Sunday, July 29, 2007
Willie Lives on in China
We were out shopping the other day- looking for "funny shirts in
English" and we came upon this one. I liked it initially because it
reminded me of my dad- the world's biggest Willie Nelson fan. But then
it grew on me because of the fact that the blue portion has no real
back side, just three shoelace like ties across the back. I didn't buy it...
Glasses
There is an extraordinary amount of students here who wear glasses. In
two of my classes, I counted 31 out of 48 and 34 out of 49 wear
glasses. We have the "eye ritural" or "eye exercises" three times
every day to help their eyes out. But, the funny thing is that even
though they have glasses- they randomly trade them with their
neighbors, or put one pair on top of another to try and see better.
The pictures here are of three of my students "using" their glasses to
better see the computer screen... go figure.
The Big Party!
Well, we had the English Party for my classes yesterday. Angela, Amy
and I went up to the 6th floor to attend this big party. We were told
to arrive at 6:00, but truthfully the party wasnt to start until 6:30
because the teachers did not want to let their kids out that early.
The 6th floor is home to a large room equipped with disco ball and
flashing lights to be used in a dance fashion I imagine. I had dragged
Amy and Angela to this exciting event with me, so they were really
fired up for a fun night. The TA's had planned everything, and they
had a schedule and agenda that had the party divided into 3 parts.
There was the performances done by the kids- (which included two girls
singing a Backstreet Boys song, two boys singing some sappy love song
that we didn't recognize, three girls doing a dance from the Beijing
Opera, and two girls doing a traditional Korean dance that involved
bits of the running man and some non-traditional arm movements that
were very modern). The second part of the party was the games- there
were three or four games planned for the evening. My TA Kitty, threw
me off when she asked what the punishment was for students who lost
games. I wasn't exactly sure what she was asking so I responded with
well they do pushups¡± and I demonstrated. Anyway, they had planned
several games appropriate for their students includingname that
tune with everything from Dido to Old MacDonald, hot potato, guess
this English word, and a charades type activity. The kids played these
games as if they were the coolest thing in the world!
The whole thing started with the students arriving and pulling up
chairs to line the dance floor. Once they were all seated, two emcees
took the microphones and started the party off. We played the games-
Angela and Amy got dragged into some doozies- Amy was speaking Chinese,
and Ang was guessing English words with one of my students. It was fun
to see them (forcibly) involved in the action. Then the students
performed, and with the utmost seriousness (particularly the Backstreet
boys singers- it was quite cute). And finally the last part of the
night arrived, the part where we were to make a performance. So
naturally, we did what every American would do in this situation- teach
the students an American dance¡ and what better to exemplify our
culture than the Macarena? Yep- you didnt mis-read that. Angela,
Amy and I got up and taught the Chinese the Macarena. It was quite
funny- and interesting at the same time. They caught on fairly well
and were able to keep it going. After the Macarena, we had a rousing
version of the Bunny hop that came on- or the Rabbit according to
the students- and we hopped all over that darn room. We finished with
one last Macarena and then the party was over. As we were finishing, I
noticed that the crowd had grown a bit- the security guard was now
sitting in the back, and several parents showed up to pick up the kids
who did not live in the dorms. I wonder what they thought of our
Macarena lessons. All I have to say is it was quite a night- as you
can tell from the pictures.
When Kitty asked if we had parties like this in the United States, I
wanted to say I'm sure they do in elementary school but I
responded with a non-committal I've never seen a party like this
before. She told me that I must be a beautiful teacher because I get
to have fun with the kids, and that doesn¡¯t happen with the Chinese
teachers.
Lucky for us, Angela's students are having a party next week and we'll
all get to go again oh boy.
Day off number 2. Tea House
We left the massage place at about 12:00 and were off to our last
destination the Tea House. We had all (stupidly) assumed she meant
the tea house that sits on a hill in town; it's kind of a tourist
attraction/resting spot for the locals. But again, we were of course
wrong. We went to a different tea house which ended up being very
nice, but as we entered, Emily told us we could be there for lunch and
dinner until 5:00 if we liked. Excuse me? Until 5:00 what are
we going to do here for 5 hours? Go big or go home I guess. We sat
upstairs at two large tables that we pushed together to accommodate the
8 of us and the Vice Directors 3 year old kid. It was a buffet- with
lots of things that were not identifiable, so my first trip included a
banana and an apple just in case I was not prone to eating the other
things. Once the owner of the tea house found out that American
teachers were there, they brought 4 or 5 special dishes¡± that were
not included in the buffet line. Thankfully, oysters were one of these
special dishes, as I was devastated that they were not an option. (for
those of you who don't know me, I don't eat things that swim and
Ang doesn't particularly care for fish either.) In my defense, I ate
some of the oysters, several things that were not identified from the
buffet line, duck (David thinks it was the head, and once I thought
about it, I saw it in the bone structure and figured that I had
probably eaten the brains) and I also ate some of the little bird.
There was a plate of little bird that the owner brought to us. We
assumed it was sparrow or something of that nature, but someone else
claimed that it was dove or pigeon. I think it was too small to be
either of those birds. Anyway, we were at a tea house, so we of course
had a tea demonstration and were able to try the green and oolong teas
once the show was done. Then they asked what kind of tea we'd like,
and we all tried the flower tea- even though we had just had oolong
and green tea. So there we sat, as they kept bringing more and more
food- fruit plates and nuts and lychees- drinking our flower tea. At
this point, it was only 3:30. All of the foreign teachers were stuffed
from all the food we had gotten, but our two Chinese hosts were still
eating and eating. It was amazing since they are both so skinny. The
director did have to take her son home because he had a bathroom
accident while we were there- if only hed had the pee pee pants, he
would have been able to just pee on the floor. So, we sat, and drank
tea, and sat, and drank tea- which was really relaxing- especially
since it was so hot out- but we were not up for eating dinner there
too. It was the same food, and none of us were really that hungry.
So, since the Chinese are not really prone to understanding subtle
hints, we told Emily we'd like to go walking around for a little bit.
We said that she would not have to accompany us because we knew where
we were and we would be able to get back to the school on our own- but
she told us then that the director had told her to protect us so
she came along. We stopped at a book store which was cute- and it had
the new Harry Potter book in English! I didn't buy it because I
haven't read all the other ones after the 2nd or 3rd one, but it was
neat that they had it. David had already purchased it from a different
book store and he'd started reading it. We eventually parted Emily's
company and continued to shop before heading back to the school.
Day off number 2. Massage second time.
At 9:30 we met Emily by the security station and took taxis to the
original massage place we visited. This place initially wanted to
charge us way too much when we first showed up there, so we left and
ended up at the ice skaters massage place. Well, apparently these
ladies called Emily back and said that they'd come down on the price
if we'd come back, so we decided to give them another try. We got
there, and I asked Emily if this was going to be a clothes on or a
clothes off type of massage, and she assured me that our clothes
would be on- just as Amy and Karen were lead off to the bath. I
don¡¯t remember the last bath I had with clothes on¡ I love the
Chinese. So we waited our turn, and then Ang and I took our bath
(which really was a shower) and waited for the girls to be free for our
massage. The shower in and of itself was interesting, because none of
the supplies really told you what they were for- but I went for it,
putting conditioner in my hair first, then repeating the process once I
figured out which was which. We were given robes to wear, which were
too small, so we wrapped towels on, and then put the robes on, to wait
for our turn. Well, our turn came about 50 minutes later. We sat in
these towel-robe things in the resting room with the Vice Director
and Emily as Amy and Karen got their massages. Interesting enough, the
resting room included a lot of activity. Namely, eating
watermelon, split pea soup and Korean tea. We painted our nails as the
two ladies watched, and we discussed the end of the session trip (which
proved to be futile in getting any more information about it). Still
wondering how this is a clothes on massage, Ang and I finally got
our turn to go in. It was a nice massage- they used some sort of oils
and things, and then they gave us a facial which was interesting since
I'd never had one before. At any rate, there was very little time
with our clothes on- so it was like massages in the US in that aspect-
but for some reason I keep asking questions I never get the correct
answer to.
