Recently I had the opportunity to take several of my students to an improv workshop hosted by another international school here in Beijing. My kids loved the experience and we all learned a lot about improv acting. The classes were taught by members of the Beijing Improv, an English speaking theater group here. I thought it would be fun to go see them perform and I found a couple other girls that were up for it. I hoped that it would be a little less raunchy than a similar performance in the US. We started the evening with food at a new Russian restaurant that Tiffany really likes. Unfortunately I had several misses with my ordering. I ordered a salmon dish that was not at all what I expected. The real dissapointment was the dessert. I ordered cheese crepes thinking that it would be a sweet cream cheese filling. Sadly, it was a crepe wrap surrounding melted mozzarella Cheese. This would have been good with tacos or pizza, but when I was looking forward to a sweet dessert, it did not satisfy.
After that we went to the hutong where the theater was located. On the way we checked out several interesting shops located in the hutong. One of the funniest things I saw was a doll of Obama. The intereting thing was that it was in a shop full of communist wares. The Obama doll was in a superman costume. And his neighbors on the rack were Fidel Castro and Chairman Mao. I am just going to leave it at that.
When we got to the theater it was almost full. The event was a charity, so there were no advance tickets. We found seats, but many more people still came in. At one point a guy asked all the rows of seats to move back so some people could sit at the front on the floor. I kept picturing maximum capacity signs in every store, restaruant, and theater in the US. Maximum capacity and fire hazards are apparently not of great concern here. We were packed in that theater like sardines.
The first half was absolutely hilarious and really quite clean outside of some tasteless audience suggestions. There was quite a bit more crudeness and language inthe second half and I found that dissapointing. Overall it was a fun night and something different. I enjoyed it overall and was glad for the night out on the town.
In other news it snowed in Beijing this week. It was exciting for the students but also frustrating as it meant three days of indoor recess. Apparently the school rule about no outdoor recess when there is snow is very firm. I did get the opportunity to take one of my friends kids out back of my apartment and build a tiny snowman. We also had a snowball fight which fulfilled my inner craving to play in the snow. Thank goodness I had an 8 year old available. None of my friends were interested.
In general it was life as usual in Beijing with the snow. I kept thinking how school would have been cancelled in South Carolina. THe interesting thing was there were no snow plows, and very few shovels. Apparently the snow removal tool of choice is a large broom with long plant fibers on the end. Basically the same thing the street sweepers use to clean the streets. It did not seem like a great way to clear the streets and sidewalks, but that is what they used.
Well that's all for now. Hopefully I will have something much more interesting to write about soon.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Chinese New Year- fireworks and fires.
After this week I have much better understanding of Chinese New Year. I would have to equate it to Christmas in the US, but maybe a bit bigger. Maybe it's just because there are more people living here, and all of Asia celebrates this particular holiday. Maybe it's just because I live in Beijing, but I have been blown away by how the Chinese celebrate this holiday. It's called Spring Holiday as well as Chinese New Year. It's hard to wrap my mind around how it can be "spring holiday" when it is still freezing cold outside, but that's what it is. The Chinese teachers at school had 3 weeks to pull together a program for our celebration there. I was amazed at what they accomplished. All the classes sang two songs in Chinese. Some students did amazing recitations in Chinese. It was really beautiful. Even us teachers managed to sing a verse of the Olympics theme song in Chinese. (I think there were enough people to cover my horrific pronunciations.)
After school on Friday we had an entire week off. Saturday night I went out with friends to a Russian restaurant. It was my first time riding the subway. I have heard nightmare stories about the subway being so crowded that you could not force your way through the mass of bodies to get off when you needed to. So we get to the subway, and it was completely empty! Apparently everyone was out visiting family. It was unbelievable.
A few weeks ago, I asked my friend Sri where a good place to go and watch the New Year's Eve fireworks would be. In my mind I was thinking of 4th of July shows in the US. She kind of stared at me blankly and then said, everywhere! I was a bit confused by her answer until Chinese New Year's Eve. I went to a party at the home of my school headmaster. There had been fireworks going off here and there throughout the past couple days. But they really started going Sunday evening. I really don't have words to describe the fireworks at midnight, but they definitely put everything I have ever seen in the US to shame. They were unbelievable! Everywhere you looked, in every direction low and high, there were fireworks going off. It went on for hours. I will never forget walking home in the madness. Firetrucks and police cars patrolling the streets were almost the only vehicles out. People were everywhere watching and lighting the fireworks. It seriously sounded like a war zone. It went on for hours.
