Today, I was completely surprised when I got a phone call 30 minutes before I was scheduled to go in to work at 7pm. The phone call was from Duke (my boss’ assistant who handles all the placement for the coaches) telling me that I was supposed to coach a camp in Ditan that started at 6pm. He told me to hurry because I was already late (for something I didn’t know I was supposed to go to). So, I got up the courage to take a taxi almost by myself since Duke had told me to call him back when I got to the taxi and he’d give the drive directions. This process was long and difficult for two reasons: (1) Duke wasn’t there to direct the taxi along the way so he had to tell him everything at once and (2) some taxi drivers refuse foreigners. It may sound strange that taxi drivers refuse to drive foreigners and I thought that maybe it was for reasons that related to stereotypes and discrimination, but it’s actually done for much less offensive reasons: because they want to keep their jobs. The interesting thing about Chinese workers and managers is that they take their responsibilities very seriously, and it’s the driver’s responsibility to get the passengers where they’re supposed to go. Because of the this and the vast amount of people in Beijing looking for work, the driver who makes a mistake and takes someone (especially a foreigner) to the wrong location will be fired and replaced in a matter of hours if not less. So, I was lucky to find a brave person who was willing to take me. When I got to the camp, I was frantic and nervous for two reasons: (1) because I was an hour late and (2) because it was my first time coaching by myself, without someone peering over my shoulder or telling me what to do. I went up to the roof of the building where the basketball court I was coaching on was located and started coaching like a “pro.” The camp had already started, and the assistant coach had already led the team in doing through the warm-up drills and stretching, so I just jumped right in.
I began by introducing my as the coach for the camp, and told them exactly what I expected from them. I told them that I expected them to listen, pay attention, and hold the balls whenever Coach Sweet (my assistant coach and translator) or I am giving instruction. Because of the language barrier, I came up with a way for them to know that it’s time to listen without screaming to the top of my lungs every time. I gave them two whistle commands- one blow of the whistle tells them to start a drill and two short blows tell them to stop and pay attention- and they seemed to understand. Unlike “regular” basketball practice in which the players and the coach speak the same language, I had to coach the kids at the camp both directly and indirectly. I directly coached them by demonstrating what I wanted them to do while talking, in English, through it as I did each move. Then, Coach Sweet would translate. The unique thing about this camp is that the players are supposed to learn English through basketball. My method for doing this is what I like to call “killing two birds with one stone”: while teaching them the moves, I also tell them to repeat after me. This allows for the players to learn them moves and to directly connect the words to memory- this is especially helpful for tactile learners. I have observed a few different coaches since I’ve been here and I saw the English teaching being done in a number of different ways and found this one to be effective. Many of the children who come to these camps have never played basketball before, so they must have some way of understanding the foreign concepts that they are being talk in a foreign language. For example, when teaching the players to shoot a right-handed lay-up, I would tell them to say “right, left, shoot,” and each word corresponds with an action. When they say “right”, they step with their right foot; “left,” their left foot; and “shoot,” they shot the ball. I continued by teaching them how to get into a defensive stance, allowing for a call-and-response as I told them what each body part should be doing while in the defensive stance (knees- bent; feet- shoulder width; arms- out, ect.). We ended the first day of camp much like the each camp is scheduled to end—we played a game and huddled up to reward the hardest worker of the day. The “hardest worker” usually gets a Show 1 wrist band and everyone claps for him/her (there aren’t any girls at my camp and there are only a few at the others), which is encouraging , especially for kids who have never played basketball before.

One of the key things that Show 1 strives to instill in its coaches and players is to dream (the other two are love and passion) because most of the students who come to Show 1 will never play organized basketball outside of the Show 1 camps. You see, in China playing sports requires that you go to a sports school starting at a very young age. Most children don’t get to pick their sport because the schools want to ensure success. In order to do this, the children’s measurements are taken and genetic factors are considered (such as the parents’ heights) and they are placed in the sport that best suits their bodies and will produce the most success. (For example, a child who is tall and has long arms may be a basketball player or a swimmer- whatever s/he is best at.) It usually doesn’t matter if the child loves or is passionate about the sport as long as s/he is good at it. The students at the Show 1 camps are fully aware of this practice, but they choose to pursue the sport because they love it, which allows them to dream for the two hours-a-day they are there. Also, you can’t play professional basketball or any sport in China without having a degree in that sport from a university. If that was so in America, we could kiss two of the NBA’s best players- LeBron James and Kobe Bryant- goodbye.

