Westward Ho!

Strange things happen in China. A year in one of China's "Most Livable" eastern cities caused me to develop, ironically, an interest in Central Asia and the Russian language, leading me westward to China's land of desert, mountains, Uighurs, and of course, lamb chuanr.

I'm living in Shihezi (Rock River City) in Xinjiang Province, and teaching at Shihezi University. It's a PiA post, but I'm not actually a PiA fellow this year, so I'm looking forward to the arrival of the two real fellows, who, including me and a study abroad student, will constitute the 4 Americans that I know of here.

Here's a view of Shihezi from my apartment:



And zoom in to the mountains I stare wistfully at every morning.



According to the information about Shihezi that the university sent to me: "50 years ago, there was only stop station for minorities herding animals, reed grows everywhere, sandstorm is heavy, and there were many wild beasts."

But then (cue heroic music), a Chinese military corps "came from the smog, and with the dust of travel, gun in one hand and plough in the other hand" to, as the Han Chinese say, 'liberate' Xinjiang. And thus in 1950 the "shining pearl" of Shihezi was settled. The city of Shihezi was officially built in 1976, and has now earned the name "Garden City" (but what can beat Shining Pearl?) with its green coverage rate of 40%.

And for a city that's between two deserts, it's certainly green. All the streets are tree-lined, making walking in the dry summer heat a pleasant experience. The university campus is beautiful as well.





Due to visa issues, I've arrived in time to start teaching during the 2nd week of classes, amid freshman military training.  This phenomenon happens on all Chinese university campuses, but I didn't write much about it last year.  It's a necessary indoctrination session that lasts several weeks, delaying the start of their classes (and thus some of mine as well!).



Tomorrow I'll start teaching a survey of English-speaking countries (really only England and America, due to time constraints) to sophomores.  This is my first content class ever - it'll be an interesting challenge.  I'm going to try to use it as an opportunity to expose my students to important things, like jazz and Radiohead.  This is the building that I teach in:



Beats DUT by a long shot!  And now allow me a teacher moment:  here's one of my classrooms.  (Check this out, Teacher Kim.  Movable desks...amazing!)



I think I'm going to enjoy this place, at least before winter hits. Meanwhile, I've got to tear myself away from daydreams about hiking around here and traveling to my closest international neighbors, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan...and start lesson planning!