The only people on earth

Spring Festival holiday--China's biggest holiday-- is fully under way it seems. I was reading today on BBC that China's Spring Festival holiday is "the largest mass migration of people in the world." Literally hundreds of millions of people are en route somewhere or another, on their way home.

Some of my teammates and I have witnessed our campus emptying out before our eyes. Supposedly the tiny old campus we live on is home to 20,000 people. I still find that hard to believe--maybe because they cram 8 students into a small dorm room. Anyway, probably 19,964 of those people have left. I went on a long walk today and there were maybe three shops still open in the whole network of back alleys we like to wander through and visit. Only stray dogs and a few middle-aged people at makeshift card tables have stuck around. It's a strange world.

Despite the fact that all of our students, acquaintances, and friendly neighborhood vendors have packed up and gone home, it's not as lonely as I thought it might be. We aren't letting any dust settle under our feet or on our heads, or whatever that saying is. For example, I've been roller blading in my slick new skates, which is fun, but not as fun as I once remembered. :) Maybe it's because I'm not roller blading with my little sister or playing street hockey with the rowdy kids in our neighborhood in Kansas.

A couple of times I've even sat down to study some Chinese or write a lesson plan, but I usually just end up getting frustrated with both. I am still tempted to want to be perfect at things, so it's hard for me to keep trying things that I'm not very talented in or don't naturally enjoy--like learning Chinese or writing lessons.

Since the majority of restaurants are closed, my remaining teammates and I have been cooking dinner together and eating like a little family for the past three or four nights. We did find a restaurant in the vicinity for lunch yesterday, though. It was pretty crowded with people, since it seemed to be the only restaurant open for a mile in every direction.

When we were done eating, Aaron jumped up to pay for the meal, but Jodi wanted to pay. So the Chinese thing to do is fight about who will have the honor of paying for the meal. Aaron and Jodi did a superb job at this, which drew the attention and admiration of all the restaurant guests. Aaron tried to pay, but Shannon held him back, while Jodi ran to the little counter. There was a lot of commotion, and it warmed my heart to see how well our team has adapted to this culture. :)

Just as a side note--I know that I write about eating in restaurants a lot. I would like you to know we aren't eating at expensive or even mildly expensive restaurants. These aren't Outback Steakhouses. These are places that are dirty and greasy and very cheap. Usually we don't even sit in real chairs. Often times we sit on little stools the size of pegs, and the wind is usually gusting in through the open doors--if there's even a door for wind to blow through. Smoke from the kitchen fills the place, and the meal often only costs about $1 per person, or less. But these are the best places to get filling food and live like the locals...

Anyway, the weather has been slowly getting more pleasant here. Tomorrow it's supposed to be around 60 degrees by mid-afternoon. I'll probably go for another walk and don my roller blades. But that's after our mini Chinese New Year celebration tomorrow morning. Several university officials, plus supposedly the "county governor," are coming to our apartments to eat dumplings. And apparently I'll have to perform a dance, of course. Ah, yes, of course. We are getting up early to clean, and we're not sure when to expect them. We were told the festivities officially begin at 10 a.m., but then they said that means they'll probably get here at 9:30. Oh, China! I can't live with you and I can't live without you!

The pictures are freshly uploaded from yesterday, when Lily and Marie from the Changchun team visited us. The first couple pictures are of us enjoying "dessert" at a swanky department store as a special occasion. Although the dessert was disappointing, the company and atmosphere were nice. The last picture I took of my teammates with Lily and Marie, who are loads of fun to be with.

How to shop in a Chinese department store

Mid-week greetings from Nanchang!

Spring Festival is around the corner, so the mass of students have moved home for a few weeks. That means that the campus is eerily quiet, with the exception of a few students still playing basketball. Our favorite chaotic back alleys are also very still. About 70 percent of the little shops are shuttered and about 98 percent of the street vendors are gone. It's a little sad.

