2004-12-31 - 3:38 p.m.
Ah An Yang.
So crissy gave me a short trip to get away and relax, so I chose An Yang. An Yang is in our province so it is a sort train trip (3 hours), and is supposed to have one of the UNESCO World heritage sites after 2006. Now here is what is important about this. When a place is made a World Heritage site it immediately increases in tourism (in a recent article in China Today, they mentioned tourism increasing by over 1 Million people per year at other UNESCO world heritage sites in china) So I wanted to go there before it becomes a world heritage site/tourist trap.
What I found was a very quaint, quiet city. We got there (me another teacher, and one of her students) and went to the place that Lonely Planet travel guides recommend. at 138 yuan(RMB) per night for twin accomidations, I thought it would be a good deal. We get to the building and it is goregous. New, renovated, large glass windows, and I think to myself, "wow, for 138 RMB a night, not bad."
Can you say 'bait and switch'? Yes the new building is very impressive and has a 4 star ranking, but the 138 RMB a night room, no that is in the old building behind this one. So we go out. 138 RMB a night for standing water in bathtub that is actually covered in mold, 2 beds that are rock hard, and actually being able to see the mold climb the walls. NO. So we go to the higher priced room 158 a night. It looks like someone was killed in the bathroom, and left to rot. Next... 200 rmb a night room, and another 100 for a rollaway bed for the student. Each increase in price we increased in size of the room, but not much more. We decided to see what other accomidations we could find.
After a 15 minute walk in -10 degree celsius weather we get to the other hotel our student had heard about. It is closed for rennovations!! By now even in 5 layers of clothing I'm freezing. I see what appears to be a hotel across the street from an "experimental high school" (I'm still wondering what kind of experiments were going on), and we go into this hotel to check it out. They are for chinese only! Great. Our guide starts talking to the people behind the counter, and he tells us to go outside for a minute or so. After 90 freezing seconds he comes out and gets us. It seems as long as he is renting the room and they don't see us when he signs the contract, its all good. We got a room for 150 RMB a night, with 3 beds and a shower. So I thnk we got the better deal.
That afternoon we ate lunch, and went sight seeing,and we found a buddhist temple/tower. So we go up to the front gate, and it is locked. OUr guide knocks and knocks, and this little old man comes out, and tells us they are closed because of the weather. Our guide (michael) starts this wonderful story about how we were from america, and only in An Yang for 1 day, and we came all thsi way to see the tower. The old guy lets us in! (I swear I want to adopt this 21 year old chinese student, he is great). So we have the whole place to ourselves.
This tower is one of the tallest buildings in An Yang, about 6 stories tall. To climb it you have to go up almost vertical steps. The steps are 30" tall, and only 6 " wide. Lets not forget the roof is only about 5'6". So these builders or monks had to be about 5'4" and with hugely long legs. We managed to explore this tower for about an hour (and boy did my legs feel it the following day)
We come down, and the sun is setting. We are looking around, and there are 2 buildings being renovated/remodeled. The doors are closed, and the workers are moving around inside. Well Michael goes up and tells the same sob story about being here only 1 day, and agian they let us in. It was fantastic. Here we are surrounded by workers who are painting the ceramic sculptures, and who are putting murals on the walls. NONE OF IT IS ORIGINAL! What a sham. But it was a pretty sham.
Next day we go to the Yin Ruins (yinxu). These ruins are some of the oldest in china, and that is why it is being made a world heritage site. I was disappointed to say the least. WE get there, and agian it is cold, and snow is on the ground (we spent 6 hours there, and only saw 2 other tourists). We go to the tomb of Fuhao. She is a very famous emperial concubine who led the army. Ok. So we go inside this building, down 3 levels of stairs to get to this pit full of 'relics'. Ok, it looks really neat, but something is just telling me "WRONG" And I finally figure it out. ARound the ouside top of the pit there are skeletons who were placed there to keep the spirits, and bodies of the dead locked in their graves. OK. But upon closer look, you can see one of the skeletons is a 1980's plastic skeleton (the jaw is cast in one piece with the skull, and it looks very deformed) I reach down and thwack it with my finger. Thunk (plastic). There is a very large bronze vessle, I can barely reach it with my fingers, and pick it up, less than one pound (at it's size... 20 or 30 lbs easily). It is a recreation of the pit!!
Our guide is very very upset by this, and is apologizing repeatedly. He starts talking to another chiese person, and they tell him all the artifiacts were moved to a museum down down years ago, this is just a recreation!
so now we are disappointed, but we keep on, and find the oracle bone pit. Oracle bones have some of the oldest written form of chinese ever discovered. A person would go to the oracle with a question. The oracle would kill a tortise, and write on the shell your question, and then burn a fire in the shell. From the way the fire burned, and the ashes left it would answer your question. So the largest find of oracle bones was on this site too. Ok, that is pretty cool. We get to the site, and it has a recreated bone pit! I hate recreations. at least the pictures on the outside were of the areachological dig, and about what was found. That was pretty cool.
There was also an interesting chariot pit. An Yang was interesting, but I hope by 2006 UNESCO World Heritage site will have "real" artifacts, not the recreations!!
Will
Trying yet again to maintain a blog of our travels abroad, especially as the children are getting older.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Voice of Will: Finals Time
2004-12-22 - 11:29 a.m.
Sorry for the delay in writing. Since thanksgiving we have been extremely busy.
Finals, and the week after finals. oh joy!
So I'm a cooperative teacher for Fort Hayes Kansas. I am in the class room teaching American Cinema, for a professor in Kansas. I present her material, and give lectures, and write the quizes. She gets the group assignments, writes the exams, and gets the headaches.
Well last week I gave our online final exam. I was told it would be ready for me to just set the time. not so fast. I go into the system the day of the exam and it hasn't been created yet. Now we have a 14 hour time difference from Kansas, so it wasn't like I could email and get an answer, so I had to build the exam from other peoples questions. So I get it done, but none of the questiosn are mine. Oh well. I give the exam. 1/2 the students can't get onto the site, and when they finally do, most of them cannot understand the terminology in many of the questions. And to top it all off there are 8 students who when they submitted their exams, the computers lost them. So they did them again. I even had one student who had to take the same exam 4 times because this kept happening. GRRRRR... Such fun.
And this week I have been mobbed by students who want to tell me their grades are wrong, or to beg for more points grrr!!!
Well just venting, I'll write more interesting things later. (a trip to the Shaolin temple, and trying to buy a snake in china)
Sorry for the delay in writing. Since thanksgiving we have been extremely busy.
Finals, and the week after finals. oh joy!
So I'm a cooperative teacher for Fort Hayes Kansas. I am in the class room teaching American Cinema, for a professor in Kansas. I present her material, and give lectures, and write the quizes. She gets the group assignments, writes the exams, and gets the headaches.
Well last week I gave our online final exam. I was told it would be ready for me to just set the time. not so fast. I go into the system the day of the exam and it hasn't been created yet. Now we have a 14 hour time difference from Kansas, so it wasn't like I could email and get an answer, so I had to build the exam from other peoples questions. So I get it done, but none of the questiosn are mine. Oh well. I give the exam. 1/2 the students can't get onto the site, and when they finally do, most of them cannot understand the terminology in many of the questions. And to top it all off there are 8 students who when they submitted their exams, the computers lost them. So they did them again. I even had one student who had to take the same exam 4 times because this kept happening. GRRRRR... Such fun.
And this week I have been mobbed by students who want to tell me their grades are wrong, or to beg for more points grrr!!!
Well just venting, I'll write more interesting things later. (a trip to the Shaolin temple, and trying to buy a snake in china)
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Voice of Will: China Winter-still warm
2004-12-21 - 12:56 p.m.
As of this writing our wonderfully warm december weather has disappeared. According to teachers who were here last year, we have had an incredible fall with very warm temperaturea and a lack of pollution.
Good for us. In fact until yesterday, I was walking around Peter Hall (where all the foreign teachers live) in short sleeves and shorts most of the time.
As of this writing there is 2 inches of snow on the ground, and what appears to be a blizzard brewing.
The chinese students seem to be very cold, and miserable through most of this. Most of them are severely underdressed for the snow, and I am worried about some of them. Many of them come from southern china, and as freshmen this is probably the first snow they have ever seen. The chinese dorms have very little heat, and hot running water for showers is almost non existant. Another reason most chinese seem to be very CRANKY. (taht with the rock hard beds, the squatty potties, and now cold showers in the middle of winter, i'd be very CRANKY too)
We on the other hand are used to the cold having come from Flagstaff AZ, and are having a wonderful time out playing in the snow. (layers, lots of layers, and don't forget that wonderful wool cap to cover the ears!!) We just finished a big snowball fight (I think I lost), and have done snow angels, and built a small snow man. We ahve come inside while we wait for a friend (another foreign teacher) who thinks he can get some truck inner tubes.... oh boy sledding down the road on SIAS (it gets about 3 cars a day), and is this perfectly long downhill slope.....
I think my students like me. Today was our last offical class. I told them their grades, and how to let me know if anything was wrong, and what we could do about it. I was told by most of them I needed to eat my Bowsa (chinese dumplings) today. Apparently on the first real snow tradition says you must eat Bowsa (Bow like a dog's bark sa) to keep your ears from falling off, and going deaf. I'm interested in learning about this tradition, where did it come from and why? (i'm sure it started by soem old chinese mother who couldn't get her kids to eat their bowsa, ie if you dont' eat your bowsa your ears will fall off... and it stuck) I told crissy about this, and she replied "your students must like you to tell you this. None of mine told me." Makes me wonder if they want her ears to fall off...... (I don't, so I fed her some bowsa)
I'll post the shutterfly site for the pictures from today later.
Will
As of this writing our wonderfully warm december weather has disappeared. According to teachers who were here last year, we have had an incredible fall with very warm temperaturea and a lack of pollution.
Good for us. In fact until yesterday, I was walking around Peter Hall (where all the foreign teachers live) in short sleeves and shorts most of the time.
As of this writing there is 2 inches of snow on the ground, and what appears to be a blizzard brewing.
The chinese students seem to be very cold, and miserable through most of this. Most of them are severely underdressed for the snow, and I am worried about some of them. Many of them come from southern china, and as freshmen this is probably the first snow they have ever seen. The chinese dorms have very little heat, and hot running water for showers is almost non existant. Another reason most chinese seem to be very CRANKY. (taht with the rock hard beds, the squatty potties, and now cold showers in the middle of winter, i'd be very CRANKY too)
We on the other hand are used to the cold having come from Flagstaff AZ, and are having a wonderful time out playing in the snow. (layers, lots of layers, and don't forget that wonderful wool cap to cover the ears!!) We just finished a big snowball fight (I think I lost), and have done snow angels, and built a small snow man. We ahve come inside while we wait for a friend (another foreign teacher) who thinks he can get some truck inner tubes.... oh boy sledding down the road on SIAS (it gets about 3 cars a day), and is this perfectly long downhill slope.....
I think my students like me. Today was our last offical class. I told them their grades, and how to let me know if anything was wrong, and what we could do about it. I was told by most of them I needed to eat my Bowsa (chinese dumplings) today. Apparently on the first real snow tradition says you must eat Bowsa (Bow like a dog's bark sa) to keep your ears from falling off, and going deaf. I'm interested in learning about this tradition, where did it come from and why? (i'm sure it started by soem old chinese mother who couldn't get her kids to eat their bowsa, ie if you dont' eat your bowsa your ears will fall off... and it stuck) I told crissy about this, and she replied "your students must like you to tell you this. None of mine told me." Makes me wonder if they want her ears to fall off...... (I don't, so I fed her some bowsa)
I'll post the shutterfly site for the pictures from today later.
Will
Voice of Will: Trying to buy a snake
2004-12-21 - 1:08 p.m.
So I'm waiting here for a different site to open so I can do some more grading.
Last week I went into Zhengzhou (jung joe) to see about getting some playground equipment for the kids. maybe a cheap swing set like you can buy at walmart, or one of those cheap plastic slides. We were able to find one store, and they only carry "littletikes" or some such american brand name. They wanted 8000 RMB for a plastic house with a 3 swing swing set on it. Taht is $1000. I couldnt' figure out why. The friend I was with asked, and was told it was imported from America. We tried to find out where we could get the cheap chinese knock off, but he wouldn't answer. so we decided not to bother. While trying to kill 3 hours until our return bus trip, I asked them about snakes.
People seem mortally afraid of snakes throughout most of china. The snake is a symbol of deception, stealth, power, and death. I can't blame them for that feeling. In the south of china there are 100 different types of snakes. 99 are so poisonous that you will die within a day of being bit, and that hundredth snake will eat your ass whole!
My students think it is hogwash, but they understand the cultural power of the snake. I have wanted to get crissy a snake for some time now. When we were at south family a snake was expressly forbidden, and we didn't want to try to bring one to china and go through the customs nightmare. But if we are going to be here 18 months it might be worth it.
So we started a journey to find where we could buy a snake. My friends are afraid of snakes, but willing to try. (That is the definition of friendship, willing to do something that frightens you to help a friend). So we start off by asking the cab driver where we can get a snake. The cab driver locks up his breaks (in the middle of the freeway) and pulls over to teh side of the road. He rattles off in rapid chinese to my friend. He was telling us the sale of snake is expressly forbidden. Apparently when the SARS outbreak occured 2 years ago, it was partly blamed on a province in china that would eat anything. Including snake. Part of the reaction was to outlaw the selling of snake.
My friends tell me this is common when you ask for something that is outlawed. The person will put on a show that they are not willing to break the law. They will then drop the show in a couple of minutes (depends on how well they know you) Because I am a Lowwei (Think of the beginning of loud now remove the d. Lou why) (foreigner) he feigned ignorance for several minutes. Now keep this picture in mind. A taxi stopped on the freeway with traffic whizzing by on the side of us with a driver who is swearing he doesn't know anything about snake.
My friend is very good at weasling things out of people (I want to adopt this kid) and has the driver convinced we are not the police in about a minute. He then explains we want a snake. The driver replies, ah yes I do know a place to get snake for lunch. we reply, no not for lunch. The driver replies, well snake is not good for dinner.
We manage to convince him we want it for pet. Long silence (about 3 or 4 mintues) he turns around in the cab to look at me in the back seat (and I'm sure he said something like crazy lowwei in chinese) and he replies. "I have been a taxi cab driver in this town for 10 years, and I have never heard anything like this" So he calls out over the taxi radio looking for snake. the first reply is from another driver, ah a snake toy. By now my friend is rolling with laughter. no nota toy, a snake. Ah... for lunch. No not for lunch. for pet. the chinese radio goes silent. (again think crazy foreinger) and a call comes back. WE can go to the fishmarket, but make them pull the teeth of the snake. (rolling laughing, just imagine a toothless snake gumming your hand....)
I didnt' know zhengzhou had a fish market. We are 1000 km from the ocean, and about 100 km from the closest river that I know about. But there sure is a fish market. it is about as wide as a normal alley, and goes back about 50 meters. There are several alleys that intersect this one at right angles, and they have poultry, or pigs.
So we go up to the first person we see in the fish market selling stuff, and my friend tells them we want snake for pet. Their eyes get so big and round you wouldn't have know they were chinese. A pet? are you crazy, snakes are dangerous. Crazy. Yes I know someone who sells them... but not for pets.
we are taken down the alley to a back alley (only in china can your alleys have back alleys) and down the back alley all the way to the end. Now for the images. Think of blood on the walls, splattered on the ceiling, and on the floor. Think of random chicken feathers stuck to this, and lets not forget the wonderful smell of dung.
we get to this shop, and there is an old woman there. She looks like she went to high school with GOD. Ancient stooped over, and dark white hair. More facial hair than I have, and very large mole on the side of her cheek. (could have been the wicked witch of the east's mom) And she won't talk about snake. She swears her son's business is honest, and would never sell snake. The son is out and won't be back until next week. Oh well. didn't get snake, but got a great story
Will
So I'm waiting here for a different site to open so I can do some more grading.
Last week I went into Zhengzhou (jung joe) to see about getting some playground equipment for the kids. maybe a cheap swing set like you can buy at walmart, or one of those cheap plastic slides. We were able to find one store, and they only carry "littletikes" or some such american brand name. They wanted 8000 RMB for a plastic house with a 3 swing swing set on it. Taht is $1000. I couldnt' figure out why. The friend I was with asked, and was told it was imported from America. We tried to find out where we could get the cheap chinese knock off, but he wouldn't answer. so we decided not to bother. While trying to kill 3 hours until our return bus trip, I asked them about snakes.