But they did not end there. The fireworks continued for the next 5 days. There is apparently now safety concern in the people putting them off. People set them off of balconies on apartment buildings, roofs, right next to buildings and cars. I saw to fires. One in bushes near the mall. The worst one I saw from Chris's apartment on the 21st floor. We were standing in her window watching the fireworks and commenting on how stupid it was to set them off so close to the buildings, when I thought I saw a fire. Sure enough, about two stories higher than hers there were flames coming out from around the air conditioning unit. It was a very helpless feeling seeing it and not being able to do anything. It was such drama though. We saw a guy in the apartment above notice the flames. We watched him run and get water and try to pore it down on the flames. After awhile the guy in the burning apartment saw the flames to and together they got it out. What a crazy thing to see. The whole thing had made me much more grateful for and understanding of safety laws concerning fireworks in the US. There have been lots of other fun things that have happened over the holiday, but I will save that for another day in the near future.
After school on Friday we had an entire week off. Saturday night I went out with friends to a Russian restaurant. It was my first time riding the subway. I have heard nightmare stories about the subway being so crowded that you could not force your way through the mass of bodies to get off when you needed to. So we get to the subway, and it was completely empty! Apparently everyone was out visiting family. It was unbelievable.
A few weeks ago, I asked my friend Sri where a good place to go and watch the New Year's Eve fireworks would be. In my mind I was thinking of 4th of July shows in the US. She kind of stared at me blankly and then said, everywhere! I was a bit confused by her answer until Chinese New Year's Eve. I went to a party at the home of my school headmaster. There had been fireworks going off here and there throughout the past couple days. But they really started going Sunday evening. I really don't have words to describe the fireworks at midnight, but they definitely put everything I have ever seen in the US to shame. They were unbelievable! Everywhere you looked, in every direction low and high, there were fireworks going off. It went on for hours. I will never forget walking home in the madness. Firetrucks and police cars patrolling the streets were almost the only vehicles out. People were everywhere watching and lighting the fireworks. It seriously sounded like a war zone. It went on for hours.
But they did not end there. The fireworks continued for the next 5 days. There is apparently now safety concern in the people putting them off. People set them off of balconies on apartment buildings, roofs, right next to buildings and cars. I saw to fires. One in bushes near the mall. The worst one I saw from Chris's apartment on the 21st floor. We were standing in her window watching the fireworks and commenting on how stupid it was to set them off so close to the buildings, when I thought I saw a fire. Sure enough, about two stories higher than hers there were flames coming out from around the air conditioning unit. It was a very helpless feeling seeing it and not being able to do anything. It was such drama though. We saw a guy in the apartment above notice the flames. We watched him run and get water and try to pore it down on the flames. After awhile the guy in the burning apartment saw the flames to and together they got it out. What a crazy thing to see. The whole thing had made me much more grateful for and understanding of safety laws concerning fireworks in the US. There have been lots of other fun things that have happened over the holiday, but I will save that for another day in the near future.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Still saying "I can't believe I am in China."
Well time is flying by. I can't believe I have been in China for five months already. Tonight I was thinking about how I still have these moments where it is just so surreal that I am really on the other side of the world. I wish I was more faithful about getting on here and sharing my experiences, but I will try to catch up.
Christmas was great. I expected to be very homesick. While I had a few moments, for the most part I was ok. Skype really helps me keep connected with everyone, and I was able to call home on skype and see the whole family gathered for their celebration. A friend of mine who went home for the holiday was able to deliver my gifts, so it was fun watching everyone open the stuff I sent.
For the first time in my life I spent the holiday on the beach. To escape the cold of Beijing, a couple friends and I flew to Hainan, a small island off the southern tip of China. There I spent Christmas day lying on the beach, getting a massage in an open air hut, drinking coconut juice out of a young coconut, and eating fresh pineapple on a stick. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience in a truly tropical environment. We also visited a minority village and rainforest. I really enjoyed seeing all the tropical fruit trees with fruit growing on them. One of the highlights was our visit to the Hot Springs. I felt so pampered as I went from the coconut milk pool to many other lovely springs. The most interesting was the "Fish Therapy" pool where little tiny fish eat the dead skin off of your feet and legs.
Another first for me was spending New Year's Eve at church. My friend Sri suggested it so we all went along. It was an amazingly powerful experience. The church leaders had people pray from different countries all over the world. Each person prayed in his own language for a different part of the world. Between prayers we sang praise songs. It was amazing to be part of such a passionate time of prayer and hope for what He is going to do around the world in the coming year. It was an amazing way to bring in 2009.
