TheBanyanTree: Transition, Part 8

[Pat M]

Transition, Part 8





Amy, Mrs. Zhang and I sat huddled over our meals, shivering and miserable.
My hands were so cold I was having trouble using my chopsticks and bits of
food I had dropped littered the table around my bowl.

Buckland Lintong English College, a three-story concrete structure, had
suddenly become as cold as a tomb. The Xian area of Shaanxi (pronounced
Shanshee) Province in central China is subject to extreme temperatures. In
summer, the area broils. In winter, bitter north-westerly winds carrying
microscopic loess soil blow in from the Gobi desert causing temperatures to
plunge.

It was only October but it was as if winter had already arrived. In spite of
several layers of clothing, I was cold, so cold, and it was impossible to
warm up. My whole body ached as if the chill had permeated every muscle and
bone. It didn't make sense to me that I should feel so cold; I am, after
all, from Canada and used to low temperatures. I am also used to being able
to turn on the heat whenever I want to, but that isn't an option in China.

Many buildings here have regulated hot water radiators that are only
operational for four months of the year—from mid-November to March. My
apartment has them in every room but they are astronomically expensive, even
for me who earns a decent wage, and I won't be using them. Public schools
heat their classrooms with radiators, but Buckland Lintong English College
is not equipped with them. The thought of spending time in such bitter-cold
surroundings left me feeling very disgruntled.

"We need some electric heaters in here," I grumbled. "This is ridiculous."

"There's an air conditioner in Alice's office and another in one of the
classrooms that can be used as heaters," Amy said.

"Are we allowed to turn them on?"

"She (Alice, the principal) hasn't said anything yet," Amy replied grimly.

"What about the rest of the building? What about your bedrooms? Do you have
heaters?"

"No," Amy said with a wry smile.

"Well, I'll have a talk with her and see if I can convince her to buy a
heater for each of you for your bedroom."

Amy shook her head.

"You can try but I don't think she'll listen. In the summer (when
temperatures are in the upper 30s and lower 40s C), I asked if I could have
a fan and she told me to open the window."

My opinion of Alice plummeted. How could she be so heartless that she
demanded her Chinese employees live and work at the college 24/7 without any
days off or the comforts of heat, air conditioning or hot water while paying
them a pathetic wage that excluded their being able to afford anything
except the most basic necessities? In some respects Amy and Mrs. Zhang were
even worse off than the poorest in Guatemala who were at least able to build
a fire in their homes for warmth. The situation upset me so much that I
wasn't sure I could continue to work for Alice once my contract was
completed.  Even if I decided to stay in China, I'd probably move to a
different school.





***



       Alice lives in Xian and rarely stops in at the college as it's a 45
minute drive each way. Since the onset of cold weather her visits have
become even more infrequent. We are lucky to see her once a week for an
hour. When she visited the school this week, it was so cold she left after
half an hour. I watched her shiver as she packed up her things and thought
it was an ideal time to bring up the need for heaters for Amy and Mrs.
Zhang.

"It's been so cold in here," I said. "I'm worried about Amy and Mrs. Zhang.
They need a heater for their bedrooms. It will be freezing soon."

       Alice's eyes narrowed.

"In China, many people do not have heat," she said. "I don't have a heater
in my bedroom here at the college (but she never stays long, let alone
overnight). If you are cold, you can use my office. Use the air
conditioner."

And that was that; she made no mention that Amy or Mrs. Zhang could also use
her office.

       Later, when she was gone I said to Amy, "Well, I tried, and I'll try
again another day. You need heaters."

"Please, please, please," Amy said through chattering teeth.

That evening when I returned to my apartment I looked longingly at the two
air conditioners that with the touch of a button would warm my home and
me—but I couldn't press them. It wasn't right that I had the option of being
comfortable and my friends did not. I felt sick about the injustice of it
and wracked my brain for solutions—I would tell Amy and Mrs. Zhang they
could sleep in my apartment too, I had the space—but I knew it wouldn't work
because Alice phones the college regularly to check up on them.

If Alice refused to buy them heaters, I decided, I'd buy them. It was the
only way I'd be able to turn on the heat in my apartment without thinking
and being upset about Amy's and Mrs. Zhang's unfair treatment and poor
living conditions. I knew I couldn't change their lives significantly but I
wanted to do all I could to help them.

A black thought crossed my mind. Even if I bought heaters, Alice might not
allow Amy and Mrs. Zhang to use them because of the increase to the
college's monthly electricity bill.

The next time there was a good opportunity, I would approach Alice. I would
express thanks for how well she treated me and, as diplomatically as I
could, I would point out that she did not treat Amy and Mrs. Zhang the same.
I would offer to buy them heaters provided she allowed their use.



***



I used my free time to shop for warm clothing. Everywhere I looked there
were men's and women's long underwear sets in a multitude of fabrics, colors
and price ranges. Wearing long underwear tops and bottoms under their
clothing is one of the ways the Chinese people deal with the low
temperatures and the high price of heat; I suspect every one wears them.
Finding some that fit me wasn't easy though as I am a size XXXL in China
(I'm a medium in Canada) and most shops don't carry that size.  Eventually I
purchased a men's long john set to sleep in (function over fashion for me)
and managed to find a pair of very stylish satin long johns with a toasty
warm fleece lining that I wear under my slacks.

The temperature inside the college was colder than the outside temperature,
perhaps because of the concrete. After several days of misery, Mrs. Zhang
bought a bucket-sized coal burner that she set up in the reception area. As
long as there is some ventilation, it can be used but it is very small and
only takes the chill out of the air in close proximity to it.

Someone, either Amy or Mrs. Zhang, is expected to be 'on duty' in the
reception area at all times, so they sit near the coal burner. Amy sometimes
carries around a tiny hot water bottle to keep her hands warm. When she
shared it with me, it felt so good that the next time I went shopping I
bought a large hot water bottle for each of us to put in our beds at night.

Since Amy and Mrs. Zhang have not been given permission to use Alice's air
conditioner//heater, they anxiously await my arrival every day. As soon as I
get there, I make a beeline for Alice's office, turn on the heat and shut
the door. Whenever they can, Amy and Mrs. Zhang join me. Nowadays, we eat
our meals in comfort on Alice's coffee table.
I hold all of my classes in the classroom with the air conditioner/heater
and ten minutes before class starts, I bolt downstairs, turn on the heat and
fly back to Alice's office. By the time class begins, the room is cozy and
warm, and the students are greeted and taught by a happy teacher.
The extreme cold lasted about ten days. Then, as quickly as winter had come,
it retreated and fall took its place, bringing with it clear blue skies and
mild temperatures. It seemed too good to be true and for the first few days,
I wore my winter clothing expecting a reappearance of frigid temperatures.
Finally, I shed my long underwear, turtlenecks and fleece and wore
light-weight clothing again. The sun shone every day and the lack of heat at
the college was no longer critically important.

But as always, there was a new problem. My computer, the only link I had to
my family and friends, died. There had been numerous problems with it since
the beginning and the technician had made several trips to my apartment but
when Amy called him this time, he refused to come. He said the computer was
too old and he wasn't available to work on it anymore.

Alice told Amy she wasn't going to replace it so I called Frank, who had
been suggesting Alice buy me a new computer from the start.
      "We need to deal with these problems one at a time," I said. "Since
it's not cold right now, let's get the computer issue resolved first, and
then we can deal with the lack of heat at the college."

***


-- 
China photos can be viewed at

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/China

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/China2