But... that means I can run around outside and do whatever I want with nobody paying any attention! So I thought that would be a good idea to try out my new rollerblades!

Yesterday we were in a department store and I was looking at rollerblades, because I have been saving up my kuai in hopes of finding some big enough for me. So yesterday I got a cool pair of black and red ones that are super slick. We were in the Rainbow department store--an eight story, swanky place. The floors are gleaming, but they encouraged me to take the new wheels for a spin, so I tried them out and ended up buying them. They also had a special promotion, so they ended up being 20 percent off, plus I got a gift certificate of exactly 143 kuai that I had to spend within two days. It was a strange promotion, but I didn't mind.

That means that I returned to the store today to find something with the 143 kuai. It's not as easy as it sounds. There are many more workers than customers and they swoop down like hawks. There are three salespeople per every 10 square feet it seems. So for those who lament the fact that it's impossible to get anyone to help you in a store, just come to China.

When I was coming up the escalators by myself, there were men in suits standing on each floor with walkie talkies. I heard one radio someone saying, "laowai" (foreigner). He was probably alerting all the bored salespeople that a rich foreigner was coming! But, alas, I'm not the typical rich foreigner, so I'm afraid they were disappointed.

Everything in that store seems way out of the price range for the average Chinese person. I had a hard time finding anything for 143 kuai. Everyone was showing me 500 kuai sweaters, which were pretty unreasonable.

I finally settled on a little backpack that I can take on small excursions. One woman wrote the receipt for it. Two other saleswomen accepted my gift card/payment. What service! And it drives me crazy whenever I even think about buying anything in China. They always thrust the most expensive things in front of my face and I have to repeatedly say, "bu yao! bu yao!" (don't want! don't want!).

Then on the walk back to Ba Yi square, I stopped about every other block to give money to the beggars, who are prevalent. It's such a sobering contrast to the few ritzy stores. Most people in Nanchang aren't that well off, but there are some who are, and they love to show it by buying outrageously tacky jewelry or fur coats. Meanwhile, there are beggars with twisted bodies or burnt faces who are sprawled face-up on the sidewalks, hoping for some change so they can have something to eat. They really have nowhere to go or nobody to turn to.

Well, tonight I'm hanging out with some of my teammates and Lily and Marie, two girls from another team. They are visiting from Changchun, which is near the Russian border.

Have a good Wednesday!

All about Ba Yi (August 1st)

Not too long ago I was afraid that I might run out of things to do during the Spring Festival break. But that hasn't come true yet!

Yesterday I hung out with one of my students, Karen. A while ago she had invited me to her grandparents' apartment in Nanchang. When I returned from Xiamen, I text messaged her that I was back. So apparently she hopped on a train yesterday morning in her hometown that is 3 hours away, just so she could take me to her grandparents' house.

Early yesterday afternoon Karen escorted me to her grandparents' very humble dwelling. They are 80 and they live on the 5th floor of an apartment, which of course they have to hike up and down every day. They also own one bicycle for transportation. Anyway, they are pretty precious. Since we couldn't communicate very well, they mostly paced around their freezing cold apartment, which is about half the size of my own apartment I share with Rachael here in Nanchang.

Before we left, I wanted to take a picture of them with Karen. The grandparents immediately went to their little room to put on "nicer" jackets. It was so cute. The grandpa took off his old navy blue Mao jacket and replaced it with one that looked exactly identical. The grandma replaced her own navy blue Mao jacket with a typical Chinese grandmother quilted jacket.

Afterward, we wandered around the housing complex grounds in the cold and wind. Then we walked for nearly a mile to Karen's cousin's high school. We got to her cousin's classroom, but class was in session. We didn't want to create scene, so I left without meeting her. Then we just trekked back to old campus.

This morning I got to hang out with Karen again. Jonathan and I met her at Ba Yi Square, which is the center of downtown. She took us to Ba Yi Park and then the supposedly famous Ba Yi museum. It was a very scenic and educational outing that managed to stretch into 7.5 hours, but it was a good experience.

