довольно маленький пляж

     Chinese characters on billboards?? Do those bother me? Hardly. Russian funkiness, however? Yes, that is a wee bit jarring. For some reason that I cannot explain, I am just not a fan of seeing Russian all over buildings and stuff. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I feel like China is mine, and I don't want any other foreigners having any influence over it, so I get all defensive when I see other languages all over the place, but I realize I need to learn to share. Sanya is basically just a little Russia, after all. Everywhere you go all your menus are in Russian, the buildings are in Russian, the beaches are covered in super burnt orange Russians, and all of the vendors try to speak to you in Russian instead of English.

      Actually, that last aspect of it is pretty fun. Charades has become a favorite game of mine these last six months, and it was quite the twist adding Russian to the mix - plus it finally gave me a chance to really rely on my Chinese. Normally, when you want to purchase something in China, the guy selling it to you either already knows enough English to sell it to you or there is something printed in English/Chinese that you can just point to. It just doesn't leave much to the imagination. However, in Sanya it was a happy little game when people, both Chinese and Russian alike, would rush up to you and just start jabbering away in their unfamiliar tongue with the assumption that you would understand them. The puzzled expression on their face was pretty priceless when after a few moments pause you reply to whatever they had said "English, I'm sorry, but I only speak English." From there on out, the Russians walk away to find someone more interesting to talk to, and the Chinese get this jumbo smile on their face and start jabbering away at you in Chinese instead. To my surprise, I found that I understand a lot more than I thought I did. This one vendor in particular and I talked for nearly a half an hour about who knows what - school, america, my life, how I liked China etc etc. Now, granted, there was a lot of charades involved, there was also an abnormally large amount of Chinese as well. I was all by myself and it was up to me to figure out how to say everything; it was a proud moment to realize that I actually could. 

   All things considered, Sanya really is a little piece of paradise. It was hot, but not nearly as bad as we expected, and the water is so much fun. We met more Chinese friends as usual, and we ate monster freaking mangoes everyday, which I am not ashamed to say was one of my greatest hi-lights.  My favorite thing about Sanya, however, was probably just seeing the insane crowd that swarmed the beach Monday afternoon and evening. Within an hour, the beach went from essentially empty, to covered with thousands of luck-seeking Chinese on their happy Dragon Boat Festival Day. Apparently, good fortune is brought to those who are in the water on the Dragon Boat Festival, and when tempted with good fortune you better believe the Chinese will come. Personally, I should be getting super rich or something this year because I was in the water all day. As always, I have a ton more to say, but I don't know how to say it, so instead adieu - I love you all.

Baba

It is nearly June, and with that comes so many sad thoughts that I'm not ready to cope with yet. It means packing, cleaning, saying goodbye, and crying; however along with all the sadness there is something wonderful that is happening as well - the wonderful day we call Father's Day. Not only do I have the best father in the world, but now I also have the best Chinese dad (Candice's dad from Yueyang) and, as of yesterday, I have the best Baba (which means father in Chinese) as well. His name is Tyson, and this blog entry in dedicated to him.

  We met Yun (whom we later named Tyson) in interesting circumstances, and we've had interestingly wonderful times ever since. Just as a brief introduction to this awesome guy, Yun is 29; he currently works for the government getting paid ucho mucho money doing who knows what, but he was formerly a boxer/military man. He has been to every province in China except the three that you need a seperate visa for - Taiwan, Mongolia, and Tibet, and he also once went to North Korea for a boxing tournament. Yun has a big shiny scar near his left elbow from when he chased his friend into a big glass window when they were16, and he also has a pretty ugly mole on his right shoulder that has 5 or 6 disgustingly long hairs growing out of it. Yun commonly wears a black fish net wife beater, which he pairs with his 1,750yuan man satchel that he brings everywhere, and he lives with his mother and dog Michael, who may be the most adorable creature this world has ever see. Additionally, Yun has a special talent for breaking things in half using only a piece of paper, and he habitually likes to show off his well beyond average Chinese upperbody strength. Up until the last month or so Yun spoke only enough English to say "Hello," and if it were ever necessary I believe he could save the world with his natural charades skills.

    From the time we met Yun a month ago to today, he has been an absolute gem. He is defintely the closest with my head teacher Dianna, but he is great friends with the rest of us as well, and he loves to show his affection for us. Despite our efforts to stop him, it seems he is constantly buying us ice cream, or popcorn, or bread, or dinner, or paying for us to go here or go there. In some ways that is where his title Baba originated, apparently, with his very limited understanding of English words, sugar daddy was something he had heard before, and in a twisted sort of way that was kind of what he is to us. However, the connotation behind all that seems a little wrong, so to explain it in better terms, Yun basically became our father because we already consider Dianna our mother, and since we all think they should fall in love and get married, the pieces just sort of fall into place.

    When all seven of us girls were driving with Tyson to Zhu Hai yesterday, we couldn't help but feel that we were going on a road trip with the family. Our parents were in the front seat, and the six kids were just jamming in the back with the windows rolled down and the ocean breeze flowing through the car. We all spent the whole day together, and it was so much fun. No matter what we were doing, it was a constant fit of laughs. I dont often take guys shopping with me because I think it is a cruel thing to do to a man, but in Tysons case there is a huge exception. There is nothing that is more fun than shopping with a big hilarious Chinese body guard. In the five or so hours we spent in the underground of Gong Bei, there was hardly a moment where I felt like Tyson was not thoroughly enjoying himself - whether he was picking out hideous things for us to try on, adamantly telling us not to buy from certain vendors because they were "deceived," or even just helping us bargain, we were having a great time. I mean, I guess what guy wouldn't right? Seven girls who are all just basically in love with you..why wouldn't you like that? Every great once in a while he would get really frusterated when he couldn't explain something he wanted to say so he would either "shhh" us or ramble off in a fit of super fast Chinese, but for the most part between our broken bits of language on both sides, the language translator on his phone, and a ton of hilarious gestures of charades, practically everything got communicated beautifully. He even decided to give me a new Chinese nickname because apparently my old Chinese name was no more easy to pronounce than my English name. It was cute because as we would walk around the stores, he would call out "Li Li" just to make sure I would respond to it. After shopping we went to the beach and went Zorbing, had a BBQ in Kaiyin, and then went to Peters Place to watch our friend Ben play in his band.

    When we got to Peters Place, however, something extremely out of the ordinary happened. We pulled into our parking place, and on the ground beside the car we noticed an older couple lying on the pavement. At first we thought nothing of it, but when we walked closer to go inside, we realized that the woman had blood all over her face from a large gash in her nose, and the man was barely moving. Zhongshan is an amazingly safe place to live, but curiously enough we have heard these past few weeks an uncommon amount of stories about foreigners getting severely beat up late at night. Our initial response was one of fear and shock that this could have been another one of those accounts, but after nearly an hour of trying to get some sort of response from the couple, we determined that they were beligerantly drunk and that it was probably just the result of an accident. As we called a cab for them, helped clean up the woman, and then got the man on his feet and into the car, Tyson was just the sweetest guy in the world. He ran to and from his car grabbing water, tissues, and any other supplies we needed. Although the situation was highly out of the ordinary for all of us, he seemed just as comfortable as we were even though he had no idea what was going on. We were barely able to get any more information from the Irish couple because of their state than he could, but I loved that he kept asking me geniunely worried questions about everything that was happening. Because of the help that we were able to give to this couple, we were so uniquely blessed with a small opportunity to share the gospel. As we were putting the man, Graham, into the taxi, he said to my head teacher "Thank you for not being judgemental." For a long list of reasons that I will not name, we had every "excuse" to judge the situation, and yet somehow, none of us had that inclination. After thanking us, he asked the simple question "Are you religious?" to which we naturally responded that we were. He further questioned "If you dont mind me asking, what religion are you?" and we replied that we were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to which he said "the Mormons... thank you, it really makes me think." In order for you to understand what that meant to us, it may be that you would have had to have been there and heard what we heard and seen what we had seen that night, but it was a moment that I will not soon forget. That man was unable to move or barely even speak for nearly the entire time we were with him, and yet still he was able to conjure up those questions, and recognize who we stood for. As Tyson watched and helped us, I think he may have noticed the effect that the whole situation had on us, and later that night he told us of his friend who went to America and found Christianity while in SanFransico. Though it is not acceptable to talk about religions in China, we were able to tell him later that night, as he described to us how sad he was going to be after we left, that at some later date when he was 100 years old, he would die, and we would all be happy and together again. He then began to tell us the very little that he knew of Christian religion. Though we could not address his many questions, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to be a light to these people so in need of light. Sometimes, even when we're in unothodox places we have the wonderful opportunity to be that beacon, and to show a Christlike hand to those who need it.