School started again for three short weeks before we break for Chinese New Year. I have one more week until that holiday begins. Tonight I had another " I can't believe I am in China moment." I went to club. Those of you who know me, know that this is not generally my form of entertainment. But tonight at this club, the Christian band Delirious was performing. It was an amazing thing. They were really limited as to which songs they were allowed to perform, and they almost did not make it due to visa "issues", but as I stood in a crowd of 1000 people, I was in awe of my mighty King.The lead singer in the middle of the concert said, "I can't believe we are in China!" And, as we sang "I can sing of your love forever!" I said to myself, "I can't believe I am in China experiencing this!"
Well, It is one week until the biggest holiday of the year here, Chinese New Year. From what everone tells me, that will blow my mind even more. I have some fun adventures planned, and hopefully I will have lots more to share soon.
The adventure continues.....
Christmas was great. I expected to be very homesick. While I had a few moments, for the most part I was ok. Skype really helps me keep connected with everyone, and I was able to call home on skype and see the whole family gathered for their celebration. A friend of mine who went home for the holiday was able to deliver my gifts, so it was fun watching everyone open the stuff I sent.
For the first time in my life I spent the holiday on the beach. To escape the cold of Beijing, a couple friends and I flew to Hainan, a small island off the southern tip of China. There I spent Christmas day lying on the beach, getting a massage in an open air hut, drinking coconut juice out of a young coconut, and eating fresh pineapple on a stick. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience in a truly tropical environment. We also visited a minority village and rainforest. I really enjoyed seeing all the tropical fruit trees with fruit growing on them. One of the highlights was our visit to the Hot Springs. I felt so pampered as I went from the coconut milk pool to many other lovely springs. The most interesting was the "Fish Therapy" pool where little tiny fish eat the dead skin off of your feet and legs.
Another first for me was spending New Year's Eve at church. My friend Sri suggested it so we all went along. It was an amazingly powerful experience. The church leaders had people pray from different countries all over the world. Each person prayed in his own language for a different part of the world. Between prayers we sang praise songs. It was amazing to be part of such a passionate time of prayer and hope for what He is going to do around the world in the coming year. It was an amazing way to bring in 2009.
School started again for three short weeks before we break for Chinese New Year. I have one more week until that holiday begins. Tonight I had another " I can't believe I am in China moment." I went to club. Those of you who know me, know that this is not generally my form of entertainment. But tonight at this club, the Christian band Delirious was performing. It was an amazing thing. They were really limited as to which songs they were allowed to perform, and they almost did not make it due to visa "issues", but as I stood in a crowd of 1000 people, I was in awe of my mighty King.The lead singer in the middle of the concert said, "I can't believe we are in China!" And, as we sang "I can sing of your love forever!" I said to myself, "I can't believe I am in China experiencing this!"
Well, It is one week until the biggest holiday of the year here, Chinese New Year. From what everone tells me, that will blow my mind even more. I have some fun adventures planned, and hopefully I will have lots more to share soon.
The adventure continues.....
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Holiday Happenings
Well my weekly blog has turned into a monthly one, but hopefully a little news is better than no news to those of you reading. This month has been one of ups and downs. The newness of the adventure has at times worn thin replaced by a lack of appreciation for certain parts of life here. Specifically the cold weather. I have given up on riding the bike and gone back to the crowded bus each morning. The other thing I don't enjoy is the very Chinese custom of spitting. It is unbelievable to me that two cultures could view this habit in such polar opposite ways. I am trying really hard to get over this one, but it's tough!
Anyway, moving on to more pleasant matters. The Christmas season has been interesting for me. Some things were just like home, others sooo different. I made the decision to stay in China over the holidays mostly to save 1,000 dollars. It has definitely been educational staying here. At school I planned to do many of the same types of things we did in the US leading up to Christmas. That bombed when I tried to do a writing assignment about a favorite family traditions. I discovered that less than half of my students even celebrate Christmas. Many of them even being from Christian families, don't actually celebrate in any of the ways that we Americans consider normal. This was a shocking revelation for me. It really made me appreciate so much more the special things about the holiday season that I have always enjoyed with my family. Even the secular things like decorating and gift giving, that have nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas, are such a special part of the whole backdrop leading up to it. I did enjoy having the freedom for the first time in my teaching career to actually teach right from the Bible the Christmas story.
The pastor at church pointed out that here in China we are more likely to hear the words Merry Christmas than most cities in the US. It is a sad Irony that even though the words are known, the meaning is not. There are Christmas trees and lights and decorations everywhere. (Unfortunately large gaudy tinsel seems to be the decor of choice. The more colors the better seems to be the general decorating philosophy!)But, most people have no idea there is anything more than Santa Claus. At School we had a "Secret Santa" gift exchange among the teachers with a party for the big reveal. I was appointed to the decorating committee and spent quite a bit of time stressing over working with no budget and very limited resources to make the lunch room festive. A bunch of Poinsettias saved the day!