After the camp, I rushed back to the Renmin camp where I had been the rest of the week because it was the last day of the camp (day eight), and I really wanted to see them one last time as they received their certificates. The camp was over at 9pm, so I had just enough time to get there by subway since my camp was over at 8pm. I rushed over and got there just in time to see the last drill. So, I went an sat down near the kids I had coached all week, and this one little kid, to my surprise, came up to me and said in perfect English, “Teacher, are you hurt?”.I was confused for a moment but said “No. Why?”. He responded, “You are not hurt?”. Then I understood: he thought that I must have been hurt to miss camp and was a little saddened but glad that I got to see them before the camp was finished. I proceeded to take some pictures with them after it was done and went home to shower and go to bed. Another long day. . .

Today was less eventful in the beginning because my stomach had to recover from all the junk I put in it yesterday. I know I mentioned it before, but as a reminder, eating American fast food is not the best idea in China. I was supposed to get a massage, but I didn’t know if I could do it given my “situation.” But, as I was getting settled again, my co-workers wanted to play basketball so I decided to join them. I put on my last clean pair of basketball shorts, socks, and one of many T-shirts and prepared to leave as I remembered that I had told one of the Zimbabweans, Christian, that I would tell him whenever we were going to play basketball. So, I went to get Christian and told my co-workers I’d meet them downstairs in the lobby. When I went to get Christian from his “cursed” floor (he lives on the fourth floor, and 4 is a cursed number in China because it also means death when pronounced with a different tone), the most pleasant noise invaded my ears as I heard a few of the Zimbabwean guys singing as one guy and a girl danced to the music. It was the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen because I could tell that the dancing was innocent, without expectation of anything more. As I was eavesdropping, another guy, Tawana, came out and started teaching me some words in one of his native languages as I waited for Christian to change- it was so cool. Then Christian came out and we met my co-workers to play a game of 21 and a 3 on 2 game for an hour because it was all we could take playing on the outdoor court. I left drenched, tired, and feeling a little frustrated because of the heat. It’s a different type of heat in China that’s hard to describe, so I wouldn’t advise anyone to go do ANYTHING at 1 in the afternoon. I got back to my room and took a shower and wanted to sleep but couldn’t because the sun was so bright, so I decided that I needed to leave knowing that my roommate had already left with the only key to our suite. After walking around the building for no apparent reason, I went back up to my locked room and one of the workers took me back downstairs to a person who would unlock my door. But, when I got back up there with the person, my door was open, so I decided to try to talk to the workers who were cleaning my room about where I could get a phone. This proved to be somewhat fruitless because of the language barrier, but one of them disappeared and reappeared with several more workers, two of whom could speak English. It was the most amazing sight in the world, watching them all work together to help me. One of them even agreed to take me to the supermarket to buy a phone ( the supermarket is kind of like a mall with food in it). We walked to the market after she got off, got a phone for 200 RMB (about $25), and rushed back so I could make it to work on time. We both took the bus for the first time, and we got back in a fraction of the time. I was glad to be to work on time and also to work with the big kids first for most of the camp on something I know a good deal about- defense. We worked hard and all the kids got Show 1 basketballs (the company I’m working for attempts to mimic And 1 in America) and a few asked me and Joe (my co-worker and head coach for the camp) to sign it. It was amazing that they would do such a thing, but it just shows their level of gratitude for education of any sort. They appreciated our presence and instruction because it allowed them to dream, if only for that moment, that they could actually play basketball professionally in China or elsewhere (it’s a dream because, unlike in America, aspiring professional athletes must be skilled enough to qualify for and attend college to even be considered ). The last day of camp is tomorrow, so I hope the review session goes smoothly…