People seem mortally afraid of snakes throughout most of china. The snake is a symbol of deception, stealth, power, and death. I can't blame them for that feeling. In the south of china there are 100 different types of snakes. 99 are so poisonous that you will die within a day of being bit, and that hundredth snake will eat your ass whole!
My students think it is hogwash, but they understand the cultural power of the snake. I have wanted to get crissy a snake for some time now. When we were at south family a snake was expressly forbidden, and we didn't want to try to bring one to china and go through the customs nightmare. But if we are going to be here 18 months it might be worth it.
So we started a journey to find where we could buy a snake. My friends are afraid of snakes, but willing to try. (That is the definition of friendship, willing to do something that frightens you to help a friend). So we start off by asking the cab driver where we can get a snake. The cab driver locks up his breaks (in the middle of the freeway) and pulls over to teh side of the road. He rattles off in rapid chinese to my friend. He was telling us the sale of snake is expressly forbidden. Apparently when the SARS outbreak occured 2 years ago, it was partly blamed on a province in china that would eat anything. Including snake. Part of the reaction was to outlaw the selling of snake.
My friends tell me this is common when you ask for something that is outlawed. The person will put on a show that they are not willing to break the law. They will then drop the show in a couple of minutes (depends on how well they know you) Because I am a Lowwei (Think of the beginning of loud now remove the d. Lou why) (foreigner) he feigned ignorance for several minutes. Now keep this picture in mind. A taxi stopped on the freeway with traffic whizzing by on the side of us with a driver who is swearing he doesn't know anything about snake.
My friend is very good at weasling things out of people (I want to adopt this kid) and has the driver convinced we are not the police in about a minute. He then explains we want a snake. The driver replies, ah yes I do know a place to get snake for lunch. we reply, no not for lunch. The driver replies, well snake is not good for dinner.
We manage to convince him we want it for pet. Long silence (about 3 or 4 mintues) he turns around in the cab to look at me in the back seat (and I'm sure he said something like crazy lowwei in chinese) and he replies. "I have been a taxi cab driver in this town for 10 years, and I have never heard anything like this" So he calls out over the taxi radio looking for snake. the first reply is from another driver, ah a snake toy. By now my friend is rolling with laughter. no nota toy, a snake. Ah... for lunch. No not for lunch. for pet. the chinese radio goes silent. (again think crazy foreinger) and a call comes back. WE can go to the fishmarket, but make them pull the teeth of the snake. (rolling laughing, just imagine a toothless snake gumming your hand....)
I didnt' know zhengzhou had a fish market. We are 1000 km from the ocean, and about 100 km from the closest river that I know about. But there sure is a fish market. it is about as wide as a normal alley, and goes back about 50 meters. There are several alleys that intersect this one at right angles, and they have poultry, or pigs.
So we go up to the first person we see in the fish market selling stuff, and my friend tells them we want snake for pet. Their eyes get so big and round you wouldn't have know they were chinese. A pet? are you crazy, snakes are dangerous. Crazy. Yes I know someone who sells them... but not for pets.
we are taken down the alley to a back alley (only in china can your alleys have back alleys) and down the back alley all the way to the end. Now for the images. Think of blood on the walls, splattered on the ceiling, and on the floor. Think of random chicken feathers stuck to this, and lets not forget the wonderful smell of dung.
we get to this shop, and there is an old woman there. She looks like she went to high school with GOD. Ancient stooped over, and dark white hair. More facial hair than I have, and very large mole on the side of her cheek. (could have been the wicked witch of the east's mom) And she won't talk about snake. She swears her son's business is honest, and would never sell snake. The son is out and won't be back until next week. Oh well. didn't get snake, but got a great story
Will
Friday, November 26, 2004
Voice of Will: Birthday for Rae in China
2004-11-26 - 7:13 p.m.
So my daughters birthday was on `11/21. And we just had thanksgiving.
Rae's birthday was a smash success. According to her, it was "my bestestest birthday ever, daddy!!" We had 6 other children here (2 from the flat, and 4 foreign chinese children we are getting to know) and about 40 adults ranging in age from 19 to 70. Rae made out like a bandit.
She had a huge pink heart shaped cake, no ice cream and about 70 presents. So we ate cake, we played games including bowling and twister, and rae opened presents. She said thank you to each person, and really loved all the presents. The ending was being allowed to play the game Spyro for the xbox in the conference room. The conference room has an overhead projector that will project digital images to the wall. So she got to play spyro on the wall and spyro was 3' tall. The kids and adults had fun.
Thanksgiving was fun, but different than usual. I taught my class that thursday morning. Not that I wanted to, but because if I cancelled it I would ahve to schedule a make up on the weekend. ick ack barf. So I went ot class. We had brunch, and then played some touch football. In 5 degree C. Lots of cold fingers, but all around fun. WE even had the chinese students on the track as cheer leaders. Then time for dinner. boy do the chinese love their speaches. We get to the resturant, and the chinese delegation talks for 30 minutes before we can get our food. Oh well.
anyways, gotta run. Love to all.
Will
So my daughters birthday was on `11/21. And we just had thanksgiving.
Rae's birthday was a smash success. According to her, it was "my bestestest birthday ever, daddy!!" We had 6 other children here (2 from the flat, and 4 foreign chinese children we are getting to know) and about 40 adults ranging in age from 19 to 70. Rae made out like a bandit.
She had a huge pink heart shaped cake, no ice cream and about 70 presents. So we ate cake, we played games including bowling and twister, and rae opened presents. She said thank you to each person, and really loved all the presents. The ending was being allowed to play the game Spyro for the xbox in the conference room. The conference room has an overhead projector that will project digital images to the wall. So she got to play spyro on the wall and spyro was 3' tall. The kids and adults had fun.
Thanksgiving was fun, but different than usual. I taught my class that thursday morning. Not that I wanted to, but because if I cancelled it I would ahve to schedule a make up on the weekend. ick ack barf. So I went ot class. We had brunch, and then played some touch football. In 5 degree C. Lots of cold fingers, but all around fun. WE even had the chinese students on the track as cheer leaders. Then time for dinner. boy do the chinese love their speaches. We get to the resturant, and the chinese delegation talks for 30 minutes before we can get our food. Oh well.
anyways, gotta run. Love to all.
Will
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Voice of Will: Normal day 6000 miles away
2004-11-25 - 8:20 a.m.
So several of my friends have been asking for me to tell them about a "normal" day. First thing to remember, "normal" back 6200 miles in the US is different than "normal" here.
We we usually get up at about 6:30 am our time. WE get to find out if we have any hot water, by turning it on, and counting to 10 then jumping into the shower (not really, we do feel it, but most days the temperature is very variable.) So we take our morning shower. During this eventful time, the temperature changes at least 6 times. I don't mean it changes from hot to warm and stays there. No the temperature actually swings 6 times. So we get in, and the temperature is just right. Then it increases in temperature to almost boiling/scalding water (usually you have to yelp, and jump out of the way) Then after about a minute, the temperature swings the other way. So scalding becames, hot and nice, then becomes warm, then lukewarm, (jump out of the water) becomes chilly, cold, and ice cold. Then it swings back to scalding again. I call this the CHINA SHOWER SHUFFLE. You have to time it just right, and it would make a great dance step in a club.
Because each time you are jumping out of the water you are still scrubbing yourself clean. So the drill usually goes. turn on shower. get wet, feel the water moving to scalding, step out grab the shampoo and put into your hair, feel the water going back down from scalding, hop back in, and rinse off the shampoo (do it fast though, or you get shampoo suds in your eyes while the water swings through cold), jump out as the chilly water hits, and grab the soap. soap up, feel the water, if it is hot again hop back in it. Rinse and repeat.
We can remove this obstacle most days, we got a removable shower head on a hose, and a small (3' around bucket, about 10 inches deep) so we just hold the shower to the wall when it is cold, and sit in the bucket. That is the kids bath, they think it is fun, I keep thinking oh great, a kiddy pool for a bath!
Next it is breakfast time. SIAS provides all the meals in our cafeteria. So this isn't too bad. Hey, I don't have to cook, or do the dishes so I won't complain. Breakfast is the only meal that does not change. It is buffet style, eggs over easy, scrambled, omlette, fried potatoes, french toast, pancakes, sausages, and bacon, and boiled eggs. We can also get oatmeal, or toast and coffee. Simple, and constant, so not too bad.
Then we go off to class (or stay home with the kids) We we go off to class, it isn't too far. About 500 meters at the furthest walk. Takes about 5 to 7 minutes to walk to class. It is very noticable. You cause a ripple in the students who are all walking to class. You are usually taller than the students, and when you see the other foreign teachers you realize how different we are from the students. I don't know how to describe it to a white caucasian person, other than to say go live on the reservations for a year, or go live in downtown detroit or washington dc and that comes close. Now make it an entirely different language, and culture.
Classes are pretty standard. Each class lasts 2 hours a day, and they appear to be randomly placed each day. There is no rthyme or reason for the classes. So my schedule for example. I meet one class on Monday at 4pm 6pm, and I meet them again on Friday at 10 am to noon. I meet my other cinema class on tuesday at 10 am, and then thursday at 4 pm. So instead of following the types of schedules we are current with (ie mon wed fri, or tues thurs at the SAME TIME, they actually just schedule them whenever they can fit them in.) The school actually schedules 10000 student scheduleds by hand, and pen and paper instead of using a computer system!!! Go figure.
In our classes we have a major problem with cheating, and plagerism. According to my students, it is the chinese way. Yes you read that correctly. Their professors don't care about plagerism, only directly cheating on an exam. And then they don't look too hard. So I've had to give zero's for plagerism on 3 occassions. The rules for the english classes through Fort Hayes Kansas are that if a student is caught cheating or plagerising 3x in their academic career they are expelled from school. (but it doesn't seem to work that way)
Students can and do badger teachers about grades, they can and do make friends in the administration who will change their grades, and lets not forget most of these students have parents who have lots of money. Parents can and do pressure the college to change grades.
Oh I left out how our students get here. SIAS is the first privately owned college by an american citizen. Being privately owned, students come here because they scored LOW on their college entrance exams. See if they scored high, they would go to a state school, but since they scored LOW, this is their only real chance to go to college. So we get the students who would not make it in the state schools, but who hvae LOTS OF MONEY!
SIAS offers 2 types of degrees, the chinese one and one that is a Bachelors of Liberal Studies from Fort Hayes Kansas.(virtual school). and the fort Hayes classes cost 10x what the sias classes cost. So you do the math, we have lots of rich students who don't care. But to be fair, we also have lots of students who realize they screwed up earlier, and are WORKING REALLY HARD! so it kind of makes up for it.
(more later, have to deal with the kids)
Will
So several of my friends have been asking for me to tell them about a "normal" day. First thing to remember, "normal" back 6200 miles in the US is different than "normal" here.
We we usually get up at about 6:30 am our time. WE get to find out if we have any hot water, by turning it on, and counting to 10 then jumping into the shower (not really, we do feel it, but most days the temperature is very variable.) So we take our morning shower. During this eventful time, the temperature changes at least 6 times. I don't mean it changes from hot to warm and stays there. No the temperature actually swings 6 times. So we get in, and the temperature is just right. Then it increases in temperature to almost boiling/scalding water (usually you have to yelp, and jump out of the way) Then after about a minute, the temperature swings the other way. So scalding becames, hot and nice, then becomes warm, then lukewarm, (jump out of the water) becomes chilly, cold, and ice cold. Then it swings back to scalding again. I call this the CHINA SHOWER SHUFFLE. You have to time it just right, and it would make a great dance step in a club.
Because each time you are jumping out of the water you are still scrubbing yourself clean. So the drill usually goes. turn on shower. get wet, feel the water moving to scalding, step out grab the shampoo and put into your hair, feel the water going back down from scalding, hop back in, and rinse off the shampoo (do it fast though, or you get shampoo suds in your eyes while the water swings through cold), jump out as the chilly water hits, and grab the soap. soap up, feel the water, if it is hot again hop back in it. Rinse and repeat.
We can remove this obstacle most days, we got a removable shower head on a hose, and a small (3' around bucket, about 10 inches deep) so we just hold the shower to the wall when it is cold, and sit in the bucket. That is the kids bath, they think it is fun, I keep thinking oh great, a kiddy pool for a bath!
Next it is breakfast time. SIAS provides all the meals in our cafeteria. So this isn't too bad. Hey, I don't have to cook, or do the dishes so I won't complain. Breakfast is the only meal that does not change. It is buffet style, eggs over easy, scrambled, omlette, fried potatoes, french toast, pancakes, sausages, and bacon, and boiled eggs. We can also get oatmeal, or toast and coffee. Simple, and constant, so not too bad.
Then we go off to class (or stay home with the kids) We we go off to class, it isn't too far. About 500 meters at the furthest walk. Takes about 5 to 7 minutes to walk to class. It is very noticable. You cause a ripple in the students who are all walking to class. You are usually taller than the students, and when you see the other foreign teachers you realize how different we are from the students. I don't know how to describe it to a white caucasian person, other than to say go live on the reservations for a year, or go live in downtown detroit or washington dc and that comes close. Now make it an entirely different language, and culture.
Classes are pretty standard. Each class lasts 2 hours a day, and they appear to be randomly placed each day. There is no rthyme or reason for the classes. So my schedule for example. I meet one class on Monday at 4pm 6pm, and I meet them again on Friday at 10 am to noon. I meet my other cinema class on tuesday at 10 am, and then thursday at 4 pm. So instead of following the types of schedules we are current with (ie mon wed fri, or tues thurs at the SAME TIME, they actually just schedule them whenever they can fit them in.) The school actually schedules 10000 student scheduleds by hand, and pen and paper instead of using a computer system!!! Go figure.
In our classes we have a major problem with cheating, and plagerism. According to my students, it is the chinese way. Yes you read that correctly. Their professors don't care about plagerism, only directly cheating on an exam. And then they don't look too hard. So I've had to give zero's for plagerism on 3 occassions. The rules for the english classes through Fort Hayes Kansas are that if a student is caught cheating or plagerising 3x in their academic career they are expelled from school. (but it doesn't seem to work that way)
Students can and do badger teachers about grades, they can and do make friends in the administration who will change their grades, and lets not forget most of these students have parents who have lots of money. Parents can and do pressure the college to change grades.
Oh I left out how our students get here. SIAS is the first privately owned college by an american citizen. Being privately owned, students come here because they scored LOW on their college entrance exams. See if they scored high, they would go to a state school, but since they scored LOW, this is their only real chance to go to college. So we get the students who would not make it in the state schools, but who hvae LOTS OF MONEY!
SIAS offers 2 types of degrees, the chinese one and one that is a Bachelors of Liberal Studies from Fort Hayes Kansas.(virtual school). and the fort Hayes classes cost 10x what the sias classes cost. So you do the math, we have lots of rich students who don't care. But to be fair, we also have lots of students who realize they screwed up earlier, and are WORKING REALLY HARD! so it kind of makes up for it.
(more later, have to deal with the kids)
Will
Saturday, November 6, 2004
Voice of Will: Kaifung Trip 2
2004-11-06 - 12:50 p.m.
Ah china, either you are bored out of your skull, or you are so busy you can't even think straight. It has been one of those kinds of weeks. (I'll update it later) back to the Kaifung trip.
So we went and checked in to our hotel. Called the Hotel Ritz. (You notice things in english all over the place, but usually the english is so bad it actually hurts you to read it. There was a sign for handisapped individuals to use the elevator, and it actually said in english, "no two bad individual dress can here stay") Well we checked into our rooms. I had a room on the 4th floor, and it was easier and probably safer to use the stairs then to use the elevator. The room smelled like cigarette smoke even though there was a large sign saying no smoking. Ok. So the guy I bunked with (his name is Alan, really nice guy) and I opened up the windows to air it out, and we found the AC and turned it on. Only one problem. The AC made the smoke smell worse. So Alan is using the bathroom, adn I decide the filter must be full of cigarette smoke, so that is why the room is fillign up with the smell.
I reached up to the filter, raised the panel and just removed the filter. Within in 10 minutes the room smelled so much better. ah... I love being just forceful, and deciseful.