   Tyson gave us a wonderful weekend last weekend, and I love and will miss the guy a ton just as I love and will miss China a ton. It is a home as good as I have ever had.

 

In Memorium of a Fish

For those of you who know my family well, you know that, even from the very beginning, we have never had any place for pets in our home. I suppose we're just not the biggest animal lovers in a general way, and therefore no living thing not walking on two legs has entered our home with invitation in all the years I can remember.  We don't hate animals, nor do we necessarily dislike their company, we just aren't animal people. We aren't the type who cry at Homeward Bound, or feel a great deal of sympathy when watching the countless "Go on, get out of here..." master loves wild pet type movies. We just are people people who prefer to love people who have the capacity to talk back to us. However, all that being said, a few years ago this grinch's heart grew three sizes when, on my seventeenth birthday, I received a beautiful 15 cent goldfish from a co-worker of mine. For some reason, this fish, who I named Fergus Bartholemew Jr., entered my family with open arms. He was the most beautiful gold color, and I will stand by the fact that he was the most lively fish that ever swam the waters. Each time a person would enter the room, Barty get so excited and would swim around his blue-pebbled bowl as fast as he could - loop after loop. Simply the presence of a person in the kitchen got him more energized than words can express. As you would walk around the room, he would swim to the edge of the bowl nearest to you, following your every step. Barty could do tricks, he would nibble your fingers, he was always ready and excited to eat, and he was always able to handle anyone's pranks. I had one friend in particular who thought my love for Barty was so absurd that whenever she would come over she would hide him in horrible places - even like the microwave oven. Despite such shocks, Barty perserved long after anyone thought he would. I know that many, if not more likely most, of you find this all a bit over the top and riddiculous, but all I have to say is that this fish was perfect. He was everything you could ask for and more. My whole family loved the little guy, and he quickly came to have the best seven guardians that an animal could wish for. For every friend that ever met Barty, you understand his significance, and you know why I am so sad to say that after 3 1/2 years, this May 15th, Barty passed away. According to my mother, his light was just gone. His enthusiasm for life had been fading for a while, and it was just a matter of time. I'm glad I never saw him in any state other than perfect enthusiasm. When I heard Barty was getting sick, I made it perfectly clear to my family back home that nothing less than a good funeral complete with a casket and burrial would be acceptable. Thankfully, in accordance with my wishes, they had a beautiful little ceremony, and now Barty is buried with a little tombstone in my back yard. I write this entry, even though it has nothing to do with my adventures in China because I could not let this time pass without letting the world know of the wonder that was Barty. I miss the little guy.

 

With One Fish, you fish,

I dont need two fish

not black or blue fish

old or new fish.

 

You're the one who is my star

for you I'd buy a little car.

Say, what a splendid fish you are.

 

Yes, some are gold like you its true 

but never did they heal my blues.

Ne're were you bad, or even sad

since always you were very glad

Why were you ever glad glad glad?

I do not know, nor does my dad.

 

Once you were thin and then were fat

So big some called you "yellow cat"

From there to here and here to there 

My darling, you, stay in my prayer 

My Chinese Family

     I feel that with each new entry I am always saying how I've just had the most wonderful experience and it cannot possibly get any better. While in it's own right that has not been an exaggeration since everything here truly has been amazing, there can really be no comparison of the past to the weekend I just had in Yueyang. If I have had a better experience, not only in China, but in the entirety of my life, the memory has been forgotten or diluted. This weekend was simply perfect.

       In the three days I spent in that small village in Hunan, I did not see anything to match the beauty of Guilin, the modernity of Shanghai, nor the history of Beijing and yet in all my time here it is the most happy I have been. There is sort of peace that is indescribable in that small town. We went to Hunan to see a traditional Chinese wedding, but we were treated to so much more. I fell in love with China in Yueyang. Though I live and have spent most of my time in Zhongshan and I love the people I know here so much, as much as I hate to say it, I believe that the bonds and friendships that I formed in Yueyang overshadow everything else. I did not just meet Candice's family; I became family. To me Candice is now "wo de jie jie" and to her cousins I am "mei mei."

      Initially, I was nervous to live in her home - to be constantly surrounded by her family, but now that I know better I would not have it any other way.  Each morning at the Liu's, I woke up at nearly 6:00 to the hustled sounds of people going about their daily chores and preparations: the dogs barking, children playing in the road, and the rooster's call. In Yueyang, the mornings are cool and relatively dry; the wind pours through the open doors and windows of the house, and the breeze practically cancels out any humidity. It reminded me of mornings waking up at my grandma Pom Pom's house in Wyoming.  Throughout the day we spent most of our time playing with Candice's young cousins. At first there were just three girls, but soon, because we were the first foreigners to come to Yueyang, we had a small band of children following us everywhere we went. Though they don't  speak my language, I have never had so much fun with children and teenagers their age. Our piecemealed conversations of broken English and Chinese became a game in and of itself, but when you are trying so hard to understand one another, there is almost nothing that you cannot communicate. Generally, the three original girls would play with us while the surrounding boys would just watch on and giggle or conspire against us. We played very simple games like hot potato and hand slapping/clapping games. but we also just had fun exploring the village, walking through rice and tea fields, eating random food brought to us by the children, and rolling down hills. Though the day had very little in common with the sort of day taken from my own childhood, I felt like a kid again. Everything was simple, more fun, and more exciting.

     One of the more baffling things about Yueyang, is the unusual passage of time there. It is the sort of place where when you look at your watch even though it feels like it must already be late afternoon because of everything you have accomplished, you are suprised to find that it is still only nine or ten in the morning. It is as though each minute is given an extra 30 seconds. Despite the extra time and the overall slow pace of the day, however, it never creates a feeling of boredom. Even in the moments when you are just sitting and talking with one another, or  watching the people around you, you honestly never once wish you were doing anything else. Melanie, one of Candice's cousins, often came up to us, concerned that we were not being entertained, and would sweetly ask "are you boring?" At first the question threw us off guard not only because of the interesting usage, but also  because there could be nothing more untrue; we were not bored in any way. I felt more "boring" in Beijing or Shanghai than I ever felt there.

      When we weren't playing with the kids we were either play mah jong or basketball with Candice's other older cousins and it was so awesome as well. We got trashed in the basketball department, but it was a good time regardless. As far as the wedding is concerned, it was much different than I was expecting. It really wasn't anything like an American wedding other than the fact that the bride wore a white wedding dress for a short time. There was no ceremony where they actually "became" married because they are married as soon as they sign the legal papers, which they do the day or week before. The wedding is mostly just a celebration where you eat way way too much food, drink milk drinks and beer, get a nice big bag of milk candy, and have fireworks. They have a few additional traditional customs like the entrance of the bridal party in a fleet of decorated cars or sharing each other's tea for the first time, but other than that the wedding is pretty simple. My favorite part was probably walking up the street with the bride and groom while we were accompanied by the drums, trumpet, and symbols played by Liu Ming's friends. There was just so much energy and I loved being there to be a part of it. 

       On our last day there we were asked to go teach at the school up the road. We had mentioned our willingness to do so to one of the teachers earlier in the weekend, but since we had not heard anything from him since, we assumed that we wouldn't be taken up on our offer. However, Monday morning as we were preparing our bags to leave, a woman walked into the room and started to speak with us in our own language. We didn't know why she was there at first, but after the initial chit chat, she explained to us that that morning when she went to school, her students told her that English teachers were coming to teach them. She had heard nothing of the sort, but not wanting to dissapoint them she asked around and was informed that three American girls were living down the road. Apparently without much of a second thought, she left her class, and came down to get us. Candice was as suprised as we were, but we figured that we had enough time to go teach a short lesson, and still make it to the bus to go to Yueyang tower in time. I am so glad that we did. That classroom, filled with nearly 30 13-16 year olds, was some of the most fun I have had in China. We introduced ourselves, played telephone, took pictures, exchanged QQ numbers, and when it was time to leave a few of the boys came up to me and asked if we could play basketball. I really wanted to, but I also knew that we didn't have much time left, nor was I even sure if they would be permitted to leave class. They were persistant in their efforts, so I finally asked Candice and their teacher Elaine if were allowed, and a little reluctantly they agreed. As I walked back to the group of boys, it was obvious that word had spread, and the entire class was waiting in anticipation for my answer. When I called out that we were allowed to play, it was like something straight out of a movie. The entire classroom cheered, jumped and then ran down the stairs to the court talking and yelling in anxious excitement the whole way. Initially, we just shot a few hoops, and the boys tried to show off, but then we had them split into teams, and we were actually able to play a short game. I was slaughtered by the boys - they were extremely talented, so I suppose it was good that we had to end early. Though the kids were devastated to have us leave, it was so much fun, and I left that court with the largest of smiles on my face. It is hard to describe what this weekend meant for me. Its brilliance was in the details. It was in the smells and the feelings - the smiles more than the activites. It just made me forget the world,  forget my troubles and remember to love. Such loving makes you live fully in every moment - nothing wasted, nothing lost.