original massage place we visited. This place initially wanted to
charge us way too much when we first showed up there, so we left and
ended up at the ice skaters massage place. Well, apparently these
ladies called Emily back and said that they'd come down on the price
if we'd come back, so we decided to give them another try. We got
there, and I asked Emily if this was going to be a clothes on or a
clothes off type of massage, and she assured me that our clothes
would be on- just as Amy and Karen were lead off to the bath. I
don¡¯t remember the last bath I had with clothes on¡ I love the
Chinese. So we waited our turn, and then Ang and I took our bath
(which really was a shower) and waited for the girls to be free for our
massage. The shower in and of itself was interesting, because none of
the supplies really told you what they were for- but I went for it,
putting conditioner in my hair first, then repeating the process once I
figured out which was which. We were given robes to wear, which were
too small, so we wrapped towels on, and then put the robes on, to wait
for our turn. Well, our turn came about 50 minutes later. We sat in
these towel-robe things in the resting room with the Vice Director
and Emily as Amy and Karen got their massages. Interesting enough, the
resting room included a lot of activity. Namely, eating
watermelon, split pea soup and Korean tea. We painted our nails as the
two ladies watched, and we discussed the end of the session trip (which
proved to be futile in getting any more information about it). Still
wondering how this is a clothes on massage, Ang and I finally got
our turn to go in. It was a nice massage- they used some sort of oils
and things, and then they gave us a facial which was interesting since
I'd never had one before. At any rate, there was very little time
with our clothes on- so it was like massages in the US in that aspect-
but for some reason I keep asking questions I never get the correct
answer to.
Day off number 2 - Dumplings
Well our second day off wasn't as challenging as our first. Not that
our first was too bad, we just had more time with English speakers this
day of rest. We started our morning bright and early- we were to
report to the kitchen at 8am. While this was better than the 6:30 taxi
we had to take the last time, we were not all that excited about the
early morn. We arrived at the kitchen for our dumpling making lesson.
It was all a blur after that. We met the cook- who spoke no English-
and her assistant, who also spoke no English- but cooking is really an
international language isn't it? The dough was already prepared, so I
guess we weren't learning about that part, and we dutifully
followed the cooks into the larger kitchen area, carefully dodging the
fly papers dotted with black specimens (yet another reason to support
the fact that I haven't eaten in the cafeteria since the first week-
Amy and her mom are much more diligent about at least checking to see
what's for dinner/lunch). The kitchen in itself was intriguing-
there were multiple woks that were the largest ones I had ever seen-
and many different spots to cook with them- lots of burner areas.
The fans were running, but it was really warm in the kitchen. We lined
up beside a long silver table and waited for our instructions or in
this case for the motions of what we would be doing. She kneaded
the dough, and rolled them into long tubes, and then cut about 1 inch
pieces off the roll. These were to be flattened out in circular shapes
and then she'd put the filling on top of them. The filling was also
pre-made, so we didn't learn about that either. There was pork
and some green onions and a bunch of other things in there too. We
started rolling the small ones, some were too thin, some too thick, but
whatever- we're foreigners and she was throwing the dough at us so
damn fast that we didn't know what to do with ourselves. Then she'd
apply the pork mix to the center of the flat round dough pieces-
and we were to pinch them together- but in a way that was decorative.
Interesting- we didn't do much more than the slave work to assemble
these dumplings- and after we got through the first chunk of dough, we
thought- ok, that was fun. And then she started cutting the second
long tube of dough. At any rate, we assembled (poorly) multitudes of
dumplings, thinking we were making lunch for the next day, and then
watched as they put them in the gargantu-wok with boiling hot water.
They cooked for about 10 minutes, and then they were put into another
bowl, that had boiling water and some green onions and herbs already
simmering in it. We weren't sure what was happening next- which is
part for the course in China, but we washed our hands and followed the
cooks to the eating area. The Vice-director of the summer program and
Emily served us each some dumplings in the onion broth and we started
eating. We learned later that the Vice-director and Emily accompanied
us on the entire day because the Director told them to protect us
while we were out. Hmmm. Anyhow, the dumplings were fantastic, we
each got a little plastic to-go container with more in them for later,
and we were cleaned up and out of the kitchen by 9:00.
Mandatory reporters?
All of us have noticed, at some point or another, that both the
students and adults have perpetual hickey marks on their necks and
backs. We saw this initially with the students, but have seen it on
the necks of people as we walk through the streets of China as well.
When we looked closer however, we noticed that they weren't always in
the typical hickey spot, and they sometimes formed lines. So,
being mandatory reporters as educators, we thought are they being
beaten? We learned, through questioning that Amy and David brought
up, that in pinching each other, particularly on the neck, it acts as a
cooling mechanism during the hot summer days. Sadly, during our last
massage, David endured a tool that creates these lines. They marked up
his back, trying to cool him I presume, and it was tender and sore- and
to top it off, he was charged more for this treatment!! How's that
for interesting! I'll try and get a picture of these marks later to
put up- but it's hard to be discreet when getting that close to
someone¡'s jugular.
students and adults have perpetual hickey marks on their necks and
backs. We saw this initially with the students, but have seen it on
the necks of people as we walk through the streets of China as well.
When we looked closer however, we noticed that they weren't always in
the typical hickey spot, and they sometimes formed lines. So,
being mandatory reporters as educators, we thought are they being
beaten? We learned, through questioning that Amy and David brought
up, that in pinching each other, particularly on the neck, it acts as a
cooling mechanism during the hot summer days. Sadly, during our last
massage, David endured a tool that creates these lines. They marked up
his back, trying to cool him I presume, and it was tender and sore- and
to top it off, he was charged more for this treatment!! How's that
for interesting! I'll try and get a picture of these marks later to
put up- but it's hard to be discreet when getting that close to
someone¡'s jugular.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Chinese Schools
#2 Chinese schools
Well- an update on the parties... Kristy's went well lastnight; she
taught them the hokey pokey and they learned the 16 step from the TA's
that she has. She said it was okay. Also, yesterday Angela and Amy's
TA's partnered to schedule a "three legged race" competition for the
afternoon. Which means that they not only did not have to teach
yesterday, they did not have class until 3:50 and then they watched
kids 3 legged race. They did not participate. So- that leaves the
rest of us to do the real work. In the meantime, I have lost 28
students out of one of my classes for this English competition, and I
guess I just have to deal with the ones that are left. Even though
they don't seem to give much of a crap about learning English, much
less the thought of singing a Raffi song with me. Luckily I crafted a
brilliant powerpoint on American Holidays (including a special emphasis
on Earth Day- so we can explain that we don't litter like they do here)
to enthrall them for the last day of week 2. We're half way there...
by the way- my party has been "delayed until the 28th" I'll keep you posted.
Well- an update on the parties... Kristy's went well lastnight; she
taught them the hokey pokey and they learned the 16 step from the TA's
that she has. She said it was okay. Also, yesterday Angela and Amy's
TA's partnered to schedule a "three legged race" competition for the
afternoon. Which means that they not only did not have to teach
yesterday, they did not have class until 3:50 and then they watched
kids 3 legged race. They did not participate. So- that leaves the
rest of us to do the real work. In the meantime, I have lost 28
students out of one of my classes for this English competition, and I
guess I just have to deal with the ones that are left. Even though
they don't seem to give much of a crap about learning English, much
less the thought of singing a Raffi song with me. Luckily I crafted a
brilliant powerpoint on American Holidays (including a special emphasis
on Earth Day- so we can explain that we don't litter like they do here)
to enthrall them for the last day of week 2. We're half way there...
by the way- my party has been "delayed until the 28th" I'll keep you posted.
