This is it. The big day. I find myself a mix of emotions, as I usually am after trips like these.
I finished up my classes on Monday, and as I left, was followed by a chorus of "Merry Christmas!" from my students. I felt a twinge of excitement, knowing that in a very short while I would be immersed in the Christmas of the West and all its bliss: Scarves and hats and rosy cheeks, snowy blustery goodness, apple cider and a warm fire, the smell of Christmas tree, and of course, people whom we love.
It isn't easy to leave this country. Both Justin and I have admitted that, in a different time and different circumstances, we could live here and like it. China has a grip on us.
So... goodbye old man selling strawberries, goodbye students humouring your teacher, goodbye all the people pushing each other on the bus (I won't miss you), goodbye funky smells on the street, goodbye kind old man, looking straight into my eyes, goodbye weird washing machines, that leak all over the floor, goodbye big wall along the street, where we heard a baby cry one night, goodbye Cali, who made me remember why I like cats, goodbye Liz and Juliann, you unpretentious servants, goodbye John and Mary, with your wit and persistence, goodbye Kunming fellowship, who surprised us every week, goodbye China, I have not figured you out yet.
Hello home.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Kunming: Baby, It's Freezing Outside!
When I last wrote, I was praising the warmth of Kunming. I take it all back. Temperatures have plummeted. We are left shivering in our heatless apartment with a sweaterless wardrobe. The sun still shows his face now and again, but don't let him fool you. It is bone cold outside, oh, and did I mention that we have solar heated water? (And yes, I'm being dramatic, it's probably only around 40 degrees as opposed to 60s-70s, but we do shiver sometimes!)
Enough about the weather already. Thanksgiving turned out to be a memorable event, notwithstanding a lame excuse for an oven (crunchy sweet potatoes... yum) and our third annual game of flag... I mean... pantyhose football. That's right, in case the Chinese didn't think we foreigners were strange enough, we put pantyhose on our heads (in place of wearing flags) and ran around the apartment courtyard playing football like a posse of velveteen rabbits on crack. Yes, of course we have pictures. Keep reading, they're at the bottom.
Anyhow, on Thanksgiving day, we foreigners gathered together at one family's house -- a ragamuffin group representing various different countries -- to feast together on all the scrumptious food we had made. You'd be surprised at how much American food you can make with the materials in the stores here. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy, all were present and accounted for. It was a good time, though there is nothing like being home on Thanksgiving.
We are now doing more teaching and tutoring. I am teaching three nights a week at a university, as well as one night with the housekeepers, and Justin is tutoring some students on the weekend. That has been keeping us a little more busy in a good way. It's nice to be involved and to get to know some Chinese students.
For all of you die-hard fans (maybe one?), Under the Oak may be making an appearance/performance at Nordica in Kunming, China, so book your tickets now... it's sure to be a sell out. Yes, I'm joking, but not about the performance part. If all goes as planned, we'll be playing next Friday, at our second craft show performance (yeah, we rock the embroidered house).
As a married couple, China has really taught us a lot about teamwork. Even getting into a taxi can be a challenge, and it is best met when we are working as a team. I thought we were getting pretty good at it, that is, until someone lent us their bicycle for use. Now, roads are scary things in China. What is MORE scary, is that it is common practice for someone to sit on the back of a bike, kind of side-saddlish (see the picture), while the other person pedals and weaves their way through traffic. The tricky part with the side-saddle (other than the obvious balancing act), is that there is no way to see in front of you, or even on both sides. You have one view: traffic on the left. Everything else is out of your hands, and speaking of your hands, there is not much to hold on to. So, all this to say, we are taking teamwork to a whole new level, and I am learning how to be a biker chick (don't fight the lean, don't fight the lean!!). I'm telling you, China should offer a marriage challenge course.
Justin's birthday is tomorrow. We'll be leaving for the Motherland in two weeks and one day.
Pictures, as promised:
Enough about the weather already. Thanksgiving turned out to be a memorable event, notwithstanding a lame excuse for an oven (crunchy sweet potatoes... yum) and our third annual game of flag... I mean... pantyhose football. That's right, in case the Chinese didn't think we foreigners were strange enough, we put pantyhose on our heads (in place of wearing flags) and ran around the apartment courtyard playing football like a posse of velveteen rabbits on crack. Yes, of course we have pictures. Keep reading, they're at the bottom.
Anyhow, on Thanksgiving day, we foreigners gathered together at one family's house -- a ragamuffin group representing various different countries -- to feast together on all the scrumptious food we had made. You'd be surprised at how much American food you can make with the materials in the stores here. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy, all were present and accounted for. It was a good time, though there is nothing like being home on Thanksgiving.
We are now doing more teaching and tutoring. I am teaching three nights a week at a university, as well as one night with the housekeepers, and Justin is tutoring some students on the weekend. That has been keeping us a little more busy in a good way. It's nice to be involved and to get to know some Chinese students.
For all of you die-hard fans (maybe one?), Under the Oak may be making an appearance/performance at Nordica in Kunming, China, so book your tickets now... it's sure to be a sell out. Yes, I'm joking, but not about the performance part. If all goes as planned, we'll be playing next Friday, at our second craft show performance (yeah, we rock the embroidered house).
As a married couple, China has really taught us a lot about teamwork. Even getting into a taxi can be a challenge, and it is best met when we are working as a team. I thought we were getting pretty good at it, that is, until someone lent us their bicycle for use. Now, roads are scary things in China. What is MORE scary, is that it is common practice for someone to sit on the back of a bike, kind of side-saddlish (see the picture), while the other person pedals and weaves their way through traffic. The tricky part with the side-saddle (other than the obvious balancing act), is that there is no way to see in front of you, or even on both sides. You have one view: traffic on the left. Everything else is out of your hands, and speaking of your hands, there is not much to hold on to. So, all this to say, we are taking teamwork to a whole new level, and I am learning how to be a biker chick (don't fight the lean, don't fight the lean!!). I'm telling you, China should offer a marriage challenge course.