I Just Got Schooled

I love days like today. They are the days that I get to remember just how different China life is from the life I led back in the States. The day started off pretty normal, and therefore pretty well. I was picked up by Aaron, and driven to school with two other girls who help him practice his English; we talked about "images" and first impressions which ended up being a pretty interesting conversation. Then, once at school, things were pretty standard as well: we had corn, some noodles, and a little bread for breakfast. Classes were after that, and my Bernstein Bears drama lesson went even better than planned, which is always nice. Then after doing store with the big kids of ILP C, it was time for lunch. Michael that wonderful man made us his fantastic spaghetti which I admit was a happy surprise. I ate way more than my fair share, and by the time I was done my stomach was in the happy state of fullness - a rare feat in this country ;) I skipped cooking class to work on my lesson plans, and then I got the invite to go play pool and eat cake with our friend Sean. I admit, I was border line on whether or not I wanted to go, but I am so much more than glad that I did. Not only was pool really fun, and the cake really delicious, but afterwards Sean invited us to go see his old high school and middle school which was right across the street.

          It was kind of funny because once we accepted his invitation to go, Sean began to worry that we would not actually be allowed to enter. He explained to us that he had often tried to go back to visit but had been denied access by the guards. Perhaps it was overly pompous of us, but we were confident that we would have no trouble getting in. My head teacher, Dianna, simply turned to him and reassured him that we were white and American. Guard or no guard, there is practically no place other than a government building that we will be kept from entering. The injustice of the thought makes me sick, but sadly it is true. Sean offered to try to talk to the guards by the entrance and explain our purpose to see if maybe they'd be lenient, but we told him that we'd just try our luck at our way first and if they tried to stop us then he could try the explanatory way. Just walk with confidence - walk with purpose and no one will question you. As predicted, the guard didn't even give us a second glance. Sean was practically hiding behind us trying to look inconspicuous, but the rest of us just kindly offered a "Ni Hao" to the guard and walked on in. It was pretty funny I guess.

        Once we were inside I became keenly aware that I don't really know what it means to be a teacher in China. See, I work in a private kindergarten where the tuition is nearly 10,000 dollars a semester and the atmosphere is like raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens. Granted we are a school for children 2-6 and not teenagers, the scholarly level of this high school blew my mind! As Sean described his last six years of his secondary education I could not help but compare it to my drastically different experience with West Chester, Ohio's Lakota Local School District. I mean, I never felt too challenged in High School, but I assumed that that was really just the universal experience. On the contrary. As I walked the huge Zhongshan Public School campus I marveled at the stories related to me. Not only do the kids study at the school from 8am to 10pm, but they also live there regardless of how close they are to home. Sean, for instance, lives less than three blocks from the school, and yet for nearly six years other than the two month summer breaks he only spent Saturday nights at home with his own parents. The Chinese go so far to keep their students from distraction. That is the main reason they are confined to the school. Additionally,  no distractions means only uniforms, no long hair for girls, only short hair for boys, one two hour break for dinner and free time, and no dating type relationships of any sort. Boys and girls aren't even allowed to walk together on campus, and you never see it.  According to Sean there is a lot of rebellion, but it is very secret rebellion because the teachers have no tolerance for it. The kids are extremely good at keeping up pretences. 

The long hair rule for girls was semi recently abandoned because of the mess that was made with it. A girl who had long hair was taken to a barber and given a boy's hair cut as punishment - she went to the media, and supposedly the news and reporters made a large enough deal of it that the policy was changed, but it is just insane to think about. As I walked by their dormitories with all their laundry hanging from the windows all I kept thinking was about the many kids I knew in high school who had never even done their own laundry. All of the cleaning on the campus is also done by the students, and you frequently see them mopping floors and wiping down handrails. The classrooms themselves were, however, by far the most crazy thing for me to see. The students don't move from class to class, but rather, the teachers move to them subject by subject. Thus, these kids desks are littered with book after book and stack upon stack of papers. Many students even keep one of those large Tupperware type containers next to their desks to hold the rest of their readings. As we walked by the classrooms, most of them were empty because it was dinner time, but in each room there were still about five or six students dutifully scribbling away at their work. When I questioned Sean as to how they could study so late into the hours he said it is because the teachers literally monitor them as they complete their homework making sure they do it and in a timely fashion -every night until 10pm. I cannot imagine. The school blew my mind. Rather than filling me with a sort of sorrow however it filled me with such excitement. I think it is the most giddy I have felt since the first day I landed in Hong Kong. I was just a big bucket of smiles and I'm not sure why perhaps I can only describe it as sort of exhilarating to see and be a minor part of that surreal dedication to education. It made me wish for a small moment I had been part of such a system. In so many more ways I am glad that I am not, but I love their dedication to learn. They all have such a motivation to excel and accomplish so much. It is unfortunate that so many do it for the wrong reasons perhaps, but all the same I am amazed by this place. I amazed by the reality of the severity and discipline on which it runs. Not to mention I just loved seeing these students faces during free time; I loved watching them look up from their books and have a broad smile spread across their countenance as they saw my own white little face staring back at them. China really is a wonderful place. I cannot put into words what it feels like to be here, and that sad truth makes it impossibly hard to leave here because I know that as my memory of it fades it will only be these inadequate words on which I will have to turn.

American Noodles

 Last week was one of my most fun weeks in China. The girls and I decided that we needed to get a little closer with our Chinese friends, so we invited them all for dinner. On Saturday we pulled it off Chinese stlye with Candice, Sparky, Chlorris, Fanny and Jesse. The apartment was burning hot with twelve people running around trying to cook and prepare for the meal, but other than that everything went soo well. We ate classic foods like cucumbers, tomatos and eggs, dried raddish, hot peppers, broccoli, rice, spicy green beans, and cabbage. All were fried in a ton of oil, and it tasted delicious as usual. We also had some salad and ranch dressing to appease the American tastes, and I attempted to make some noodles. For the past month or so I've been working on the development of an extremely good noodle recipe that I can take home to make for friends and family as a good Chinese meal; I recently perfected it, but when I went to make it for the group all I got in response was Sparky telling me over and over again that I was doing it wrong. It was pretty funny. His attention to what I was doing brought our other friends into the kitchen, and it was determined that I was making "American noodles" for everyone because obviously they weren't Chinese. Luckily, once they tried them they loved the taste and ate a ton of it, but it was evidently not authentic Chinese nor does it have anything to do with American style anything, so I guess I just discovered a great "Courtn-ian dish."
     It was so fun just sitting around our tiny table all sharing the same dishes. See, in China the way you eat your meals (even at restraunts) is not to dish up a plate full at a time. You basically just grab what you want with the chopsticks you are using, and put it in your bowl throughout the meal. You almost never have much on a plate unless it's rice. In part this is because the food generally comes out continually until you are done with the meal, but either way I dont think my dad would handle China well for this reason (I can just picture him smacking my hands or fork when I take something straight out of the bowl and put into my mouth). Grabbing food willy nilly with my chopsticks, however, is a cultural etiquette pratically designed for me.
   Saturday went so well that Jackie, Kalie, and I decided to try it again with our good friend, and Kung Fu instructor, Spring. He requested an American meal, which made the preparation and cost extremely different than the first meal, but suprisingly enough it ended up going off as good or better than the first. We certainly had a lot more bumps in the process. At one point (30 min before he was supposed to arrive) we found out that we had no way of procurring the main ingredients for our dinner nor desert, but due to some brilliant improvisation we were able to come up with a phenominal final product. If I were going to live in China permanently, I think that I would open a restraunt and serve our dinner permanently. We had fruit salad with yougurt; taco salad complete with picco de giao, lettuce, ranch dressing, fry bread, and the best beef you've ever had; my own homemade french fries; and chocolate peanut butter no bakes to top it off. It was sooo good, and we had leftovers for two days, which was actually kind of strange because you never have leftovers with Chinese food. There are always a TON of dishes, but they are a lot smaller so you finish them off. Loading as much as you can onto one plate was sort of a forgotten concept for us, but I guess it's like riding a bike and we got back into the swing of things easily. That night was definitely the most full I've felt in a long time - especially in China.
   Wednesday we were supposed to do dinner again for some friends of ours in the band at Peter's Place, but they ended up backing out last minute because of work. We'd planned with Ben (our American neighbor and drummer in the band) to make Chicken Parmasean, and it would've been AMAZING but I guess we'll just have to wait for another week!
   I cannot believe it's almost May - the time is flying by and I wish I had a remote to make it all go slower. Hopefully, when I get home I will have no regrets with how I spent my time; got to live it up! Love you all!

