Ex-Times columnist calls Shanghai home

By Jim Chapman

After all, who else would be so foolish as to hand-grab catfish and ride rodeo bulls in the name of a good story?

The former Times sports columnist moved to Shanghai in 2002 to teach English to university students.

Recently he called with an update.

Has his four months as an English professor at Shanghai University been what he expected?

"I didn't come over here with a picture in mind; I didn't know what to expect," he said.

For instance, he'd been told he couldn't get clothing in his size there, or a variety of foods, etc. He was painted as a giant in high-water pants and shirts as tight as an Ace bandage.

Not true.

"I can get pretty much anything I want here," he said, including a Pizza Hut pizza (about $7), although he usually opts for street vendor food (chicken stir-fry, 37 cents)

While many think of China as a communist world cast in olive gray, Washburn describes Shanghai as a major bustling city with neon signs, honking car horns and an endless maze of shops.

"Communism is the last thing you're thinking," he said. "Shanghai is one of the up-and-coming cities in the world."

In addition to teaching, he writes for various Chinese magazines and even has dabbled as a commercial TV actor.

The invitation was offered by an agent whose business is called "Flirting Pictures."

"I'm doing it for a story," explained Dan, who records his China experience on his Web site, "The Shanghai Dairies."

You might say Shanghai is his ultimate "Sporting Life." There's constant activity and constant traffic, mostly bicycles.

"Those people are talented on their bikes; there's always something to dodge," he said.

He hasn't missed out on happenings in the United States, given the black market that sells items such as CDs and DVDs (about a buck each.)

He's seen movies on DVD before they open in the states.

"By the way, I'm calling you on a black market phone card," he said, chuckling.

Washburn spends his days teaching conversational English, and has introduced the use of skits and other group projects.

He often finds American humor and attitudes difficult to explain, he said.

For example, the TV comedy "Friends," loaded with sarcasm and sexual innuendo, is one such challenge.

He once tried to explain a "Friends" character who had a sexual fantasy about Santa Claus, for instance.

But the students are quick to grasp differences in the two cultures.

"They really, really want to learn. They're very smart," he said.

Washburn lives in a dormitory with other American, Australian and English teachers.

But he misses Northeast Georgia's countryside.

"I miss the proximity to wide-open spaces and fresh air," he said.

And despite a booming black market, there's one thing he can't get at any cost.

"I definitely miss the barbecue. I miss that weekly, daily maybe," he said.

Jim Chapman is presentation editor and columnist for The Times. E-mail: jchapman@gainesvilletimes.com.

On the Web "The Shanghai Diaries," www.danwashburn.com Former Times sports columnist Dan Washburn moved to Shanghai in 2002 to teach English to university students.