Justin's birthday is tomorrow. We'll be leaving for the Motherland in two weeks and one day.
Pictures, as promised:
 |
| Kunming 2 |
Friday, November 16, 2007
Kunming: The City of Eternal Spring
It is a warm day, sunny and mostly peaceful, here in Kunming. I am sitting in a coffee shop, my husband across from me, no doubt working on putting some fusion of his heart and mind on paper. Offhand, I can count about five other foreigners in this coffee shop, not that that's a normal sight, but it gives you an idea of the concentration of foreigners in this city.
Kunming is called "the city of eternal spring" by the locals. Since it's cozy to the equator, it tends to be fairly warm most of the year around, but being at a higher elevation keeps it from being stiflingly hot. Thus, a warm day in November with a slight cool breeze is not uncommon. It's not hard to see why foreigners want to live here.
The presence of the big P also seems stronger than other cities we've visited. On many street corners, you can find them set up with little tables and official looking signs and, at times, long clubs or helmets sitting atop them. Even so, most foreigners say that there is much more freedom in this place than most other places in China, including Zhengzhou, where some friends were being "asked" to revisit their homelands. I would love to have a dialogue about the upcoming Olympics and how proud China obviously is to host it, and of the current consequences to their people that the preparation of this event has brought them... but this, as in many things, will have to wait for another time.
We are finally feeling settled in to our apartment. It is a very spacious apartment, more than we could ever use, but it lacked certain things like an oven, a wardrobe/closet and a fridge. As payment for staying there, we offered to buy a fridge and a wardrobe for the apartment. The owner thankfully accepted, so we just got a fridge put in yesterday. 'Tis a glorious thing to have cold milk.
Last week I had a day all to myself, so I set a goal of mopping the apartment. China is generally a dusty place, so this is a bigger feat than at first you might imagine. Think: mopping the moon, and you're getting closer. I was just about to head out to purchase a mop, when I decided to have one more look around to see if I could find one in the apartment already. I had gone through all the rooms, when at last I opened the door to the back deck to find a barely distinguishable mop, stiff with years of dirt and rain coming in through the windowless room. I took one look at that, and thought, 'I think I can give that mop some dignity'. I kinda like to rescue dirty useless things because it reminds me of a very good Friend who did the same for me. So anyway, to make the story short, I proceeded to spend the rest of the day redignifying the mop and then putting it to use. The end result: a floor that didn't turn your socks brown when you walked across it. I do like to make things shine. It was a good time, especially since I have been reading Henri Nouwen's book The Genesee Diary, about, among other things, finding contentment in everyday tasks. I recommend it.
Moving on, there is so much opportunity in this city. Nearly every day I am given more contact info for people wanting to learn English, or some other project that we could help with, more than we could possibly ever do. The first week we stepped back and tried to figure out what our priorities should be. Justin visited a preschool for English and Chinese kids and, not surprisingly, ended up loving it and started helping them twice a week in the mornings. I am teaching a small group of housekeepers who cannot afford to pay for English lessons but who want to learn the language. We meet once a week at our apartment.
There is also so much influence practically plopped onto your lap in this city. John and Mary, a couple in Kunming who have been here for about five years, were invited to give a lecture at a university. They asked if we could help them with the small group part of the lecture, not knowing how many students would show up. As it turned out, approx 350 students showed up for a lecture on what it means to have good character, and the auditorium was silent with students listening eagerly to what John and Mary had to say. I have never before seen a crowd of Chinese people be silent to listen to someone else, unless they were harshly rebuked beforehand. 350 students turned out at a secular university to hear two foreigners talk about having good character, amazing. Where else are you going to get that kind of influence?
At an English corner last week, I also had an attentive audience. Where else will people come who want to talk to an American about what they think of things? We talked of some inconsequential things, to be sure, but the potential is there to lead the conversation to a discussion of values, worldviews, and ethics. Our group, for instance, talked briefly about abrtn, which is generally accepted as common practice in China since the 1-child policy took root.
Healthwise, we are both feeling a little on the down side. I am recovering from about my third cold so far (I have sneezed at least ten times while writing this post), and Justin's left jaw (of all things) has been hurting. Your prayers are appreciated.
It is hard to believe that in one short month, we will be waving goodbye to China. I am so thankful to have come and experienced this country.
Um, these are some random pics... Enjoy.
Kunming is called "the city of eternal spring" by the locals. Since it's cozy to the equator, it tends to be fairly warm most of the year around, but being at a higher elevation keeps it from being stiflingly hot. Thus, a warm day in November with a slight cool breeze is not uncommon. It's not hard to see why foreigners want to live here.
The presence of the big P also seems stronger than other cities we've visited. On many street corners, you can find them set up with little tables and official looking signs and, at times, long clubs or helmets sitting atop them. Even so, most foreigners say that there is much more freedom in this place than most other places in China, including Zhengzhou, where some friends were being "asked" to revisit their homelands. I would love to have a dialogue about the upcoming Olympics and how proud China obviously is to host it, and of the current consequences to their people that the preparation of this event has brought them... but this, as in many things, will have to wait for another time.
We are finally feeling settled in to our apartment. It is a very spacious apartment, more than we could ever use, but it lacked certain things like an oven, a wardrobe/closet and a fridge. As payment for staying there, we offered to buy a fridge and a wardrobe for the apartment. The owner thankfully accepted, so we just got a fridge put in yesterday. 'Tis a glorious thing to have cold milk.
Last week I had a day all to myself, so I set a goal of mopping the apartment. China is generally a dusty place, so this is a bigger feat than at first you might imagine. Think: mopping the moon, and you're getting closer. I was just about to head out to purchase a mop, when I decided to have one more look around to see if I could find one in the apartment already. I had gone through all the rooms, when at last I opened the door to the back deck to find a barely distinguishable mop, stiff with years of dirt and rain coming in through the windowless room. I took one look at that, and thought, 'I think I can give that mop some dignity'. I kinda like to rescue dirty useless things because it reminds me of a very good Friend who did the same for me. So anyway, to make the story short, I proceeded to spend the rest of the day redignifying the mop and then putting it to use. The end result: a floor that didn't turn your socks brown when you walked across it. I do like to make things shine. It was a good time, especially since I have been reading Henri Nouwen's book The Genesee Diary, about, among other things, finding contentment in everyday tasks. I recommend it.