So I sit on the bed. It was as hard as a rock. I actually then laid on the floor, and discoverd the carpeting was softer. If every chinese bed is that hard (the ones we have at the foreign teachers flat are almost that hard) then no wonder I always see frowning, unhappy looking chinese people.
We decied to go out and try the "famous" kaifung night market. So to get the picture. Think of the biggest swap meet you have ever been to. This makes that look tiny. It covered about 1 mile in each diretion on the roads. it was packed with people, and lining the roads were food vendors of every sort and type. I mean everything, chicken, rabbit, squid, fish, goat, lamb, beef, and even cicada's. (yes you read that right, june bugs, deep fried served on a stick).
So I'm walking with 2 delightful young female foregin teachers. One is from France, and the other is from Kansas. We are having a good converstation, and the teacher from france asks if I'm willing to try the cicada's. Sure. I'm up for anything once!! So she buys a stick o bugs. There are 4 cicada's on the stick. They are deep fried in front of us, and if you pop them into your mouth without thinking about it too much it is just like popcorn! Crunchy. We all shared that one stick of bugs, and I decided to get another stick. Crunchy, not gooey.
So we manage to find some other foods, mainly meat on a stick (not sure what it was, but it was tasty), some flat bread, and some beer. We try to get a seat, but each set of tables is for a particular stall. So we give up on that, and go to KFC (yes kentucky fried chicken) and walk in and take one of their booths!
After a delightful converstaion, some beer, and being able to sit down, we decide to join another group from SIAS who is going to a local tea house. So we tromp up the stairs to the third floor, and sit down. We are served some boiling hot, weak tea, and given three plates of different seeds. Then the entertainment starts. Imagine keroke, now imagine each person singing off key and shrieking for a reason. That is Peking Opera. it feels like someone is driving an ice pick into your ears. That was our entertainment.
So we started a collection thinking that if we paid them enough they would shut the hell up. No luck. we couldn't bribe them. so we did the next best thing. We took our napkins, rolled them into balls, and shoved them into our ears. (imagine the scene, about a dozen foreingers, with paper napkins sticking out of their ears. Add in the beer and we had a party.
Some food for thought.
1. I ate bugs
2. I was taken advantage of (the tea house charged each of us 20 RMB for the piss poor tea, 3 plates of seeds, and the "entertainment")
3. My sense of hearing was assaulted by this entertainment.
4. I smelled badly
5. I had to sleep on a very uncomfortable bed
Prisoners of war are actually treated better than this, and I had the honor of paying for it myself!! ;)
Will
Ah china, either you are bored out of your skull, or you are so busy you can't even think straight. It has been one of those kinds of weeks. (I'll update it later) back to the Kaifung trip.
So we went and checked in to our hotel. Called the Hotel Ritz. (You notice things in english all over the place, but usually the english is so bad it actually hurts you to read it. There was a sign for handisapped individuals to use the elevator, and it actually said in english, "no two bad individual dress can here stay") Well we checked into our rooms. I had a room on the 4th floor, and it was easier and probably safer to use the stairs then to use the elevator. The room smelled like cigarette smoke even though there was a large sign saying no smoking. Ok. So the guy I bunked with (his name is Alan, really nice guy) and I opened up the windows to air it out, and we found the AC and turned it on. Only one problem. The AC made the smoke smell worse. So Alan is using the bathroom, adn I decide the filter must be full of cigarette smoke, so that is why the room is fillign up with the smell.
I reached up to the filter, raised the panel and just removed the filter. Within in 10 minutes the room smelled so much better. ah... I love being just forceful, and deciseful.
So I sit on the bed. It was as hard as a rock. I actually then laid on the floor, and discoverd the carpeting was softer. If every chinese bed is that hard (the ones we have at the foreign teachers flat are almost that hard) then no wonder I always see frowning, unhappy looking chinese people.
We decied to go out and try the "famous" kaifung night market. So to get the picture. Think of the biggest swap meet you have ever been to. This makes that look tiny. It covered about 1 mile in each diretion on the roads. it was packed with people, and lining the roads were food vendors of every sort and type. I mean everything, chicken, rabbit, squid, fish, goat, lamb, beef, and even cicada's. (yes you read that right, june bugs, deep fried served on a stick).
So I'm walking with 2 delightful young female foregin teachers. One is from France, and the other is from Kansas. We are having a good converstation, and the teacher from france asks if I'm willing to try the cicada's. Sure. I'm up for anything once!! So she buys a stick o bugs. There are 4 cicada's on the stick. They are deep fried in front of us, and if you pop them into your mouth without thinking about it too much it is just like popcorn! Crunchy. We all shared that one stick of bugs, and I decided to get another stick. Crunchy, not gooey.
So we manage to find some other foods, mainly meat on a stick (not sure what it was, but it was tasty), some flat bread, and some beer. We try to get a seat, but each set of tables is for a particular stall. So we give up on that, and go to KFC (yes kentucky fried chicken) and walk in and take one of their booths!
After a delightful converstaion, some beer, and being able to sit down, we decide to join another group from SIAS who is going to a local tea house. So we tromp up the stairs to the third floor, and sit down. We are served some boiling hot, weak tea, and given three plates of different seeds. Then the entertainment starts. Imagine keroke, now imagine each person singing off key and shrieking for a reason. That is Peking Opera. it feels like someone is driving an ice pick into your ears. That was our entertainment.
So we started a collection thinking that if we paid them enough they would shut the hell up. No luck. we couldn't bribe them. so we did the next best thing. We took our napkins, rolled them into balls, and shoved them into our ears. (imagine the scene, about a dozen foreingers, with paper napkins sticking out of their ears. Add in the beer and we had a party.
Some food for thought.
1. I ate bugs
2. I was taken advantage of (the tea house charged each of us 20 RMB for the piss poor tea, 3 plates of seeds, and the "entertainment")
3. My sense of hearing was assaulted by this entertainment.
4. I smelled badly
5. I had to sleep on a very uncomfortable bed
Prisoners of war are actually treated better than this, and I had the honor of paying for it myself!! ;)
Will
Voice of Will: Halloween in China
2004-11-06 - 8:07 p.m.
Ah... it is so interesting and different here.
So last week was Halloween. We have 3 kids. I'm used to dressing up in costume, having Criss and the kids dress up, going trick or treating, putting the kids to bed, and then staying up with my wife.
In china, they don't understand trick or treat. So we could not go to the neighborhood for trick or treating. But we did go through the Foreign Teachers Flat. 5 stories and 87 different teachers. Well, we actually only did about 35 teachers.
Why? Well there are many very zealous missionaries here who believe that halloween is ... ... ... heathen(?), or pagan, and are firmly against it (good example of the ferocity, to tell other children they would go to hell if they werent baptized (that was last year from an older couple.))
Ok. So to avoid any issues, I made an announcement that we would be going trick or treating at this time, and we would stop by only if the front windows curtains were open, and the light on. This was to avoid any "showdown" with the highly religious zealots. It worked. The kids had a blast, and most of the people who allowed us to trick or treat SPOILED the kids terribly.
Rae was a "twinkle twinkle star" and then Tinkerbell. Zeb was Peter Pan, and William was a Boy Scout.
The kids made a killing (they should have, they were the only ones trick or treating. Ah the wonderful adoptive 'aunties and uncles' who sugar up my kids and send them back to me...
The other reason I have not written is because of Culture Week. During Culture Week, SIAS celebrates each area's/countries culture. So we had a China day, a south east asia day, a Canada day a Europe Day, and an American Day. Each day was filled with information booths, lectures, food, and displays. it has been very hectic, and long week.
anyways, I have to go, I'll tell more later.
Will
Ah... it is so interesting and different here.
So last week was Halloween. We have 3 kids. I'm used to dressing up in costume, having Criss and the kids dress up, going trick or treating, putting the kids to bed, and then staying up with my wife.
In china, they don't understand trick or treat. So we could not go to the neighborhood for trick or treating. But we did go through the Foreign Teachers Flat. 5 stories and 87 different teachers. Well, we actually only did about 35 teachers.
Why? Well there are many very zealous missionaries here who believe that halloween is ... ... ... heathen(?), or pagan, and are firmly against it (good example of the ferocity, to tell other children they would go to hell if they werent baptized (that was last year from an older couple.))
Ok. So to avoid any issues, I made an announcement that we would be going trick or treating at this time, and we would stop by only if the front windows curtains were open, and the light on. This was to avoid any "showdown" with the highly religious zealots. It worked. The kids had a blast, and most of the people who allowed us to trick or treat SPOILED the kids terribly.
Rae was a "twinkle twinkle star" and then Tinkerbell. Zeb was Peter Pan, and William was a Boy Scout.
The kids made a killing (they should have, they were the only ones trick or treating. Ah the wonderful adoptive 'aunties and uncles' who sugar up my kids and send them back to me...
The other reason I have not written is because of Culture Week. During Culture Week, SIAS celebrates each area's/countries culture. So we had a China day, a south east asia day, a Canada day a Europe Day, and an American Day. Each day was filled with information booths, lectures, food, and displays. it has been very hectic, and long week.
anyways, I have to go, I'll tell more later.
Will
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Shopping in China
I think I have a few minutes to let you know the new things in my life. I just finished a long day of shopping.
I have always loved sewing and fabrics. In the U.S. I had a bucket of fabric that was absolutely full of random fabrics, bolts of cloth and buttons and everything that I ever needed when I wanted to make something. It was a fabulous hobby that I enjoyed doing when I had the time.
Here I am in China, land of silk and cheap tailors and I decide to go shopping for cloth so that I can have a few items made.
I am exhausted. I spent 6 wonderful hours walking around and bargaining at the fabric market. Now imagine if you will a mile long stretch of mall that has indoor and outdoor shops and stands simply covered in cloth. Cloth bolts, cloth samples, cloth drapes. Everywhere you look there is every possibility of finding exactly the kind of cloth that you are looking for. I wanted to find quite a few different items so I had a lot to look for.
To start with, I was looking for cloth for a coat. my husband is in need of a winter coat so I started by looking for fabrics that came with quilted batting. I went to several different shops, and I searched and searched for just the right fabric. Several times I found deals on fabrics that I knew he would not put up with... No man looks quite right in pink duckies...Finally I found just what I needed, plain black (okay it might be a little shiny) and it came with the batting and the lining... I purchased 3 meters (enough for a full length coat for my husband) for less than 6 U.S. dollars.
Well that was done, so now I needed to look at a few silk samples because I have been wanting to have traditional suits made for the children... For 20 U.S. dollars I was able to buy enough silk for three childrens outfits. Two in brown for the boys and one in light purple for Rae. So here I am, lightly loaded down and feeling very happy with my purchases and we come across the satin section.
Now I had been wanting drapes for the living room. I had needed a yellow material that would brighten up the room because of the pale blue gray walls and the flourescent lights. It felt so drab. So I noticed the satin and I thought...It isn't the right kind of cloth for drapes, but lets check the cost anyway. I know, satin is a bit rich for drapes, but at less than 75 cents for a meter of cloth I simply could not resist, I bought enough to drape the living room (Less than 12 dollars for all of it) with enough left over for the other rooms.
I spent 6 hours going over every inch of cloth that I could. I did find some fabulous worsted wool that I really wanted to make a coat for myself out of, (a nice sporty English style coat) but it was very expensive so I turned it down (12 U.S. dollars per meter). The whole time I was in that shop I kept thinking about all of my family back home... I bought a lovely treat from the land where silk is made.
2010 Note - I still have that yellow satin and have used it regularly for wall decorations, table clothes, pantomime curtains, one of the best purchases I made while in China!
I have always loved sewing and fabrics. In the U.S. I had a bucket of fabric that was absolutely full of random fabrics, bolts of cloth and buttons and everything that I ever needed when I wanted to make something. It was a fabulous hobby that I enjoyed doing when I had the time.
Here I am in China, land of silk and cheap tailors and I decide to go shopping for cloth so that I can have a few items made.
I am exhausted. I spent 6 wonderful hours walking around and bargaining at the fabric market. Now imagine if you will a mile long stretch of mall that has indoor and outdoor shops and stands simply covered in cloth. Cloth bolts, cloth samples, cloth drapes. Everywhere you look there is every possibility of finding exactly the kind of cloth that you are looking for. I wanted to find quite a few different items so I had a lot to look for.
To start with, I was looking for cloth for a coat. my husband is in need of a winter coat so I started by looking for fabrics that came with quilted batting. I went to several different shops, and I searched and searched for just the right fabric. Several times I found deals on fabrics that I knew he would not put up with... No man looks quite right in pink duckies...Finally I found just what I needed, plain black (okay it might be a little shiny) and it came with the batting and the lining... I purchased 3 meters (enough for a full length coat for my husband) for less than 6 U.S. dollars.
Well that was done, so now I needed to look at a few silk samples because I have been wanting to have traditional suits made for the children... For 20 U.S. dollars I was able to buy enough silk for three childrens outfits. Two in brown for the boys and one in light purple for Rae. So here I am, lightly loaded down and feeling very happy with my purchases and we come across the satin section.
Now I had been wanting drapes for the living room. I had needed a yellow material that would brighten up the room because of the pale blue gray walls and the flourescent lights. It felt so drab. So I noticed the satin and I thought...It isn't the right kind of cloth for drapes, but lets check the cost anyway. I know, satin is a bit rich for drapes, but at less than 75 cents for a meter of cloth I simply could not resist, I bought enough to drape the living room (Less than 12 dollars for all of it) with enough left over for the other rooms.
I spent 6 hours going over every inch of cloth that I could. I did find some fabulous worsted wool that I really wanted to make a coat for myself out of, (a nice sporty English style coat) but it was very expensive so I turned it down (12 U.S. dollars per meter). The whole time I was in that shop I kept thinking about all of my family back home... I bought a lovely treat from the land where silk is made.
2010 Note - I still have that yellow satin and have used it regularly for wall decorations, table clothes, pantomime curtains, one of the best purchases I made while in China!
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Voice of Will: Kaifung Trip 1
2004-10-26 - 10:12 p.m.
So this last weekend the SIAS teachers were allowed to go on a trip to the city of Kaifung. This was an overnight trip. Crissy had decided to allow me to go out without them (after all I allowed her to go to the longman grotto for the national holiday, so turn around was fair play).
We left at 8am. I was slightly concerned about the trip, but I was told it was only a 2 hour bus ride. 2 hours is easy, no big deal. The toll highway is usually very lightly crowded, and the ride is usually fast and smooth.
After about 30 minutes into the trip, the bus pulls over to the side of the road, and makes a rather sudden unexpected stop. Well unexpected for everyone except the driver. The driver saw the traffic backup, and pulled over. So we are now on a "sit" way, no longer a highway. We sit. We sit. We sit. At the 20 minute mark the bus drivers shuts off the engine. We are now surrounded by traffic all trying to take the same exit we are trying for. Other traffic goes past. At this point I decided to try to get off the bus and stretch my legs. So here I am off the bus, walking around trying to talk to others. Most of the chinese can't speak a word of english, and my chinese is relegated to asking how much that is, and saying no, too expensive... At one point I think I bought a cow from a local farmer, but I'm not too sure.
I had a wonderful conversation with a chinese road worker who spoke enough english to ask, "where you from?" So in his fresh cement, I managed to draw a horrible map of america, and then showed where Arizona was. So here is this sidewalk in china with drying cement and a bad american map... I wonder how long it will be there. At the 45 minute point we found out the chinese equalivent of the Secretary of State was driving on the toll road we wanted to go on, and he didn't like traffic, so we had to wait.
At this point, I had noticed the other traffic zooming past our little offramp was very sporadic, and usually had several long time periods before a large vehicle, or a honking car would zoom by. So I did what any good fun loving american would do.
I walked out into the middle of the freeway, and started singing and doing... "Y...M...C...A It's fun to stay at the Y M C A!!!" I did three whole verses, and was trying to get the local chinese out of their cars, and I really wanted the road crew who was watching to join me, and show solidarity. (the other foreign teachers were dying. Rolling in the isles, some took pictures).
Well as you can guess, having an american in the middle of their highway was enough to make the guards who were holding us up to decide it is time to get rid of the crazy american. So our trip resumed. My job was done.
Kaifung is a smaller city, total inhabitants about 1 million. It is a very famous city in china (though, now that I think about it almost every city in china is "very famous.") It has been the imperial capital for 7 different dynasties, and now it is one big tourist trap!!