Chinese TV
So during each of our days, we make at least 4-6 attempts to locate
something that we recognize on television. Sometimes it ends up being
an American movie in Chinese, sometimes it's a commercial from home,
but most times, it's basketball (the Houston Rockets- Yao Ming's team)
volleyball, golf, badminton or soccer. I've seen more basketball and
international soccer games in the last two weeks then I've ever seen in
my entire life. Don't get me wrong, I love a good matchup between the
Japanese and the Austrailians, but it's not always what we were looking
for at that moment.
We have now seen bits and pieces of "Home Alone," "Mission Impossible,"
"101 Dalmations," "Shrek," that one movie about dinosaurs on that
island - and many other American films that we never wanted to see in
the first place. Yet each day, you can find one of us glued to the
television watching Tom Cruise in Chinese or the Rockets faithfully.
Additionally, on the Chinese channels, there are, at any given moment,
6 singing or talent competitions on, 6 incredibly serious drama or soap
opera like shows, two movies that are war or military related, 5 or 6
shows with coolies and traditional Chinese clothing, and at least one
show with a human disguised (poorly) as a pig or a monkey- or both.
It's quite interesting. Lastnight, there was an "idol" type show on
where they were singing American pop songs- Celine Dion and her Titanic
theme sound worse with a Chinese singer than it does in most Karaoke
competitions at home. Ugh.
something that we recognize on television. Sometimes it ends up being
an American movie in Chinese, sometimes it's a commercial from home,
but most times, it's basketball (the Houston Rockets- Yao Ming's team)
volleyball, golf, badminton or soccer. I've seen more basketball and
international soccer games in the last two weeks then I've ever seen in
my entire life. Don't get me wrong, I love a good matchup between the
Japanese and the Austrailians, but it's not always what we were looking
for at that moment.
We have now seen bits and pieces of "Home Alone," "Mission Impossible,"
"101 Dalmations," "Shrek," that one movie about dinosaurs on that
island - and many other American films that we never wanted to see in
the first place. Yet each day, you can find one of us glued to the
television watching Tom Cruise in Chinese or the Rockets faithfully.
Additionally, on the Chinese channels, there are, at any given moment,
6 singing or talent competitions on, 6 incredibly serious drama or soap
opera like shows, two movies that are war or military related, 5 or 6
shows with coolies and traditional Chinese clothing, and at least one
show with a human disguised (poorly) as a pig or a monkey- or both.
It's quite interesting. Lastnight, there was an "idol" type show on
where they were singing American pop songs- Celine Dion and her Titanic
theme sound worse with a Chinese singer than it does in most Karaoke
competitions at home. Ugh.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Massage Pics
The orange things are what the ladies put their arms through as they
were essentially hanging from the ceiling ice skating on our backs.
West Lake
These two pictures are of the infamous "West Lake" in Hangzhou, the
capital of the province that we live in - Zhejiang.
West Lake
These two pictures are of the infamous "West Lake" in Hangzhou, the
capital of the province that we live in - Zhejiang.
Tour Group
This is our Chinese tour group in Hangzhou; you can see Kristy and
David in the back left corner... we totally fit right in.
Office
This is the sign that hangs outside our "office" where there is air
conditioning and one computer. It's quite lush.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Hangzhou
Well- we had our first "day off", but that seemed to be more stressful
than our regular days. For the normal school days, we each teach three
classes that are 45 minutes each- and we have the rest of the day off.
So we either teach from 8:40 until about 11 or we teach from 2:00 until
4:40 or so. The rest of the day is ours. We do a lot of reading, we
go into town for dinner, we scan the television for any American tv-
even if it's in Chinese- or we just hang out. I have had several
nights of 11 hours of sleep believe it or not- (most likely because we
are so tired from our strenuous work days). It seems weird, but the
heat really does zap our energy. For the last few days it has been 35
degrees- Celsius. I have no idea what that is in Farenheit, but it's
really freaking hot.
So- back to my original point, we decided on our free day to travel to
Hangzhou to see the West Lake. Keep in mind that there are about 35
"West Lakes" in China, this being the uber West Lake apparently. We
had Emily take us to get bus tickets, and we got cabs at 6:30 in the
morning to catch the bus to Hangzhou. The ride was estimated to be
about 1.5 - 2 hours depending on how fast the bus bobbed and weaved
through traffic. Luckily? Ang and I were fairly close to the front of
the bus as she tends to get motion sick fairly easy. However, this
also put us at the front seat advantage for all of the car accidents we
almost got in.
We arrived in Hangzhou safe and sound, and right away at the bus
station, we were approached for a tour of the West Lake. Originally
our plan was to see the lake, hang out for a while, and head back to
Yuyao. Even with Emily with us though, (Emily again being Chinese, so
she was able to convey our request for a tour... supposedly) we ended
up getting screwed again. Sure enough, we had a deluxe tour- it was
165RMB, which is just over $20- and the tour was to go to 8 different
places in Hangzhou. So- we discussed briefly and agreed to the tour.
We got in the van, and off we went... to the travel agency. We arrived
there after about 20 minutes in hair raising traffic (I have never seen
anything like the driving here- I know I have talked about this before,
but it's like -as Ang pointed out- a live game of Frogger. You just
always hope you don't get the Buh-duh sound that it makes when the frog
gets squished.) At the travel agency we paid our fee, and then got on
a bus. We were under the impression that we'd have a private van -
like Michael did- but whatever, we were flexible right? So we boarded
the bus, with Emily- and off we went. The tour was from about 9:30 or
10 until 6:00 pm and the entire thing WAS IN CHINESE. We did in fact
stop at 8 different places, but we didn't know what many of them were
becuase there was no English anywhere. We were told at the bus station
that we would have an English guide, but that was apparently a lie to
get us on the tour. Hmph.
The West Lake was beautiful, but again, we didn't know anything that
they were saying about it at all. There was one lady on the tour who
spoke English,and she was able to convey our - ok my- frustration at
the fact that we had paid so much for a Chinese tour and we needed some
English. It didn't go over well, but at the West Lake, they did switch
tourguides to get us an English speaking one. Unfortunately, her
English consisted of "I'm sorry" in both the question and answer form
in case we asked her anything- she'd use the "I'm sorry" or if we
commented on anything - she'd say "I'm sorry." She had however
mastered the "this way please" and "no" when we asked if we could stay
on the bus instead of continuing on the narrative filled tour. Oh
well- it was a funny sight to see a Chinese tour group, and then 6
white folks trailing along as she spoke into her little mega phone.
We got home at about 9:00 after another 1.5 hour bus ride and taxis
back to the school... what a day. The experience came to it's real
peak when the next day all of my TA's asked me to explain what I had
learned about the West Lake to the kids... hmph- that didn't take real
long.
:) Carla
than our regular days. For the normal school days, we each teach three
classes that are 45 minutes each- and we have the rest of the day off.
So we either teach from 8:40 until about 11 or we teach from 2:00 until
4:40 or so. The rest of the day is ours. We do a lot of reading, we
go into town for dinner, we scan the television for any American tv-
even if it's in Chinese- or we just hang out. I have had several
nights of 11 hours of sleep believe it or not- (most likely because we
are so tired from our strenuous work days). It seems weird, but the
heat really does zap our energy. For the last few days it has been 35
degrees- Celsius. I have no idea what that is in Farenheit, but it's
really freaking hot.
