Jim and Connie's China Trip

The Last Supper

2008-12-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

Last night was our last meal as a group of 26 hardy voyageurs. Today, several students have already left for home, and the rest of us are starting our independent travel phase. Jim and I are heading for Cambodia this afternoon.

Here are the photos from our last meal together in China. I need to especially recognize our two Chinese companions: the man is Mr. Wang Jun and the woman is Miss Chen Christina. They have lived these last four months with us. Ms. Chen met us in August at the airport. They taught us to use chopsticks, to get around in Beibei, answered all our questions, and became our dear friends. We will miss them! (Connie)

Quadrangle Homes

2008-12-12T15:27:00.001-08:00

For Chinese Literature this year, we were asked to read a Chinese masterpiece called Dream of Red Mansions, or Story of the Stone. It depicts a family of highest rank in China during feudal society. It follows the Chia family, comprised of an grandmother dowager, her sons, their wives, concubines, and servants. And, they each had many hundreds of personal servants! (I drew up a family tree just to keep track of the characters.) While reading it, I had a hard time imagining what this "mansion" must have been like physically. It depicted the mansion as actually a series of buildings, set among tree-filled courtyards, rock formations, and streams.

I found out. On our last day in Beijing, we visited two 'quadrangle homes' on very different scales. A quadrangle home has rooms set around a common courtyard. It is a very traditional, rapidly disappearing style of Chinese home in Beijing.

The first was the home of a Prince that was the model for the home described in Dream of Red Mansions. It was simply beautiful! On a nice day, I could have wandered there for hours. Set in the middle of Beijing, it has courtyard after courtyard intermixed with the "natural" (man-made) amenities mentioned above. I hope you can get a sense from these two pictures I'll post.

The second was a private home of a 6th generation Han family that has now opened their home for visits during the Olympics. Their home consisted of one quadrangle. Traditionally, the grandparents live on the north side (in order to get the sun in southern windows), the servants live on the south side, the sons on the east, and the daughters on the left. In the picture, I'm sitting in their courtyard.

I did smile at this information contained in information about quadrangle homes; it said, Happy the man with sunshine, fishbowl, pomegranate, a fat dog, and a plump wife. I would say Jim has it made! (Connie)

Shopping Fever

2008-12-12T01:53:00.000-08:00

Thursday, December 11, was our free day, although it turned out to be anything except "free". We had no scheduled tours and were on our own. Jim and I decided to spring for a Western breakfast, but while I enjoyed the bacon and fresh fruit, it wasn't worth the extra expense. Then, we and some students went to see Mao's body under glass at his Memorial Hall. There was a long, continuous, reverential line.

The rest of the day we went shopping at both Silk Street and the Pearl Market. These are multiple level stores that sell almost everything - especially name-brand knock-offs. I have a tendency to "love bargains" in the first place, and when you can bargain items down to 10 percent of what the sellers originally asked, the hunt is on. Jim called it "a fever."

I bought some bags, pearls, and a Chinese silk jacket. Jim bought some silk ties and two pairs of pants. I'm ready to go back again, but thankfully, I am out of both time and money. (Connie)

Summer Games = Olympian and Emperial

2008-12-10T07:56:00.001-08:00

Today was the 21st birthday of the twins in our group, Amanda and Linda Phan. They are pictured here at our first stop of the day - the 2008 Olympic Water Cube. We explored both that facility and the Bird's Nest. We all liked pretending that we were Olympians.

We spent the afternoon at the Summer Palace - a massive, beautiful oasis, man-made for the pleasure of the emperor(s) and his family. It snowed lightly on us while there, and as the place is meant for warm summer days and nights, we spent a lot of the time hopping from gift shop to gift shop to keep warm.

My favorite spot there is the Long Corridor which is painted with scenes from history and folklore. What images; what colors! (Connie)

The Great Wall

2008-12-09T02:26:00.000-08:00

Today we visited The Great Wall. We were fortunate to have a December day in the 40's (Fahrenheit), with a spot of sunlight. All of us were eager to see one of the seven wonders of the world. Actually, the Chinese know The Great Wall as Chang Cheng, or "the long wall". The original wall was first started over 2000 years ago (220 B.C.). We saw one of the recently renovated sections (which was easier to climb/walk), and were charmed with how the wall undulates across very rugged terrain into the far horizon.

One "special" moment was when several of us danced on the Great Wall. Of course, there is a story behind this... In our Chinese language class earlier this fall, our teacher had students draw slips randomly from four piles. The first pile contained whom you had to invite; the second was the location; the third was an activity; and the fourth was the time. The student then had to use their Chinese to issue the invitation in front of the class. One student, David Camerino, was unfortunate enough to draw these instructions: He needed to invite Jim to dance with him on the Great Wall at noon. The invitation was extended and accepted. So, for days, Jim has been teasing David about dancing with him at noon. As it turned out, several of us joined in. (If you can't tell, we are doing the macarena.) Those participating are: Nakita, David, Valentin, Connie, Jim, and Bibi. (Connie)

We're in Beijing

2008-12-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

We are in Beijing! We spent an early morning in Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public square. For some reason, I expected to see a huge banner of Mao Zedong on one end. Actually, his picture (which is smaller than I imagined) is across the street from the square.

