: How many job titles have you had in that time?

[09:49:24] ChinaJim says: Just the one official job title, but I've been offered lots of others!

[09:49:40] Whisperer says: The official one - husband to ChinaJane?

[09:50:18] ChinaJim says: It wasn't the one I was thinking of but, you're right, that is a full-time workload

[09:50:48] Whisperer says: What is your workload now - describe an average day for me.

[09:52:13] ChinaJim says: Well, workday mornings are spent attending three hours of language study at the local university. In the afternoons I do some self-study and some official work (looking after other language students here)

[09:54:12] Whisperer says: How easy do you find it to get down to self-study?

[09:55:08] ChinaJim says: I think I'm quite disciplined in studying with my books. My main problem is common to most males - I don't like going out and talking to people! This is obviously important if learning a language

[09:55:34] Whisperer says: How do you get over that?

[09:56:40] ChinaJim says: A mixture of strong coffee, prayer, and a nagging wife...

[09:57:17] Whisperer says: Seriously, you must be able to hold fairly fluent conversations in Mandarin now.

[09:58:45] ChinaJim says: Well I have intermediate-high Chinese so I can get around day-to-day. However I am still often frustrated by the limits of my vocabulary and inability to discuss things at a deeper level. I can only recognise 1000 characters, so I have a bit to go in my reading too!

[09:59:03] Whisperer says: How does ChinaJane compare?

[10:00:41] ChinaJim says: My wife is disgustingly good at language, and is learning a lot faster than me. Must be because she is not afraid of going out and talking! However we expected that she would progress quicker than me, so I was prepared for this and it is not too big a stress. Instead I can ask her to do things I don't yet know how to do!

[10:01:40] Whisperer says: I always found it hard trying to find the words to describe how I wanted my hair cut. Does Kirsty go with you to the barber?

[10:03:23] ChinaJim says: Well for you and me both, haircuts are becoming less of a necessity! I don't need Kirsty's help for that one. All I need to tell them is shorter please; shorter please; shorter please...

[10:04:22] Whisperer says: What are your most frustrating experiences when lack of language has inhibited communication?

[10:08:32] ChinaJim says: I think the most frustrating experiences are when I know the words to use but they still don't understand what I am saying. For example, I might try to order a dish in a restaurant but they don't understand what I am asking for. I know my pronunciation and tones are correct but they still stare at me blankly!

[10:09:12] Whisperer says: Yes, and then you just end up ordering chicken and peanuts yet again!

[10:09:30] ChinaJim says: Well, I quite like chicken and peanuts...

[10:10:08] Whisperer says: Do you normally eat out, or do you cook for yourselves most days?

[10:12:04] ChinaJim says: We are quite lazy and eat out most of the time. When it costs 23p for a bowl of noodles, than it's cheaper to eat out than to eat in.

[10:13:06] Whisperer says: Is it normally just the two of you, or do you entertain?

[10:14:06] ChinaJim says: We sometimes invite friends out for food, either in a restaurant or at our home. Sharing a meal is very important in this culture.

[10:15:05] Whisperer says: Who are your friends? Fellow expat students, or Chinese friends?

[10:16:39] ChinaJim says: We have a mixture of friends, both expat and Chinese. The Chinese friends are usually introduced to us via other friends. All our teachers and tutors are Chinese, so it is natural for us to make friends with them too.

[10:17:22] Whisperer says: Who is your best friend?

[10:18:37] ChinaJim says: My best Chinese friend is probably a guy called Lucas. He comes over at least once a week to hang out and chat. He also helps me out if I need to go and buy something, or sort out some problem that's arisen.

[10:19:58] Whisperer says: Can you give us an insight, perhaps from Lucas, about how the Chinese population is feeling about the earthquake/floods/snowstorms, etc.

[10:22:08] ChinaJim says: The earthquake is still the defining event in recent history for most of our Chinese friends. They refer to it as 5/12. I think for most the major feeling is one of fear - they fear another earthquake and even now some people are still camping outside in tents.

[10:22:23] Whisperer says: Even where you live (almost 400 miles away)?

[10:22:36] ChinaJim says: Yep, in our local park.

[10:23:06] Whisperer says: Is fear of earthquakes overshadowing expectation of the Olympics?

[10:24:51] ChinaJim says: I still hear people talking more about the earthquake than the Olympics! However, the longer that it has been since the earthquake, the more attention is turning towards the games. The Olympics had better go well, or there will be a lot of angry Chinese folk around...

[10:25:16] Whisperer says: What are you planning for the Olympics?

[10:27:30] ChinaJim says: Well, we have a short-term team coming out this summer to teach English. Hopefully they will be able to use the Olympic theme to do various sports and activities with their students. Then, we will have a brief holiday (far away from the chaos of Beijing) before welcoming some new long-termers who will arrive in August. Unfortunately for us, life will continue much as normal.

[10:28:56] Whisperer says: Time is rushing to a close and I must take my dog to the vet - some quick questions. Giant pandas or koala bears?

[10:29:14] ChinaJim says: Giant pandas

[10:29:32] Whisperer says: What's wrong with cute and cuddly koalas?

[10:29:44] ChinaJim says: Not enough meat on them

[10:30:25] Whisperer says: Leviticus or Proverbs?

[10:33:46] ChinaJim says: Leviticus. It has a better structure than Proverbs and more action scenes.

[10:33:57] Whisperer says: If you could revisit one special day from your time in China, which day would it be?

[10:35:14] ChinaJim says: The day the whisperer came to visit - oh wait, that hasn't happened yet... Umm, doing short-term team debriefings in Beijing last summer. It's great to see what God is doing in the lives of young people

[10:35:48] Whisperer says: And what will be the best day in the next 18 months?

[10:36:50] ChinaJim says: Umm, my 30th birthday because I am sure the missus will buy amazing presents...

[10:37:11] Whisperer says: Final question - how does it feel to be one of the hundred and one of the nine hundred ?

[10:38:03] ChinaJim says: It's good to know I'm just another statistic...