Education in China #1

This is going to be an exciting year. Last time I was in China, I taught at an American school, so my daily life from 8-5 was pretty much the same as it had always been. Not a bad thing, but not exactly a new experience. This time its different. I am teaching at Shenzhen Foreign Language School - the preeminent school in Shenzhen, and the only school in Shenzhen to offer US style AP classes. I currently have 2 classes - teaching AP Physics C - and have already made some observations about the differences between Chinese and US students. Today's post, however, revolves around an incident that occurred yesterday. I think it demonstrates a big difference between mindsets in both countries.
I was looking for metersticks and was sent to look for the in them PE teachers office. I wandered down to the office, and knocked on the door. It was 7:30 in the morning, early with no students around, and I wasn't sure if anyone would answer. The door finally creaked open, and a smiling, slightly paunchy man extended his hand Vanna White-esque to demonstrate that I could enter. Upon entering the dimly lit PE teachers office, an strange odor filled my nostrils. Cigarette smoke. I looked around the room and two teachers were in early, sitting at their desks with feet up, smoking away on cigarettes. They offered me one - but I politely declined.
I was shocked initially at the thought of PE teachers, really any teacher, smoking. I am not judgmental, or maybe I am when it comes to smoking, but I feel most non-smoking Americans would struggle if they knew their kids teacher smoked. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. China is still in its infancy. Twenty years ago booming cities like Shenzhen were mere rice paddies. The world was thrust into China's lap much faster than they could adjust. In the short span of twenty years, many Chinese own a car, an expensive computer, and yes, even cigarettes. It took American many years to finally realize smoking might not be the best habit, and I think that mindset has yet to catch up with the Chinese. They are enjoying the good life, proverbial feet up on the desk, watching the world come with hands out, and they are glad to oblige. And please, take a cigarette.