We stopped at the Dragon Pavilion, which was a large tall shrine, surrounded by lots of tourist shops. Each shop carried the same goods as every other shop. There were price tags on items, but they were suggested starting points for bargaining. I only got a couple of post cards here. Though we did find a great animatrotic dinosaurs who were eating each other. The best one was the TREX wannabe who was eating the smaller dinosaur on the ground. Lots of fake blood, and the ROAR, and whimper... wow... it's a whole family experience!!! I also really loved the Monkey King sculpture, and the monkey waterfall. The monkey king is one of my favorite chinese myths (a normal monkey who was too clever, becomes a god, and then is too smart for the other gods. He is very arrogant. the other gods call on the buddha to teach him some humility, which he does.) So the sculpture was fun, but I didn't know the monkey king looked like a power ranger reject!!!
So we are off for lunch at the building of the local power company's resturant. So it was an enlightening experience, I think we had to charge it on our account. The food was shockingly good, but boy did it give us powerful gas. And some of the food was really hair raising.... (done with the puns)
We went off back to the dragon pavilion, and walked on the streets outside of the amusement park. Have you ever been to disneyland? just like the shops when you first get into it. Cameras, films, and overpriced trinkets, and each store has the same items.
But I had to stop and look on the lakes. You see about 20 years ago, people were excavating the site of the imperial palace, and they dug 2 very large pits on each side of the dragon pavilion. Well it rained very heavily, and violla you have instant lakes. So the government decided to drain the water finish the escavation, and make man made lakes. They are a rather pretty shade of green. I couldn't see anything living in the water, but I could see people swimming across the lake. I am from flagstaff AZ, and I was wearing 3 layers (tee shirt, long sleve shirt, and nice sweater) and here they are swimming in speedo's. (I'll let that image sink in... old chinese guys in speedo's and cold water......)
I found one place that interested me. mainly because it was DIFFERENT! Going off an alley from the main road was a warehouse. This warehouse appears to be an art school, or an artist collective. There were many booths, with different artists. Now some of them painted the scroll wall hangings that were in the shops on the main road, but most of them painted different scenes. One had a copy of a famous chinese picture of 2 young women during the revolution, one had a hand woven wall hanging of Mao, several were doing landscapes, there were many who did the traditional chinese bamboo, or flowers. But the one I reallllly liked is the one who was not being like the others. It was a woman who was painting women. They were not polished, and artifical, they were bright watercolors, and I decided to buy one for criss. I pointed to it and asked how much, she said 300 RMB. I wrote down 200 RMB. She looked over my shoulder to her 'boss(?)' and he finally shook his head yes. So he walks over, and takes down a different painting than the one I pointed to. The woman takes down the painting I pointed to, and then they proceede to take down the 2 pictures between them. So I purchased 4 pictures of women (I liked them all) for 200RMB or 50 yuan each...
It is getting late, I'll continue tomorrow.
So this last weekend the SIAS teachers were allowed to go on a trip to the city of Kaifung. This was an overnight trip. Crissy had decided to allow me to go out without them (after all I allowed her to go to the longman grotto for the national holiday, so turn around was fair play).
We left at 8am. I was slightly concerned about the trip, but I was told it was only a 2 hour bus ride. 2 hours is easy, no big deal. The toll highway is usually very lightly crowded, and the ride is usually fast and smooth.
After about 30 minutes into the trip, the bus pulls over to the side of the road, and makes a rather sudden unexpected stop. Well unexpected for everyone except the driver. The driver saw the traffic backup, and pulled over. So we are now on a "sit" way, no longer a highway. We sit. We sit. We sit. At the 20 minute mark the bus drivers shuts off the engine. We are now surrounded by traffic all trying to take the same exit we are trying for. Other traffic goes past. At this point I decided to try to get off the bus and stretch my legs. So here I am off the bus, walking around trying to talk to others. Most of the chinese can't speak a word of english, and my chinese is relegated to asking how much that is, and saying no, too expensive... At one point I think I bought a cow from a local farmer, but I'm not too sure.
I had a wonderful conversation with a chinese road worker who spoke enough english to ask, "where you from?" So in his fresh cement, I managed to draw a horrible map of america, and then showed where Arizona was. So here is this sidewalk in china with drying cement and a bad american map... I wonder how long it will be there. At the 45 minute point we found out the chinese equalivent of the Secretary of State was driving on the toll road we wanted to go on, and he didn't like traffic, so we had to wait.
At this point, I had noticed the other traffic zooming past our little offramp was very sporadic, and usually had several long time periods before a large vehicle, or a honking car would zoom by. So I did what any good fun loving american would do.
I walked out into the middle of the freeway, and started singing and doing... "Y...M...C...A It's fun to stay at the Y M C A!!!" I did three whole verses, and was trying to get the local chinese out of their cars, and I really wanted the road crew who was watching to join me, and show solidarity. (the other foreign teachers were dying. Rolling in the isles, some took pictures).
Well as you can guess, having an american in the middle of their highway was enough to make the guards who were holding us up to decide it is time to get rid of the crazy american. So our trip resumed. My job was done.
Kaifung is a smaller city, total inhabitants about 1 million. It is a very famous city in china (though, now that I think about it almost every city in china is "very famous.") It has been the imperial capital for 7 different dynasties, and now it is one big tourist trap!!
We stopped at the Dragon Pavilion, which was a large tall shrine, surrounded by lots of tourist shops. Each shop carried the same goods as every other shop. There were price tags on items, but they were suggested starting points for bargaining. I only got a couple of post cards here. Though we did find a great animatrotic dinosaurs who were eating each other. The best one was the TREX wannabe who was eating the smaller dinosaur on the ground. Lots of fake blood, and the ROAR, and whimper... wow... it's a whole family experience!!! I also really loved the Monkey King sculpture, and the monkey waterfall. The monkey king is one of my favorite chinese myths (a normal monkey who was too clever, becomes a god, and then is too smart for the other gods. He is very arrogant. the other gods call on the buddha to teach him some humility, which he does.) So the sculpture was fun, but I didn't know the monkey king looked like a power ranger reject!!!
So we are off for lunch at the building of the local power company's resturant. So it was an enlightening experience, I think we had to charge it on our account. The food was shockingly good, but boy did it give us powerful gas. And some of the food was really hair raising.... (done with the puns)
We went off back to the dragon pavilion, and walked on the streets outside of the amusement park. Have you ever been to disneyland? just like the shops when you first get into it. Cameras, films, and overpriced trinkets, and each store has the same items.
But I had to stop and look on the lakes. You see about 20 years ago, people were excavating the site of the imperial palace, and they dug 2 very large pits on each side of the dragon pavilion. Well it rained very heavily, and violla you have instant lakes. So the government decided to drain the water finish the escavation, and make man made lakes. They are a rather pretty shade of green. I couldn't see anything living in the water, but I could see people swimming across the lake. I am from flagstaff AZ, and I was wearing 3 layers (tee shirt, long sleve shirt, and nice sweater) and here they are swimming in speedo's. (I'll let that image sink in... old chinese guys in speedo's and cold water......)
I found one place that interested me. mainly because it was DIFFERENT! Going off an alley from the main road was a warehouse. This warehouse appears to be an art school, or an artist collective. There were many booths, with different artists. Now some of them painted the scroll wall hangings that were in the shops on the main road, but most of them painted different scenes. One had a copy of a famous chinese picture of 2 young women during the revolution, one had a hand woven wall hanging of Mao, several were doing landscapes, there were many who did the traditional chinese bamboo, or flowers. But the one I reallllly liked is the one who was not being like the others. It was a woman who was painting women. They were not polished, and artifical, they were bright watercolors, and I decided to buy one for criss. I pointed to it and asked how much, she said 300 RMB. I wrote down 200 RMB. She looked over my shoulder to her 'boss(?)' and he finally shook his head yes. So he walks over, and takes down a different painting than the one I pointed to. The woman takes down the painting I pointed to, and then they proceede to take down the 2 pictures between them. So I purchased 4 pictures of women (I liked them all) for 200RMB or 50 yuan each...
It is getting late, I'll continue tomorrow.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Voice of Will: Pranks with Balloons in China
2004-10-21 - 11:01 p.m.
I couldn't help it. No really. There was a fresh opened bag of 1000 purple ballons. No one watching them. They started talking to me. No honest. They were saying, "Billy.... billy.... billy, take us, and play with us, and make people smile...."
So I took a big handful. Now there are about 350 largely inflated purple ballones all over campus, and on the surrouding streets... not in basic easy locations... but in potted plants, bicycle baskets, on door knobs, fitted into handlebars on bikes, and even in the door handles of some parked cars, some light poles, but the best one was walking by a construction sight at 8pm (the workers are still working even now at 11 pm) and when the cement loader was not paying attention, and the hauler was not paying attention, dropping in 1 purple ballon in each of the empty cement buckets, which were then taken up to the top, the worker pullng out the ballons with this "WTF???" look on his face...
Or hiding about a dozen ballons in the local convenience store (called Wakka... just the name... tooo classic), and watching the workers find them, and play with them. Something to note, each row in the store has its own attendant. Now placing the ballons without being seen, that was fun...
And to think, I still have about 400 ballons left over... maybe I'll fill my freshman class completely on tuesday... hmmmmmm.....
Will
I couldn't help it. No really. There was a fresh opened bag of 1000 purple ballons. No one watching them. They started talking to me. No honest. They were saying, "Billy.... billy.... billy, take us, and play with us, and make people smile...."
So I took a big handful. Now there are about 350 largely inflated purple ballones all over campus, and on the surrouding streets... not in basic easy locations... but in potted plants, bicycle baskets, on door knobs, fitted into handlebars on bikes, and even in the door handles of some parked cars, some light poles, but the best one was walking by a construction sight at 8pm (the workers are still working even now at 11 pm) and when the cement loader was not paying attention, and the hauler was not paying attention, dropping in 1 purple ballon in each of the empty cement buckets, which were then taken up to the top, the worker pullng out the ballons with this "WTF???" look on his face...
Or hiding about a dozen ballons in the local convenience store (called Wakka... just the name... tooo classic), and watching the workers find them, and play with them. Something to note, each row in the store has its own attendant. Now placing the ballons without being seen, that was fun...
And to think, I still have about 400 ballons left over... maybe I'll fill my freshman class completely on tuesday... hmmmmmm.....
Will
Monday, October 18, 2004
Voice of Will: Missing our friends
2004-10-18 - 7:48 a.m.
So we have been here about 2 months now. We have seen the daily life, we have done some travelling. We were worried about how the kids would adjust. We were wrong. The kids have adjusted very well. They look forward to the homeschool lessons, they have about 100 american aunties and uncles, and have found other children to play with. They are picking up the language really fast.
We are the ones who are having a hard time adjusting. We had lived for 5 years in flagstaff. We have made some incredible friends.... Amy, Dan, Martin, Erik, and Londyn... These friends are much more than that, they are family. Just like my mom, and dad. These friends are my brothers and sisters, and at some time or another they have been much more. They are welcome whereever we are, at any time...
We knew these friendships were close, but we are missing these people deeply. We go out and see things and go "wow, Amy would love this" or "Dan would go crazy about that."
We have made some "new" friends, but it isn't the same. I know it isn't fair to compare the New to the Old, but I'm not even going to not try to...
Growing up, and moving apart is part of life, but I can't wait to see my family again.
Will
So we have been here about 2 months now. We have seen the daily life, we have done some travelling. We were worried about how the kids would adjust. We were wrong. The kids have adjusted very well. They look forward to the homeschool lessons, they have about 100 american aunties and uncles, and have found other children to play with. They are picking up the language really fast.
We are the ones who are having a hard time adjusting. We had lived for 5 years in flagstaff. We have made some incredible friends.... Amy, Dan, Martin, Erik, and Londyn... These friends are much more than that, they are family. Just like my mom, and dad. These friends are my brothers and sisters, and at some time or another they have been much more. They are welcome whereever we are, at any time...
We knew these friendships were close, but we are missing these people deeply. We go out and see things and go "wow, Amy would love this" or "Dan would go crazy about that."
We have made some "new" friends, but it isn't the same. I know it isn't fair to compare the New to the Old, but I'm not even going to not try to...
Growing up, and moving apart is part of life, but I can't wait to see my family again.
Will
Monday, October 11, 2004
Voice of Will: Going to Zhengzhou
2004-10-11 - 12:41 p.m.
So yesterday I had a nice adventure. I travelled to zhengzhou (jungjoe) with a student by ourselves. We took the school bus into zhengzhou with the chinese teachers who were going home, and then we went and did a few errands I needed to do. This included getting another baseball glove.
Now as I have stated earlier someone took my sons baseball glove. So I had asked my students to keep a look out for a baseball glove. I should have known it wouldn't be easy, especially after I had gone looking in xinzheng (shin jung) with absolutely no luck, and lots of chinese snickers as I tried to pantomine playing catch...
Well in a city of 4 million there is exactly 1 store that has any baseball equipment. They had 1, count em 1 baseball glove (very hard stiff leather, need some saddle soap...finding that will be an adventure too), and about 6 bats, and 2 balls. Baseball doesn't seem to be too popular here...
So we finished our errands, and we had to get the 30 miles home. City bus I said. My companion blanched. No no no. The school should have a bus returning any minute. (this for an hour). I did not understand why my student was not wanting to take the city bus back. Now I know.
So we get to the bus terminal at about 5 pm. We get on the bus at 520. the bus leaves at 530. WE have seats (as I found out later, no cushions). So now imagine a bus driving the backroads, slowing down for every group of people to "troll" for more fairs.
Now I have told you about driving in china. Now I'm going to tell you about driving at china at NIGHT.
So the roads are about level with some bad dirt roads. Pot holes that swallow cars, funny road grades, and of course no shocks on the vehicles. Now that is the road. Think about roads in America/Europe where you live. Now take away the street lights one at at time until the road is completely dark.
Now imagine the worst pollution of any major city and double it so you cannot see more than about 100 feet in front of you during the day. Now put 10foot tall bamboo shoots growing on both sides of the road, or put in dilapidated buildings with single 40 watt light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. (imagine the perfect horror setting, and this makes that look warm and fuzzy)
do you feel the setting?
Oh and I left out two things, the oncoming traffic may not have lights, they may have running lights, they may have only one headlight, or nothing at all. And the traffic you are passing on the right consists of tractors, mopeds, bicycles, and other cars also with all, some, or no lights. Now imagine your bus driver barreling down the road talking on a cell phone he keeps dropping.
Do this for 2 hours on the 30 mile trip back.... are you feeling car sick yet?
Will
So yesterday I had a nice adventure. I travelled to zhengzhou (jungjoe) with a student by ourselves. We took the school bus into zhengzhou with the chinese teachers who were going home, and then we went and did a few errands I needed to do. This included getting another baseball glove.
Now as I have stated earlier someone took my sons baseball glove. So I had asked my students to keep a look out for a baseball glove. I should have known it wouldn't be easy, especially after I had gone looking in xinzheng (shin jung) with absolutely no luck, and lots of chinese snickers as I tried to pantomine playing catch...
Well in a city of 4 million there is exactly 1 store that has any baseball equipment. They had 1, count em 1 baseball glove (very hard stiff leather, need some saddle soap...finding that will be an adventure too), and about 6 bats, and 2 balls. Baseball doesn't seem to be too popular here...
So we finished our errands, and we had to get the 30 miles home. City bus I said. My companion blanched. No no no. The school should have a bus returning any minute. (this for an hour). I did not understand why my student was not wanting to take the city bus back. Now I know.
So we get to the bus terminal at about 5 pm. We get on the bus at 520. the bus leaves at 530. WE have seats (as I found out later, no cushions). So now imagine a bus driving the backroads, slowing down for every group of people to "troll" for more fairs.
Now I have told you about driving in china. Now I'm going to tell you about driving at china at NIGHT.
So the roads are about level with some bad dirt roads. Pot holes that swallow cars, funny road grades, and of course no shocks on the vehicles. Now that is the road. Think about roads in America/Europe where you live. Now take away the street lights one at at time until the road is completely dark.
Now imagine the worst pollution of any major city and double it so you cannot see more than about 100 feet in front of you during the day. Now put 10foot tall bamboo shoots growing on both sides of the road, or put in dilapidated buildings with single 40 watt light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. (imagine the perfect horror setting, and this makes that look warm and fuzzy)
do you feel the setting?