The Ba Yi ("August 1st") museum celebrates Nanchang's role in the start of the communist revolution, which techinally began in this city on August 1st in 1927. There is even something called the "August 1st" spirit, which is this: "Resolute Conviction, Unbending Perseverance, Courageous Pioneering, and Setting the Precedent," whatever that means.

Perhaps you can ask me more about it when I return to America. Jonathan and I both tried to be respectful. Everything was certainly idealistic and full of propaganda, but that is an accepted part of Chinese society. It was essentially a museum dedicated to Chinese communism.

Here's one plaque (that was luckily translated into English) that summed up the tone of the museum:

"The Spinning Stars and Universe Witnessing the Ultimate Cause, The Monumental Accomplishments Marking the Grand History. Whereas the shots and smoke vanished with the lapse of time and the outcry of battle faded into history, The "August 1st" Military Banner that was hoisted above the city wall of Nanchang have still been fluttering in height and might, and will flutter onward for ever and ever. So let's take over and give full play to the August 1st spirit in a big way and under the leadership of the Communist Party of China keep abreast of the times, forging ahead with force and innovation so as to build our country into a great modernized and powerful one and achieve the great revival of the Chinese nation."

After gazing at all the huge murals and gigantic statues of heroic men, we left the museum grounds, and walked straight onto Nanchang's busiest shopping street. I felt like I was in two different worlds. There is still obviously political communism, but not in the economy, that's for sure.

So after this excursion, we headed for the bus stop. But first we had to hike across the huge expanse of Ba Yi Square, under the shadows of a massive "monument to the sacrifices of those soldiers who sacrificed for the revolution," all starting on August 1st, 1927 right here in this city.

And I decided to leave you with some pictures of the past couple days. The first is of my student, Karen, and her grandparents. The second is at the museum. It is a gigantic hand firing the "first shot of the revolution." The third is of Karen in front of one of many statues depicting that unique August 1st spirit.

Back in Nanchang

It is Saturday and I have been back in Nanchang for two days now. It is strange, but I think I've had a bit of culture shock readjusting to life in this city after being in a very modern and beautiful Chinese city, Xiamen.

But I feel like Nanchang is sort of a home now, so it's rather nice to return to the chaos and down to earth people. The most noticeable thing in Nanchang is the abundance of dirt and grime. I think I have forgotten about it after living here for nearly four months by now. The people also are shorter and skinner, and they wear shabbier clothing than Xiamen.

Yesterday I ventured out to Walmart on the bus 231. The whole city is overflowing with people. I think it must be because of Spring Festival coming up. Everywhere you see people lugging around suitcases, or shouldering big bags hanging from bamboo poles. So the buses were also very crowded. When I returned to old campus on the bus, I was carrying two bags and I was plastered against the windshield. I was trying not to fall out the door or smash through the window. The people on the bus were just silently staring at me, like usual. I felt at home.

Then this afternoon I decided to go on a long walk in the bitter cold. I walked briskly along Beijing Lu (Beijing Street--they don't have very creative street names) for about an hour. Since it was a Saturday, it is social day. All the tiny shops were empty. The dark little restaurants, shoe repair stands, and bicycle parts shops were silent. Instead all the occupants of the businesses, plus residents from surrounding neighborhoods, were all stuffed onto the sidewalks gaily chatting away. It was like everyone came out to sun themselves and check up on their friends and relatives.

Numerous groups of elderly men played cards or mahjong on tiny tables with peg stools. Little children were running around, and women of all ages, shapes, and sizes knitted or clustered into little groups talking. Some men just lounged and smoked, and discussed things very animatedly. It was so pleasant to walk by these scenes. But then everyone would drop what they were doing to stare at me and enthusiastically proclaim, "HELLO!! NICE TO MEET YOU!"