My class chose to have an international pot luck over a pizza party for our class Christmas party. That was a whole new adventure. Apparently the wonders of the cupcake have not yet arrived in China either. I had about 6 kids bring cakes to the party. We also had some Korean Sushi, some Korean Rice Cake and noodles, and some Chinese Dumplings. The only American food represented was pretzels and potato chips. I also had a Christmas party with the group of friends that I have become closest to over the past four months. We had a wonderful time exchanging gifts.
On top of all the Christmas festivities, grades had to be completed for second quarter report cards before we could leave for break. Procrastinator that I am, I had stacks of ungraded papers all over my desk. I could not help but think of my days at Armstrong when Harriet Baker and I were always the last ones to be finishing grades up. My fifth grade teammate across the hall and I were the only teachers left in the building at 7:00 in the evening on the last day of school frantically trying to get grades done. Somethings apparently never change, even if you move to the other side of the world. Well, I finally did get finished and even have plans mostly finished for when I go back to school in two weeks.
In the meantime, I am very excited about some travel within China to a much warmer climate in the southern part of the country. Maybe I will have more adventures to share when I return from that journey!
Anyway, moving on to more pleasant matters. The Christmas season has been interesting for me. Some things were just like home, others sooo different. I made the decision to stay in China over the holidays mostly to save 1,000 dollars. It has definitely been educational staying here. At school I planned to do many of the same types of things we did in the US leading up to Christmas. That bombed when I tried to do a writing assignment about a favorite family traditions. I discovered that less than half of my students even celebrate Christmas. Many of them even being from Christian families, don't actually celebrate in any of the ways that we Americans consider normal. This was a shocking revelation for me. It really made me appreciate so much more the special things about the holiday season that I have always enjoyed with my family. Even the secular things like decorating and gift giving, that have nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas, are such a special part of the whole backdrop leading up to it. I did enjoy having the freedom for the first time in my teaching career to actually teach right from the Bible the Christmas story.
The pastor at church pointed out that here in China we are more likely to hear the words Merry Christmas than most cities in the US. It is a sad Irony that even though the words are known, the meaning is not. There are Christmas trees and lights and decorations everywhere. (Unfortunately large gaudy tinsel seems to be the decor of choice. The more colors the better seems to be the general decorating philosophy!)But, most people have no idea there is anything more than Santa Claus. At School we had a "Secret Santa" gift exchange among the teachers with a party for the big reveal. I was appointed to the decorating committee and spent quite a bit of time stressing over working with no budget and very limited resources to make the lunch room festive. A bunch of Poinsettias saved the day!
My class chose to have an international pot luck over a pizza party for our class Christmas party. That was a whole new adventure. Apparently the wonders of the cupcake have not yet arrived in China either. I had about 6 kids bring cakes to the party. We also had some Korean Sushi, some Korean Rice Cake and noodles, and some Chinese Dumplings. The only American food represented was pretzels and potato chips. I also had a Christmas party with the group of friends that I have become closest to over the past four months. We had a wonderful time exchanging gifts.
On top of all the Christmas festivities, grades had to be completed for second quarter report cards before we could leave for break. Procrastinator that I am, I had stacks of ungraded papers all over my desk. I could not help but think of my days at Armstrong when Harriet Baker and I were always the last ones to be finishing grades up. My fifth grade teammate across the hall and I were the only teachers left in the building at 7:00 in the evening on the last day of school frantically trying to get grades done. Somethings apparently never change, even if you move to the other side of the world. Well, I finally did get finished and even have plans mostly finished for when I go back to school in two weeks.
In the meantime, I am very excited about some travel within China to a much warmer climate in the southern part of the country. Maybe I will have more adventures to share when I return from that journey!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thanksgiving
Well, I survived my first holiday away from all family. The days leading up to it were pretty emotional. I kept thinking about my mom's stuffing, and playing rook with the brothers after dinner. But when it came down to it, I was able to find the root of what Thanksgiving is all about, even on the other side of the world. Sri (from Indonesia) and I talked about doing a small dinner with our close friends. Several of the teachers were away at a conference in Hong Kong, so we thought it would be a small group. We thought maybe we would also invite a couple of the Chinese girls that work at school. I got to thinking that I am currently in a similar place to the pilgrims so long ago. NO, I am not near starvation. But I am in a foreign land. And I would not have survived had it not been for the gracious help of the Chinese speaking staff at the school. Just like the Pilgrims wanted to thank God for and with the Natives who had helped them so much, this was an opportunity for us foreigners to do the same.