So- back to my original point, we decided on our free day to travel to
Hangzhou to see the West Lake. Keep in mind that there are about 35
"West Lakes" in China, this being the uber West Lake apparently. We
had Emily take us to get bus tickets, and we got cabs at 6:30 in the
morning to catch the bus to Hangzhou. The ride was estimated to be
about 1.5 - 2 hours depending on how fast the bus bobbed and weaved
through traffic. Luckily? Ang and I were fairly close to the front of
the bus as she tends to get motion sick fairly easy. However, this
also put us at the front seat advantage for all of the car accidents we
almost got in.
We arrived in Hangzhou safe and sound, and right away at the bus
station, we were approached for a tour of the West Lake. Originally
our plan was to see the lake, hang out for a while, and head back to
Yuyao. Even with Emily with us though, (Emily again being Chinese, so
she was able to convey our request for a tour... supposedly) we ended
up getting screwed again. Sure enough, we had a deluxe tour- it was
165RMB, which is just over $20- and the tour was to go to 8 different
places in Hangzhou. So- we discussed briefly and agreed to the tour.
We got in the van, and off we went... to the travel agency. We arrived
there after about 20 minutes in hair raising traffic (I have never seen
anything like the driving here- I know I have talked about this before,
but it's like -as Ang pointed out- a live game of Frogger. You just
always hope you don't get the Buh-duh sound that it makes when the frog
gets squished.) At the travel agency we paid our fee, and then got on
a bus. We were under the impression that we'd have a private van -
like Michael did- but whatever, we were flexible right? So we boarded
the bus, with Emily- and off we went. The tour was from about 9:30 or
10 until 6:00 pm and the entire thing WAS IN CHINESE. We did in fact
stop at 8 different places, but we didn't know what many of them were
becuase there was no English anywhere. We were told at the bus station
that we would have an English guide, but that was apparently a lie to
get us on the tour. Hmph.
The West Lake was beautiful, but again, we didn't know anything that
they were saying about it at all. There was one lady on the tour who
spoke English,and she was able to convey our - ok my- frustration at
the fact that we had paid so much for a Chinese tour and we needed some
English. It didn't go over well, but at the West Lake, they did switch
tourguides to get us an English speaking one. Unfortunately, her
English consisted of "I'm sorry" in both the question and answer form
in case we asked her anything- she'd use the "I'm sorry" or if we
commented on anything - she'd say "I'm sorry." She had however
mastered the "this way please" and "no" when we asked if we could stay
on the bus instead of continuing on the narrative filled tour. Oh
well- it was a funny sight to see a Chinese tour group, and then 6
white folks trailing along as she spoke into her little mega phone.
We got home at about 9:00 after another 1.5 hour bus ride and taxis
back to the school... what a day. The experience came to it's real
peak when the next day all of my TA's asked me to explain what I had
learned about the West Lake to the kids... hmph- that didn't take real
long.
:) Carla
Massages!
Well- yet another adventure is under our belts. We (the six of us- we
have now hooked up with the other "foreign" teachers from Rochester MN)
and we went out to meet Bob (the other white guy in Yuyao). He showed
us around a bit, pointed out the "safe" chinese resturants- and
directed us toward his favorite massage place. There are many massage
parlours here in Yuyao- some with a more reputable history than others.
We decided that we would return for the 40RMB (7 RMB = 1 dollar)
massage. After the 6 of us walked in, they directed us upstairs (with
the help of our chinese friend Emily) to a large room with 6 adjoining
beds. We remained clothed and they got started- 6 little Chinese
ladies. We started on our backs - they began with our faces, and moved
up and down our arms. Then after about 20 minutes or so, they moved us
on to our stomachs and put slippers (plastic baggies) on. They
proceeded to harness their hands in slings that came down from the
ceiling and they began to walk on our backs. I swear I'll never need
another chiropracter ever- as they cracked about every bone in my back.
They also did some ice skating type moves as the worked their way up
and down our backs. Then we were back sitting up cross-legged, and
they lifted us up in the air with their feet. I'm doing no justice in
this explanantion here, but it was the most intense massage I have ever
received. I think we are all a bit brusied... I'll put up some
pictures later... Carla
have now hooked up with the other "foreign" teachers from Rochester MN)
and we went out to meet Bob (the other white guy in Yuyao). He showed
us around a bit, pointed out the "safe" chinese resturants- and
directed us toward his favorite massage place. There are many massage
parlours here in Yuyao- some with a more reputable history than others.
We decided that we would return for the 40RMB (7 RMB = 1 dollar)
massage. After the 6 of us walked in, they directed us upstairs (with
the help of our chinese friend Emily) to a large room with 6 adjoining
beds. We remained clothed and they got started- 6 little Chinese
ladies. We started on our backs - they began with our faces, and moved
up and down our arms. Then after about 20 minutes or so, they moved us
on to our stomachs and put slippers (plastic baggies) on. They
proceeded to harness their hands in slings that came down from the
ceiling and they began to walk on our backs. I swear I'll never need
another chiropracter ever- as they cracked about every bone in my back.
They also did some ice skating type moves as the worked their way up
and down our backs. Then we were back sitting up cross-legged, and
they lifted us up in the air with their feet. I'm doing no justice in
this explanantion here, but it was the most intense massage I have ever
received. I think we are all a bit brusied... I'll put up some
pictures later... Carla
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Students
As for our students, Amy, Angela and I all have "8th" graders. We are
not exactly sure what that means as they have told us they are 15 and
16 years old. Karen noted that they start with kindergarten a little
later than our students do, but we aren't positive as to what year they
are. They average 48-50 in a class, and they are not your
stereotypical "chinese students." They are well versed in repeptition
and rote memorization, but they are very chatty and I was told that all
three of my classes are "very naughty." Awesome. I was really
surprised at their behavior, particularly at the opening ceremony where
many of them were talking through the headmaster and director's
speeches. Oh well- I guess that's just how they roll. They are funny
kids, and they really want to learn more English- well most of them
anyhow. It is very hard for us though, to try and teach out of the
book that they gave us, (as many of the English teachers have told us
its too easy for the students) and to get some cultural things in with
the limited resources that we have. I tried to pull up pictures today
of the high school and of course, the power went out and we could not
get the projectors to work. At any rate, Karen teaches every morning
to 5th and 6th graders- she has some really naughty students I guess.
Angela, Amy and I (in addition to two other teachers from Rochester)
teach alternating afternoons and mornings. We each have three 45
minute classes- and we are working to fill up that 45 minutes. I ended
up singing Backstreet Boys with my kids today as they found a "sing a
long" type website on-line. Our apartments are nice, the beds are of
course hard as is the case all over China (unless you are in Tibet,
then you only have the box spring) but the airconditioning works (thank
goodness) and we are doing well. The students start at 7:40 each
morning, and go through 11:15. Then they have lunch and "make a rest"
until 2:00 when their afternoon classes start. They have dinner at
5:00 and then some go to additional classes or do homework after
dinner. It's a tough schedule, and the kids really work hard- even
though they are naughty every now and again. We are struggling with the
food, and I anticipate we will try some of the places Bob recommended
to us sooner than later, as the amount of carbs we are getting is too
much for any of us.
that's all for now- we'll write more later!
not exactly sure what that means as they have told us they are 15 and
16 years old. Karen noted that they start with kindergarten a little
later than our students do, but we aren't positive as to what year they
are. They average 48-50 in a class, and they are not your
stereotypical "chinese students." They are well versed in repeptition
and rote memorization, but they are very chatty and I was told that all
three of my classes are "very naughty." Awesome. I was really
surprised at their behavior, particularly at the opening ceremony where
many of them were talking through the headmaster and director's
speeches. Oh well- I guess that's just how they roll. They are funny
kids, and they really want to learn more English- well most of them
anyhow. It is very hard for us though, to try and teach out of the
book that they gave us, (as many of the English teachers have told us
its too easy for the students) and to get some cultural things in with
the limited resources that we have. I tried to pull up pictures today
of the high school and of course, the power went out and we could not
get the projectors to work. At any rate, Karen teaches every morning
to 5th and 6th graders- she has some really naughty students I guess.