The next day I was exhausted when I woke up I was more exhausted than when I fell asleep, but I was still excited because I was going to get a chance to get my hair done. This meant two things: (1) I didn’t have to walk around with my hair jacked up and (2) I would get to learn more about Zimbabwe and its culture. My favorite part about traveling has always been meeting new people and seeing how everyone is basically the same even though we live in completely different places. That’s definitely a plus whenever I go to different places even within the US because there is such a difference between people who, say, live in the north vs. the south or the east versus the west. Anyway, back to the topic… As I was getting my hair done, Marvon and Tandi and I talked about the cultural and other differences between Zimbabwe and China, America and China, and Zimbabwe and America. We all agreed that the sales people at the Pearl Market on Silk Street were very pushy—they would grab you (especially if you were a foreigner) to make you buy stuff from them—but how they had no malicious intent. One thing that’s a little different at the Pearl Market (usually referred to as the Silk Market) in China than in America is that there’s a different type of competition here. Salespeople in America would never get away with pulling people around to get them to buy stuff and neither would sales people in regular stores in China. But, at the Silk Market, it’s rather common because the shops are so close together that they feel like they have to “grab” your attention before the next person’s shop does. We also talked about the government in Zimbabwe and the fact that’s it’s winter over there right now. Also, contrary to popular belief that ALL countries in Africa are very hot, they told me that Zimbabwe rarely gets over 29 degrees Celsius (about 80 degrees F) in any season. After talking for two hours, which is how long it took her to twist my hair, I was hungry, so I went to my room and my roommate and I went to Subway. Oh yeah, I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but American fast food in China is not the best way to go. My sweet onion, chicken teriyaki sub tasted pretty good though. We made the 15 minute walk back to my hotel-like dorm at Renmin (never get tired of that), and proceeded to eat my sub while watching some lude American movie that I would only watch in a foreign country. I went to camp from 7pm to 9pm and had a great time because I got to coach the big kids by myself for the first time, and it was a lot of fun because they already knew the basics that I was still attempting to teach the older ones. It was great! (for a summer thing because I wouldn’t necessarily do that for a living). I got back home around 9:30pm and went to the night street “market” that’s set up in front of the American fast food restaurants every night for two reasons: (1) because foreigners like to buy cheap stuff no matter the quality and (2) because it’s too hot in the day time to do it. Anyway, after a very long day took my McDonald’s food home, ate, showered, and crashed for the night. Tomorrow I’ll do it again…

Today is my younger brother’s birthday. He just turned 18 years old, and I really wanted to be there with him today but couldn’t. And because he doesn’t have a computer or a Skype account I couldn’t even contact him, but I’ll get him something “rare” from here to make up for it since I’m more certain of the camp I’ll be at. I’ve been bouncing around from camp to camp as an assistant coach for a few days, but for the past couple days, I got a chance to coach on my own. I was relieved when I found out that I had to help Joe (one of my co-workers who’s a P.E. teacher in Chicago) with his camp at Renmin University in Beijing because I knew I would get to work with smaller children with lower skill level. The first day alone was terrible because the kids were acting their ages (6-12)—they weren’t listening, were getting distracted by the bigger kids, and they were talking. After practice I was so tired that I didn’t even feel like going out to dinner, so I made a cup of noodles, watched the movie Wedding Crashers on my laptop, and took my hair down. I was so happy to rest and excited because I knew that I would get my hair done the next day by this girl named Marvon from Zimbabwe. (Side Note: We live in the building for international students at Renmin, so there are people here from various countries around the world, most of whom are studying Chinese at the University for the summer.) I don’t usually stay up really late, but it really paid off that night because I finally got to talk to my mom, aunt, and grandmother on Skype for the first time since I’ve been here.

