Stopped in My Tracks

A new teacher in a new city, I often find myself responding to the world around me in more task-oriented way than I would like. It's hard to really let myself rest; I'm always thinking about how to get from one place to another, how to improve my teaching and how to communicate basic needs in Mandarin.

Yesterday I had eight hours of classes and I was running late to work. I try to avoid taking taxis if possible because walking is both good for my health and helps me become better acquainted with my new home. So I picked up my pace, walking briskly through Guiyang's traffic-laden streets.

As I walked (more like jogged,) I mentally ran through my day, attempting to prepare myself for interaction with and instruction for about 50 Chinese students.

Aston is on the third floor of a building on ZhongHua NanLu, and as I approached the school I was slowed down by the family in front of me, obviously headed toward the same destination as me. Still lost in thought and not really paying attention, I kept wishing this family would walk faster. I had to get to work, I thought.

When I finally snapped out of my trance, I realized that the son of the family walking ahead of me was disabled; he appeared to me to have Cerebral Palsy. This scene caught me off guard because I've never seen a disabled child in a context like this. Not in China.

The family realized I was walking behind them, and I think they were embarrassed by the situation, that one of the foreign teachers was waiting on them. They stepped aside as to let me pass them, but I instead smiled and signaled for them to go on ahead of me; I could wait. Being on time no longer felt so imperative.

What I wanted my face to express in a way that I could not adequately convey with words was that I understood what it feels like to be a part of a family that's a bit outside the norm. These three could never have known how much they encouraged me in that moment. And while I'm sure they felt incredibly self conscious about the situation, I couldn't help but inwardly celebrate the testimony of this unique family.

The photos below are snapshots of the eclectic scene I observe on my way to the school.