Beijing in Red

    From the beginning of my stay in China up until some point late last week, I have never truly felt as though I were in a communist country (at least, not the stereotypical one that we generally view in opposition to American politics). See, Zhongshan is a little piece of southern paradise. The people are sweet and charitable; the weather is warm, humid and full of sunshine, and the overall greenery, complete with palm trees and Charley plants, hardly comes together as the working portrayal of an autocratic governance. Instead, it mostly just feels like a vacation - a home away from home. Between my travels to Hong Kong, Guilin, and Shanghai those feelings have generally remained constant; however, Beijing turned my Chinese world on edge. Perhaps I am not fair in my judgement, after all, Beijing certainly has a lot to offer; the Great Wall, Imperial Palaces, and Terracotta Warriors match or exceed the aw with which I have seen anything up to this point, and yet I find, now that I am back home, I have no considerable desire to ever visit them again. I am sure that I could see Guilin, Shanghai, or Machu Picchu one thousand times and still not tire of their splendor, but Beijing is a different kind of marvel.

    Even on my very first night in the city, I could feel something different. I'll allow that a large part of that difference stemmed from the fact that it was nearly 1 in the morning, I was lost, it was dark, raining and cold, but aside from that, there was an added eeriness by the desertion of the streets. Beijing is the largest city in China, and yet on our hour walk to the hostel, we saw not a single soul aside from the few uniformed guards marching along Tian'an men Square. I am sure we were quite the sight to see - seven young girls in the dead of night lugging suitcases behind them, and we felt the awkwardness as we walked block after block. Though most of the walk I was focused on my ever numbing face and hands, I do not think I will easily forget that first sight of that yellow star of China's red flag as we passed that empty square where so much history has taken place. It was more numbing than drizzling rain, and I could feel my heartbeat slow. There was no real reason to be scared; it was mostly just the recognition that the movie depiction of communism, for that moment, did not seem too far off. The cold, empty streets felt oppressive. Mao's domineering portrait did nothing to aid the situation, and for the first time, I really could not believe that my feet were standing where they were standing. I had heard stories of this place. Stories that were nothing more than pages of texts and famous pictures. This place was real. The people that supported this man were real; his leadership, cruelty, and deceit were more real than anything imaginable.   

     Five days after my first steps in Beijing, I was again standing at Tian'an Men square, except this time it was a beautifully clear day, and I was beside more than 5,000 of the other daily viewers who comes to pay respect and bring flowers to the preserved body of their national hero, Mao. Beijing is littered with tourists wherever you go, but when it comes to Mao, most set their sights elsewhere; I was one of approximately ten other Westerners that day who was interested enough to wake up early, stand in line, and view his remains. The 5,000 visitors between 8am and 12pm are almost entirely made up of elderly Chinese men and women who were alive during Mao's reign and revolution, and their devotion to him is uncanny. It amazed my apparently naive American psyche how much democracy is not necessarily wanted throughout the world. I talked with one shop owner for nearly an hour as he explained the image on one the shirts he was selling; it depicted our President's face outfitted in a Chinese military uniform. Initially, I assumed the shirt was meant to stand as an insult as it might in the States. I have often heard people politically belittled by being called a "Commi" and my first thought was that that was what was trying to be portrayed. However, as I continued to talk with this man, it quickly became evident that the opposite was true. He explained that the shirt was mostly sold to Chinese people, and that it was seen as a symbol of hope. It depicted the desire (shared by many Chinese) for Obama to bring Communism to America so that there "can be peace in the world." His words rustled my democratic paradigm to say the least. I knew that not everyone wanted democracy in their own country, but I really never considered that people honestly sought to bring it down and replace it in my own. I rephrase, I know that there are many people in this world with malicious intentions. There are people who seek personal power through the oppression and submission of other's agency; however, it is unduly naive to assume that all communists are this way. Many, if not most, of them are genuinely good hearted and charitable people who seek to bring Communism to America much like we seek to bring Democracy to them. 

   Perhaps from this entry you may see Beijing in a darker light, but I admit that is not my intention. Beijing was eye opening for me. It was the first time I really felt the culture shock I had come to expect, and it has deepened my understanding of God's children. I will always love and appreciate Beijing for this. It is a culturally rich epicenter. It is just a shame that its history has come at such a high price. Its glory has been built through the reign of two particularly ruthless men, and though I marvel at the works created by those hands under their direction, I cringe to know the price that they were so willingly to pay when it was never theirs to offer.  

Half Becomes Whole

Being in China, as I'm sure you all have determined by now, has been a wonderful experience for me. I have learned so much from these people who live without guile or malice. They love with a genuinity that I believe is hard to find, and my life has been indescribably blessed by their presence. Up until today I think I could look at my experience here, and not feel as though anything were lacking; however, this afternoon I was beautifully humbled when, for the first time in nearly three months, I was able to partake of the sacrament again. We only have one priesthood holder in our area; therefore, up until this point, having the sacrament has been impossible. However, earlier this week one of our teachers, Neil, was given permission by the Shenzhen branch president to perform the ordinance alone. I cannot describe what it meant to all twenty of us crammed into that small apartment dorm, watching him prepare the sacrament on that small, sheet-covered suitcase. Our circumstances were humble, but our hearts were more prepared and more eager than they could have been even in the tabernacle.

     When I came to China I knew that I would have the limited opportunity of having the sacrament, and yet, I arrogantly assumed that as long as I kept reading my scriptures and praying, that I would not be too greatly affected. If it weren't for today's experience, I suppose I would probably continue to believe that, but by having the sacrament this afternoon, and taking the time to focus solely on the covenants I have made with my Father and Savior, it has been easy to feel that there has been a gap in my life. Since I have been here, things have slowly shifted priority, and I recognize now what a significant blessing the sacramanet truly is to us. It is not just a reminder of a commitment made in the past, it is a renewal of that commitment and covenant. Although I have often reminded myself of the covenants I have made, there is a significance in the power of the sacrament, and it's symbolism that allows us to more easily act on those covenants and create a new starting point on our long journey. Though I would never wish not having the sacrament on anyone, I am grateful that this experience enabled me to more fully understand the significance of what this ordinance brings to my life. Sadly, it is by having it not in my life, that I am able to come to fully understand why I desperately need and want it there. I cannot write the thoughts and feelings within me; they are more of impressions than concrete ideas but I know them to be true. Today, as we sat in that humble room, and sang hymn after hymn, I could feel the tender eagerness within each of us as we patiently waited to renew our covenants. The spirit filled my soul, and I literally felt clean. It was cleanliness free from worry, stress, guile, anxiety, or perverseness, and it just felt like peace. Perfect peace. I can equate it to the feelings I had at the Hong Kong temple. In the few hundred times I have partaken of the sacrament, it has been sad for me to realize how few of those times I have felt this calming spirit which is promised to me each and every time. It is meant to be a literal renewal, and it can feel like one every time if we are prepared for it.

   I await the day when this gospel is brought to this nation. The people are so prepared for it. They live it - even more than many who are a part of it, and I know that given the opportunity they will accept it. They are an amazing people.

 

As now we take the sacrament,
Our thoughts are turned to thee,
Thou Son of God, who lived for us,
Then died on Calvary.
We contemplate thy lasting grace,
Thy boundless charity;
To us the gift of life was giv'n
For all eternity.

As now our minds review the past,
We know we must repent;
The way to thee is righteousness—
The way thy life was spent.
Forgiveness is a gift from thee
We seek with pure intent.
With hands now pledged to do thy work,
We take the sacrament.

 As now we praise thy name with song,
The blessings of this day
Will linger in our thankful hearts,
And silently we pray
For courage to accept thy will,
To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.
We'll walk thy chosen way.