Oh and I left out two things, the oncoming traffic may not have lights, they may have running lights, they may have only one headlight, or nothing at all. And the traffic you are passing on the right consists of tractors, mopeds, bicycles, and other cars also with all, some, or no lights. Now imagine your bus driver barreling down the road talking on a cell phone he keeps dropping.
Do this for 2 hours on the 30 mile trip back.... are you feeling car sick yet?
Will
Saturday, October 9, 2004
My first trip to the Longman Grotto
Okay, Time for the update on what has been happening in China.
The children recieved their shipments from the Calvert school, which include textbooks, full lesson plans, and all the activities they need to do their schooling at home (but not worrying about whether they are getting all the information that they need). Rae is excited about starting Kindergarden (technically a year early) and Zeb is excited about starting second grade (We decided after testing him that he is perfectly ready for the second grade program) William is happy with the third grade (The math is a bit easy for him so we have been doubling it up).
Now we are discussing allowing the children to go to a weekly chinese school that teaches Martial arts. William is really interested, but we are of course going to test it out. If they want to stick with it I will support them, but Chinese schools are usually overnight stays (For the whole week, sometimes 6 or 7 days a week with only holiday times for home visits) However, because we are foreigners there is a lot of prestige involved in having us attend the school, so they may work it out so that the kids have a shorter schedule and can be home on weekends.
Don't worry about fights, the Chinese children think having a Lowei (Foreign) student is more important than arguing. They won't fight because it is too cool to go to school with a foreign kid. The school can charge more money if we attend (The kids I mean) and have the chance for major photo ops. We will of course keep you posted on that.
This week was a national holiday (Nation Day) and I went on a break without the kids or Billy. This is the story...
I got up at 4 AM. The bus was due at 5:30 and I wanted to makesure that I had the chance to take a shower.
Now in China hot water is a joyous occasion, so I knew ahead of time that there was little chance that the water would be warm. In fact there is only a few times each day that the water is hot, and then it is always boiling. I was okay with the cold shower at 4 AM and after a few minutes of standing in the cold water I felt quite awake. I packed the night before and set three different alarms to be sure that I would wake up. No problems there. I had decided on a backpack, because hauling a suitcase around on a trip is such a pain. However, the only backpacks that i had to choose from are... The Justice League (Featuring Superman), The Power Rangers (Dinosaur version), or Hello Kitty. I chose Hello Kitty. I figured that I would be able to recognize it if it got snatched out of the Bus or train. I stand by my choice. So my good friend Rita (Who has been putting up with me wonderfully) met me at 4:40 and we walked over to the bus stop with our two tour guides. They have chosen to go by the names of Michael and George. (I had no trouble remembering George and Michael...Just think about it for a second...Yes, I used the singers name to remind me)
They are two Chinese students. Now Chinese students rarely volonteer to be tour guides unless there is something in it for them. michael is a senior, so there is nothing in it for him. However, George is a sophmore and will be one of my husbands students next semester and possibly one of my students the following year. Here in China there is almost always an alterior motive. Part of the agreement for this tour was that the students would take us and speak Chinese for us whenever we needed it, and we would pay their way. (It is a better deal than you might think...just wait and see).
So we arrive at the bus stop. We are the first people there. We are waiting around and a few other people show up. One of them is the lady that collects the money. Our guides check with her and find out that the bus is one of the new buses that will easily hold 30 people. In fact there is going to be a second bus just in case. Then our guide asks her to make sure that there is room on the bus for the two lowai (Foreigners...boy did I get to hear that word a lot!!!) and she agreed. Then we waited. While we waited I counted.
First there were 10 people, then 20 people. When we hit 37 I raised my eyebrow to the guide. It is amazing which signals are universal. He went right to the lady who collects the money (Who by the way was standing around with the rest of the crowd because she has to get on the bus too) and mentioned the crowed. She laughed. Then the bus showed up. Low and behold, the bus was full. You see, there was a previous stop and the crowd that we had been standing with was the second stop. Well let me tell you first, we did not get on that bus...but I still need to tell you what I saw. Imagine for a moment the city bus. Now imagine every seat full. Now put twice as many people in the seats. Now fill in all of the empty space with people standing. Now pile in suitcases and baggage. Now stuff in more people in the stairway. Now just for fun, throw in a few more.
Okay. In your mind you should be able to see faces pressed up against glass windows from the pressure of so many people. This was the scene as the bus pulled up. Then they began to stuff in some of the 37 people who had shown up at the stop. The bus seats about 35 comfortably. It was holding at least twice that many...at least. So then the second bus arrived. It was not a bus, it was a small passenger van that seats about 10. Our guide (The student Michael) dove onto the van and laid down on the seat. He did not budge at all. He was the perfect friend I tell you!. So Rita and I had seats, In fact because of the way he laid on the seats, there was enough room for each of us.
The driver looked at my friend Rita and I, and demanded that I be the one in the middle. (I was the thinnest person in the group, including the Chinese people!...This diet of Rice and Chinese food is fabulous. Everyone else here has been gaining weight, I have lost another 10 lbs.) He had the Lowai sit up front. Then he made a few jokes at our expense (as could be expected). We were able to sit up in the very front on the bench seat with the driver and our guides sat in the very back. We passed our luggage to the back and we had no troubles at all. Now, this is a 4 hour bus trip. Think back to the bus, to the crammed people, to the people standing in ackward positions...4 hours. HAH, I was on the van (said to the tune of nanny nanny boo boo)
Now I have to add a caveat. For most of my family, they already know that I am prone to motion sickness. In fact, I have been told by the family doctor in the states that I have a rare form of virtigo that is positional. And that there is almost nothing I can do about it. Now this is not entirely true, I found a fabulous medicine in Japan (With certain ingrediants that are not perscribable in the U.S.) that works wonderfully.
However, I am all out of it. I do have a patch for long journeys, but I did not think to take it because I am saving it for the trip to the great wall and the journey home. (It is difficult to get ahold of). Now, top that off with the Chinese National Smoking Campaign. Everyone I have met (Teachers and Students and Travelers and Everyone) smokes. So of course the driver of the van was a smoker. The first cigarette did not bother me. He had the window open. However, he closed the window and continued to smoke for the entire 3 hours. Yes three hours, another joy of riding in a van instead of a bus. After 2 hours he pulled off to a road side vendor for a stop. Everyone went for their potty break.
Have I mentioned the toilets in China? For a man who needs to "take a leak" the toilets are not an issue. They are refered to as squatty potties. I had come across these same toilets on my trip to Japan so I was actually prepared when I came to China. However, Japan is a whole other country, a whole other world.
China has dirty squatty potties. There is no toilet paper, you carry your own. There is no flushing toilet paper, you throw it in the garbage. Sometimes the toilet is a trough with stalls (Like a long hole in the ground that is seperated by dividers. And no, there are no doors on the stalls. Sometimes the mens and womens are not seperated. Does this sound a little uncomfortable to you. Some people will go out of their way to plan their day around the locations of the western style toilets...However, I am okay with squatty potties. But...this was a rural stop. What that means is... a small brick wall seperating the Mens and Womens stalls. There was no roof, no building in fact, just a small brick wall dividing and area out back of the bus stop. there was no hole, nope, just a couple of walking bricks to a set of bricks that you could stand on and squat. When you come to China... you will never have trouble using the forest when you camp...it is exactly the same thing except more people using the same spot....EEEWWWW!!!.
Okay, potty break over. The combination of the motion sickness and the potty break and I am not feeling too happy. Well I took my gum out of my mouth, leaned over the wall and got sick...rinsed out my mouth with some drinking water, put the gum back in and walked back to the van. I was feeling much better. Good thing I did not have time for breakfast. SO we only had one more hour on the van. We got to the city (which looked a little different from the other cities that I have seen in China so far, however I think I now know what to look for to differentiate cities) and climbed off the van and we went straight over to the train station to purchase our return tickets home. We did not want to be standing in line when it was time to return and it was early enough that the wait was only 30 minutes to purchase tickets. This becomes important later because we had five minutes when we arrived at the train station to get to the platform. We never would have made it if we had to buy tickets!. THen it is time to go for breakfast. After all it is only 9AM... although after all of that it felt like much later. So we go for breakfast. The guides order rice porridge, and a side dish of bean curd...Tofu to me and you.
Rita orders noodles and soup. I order a nice plain bowl of rice. I like rice, always have. We get our chopsticks and eat our breakfast. In china it is customary to share main dishes, but rice is a solitary dish. So everyone was sharing their main dishes with me, but no one expected me to share my rice. It was kind of nice. The bean curd dish was fabulous, but I still was happy with my rice. THen it was time to take a city bus to the grotto. (The whole reason for coming to this particular city) The city bus is a bit different, kind of like the difference between grayhound and the city bus back home. This city bus was relatively clean and there was room to sit down. It did get crowded but with so many people getting on and off the bus it was no big deal.
So we road through the city and I looked out the windows with my window open (fresh air is a beautiful thing) and I got to see a lot of sites. Our guides had studied, so every time we needed to ask what something was they usually knew and would have some historical information which Rita would write down in her notebook. She is hoping to write up something about her travels. I hope to as well, but I think mine will be more like this....email style. The city we were in is pronounced something like Lewyung (that is not how it is spelled, but that was what I heard when they said the name). It is famous because a general had his head chopped off during battle and the emperor buried his head in the city because nothing else was ever found of him. We finally arrived at the grotto.
The longmen grotto is a famous Buddhist temple and thousands of limestone carvings of the Buddha that sit in hundreds of hand dug caves. These carvings are all over 2000 years old, some older. Some are tiny (2cm) and some are much larger (50ft high) Some have been severely damaged, some are in excellent condition. Some you can still see the old paint and a few have had the gold leaf still on them (although you can't really see that anymore) some are falling apart and some have been vandalized. Long story short, we spent more than 5 hours just looking at the Buddhist reliquaries. Then we crossed the river and visited the temple. It is a beautiful temple with very old artifacts. I thought it was lovely, but it was also very sad. There is so much capitalizing on the old and the artifacts. I thought the grand canyon was bad but this was much much worse. I was sorry to see the hired monks, the people who would pretend to be religious for the tourists but then would go on their smoking break. But it is to be expected.
Then we went to a famous grave sight on the same location. The grave sight is a single grave of a famous gentleman who wrote poetry and inspired poetry in others. It was lovely. The __ sight has a link to the photos (including some of me). The whole visit to this one location, which most people can finish in 4 hours at the most, took Rita and I a total of 8 hours and 30 minutes, not counting the shopping trip in the temple shopping area afterward. (Hey, I bought a sword for my Billy at a temple in Japan, I had to at least try it here... and boy did I walk away with a great deal, less than $40 U.S. for a steal sword...sure it's just a wall decoration but it is still really cool... and He likes it a lot).
So then it was time to go to the hotel. Our guides assured us that they were able to get a deal on the hotel. Some of it I am not allowed to talk to much about...because wehn you are staying in a city that you are not living in you have to register with the police and tell them where you are staying, which we tried to do. However, because it was a munitions factory owned hotel we were not suppose to stay there. (Foreigners are required to stay at hotels for foreigners..which can cost a heck of a lot) Well, we did. It was a beautiful room, a suite, payed for by the munitions factory owner (free for us) and that is all I will say about that....except...cable, western toilet, hot showers...and not leaving the room because we were not allowed to be there.
Enough about that.. On to breakfast the next morning. We went for a meal famous to the area. It was a spicy beef soup with shredded tortilla bread. It was fabulous. Rita had hers twice as spicy...she likes things spicy. I had mine normal, the guides had theirs without the spice. Other than the congealed blood (imagine Jello with a blood flavour) which I could only eat a little bit of, it was a fabulous soup and I ate a lot of it. I also liked the bread, it was a lot like Arizona. Then we were off to go explore the town.
Originally we were suppose to go to a second temple, but our guide decided that he did not want us to risk returning late to the train... after 9 hours at the longmen grotto I am not suprised at that decision, smart boy. So we chose to go to a museum. This was a two room museum, no bigger than a persons house in the first room. The first room was filled with artifacts and musical instruments from various dig sites around China. Lovely. The second room contained a complete chariot pit.
That is, a pit that they had dug where they had discovered the remains of chariots and horses, along with other artifacts. The horses had been lined up with the chariots and then slaughtered. Dogs had been tied up (alive) to the chariots and then the dirt had been added to bury them. One dog had escaped (probably chewed through the ropes and had been killed closer to the surface) and his remains were really easy to see, but the rest of the pit was in a lowered area that you looked down into. It was fascinating. There were also the remains of one human.
I have my theories...It was a slave society after all. And his body was above the horses but underneath one of the chariots. This is the most important chariot pit because it proves that the emporers chariot was pulled by 6 horses. Side by side not two by two. By the time we left that museum we did not have a great deal of time to kill so we went to a park and visited some lovely gardens. Then we went shopping for gifts (I bought the kids plastic replica swords that looked like the one I got their father) and then it was time for lunch. WE went to a restaurant that was famous for its Hunan food. (that is a province far to the south of here). I have been told that hunan food was very spicy so I was worried. The food came. I don't like sweet and sour, I don't like bean curd, I don't like soups. However, I found my favorite food in the whole of China...Hunan Beef.
Wow, it was so spicy even Rita was suprised, but I could not resist. Hunan is also known as the area where people eat rice. In the north they eat noodles (like Rita) and in the south they eat rice (like me) and When I started wolfing down the Hunan Beef the guides were laughing at me. Then they told me that my accent when I speak Chinese is also Hunan. eventually I will have to visit the province to see if that is really what I sound like or if they are just making fun of me.
Anyway, lunch was fabulous. Quite delightful. Then we hired a taxi to go to the train station. Low and behold we find ourselves running a little behind. The taxi driver keeps telling us not to worry, the train always runs late, but we did not want to miss it. So we run in and go to the platform and we make it just in time. (Okay, we had 5 minutes before the train arrived...if it had been like that in the U.S. I would have been in tears, but this is China. They didn't even ask to Xray the sword...just let me carry it on the train. We make the train and our guide George says goodbye because he lives in that city and is just going to take the taxi home.
Our guide Michael talks to us on the train (There are pictures of both of them on the link too...The one playing with the top on the train is Micheal...the other one is George) and we have a pleasent journey back. I am sitting backwards and the ride is 4 hours, but for some reason I just get a little nausious at the end but am okay for the most part. We arrive in ZhengZhou (said JungJoe) and we take a taxi to the bus station to take us home to the university. Michaels bus has already left.. so he gets us to our bus which is leaving in 2 minutes and he says to us that he will stay with his aunt in town. The bus from Zheng Zhou to XinZeng (shinjung) is a two hour trip (don't ask, I guess we took the long way back) and I was seated in the back. I thought I would be standing, but then the people in the back decided to practice their English skills for the Lowai and asked me to sit with them.
Now remember back to the description of the bus at the beginning. It was not quite that bad...but there was no room to breath. Now I started to get more than a little car sick but I decide to ignore it and just sit there talking to Rita, sitting up whenever I need to but mostly leaning foward to chat (She is sitting in front of me). At one point I unintentionally woke her up. She dozed off. Boy was she awake after that. Although a lot of people dozed off on the bus, but I was too afraid of people It was okay because it was better than the taxi ride that I had from ZZ to XZ. That was a whole other story and boy is it a doozy... but back to the journey.
I got off the bus and we had to walk a few blocks (To clear my head after that bus ride) before we got a taxi to the university. I got home and the kids were already in bed. I took another cold shower (The hot water was off when I got home, but I did not want to smell like a smoking bus) and went to bed, telling my family all about my adventures. I brought back pictures too, which I will be adding to my website eventually, but for now I am going to just sit back and enjoy the fact that China really is a whole new world. (Oh and for all the bus, van and taxi rides...add in the previous stories you have heard about driving in China...If I had ever complained about drivers in the U.S. I formally apologize in writing. You are nothing compared to drivers in China)
I have a lot more to tell, but I think that this is more than enough already. walking off with my stuff.
The children recieved their shipments from the Calvert school, which include textbooks, full lesson plans, and all the activities they need to do their schooling at home (but not worrying about whether they are getting all the information that they need). Rae is excited about starting Kindergarden (technically a year early) and Zeb is excited about starting second grade (We decided after testing him that he is perfectly ready for the second grade program) William is happy with the third grade (The math is a bit easy for him so we have been doubling it up).