Moving on, there is so much opportunity in this city. Nearly every day I am given more contact info for people wanting to learn English, or some other project that we could help with, more than we could possibly ever do. The first week we stepped back and tried to figure out what our priorities should be. Justin visited a preschool for English and Chinese kids and, not surprisingly, ended up loving it and started helping them twice a week in the mornings. I am teaching a small group of housekeepers who cannot afford to pay for English lessons but who want to learn the language. We meet once a week at our apartment.
There is also so much influence practically plopped onto your lap in this city. John and Mary, a couple in Kunming who have been here for about five years, were invited to give a lecture at a university. They asked if we could help them with the small group part of the lecture, not knowing how many students would show up. As it turned out, approx 350 students showed up for a lecture on what it means to have good character, and the auditorium was silent with students listening eagerly to what John and Mary had to say. I have never before seen a crowd of Chinese people be silent to listen to someone else, unless they were harshly rebuked beforehand. 350 students turned out at a secular university to hear two foreigners talk about having good character, amazing. Where else are you going to get that kind of influence?
At an English corner last week, I also had an attentive audience. Where else will people come who want to talk to an American about what they think of things? We talked of some inconsequential things, to be sure, but the potential is there to lead the conversation to a discussion of values, worldviews, and ethics. Our group, for instance, talked briefly about abrtn, which is generally accepted as common practice in China since the 1-child policy took root.
Healthwise, we are both feeling a little on the down side. I am recovering from about my third cold so far (I have sneezed at least ten times while writing this post), and Justin's left jaw (of all things) has been hurting. Your prayers are appreciated.
It is hard to believe that in one short month, we will be waving goodbye to China. I am so thankful to have come and experienced this country.
Um, these are some random pics... Enjoy.
 |
| Kunming |
Monday, November 5, 2007
Zhengzhou [jung-JOE]
Sorry for the long absence. Our internet has been sketchy and our time has been full. We are doing well. First off, thank you for praying for my esophagus. It is completely healed with no need for a visit to the doc. I guess I just bruised it when swallowing a malaria pill, but after about a week, it was fine. Stinkin' pills.
Since it's been so long, we're going to have to go back a few weeks to our visit to Shaolin Temple. For those of you who didn't know, Justin has been into karate and kung fu for many years, so when we found out that the ancient center for kung fu was only about 50 miles north of Zhengzhou, we knew that it was a must see. Little did I know that it would turn in to an all day episode of "where in the world is justin boyer". I married a wanderer, folks. But anyway... moving right along. Our sassy Chinese friend Makya offered to let us come with her on a trip to Shaolin Temple. There is a large boarding school for kids wanting to learn kung fu right there on the premises. Most kids start around age 4 and are able to put needles through glass by the time they're about ten. We saw a couple of performances that were pretty unbelievable. Think "Hero" in real life. It was truly impressive. Demonstrations included: a man breaking a steel pipe over his head, a kid putting both of his legs behind his head, and of course, lots of crazy ninja kicks and aerial moves. If the kids stick around long enough then they become full-fledged adult monks who maintain the temple and sell popcorn, I mean ninja knives, during events.
The really interesting thing about Shaolin Temple is that it is also the center for zen Buddhism, whose monks take a vow against violence. All day long we were met with opposing faces of peaceful meditation and inner rage. Very interesting how that plays out. There were several buildings with huge statutes of Buddha in different forms. People would go in and kneel or offer incense to them. Idolatry has always seemed like such an ancient concept to me, or, if it is referenced today, it's always in a more spiritual tone of "what is your personal idol?" It was pretty weird to be there with a bunch of idols and their worshippers, the real thing. I would like to learn more about Buddhism when we get back.
Our experience at Shaolin is best re-told through pictures, so take a gander.
Now, some guys want to be something cool like spiderman or superman for Halloween. That just wouldn't do for Justin. No, no... my husband wanted to wrap toilet paper around himself, put a plunger up his sleeve like a pirate's crook, wear a toilet seat on his chest, and call himself Mr. Nobody from the Toilet Patrol. The end result was something more along the lines of a KKK outfit, since no proper outfit is complete without a (toilet paper) mask. It's a real shame that we didn't get a good picture of it.
I, of course, was a cat, what else?
Later on in the week, the students asked us to go bowling with them and, on a separate trip, to join them for KTV (karaoke). It was so funny. We had the most enthusiastic audience we've ever had for our duet to "My Heart Will Go On". Truly a great group of students.
One of the best things about Zhengzhou was connecting with the students, and watching Justin make friends with them too. We were walking back to our apartment one day with some students. I was walking with David, and Justin, walking ahead, was with Lee. David asked when we were leaving and I told him that we would leave in a couple of days. He, being surprised, said, "What?! But... I think I love this guy!" That pretty much sums up the reaction to Justin as a whole. I cannot tell you the grief we were given for leaving those students.
We came to Zhengzhou not knowing anyone. When we left, we felt like we were leaving friends behind, and it was a bit painful even for being there such a short amount of time.
Here are some pictures from our time with the students.
We are now in Kunming and are trying to re-adjust to life with other foreigners. More on that later.