But, when we approached Diane about this small dinner idea, things were immediately taken out of our hands and made much bigger. Before I knew what was happening, Diane had invited 25 people, ordered a turkey from a grocery store, and was planning decorations. I got Mom's apple pie recipe and her green jello salad and set about to make the meal feel a bit like home. I even managed to make a pretty yummy cranberry jello salad.
We actually had school on Thursday, but had Friday off to celebrate. So Friday evening we all gathered at Diane's. The meal was wonderful. It was mostly American with a few international side dishes such as Korean Kim bop and Chinese dumplings (both of which are delicious!) The only thing I missed was Mom's stuffing. After the meal there followed a rousing game of Catch Phrase. This was very interesting considering the limited English of many guests, as well as the very American culture of many of the words. However, everyone had a really fun time. I did not even have time to miss the traditional Rook games that we would have played at my own family meal.
In other areas of life, things are good. I have joined a small group that meets once a week. I have been greatly encouraged spirtually by this group. We are currently studying Collosians and I am so enjoying being involved in Bible Study again. I am also getting to know other people both on staff at school and outside of school. I have been practicing with the BICF Christmas choir and will be participating in the cantata in a couple weeks. That has been another fun way to meet people. School is typical. Lots of papers to grade, and a to do list that never gets finished. But I love my students and love the atmosphere. More than anything I love that I get to teach from the Bible everyday!
The weather is cold, and I am told it will get much worse before it gets better. In light of this information, and due to the fact that I am not Chinese sized, I have ordered a down coat from a taylor at a nearby market. I got to choose the fabric, the length, the zipper/button style, and pattern for about 50 American dollars. I get to pick it up in a couple days an look forward to being warm when I go out. For now, I am getting by with a jacket that was warm enough for South Carolina, but here... not so much.
Well, I guess that's all for now. In honor of American Thanksgiving, I will close with a list of things I am thankful for:
1. God showing me where I am to be and allowing me to have this GRAND adventure!
2. My mom, loving me and my students from the other side of the world. Showing me what a generous life truly looks like.
3. My Dad! How much he loves me. By putting up with mom's extravagant giving, by worrying about my flat bike tires and trying to find a solution all the way from SC.
4. Technology! I don't think I would have survived this experience nearly as well if I did not have Skype and Facebook to keep in touch with everyone.
5. My new friends in China. My life is so full now with the lovely people I have met and continue to meet here. It is such a blessing to see the community of Him on such a global scale and especially in this place!
6. All the family and friends at home that love me, pray for me, read my blog, comment on my pictures, and are living this adventure with me.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Good, The Bad, And the China Way
Well, this weekend was definitely a low point in my China adventure. And still, it was an adventure. I will relate it here, not to complain, but to make this a true picture of my life in China.
This week at school has been very stressful. It started with me being responsible for speaking in Chapel Wednesday, which meant a lot of time planning in the beginning of the week. This was bad because the end of the 9 weeks was Friday, which meant that I needed a lot of time for grading. Of course by Thursday I was a little stressed out because many disruptions to my schedule had meant I was way behind. But, I was determined to make the most of my Friday, because Saturday I was finally going to make it to the Great Wall.
Well, I woke up Friday morning with a nasty stomach virus. I won't supply the gorey details, but suffice it to say It was not a pleasant day. I had to go to school though, because my students had a major project due in Social Studies. They were bringing models of the Nile River, the pyramids, and other Ancient Egyptian artifacts as part of an oral presentation..... so staying in bed was not an option. I ended up going home early losing all that time I was planning on grading papers etc. Of course it took 40 minutes for my bus to come.... but I finally made it home.
Fast forward to 4 hours later when I wake up from a long nap. It was about 8:00 in the evening and I decided to put in a movie. I was contently watching a movie when suddenly, all the power turned off. Yes, everything was pitch black. And no, I don't have a flashlight. Oh, except for a built in one on my cell phone. When I looked in the hallway and saw light, I knew the problem was mine and mine alone.
*** Let me just insert here a bit of info. about bill paying here in the metropolis of Beijing. Almost all bills are prepaid. The only paper bill I get is water, which is taped to my door. Everything else- phone, gas, electricity, etc. is all paid ahead of time. It took me quite some time and many explanations before I finally understood that whole concept, but I had taken my electricity card to the bank and bout 500RMB worth of units about a month ago. My friend Sri had told me that it would last several months, soooo I had not bothered to check it recently. That was a mistake.*****
OK, back to my story. At this point, my nasty virus had not left me. I had a smashing headache, and my stomach was still quite unsettled. I got on the phone and tried to call my neighbor and friend Sri who gets me out of the majority of trouble spots I land in here in China. Well she did not answer. I was near hysterics by the time she called me back. When I explained the situation, she said she thought there was a 24 hour machine you could use to add units.