Now we are discussing allowing the children to go to a weekly chinese school that teaches Martial arts. William is really interested, but we are of course going to test it out. If they want to stick with it I will support them, but Chinese schools are usually overnight stays (For the whole week, sometimes 6 or 7 days a week with only holiday times for home visits) However, because we are foreigners there is a lot of prestige involved in having us attend the school, so they may work it out so that the kids have a shorter schedule and can be home on weekends.
Don't worry about fights, the Chinese children think having a Lowei (Foreign) student is more important than arguing. They won't fight because it is too cool to go to school with a foreign kid. The school can charge more money if we attend (The kids I mean) and have the chance for major photo ops. We will of course keep you posted on that.
This week was a national holiday (Nation Day) and I went on a break without the kids or Billy. This is the story...
I got up at 4 AM. The bus was due at 5:30 and I wanted to makesure that I had the chance to take a shower.
Now in China hot water is a joyous occasion, so I knew ahead of time that there was little chance that the water would be warm. In fact there is only a few times each day that the water is hot, and then it is always boiling. I was okay with the cold shower at 4 AM and after a few minutes of standing in the cold water I felt quite awake. I packed the night before and set three different alarms to be sure that I would wake up. No problems there. I had decided on a backpack, because hauling a suitcase around on a trip is such a pain. However, the only backpacks that i had to choose from are... The Justice League (Featuring Superman), The Power Rangers (Dinosaur version), or Hello Kitty. I chose Hello Kitty. I figured that I would be able to recognize it if it got snatched out of the Bus or train. I stand by my choice. So my good friend Rita (Who has been putting up with me wonderfully) met me at 4:40 and we walked over to the bus stop with our two tour guides. They have chosen to go by the names of Michael and George. (I had no trouble remembering George and Michael...Just think about it for a second...Yes, I used the singers name to remind me)
They are two Chinese students. Now Chinese students rarely volonteer to be tour guides unless there is something in it for them. michael is a senior, so there is nothing in it for him. However, George is a sophmore and will be one of my husbands students next semester and possibly one of my students the following year. Here in China there is almost always an alterior motive. Part of the agreement for this tour was that the students would take us and speak Chinese for us whenever we needed it, and we would pay their way. (It is a better deal than you might think...just wait and see).
So we arrive at the bus stop. We are the first people there. We are waiting around and a few other people show up. One of them is the lady that collects the money. Our guides check with her and find out that the bus is one of the new buses that will easily hold 30 people. In fact there is going to be a second bus just in case. Then our guide asks her to make sure that there is room on the bus for the two lowai (Foreigners...boy did I get to hear that word a lot!!!) and she agreed. Then we waited. While we waited I counted.
First there were 10 people, then 20 people. When we hit 37 I raised my eyebrow to the guide. It is amazing which signals are universal. He went right to the lady who collects the money (Who by the way was standing around with the rest of the crowd because she has to get on the bus too) and mentioned the crowed. She laughed. Then the bus showed up. Low and behold, the bus was full. You see, there was a previous stop and the crowd that we had been standing with was the second stop. Well let me tell you first, we did not get on that bus...but I still need to tell you what I saw. Imagine for a moment the city bus. Now imagine every seat full. Now put twice as many people in the seats. Now fill in all of the empty space with people standing. Now pile in suitcases and baggage. Now stuff in more people in the stairway. Now just for fun, throw in a few more.
Okay. In your mind you should be able to see faces pressed up against glass windows from the pressure of so many people. This was the scene as the bus pulled up. Then they began to stuff in some of the 37 people who had shown up at the stop. The bus seats about 35 comfortably. It was holding at least twice that many...at least. So then the second bus arrived. It was not a bus, it was a small passenger van that seats about 10. Our guide (The student Michael) dove onto the van and laid down on the seat. He did not budge at all. He was the perfect friend I tell you!. So Rita and I had seats, In fact because of the way he laid on the seats, there was enough room for each of us.
The driver looked at my friend Rita and I, and demanded that I be the one in the middle. (I was the thinnest person in the group, including the Chinese people!...This diet of Rice and Chinese food is fabulous. Everyone else here has been gaining weight, I have lost another 10 lbs.) He had the Lowai sit up front. Then he made a few jokes at our expense (as could be expected). We were able to sit up in the very front on the bench seat with the driver and our guides sat in the very back. We passed our luggage to the back and we had no troubles at all. Now, this is a 4 hour bus trip. Think back to the bus, to the crammed people, to the people standing in ackward positions...4 hours. HAH, I was on the van (said to the tune of nanny nanny boo boo)
Now I have to add a caveat. For most of my family, they already know that I am prone to motion sickness. In fact, I have been told by the family doctor in the states that I have a rare form of virtigo that is positional. And that there is almost nothing I can do about it. Now this is not entirely true, I found a fabulous medicine in Japan (With certain ingrediants that are not perscribable in the U.S.) that works wonderfully.
However, I am all out of it. I do have a patch for long journeys, but I did not think to take it because I am saving it for the trip to the great wall and the journey home. (It is difficult to get ahold of). Now, top that off with the Chinese National Smoking Campaign. Everyone I have met (Teachers and Students and Travelers and Everyone) smokes. So of course the driver of the van was a smoker. The first cigarette did not bother me. He had the window open. However, he closed the window and continued to smoke for the entire 3 hours. Yes three hours, another joy of riding in a van instead of a bus. After 2 hours he pulled off to a road side vendor for a stop. Everyone went for their potty break.
Have I mentioned the toilets in China? For a man who needs to "take a leak" the toilets are not an issue. They are refered to as squatty potties. I had come across these same toilets on my trip to Japan so I was actually prepared when I came to China. However, Japan is a whole other country, a whole other world.
China has dirty squatty potties. There is no toilet paper, you carry your own. There is no flushing toilet paper, you throw it in the garbage. Sometimes the toilet is a trough with stalls (Like a long hole in the ground that is seperated by dividers. And no, there are no doors on the stalls. Sometimes the mens and womens are not seperated. Does this sound a little uncomfortable to you. Some people will go out of their way to plan their day around the locations of the western style toilets...However, I am okay with squatty potties. But...this was a rural stop. What that means is... a small brick wall seperating the Mens and Womens stalls. There was no roof, no building in fact, just a small brick wall dividing and area out back of the bus stop. there was no hole, nope, just a couple of walking bricks to a set of bricks that you could stand on and squat. When you come to China... you will never have trouble using the forest when you camp...it is exactly the same thing except more people using the same spot....EEEWWWW!!!.
Okay, potty break over. The combination of the motion sickness and the potty break and I am not feeling too happy. Well I took my gum out of my mouth, leaned over the wall and got sick...rinsed out my mouth with some drinking water, put the gum back in and walked back to the van. I was feeling much better. Good thing I did not have time for breakfast. SO we only had one more hour on the van. We got to the city (which looked a little different from the other cities that I have seen in China so far, however I think I now know what to look for to differentiate cities) and climbed off the van and we went straight over to the train station to purchase our return tickets home. We did not want to be standing in line when it was time to return and it was early enough that the wait was only 30 minutes to purchase tickets. This becomes important later because we had five minutes when we arrived at the train station to get to the platform. We never would have made it if we had to buy tickets!. THen it is time to go for breakfast. After all it is only 9AM... although after all of that it felt like much later. So we go for breakfast. The guides order rice porridge, and a side dish of bean curd...Tofu to me and you.
Rita orders noodles and soup. I order a nice plain bowl of rice. I like rice, always have. We get our chopsticks and eat our breakfast. In china it is customary to share main dishes, but rice is a solitary dish. So everyone was sharing their main dishes with me, but no one expected me to share my rice. It was kind of nice. The bean curd dish was fabulous, but I still was happy with my rice. THen it was time to take a city bus to the grotto. (The whole reason for coming to this particular city) The city bus is a bit different, kind of like the difference between grayhound and the city bus back home. This city bus was relatively clean and there was room to sit down. It did get crowded but with so many people getting on and off the bus it was no big deal.
So we road through the city and I looked out the windows with my window open (fresh air is a beautiful thing) and I got to see a lot of sites. Our guides had studied, so every time we needed to ask what something was they usually knew and would have some historical information which Rita would write down in her notebook. She is hoping to write up something about her travels. I hope to as well, but I think mine will be more like this....email style. The city we were in is pronounced something like Lewyung (that is not how it is spelled, but that was what I heard when they said the name). It is famous because a general had his head chopped off during battle and the emperor buried his head in the city because nothing else was ever found of him. We finally arrived at the grotto.
The longmen grotto is a famous Buddhist temple and thousands of limestone carvings of the Buddha that sit in hundreds of hand dug caves. These carvings are all over 2000 years old, some older. Some are tiny (2cm) and some are much larger (50ft high) Some have been severely damaged, some are in excellent condition. Some you can still see the old paint and a few have had the gold leaf still on them (although you can't really see that anymore) some are falling apart and some have been vandalized. Long story short, we spent more than 5 hours just looking at the Buddhist reliquaries. Then we crossed the river and visited the temple. It is a beautiful temple with very old artifacts. I thought it was lovely, but it was also very sad. There is so much capitalizing on the old and the artifacts. I thought the grand canyon was bad but this was much much worse. I was sorry to see the hired monks, the people who would pretend to be religious for the tourists but then would go on their smoking break. But it is to be expected.
Then we went to a famous grave sight on the same location. The grave sight is a single grave of a famous gentleman who wrote poetry and inspired poetry in others. It was lovely. The __ sight has a link to the photos (including some of me). The whole visit to this one location, which most people can finish in 4 hours at the most, took Rita and I a total of 8 hours and 30 minutes, not counting the shopping trip in the temple shopping area afterward. (Hey, I bought a sword for my Billy at a temple in Japan, I had to at least try it here... and boy did I walk away with a great deal, less than $40 U.S. for a steal sword...sure it's just a wall decoration but it is still really cool... and He likes it a lot).
So then it was time to go to the hotel. Our guides assured us that they were able to get a deal on the hotel. Some of it I am not allowed to talk to much about...because wehn you are staying in a city that you are not living in you have to register with the police and tell them where you are staying, which we tried to do. However, because it was a munitions factory owned hotel we were not suppose to stay there. (Foreigners are required to stay at hotels for foreigners..which can cost a heck of a lot) Well, we did. It was a beautiful room, a suite, payed for by the munitions factory owner (free for us) and that is all I will say about that....except...cable, western toilet, hot showers...and not leaving the room because we were not allowed to be there.
Enough about that.. On to breakfast the next morning. We went for a meal famous to the area. It was a spicy beef soup with shredded tortilla bread. It was fabulous. Rita had hers twice as spicy...she likes things spicy. I had mine normal, the guides had theirs without the spice. Other than the congealed blood (imagine Jello with a blood flavour) which I could only eat a little bit of, it was a fabulous soup and I ate a lot of it. I also liked the bread, it was a lot like Arizona. Then we were off to go explore the town.
Originally we were suppose to go to a second temple, but our guide decided that he did not want us to risk returning late to the train... after 9 hours at the longmen grotto I am not suprised at that decision, smart boy. So we chose to go to a museum. This was a two room museum, no bigger than a persons house in the first room. The first room was filled with artifacts and musical instruments from various dig sites around China. Lovely. The second room contained a complete chariot pit.
That is, a pit that they had dug where they had discovered the remains of chariots and horses, along with other artifacts. The horses had been lined up with the chariots and then slaughtered. Dogs had been tied up (alive) to the chariots and then the dirt had been added to bury them. One dog had escaped (probably chewed through the ropes and had been killed closer to the surface) and his remains were really easy to see, but the rest of the pit was in a lowered area that you looked down into. It was fascinating. There were also the remains of one human.
I have my theories...It was a slave society after all. And his body was above the horses but underneath one of the chariots. This is the most important chariot pit because it proves that the emporers chariot was pulled by 6 horses. Side by side not two by two. By the time we left that museum we did not have a great deal of time to kill so we went to a park and visited some lovely gardens. Then we went shopping for gifts (I bought the kids plastic replica swords that looked like the one I got their father) and then it was time for lunch. WE went to a restaurant that was famous for its Hunan food. (that is a province far to the south of here). I have been told that hunan food was very spicy so I was worried. The food came. I don't like sweet and sour, I don't like bean curd, I don't like soups. However, I found my favorite food in the whole of China...Hunan Beef.
Wow, it was so spicy even Rita was suprised, but I could not resist. Hunan is also known as the area where people eat rice. In the north they eat noodles (like Rita) and in the south they eat rice (like me) and When I started wolfing down the Hunan Beef the guides were laughing at me. Then they told me that my accent when I speak Chinese is also Hunan. eventually I will have to visit the province to see if that is really what I sound like or if they are just making fun of me.
Anyway, lunch was fabulous. Quite delightful. Then we hired a taxi to go to the train station. Low and behold we find ourselves running a little behind. The taxi driver keeps telling us not to worry, the train always runs late, but we did not want to miss it. So we run in and go to the platform and we make it just in time. (Okay, we had 5 minutes before the train arrived...if it had been like that in the U.S. I would have been in tears, but this is China. They didn't even ask to Xray the sword...just let me carry it on the train. We make the train and our guide George says goodbye because he lives in that city and is just going to take the taxi home.
Our guide Michael talks to us on the train (There are pictures of both of them on the link too...The one playing with the top on the train is Micheal...the other one is George) and we have a pleasent journey back. I am sitting backwards and the ride is 4 hours, but for some reason I just get a little nausious at the end but am okay for the most part. We arrive in ZhengZhou (said JungJoe) and we take a taxi to the bus station to take us home to the university. Michaels bus has already left.. so he gets us to our bus which is leaving in 2 minutes and he says to us that he will stay with his aunt in town. The bus from Zheng Zhou to XinZeng (shinjung) is a two hour trip (don't ask, I guess we took the long way back) and I was seated in the back. I thought I would be standing, but then the people in the back decided to practice their English skills for the Lowai and asked me to sit with them.
Now remember back to the description of the bus at the beginning. It was not quite that bad...but there was no room to breath. Now I started to get more than a little car sick but I decide to ignore it and just sit there talking to Rita, sitting up whenever I need to but mostly leaning foward to chat (She is sitting in front of me). At one point I unintentionally woke her up. She dozed off. Boy was she awake after that. Although a lot of people dozed off on the bus, but I was too afraid of people It was okay because it was better than the taxi ride that I had from ZZ to XZ. That was a whole other story and boy is it a doozy... but back to the journey.
I got off the bus and we had to walk a few blocks (To clear my head after that bus ride) before we got a taxi to the university. I got home and the kids were already in bed. I took another cold shower (The hot water was off when I got home, but I did not want to smell like a smoking bus) and went to bed, telling my family all about my adventures. I brought back pictures too, which I will be adding to my website eventually, but for now I am going to just sit back and enjoy the fact that China really is a whole new world. (Oh and for all the bus, van and taxi rides...add in the previous stories you have heard about driving in China...If I had ever complained about drivers in the U.S. I formally apologize in writing. You are nothing compared to drivers in China)
I have a lot more to tell, but I think that this is more than enough already. walking off with my stuff.
Thursday, October 7, 2004
Voice of Will: Mao's Revenge and teaching schedules
2004-10-07 - 1:14 p.m.
So we have been on a National Holiday since last thursday, and classes resume on Friday. (I'm not sure what the holiday is for, but why not make it a week long, and let you get that extra weekend? Too easy I guess).
I have been sick most of the time, it appears I have the flu, or it could be 'Mao's revenge' But I was well enough to let crissy go on a trip to the Grotto. Now let me explain. The grotto is full of about 10,000 different statues of the Buddha.
(see http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeCN3DFo2asmLd&open=1&x=1&sm=0&sl=0
Now these pictures were taken by a friend who was with crissy. Crissy is in a couple of the pictures though.)
I do wish I'd been able to go, but I think the kids would have been bored. And bored brilliant children are a real problem. I shudder to think of the kinds of trouble they would have gotten into.
After the national holiday has ended we change our teaching schedules, by moving up one half hour our afternoon classes. This means the class that was at 2 is now at 1:30, and the class at 4 is now at 3:30. Not a real big deal, but just adds to the confusion.
