For some reason since watching the interview I can not get this concept out of my mind. Without a doubt it a very selfless and honorable thing to do and I do firmly believe that the world would be a better place if people would be a little less selfish and more caring. But how often do we actually give without expecting anything in return?! Doesn´t it leave us with a bad feeling if our expectations are not met? What if we think we are doing someone a huge favour but the reaction is not what we expected it to be?! Who does actually give more than take? Aren´t most of us too selfish, too involved, too busy? This 3 minute interview I had witnessed got me thinking...
When I lived in China I certainly did not live up to the concept of "Give ten for one" (being in China, your family and friends as well as things like bills, taxes and other visits to authorities most of the time pretty far away, it is like my friend Tina once said: A very selfish year) but looking back there were times when I did try to give without expecting anything in return. Being employed as the only foreign teacher in a highschool did give me all the fame but also all the pressure. If there was a job to do, a role to fulfill - and believe me, chinese employers will ALWAYS find some shitty event where you, the foreigner, just has to be involved or present whether it being an official school party, a dinner, an evening at some random KTV (karaoke) bar - I´ve been to them all - I was the only one to ask or force. Luckily I quickly began to love my job and maybe that combined with my nature made me go beyond the usual hours of teaching. I ran the English club, gave a lecture about Germany to all the english teachers from my school, performed at official school parties, prepared for weeks and weeks to sing a pop song in front of 2000 Asians. Then, at my second school I babbled about my life, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber once a week on the school radio, attended every party I was invited to and occasionally met students after class if they wanted a chat or advice.
All of those things were time consuming but great. I happily gave, did not expect much or anything in return but somehow always ended up leaving with a smile on my face and the feeling of having done something worthy. One of the things that stuck with me most though was teaching class five. Now, first class five was part of my official teaching shedule for about 3 months. Then the term ended, students made their way through the thick snow to their homes for winter vacation. After that class five was no longer grade two but grade three and therefore no longer part of my teaching shedule. But somehow I could not, unlike other classes you happily turn your back to as soon as the new shedule comes out, say good bye. These kids were just too good, too interested, too ambitious, too clever to let go. Plus, almost the entire class consisted of students from the countryside and poor backgrounds who somehow and mostly through hard work leading to amazing grades got offered a place at our school - a school in a city, aways from their homes in the chinese countryside. These kids worked harder than anyone else in the school. They did not have the newest phones or the newest pair of jeans unlike others in their grade but they had stories to tell and a hell of a lot of ambition. So I stayed. I continued teaching them, asking their english teacher for his class who most of the time happily gave it to me once a week. I did not ask for extra money or any other form of compensation. I prepared my lessons for them as much, if not even better, as for my other classes, went in once a week, taught, and came out with a smile. I felt needed, and appreciated - I had given an hour of my time but gotten a lot back in return.
When I left China a few weeks ago I knew that they were facing their graduation exams. Quite a few had stayed in touch with me since I left the north of China in November 2010 for a new school in the south so I knew they still had them: the same dreams, hopes, ambitions and focus. They wanted to be doctors, pilots, soldiers, fashion designers. They dreamed big and worked even harder for their dreams to come true. In the last few weeks since I came back emails have started to arrive. Their messages tell me that they have made it. They got accepted for the course they had worked towards until now. Through hard work, focus and ambition they had made it a step closer to their goal. Maybe I was just a tiny part along their way but I am very glad I decided to be one. Give ten for one. It will be rewarded.
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| Right before I left I invited those students closest to me for a final lunch... |
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| ... followed by an afternoon of very chinese student friendly karaoke. |
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