Since it's been so long, we're going to have to go back a few weeks to our visit to Shaolin Temple. For those of you who didn't know, Justin has been into karate and kung fu for many years, so when we found out that the ancient center for kung fu was only about 50 miles north of Zhengzhou, we knew that it was a must see. Little did I know that it would turn in to an all day episode of "where in the world is justin boyer". I married a wanderer, folks. But anyway... moving right along. Our sassy Chinese friend Makya offered to let us come with her on a trip to Shaolin Temple. There is a large boarding school for kids wanting to learn kung fu right there on the premises. Most kids start around age 4 and are able to put needles through glass by the time they're about ten. We saw a couple of performances that were pretty unbelievable. Think "Hero" in real life. It was truly impressive. Demonstrations included: a man breaking a steel pipe over his head, a kid putting both of his legs behind his head, and of course, lots of crazy ninja kicks and aerial moves. If the kids stick around long enough then they become full-fledged adult monks who maintain the temple and sell popcorn, I mean ninja knives, during events.
The really interesting thing about Shaolin Temple is that it is also the center for zen Buddhism, whose monks take a vow against violence. All day long we were met with opposing faces of peaceful meditation and inner rage. Very interesting how that plays out. There were several buildings with huge statutes of Buddha in different forms. People would go in and kneel or offer incense to them. Idolatry has always seemed like such an ancient concept to me, or, if it is referenced today, it's always in a more spiritual tone of "what is your personal idol?" It was pretty weird to be there with a bunch of idols and their worshippers, the real thing. I would like to learn more about Buddhism when we get back.
Our experience at Shaolin is best re-told through pictures, so take a gander.
 |
| Shaolin Temple |
Now, some guys want to be something cool like spiderman or superman for Halloween. That just wouldn't do for Justin. No, no... my husband wanted to wrap toilet paper around himself, put a plunger up his sleeve like a pirate's crook, wear a toilet seat on his chest, and call himself Mr. Nobody from the Toilet Patrol. The end result was something more along the lines of a KKK outfit, since no proper outfit is complete without a (toilet paper) mask. It's a real shame that we didn't get a good picture of it.
I, of course, was a cat, what else?
Later on in the week, the students asked us to go bowling with them and, on a separate trip, to join them for KTV (karaoke). It was so funny. We had the most enthusiastic audience we've ever had for our duet to "My Heart Will Go On". Truly a great group of students.
One of the best things about Zhengzhou was connecting with the students, and watching Justin make friends with them too. We were walking back to our apartment one day with some students. I was walking with David, and Justin, walking ahead, was with Lee. David asked when we were leaving and I told him that we would leave in a couple of days. He, being surprised, said, "What?! But... I think I love this guy!" That pretty much sums up the reaction to Justin as a whole. I cannot tell you the grief we were given for leaving those students.
We came to Zhengzhou not knowing anyone. When we left, we felt like we were leaving friends behind, and it was a bit painful even for being there such a short amount of time.
Here are some pictures from our time with the students.
 |
| ESLI-ZZ |
We are now in Kunming and are trying to re-adjust to life with other foreigners. More on that later.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Homesickness and Blue Hearts
I have to admit, I've been a little homesick the past week or so. Don't get me wrong, it's been fun, adventuresome, challenging even, to be here in ZhengZhou, but there's just something about your own bed and pillow, or maybe it's the walking into a grocery store and knowing where everything is... you know... familiarity. It's hard to come by over here.
I haven't been feeling very well lately, either. So that doesn't help anything. I've got this weird thing going on with my esophagus where it feels like anything I eat--it doesn't matter if it's food or water--is as large as a walnut and I can feel it going down the whole way. It only hurts when I eat. I've never experienced this before, but I googled it and found a doctor describing the condition and saying that if it doesn't clear up within a week to go get an endoscopy. I'm pretty sure that means they stick a rubber tube down your throat and take pictures while they go down.... yeehaw. So if anyone has a rather short prayer list, you can stick me and my malfunctioning esophagus on it. Thanks.
Ready for a good story? Two days ago, I had this esophagus thing and a pretty good sized headache going on. I was sitting in my listening and speaking class, supposed to be TA-ing for the regular teacher but I was having a really hard time concentrating on anything. He tends to teach in, um, rather loud tones, and my head was unappreciative of the noise. I must say... that this was my favorite class to teach. I got along really well with the students in that class and I had a lot of fun teaching it. During the class, I noticed that one of the normally enthusiastic girls was looking about how I felt... slouched against the corner with her hand on her head. I slipped out of the classroom and got her a little present... not much, but enough to cheer her up a bit. After the class, I was handing out homework that I had marked, and I gave her the present. She looked at it, then her face lit up and said... OH OH! We have something for you!!! Turn around! So I turned around and hid my eyes and they counted... One... TWo... THREE! and I turned around and there were four of them each holding out a large marshmallow heart on a stick. It was like a little bouquet of hearts! I was so surprised! It totally made my day.
Well, that's not all there was to it. The NEXT day, I was walking home with Justin and I had in my hand one of the marshmallow hearts. We were walking along and talking about the day, when we noticed a little old man coming toward us, holding out his hand for money. I didn't have any money, so I said "mayo" (however you spell that), but I DID have a blue marshmallow heart! So with a slight bow, I gave him the heart on a stick, and his whole face changed when he looked at it. He smiled a sort of sentimental smile, like he had known love before but he couldn't believe that anyone (much less a little white girl) could give anything that sweet to an old man like him. Justin and I kept walking along, and every now and then we would look back and find the old man still staring in awe at his blue heart, his face so happy and content.
I am pretty sure that that marshmallow heart will never get eaten.
Next installment.... Shauli Temple.
I haven't been feeling very well lately, either. So that doesn't help anything. I've got this weird thing going on with my esophagus where it feels like anything I eat--it doesn't matter if it's food or water--is as large as a walnut and I can feel it going down the whole way. It only hurts when I eat. I've never experienced this before, but I googled it and found a doctor describing the condition and saying that if it doesn't clear up within a week to go get an endoscopy. I'm pretty sure that means they stick a rubber tube down your throat and take pictures while they go down.... yeehaw. So if anyone has a rather short prayer list, you can stick me and my malfunctioning esophagus on it. Thanks.