So we have been on a National Holiday since last thursday, and classes resume on Friday. (I'm not sure what the holiday is for, but why not make it a week long, and let you get that extra weekend? Too easy I guess).
I have been sick most of the time, it appears I have the flu, or it could be 'Mao's revenge' But I was well enough to let crissy go on a trip to the Grotto. Now let me explain. The grotto is full of about 10,000 different statues of the Buddha.
(see http://share.shutterfly.com/action/share/view?i=EeCN3DFo2asmLd&open=1&x=1&sm=0&sl=0
Now these pictures were taken by a friend who was with crissy. Crissy is in a couple of the pictures though.)
I do wish I'd been able to go, but I think the kids would have been bored. And bored brilliant children are a real problem. I shudder to think of the kinds of trouble they would have gotten into.
After the national holiday has ended we change our teaching schedules, by moving up one half hour our afternoon classes. This means the class that was at 2 is now at 1:30, and the class at 4 is now at 3:30. Not a real big deal, but just adds to the confusion.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Voice of Will: Candle Lighting Ceremony for Freshmen
2004-09-30 - 9:15 p.m.
So I have a theory. The Village People would make a fortune touring China.
I say this not from wishful thinking, but from some sound facts. 1. They are one of the most requested kereoke bands in china (at least from what I hear... badly, off key, and horrible english), and they get played a lot.
Take the other night for example. We were invited to the Freshmen candle lighting ceremony. Sounds pretty innocent right? WRONG. Not when the college has 3600 freshmen. So we go into the olympic sized stadium (seats about 4 thousand, and has an olympic sized track and field. All 3600 freshmen are on the field. WE are seated right in the middle of them (we are after all a prized specimen (foreign english speaking teachers). So I have Rae on my shoulders to see better, and William Jr. and Zeb are on either side of me. The kids are a SMASH. When Rae waves, she gets 1000 waves back. Freshmen are calling out for us to come over and see them.
Then the ceremony starts so we sit down. Imagine listening to speaches for 2 hours. Now put that in chinese. Now put that into translated english by some students. Imagine some of the speaches giving awards for ghu only knows what... at one point I thought my gall bladder had started a revolution to attempt to seize my brain, and thus end its suffering. Thankfully my small intestine quashed this revolution.
We were spared from further agony by a very high class/snazzy musical session. It was chinese opera. The singers had some very good range, and talent and the dancers could dance, and they looked good.
Then comes .... the village people. (YMCA) now just visualize this. 3600 freshmen, 200 foreign teachers, and about 2000 spectators doing the YMCA. Now put most of them in green fatigue pants, and khaki shirts.... is your head huring enough yet? No?
Next song.... the macarena. I'm not kidding. And now the foreign teachers are being called on stage... so who should go? RAE!!
As the old saying goes, all good things must eventually come to an end. right? Well sort of. We were asked to participate in a television interview for the province television. We were briefed on the Moon festival (a time for families to come togehter, and a time for people for people to think about others with their families.) So we have been on chinese television 2x now. (see previous entry about surrealism.)
Will
So I have a theory. The Village People would make a fortune touring China.
I say this not from wishful thinking, but from some sound facts. 1. They are one of the most requested kereoke bands in china (at least from what I hear... badly, off key, and horrible english), and they get played a lot.
Take the other night for example. We were invited to the Freshmen candle lighting ceremony. Sounds pretty innocent right? WRONG. Not when the college has 3600 freshmen. So we go into the olympic sized stadium (seats about 4 thousand, and has an olympic sized track and field. All 3600 freshmen are on the field. WE are seated right in the middle of them (we are after all a prized specimen (foreign english speaking teachers). So I have Rae on my shoulders to see better, and William Jr. and Zeb are on either side of me. The kids are a SMASH. When Rae waves, she gets 1000 waves back. Freshmen are calling out for us to come over and see them.
Then the ceremony starts so we sit down. Imagine listening to speaches for 2 hours. Now put that in chinese. Now put that into translated english by some students. Imagine some of the speaches giving awards for ghu only knows what... at one point I thought my gall bladder had started a revolution to attempt to seize my brain, and thus end its suffering. Thankfully my small intestine quashed this revolution.
We were spared from further agony by a very high class/snazzy musical session. It was chinese opera. The singers had some very good range, and talent and the dancers could dance, and they looked good.
Then comes .... the village people. (YMCA) now just visualize this. 3600 freshmen, 200 foreign teachers, and about 2000 spectators doing the YMCA. Now put most of them in green fatigue pants, and khaki shirts.... is your head huring enough yet? No?
Next song.... the macarena. I'm not kidding. And now the foreign teachers are being called on stage... so who should go? RAE!!
As the old saying goes, all good things must eventually come to an end. right? Well sort of. We were asked to participate in a television interview for the province television. We were briefed on the Moon festival (a time for families to come togehter, and a time for people for people to think about others with their families.) So we have been on chinese television 2x now. (see previous entry about surrealism.)
Will
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Voice of Will: Cheap Tailors
2004-09-26 - 3:08 p.m.
So I really am starting to like china. Ok yes there are things that bother me, like the very interesting smell that periodically wafts over us, or the wonderful taste of coal in the air some mornings, or the apparent lack of dental hygene.
But one of the things I really like is the ability to shop for certain things. Take today for instance. I went out about a week ago and got fitted for a suit. The suit was custom made for me, measured, cut and lined. The total damage was 250 yuan (now that sounds like a lot right?) but remember the currency exchange. 8 yuan for a dollar. that means this custom light wool blend suit cost a little over $30 US. I picked it up today, and it fits incredibly well. Beautiful, comfortable, and lined with satin.
So I put on the dark grey suit (I didn't want to try for a pinstriped suit just yet, I thought I might look like a funny balloon). According to my wife the suit "brings out your Italian side." What makes this so funny is that to the best of my knowledge, I'm not italian (not even a little bit). But in this suit, I look like a mob enforcer (from the movies.)
And this works out perfectly for me. I am supposed to teach a film class on the gangster genre in about 2 weeks. I think I'll wear in the suit....
Will
So I really am starting to like china. Ok yes there are things that bother me, like the very interesting smell that periodically wafts over us, or the wonderful taste of coal in the air some mornings, or the apparent lack of dental hygene.
But one of the things I really like is the ability to shop for certain things. Take today for instance. I went out about a week ago and got fitted for a suit. The suit was custom made for me, measured, cut and lined. The total damage was 250 yuan (now that sounds like a lot right?) but remember the currency exchange. 8 yuan for a dollar. that means this custom light wool blend suit cost a little over $30 US. I picked it up today, and it fits incredibly well. Beautiful, comfortable, and lined with satin.
So I put on the dark grey suit (I didn't want to try for a pinstriped suit just yet, I thought I might look like a funny balloon). According to my wife the suit "brings out your Italian side." What makes this so funny is that to the best of my knowledge, I'm not italian (not even a little bit). But in this suit, I look like a mob enforcer (from the movies.)
And this works out perfectly for me. I am supposed to teach a film class on the gangster genre in about 2 weeks. I think I'll wear in the suit....
Will
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Voice of Will: Birthday in China 31 years old
2004-09-25 - 9:52 p.m.
So yesterday was my birthday. My 31st birthday. That would mean that no one under 30 can trust me, and my life has just started (if you believe the adages).
It was a very nice day. My children woke me up with wonderful hugs and kisses (they usually do every other day too), we went to breakfast with all the other staff, my kids kept prompting everyone to know it was my birthday. So I got about 50 happy birthdays before breakfast was over. My class had a wonderful time watching "Some Like it hot."
My wife and kids went out shopping for birthday presents for me. I got a dragon bracelet from my oldest son William, a werewolf skull bracelet from my youngest son Zebbediah, and Alien vs. Predator from my youngest child, my daughter Raedrael. I wore the braclets linked together for most of the day. I kept getting hugs and kisses from my kids (it was nice,but getting on my nerves by bed time), and my wife gave me a wonderful present... a smile. To me when you give a gift you know if it has worked if the person who got the gift is smiling afterward. Well I was smiling, so her job was accomplished.
My mom called today (sept 25th for us) because my birthday happened for her (sept 24th in the states). I was out so I missed the call, but I will call her on our normal time (monday morning for us is sunday night for her).
and my birthday presents continued today, I got to go to ZhungZhou (pronounced JungJo) for the day without kids. It was a fun trip.
Will
So yesterday was my birthday. My 31st birthday. That would mean that no one under 30 can trust me, and my life has just started (if you believe the adages).
It was a very nice day. My children woke me up with wonderful hugs and kisses (they usually do every other day too), we went to breakfast with all the other staff, my kids kept prompting everyone to know it was my birthday. So I got about 50 happy birthdays before breakfast was over. My class had a wonderful time watching "Some Like it hot."
My wife and kids went out shopping for birthday presents for me. I got a dragon bracelet from my oldest son William, a werewolf skull bracelet from my youngest son Zebbediah, and Alien vs. Predator from my youngest child, my daughter Raedrael. I wore the braclets linked together for most of the day. I kept getting hugs and kisses from my kids (it was nice,but getting on my nerves by bed time), and my wife gave me a wonderful present... a smile. To me when you give a gift you know if it has worked if the person who got the gift is smiling afterward. Well I was smiling, so her job was accomplished.
My mom called today (sept 25th for us) because my birthday happened for her (sept 24th in the states). I was out so I missed the call, but I will call her on our normal time (monday morning for us is sunday night for her).
and my birthday presents continued today, I got to go to ZhungZhou (pronounced JungJo) for the day without kids. It was a fun trip.
Will
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Voice of Will: Pets in China
2004-09-23 - 7:58 p.m.
So having looked over the rules for the foreign teachers flat, we discovered we can only have pets that live in an aquarium. Ok. So we have the fish, and they have babies... And I decided to get the turtles (their names are pokey and speedy).
Now since it has to live an aquarium, we have made our aquarium a terrarium (half water and half land), and the turtles are terribly happy. We are currently looking for several types of frogs (they run wild around here, so we just might find one and stick him in. But we mostly want a snake.
Now in china, the people seem to have a love hate relationship with the snake (I personally don't think it is too healthy, but they seem to like the dichotomy). On one hand they detest snakes, even seeing one can bring bad luck, and hearing the screams from a simple gardner snake is rather funny. And snakes blood is considered so powerful it is used as an aphordisac and is supposed to cure impotancy. OK. Maybe all they really need to see is one well done snake dance... but I digress.
But I want a nice boa constrictor. A python of somesort, but apparently they are not pets here. I'll just have to look harder... after all the rules state whatever pet you get has to live in an aquarium.
They should be glad I'm not sticking a puppy/kitten in an empty aquarium (that is just the wannabe lawyer in me)
Will
2011 Note- We discovered later that part of the reason people in China are predisposed against snake is that it is widely believed (albeit incorrectly) that snake was the reason for SARS.
So having looked over the rules for the foreign teachers flat, we discovered we can only have pets that live in an aquarium. Ok. So we have the fish, and they have babies... And I decided to get the turtles (their names are pokey and speedy).
Now since it has to live an aquarium, we have made our aquarium a terrarium (half water and half land), and the turtles are terribly happy. We are currently looking for several types of frogs (they run wild around here, so we just might find one and stick him in. But we mostly want a snake.
Now in china, the people seem to have a love hate relationship with the snake (I personally don't think it is too healthy, but they seem to like the dichotomy). On one hand they detest snakes, even seeing one can bring bad luck, and hearing the screams from a simple gardner snake is rather funny. And snakes blood is considered so powerful it is used as an aphordisac and is supposed to cure impotancy. OK. Maybe all they really need to see is one well done snake dance... but I digress.
But I want a nice boa constrictor. A python of somesort, but apparently they are not pets here. I'll just have to look harder... after all the rules state whatever pet you get has to live in an aquarium.
They should be glad I'm not sticking a puppy/kitten in an empty aquarium (that is just the wannabe lawyer in me)
Will
2011 Note- We discovered later that part of the reason people in China are predisposed against snake is that it is widely believed (albeit incorrectly) that snake was the reason for SARS.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Voice of Will: Unpacking
2004-09-21 - 7:48 a.m.
So having fully unpacked our 10 suitcases, and 5 carry-on bags, we have noticed some things. We are currently missing
1 boys leather baseball glover
1 sealed ziplock bag of 1000 legos
1 left Yu-gi-oh sandal
1 Quantum Pad cartridge for 3rd grade math.
Now before we came we checked out what we could bring into and take out of china. The only seciton that comes to mind is the rather broad, "not in the interest of the PRC" clause. They did not specifically state what exactly was not in the interest of the PRC, I think they leave that up to the very serious customs officials, who actually look like their passport photos.
I'm still trying to puzzle out how exactly a baseball glove (which they don't seem to sell over here), and legos (which they do sell here) and 1 left sandal constitute a "not in the interest of the PRC" thingee.... I'm reminded of McGuiver for some odd reason... what could you do with those things?????
(actually, I'm pretty sure some schlep at LAX actually stole those items, but I like the mysteriousness of "not in the interest of the PRC")
Will
Note 2011- We discovered later that it was security at LAX that "lost" the items. However, when we checked with the airport they declared that those items were never found. I still think someone walked off with them. -Crissy
So having fully unpacked our 10 suitcases, and 5 carry-on bags, we have noticed some things. We are currently missing
1 boys leather baseball glover
1 sealed ziplock bag of 1000 legos
1 left Yu-gi-oh sandal
1 Quantum Pad cartridge for 3rd grade math.
Now before we came we checked out what we could bring into and take out of china. The only seciton that comes to mind is the rather broad, "not in the interest of the PRC" clause. They did not specifically state what exactly was not in the interest of the PRC, I think they leave that up to the very serious customs officials, who actually look like their passport photos.
I'm still trying to puzzle out how exactly a baseball glove (which they don't seem to sell over here), and legos (which they do sell here) and 1 left sandal constitute a "not in the interest of the PRC" thingee.... I'm reminded of McGuiver for some odd reason... what could you do with those things?????
(actually, I'm pretty sure some schlep at LAX actually stole those items, but I like the mysteriousness of "not in the interest of the PRC")
Will
Note 2011- We discovered later that it was security at LAX that "lost" the items. However, when we checked with the airport they declared that those items were never found. I still think someone walked off with them. -Crissy
Voice of Will: Pistachio Ice Cream
2004-09-21 - 1:38 p.m.
So, I have discovered that many American companies send the products they cannot possibly sell to America or western Europe to china.
No really. They must do it. How else can you explain a ketchup flavored potato chip? Chili flavored? C antelope ice cream? String bean ice cream? Kettle corn ice cream?
I'm not joking. I just took the kids out to the local ice cream parlor, and we choose things from the menu from the pictures. the kids each chose something called rainbow swirl that looked like rainbow sherbet, and I took a banana split.
The rainbow sherbet tasted like kettle corn. And the banana split... well it did have 3 scoops of ice cream, and bananas, but string bean ice cream? Something that looked like chocolate but tasted like mud, and I think pistachio ice cream.... The funny part is when you look at it like one big adventure it is actually kind of nice.
Will
So, I have discovered that many American companies send the products they cannot possibly sell to America or western Europe to china.
No really. They must do it. How else can you explain a ketchup flavored potato chip? Chili flavored? C antelope ice cream? String bean ice cream? Kettle corn ice cream?
I'm not joking. I just took the kids out to the local ice cream parlor, and we choose things from the menu from the pictures. the kids each chose something called rainbow swirl that looked like rainbow sherbet, and I took a banana split.
The rainbow sherbet tasted like kettle corn. And the banana split... well it did have 3 scoops of ice cream, and bananas, but string bean ice cream? Something that looked like chocolate but tasted like mud, and I think pistachio ice cream.... The funny part is when you look at it like one big adventure it is actually kind of nice.
Will
Monday, September 20, 2004
Voice of Will: Interesting Place
2004-09-20 - 9:29 a.m.
China is an interesting place. So yesterday was the Introduction to freshmen and their families. What does this mean to us? It means we got to stand around the administration building for 2 hours, with surging throngs of chinese nationals who spoke very little to no english, while being eyed like we were prize exhibits in a zoo.
I didn't really mind it much. I got to stand around, and have people ask me in chinese (which I don't pretend to even understand) to come and take a picture with their little ... johnny? Ok, so I feel like a santa claus in a shopping mall on Dec 23 with all those wonderful children sitting on my lap getting their pictures... just smile and nod.