Rachael, my roommate, returned yesterday after a wild expedition through rural Anhui province with some of her students. Jodi also returned today after visiting some relatives in the very modern and Westernized city of Guangzhou. So half of our team is back together.

I'll leave you with just a few pictures I took from Xiamen! The first picture is of Xiamen, of course. Note that the cars are actually driving in the lanes. This isn't typical of China! The second picture is the view of Xiamen's skyline from an island, Gulangyu. The third is of us at the beach. And the fourth is my pretty mysterious hair cut in Xiamen. I'm not sure if that guy was old enough to cut hair...

Xiamen amazingness

It is late Thursday afternoon and I have arrived back in Nanchang after the most wonderful visit south to Xiamen. I am used to being in underdeveloped, rather backwater places in China, like Ningxia and Nanchang, so to spend a few days in the "second most liveable city in China" was like a breath of fresh air, literally.

On Saturday night some of my other teammates, Jonathan, Aaron, Shannon, and I, plus Andy, a guy from another team in Nanchang, left on a 17 hour train ride bound for the Pacific Ocean south of us. It was a rather uneventful trip, and we arrived in Xiamen around noon on Sunday.

At first we just walked around half in amazement, half in shock. We couldn't figure out this city. Where we really in China still? It felt more like a balmy South American city or South Florida than southern China. But there were lots of Chinese people, so we knew we must somehow still be in China.

Xiamen was one of China's original "special economic zones," meaning that it attracted a lot of foreign investment and economic opportunities earlier and more successfully than most Chinese cities. So the place is bustling with fashionable people, nice cars, and a million skyscrapers. The weather is also extremely suitable for human beings and civilization, as it is at the same latitude as Miami, apparently. However, there was a noticeable presence of numerous street beggars scattered throughout all this glitz and glam and balminess.

People all seemed to take a lot of pride in their city. The pace was much more leisurely, and there were a lot of elderly people strolling around the beaches and palm tree-lined neighborhoods. The city was also extremely clean, and the buildings didn't look they were going to collapse any second on you. The warm sunshine shone quite brightly in the fresh air for all the days we were there. It was nice to clear my lungs and let my whole body thaw out from Nanchang.

Anyway, we got out of the train station and found our hotel that I had made reservations for. But, alas, the place didn't have a computer system or a booking system, really. They said they didn't have our reservation, even though I paid a $25 deposit, which is now in some black hole somewhere in the universe. And they didn't have any rooms available. We all stayed patient, even though there was a huge communication gap. Eventually we were referred to a hostel, the Easy Inn, up the road. It turned out to be cheaper and nicer, so that was resolved well.

For the rest of the day, we walked around Xiamen just gaping at things and relishing in the warm air in the middle of winter. It also felt easier to breathe, not just because of the better air, but because most people had seen foreigners before. We only ever saw a couple dozen of other foreigners, but they weren't such a rarity in Xiamen. Thus, nobody watched my every move. Nor did I hear people calling out "Hellloooooo!" every six seconds, like in Nanchang. It was rather relaxing. :)

We discovered a six story bookstore, which actually had some English books. I ended up buying an English-Chinese dictionary and the one Jane Austen book I have yet to read. Then for dinner my old friend from Topeka, Sam, met up with us. He has been teaching at a middle school in Xiamen since October as an independent teacher. It was pretty fun to hang out with him on the other side of the world. Plus, he is practically fluent in Chinese and knew a lot of Xiamen.

On Monday, we went to the beautiful campus of Xia Da, which is Xiamen's famous university. I couldn't have ever imagined a more gorgeous campus. There were pretty lakes, nicely constructed buildings, brightly colored flowers, and gigantic old trees. I thought I'd faint from the pure heavenliness of it.