Shanghai Meets the Robinsons

      After a week of not so good classes complete with children eating spilled rice on the floor, and overcautious parents watching our lessons on camera, Friday was definitely a highlight; the lessons went flawlessly, and we had so much fun doing obstacle courses and blowing head sized bubbles. It was the perfect way to end a bad week and begin a great weekend. Once classes were over, the excitement and anxiety was almost tangible as Jackie, Kalie, and I hurridly got our final things ready for Shanghai. We printed off the itineraries, wrote down all the emergency contacts, finally persuaded someone to let us borrow their phone, and stole a whole bag of Michael's ever delicious bean bread. We had gone over and over our plans, but I was still uneasy knowing that I was the one incharge. If anything went wrong, I had planned it, and I would be responsible. I was largely relieved of most of my fears because we were able to procure a phone last minute, but I also knew that we were going to somewhere that was unfamiliar to anyone whose number I had. If we ran into trouble there really wasn't anyone who'd be able to do much about it.

       Anyway, as we walked out the door with Candice, our Kung Fu instructor, Spring, told us in broken English how much he would miss us in class, and how we needed to practice while we were gone. We laughed and told him not to let up on the other girls either and to make them as sore as possible to which he wryly responded "no problem." I love Spring. He's just so cute with his 15 or so English word vocabulary. With Spring's goodbye, we were out the door and the excitement finally took over. Candice hailed us a cab, we went to the bus station, caught a two hour bus to Guangzhou, and suprisingly without any hitches we easily found the train station to take us to Shanghai. We were the only three white people in the terminal, and every move we made was followed by dozens of eyes. Some people tried to sneak pictures, others were more obvious, and we even had one guy that recorded us with his video camera for a little over a half an hour. The place was packed so it felt a little like being a celebrity, but it was funny because after three months here I think we must have gotten used to it. After walking around a while, we concientiously noted how unaffected by the photos and stares we were.  Anyway, we found the right train and the right car easily enough, but when we saw our beds we were a little overwhelmed because they weren't just bunk beds; they were triple bunks, and we were on the very top so we had to awkwardly climb over a bunch of people as they laughed at our sad attempt to get up. The ride was good; we ate cereal and bread, and we slept a lot too. The toilets were nasty, and the beds pretty much ruin your back since there is not enough room to ever actually sit in the upright position, but honestly, considering it lasted 17hours, the trip wasn't too bad. By Saturday morning, around 10:30-11:00, we got into Shanghai and were picked up by Chris to go to a four star hotel room that he'd reserved for us. I admit, we were super spoiled on this trip. It was awesome.

           Once we got into the hotel room, we all got cleaned up while Chris turned on the tv to watch CNN. To all of our suprise the screen was filled with the mass destruction pouring over Japan, and it really hit home. We were so close, and most of us knew people living there. The tsunami from a few years ago was definitely sad, but it didn't affect me the way that this did. It was strange and devastating. We were so glad to hear that there were Chinese volunteers going overseas to help. It will be things like this that heal ancient wounds caused by war. It is amazing how many people still despise the Japanese for the cruelty with which they tormented this country. There are too many children here who still claim that they want to grow up to "kill some Japs," and I just hope that this disaster will continue tp invite a spirit of sympathy and forgiveness.

          Not only do we feel the affects of the tsunami second hand, but it is also present here in a very first hand way. There is now no more salt in our stores because people have bought it all out in fear that there will soon be a shortage due to the possible radioactive exposure to the Japanese salt mines. It's been so interesting to have been part - even in a small way - of the troubles I have merely heard of. It was a stark contrast to the way I spent the rest of the weekend. Rather than constantly focusing on the problems across the sea, we were treated to the high life of Shanghai. Not only did Chris get us an amazing hotel, but he also got us fantastic meals all weekend. We ate everything from Jellyfish and Squid to Cincinnati Chili and Dairy Queen. It was so great to finally feel full again. When we went out to lunch with his mother and stepbrother, I was amazed at how much food we were given...it seemed to NEVER stop coming, but it was extremely delicious...I particularly loved the bacon wrapped crab with curry sauce on garlic bread - SO good. My only regret is that I wish I would have taken more pictures of it all, but Chris' mom is super intimidating so I tried to lay low a little and put on my best manners instead. :) The rest of the weekend we spent going to ritzy and strange clubs, the Usher concert, and  looking at these surreal buildings that look like they shouldn't be built for another 50 years due to their futuristic nature. I have fallen in love with Shanghai. It is unlike any city I have ever seen, and the Hyatt hotels are indescribable. There are no two buildings in America that come close in comparison; they just make me wish I could see the monster that just got built in Dubai. When I go back to Cincinnati it will be pretty interesting to see that small skyline knowing how shocked I will be when the PNC tower is only as tall as my apartment building.

     Well, Shanghai was seriously wonderful. I loved being there, and it was great to have a little weekend get away to hang out with Chris again, but with that being said, of course there were troubles to be had too. The first thing was Kalie falling off Chris' moped, then I broke the bike that I borrowed from his roommate, after that I also accidentally broke Jackie's purse, my mirror, and my camera. On our way home we also had a bit of trouble with our flight. After we got on the plane, something must have gone wrong because we were stuck on the tarmac for nearly two hours. Normally, that isn't too big of a deal, but considering we were paying a driver to pick us up from the airport and drive us two hours back to our home, it was literally adding up pretty fast. Thankfully, we were able to call our coordinator and she was able to tell the driver that our flight was delayed, so at least he didn't leave us, but by the time our flight got in, we got our bags, and we were waiting outside, it was pretty late. We were exhausted and had had very little sleep, so it was such a relief to see this smiling Chinese man holding a sign with our names written on it upside down. It brought a smile to my face and it was the break in tension that I needed after a long batch of bad luck.

     Since Shanghai, I still have not slept much. I dont even remember why I stayed up Monday , but Tuesday we went out for dinner with one of the childrens' parents, and we were out pretty late. The meal was crazy - pidgeon, fish brains, soft shell turtle soup, giant shrimp in horseraddish sauce, fish eyeballs, and a lot of political discussion about communism...an interesting night for sure. Then Wednesday we had a big Bachelor finale party, and though it was hilariously stupid, it kept us up all night. Thursday was St. Patrick's day so naturally we hit up the nearby O'Hagans and then we went to watch Ben play in his Philipino cover band at Peter's German bar - another late night, but another good one too. I love living here. I don't know why it feels so different from America. Maybe it's the openness of the people or maybe it's just the atmosphere, but there is something so loving and fun about this place. While I was teaching today I got very pensive as I realized that I am going to have to leave. I have to leave these amazing people and this amazing culture. I love the Chinese..in so many ways I wish I were one. The worst part though is thinking about leaving these kids. The longer I am here the more attatched I get. Yiannis has taken the "favorite" spot by far and I can't describe how much I love this kid. He makes me smile so much every day, and I will miss having his little hand always wrapped around my fingers, or his arms clung to my legs. I love him. Yiannis isn't the only one though...there's Danson and Alyson...Caleb and Nobu....Andrew, Bryce, Lulu, and Karen. You would think that when you are teaching over 50 kids there is bound to be one that you just cannot stand, but there really isn't. We have a couple rowdy ones, but that comes and goes with the day. Overall, these are the best kids you could ask for. They copy your every word and your every move. I get so excited to hear their little voices calling out "teacher Courtney" or "I need help." Even them just saying their own names is the cutest thing in the world. Danson has the most adorable voice and he always loves to point to himself and say his name over and over and over again..."Danson, Danson!" I strongly believe I will name a future child after this kid. Well, once again, this is getting pretty long, so I'll leave off here. I wish I could share the details...there are soo many that I have to leave out, and it scares me to know that I will probably forget them, but life will go on. I'm just going to live it up and try to remember as much as possible.