Angela, Amy and I (in addition to two other teachers from Rochester)
teach alternating afternoons and mornings. We each have three 45
minute classes- and we are working to fill up that 45 minutes. I ended
up singing Backstreet Boys with my kids today as they found a "sing a
long" type website on-line. Our apartments are nice, the beds are of
course hard as is the case all over China (unless you are in Tibet,
then you only have the box spring) but the airconditioning works (thank
goodness) and we are doing well. The students start at 7:40 each
morning, and go through 11:15. Then they have lunch and "make a rest"
until 2:00 when their afternoon classes start. They have dinner at
5:00 and then some go to additional classes or do homework after
dinner. It's a tough schedule, and the kids really work hard- even
though they are naughty every now and again. We are struggling with the
food, and I anticipate we will try some of the places Bob recommended
to us sooner than later, as the amount of carbs we are getting is too
much for any of us.
that's all for now- we'll write more later!
Saved by Bob
Our school has over 3000 students that attend it, though only about
half of them are here for the summer session. It is a large complex
that is located pretty centrally in Yuyao, China. There are 750,000
people in Yuyao- I thought originally there were only about 100,000,
but I was corrected by our new white friend, Bob, yesterday. Bob is in
sprinkler systems or something like that, and our first night out we
were looking for a grocery store- as rice is not typically our first
diet (note picture of school lunch). When we did not find one, we
settled for an ice cream cone at McDonalds- and ran into Bob Counce,
from Peoria Illinois. Not only was he white, he had groceries with
him. He managed to tell us that there was a supermarket in the
basement right under this McDonalds. Who knew? We were out the next
day (at Pizza Hut) and ran into Bob again- and decided to meet up with
him the following day so he could show us some other places to eat. He
was a very good sport -and we appreciate the guidance he gave us.
half of them are here for the summer session. It is a large complex
that is located pretty centrally in Yuyao, China. There are 750,000
people in Yuyao- I thought originally there were only about 100,000,
but I was corrected by our new white friend, Bob, yesterday. Bob is in
sprinkler systems or something like that, and our first night out we
were looking for a grocery store- as rice is not typically our first
diet (note picture of school lunch). When we did not find one, we
settled for an ice cream cone at McDonalds- and ran into Bob Counce,
from Peoria Illinois. Not only was he white, he had groceries with
him. He managed to tell us that there was a supermarket in the
basement right under this McDonalds. Who knew? We were out the next
day (at Pizza Hut) and ran into Bob again- and decided to meet up with
him the following day so he could show us some other places to eat. He
was a very good sport -and we appreciate the guidance he gave us.
Leaving Tibet
Trying to leave Tibet was more of a chore than we had anticipated-
we got to the airport with plenty of time, but we had some weight
issues with our luggage in trying to check in. When we checked in at
the Beijing airport, we had no issues with weight and they did not
weigh our luggage at all- but apparently in Lhasa, it's more of an
issue as each of us had to pay 22 RMB for every Kilogram that we were
over. It was a big hassle, and Harry our tourguide, was no help. He
was more concerned about getting his commission from the market that he
brought us to, than getting us on the airplane. For the record, if you
are ever looking for English speakers to help you with anything, do not
go to the Lhasa airport as there are none to be found. Luckily Amy got
it all figured out and we proceede to our first of about 22 flights.
We ended up sitting on the plane for 2 hours before it even took off,
but luckily we were not among those who were openly yelling at the
flight attendants. The Chinese can be very boisterous when "need" be.
We had a nice meal and then started our flight to Chengdu. At Chengdu,
we got another plane that we thought was taking us to Ningbo (our final
destination to get to the school) but really we were only going to the
Wuhan airport. At the Wuhan airport, we all got off the plane on the
tarmac, boarded a bus, walked through the terminal to a different gate,
boarded a bus and returned to our plane. Don't ask us why, but it's
what they required. Anyhow- we were definitely the only white people
to ever have been to the Wuhan airport as the mobile freak show
continued. We got back on the plane and flew from Wuhan to Ningbo- and
were met by "Elaine" one of our TA's from the school.
we got to the airport with plenty of time, but we had some weight
issues with our luggage in trying to check in. When we checked in at
the Beijing airport, we had no issues with weight and they did not
weigh our luggage at all- but apparently in Lhasa, it's more of an
issue as each of us had to pay 22 RMB for every Kilogram that we were
over. It was a big hassle, and Harry our tourguide, was no help. He
was more concerned about getting his commission from the market that he
brought us to, than getting us on the airplane. For the record, if you
are ever looking for English speakers to help you with anything, do not
go to the Lhasa airport as there are none to be found. Luckily Amy got
it all figured out and we proceede to our first of about 22 flights.
We ended up sitting on the plane for 2 hours before it even took off,
but luckily we were not among those who were openly yelling at the
flight attendants. The Chinese can be very boisterous when "need" be.
We had a nice meal and then started our flight to Chengdu. At Chengdu,
we got another plane that we thought was taking us to Ningbo (our final
destination to get to the school) but really we were only going to the
Wuhan airport. At the Wuhan airport, we all got off the plane on the
tarmac, boarded a bus, walked through the terminal to a different gate,
boarded a bus and returned to our plane. Don't ask us why, but it's
what they required. Anyhow- we were definitely the only white people
to ever have been to the Wuhan airport as the mobile freak show
continued. We got back on the plane and flew from Wuhan to Ningbo- and
were met by "Elaine" one of our TA's from the school.
Tibetans
As for the people of Tibet, they all want you to "lookie lookie" at
their merchandise and they can give you "cheap cheap price" on just
about anything. There are markets galore in the different areas
surrounding the monasteries, and you can spend quite a bit of money if
you aren't careful. They advise you to listen for the salesman's first
price, and go down by at least half to start bargaining. Some say that
they up the price by 10 times to get the tourists. Our hotel was
located in the middle of a busy market street, which was awesome when
we all piled out of the van from the airport. Everywhere we go in
China we are like a walking freak show. We have stopped traffic, and
turned an entire store full of peoples heads to watch us walk by.
People have gotten into near moped accidents (which could be near fatal
the way they drive) while turning around to watch us walk as a group.
The people of Tibet are beautiful though. They are adorned in many
places with the traditional dress (of course I bought one... not
knowing where I am ever going to wear it, but I'll find a place) and
long braided hair. They are very devoted to their religion, and have
placed prayer flags all throught the country- including in high up
places on the mountains- I'm not sure how they get there. As for the
altitude, none of us really got sick perse- we were all taking the
diamox I believe it's called to help with the sickness, so we didn't
really do too bad. We did struggle with the food a bit, as yak meat is
prevalent about anywhere you go. We searched in vain for the Lonely
Planet recommended "Western food" places, and were (eventually)
successful in finding a couple of them. There is not a Diet Coke to be
spoken of in Tibet, but we are living anyway. We definitely notice the
altitude with the increased sun intensity and the short windedness we
experience in going up stairs. Towards the end of the second flight
(up to our third floor room) we are definitely feeling the pains of
tight lungs. We brough a container of oxygen with us to the Potala
Palace when we went, but it was confiscated as they looked at our
passports. Our tourguide Harry was no Michael. His English was very
broken, but he did the best he could. Tibet definitely had more of a
third world country feel than I had expected it too, though we passed
expansion and growth (in the form of Chevrolet and Volkswagen
dealerships) on our way out of town.
their merchandise and they can give you "cheap cheap price" on just
about anything. There are markets galore in the different areas
surrounding the monasteries, and you can spend quite a bit of money if
you aren't careful. They advise you to listen for the salesman's first
price, and go down by at least half to start bargaining. Some say that
they up the price by 10 times to get the tourists. Our hotel was
located in the middle of a busy market street, which was awesome when
we all piled out of the van from the airport. Everywhere we go in
China we are like a walking freak show. We have stopped traffic, and
turned an entire store full of peoples heads to watch us walk by.