Ready for a good story? Two days ago, I had this esophagus thing and a pretty good sized headache going on. I was sitting in my listening and speaking class, supposed to be TA-ing for the regular teacher but I was having a really hard time concentrating on anything. He tends to teach in, um, rather loud tones, and my head was unappreciative of the noise. I must say... that this was my favorite class to teach. I got along really well with the students in that class and I had a lot of fun teaching it. During the class, I noticed that one of the normally enthusiastic girls was looking about how I felt... slouched against the corner with her hand on her head. I slipped out of the classroom and got her a little present... not much, but enough to cheer her up a bit. After the class, I was handing out homework that I had marked, and I gave her the present. She looked at it, then her face lit up and said... OH OH! We have something for you!!! Turn around! So I turned around and hid my eyes and they counted... One... TWo... THREE! and I turned around and there were four of them each holding out a large marshmallow heart on a stick. It was like a little bouquet of hearts! I was so surprised! It totally made my day.
Well, that's not all there was to it. The NEXT day, I was walking home with Justin and I had in my hand one of the marshmallow hearts. We were walking along and talking about the day, when we noticed a little old man coming toward us, holding out his hand for money. I didn't have any money, so I said "mayo" (however you spell that), but I DID have a blue marshmallow heart! So with a slight bow, I gave him the heart on a stick, and his whole face changed when he looked at it. He smiled a sort of sentimental smile, like he had known love before but he couldn't believe that anyone (much less a little white girl) could give anything that sweet to an old man like him. Justin and I kept walking along, and every now and then we would look back and find the old man still staring in awe at his blue heart, his face so happy and content.
I am pretty sure that that marshmallow heart will never get eaten.
Next installment.... Shauli Temple.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
One Month and Counting
Today we will have been in China for one month. One month, can you believe it? It really seems like it's been longer... but all the same, I am glad that we have two more months left.
This week I finally started teaching. That means that I am preparing all of the materials, lessons, and activities, then teaching the class, but the original teacher of the class is in the room observing. It has been really good to get some classroom experience and to hear the feedback of the other teacher. What's more, I think I'm pretty good at teaching ESL. Not to say that I don't have a lot to learn... but it feels really natural, I don't get nervous in front of the classroom, and it's very satisfying. I hope I will continue to love it for a long time and will become the kind of teacher who leaves an imprint on students' lives.
Last weekend, Justin bought a really large spinning top and a big whip. The idea is to wrap the whip around the top, then yank on it really hard to get the top to spin. Then, when you see the top wearing down, you crack it with the whip to make it keep going. All the old grandpas play this in the park, so he has been going there just about every day to crack the whips with them. I haven't personally witnessed this, but you can just imagine a young white man in there with all the gramps and a crowd of people gathering to watch him try and fail or succeed. Justin said that the crowd roars when he gets a good whip crack in. It's a good way to have fellowship with people even without knowing the language. You can read more about this on his blog: http://blogs.briercrest.ca
The speed in China is set to "mosey". On the sidewalks there are people walking, arms crossed against their backs, in a sort of mosey "Bill Jack" sort of way. At first it was kind of annoying getting stuck behind them and feeling the need to walk faster, but now I see that their pace of life is much slower than in the U.S. and I sorta like it. I should say, however, that on the roads, it's another story. When you step inside any vehicle, the speed is immediately set to "ramming".
Moving along, the hospitals are an interesting place in China. Last week I woke up with a bladder infection... not sure HOW that happened (and ladies, yes, I am aware of the appropriate procedure to guard against such evils), but anyway.... there I was in the middle of the night with an unmistakable problem of an embarrassing and unusual kind. I tried unsuccessfully not to imagine us spending the rest of our savings on a Chinese hospital and doctors... and I tried SO hard NOT to imagine me trying to pantomime "bladder infection" to the doctor. Oh my. I tried, but like I said, was unsuccessful. So needless to say, neither Justin nor I got much sleep that night and we had a snapping session in the morning. All was well soon enough when I went in to the school, told the director what was going on, and she promptly sent me to the hospital with one of the Chinese teachers as my guide. WE found that a doctor visit, needed test, and medication came up to a grande total of about 15 US dollars. Amazing, isn't it? Not only that, but we were in and out of there in less than an hour and a half. It pays to know someone in China, I guess. The bathrooms in there were another story. Considerably less than amazing.
We leave for Kunming in about a week. Stay tuned for more.
This week I finally started teaching. That means that I am preparing all of the materials, lessons, and activities, then teaching the class, but the original teacher of the class is in the room observing. It has been really good to get some classroom experience and to hear the feedback of the other teacher. What's more, I think I'm pretty good at teaching ESL. Not to say that I don't have a lot to learn... but it feels really natural, I don't get nervous in front of the classroom, and it's very satisfying. I hope I will continue to love it for a long time and will become the kind of teacher who leaves an imprint on students' lives.
Last weekend, Justin bought a really large spinning top and a big whip. The idea is to wrap the whip around the top, then yank on it really hard to get the top to spin. Then, when you see the top wearing down, you crack it with the whip to make it keep going. All the old grandpas play this in the park, so he has been going there just about every day to crack the whips with them. I haven't personally witnessed this, but you can just imagine a young white man in there with all the gramps and a crowd of people gathering to watch him try and fail or succeed. Justin said that the crowd roars when he gets a good whip crack in. It's a good way to have fellowship with people even without knowing the language. You can read more about this on his blog: http://blogs.briercrest.ca
The speed in China is set to "mosey". On the sidewalks there are people walking, arms crossed against their backs, in a sort of mosey "Bill Jack" sort of way. At first it was kind of annoying getting stuck behind them and feeling the need to walk faster, but now I see that their pace of life is much slower than in the U.S. and I sorta like it. I should say, however, that on the roads, it's another story. When you step inside any vehicle, the speed is immediately set to "ramming".