Later, we spent a full afternoon inside the Forbidden City, so named because it was off limits for 500 years. The Forbidden City was home to two dynasties of emperors. It's truly palatial; I found it hard to even imagine what it would have been like to been a concubine or servant here during the emperor's heyday. It is said that the last emperor would yearn to leave its walls, and would sometimes climb up to the rooftops to see what "the outside world" was like. (Connie)

Serendipity

2008-12-05T17:48:00.000-08:00

While here, I am teaching a seminar course to our students regarding intellectual property and technology. We have explored many aspects of copyright law, how it has changed through the years, and how technology has generated many issues with the law. Among the activities we did in class were several mock trials of relevant American court cases. Of course, this topic has a great deal of relevance in China so I have tried to add some connections to China.

In BeiBei, an area frequented by the students (and us) is called the underground market. It is a basement of a building covering an entire city block. Inside is a maze of hundreds of little stalls selling anything and everything including lots of clothes, household items, paper, notebooks, pens, bedding, DVDs by the thousands, etc.

One day a couple of weeks ago, we wandered into an area of the underground market where we had not been before and found a series of stalls selling books, mostly used. Since the titles are all in Chinese characters, I had no hope of reading the titles, let alone the books themselves. But being a book lover, we still scanned the shelves until I found the only book that had an English title on its spine:

Connie immediately bought it for me for my birthday, but I am donating it to the "lending library" we are leaving behind for next year's group of students from CSB/SJU. (Jim)

Beibei Good-bye

2008-12-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

When we came in August four months seemed so long, but the time has flown by. As I write this, a going away party is being hosted by our St. John's, St. Ben's students for their Chinese friends - and for themselves. There are smiles - and there are tears.

I am thankful that our students have made us proud all semester long. I am also thankful for the friendship that the Chinese and other international students have extended to all of us. Both sides have benefited. Many, many friendships have formed - and memories for a lifetime.

I am also thankful that our students while here lived in an international dorm. There are Chinese students living there, who are studying for an English exam in January that determines whether they are eligible for study abroad. Many of them are eager to chat with our students. Most of the students in the dorm are from all over -- across Asia, Africa, Europe. That international living experience has taught us as much as, if not more, than the classes themselves.

Many of these students have come here on their own - and I give them lots of credit for their moxie. Early in the trip we met a young woman who had just graduated from high school in Bangladesh; Shaz immediately became 'one of us.' Then, we met her friend Kunduz who is here from Kyrgyzstan. We hope to see both of them in Minnesota as students of St. Ben's in the future. They would be real assets! They are each only 18 years old, but possess wisdom and poise beyond their years.

Shaz and Kunduz are seen here with another visitor from a long way away. He lives at the North Pole, but did make an appearance tonight at the Beibei good-bye party. On Sunday, we leave for a week in Beijing. But, we will be taking the people of Beibei along with us in our hearts. (Connie)

Games

2008-11-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

Everyone who knows Jim and me knows that we like to play games. Back home, we play bridge weekly. And, for over twenty years, on New Year's Eve we get together with friends and play board games until we fall off our chairs.

Chinese people also love their games. The three that are visible in every Chinese town we have visited are: mah-johnng, rivercards, and this form of "checkers". (I have only seen what we call Chinese checkers - played with marbles - once in four months.)

I have learned to play a simple form of mah-johnng, and have purchased a set of my own tiles. I have not learned to play river cards. The most common game you play with these cards is called "Landlord" which sounds like a game that I hate that Jim likes called "Sargent-Major." I am told the game that looks like checkers is actually more like chess.

Table tennis is still very popular in China (there are public tables in most park areas), but I understand that badminton is taking over as the favorite Chinese game. You will often see at least three generations out playing badminton together.

We also have badminton experts in our group. Lee Moua was a varsity player; you can see her form on the first picture. Amanda Phan is so good that she can play in high heels. And, then, there is Ethan.... (Connie)

A Clean Sweep

2008-11-29T21:08:00.001-08:00

You would think that with the spitting and the young children going to the bathroom on the street (see earlier posts on spitting and toilet habits)that China's streets and sidewalks would be filthy. Not so! They are all quite clean. The reason is that every inch of street, every inch of sidewalk has a sweeper assigned to it. They are out there sweeping every day. This includes freeways. The image I will always carry in my mind are the freeway sweepers mildly walking down the freeway sweeping the road while cars, trucks, semis, motorcycles go whizzing by them.

I am fascinated by the brooms as well. Most look handmade, and they vary greatly. Some are made of sticks; some of "straw," and some street sweepers even use what I would describe as feather dusters!

My fascination with the brooms took an early unexpected turn. I bought a new broom and hung it as a decoration in our apartment on the wall. Every Chinese person who enters our apartment looks at the broom hanging there and giggles. (Of course, I'd do the same in America if someone hung a broom on their wall.)