People have gotten into near moped accidents (which could be near fatal
the way they drive) while turning around to watch us walk as a group.
The people of Tibet are beautiful though. They are adorned in many
places with the traditional dress (of course I bought one... not
knowing where I am ever going to wear it, but I'll find a place) and
long braided hair. They are very devoted to their religion, and have
placed prayer flags all throught the country- including in high up
places on the mountains- I'm not sure how they get there. As for the
altitude, none of us really got sick perse- we were all taking the
diamox I believe it's called to help with the sickness, so we didn't
really do too bad. We did struggle with the food a bit, as yak meat is
prevalent about anywhere you go. We searched in vain for the Lonely
Planet recommended "Western food" places, and were (eventually)
successful in finding a couple of them. There is not a Diet Coke to be
spoken of in Tibet, but we are living anyway. We definitely notice the
altitude with the increased sun intensity and the short windedness we
experience in going up stairs. Towards the end of the second flight
(up to our third floor room) we are definitely feeling the pains of
tight lungs. We brough a container of oxygen with us to the Potala
Palace when we went, but it was confiscated as they looked at our
passports. Our tourguide Harry was no Michael. His English was very
broken, but he did the best he could. Tibet definitely had more of a
third world country feel than I had expected it too, though we passed
expansion and growth (in the form of Chevrolet and Volkswagen
dealerships) on our way out of town.
Tibet
Well, I will tell you my Tibet stories up close and personal when we
return, but I (Carla) did not heart Tibet. It was nice to visit, and
the culture is very interesting though. There are many many people who
travel to the monasteries (some every day) to pray to the Buddhas and
worship at the holy sites in Lhasa. We visited 4 monasteries that all
had huge amazing statues of various Buddhas in different temples
throughout the monasteries. There were Buddhas that were two stories
tall, and some that fit in the palms of our hands. Inside the
monasteries, the Tibetan Buddhists bring yak butter tea and yak butter
as offerings to the Buddhas. They put the butter, and pour the tea
into these large bowls that have candle wicks in them, to keep the
flames lighted in front of the Buddha they wish to honor. In the main
room in each monastery is a large room, usually predominantly red in
color, where the monks would pray. There are many tapestry type things
hanging from the ceilings, and there are seats for the monks about knee
level (my knee level) where they sit and pray. We witnessed many
people making the pilgrimage to the monasteries; some have walked for
days on end, some up to a year to get to the sacred sites in Lhasa.
The buildings were very colorfol and ornate, with rickety stairs that
kept going up and up so we never knew when we were going to stop. I'll
try and include some pictures of the monasteries later.
return, but I (Carla) did not heart Tibet. It was nice to visit, and
the culture is very interesting though. There are many many people who
travel to the monasteries (some every day) to pray to the Buddhas and
worship at the holy sites in Lhasa. We visited 4 monasteries that all
had huge amazing statues of various Buddhas in different temples
throughout the monasteries. There were Buddhas that were two stories
tall, and some that fit in the palms of our hands. Inside the
monasteries, the Tibetan Buddhists bring yak butter tea and yak butter
as offerings to the Buddhas. They put the butter, and pour the tea
into these large bowls that have candle wicks in them, to keep the
flames lighted in front of the Buddha they wish to honor. In the main
room in each monastery is a large room, usually predominantly red in
color, where the monks would pray. There are many tapestry type things
hanging from the ceilings, and there are seats for the monks about knee
level (my knee level) where they sit and pray. We witnessed many
people making the pilgrimage to the monasteries; some have walked for
days on end, some up to a year to get to the sacred sites in Lhasa.
The buildings were very colorfol and ornate, with rickety stairs that
kept going up and up so we never knew when we were going to stop. I'll
try and include some pictures of the monasteries later.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tibet!
Tibet... I don't know that I should be the one writing about Tibet
since it is my third favorite place we have visited so far (even though
we've only been to two) but I'll try to remain as neutral as possible
when I write more about it later. Right now, it's time for me to go
"make a rest" before we head out for the afternoon. I would just like
you all to know that this is day 4 of a Caffeine free Carla- which is
very exciting for me, and shocking if you know me at all. I have been
actually trying the food (including the shrimp from the school lunch
with came with the heads and antennae on them still) and I have been
drinking tea as well. Partly because Tibet has no Diet Coke, and
mostly because I just want to kick the habit. Anyhow- props to me and
we'll write more later.
Love and miss you all- (from all 4 of us). Carla
since it is my third favorite place we have visited so far (even though
we've only been to two) but I'll try to remain as neutral as possible
when I write more about it later. Right now, it's time for me to go
"make a rest" before we head out for the afternoon. I would just like
you all to know that this is day 4 of a Caffeine free Carla- which is
very exciting for me, and shocking if you know me at all. I have been
actually trying the food (including the shrimp from the school lunch
with came with the heads and antennae on them still) and I have been
drinking tea as well. Partly because Tibet has no Diet Coke, and
mostly because I just want to kick the habit. Anyhow- props to me and
we'll write more later.
Love and miss you all- (from all 4 of us). Carla
Historical Sites
Day three of Beijing saw us again hiring Michael as our tour guide.
Today's schedule was the Summer palace, the Bell and Drum towers, and
the old city hutongs of Beijing. We started at the Drum and Bell
towers- they are monstrous tall towers where they used to open and
close the city gates. The drums were sounded, and they'd open the
gates, and the bell sounded and they'd close at the end of the day- or
vice versa, I forget (don't tell Michael). We trudged up the stairs,
again- and got to the top of the Drum tower, where they did a little
performance. There were really neat views of the city, though they
weren't as neat to Ang becuase she is not a big fan of heights. After
the towers, we walked through part of the city's old hutongs (they are
like old neighborhoods) and then got in some pedicabs (the rickshaw of
the new millenium) to tour some more. We were able to stop at one
family's courtyard home and see what it was like to live inside one of
these areas which was really interesting. He had peach and persimmon
trees growing in the heart of his courtyard in the middle of Beijing.
It was strange but cool. After the hutongs, we decided to try some
food from the Hunan province (Mao's home province) and Michael ordered
for us again... without telling us that the food there is uber spicy.
You have to remember that we have four minnesota mouths here that are
not used to spicy- so we turned the ac up in our little private room,
and blew out fire at each other as we enjoyed the food. We finished
our day at the summer palace- which is where the emperors would escape
to when the Forbidden City got really hot in the summer time. It was
understandable once we got there- the scenery was beautiful, and there
was a HUGE manmade lake in the middle of this area. They took the dirt
from the lake and of course made a mountain on the other side to keep
it all in Feng Shui fashion. We were tired and hot, but we enjoyed
learning more about concubines, eunichs and their organs (a story to be
told only in person by any of the four of us) and about the
significance of the many paintings and buildings on the grounds. We
bid Michael adieu after our summer palace tour- and we still wish he
was here with us. If you ever go to Beijing, find Michael- he's worth
the money!!!