Moving along, the hospitals are an interesting place in China. Last week I woke up with a bladder infection... not sure HOW that happened (and ladies, yes, I am aware of the appropriate procedure to guard against such evils), but anyway.... there I was in the middle of the night with an unmistakable problem of an embarrassing and unusual kind. I tried unsuccessfully not to imagine us spending the rest of our savings on a Chinese hospital and doctors... and I tried SO hard NOT to imagine me trying to pantomime "bladder infection" to the doctor. Oh my. I tried, but like I said, was unsuccessful. So needless to say, neither Justin nor I got much sleep that night and we had a snapping session in the morning. All was well soon enough when I went in to the school, told the director what was going on, and she promptly sent me to the hospital with one of the Chinese teachers as my guide. WE found that a doctor visit, needed test, and medication came up to a grande total of about 15 US dollars. Amazing, isn't it? Not only that, but we were in and out of there in less than an hour and a half. It pays to know someone in China, I guess. The bathrooms in there were another story. Considerably less than amazing.
We leave for Kunming in about a week. Stay tuned for more.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Life in ZhengZhou
There's not much to report. We had a good trip to ZhengZhou, and even though I left my backpack with brand new laptop at Juliann's house (thankfully, not in the taxi cab), and even though our mattress is a block of wood, and even though we don't have a shower curtain and the shower stream feels like, as Justin put it, "tiny boiling hot icicles that hit your skin and then break", and even though we don't really know what to eat around here (but we did find a KFC), and even though we have a TV with only one English channel (and apparently China has had no new news for at least two weeks now... except, of course, the continuing updates on all the developments around the olympics), and even though people still laugh whenever I try to say anything in Mandarin.... we're managing alright.
I am getting settled in at ESLI in ZhengZhou. The students are pretty fun, though a bit more rowdy than I anticipated. I've only been observing so far... which is good, so I can get some thoughts together and formulate a teaching strategy before my actual first day teaching. Justin roams the streets and works on homework while I'm at the school.
Gotta say, though... it's difficult to go from lots of community to virtually none. We're already looking forward to being back in Kunming, if only for the people there.
Time for class.
I am getting settled in at ESLI in ZhengZhou. The students are pretty fun, though a bit more rowdy than I anticipated. I've only been observing so far... which is good, so I can get some thoughts together and formulate a teaching strategy before my actual first day teaching. Justin roams the streets and works on homework while I'm at the school.
Gotta say, though... it's difficult to go from lots of community to virtually none. We're already looking forward to being back in Kunming, if only for the people there.
Time for class.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Like a Mighty Wind
We both kinda anticipated that China would smell bad... we thought a combo of fish, poo, and stinky tofu. What we've discovered is that it's not China per se that really smells, it's China interacting with Justin's gut.
The other night, Justin farted while sleeping and it smelled so bad that it woke both of us up out of a dead slumber.
It's all part of the show, folks.
The other night, Justin farted while sleeping and it smelled so bad that it woke both of us up out of a dead slumber.
It's all part of the show, folks.
On Suitcases and Monkey Poo
Apparently, we love to pack because we keep doing it. meh.
Tomorrow, we're taking off to Zhengzhou, where I will teach English and Justin will study and write and hopefully meet some other foreigners so that he doesn't go insane.
Our time here has been very full but has also been a time to sleep in and recuperate both individually and as a couple. We'll miss staying in an apartment with a Brit family who are always catching us off guard with their antics and who have us thinking in British accents half the time. They adopted two little Chinese girls and are now over here to help with the foster care and preschool programs. Gotta say, little Chinese girls with British accents are about the cutest thing you've ever seen.
Oh, before I forget, we visited Monkey Mountain yesterday, which is exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of monkeys running around on a mountain, free to climb, bite, or charge at whoever ventures their way. Justin loved it, me not so much. Something about the thought of a rabies shot to the stomach kinda dampened the experience.
But anyway... other news... Justin bought a cheap guitar yesterday and has been happier with it nearby. I'm still not singing much these days, but... it's nice to sing with just him and I.
Sorry these posts get so long. Since we don't have consistent internet access, I feel like I have to tell everything while I can, and there is so much to tell. You can copy and paste them into five different word documents and then read one a day if that makes you feel any better.
And with that, I bid you goodnight. Er... goodmorning. whatever.
Tomorrow, we're taking off to Zhengzhou, where I will teach English and Justin will study and write and hopefully meet some other foreigners so that he doesn't go insane.
Our time here has been very full but has also been a time to sleep in and recuperate both individually and as a couple. We'll miss staying in an apartment with a Brit family who are always catching us off guard with their antics and who have us thinking in British accents half the time. They adopted two little Chinese girls and are now over here to help with the foster care and preschool programs. Gotta say, little Chinese girls with British accents are about the cutest thing you've ever seen.
Oh, before I forget, we visited Monkey Mountain yesterday, which is exactly what it sounds like: a bunch of monkeys running around on a mountain, free to climb, bite, or charge at whoever ventures their way. Justin loved it, me not so much. Something about the thought of a rabies shot to the stomach kinda dampened the experience.
But anyway... other news... Justin bought a cheap guitar yesterday and has been happier with it nearby. I'm still not singing much these days, but... it's nice to sing with just him and I.
Sorry these posts get so long. Since we don't have consistent internet access, I feel like I have to tell everything while I can, and there is so much to tell. You can copy and paste them into five different word documents and then read one a day if that makes you feel any better.
And with that, I bid you goodnight. Er... goodmorning. whatever.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Oh, you found a brownie? No...
The quote of the week comes from our special outing to Pizza Fun, a buffet type place in Guiyang. I, having just returned from scrounging for western food, looked down at Justin's plate and said,
"Oh.... you found a brownie?"
To which he replied,
"No, that's chicken.