Well, thankfully Sri was home and immediately came over to get me. Together we set out to find a machine. We visited several banks and ATM machines in the hopes that one was the kind we were looking for. Unfortunately, they were not. After we had walked several blocks (still with the smashing head and unhappy stomach) Sri called our Ayi and asked her if she knew where to go. Her daughter thought there was a place about half a mile down the road. So we set off for there. Thankfully, We did find it, it was open, and I put all the cash I had on me onto my electric card.
**** Side note. on the way back, Sri bought some Kettle Corn that a man was making off of his cart on the side of the street. It smelled so incredibly good. And even with my stomach the way it was I could not resist a few bites. It was PHENOMENAL! It makes all popcorn I have ever had pale in comparison. And I was even sick!****
We finally made it back and I put my card into the slot in my electric box. It read on the meter that I had 500 and some Units of Electricity.... and the electricity DID NOT WORK IN MY APARTMENT!!!!
At this point I was barely functioning. But I did find out that I have some lovely neighbors. In the course of the next hour, I think there were 7 neighbors, management, 2 dogs and finally an electrician who helped solve the problem. My next door neighbor, brought candles and a flashlight. Of course I could not understand anything anyone was saying, but they were really nice about it. Apparently there was a wire loose and that is why the power would not come back on. So they ended up calling an electrician, who came at 10:00 on a Friday night and charged 8RMB which is about $1.00. I could not help thinking what the cost would have been in the US.... So, that is my tale of the good, the bad, and the Chinese way. I was still sick on Saturday and missed my Great Wall trip. But as someone said, it's not going anywhere, so someday I will make it to the Wall. In the meantime, I really need to learn some more Chinese so I can try to thank my lovely neighbors.
This week at school has been very stressful. It started with me being responsible for speaking in Chapel Wednesday, which meant a lot of time planning in the beginning of the week. This was bad because the end of the 9 weeks was Friday, which meant that I needed a lot of time for grading. Of course by Thursday I was a little stressed out because many disruptions to my schedule had meant I was way behind. But, I was determined to make the most of my Friday, because Saturday I was finally going to make it to the Great Wall.
Well, I woke up Friday morning with a nasty stomach virus. I won't supply the gorey details, but suffice it to say It was not a pleasant day. I had to go to school though, because my students had a major project due in Social Studies. They were bringing models of the Nile River, the pyramids, and other Ancient Egyptian artifacts as part of an oral presentation..... so staying in bed was not an option. I ended up going home early losing all that time I was planning on grading papers etc. Of course it took 40 minutes for my bus to come.... but I finally made it home.
Fast forward to 4 hours later when I wake up from a long nap. It was about 8:00 in the evening and I decided to put in a movie. I was contently watching a movie when suddenly, all the power turned off. Yes, everything was pitch black. And no, I don't have a flashlight. Oh, except for a built in one on my cell phone. When I looked in the hallway and saw light, I knew the problem was mine and mine alone.
*** Let me just insert here a bit of info. about bill paying here in the metropolis of Beijing. Almost all bills are prepaid. The only paper bill I get is water, which is taped to my door. Everything else- phone, gas, electricity, etc. is all paid ahead of time. It took me quite some time and many explanations before I finally understood that whole concept, but I had taken my electricity card to the bank and bout 500RMB worth of units about a month ago. My friend Sri had told me that it would last several months, soooo I had not bothered to check it recently. That was a mistake.*****
OK, back to my story. At this point, my nasty virus had not left me. I had a smashing headache, and my stomach was still quite unsettled. I got on the phone and tried to call my neighbor and friend Sri who gets me out of the majority of trouble spots I land in here in China. Well she did not answer. I was near hysterics by the time she called me back. When I explained the situation, she said she thought there was a 24 hour machine you could use to add units.
Well, thankfully Sri was home and immediately came over to get me. Together we set out to find a machine. We visited several banks and ATM machines in the hopes that one was the kind we were looking for. Unfortunately, they were not. After we had walked several blocks (still with the smashing head and unhappy stomach) Sri called our Ayi and asked her if she knew where to go. Her daughter thought there was a place about half a mile down the road. So we set off for there. Thankfully, We did find it, it was open, and I put all the cash I had on me onto my electric card.
**** Side note. on the way back, Sri bought some Kettle Corn that a man was making off of his cart on the side of the street. It smelled so incredibly good. And even with my stomach the way it was I could not resist a few bites. It was PHENOMENAL! It makes all popcorn I have ever had pale in comparison. And I was even sick!****
We finally made it back and I put my card into the slot in my electric box. It read on the meter that I had 500 and some Units of Electricity.... and the electricity DID NOT WORK IN MY APARTMENT!!!!