Then that afternoon we took a ferry over to Gulangyu, which is a very famous island. It was even more gorgeous than the rest of Xiamen, and the weather was perfect. There were narrow lanes of old buildings, with an abundance of parks, houses, and museums. Cars aren't allowed on the island, so people ran up and down the streets carrying everything on their shoulders or in carts. You could also see the skyline of Xiamen and surrounding mountains. And the beach was a wonderful sight to behold. We just made a circuit of the island all afternoon, and I couldn't have been happier.

On Tuesday we wandered around the streets near Xia Da again, and walked near a Buddhist temple. We didn't go inside, though. I have visited a few temples and now I'm not very enthusiastic about going into those dark places.

After lunch we went to a couple's apartment, who are friends of Sam's. The husband is French-Canadian and the wife is Chinese, who has her P.h.D. and teaches at Xia Da, one of the best universities in China. They are both believers and they have the cutest, chubbiest baby ever. So they had invited us for tea, and we sat and chatted for nearly 3 hours. It was so restful and enjoyable.

Wednesday was my last day in Xiamen. Jonathan, Aaron, and Shannon left at 6 a.m. on a plane bound for Nanjing, so Andy and I hung out some of the morning. We mostly just walked around neighborhoods. Then I spotted a hair place and impulsivley decided to get my hair cut. That is a rather risky move in China, even if you know Chinese or have a translator. Your hair might come out in an afro, or maybe looking like string cheese, but I felt like Xiamen was a safer bet than Nanchang.

The eager salon staff immediately switched the upbeat Chinese music to pop music from the West. A tiny man with a lot of confidence wheeled his little hair-cutting suitcase over to me. Another guy handed me a cup of hot water. Then the only Chinese I could manage to communicate was "haircut" and cut "a little." I left the rest up to the flamboyant hair stylist.

Thankfully, it turned out decently. Never have I had such perfectly coiffed hair. He spent what seemed like an eternity cutting and blow drying my hair. The other staff stood around my hair murmuring about this work of art, which was "piao liang!" (beautiful), etc. But I did indeed feel very glamorous after I got my little 40 kuai ($6) make-over.

After lunch, Andy headed on a train for Guangzhou, so I was the only one remaining in Xiamen from the original group. So then Sam and I hung out, and just walked even further into the neighborhoods. We also walked through the most amazing park ever, which seemed to gush with sunshine, green lushness, and vivid colors. Later we visited his school and ate ice-cream near this lake or canal or something near the school. The place was lined with beautiful palm trees, chirping birds, and happy looking people. It was almost too good to be true.

Then around 6, I went into the train station for the journey back to Nanchang by myself. Since it is getting near Spring Festival, it was a little chaotic. I found the correct waiting room at the station, which was filled to the brim with hundreds of people. When they opened the doors for the train platform, there was such a surge, I had a fleeting thought that I would get trampled. People wheeling suitcases or balancing gigantic bags on a pole on their shoulders almost made me fall over. Then some fierce-looking men in uniforms blew whistles and screamed into bullhorns for people to keep order. For some reason, I was rather scared not only by the commotion, but by the sudden realization that I was all alone. Later, I remembered I wasn't really alone, but sometimes that's difficult to remember in the midst of a confusing situation.

Anyway, I survived the 17 hour train trip back to Nanchang without much incident. It was a tad bit nice to feel like I've come home, even though it is freezing cold, the streets are dirty, the people look underfed, and the sky and buildings are perpetually gray. And I'm trying not to begrudge Nanchang as I sit here at my desk with my feet in a bowl of lukewarm water, since my feet like to get frostnip, despite wool socks. But this is where I've been called for now, so I can feel joy even when I'm not surrounded by warmth and physical beauty, as I was in Xiamen.

All in all, my trip to Xiamen was very near perfect. I was warm and well, and I felt revived. It has also motivated me to continue strong in my work here, which is where He wants me for now.

Celebrating 15 years...

So happy anniversary from the university here in China! Blue Sky celebrated its 15th anniversary today, which sort of seemed like celebrating the founding of a country.