I've been contemplating writing a blog for quite some time, but it always seemed like something got in the way of that- not enough time, resources, ect. However, God has given me a terrific opportunity to do so while I'm in Beijing and to think about life and consider its true worth with some time to spare. Anyway, let me tell you about some of my experiences. When I arrived here about four days ago (technically four because China's 12 hours ahead) I was a little apprehensive. I wasn't afraid of the unfamiliar but the familiar. You see, I visited China 2 years ago for three weeks ( I left a week before the Olympics), and the one thing I remembered about Beijing was how crappy the air was then with only half the factories running. Because I knew that so much stuff had been done to "improve" the Beijing environment for the Olympics, I knew that things would be different. However, when I got here, I adjusted well to the always smoggy air from Wednesday until the present. The sun did not come out for the first few days, but it was fine with me because I know how hot it gets in Beijing. The sun came out today though (Sunday), and I was highly upset, especially after the long day and night I had yesterday. After being told that we wouldn't begin working until tomorrow (Monday), we were suddenly called in yesterday and told that some of us had to leave immediately and others had to coach in a few hours- I was one of the ones who had to coach in a few hours. I was frantic by that point because I still hadn't bought any basketball shoes or shoes to coach in, so I left with the two who had to leave immediately and went looking for a shoe store. By the way, if your're ever in a foreign country and don't speak the language, this is NEVER a good idea. I was walking around on the street near the university hotel I was staying in (Renmin University) asking people if they spoke English, and I kept coming up short. So, I finally decided to take the subway since I was at least familiar with it I remembered the stop for the Pearl Market in Silk Street in downtown Beijing- too bad I didn't remember much else. But, I went and the Lord had to have been on my side because I suddenly remembered the stops as I was looking at the half Chinese characters, half American letters map. I got onto the crowded train and transferred from line four to line two until I found someone from Africa who spoke English and Chinese and was familiar with Beijing. She told me how to get there, and, after traveling for an hour already, I was there in minutes. I went to the market, bargained my shoes down to 100 RMB (about $13), and went back to my temporary home at Renmin, taking only two trains this time from line one to line four. I was so proud of myself when I got to the hotel with 45 minutes to spare, so I got ready and waited with another coach to be picked up by our Chinese assistant coach. We walked over and coached hard for 2 hours and went to dinner for another 3 hours. Needless to say, by the end of the night, I was EXHAUSTED. . .

About the trip....

Darlington native and Columbia College student Tempestt Gavins will teach English abroad in Shanghai this summer from July 5 to August. A graduate and valedictorian of Darlington High School, Gavins feels her love for English as a subject will be put to good use in China. “I really began to love literature and writing so much that I felt like I could instill that same love and that same joy into my students as my teachers did me,” Gavins says.

She learned about the abroad program through email and received feedback within two weeks of applying. The program is through the United Chinese Culture Center in Columbia, and Gavins will have a ‘Teaching English as a Second Language’ certificate.

Gavins, who previously traveled to China in 2008, says she is both excited and anxious. Her main source of nervousness is how she will adjust to a new language.

“I’m not fluent in Mandarin, and I’m just learning the language so I have a little bit of nervousness about it, but I know God led the way so He will take me there,” Gavins says. “I know there will be more training, so that makes me less nervous.”

She is excited about getting to travel and having the opportunity to have an impact and to learn from other cultures. One of the villages she visited on her first trip was standing in the aftermath of an earthquake, but the spirit and the attitudes of the locals were positive when they arrived. “I went there as a regular American teenager with all the luxuries that some of them don’t get to experience, and I was completely humbled,” Gavins says.

Gavins will have an assistant fluent in Mandarin and will be provided with lessons on not only how to speak Mandarin, but also on Chinese culture and history. Gavins’ previous trip to China was part of the Oprah’s Ambassadors Club at Darlington High School.

“[The club] had just started my senior year, but I really enjoyed it because it had a teaching component that other clubs didn’t really have,” Gavins says. “It taught you about the different cultures we were trying to raise money for.”

Gavins feels her experiences with the Oprah’s Ambassadors Club as well as key faculty members prepared her for the journey she is about to take.

“I honestly feel I had the best teachers for me at Darlington High School, and I feel like they challenged me to the point of wanting to do more than I was doing,” Gavins says. “I really feel like a lot of teachers prepared me.”

Her work at Columbia College, a women’s college, is also providing her with much character building. “Whether it’s academically or in my personal beliefs, I feel it is really shaping me into the adult that I want to be,” Gavins says. “Because I’m being challenged so often, I’m having to defend what I know, what I believe, and think about it more critically.”

Currently at Columbia College she works as a resident academic advisor, which she feels is very similar to the work of a teacher. She is also head of the English Majors Society on campus and will be president next year.

By Matthew Smith, staff writer, The News and Press, Darlington, S.C.
Reproduced with permission.