At this point I was barely functioning. But I did find out that I have some lovely neighbors. In the course of the next hour, I think there were 7 neighbors, management, 2 dogs and finally an electrician who helped solve the problem. My next door neighbor, brought candles and a flashlight. Of course I could not understand anything anyone was saying, but they were really nice about it. Apparently there was a wire loose and that is why the power would not come back on. So they ended up calling an electrician, who came at 10:00 on a Friday night and charged 8RMB which is about $1.00. I could not help thinking what the cost would have been in the US.... So, that is my tale of the good, the bad, and the Chinese way. I was still sick on Saturday and missed my Great Wall trip. But as someone said, it's not going anywhere, so someday I will make it to the Wall. In the meantime, I really need to learn some more Chinese so I can try to thank my lovely neighbors.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Flat Tires, Language Learning, and Lots of People
Wow, I am so overdue in writing on here. Schedule wise things have been very busy. Not so much in an I'm so insanely busy I can't function. Rather it is a goo combination of working, building friendships, and seeing the sites. I can't tell it all so I will share some quick bits about my day to day life and then a couple longer notes.
Recent experiences...
My bike had a flat tire so Janet, a Chinese worker from school, took it to a bike repair man for me. She insisted on doing this so that I would not get the "foreigner" markup. After it was fixed we went to eat at a nearby restaurant. An hour later on leaving the restaurant the tire was flat again! By then it was so late that all the bike repair men had gone home. I had to walk it all the way to my apartment, about 2 miles!
My students are not perfect! I have had a boy in my class involved in 2 recent incidents where he hit a girl!!!! One time the girl was 6! So I have been learning about dealing with parents from very different cultures and learning how the whole discipline thing works here at my new school
On the plus side... Half of my class had gone to the library from music class. There was no teacher or adult in the library at the time. When I walked in unexpectedly, all 9 students were sitting at tables quietly researching their topics for a project I had assigned THE DAY BEFORE using the very limited number of research books in the room. It caused my jaw to drop open.
Learning Chinese is DIFFICULT! For me, learning very simple phrases and remembering them is quite challenging. We have started a class at school with one of the Chinese teachers. She is meeting with 3 of us once a week. Last week we learned numbers and I have been practicing diligently. My friend Diane and I went to an art store together. Anytime I go someplace with Diane is an adventure of epic proportions, but I don't have time to share all the details at this time. Suffice it to say that there WAS some confusion in finding the correct store, and we spent quite some time in a little hole in the wall shop trying to figure out where all the supplies were, before discovering the correct shop just down the street:) When we finally got to the right store we had a great time trying to use a combination of our bad and limited Chinese words and hand motions to describe clay. Finally a girl figured out what we were looking for and led us to it. I took a package to the front to find out how much it cost. I was SO excited to use my new knowledge of numbers in Chinese to listen for the price and figure it out in English. I pointed to the package. The clerk said something that sounded like "A" (a long a sound) I carefully counted from one to ten in Chinese in my head. None of the numbers sound anything like A. I looked questioningly at him and he repeated "A" again several times. I still could not figure it out. Finally he got out his calculator and typed in 8!!!!! He was just as excited to practice his ENGLISH numbers as I was to try out my Chinese! When I said OHHHHH "BA" he realized why I did not understand. We both stood there laughing hysterically. By the time Diane and I left, I am pretty sure we had the full attention of EVERYONE in the store!
Getting in touch with nature.
Today I was excited to visit a park called Fragrant Hills. I had heard that it was very beautiful and I looked forward to getting out in nature and enjoying some peace away from the city. I think I forgot for a bit how many MILLIONS of people live in China. I have never experienced hiking in quite this way. The path we were on was to the peak of the hill/mountain we were near. My friends were not sure they wanted to climb to the top, but I said of course we have to! We can't come this far and not climb to the top! So they went along with me. Shawna with very little enthusiasm! Well, as we climbed higher, several things happened. One, the pathway got narrower, two the pathway got steeper, and three more and more people seemed to join us the higher we got. By the time we were near the top, we were surrounded by a mass of people. Some going up, some going down, but everyone moving. It was amazing to me. I was far from the city, and still packed in a mass of people. When I hike Table Rock Mt. in SC, on a busy day you might see 50 people. Usually it is more like 10. When you get to the top, you enjoy peace and quiet as you enjoy the view. At the top of this mt. THERE WERE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! Draped on every rock, they spread newspaper on the ground to sit on, they were lining every railing and stair step. It was amazing. The people were taking full advantage of this beautiful place.