Today's schedule was the Summer palace, the Bell and Drum towers, and
the old city hutongs of Beijing. We started at the Drum and Bell
towers- they are monstrous tall towers where they used to open and
close the city gates. The drums were sounded, and they'd open the
gates, and the bell sounded and they'd close at the end of the day- or
vice versa, I forget (don't tell Michael). We trudged up the stairs,
again- and got to the top of the Drum tower, where they did a little
performance. There were really neat views of the city, though they
weren't as neat to Ang becuase she is not a big fan of heights. After
the towers, we walked through part of the city's old hutongs (they are
like old neighborhoods) and then got in some pedicabs (the rickshaw of
the new millenium) to tour some more. We were able to stop at one
family's courtyard home and see what it was like to live inside one of
these areas which was really interesting. He had peach and persimmon
trees growing in the heart of his courtyard in the middle of Beijing.
It was strange but cool. After the hutongs, we decided to try some
food from the Hunan province (Mao's home province) and Michael ordered
for us again... without telling us that the food there is uber spicy.
You have to remember that we have four minnesota mouths here that are
not used to spicy- so we turned the ac up in our little private room,
and blew out fire at each other as we enjoyed the food. We finished
our day at the summer palace- which is where the emperors would escape
to when the Forbidden City got really hot in the summer time. It was
understandable once we got there- the scenery was beautiful, and there
was a HUGE manmade lake in the middle of this area. They took the dirt
from the lake and of course made a mountain on the other side to keep
it all in Feng Shui fashion. We were tired and hot, but we enjoyed
learning more about concubines, eunichs and their organs (a story to be
told only in person by any of the four of us) and about the
significance of the many paintings and buildings on the grounds. We
bid Michael adieu after our summer palace tour- and we still wish he
was here with us. If you ever go to Beijing, find Michael- he's worth
the money!!!
Culture
Chinese culture is something to be admired and learned about.
Initially, we were a little shocked by the "pee pee pants" but now that
we have been here over a week, we are not shocked by it any more. All
of the small children here, I would guess under the age of 3 or so,
wear pants or shorts with a slit running through the crotch, so at any
given point, one's butt or other parts are fully exposed to those in
their immediate surroundings. Apparently this is the way that they
potty train Chinese- as they just pee in the streets willy nilly, and
don't have to worry about rushing a child to the bathroom, or about
diapers for that matter. We experienced alot more adult peeing in
public in Tibet, but it has just been interesting to see people squat
anywhere from Tiananmen Square to the markets to bus stops whenever
they have to go to the bathroom. I guess what we are learning is that
there is no such thing as "Chinese culture" there are too many
different aspects to really categorize it all as one. Much of this we
learned about on the CCTV English channel that they have. There are
about 3 different shows that they loop throughout the day- repeating as
many times as necessary- or as can fit in one 24 hour span. We got all
the way through 6 parts of "rediscovering the yangtzee river" before we
arrived in Yuyao where they don't get CCTV 9. It got to the point
where Angela and I were making bets (ok- I was making bets) as to what
we would see next on the TV. Interesting.
Initially, we were a little shocked by the "pee pee pants" but now that
we have been here over a week, we are not shocked by it any more. All
of the small children here, I would guess under the age of 3 or so,
wear pants or shorts with a slit running through the crotch, so at any
given point, one's butt or other parts are fully exposed to those in
their immediate surroundings. Apparently this is the way that they
potty train Chinese- as they just pee in the streets willy nilly, and
don't have to worry about rushing a child to the bathroom, or about
diapers for that matter. We experienced alot more adult peeing in
public in Tibet, but it has just been interesting to see people squat
anywhere from Tiananmen Square to the markets to bus stops whenever
they have to go to the bathroom. I guess what we are learning is that
there is no such thing as "Chinese culture" there are too many
different aspects to really categorize it all as one. Much of this we
learned about on the CCTV English channel that they have. There are
about 3 different shows that they loop throughout the day- repeating as
many times as necessary- or as can fit in one 24 hour span. We got all
the way through 6 parts of "rediscovering the yangtzee river" before we
arrived in Yuyao where they don't get CCTV 9. It got to the point
where Angela and I were making bets (ok- I was making bets) as to what
we would see next on the TV. Interesting.
Great Wall
We got up early to head out to the great Wall- Michael picked us up
with a driver and everything, had it all worked out for us - it ended
up being quite a good deal as far as I am concerned. Additionally, we
were able to ask him all of the questions that Americans want to know,
but have no one to ask- he was almost better in his "non tour-guide"
mode in my opinion. We were driven past the Olympic village and the
many stadiums- including the badminton one which suffered some fire
damage recently... we saw the birds nest and the swimming facilities-
which according to Michael are ingenious architecture. We then moved
closer to the wall, but we stopped at a Jade factory. Apparently the
tourguides in China get some sort of commission if they bring people
through these places, so unknown to us- this stop was also a purchasing
opportunity for those who wanted to throw down $400 in A grade Jade.
We got a mini lesson on how to look for "good jade" and then were
dumped out into the gift shop. The "nicer" shops here have about 600
people working in them waiting to sink their teeth in until you buy
something, but he still gets some money even though we didn't succumb
to the pressure of the jade clerks. From there we continued on to the
Ming tombs, where 13 of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were housed.
The area was spectacular with breathtaking views (once you climbed four
dozen stairs that were so steep we thought we were climbing ladders) of
the entire area that the tombs covered. We learned all about how the
area is very feng shui with a river and mountains closing in the most
important areas, and we learned even more about concubines and eunichs
at the Ming tombs. It was pretty and a nice stop. We had lunch at
another "tour guide kick back" place- and then were dumped out into a
large "friendship" store where you could buy life size Terracotta
warriors with only $320 in shipping costs. After lunch we continued on
to the Badaling area of the Great Wall. It is said that this part of
the wall is the most traveled- and is certainly very "tourist friendly"
with all the Great Wall stuff you could ever want. The one thing that
I would warn people about however, is the bathroom- I have never had an
experience like that before, and I hope to never again. I'll leave the
details for a later conversation, as even the Japanese government might
block that from being posted. Anyhow, the Great Wall was a trip. You
get on to a taboggen type thing, and you go pretty much straight up
until you reach the "safe" area to start climbing the wall. We weren't
entirely sure what exactly was going on, but with Michael at our side,
nothing could go wrong. We were further reminded here that the Chinese
are not shy when it comes to pushing to get through. It was one of the
most interesting experiences of my life, watching all of these people
try to squeeze through a bottleneck doorway to let you out onto the
Great Wall. Once we were through though- the real challenge began. We
had to climb (again) these crazy steep stairs that seemed to never
stop. We went all the way up to the "Hero's" peak - Mao declared that
you were not a real man until you reached the peak, so thankfully our
lifelong dreams of becoming heros was achieved here. Then, instead of
battling our way back to the taboggens, we decided to keep climbing,
and descend using the less traveled path down the wall. Thankfully it
was a bit overcast that day, so we were not any hotter than usual in 85
degree heat. The breeze kept us going, but it was still tough. It got
to the point when we were coming down however, that we had to turn
around and go backwards just to give our calves a stretch- and because
it was too steep to feel safe going down forwards. We throroughly
enjoyed our time on the wall - especially parts where Michael was there
to help us "make" pictures. Hopefully we'll get them up here soon.
Later that night, we went to an acrobat show in Beijing- it was
teriffic. It was a little Cirque du Soleil, but with petite asians.