 

Strange Things Are Happening To Me Ain't No Doubt About It

I woke up last night and realized that I have a three day weekend this coming Friday, and so, on a rare whim, I figured that I should use it to head back to America to visit my family and see some friends. The flight is pretty long - nearly thirteen hours, and so most of you are probably wondering why I would even consider blowing such a short weekend on a trip home when I would only actually be able to be there for something like 40 hours or so, but all I have to say is those kind of details don't usually matter when it comes to the subconscious; logic is set aside and the only thing that matters is the end rather than the means. For me, in my 5th recurring dream of this sort, the end happens to be some good old American food. Initially, one might think that if I were in want of food, then I would naturally find myself at restaurant scarfing down meal after meal or maybe at a super market about to purchase half of the candy section, a third or so of the deli, and one hundred percent of the bakery, but no. Why go to the super market when everything you need is shelved nicely downstairs in your parents basement? I am only slightly ashamed to admit that of all of the things that I miss: my family, my roommates, my social life, BYU basketball games, even an English class or two, food seems to have topped the list. It's not that China doesn't have good food - it's great - even fantastic, but there's something that just gets you in the gut when you're craving an old staple that was once so readily available to you and is now out of reach. For me, it started with bread (the largest staple of all my staple foods), but since then it has moved on to milk, cheese, cereal, waffles, easy mac, applesauce, tortilla chips, salsa etc etc. After I curbed most of those bingey desires I realized something was seriously wrong because rather than coveting Chipotle, Cafe Rio, Sonic, or Papa John's, my tastes had moved on to something a little more basic - just the regular old stuff in the food storage - mustard, brownie mix,  flour, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, chocolate chips, raisins. I wasn't just wanting to eat something good. I wanted to make something good too. Thus begins the dreams of food storage scavenging. In the most recent dream, I spent the largest portion of the time trying to determine the most efficient way to pack as much powdered sugar and flour into one carry-on as possible. In the end, I found a suitable solution, and took the Sunday morning flight back to China; however, upon arrival and subsequent awakening I realized that all my efforts were in vain. Alas, I am still here in my small apartment without access to the necessary ingredients to make a decent batch of cookie dough. Life is tough. I know.
     I think the dreams may have been triggered by some sort of missionary-like state of disconnected homesickness. See, my computer has been broken  and therefore I haven't had much contact with the old life recently. In conjunction with a sporadic burst of package receiving by my six comrades, I believe I may have been sent into a mini food depression. One friend received a large box of snickers and protein bars; another got a bunch of gum and water flavor packets, and last but definitely the most enviable, the guy upstairs had his parents send him a full box of Baby Bell cheese. Jealousy set in. Thankfully, my dear buddy Sparky has been aiding me in my recovery and helped me fix my computer, so at least that is back to normal. As far as the food goes, I'm working on that too. Today I had the second best tuna sandwich I've ever eaten, and tomorrow I head to Shanghai where I plan to eat my weight in dearly missed foods. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll be able to find some powdered sugar there!
     Beyond the food, life has been wonderful as usual. This Tuesday/Wednesday we celebrated the national holiday "Womens' Day" by watching Three Idiots - a strangely roller coaster Indian film that is nearly three hours long. The rest of the time has pretty much been spent making bulletin board decorations for the school. My theme is Cowboys and Indians, but so far I think I've done more to offend than to educate. First I got in trouble for the toothpicks sticking out of my desert cactus, and then I was informed that the principle wasn't too keen on my fully armed Cowboy. Sadly, we had to chop off his guns and make them into pretty pathetic excuses for fists holding a lasso; now Heath McGreggor will never have a chance at beating Mochimo - at least he was able to keep his bow and arrow. I suppose it's all for the best. I'm just hoping they don't make me scrap the cow skull I put up today too. Eh, maybe I should be kicked off the decorating team. :)
   I hope all is well at home. Sweet dreams of yummy things.
 -Courtney

Is It March Already?

Time flies when you're having fun, and even when you're not. So, as far as China is concerned, as long as you're not freezing (which I'm not because it's 75 degrees) or in a hospital (which I'm not because I am finally past my sickness) or your computer is not broken (which it is, but at least I still have limited access to the internet) then time here is faster than anywhere else I have ever been. As I reflected on today's date, I determined that the fore mentioned reasoning is the best explanation I can offer for why it is already March 1st. This morning i could not believe that two months were already almost up. One short trip to shanghai, a small vacation in Beijing, followed by a weekend getaway in Hainan, and I'm practically already home, but let's not think about that just yet.
On a happier note, China is wonderful still. Teaching has been phenomenal, and I LOVE these children. Whether I have the babies or the little geniuses upstairs, I really love every moment with these kids. I know people warned me about the struggles I would have, but if you discount a few setbacks due to illness then I would say that my time here has been virtually flawless. The children are just so supportive and loving; they bring out such light in the people around them, and they cannot help but bring a smile to your face. Last Friday Chris Crowder, my friend from high school, decided to come visit me and he got to experience first hand what it is like being influenced by these children. He's been living up in Shanghai for the past year and a half or so going to school with an international program with Pepperdine, but on a whim we decided that he should visit. In High school we had joked about the idea since we'd known that we'd be in China at the same time, but I never thought I'd see the day it would come to fruition. Anyway, he arrived Thursday night and we were able to go out to dinner with a couple neither of us had met before- Kaka and Doris. They were so nice and so generous. At first it felt so awkward knowing that neither chris nor i knew either of them but thats China for you. There are just a lot of times when you have "friend of a friend" type favors done for you and this was one of those occasions. Apparently, Kaka's older brother lives up in Shanghai, and he had the opportunity to get to know Chris' mother who had once invited him over for dinner. When he found out that Chris was visiting Zhongshan he immediately offered Kaka's services. Like I said, Initially, the very loose connection by which we were aquatinted made me feel pretty uncomfortable, but they were so hospitable, and so generous; they even paid for our meal. I have been so lucky to have met the many people I have come across here. I really love how open they are and how giving they are without even giving it a second thought. It turns out it gets even better because ironically, in a city of two million, Doris and Kaka happen to be my neighbors :) They are right down the street. Anyway, we plan on hanging out a bunch even now that Chris has gone home.
On Friday, Chris was permitted to come watch me teach and it was awesome to see how much the kids took to him. At school there are very few guys around - only four that I can think of off of the top of my head: our guard, two of the cooks, and our mechanic/driver. Having a guy in the actual classrooom was different for sure, but the kids seemed to love it, and Chris was able to get kids that don't usually talk much to open up. I was able to see another side of a lot of my boys. They are certainly more rowdy around male role models, so in that regard I guess I'm glad Chris can't visit everyday :).
Saturday and Sunday we went up to Guangzhou to shop/go to church, and it was awesome having Chris there. After a while you really start to need a break from the same six girls you are with 100% of the time, and he was a wonderful breath of fresh air. On Saturday once we were done shopping we went to the arcade and saw this amazing old guy own the basketball game thing. Seriously, it was one of the most impressive things I've ever seen. Anyway, after that we went and played a bunch of Chinese games, and they are way more fun than American ones. Our favorite was one where you throw balls at the screen to accomplish different tasks like breaking beer bottles, cleaning dinosaurs teeth, throwing books at sleeping children, stopping the freaky girl who comes out of the well in the ring, or killing mosquitos etc etc. We played far more than our fair share and I think by the time 2 hours was up we had made quite a few enemies, but I think it was worth it. After the arcade we hit up Pizza Hut for some classic American food, and boy was that a surprise. In China, Pizza Hut is literally a formal restraunt where, on top of pizza, they also serve fillet mignon and other gourmet dishes. It was definitely the first time I felt under dressed for a pizza dinner, so we took it back to his hotel room. I wish I could eat pizza that tasted that good every day- it exceeded expectations on all accounts mmm. I can't wait for next week when I go to Shanghai, because Chris told me there is a place by that sells Cincinnati chili too!!!
The weekend ended up being amazing as a whole although I'm sorry to say that I still didn't get to go to church because the one week we were in Gunagzhou they moved it to Shenzhen. It was a major bummer. Well, I wish I had pictures to share with you all, but like I said my computers broken so you'll just have to use your imagination for a few weeks. Love you all!!!

St. Mary Has Nothing On My Panda

      I don't know how many of you remember it, but a few years ago there was this grilled cheese sandwich that sold for 28,000 dollars on ebay because it looked like the virgin Mary. Well, a few days ago I had my first piece of Chinese toast, and to my complete suprise what did I find when my bread popped up as toast? A panda bear ! Thats right, China just became a lot cooler - see picture for details.

     Anway, for those of you who are wondering, I am not completely better yet, but I have been feeling well enough to go back to school which is great. I have almost all new kids, and my schedule is way crazier with the new semester, but I love it. Not only do I teach everyday, but now I also get the opportunity to be taught daily too. On Monday's and Wednesday's we have Chinese lessons from Candice, Tuesdays are art lessons, Thursdays our school chef gives us cooking lessons, and Fridays we take Kung Fu with master Spring (as in Water). These lessons really start to make me feel like I'm being integrated into Chinese culture and I love it. In so many ways I think I was born to be a full time student. I love learning so much that it is almost hard to tell which I love more..being a teacher or a pupil. Though I admit that I would love school a lot more a lot more often if it were as laid back as my "schooling" is here..I'm definitely not keeping up the Chinese scholastic standard required of most of the kids here. Just across the street at the Kaiyin school, the kids stay up until 8 or 9 studying even though they are only 8 or 9 years old. It will be long past dark when their parents come to pick them up.