One of the fun things about this site, is that it is not one of the regular tourist stops for foreigners. It is very much a Chinese spot. Several times throughout the day a Chinese person would look at us and say with much surprise HELLO! They were so excited to see us there. Even though the day did not include a lot of peace solitude and serenity, it was definitely a fun opportunity to see and enjoy the culture of these people. I am amazed at how graciously welcoming they are to me wherever I go. Well, I guess that's all for this time. I hope it is not too choppy or discombobulated! I hope I can give you a taste of the life here that I am so completely enjoying even with a few inconvenient moments along the way!
Recent experiences...
My bike had a flat tire so Janet, a Chinese worker from school, took it to a bike repair man for me. She insisted on doing this so that I would not get the "foreigner" markup. After it was fixed we went to eat at a nearby restaurant. An hour later on leaving the restaurant the tire was flat again! By then it was so late that all the bike repair men had gone home. I had to walk it all the way to my apartment, about 2 miles!
My students are not perfect! I have had a boy in my class involved in 2 recent incidents where he hit a girl!!!! One time the girl was 6! So I have been learning about dealing with parents from very different cultures and learning how the whole discipline thing works here at my new school
On the plus side... Half of my class had gone to the library from music class. There was no teacher or adult in the library at the time. When I walked in unexpectedly, all 9 students were sitting at tables quietly researching their topics for a project I had assigned THE DAY BEFORE using the very limited number of research books in the room. It caused my jaw to drop open.
Learning Chinese is DIFFICULT! For me, learning very simple phrases and remembering them is quite challenging. We have started a class at school with one of the Chinese teachers. She is meeting with 3 of us once a week. Last week we learned numbers and I have been practicing diligently. My friend Diane and I went to an art store together. Anytime I go someplace with Diane is an adventure of epic proportions, but I don't have time to share all the details at this time. Suffice it to say that there WAS some confusion in finding the correct store, and we spent quite some time in a little hole in the wall shop trying to figure out where all the supplies were, before discovering the correct shop just down the street:) When we finally got to the right store we had a great time trying to use a combination of our bad and limited Chinese words and hand motions to describe clay. Finally a girl figured out what we were looking for and led us to it. I took a package to the front to find out how much it cost. I was SO excited to use my new knowledge of numbers in Chinese to listen for the price and figure it out in English. I pointed to the package. The clerk said something that sounded like "A" (a long a sound) I carefully counted from one to ten in Chinese in my head. None of the numbers sound anything like A. I looked questioningly at him and he repeated "A" again several times. I still could not figure it out. Finally he got out his calculator and typed in 8!!!!! He was just as excited to practice his ENGLISH numbers as I was to try out my Chinese! When I said OHHHHH "BA" he realized why I did not understand. We both stood there laughing hysterically. By the time Diane and I left, I am pretty sure we had the full attention of EVERYONE in the store!
Getting in touch with nature.
Today I was excited to visit a park called Fragrant Hills. I had heard that it was very beautiful and I looked forward to getting out in nature and enjoying some peace away from the city. I think I forgot for a bit how many MILLIONS of people live in China. I have never experienced hiking in quite this way. The path we were on was to the peak of the hill/mountain we were near. My friends were not sure they wanted to climb to the top, but I said of course we have to! We can't come this far and not climb to the top! So they went along with me. Shawna with very little enthusiasm! Well, as we climbed higher, several things happened. One, the pathway got narrower, two the pathway got steeper, and three more and more people seemed to join us the higher we got. By the time we were near the top, we were surrounded by a mass of people. Some going up, some going down, but everyone moving. It was amazing to me. I was far from the city, and still packed in a mass of people. When I hike Table Rock Mt. in SC, on a busy day you might see 50 people. Usually it is more like 10. When you get to the top, you enjoy peace and quiet as you enjoy the view. At the top of this mt. THERE WERE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! Draped on every rock, they spread newspaper on the ground to sit on, they were lining every railing and stair step. It was amazing. The people were taking full advantage of this beautiful place.
One of the fun things about this site, is that it is not one of the regular tourist stops for foreigners. It is very much a Chinese spot. Several times throughout the day a Chinese person would look at us and say with much surprise HELLO! They were so excited to see us there. Even though the day did not include a lot of peace solitude and serenity, it was definitely a fun opportunity to see and enjoy the culture of these people. I am amazed at how graciously welcoming they are to me wherever I go. Well, I guess that's all for this time. I hope it is not too choppy or discombobulated! I hope I can give you a taste of the life here that I am so completely enjoying even with a few inconvenient moments along the way!
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