Pingxiang

Carrie is an English teacher in a middle school in Pingxiang, Jiangxi.  She is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  As of Jan 2005, she has been teaching in Pingxiang for one year. 

One question I have been asked many times is about the population of Pingxiang.  I don't know if anyone really knows the correct answer.  According to a book given to another foreign teacher (FT), the estimated population is 600,000.  I know it says on the website 1.7 million.  I have been told anywhere from 300,000 to 2 million.  You must remember that any information is regulated by the government, and many people here have more than one child.  After the first, the others are not counted as people.

The class divisions here range from rich to very poor.  Most of the very rich are government officials and businessmen.  I teach an elite government program.  Therefore most of my students are rich and have bought their way into the program.  It doesn't matter if they fail or not.  Their parents will just pay the school and the students will pass.  An example of cost of living would be teachers make 900 rmb per month and while they don't have a lot, they get by.  I make 3500 rmb per month, so I can buy what is available to me. Most FT's will make over 5000 rmb per month in China.  But things are cheaper in Pingxiang so I do fine. 

There is no real western medicine here.  The hospitals are a joke, and I have been very lucky not to become seriously ill while in Pingxiang.  I did break my ankle a few months back.  However, they do not have the proper medical equipment here, so it never set right.  But believe me, the hospital is not a place you want to spend time.  Scary would be an understatement. One of my Chinese friends is a surgeon, (he never went to medical school)

The Chinese people are the least spiritual group of people I have ever met.  Now, a few of them will say they are Buddhist, but they are not really strong followers.  But I think this is because everything they know and are taught is strictly monitored and controlled.  Free thought is frowned on and discouraged. Open Chinese Christians are regularly arrested.  Many facts of the world are completely distorted.  Even among educated people, they refuse to believe anything that goes against what they are told.

The weather in Pingxiang is warm to hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  There is no central heating nor is there insulation.  I am in my apartment wearing gloves and looking at my breath.  It did snow a few days, but even the snow came down dirty.  Due to the coal factories and such, the air in incredibly dirty.  Many days I can't see through the smog.

For the most part the Chinese people have been very kind.  This is because I have blond hair and very pale skin.  Many schools refuse to employ teachers from Africa.  If they end up with an African, it has been my experience that they are driven out of Pingxiang.  I won't even get into some of the things I have seen done to my friends from Africa, but it is very sad.

Many provinces in China have their own dialect; however Pingxiang has its own.  Many people here don't even speak Mandarin, so they don't travel much.

The Chinese culture is all about "face", so it was hard at first to understand what the heck was happening. Because of the "face" issue, they feel the need to lie often.  This is completely acceptable in Chinese culture. 

Of course there are many other things I can tell you.  I guess the thing about China is you have to live here for a while to really understand it.  The things I see on a regular basis would shock you.  I admire you for adopting from China and giving those kids a better life.

When I told my teacher friends about foreigners adopting Chinese babies, they didn't believe me!  To them it is an impossible idea.  I guess because it is so hush-hush, they can't accept the idea.  Therefore, it doesn't happen.

All this being said, I will miss China.  If I come back some day, I doubt I will come to Pingxiang, but I would love to see a few other cities again.

"Pingxiang is a small town, by Chinese standards. Jiangxi, is one of the poorest provinces in China.  I am currently the only white person here."

"I found some pictures I took of the outskirts of Pingxiang. This is a "nice" place in the countryside, and one or two are the view from my apartment."

Country Road	Country Backyard
Countryside Dining Room	Countryside Kitchen
Lush Countryside	Countryside Buildings
Pantry	Room With a View
Same Room - Different View	Pingxiang City
Pingxiang City Buildings	Traditional Chinese Hairstyle

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