There were jumpers, plate twirlers, a bicycle routine and many other
acts that were simply amazing to watch.
with a driver and everything, had it all worked out for us - it ended
up being quite a good deal as far as I am concerned. Additionally, we
were able to ask him all of the questions that Americans want to know,
but have no one to ask- he was almost better in his "non tour-guide"
mode in my opinion. We were driven past the Olympic village and the
many stadiums- including the badminton one which suffered some fire
damage recently... we saw the birds nest and the swimming facilities-
which according to Michael are ingenious architecture. We then moved
closer to the wall, but we stopped at a Jade factory. Apparently the
tourguides in China get some sort of commission if they bring people
through these places, so unknown to us- this stop was also a purchasing
opportunity for those who wanted to throw down $400 in A grade Jade.
We got a mini lesson on how to look for "good jade" and then were
dumped out into the gift shop. The "nicer" shops here have about 600
people working in them waiting to sink their teeth in until you buy
something, but he still gets some money even though we didn't succumb
to the pressure of the jade clerks. From there we continued on to the
Ming tombs, where 13 of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were housed.
The area was spectacular with breathtaking views (once you climbed four
dozen stairs that were so steep we thought we were climbing ladders) of
the entire area that the tombs covered. We learned all about how the
area is very feng shui with a river and mountains closing in the most
important areas, and we learned even more about concubines and eunichs
at the Ming tombs. It was pretty and a nice stop. We had lunch at
another "tour guide kick back" place- and then were dumped out into a
large "friendship" store where you could buy life size Terracotta
warriors with only $320 in shipping costs. After lunch we continued on
to the Badaling area of the Great Wall. It is said that this part of
the wall is the most traveled- and is certainly very "tourist friendly"
with all the Great Wall stuff you could ever want. The one thing that
I would warn people about however, is the bathroom- I have never had an
experience like that before, and I hope to never again. I'll leave the
details for a later conversation, as even the Japanese government might
block that from being posted. Anyhow, the Great Wall was a trip. You
get on to a taboggen type thing, and you go pretty much straight up
until you reach the "safe" area to start climbing the wall. We weren't
entirely sure what exactly was going on, but with Michael at our side,
nothing could go wrong. We were further reminded here that the Chinese
are not shy when it comes to pushing to get through. It was one of the
most interesting experiences of my life, watching all of these people
try to squeeze through a bottleneck doorway to let you out onto the
Great Wall. Once we were through though- the real challenge began. We
had to climb (again) these crazy steep stairs that seemed to never
stop. We went all the way up to the "Hero's" peak - Mao declared that
you were not a real man until you reached the peak, so thankfully our
lifelong dreams of becoming heros was achieved here. Then, instead of
battling our way back to the taboggens, we decided to keep climbing,
and descend using the less traveled path down the wall. Thankfully it
was a bit overcast that day, so we were not any hotter than usual in 85
degree heat. The breeze kept us going, but it was still tough. It got
to the point when we were coming down however, that we had to turn
around and go backwards just to give our calves a stretch- and because
it was too steep to feel safe going down forwards. We throroughly
enjoyed our time on the wall - especially parts where Michael was there
to help us "make" pictures. Hopefully we'll get them up here soon.
Later that night, we went to an acrobat show in Beijing- it was
teriffic. It was a little Cirque du Soleil, but with petite asians.
There were jumpers, plate twirlers, a bicycle routine and many other
acts that were simply amazing to watch.
Beijing (Peking)
Well we arrived in Beijing on 07/07/07 and we thought that would bring
us good luck- as it turns out, it did! We had a fabulous time in
Beijing from our Hostel (which was acutally like a hotel really) to our
tourguide, it was a great experience. We started off the first day for
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. It was hot and muggy there,
but we are tough and forged ahead anyway. We got to what we thought
was the center part of town where two large gates were standing and we
didn't really know what these things were, so we decided to snap a
bunch of pictures and try to figure out what it was later. We stopped
and bought a map- there are tons of individuals roaming around with
"Mao" goods - watches, books, postcards etc. and our map cost $1, but
we couldn't read it well, so we just kept walking. We enjoyed
meandering around the open area of Tiananmen Square, until we realized
that in preparation for the Olympics, they had closed the building that
housed Mao's body for renovation. What luck! So- I got over it, and
we moved on to the Forbidden City which is just adjacent to Tiananmen
Square. The entrance to the Forbidden City is the famous large picture
of Mao on the reddish wall- it's a great photo opportunity. Once I get
settled in here at the school, I'll try to get some pictures to my
brother so you can see what it is that I am talking about. As we
ventured toward the Forbidden City, we were approached by a Chinese man
wanting to know if we wanted an English tour- it seemed a little
sketchy at first, but we went ahead with it- and found, as his buisness
card says, "Michael, your friend in Beijing" He ended up truly being
our friend in that he gave us well over a 3 hour tour (when he
originally said an hour and a half to two hours) and then took us to
eat and ordered for us. We haven't had food as good as when Michael
ordered for us! We finished at the Forbidden City and then agreed to
hire Michael on for our next day- the trip to the Great Wall!!!
us good luck- as it turns out, it did! We had a fabulous time in
Beijing from our Hostel (which was acutally like a hotel really) to our
tourguide, it was a great experience. We started off the first day for
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. It was hot and muggy there,
but we are tough and forged ahead anyway. We got to what we thought
was the center part of town where two large gates were standing and we
didn't really know what these things were, so we decided to snap a
bunch of pictures and try to figure out what it was later. We stopped
and bought a map- there are tons of individuals roaming around with
"Mao" goods - watches, books, postcards etc. and our map cost $1, but
we couldn't read it well, so we just kept walking. We enjoyed
meandering around the open area of Tiananmen Square, until we realized
that in preparation for the Olympics, they had closed the building that
housed Mao's body for renovation. What luck! So- I got over it, and
we moved on to the Forbidden City which is just adjacent to Tiananmen
Square. The entrance to the Forbidden City is the famous large picture
of Mao on the reddish wall- it's a great photo opportunity. Once I get
settled in here at the school, I'll try to get some pictures to my
brother so you can see what it is that I am talking about. As we
ventured toward the Forbidden City, we were approached by a Chinese man
wanting to know if we wanted an English tour- it seemed a little
sketchy at first, but we went ahead with it- and found, as his buisness
card says, "Michael, your friend in Beijing" He ended up truly being
our friend in that he gave us well over a 3 hour tour (when he
originally said an hour and a half to two hours) and then took us to
eat and ordered for us. We haven't had food as good as when Michael
ordered for us! We finished at the Forbidden City and then agreed to
hire Michael on for our next day- the trip to the Great Wall!!!
Greetings from China!
We apologize for the delay in getting things
posted on the blog, but we are having some issues with the Chinese
government and them not sponsoring the Blogger website. All of the
postings that we do will be put on through my brother Mike, who is
currently living in Japan. I am very appreciative to him because I
know there are millions of fans out there dying to know what we are up
to. So- feel free to comment any of the following entries, so we at
least know that people are able to read the site! Many of these will
be posted by Carla, as I am sending them to my brother, but my words do
not necessarily speak for all four of us that are here. They will be
contributing as they can as well. Thanks- or as they say here- xiexie.
Carla
posted on the blog, but we are having some issues with the Chinese
government and them not sponsoring the Blogger website. All of the
postings that we do will be put on through my brother Mike, who is
currently living in Japan. I am very appreciative to him because I
know there are millions of fans out there dying to know what we are up
to. So- feel free to comment any of the following entries, so we at
least know that people are able to read the site! Many of these will
be posted by Carla, as I am sending them to my brother, but my words do
not necessarily speak for all four of us that are here. They will be
contributing as they can as well. Thanks- or as they say here- xiexie.
Carla
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