People have an amazing amount of respect and reverence for the president of this university, which has over 50,000 students. Apparently the president has a rags-to-riches type story. He was born poor and crippled, but started a business and became a millionaire. He is also one of the delegates to the government's People's Congress or something. In addition, he carried the Olympic torch when it came to Jiangxi, etc. The school and people in this area love him. For example, at the sport meet all the banners said something like, "Be like the Blue Sky president, and try your best!"

So he helped open the 15th anniversary performance at the new campus today, which was a spectacular and over-the-top event. When we arrived at the theater, we walked through a tunnel of police and military officers. They actually saluted when we walked between them. It was a very formal and special occasion. First we listened to the usual speeches from various officials for half an hour. We had to buy tickets, which didn't necessarily mean you got a seat, so there were lots of people standing along the walls and in the aisles.

The performances were quite unique. There were some amazing dances, songs, and costumes, most of which were very symbolic of something. There were dancers dressed as diligent students, singing the praises of the school. There were dancers who sang about the school and China, while very dramatic pictures and music played in the background. There were nurses who walked on stage while the blasting music made sure you felt how important and meaningful this noble profession was. Then there was what we called, "the army ballet." Some really good dancers in spandex army clothes danced. The stars of this piece were two comrades who had red berets and they helped each other get through every battle. There was also a dance honoring the spirit of the people during the Sichuan earthquake of May. Then they played music and showed pictures of disabled students smiling--two of which were my students. Those students have to struggle in a country where virtually nothing is handicapped accessible.

Once and a while during the three hour show, a very Western dance of some kind was performed, probably better than anybody in the West could do. After the army ballet, about two dozen guys dressed in baggy pants and jerseys break danced, and the crowd went wild. Then it was back to positive feelings about China and the university with additional dramatic dances.

During the whole event, there was plenty of banners, glitter, confetti, loud music, and smoke. And to wrap up the whole event, girls with university flags tied to their arms danced with lots of emotion. The gigantic video screen in the back showed a Chinese video at the same time with soldiers marching, tanks rolling through streets, and rockets being launched.

Well, this is probably my last blog entry for a few days. I leave tomorrow for the southern city of Xiamen. Thanks as always for your thoughts! Let me know if I can be thinking of you in a specific way.

Happy 2009!

Happy New Year, my fellow Americans!

There's not much to report in this blog entry for today. I just thought I would write because it's a special occasion.

Last night after roller skating on new campus, I ate lunch with one of my students on old campus. We had a great time and then we went and got some pictures taken at the very inexpensive photo booth place.

At night, my team, plus a couple of other guys from ELIC in Nanchang, and I hung out playing games until the new year arrived. Of course it was enjoyable. But then things got less enjoyable when my teammate Shannon went to unplug a hand-warmer thing from the wall in her bedroom. We just saw one huge spark and suddenly Shannon was on the ground. She got electrocuted sort of badly. One side of her left hand is black and there is a burnt hole. It looked so painful and terrible. It was sort of like a nightmare. Shannon, however, is an ex-cop and is pretty tough, so she is surviving quite well.

Today I just cleaned our apartment for 5 hours, since my roommate is off in a far-away province. Then Jodi and I wandered around the alleys in the neighborhood, visiting our favorite people, like the "watermelon lady", etc. We also got our hair washed for an hour at the same place as last time, for the low price of 8 kuai (roughly $1.15). Then we just ate some steamed dumplings at our favorite place for dinner.

So that is my amazingly uneventful day! I thought I'd wish you a happy New Year and share some pictures. The first picture is from today when we visited the watermelon lady, who actually just sells oranges and apples now. The second is when my team and I were served a lamb for dinner the other day. This is just half of the lamb--the other half was on the other side of the table. The third picture is an awesome one Jodi took when we went roller skating. The final picture is just one of the roller skating "rink" on new campus.