The kids were a terrific hit. (we knew they would be) They had crowdes 3 or 4 deep around them the whole time. I really hope all this attention doesn't spoil my already wonderful children... I even got to play "monster" with a 4 year old chinese girl. She came in with her father and older brother (freshman). I had the kids play with her after the initial shock of foreigners wore off. then I snuck up on her and...
"RRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!!" Lots of giggles, and she hid behind her father lauging. So I stomped after her a little, hearing the shrieks of glee. The kids loved it, her father was laughing, and so were the students stuck in the registration lines... so I guess mission accomplished.
Will
China is an interesting place. So yesterday was the Introduction to freshmen and their families. What does this mean to us? It means we got to stand around the administration building for 2 hours, with surging throngs of chinese nationals who spoke very little to no english, while being eyed like we were prize exhibits in a zoo.
I didn't really mind it much. I got to stand around, and have people ask me in chinese (which I don't pretend to even understand) to come and take a picture with their little ... johnny? Ok, so I feel like a santa claus in a shopping mall on Dec 23 with all those wonderful children sitting on my lap getting their pictures... just smile and nod.
The kids were a terrific hit. (we knew they would be) They had crowdes 3 or 4 deep around them the whole time. I really hope all this attention doesn't spoil my already wonderful children... I even got to play "monster" with a 4 year old chinese girl. She came in with her father and older brother (freshman). I had the kids play with her after the initial shock of foreigners wore off. then I snuck up on her and...
"RRRROOOOAAAARRRR!!!!" Lots of giggles, and she hid behind her father lauging. So I stomped after her a little, hearing the shrieks of glee. The kids loved it, her father was laughing, and so were the students stuck in the registration lines... so I guess mission accomplished.
Will
Friday, September 17, 2004
Voice of Will: Adjusting
2004-09-17 - 9:15 a.m.
One of the biggest things I have had to adjust to is the bathrooms. China does not use US toilets (unless you are lucky). Their bathroom facilities are a trench in the floor, you squat over it, and use it. You bring your own TP, and you do not flush it (it goes in the trash). This takes some serious getting used to.
the other big difference is the current traffic laws.... there don't seem to be any. When you drive you take your life into your hands. Yes there are lines and lanes on the road. No one follows them. Yes there are road signs, but no one follows them. Stop lights, stop signs, traffic signals are all just *suggestions* I have seen a slow moving bicycle cart on the right, being passed by a motorcycle on the left, with a car passing in the oncoming traffic lane, with a motorcycle passing that car on the opposite sidewalk. All of them blaring down the road, honking their horns at each other. I'll be they should have some major accidents....
And the last major thing I have noticed is the level of pollution. You can actually taste it in the air somedays. Yesterday for example, you could only see about 500 yards total. and you only had about 200 yards of clear vision. the rest was a sort of hazy bluriness. Now couple that with driving, and imagine how things just JUMP out at you
Will
One of the biggest things I have had to adjust to is the bathrooms. China does not use US toilets (unless you are lucky). Their bathroom facilities are a trench in the floor, you squat over it, and use it. You bring your own TP, and you do not flush it (it goes in the trash). This takes some serious getting used to.
the other big difference is the current traffic laws.... there don't seem to be any. When you drive you take your life into your hands. Yes there are lines and lanes on the road. No one follows them. Yes there are road signs, but no one follows them. Stop lights, stop signs, traffic signals are all just *suggestions* I have seen a slow moving bicycle cart on the right, being passed by a motorcycle on the left, with a car passing in the oncoming traffic lane, with a motorcycle passing that car on the opposite sidewalk. All of them blaring down the road, honking their horns at each other. I'll be they should have some major accidents....
And the last major thing I have noticed is the level of pollution. You can actually taste it in the air somedays. Yesterday for example, you could only see about 500 yards total. and you only had about 200 yards of clear vision. the rest was a sort of hazy bluriness. Now couple that with driving, and imagine how things just JUMP out at you
Will
Voice of Will: Surreal
2004-09-17 - 11:18 p.m.
So the school I'm teaching at started 2 weeks ago, but this weekend is parents weekend, and the freshmen arrive this weekend, so there are lots of events going on on campus.
First some background. SIAS is the first American owned college in China. It is owned by a chinese national who has dual citizenship in the US. It was started 6 years ago with 200 students, and 13 teachers. Today there are 10000 students, and I believe over 250 instructors. SIAS offers the largest number of foreign faculty of any college in china.
So we go to one of the events, an evening "concert." I put "" around that word because it is very similar to a battle of the bands and kereoke (sp) at the same time. So we are watching the beginning, and there is a delay. One of the foreign teachers who speaks incredible chinese gets up with a guitar and starts working the crowd (about 1000 students, faculty, the owner and his parents, and faculty from neighboring schools. It is also being broadcast via FM radio and some television in the province) Well the foreign teacher thinks it should be fun to get other foreign teachers on stage. Guess who is the only ones to answer his call? My kids.
So we go down the stairs, the crowd parts like j-lo for a new fiancee and we find ourselves on stage. And we sing " If your happy and you know it clap your hands.... "
Now I'll give you a minute to digest this mental picture. An amphitheatre with 1000 chinese nationals who speak about grade school english, singing and dancing to "If your happy and you know it..." That is not to mention picturing me, and the kids doing this on stage. Needless to say it was a lot of fun, and the audience loved the kids. My kids are hams and loved it.
so we get off stage to thunderous applause, and the band who set up behind us starts the opening chords for "Hotel California." This stops me almost dead in my tracks. Then I hear the song.... in chinese.
so I get the kids to bed, and go out with some new friends to a local food place. I have a Fosters beer in one hand, a pepperoni (fake) pizza (real cheese though) in the other hand, and I hear rap from the CD player. "In the citttyyyy of compton!"
Yes the surrealism is complete, I can feel my eyeballs go 'click'.
Will
So the school I'm teaching at started 2 weeks ago, but this weekend is parents weekend, and the freshmen arrive this weekend, so there are lots of events going on on campus.
First some background. SIAS is the first American owned college in China. It is owned by a chinese national who has dual citizenship in the US. It was started 6 years ago with 200 students, and 13 teachers. Today there are 10000 students, and I believe over 250 instructors. SIAS offers the largest number of foreign faculty of any college in china.
So we go to one of the events, an evening "concert." I put "" around that word because it is very similar to a battle of the bands and kereoke (sp) at the same time. So we are watching the beginning, and there is a delay. One of the foreign teachers who speaks incredible chinese gets up with a guitar and starts working the crowd (about 1000 students, faculty, the owner and his parents, and faculty from neighboring schools. It is also being broadcast via FM radio and some television in the province) Well the foreign teacher thinks it should be fun to get other foreign teachers on stage. Guess who is the only ones to answer his call? My kids.
So we go down the stairs, the crowd parts like j-lo for a new fiancee and we find ourselves on stage. And we sing " If your happy and you know it clap your hands.... "
Now I'll give you a minute to digest this mental picture. An amphitheatre with 1000 chinese nationals who speak about grade school english, singing and dancing to "If your happy and you know it..." That is not to mention picturing me, and the kids doing this on stage. Needless to say it was a lot of fun, and the audience loved the kids. My kids are hams and loved it.
so we get off stage to thunderous applause, and the band who set up behind us starts the opening chords for "Hotel California." This stops me almost dead in my tracks. Then I hear the song.... in chinese.
so I get the kids to bed, and go out with some new friends to a local food place. I have a Fosters beer in one hand, a pepperoni (fake) pizza (real cheese though) in the other hand, and I hear rap from the CD player. "In the citttyyyy of compton!"
Yes the surrealism is complete, I can feel my eyeballs go 'click'.
Will
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Voice of China: Baby Fish
2004-09-15 - 6:27 p.m.
Well we are grandparents (sort of). Our fish just had babies. It was kind of sudden and very unexpected. (well probably not unexpected for the pregnant fish).
My daughter Rae has decided we have to name them Nemo (he's the one with the black eyes daddy), and then Charles # (where the number is increased for each new charles.) We currently have 37 charles's and charles mom and charles dad and nemo.
We have a little store nearby that sells very small turtles, and I want to get 2, but my kids reminded me that turtles eat fish. I had to remind them they didn't eat Charles's.
Will
Well we are grandparents (sort of). Our fish just had babies. It was kind of sudden and very unexpected. (well probably not unexpected for the pregnant fish).
My daughter Rae has decided we have to name them Nemo (he's the one with the black eyes daddy), and then Charles # (where the number is increased for each new charles.) We currently have 37 charles's and charles mom and charles dad and nemo.
We have a little store nearby that sells very small turtles, and I want to get 2, but my kids reminded me that turtles eat fish. I had to remind them they didn't eat Charles's.
Will
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Voice of Will: Been a while
2004-09-14 - 3:51 p.m.
Wow. As you can tell I have been away for a while. Ok... 18 months isn't a while, it is a life time, or many many lifetimes if you are a tste fly. I haven't forgotten about my blog, but each time I go to get online to update it, I get side tracked.
So a quick rundown.
My father in law found out he had liver cancer in Jan 03.
He died on April 1, 2003.
We (my wife and I) both graduated with dual bachelors degrees on May 15, 2003.
My wife got her Masters degree on Aug 23, 2004 (15 months for a masters isn't bad), and we moved to CHINA on Aug 24, 2004.
So we have been in china all of 2 weeks. I am definately a stranger in a strange land. We are 14 hours ahead of where we were in Flagstaff. So when I see dates, I have to remember I actually have one more day.
Let me tell you about driving in china. Road signs, the lanes on the road, and even traffic laws are all just "suggestions." No I mean it. You have bikes, and slow moving carts on the right hand side of the road, and you pass on the left. Ok that makes sense, but people don't stick in any kind of lane. They are all over the road. I've even seen (my buss did this) a car pass another car passing another car passing a bus (on a 2 lane road) our bus was on the left most sidewalk inches away from pedestrians who were dodging inside of shops. And the way you let others know where you are is to constantly honk your horn. needless to say any trip by bus, or cab is a hair raising adrenaline rush. The new video games coming out should come here, and make Driving in china, as the next grand theft auto game. I'll have more to tell and share later.
Will
Wow. As you can tell I have been away for a while. Ok... 18 months isn't a while, it is a life time, or many many lifetimes if you are a tste fly. I haven't forgotten about my blog, but each time I go to get online to update it, I get side tracked.
So a quick rundown.
My father in law found out he had liver cancer in Jan 03.
He died on April 1, 2003.
We (my wife and I) both graduated with dual bachelors degrees on May 15, 2003.
My wife got her Masters degree on Aug 23, 2004 (15 months for a masters isn't bad), and we moved to CHINA on Aug 24, 2004.
So we have been in china all of 2 weeks. I am definately a stranger in a strange land. We are 14 hours ahead of where we were in Flagstaff. So when I see dates, I have to remember I actually have one more day.
Let me tell you about driving in china. Road signs, the lanes on the road, and even traffic laws are all just "suggestions." No I mean it. You have bikes, and slow moving carts on the right hand side of the road, and you pass on the left. Ok that makes sense, but people don't stick in any kind of lane. They are all over the road. I've even seen (my buss did this) a car pass another car passing another car passing a bus (on a 2 lane road) our bus was on the left most sidewalk inches away from pedestrians who were dodging inside of shops. And the way you let others know where you are is to constantly honk your horn. needless to say any trip by bus, or cab is a hair raising adrenaline rush. The new video games coming out should come here, and make Driving in china, as the next grand theft auto game. I'll have more to tell and share later.
Will
Voice of Will: Flowers for Crissy
2004-09-14 - 7:17 p.m.
China is pretty awesome, but very scary, and slightly arousing!!
Oh man is this place just fun. For example for crissys birthday (today for you, and it has passed for me) I decided to get her some flowers. So I had someone watch the kids, and took a cab downtown. (taking a cab is literally taking your life into your hands but what the heck). I get to the flower shop, and in china you bargain for everything. If you don't bargain they will literally skin you alive. They don't have any respect for you and are rather mean if you don't. so I bargain over everything. I choose out a live tree, a dozen roses, an exquisite blown glass vase, and several fake flower arrangements. They don't speak english and i dont speak chinese.
How did we bargain you ask? Good question young padowan. I took a notebook, and a pencil and we bargained in pencil.
so I finish bargaining, and I think they asked me where I was going, so I showed them the other side of the notebook which has the school name on it, they reply SIAS. OK. And rattle off some more chinese. I dont' understand, but I'm hoping they are asking HOW are you getting there. So I say TAXI. And they start shaking their heads and waving their hands. I'm now very confused. They go outside and holler down a bicycle cart (you sit in the back, have a canopy over you, and the rider pedals you) The first guy pulls up and looks at me and my packages, grunts shakes his head and rides off. The little (about 4' tall) shopkeeper comes running out yelling at him and shaking her fist at him. She looks at me, and seems apologetic. Then this little old man (lots more grey in his hair than color, and railpost thin) rides up, and motions for me to get in. So I climb in his cart and they start loading me up. I've got the dozen roses in my arms, the vase under my feet, a fake flower display between my feet/knees, and 1 live tree on my right side. They place a 2nd tree on the left (I didn't bargain for it, or even buy it they just threw it in), and place my last flower display in the only available place left. MY CROTCH. So I'm stuck in the back of this cart, flowers and colors everywhere and an ORCHID CROTCH. I'm smiling, and some joker leans in with a camera and takes the picture (I want a copy of it, but he just kept walking). So we ride....
Now chinese road directions, speed, road signs, and even stop lights are ALL just *suggestions* The drivers here don't follow any rythme or reason I can figure out. YOu go around everyone, even on the other side of the road. And it is all one big game of chicken. (they must have some doosie car accidents). Well here we are, fully loaded with me, and flowers in the back, and we are riding in the middle of the road the 2.5 KM home. Cars are zipping by on both sides, honking their horns. and this little guy just keeps peddlings. We were going so fast we even out ran a motorcycle. All for only 5 yuan (or about $.60)
Will
China is pretty awesome, but very scary, and slightly arousing!!
Oh man is this place just fun. For example for crissys birthday (today for you, and it has passed for me) I decided to get her some flowers. So I had someone watch the kids, and took a cab downtown. (taking a cab is literally taking your life into your hands but what the heck). I get to the flower shop, and in china you bargain for everything. If you don't bargain they will literally skin you alive. They don't have any respect for you and are rather mean if you don't. so I bargain over everything. I choose out a live tree, a dozen roses, an exquisite blown glass vase, and several fake flower arrangements. They don't speak english and i dont speak chinese.
How did we bargain you ask? Good question young padowan. I took a notebook, and a pencil and we bargained in pencil.
so I finish bargaining, and I think they asked me where I was going, so I showed them the other side of the notebook which has the school name on it, they reply SIAS. OK. And rattle off some more chinese. I dont' understand, but I'm hoping they are asking HOW are you getting there. So I say TAXI. And they start shaking their heads and waving their hands. I'm now very confused. They go outside and holler down a bicycle cart (you sit in the back, have a canopy over you, and the rider pedals you) The first guy pulls up and looks at me and my packages, grunts shakes his head and rides off. The little (about 4' tall) shopkeeper comes running out yelling at him and shaking her fist at him. She looks at me, and seems apologetic. Then this little old man (lots more grey in his hair than color, and railpost thin) rides up, and motions for me to get in. So I climb in his cart and they start loading me up. I've got the dozen roses in my arms, the vase under my feet, a fake flower display between my feet/knees, and 1 live tree on my right side. They place a 2nd tree on the left (I didn't bargain for it, or even buy it they just threw it in), and place my last flower display in the only available place left. MY CROTCH. So I'm stuck in the back of this cart, flowers and colors everywhere and an ORCHID CROTCH. I'm smiling, and some joker leans in with a camera and takes the picture (I want a copy of it, but he just kept walking). So we ride....
Now chinese road directions, speed, road signs, and even stop lights are ALL just *suggestions* The drivers here don't follow any rythme or reason I can figure out. YOu go around everyone, even on the other side of the road. And it is all one big game of chicken. (they must have some doosie car accidents). Well here we are, fully loaded with me, and flowers in the back, and we are riding in the middle of the road the 2.5 KM home. Cars are zipping by on both sides, honking their horns. and this little guy just keeps peddlings. We were going so fast we even out ran a motorcycle. All for only 5 yuan (or about $.60)
Will