    Speaking of parents, this past Thursday was our first parent teacher conference, and it was definitely weird being on the other end of it as the teacher rather than the student or parent. It was a fun time though because conferences here are more like a big party than anything else. The school tied the conference into the New Year's lantern festival, and that meant we got to solve riddles for prizes and make/eat traditional Tangyuan filled with sesame paste or peanut butter. The stuff is kind of weird because it has the taste and consistency of hardening elmers glue, but it's certainly edible and at least it's non-toxic.

   It really is hard to describe how much I love it here. The longer I'm here the more it feels like home, and the more friends I make. Chinese people are so friendly, and they are just my type because once you've broken the friend barrier you've also broken the physical bubble. Once you are friends, the Chinese dont hold back...its all about big hugs, holding hands, or even just walking arm in arm. When we first got here we all thought it was a little weird how "physical" they are, but now it's just another thing to smilingly shake your head at, and say "I love these people."

 

Love to you all,

Courtney

Its Not the Chinese Experience Until You've Experienced the Chinese Hospital

For those of you who know me, or at least know me well, you are familiar with the fact that I can survive for abnormally long periods of time on very little sleep. Three hours is generally my goal during the average school semester, and 5 or 6 does just fine during the summer, so why, you may ask did I fall asleep at 10:30pm Saturday February 12, and not open my eyes again until nearly 6pm the next day? That's over 20 hours of knocked out exhaustion, but alas I still don't have the answer to that question. Even so, one would think that after such a deep sleep all physical ailments might be abated; however, that night I was in for a rude awakening. As I got out of bed, I was flooded with dizziness and a strong migraine-like headache. The slightest noise was yelling, and the dimmest glow was a floodlight. I quickly went back to my bed for refuge, but was left with little comfort as I was given the ruthless onset of a 102 degree fever. Not my best of days. My roommates noticed something was up and called my head teacher to come over and check me out, which she did of course, and soon thereafter there was a taxi ready to take us both to the hospital. That first hospital visit still remains a bit of a blur. I was so crippled by my acute sensations that basically the whole time I was there my eyes were closed and my head was between my knees. The doctor asked my Chinese coordinator (and therefore translator) a few questions, took my temperature, listened to my breathing, had a quick look in my throat, and before I knew it I was out the door with a prescription for five different medicines to pick up at the counter. I don't exactly know what he used for the basis of his diagnosis, but I will give Communist medicine this much - they certainly are speedy and cheap. I was in and out of there within 30min, I had my drugs in hand with the appropriate doses, there was virtually no paper work to fill out, and the whole thing only cost 60 quai...less than 50 jiao for the doctors' visit and the other 59.50 quai for the prescriptions. The pills weren't so bad either, but the throat medicine is akin to what you might call the pure taste of evil. Gag reflex doesn't really cut it at that point. They do give you a little straw for it, which is kind of cute...I suppose if I didn't have to drink 4 little bottles a day, I might even go so far as to say I like it. I take that back. The stuff is wretched.

            Anyway, the next day I slept a bunch more, and drank as much liquid as I could in my awakened hours, but things weren't better - sadly, they were worse. And because I'd like to keep the six followers I have now, I leave the rest of those little details to your imagination. This of course, meant another special visit to the hospital this morning, but because all of my fellow teachers were at school, it also meant I was going unaccompanied. Our coordinator (Candice) called me up around 7:30 or 8 and told me that she'd called someone to come pick me up, so there was going to be a silver Cadillac in my parking garage in 15 minutes and I was supposed to be ready by then (Note: If it's not a luxury car, it's not a car in China). Obediently enough, I groggily changed into the warmest clothes I currently posses and took the elevator down to the garage level. I'm not sure what I was expecting by her description, but somehow when I actually got there it seemed much more menacing and action-movie-esque than anticipated. Perhaps it was the way the driver slowly rolled down the tinted window to the passenger door, and in a deep voice grunted the Chinese version of "Get In." Regardless, I got in the car, and he sped away. The whole thing was against my better judgement I guess you could say. I mean, I was sick, I really just wanted to go home, and yet there I was in a speeding seat belt-less vehicle with a man I'd never met before. Smart. Anyway, so we're driving around town, and I trust he knows where I'm supposed to be going because I certainly don't, when he stops. I look around not having any idea where I am, and he tells me to get out. Great. Thank you. It's not freezing or raining or anything. With all the gumption left in me, I get out and head towards the stairs hoping that I might find Candice somewhere nearby. Thankfully, however, I suppose my pathetic, frail damsel in distress look struck the right chord in his heart because he made a quick phone call, and then made me get back in his car. A little later we wound up at the hospital and a few minutes after that I was greeted my Candice’s' warming hello.

       So now it was time for round two of Chinese Hospital Expose, and this time I was alert and ready for it. The place isn't quite as bad as I'd been told by other people in the past. It was mostly just sterile looking - white walls, cute little white nurses outfits with white caps, white face masks etc etc. The doctors don’t really have their own rooms; they're more like their own separate cubicles or something. As I looked around to take it all in and yet continue to remain upright, I saw a team of doctors casually stroll a woman covered in blood in on a stretcher. That was a strange sight to see. I've never been so close to someone so injured before. I got to see her face - the details - the pain, and yet no one seemed like they were in a rush about anything. As I thought back on all of the doctor shows I've seen in my lifetime, I realized it was nothing like it. The place wasn't ER or HOUSE or Grey's Anatomy. It wasn't an awful place by any stretch of the imagination, and I don't mean to be the voice of condemnation; there were simply just things that required getting used to. There are things you just take for granted in Western Hospitals like heating, smoking prohibitions, or public refuse prohibitions. I wasn't horrified by it, just sort of awed. It is bizarre to see something you think is a universal order become so quickly a matter of simple cultural preference.

    I mean, not everything about Western Hospitals is preferable. Everyone in America complains about waiting and waiting and filling out paper work and waiting some more, but here that is just not an issue. I have no idea why since Zhongshan itself has a population just over 2,000,000 - you would think it would be crowded, and yet, there was no line between me and my doctor. Patients just go in as they please - from what it seemed they don't even have to sign in because they each have a copy of their own health records which they personally bring to the physician. Just like the last visit, this visit was short and sweet. There was a little more chatting, some more breath listening, a quick blood pressure test (which was taken over my long sleeve shirt, jacket and coat because when I went to take them off they freaked in protest), a second gander at my uvular area, and then another healthy set of prescriptions. I was informed that I should no longer take

any of the pre-prescribed prescriptions (not to my dismay) but just to take the new three I had been given. Plus, I need to go and get a few "injections" and have some blood work done. Other than that it was done and done. I'd take these Chinese doctors over my Thyroid doctors any day. I mean, I was a little worried about the last part - the idea of an infection from an injection doesn't sit well in my mind, but 3 hours and 2 IVs later, I came out a much revitalized woman. Apparently dehydration and a parasite will get you every time. Haha.

Love you all, Stay Healthy  -Courtney

Back Home

We all know that good vacations are long and somehow seems short, while bad vacations are generally short but feel like they drag on and on. Luckily for me, however, this spring festival vacation has been the perfect median. There is practically nothing that I would change about the whole thing -except maybe the suction cup octopus massage thing at the very end...I should have known better since I bruise so easily. Anyway, aside from that, the trip was AMAZING. Even the sleeper buses (gross as they were) were something to be humorously remembered. A sleeper bus is basically just like what it sounds like - a bus that you sleep on. For those of you who have seen Harry Potter, it is somewhat like a really dirty, mildewy version of the Knight Bus.

When we climbed on, they made us take off our shoes and we had to hop onto these short little individual bunk beds...its a shame that we are just a little taller than most Asians. The drive was a little more than 9 hours, although technically it was supposed to take around 12, but our driver was speeding and honking like a mad man the whole time so we got there a little faster :). I was grateful for that though because the bus was soo hot. I have no idea how I'm going to handle their summers, since it's only February and yet everyone was sweating and greasy. It looked just like all of the movies anyone has seen about Asia - where someone has cholera or something and they are covered in perspiration. Not the prettiest depiction I admit, but it really is just what it felt like. The air in the bus was pretty gross too - a mix of smells from mold, chicken feet snacks, muffins, smelly socks, BO, and smoke. Oh yeah, that reminds me - in China there are no smoking laws whatsoever so that means that smoking is anywhere and everywhere except for basically just an airplane. When you're chilling on a bus for 9 hours, its a pretty big bummer when the guy next to you decides he needs a lite. Somehow though it endears me to this place. It's sort of like being back in New York :) Anyway, the rest of the bus was really no better - the curtains were yellow and stained with all sorts of I don't know what. The windows were so dirty that at one point when I looked up and saw a fly near me I tried to wave it away, but it didn't move because it was stuck to some sort of goo on the sill - I couldn't tell you how long it had been there.