:-}
I have had the sniffles lately and have been craving comfort food, so Ju is making some chicken noodle soup tonight. Yesterday we went out with her Chinese parents and a posse of other people to visit an ancient stone village and to eat dinner. Since they are pretty wealthy, they ordered speciality food which was... erm... distinctly not comfort food. Dishes included cow ankle fat, some opaque-brown mushroom looking things, green glutunous rice stick things, spicy SPICY chicken chunks (bones included), pig feet with fat and skin.... and many, many more. The most useful phrase I've learned so far is, "Zhe shi shenme?" ("what is THAT?!"). Even with the weird food that no one (not even they) really ate, they were very hospitable and friendly and made us feel like home. All said, we had a good time.
We also had a great time out in the countryside, although it was very different than anything I could have expected. First of all came Earl. Well, FIRST of all came a 5 hour bus ride that was pretty brutal... but we'll skip that part because it's no fun.
First came Earl. He was found in the marketplace running around with all the other chickens. We picked him because he was the biggest and we wanted a good gift to bring to the family that we were visiting, since they would probably be feeding us and giving us a place to sleep that night. After much haggling, we finally set a price and the lady scooped him up and started preparing him for travel.... or at least... so we thought. Let's just say we came very close to seeing our first chicken decapitation. It was a rush, let me tell you. After that episode, we felt that he was worthy of a noble name, and so Justin named him Earl and carried him, on a stick, all the way up to the village.
"Oh.... you found a brownie?"
To which he replied,
"No, that's chicken.
:-}
I have had the sniffles lately and have been craving comfort food, so Ju is making some chicken noodle soup tonight. Yesterday we went out with her Chinese parents and a posse of other people to visit an ancient stone village and to eat dinner. Since they are pretty wealthy, they ordered speciality food which was... erm... distinctly not comfort food. Dishes included cow ankle fat, some opaque-brown mushroom looking things, green glutunous rice stick things, spicy SPICY chicken chunks (bones included), pig feet with fat and skin.... and many, many more. The most useful phrase I've learned so far is, "Zhe shi shenme?" ("what is THAT?!"). Even with the weird food that no one (not even they) really ate, they were very hospitable and friendly and made us feel like home. All said, we had a good time.
We also had a great time out in the countryside, although it was very different than anything I could have expected. First of all came Earl. Well, FIRST of all came a 5 hour bus ride that was pretty brutal... but we'll skip that part because it's no fun.
First came Earl. He was found in the marketplace running around with all the other chickens. We picked him because he was the biggest and we wanted a good gift to bring to the family that we were visiting, since they would probably be feeding us and giving us a place to sleep that night. After much haggling, we finally set a price and the lady scooped him up and started preparing him for travel.... or at least... so we thought. Let's just say we came very close to seeing our first chicken decapitation. It was a rush, let me tell you. After that episode, we felt that he was worthy of a noble name, and so Justin named him Earl and carried him, on a stick, all the way up to the village.
We hiked up the mountain to the village and arrived near to dusk, enough time to take in a stunning view of the valley with the terraced rice fields and lush mountainsides. That night we ate dinner with Juliann's friends, an older lady who we called "Abo" (granny), and her husband. Abo was hilarious.... she was a spry old lady who would yell around, fixing dinner, grinning wildly, and pointing at our seats whenever we would get up and try to help her, demanding that we should sit back down.
The custom in China is that everyone gets a small bowl with chopsticks that they eat out of, and then there is one large bowl (or many bowls) in the center that everyone takes food from and puts in their bowl according to what they want. You kind of pick up food as you go. Well in the countryside, these little old ladies will eye your bowl and fill it up with rice and other, um, "tasty treats" while you're not looking. They don't take no for an answer, either, because "no" to them means "ask me again". It's like a game trying to say that you're finished eating. Crazy.
The really crazy thing, though, is the rice wine that they drink in the countryside BEFORE the meal. They filled our bowls with a really potent rice wine that we had to finish before eating any rice. Since we had eaten very little for lunch and it was almost 9:00pm before we ate dinner, we had very empty stomachs... so.... Justin got a little giggly and had to be shushed by the old granny for laughing too hard. hehehehe.
Those old grannies really loved Justin though, antics and all. They said that we must come back and visit sometime. We are inclined to oblige.
While we were out we also helped with the rice harvest, which entails three positions: cutting the rice stalks, beating the stalks against a box thingie to get the rice out, and then tying the beaten rice stalks into bundles (resembling a mini teepee), all of which must be done a certain way. They were pretty amused at us foreigners trying to master the knot in the bundle only to watch it fall apart when they touched it. We finally got the hang of it, and they seemed to appreciate the help. It's hard work. Our arms were all scratched up and swollen from the rice for days afterwards.
And there you have it. Our time has been so full of outings and tutoring sessions that today I decided to take a sick day / sabbath and not do anything but rest and spend some time writing. We leave for Zhengzhou on Saturday, where I will spend three weeks teaching English at a school, fulfilling the requirements for my TESL certificate.
 |
| China 2 |
Thursday, September 27, 2007
News Alert: We are not dead
At last a chance to post! The combination of limited internet access and a fat schedule have made my email/post time nearly non-existent. There are a few preliminary things that I should say because they are fairly important. Thank you for your emails and comments. It means a lot to know that we are missed and that people are thinking of us. Please know that sensitive* material may be scrutinized, so be mindful of what you write, especially keeping in mind our friends here in China.... if you catch my drift.
And now on to the more fun stuff... we have only been in China for a little over a week but it could have been months as far as I'm concerned. Not that time really matters to me here anyway, most of the days go by packed to the brim but leave uncounted as they are in America.
We spent a full day at the famous waterfall, Hong Guo Shu (sp?), which is one of the largest waterfalls in the world (fact? I don't know... that's just what the guy on the mini megaphone said). It was one of those three hour tours that was ACTUALLY more like EIGHT hours. yeesh. On the way there, the tour bus stopped by a buddhist temple and we got a great picture of Justin spending some quality time with Buddha (see album below).
We also saw the most adorable blind lady who was selling incense at the Buddha place. We didn't buy her incense, but we did give her a few yuans just for being so stinkin' cute.