All of that stuff you get used to though -even the squatters (which I finally used for the first time). What you don't get used to is the view. When those "avatar" mountains (as we call them) come in to view it subsides all other feeling. The constant smog covering the landscape dims their beauty, but only slightly, and what cannot be captured on camera is definitely captured in memory. It is one of the single greatest things you can see. Hour after hour it was just so easy to sit and stare at these mountains and the villages in between. The smog actually creates a sense of mystery and depth to the scene...it all makes sense to me now why the Chinese use watercolor so much - it really is what their country looks like. Because of the New Year though, everything was decked out in red...even the streets are red because no matter how small the town, every single home has a pile of red firework shells left in front of their door.

Once we finally got to Guilin it was pretty late at night, and we really had no idea where to go. The fog/smog was settling down in the city and the red glow of the midnight shops made it feel like we were in a scene of Miss Saigon. After walking around somewhat aimlessly we were approached by a man who told us he was visiting from Thailand, but he could show us the way. By the look of him, he was certainly not the number one person on my "people to trust" list, but it was late and we didn't have many other options so we followed him on the tiny backstreets of Guilin. Thankfully, after quite some time we finally reached our hostel. Aside from the few rats, it was quite a lovely place. The beds are made up of wood planks and sheets, but I can sleep anywhere so I don't think it would have even fazed me except for the other girls' mentioning it. :) Our room wasn't heated and we each only had one small blanket so that night we froze...but by now I'm getting used to that so it was all right too. The next morning we caught a bus to Long Shan where they told us we were stranded because there were no outgoing buses to Ping'an...our rice terraced destination. After a while, the traveling fiascoes just start to make you laugh. You know they are a hassle, but you always get through them, and eventually we did this time as well. Upon our arrival in Ping'an we were met by our hotel's owner, and he was a sweet man who walked with us the twenty minutes up steep stairs to our rooms. The walk was intense, but totally worth it, and it only prepared us for the rest of the week ahead of us. Anyway, the Liqing Hotel is part of the Ping'an village and so it is literally located on the rice fields. It has a gorgeous view and it is in the middle of everything. After the hostel the night before, we naturally expected the worst from this small town, but this hotel was AMAZING. It was beautiful and huge, and the best part was it only cost us 60 quai a night...which translates to a little less than 10 American dollars. :) That night we went shopping and climbing, and we hiked over to the village of Long'gi where you cannot help but feel so peaceful. Life just moves so much slower there. You cannot hear cars or planes. You cannot see lights. There are no roads, but only tiny terraced alleys in between small huts. The people all go about their regular business...washing clothes, repairing homes, and maintaining their fields. The only noise that can be heard is the clucking of chickens or the quiet voices of the gathered village people. The silence is almost tangible. It is far different than being in a secluded forest or something because the people are there and they are close together, and yet there is still no hustle and bustle. It is perfectly serene. They all come together to help build houses, and they all welcome you with their soft smiles.

Sadly, we only could stay in Ping'an for a night, and so the next morning we headed off to Guilin again. This time we visited Elephant Trunk Hill and we saw the famous "Twin Pagodas." While we were there we were approached by a man who was not from Guilin, but who was visiting family for the New Year; however, when he saw us he got soo excited! Evidently he had learned English in college, but he was not often able to actually practice with foreigners, and so as he claimed he had lost a lot of his vocabulary and now he spoke "Chinglish" more than anything else. As far as any of us were concerned, however, he spoke brilliantly! He told us his story - about how he had grown up in a small village about four hours outside Guilin, and that all of the villagers there are tea farmers. His mother told him when he was young that if he did not want to be a poor tea farmer that he had to work extremely hard; he definitely did, and he went to University to study calligraphy and literature. It was so wonderful to hear story after story from him. When we met him, he had been walking home with his wife and daughter, but after he met us he asked if he might take us to a little tea place down the road to treat us to some of his village tea. We were hesitant at first, but he explained that it was Chinese custom to accept, so we did. It was so fun to watch them prepare the tea, and listen to him explain how it was made and what the differences between teas are. He talked to us about caffeine and how his village tea doesn't have any in it which makes it much healthier for the body. After sharing his tea with us, he also gave some other favorites of his including Jasmine, Flower, and a certain Black tea...the village tea was our favorite, and I wish you could have seen the genuine smile on his face because of it. He told us how honored he was, and how he couldn't wait to tell his family of our preference.

Later that night he showed us a small place to go for dinner, and then he left us to go be with his family again, but not before telling us that if we wanted he could take us all over Guilin and give us a tour before we had to leave in the morning. We gladly accepted, and then we got to dig in to dinner.

       I admit it, before actually living in China I was never actually a huge Chinese food fan. My dad loves it, but I have never had a knack for it. Since I've been here, I have had both the good and the bad, but it has always been something way different from what is cooked in America. Well that night at dinner, we finally ordered American sounding Chinese food like Sweet and Sour Pork. I cannot describe to you how much better it is. I think America should abandon trying to pull off sweet and sour because they will never be able to do it like the Chinese. This stuff was AMAZING. That being said, however, the Chile they made us was also extremely amazing - it may be one of my all time favorites. When Chinese food is done right....whew...that stuff is so good!

       The next morning Tom, the man from the night before, took us on a small tour of Guilin. He took us to the Princes Palace, which is also his University, and then he took us to a colored cave which was pretty cool. That afternoon we caught a bus to the Li River where we got on a bamboo raft and floated in the slightly cold breeze for nearly two hours. It was beautiful to see those mountains. Its hard to remember that you are even on the same planet because it looks so different from the world you are familiar with. After our little raft adventure we caught a bus into Yongshuo, which is a little town in the middle of all of these mountains. It is very touristy, and it was the first place where we weren't stared at for being white, since there are quite a few foreigners there. For the last three days of our vacation we had so much fun renting bikes and biking around the city for hours at a time. We went to some nearby caves, and these caves were phenomenal! The best I have ever been in - including Mammoth Caves. The tour guide actually even let us go and explore by ourselves for nearly an hour which was incredible. The caverns are huge and there is an underground river throughout the entire thing. We had to take a canoe to get inside, but because the entrance is so low you have to be completely over so you don't hit your head, then once you're in, everything expands exponentially. It was gorgeous. We got to swim in the natural pools, bathe in "the muddy bath", and relax in the natural hot springs at the end. Of all my experiences it definitely makes my top 5 as well. When we left the cave, we walked around the village a little bit, and we were able to hold some monkeys which was pretty cool. The next few days we shopped for souvenirs, rode bike some more, and went on a few more hikes. Something to know about hiking in China verses hiking in the States is that rather than just going up a dirt incline, in China you have to climb hundreds of stairs to go anywhere. Throughout the trip I think it would be easy to say I climbed at least 3,000 steps - maybe more. It definitely becomes a full body workout. Anyway, the views from the hiking makes it totally worth it! I loved being there.

     The last night there we hung out with Yainnis and Sunny (our hostel owners) and we taught them all sorts of dances which was soo much fun. We loves these two... up to date I think they are all of our favorites! They love us a lot too and even put our pictures up on their website for their hostel! Anyway, we had such a great time that we actually decided that we wanted to go to a near by club for our last night party! Clubbing in China is kind of funny too because as soon as they see Americans, they only play American music, but its weird stuff like "whats going on" from 4NonBlondes or Justin Bieber stuff. They also play slow songs which is really funny too. Regardless, it was a great time, and we met a ton of great people - mostly foreigners. The next morning it rained and we just relaxed a little and then went to get massages - for those of you who have already seen or heard...yes this is how I got the 20 large, perfectly circled "hickeys" on my back. While they were doing my massage, they put these weird jars that they burn on my back...it totally hurts, and from what I could tell they are completely useless unless you're just looking for a good story to tell later. Anyway, overall the trip was phenomenal, and I wish I could go again...there is soo much to do and I think we could have spent a month there and still not have seen it all!