Today I spent a couple of hours with a Chinese tutor, and then went to observe/help an English classroom of a friend that I met on Sunday. It was a great group of students who are pretty outgoing and love love LOVE to have their picture taken with a friendly foreigner. I had a whole lineup of them afterwards... I felt like a movie star. :-) I have found that most Chinese people are very curious about foreigners and have no qualms about staring at us very obviously. It's a little hard to know if we should just ignore them, or try to smile or what. We don't know how to talk to them yet (but trying to learn)! Today I tried a new approach: the staring contest. I stared at this guy at the bus stop as though he were unusual... you know, the way they stare at us... but then I chickened out... hah. Don't know if I'll be trying it again.
I was walking through the street with two other foreign girls today and we were met with a chorus of HELLO!!! from the kids who had just gotten out of school. One by one, they started following us down the street and there we were, three white chicks leading a parade of school kids shouting their "HELLO"s. It was a pretty funny sight, I'm sure.
I think the biggest shock to life in China so far has not been the language, nor the food, nor even the squatty pottys. It has been the NOISE. The streets are filled with honking cars, the shops have blaring music, there are people shouting or singing on the streets at random (oh, and spitting! like the disgusting sucking air through your nose and spitting the grunt out your mouth stuff... YUCKKY LOUDLY). It makes a lot of sense to me why "inner peace" is a key belief in China, since there sure as heck ain't any outward peace.
Yesterday proved to be a difficult day for us. We went with some friends to a place for abandoned pups* and played with them for about an hour and a half. Since it's on my heart, I would really like to write more about this, but I will do so when I have more time and freedom, in about a week's time.
On the way there, one of our Chinese friends asked us about our other Friend who lives in a totally different province, which really surprised us that she knew about him. She had lots of questions and wanted to know everything. It was encouraging, but I think it made the puppy place* all the more difficult because we spoke to her of all the good things that our Friend can do and then we saw all of the little ones that our Friend loves so much hurting so badly. Like I said, it was a difficult day.
There is much more to write, but it is late and we have an early morning ahead of us. Tomorrow we are going out to the countryside with Ju and will be there until Tuesday, so have a good weekend everyone. Dreams are funny things... they are rarely what they seem. More later.
And now on to the more fun stuff... we have only been in China for a little over a week but it could have been months as far as I'm concerned. Not that time really matters to me here anyway, most of the days go by packed to the brim but leave uncounted as they are in America.
We spent a full day at the famous waterfall, Hong Guo Shu (sp?), which is one of the largest waterfalls in the world (fact? I don't know... that's just what the guy on the mini megaphone said). It was one of those three hour tours that was ACTUALLY more like EIGHT hours. yeesh. On the way there, the tour bus stopped by a buddhist temple and we got a great picture of Justin spending some quality time with Buddha (see album below).
We also saw the most adorable blind lady who was selling incense at the Buddha place. We didn't buy her incense, but we did give her a few yuans just for being so stinkin' cute.
Today I spent a couple of hours with a Chinese tutor, and then went to observe/help an English classroom of a friend that I met on Sunday. It was a great group of students who are pretty outgoing and love love LOVE to have their picture taken with a friendly foreigner. I had a whole lineup of them afterwards... I felt like a movie star. :-) I have found that most Chinese people are very curious about foreigners and have no qualms about staring at us very obviously. It's a little hard to know if we should just ignore them, or try to smile or what. We don't know how to talk to them yet (but trying to learn)! Today I tried a new approach: the staring contest. I stared at this guy at the bus stop as though he were unusual... you know, the way they stare at us... but then I chickened out... hah. Don't know if I'll be trying it again.
I was walking through the street with two other foreign girls today and we were met with a chorus of HELLO!!! from the kids who had just gotten out of school. One by one, they started following us down the street and there we were, three white chicks leading a parade of school kids shouting their "HELLO"s. It was a pretty funny sight, I'm sure.
I think the biggest shock to life in China so far has not been the language, nor the food, nor even the squatty pottys. It has been the NOISE. The streets are filled with honking cars, the shops have blaring music, there are people shouting or singing on the streets at random (oh, and spitting! like the disgusting sucking air through your nose and spitting the grunt out your mouth stuff... YUCKKY LOUDLY). It makes a lot of sense to me why "inner peace" is a key belief in China, since there sure as heck ain't any outward peace.
Yesterday proved to be a difficult day for us. We went with some friends to a place for abandoned pups* and played with them for about an hour and a half. Since it's on my heart, I would really like to write more about this, but I will do so when I have more time and freedom, in about a week's time.
On the way there, one of our Chinese friends asked us about our other Friend who lives in a totally different province, which really surprised us that she knew about him. She had lots of questions and wanted to know everything. It was encouraging, but I think it made the puppy place* all the more difficult because we spoke to her of all the good things that our Friend can do and then we saw all of the little ones that our Friend loves so much hurting so badly. Like I said, it was a difficult day.
There is much more to write, but it is late and we have an early morning ahead of us. Tomorrow we are going out to the countryside with Ju and will be there until Tuesday, so have a good weekend everyone. Dreams are funny things... they are rarely what they seem. More later.
 |
| China |
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
We're 70% Here
We have safely arrived in Kunming after about 15 hours of traveling. The only small problem is that our luggage is missing in action. Hopefully we'll get that back tomorrow before we leave for a 12 hour train ride. The time zone difference is crazy... at one point it took us a few minutes to figure out if it was AM or PM.
- J
- J
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
It's hard to believe that in less than 24 hours, we will be boarding a plane for China. Hard to believe especially since I just got off of a plane less than 24 hours ago.
People keep asking me if I'm excited and honestly... it hasn't sunk in quite yet. There are a few too many things left to do like packing, fighting with the insurance (the highlight of my day :-D), and tying up the last few loose ends.
One more day. Holy smokes.
People keep asking me if I'm excited and honestly... it hasn't sunk in quite yet. There are a few too many things left to do like packing, fighting with the insurance (the highlight of my day :-D), and tying up the last few loose ends.
One more day. Holy smokes.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
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