The most courageous will ask, Weishenme? "Why have you hung this broom on the wall?" I answer that when I bought it, it had been newly made out of hay, and I loved the smell and the folk-art look of it. Hanging it on the wall made our whole apartment smell wonderful (to me, the old farm girl). From their funny looks at me, I don't think my explanation went over. (Connie)

Traffic

2008-11-29T03:14:00.000-08:00

Traffic in China can get quite interesting. There are far more cars here than I imagined. They have been building roads as fast as they can, but the traffic is much thicker than I thought, even in BeiBei, a tiny city (by China standards) of 150,000.

Overall, it is much more sane from my perspective than India. I don't think I could drive in India. Here it would be a challenge, but I think I could do it. People generally follow traffic rules and somewhat pay attention to lanes. There are some unwritten rules however that one would have to master. For example: First makes right. If you can get your nose in front of someone in a lane, you then have the right to proceed. This applies to both lane changes and when entering the flow of traffic. There is usually no hesitation when coming out of a side street into busy traffic. If you can squeeze the front of your car into a lane, you have then claimed the right to that lane.

It is fascinating to watch the logical extension of this when a bus decides to make a U-turn on a busy road, especially when you are inside the bus! The driver simply starts in the rightmost lane or even the side of the road after dropping off a passenger and then slowly edges its way into the right lane until traffic can't get around the bus and has to stop. Continue onto the next lane in a similar manner until that lane has no choice but to stop, and then continue on into the lanes going the other way until the U-turn is complete! Usually, the four lanes will wait patiently, but only when it gets to the point that there is no choice. If you don't make it all the way, no worries, you just back up as needed still blocking all the lanes of traffic.

Taxi drivers are the most impressive as they squeeze into slots you wouldn't think are possible. Often they will straddle lanes looking to see which will have the advantage, but this has a risk as other cars, particularly taxis, will straddle the next lane and nose in front and claim the lane. I have seen this happen from both sides simultaneously.

I think much of this is just an extension of foot traffic which makes sense given the short amount of time cars have been prevalent. If you think about navigating a crowd of people such at a crowded fairgrounds, you tend to follow general flows but don't worry about "lanes." If there is a gap, you usually have no qualms about slipping into that slot. And if you are entering a big flow from the side, you just slide into whatever little slot is there! (Jim)

Footnote from Connie: My most amazing bus ride occurred when there was a traffic jam ahead, but our bus driver wanted to go straight anyway. So, he simply went into the far left lane of traffic (into oncoming traffic) and proceeded down that lane for awhile. When that became problematic, he went up on the sidewalk! I'm sure the pedestrians that day were not expecting to see a bus bearing down at them. I was glad I was IN the bus!

Thanks for Johnny Bread!

2008-11-26T05:30:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. The St. John's and St. Ben's students are hosting and cooking a Thanksgiving meal for their teachers and friends, bringing this American tradition here to Southwest University. All in all there will be over 50 people there.

The students in charge have taken this on with gusto, trying to get as close to a traditional Thanksgiving feast as possible. They made apple crisp today, and it's not easy peeling apples with cleavers! They have purchased many, many pounds of potatoes for mashing tomorrow. We're also having green beans, squash, stuffing, and chicken. Jim is in charge of making the gravy. Keep your fingers crossed.

One student, Kevin Kirwin, had the idea of pleading with the monks at St. John's to airmail us some Johnny bread mix. ("Johnny bread" - a multi-grain, dense bread just made for butter and honey - is a staple at St. John's.) His email must have been compelling; the monks agreed to donate the mix! The International Office came through with the $50! mailing charges, and everyone's hopes were high. But, day after day went by with no package!

Someone up there was looking out for us though. (For the Schnepf family, I think Mom and Harriet were working extra hard on this one!) The bread mix arrived today, Wednesday - the day before Thanksgiving. I think Kevin ran to the post office to pick up the package. We mixed it up, and made Johnny buns.

All of the quality control taste-testers declared them ready to go for tomorrow's feast. We are thankful this year for Johnny bread! (Connie)

Kindergarten Visit

2008-11-25T02:45:00.000-08:00

Our apartment is adjacent to a pre-school. Children often attend this school for three years, including their kindergarten year. Our bathroom window looks out at their playground; at 8:30 a.m., classes of children do their morning exercises there. Jim and I have watched them many a day.

Last week, we got a chance to visit the kindergarten in person. We visited several classrooms. We sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Happy Birthday" to a boy celebrating his birthday.

I was struck by their drawings. Sorry Nick and Emily, but I recall many drawings my children did at this age, and often members of our family would be missing a head or leg. But, their drawings seem to be quite precise. (And, I love the dark hair on all the children.)

Our students enjoyed the opportunity to play; I know Marty really got into it.
(Connie)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-11-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Today (Nov. 24)is the beginning of International Student Week at Southwest University Beibei. We were asked to make "typical American food" to hand out as food samples on this opening day. But, what is typical American food? (Most of what I like best has come from other countries.) And, we needed to provide 200 to 500 samples, so whatever we made needed to be small.

We considered tiny hamburgers, but couldn't locate a grill. We considered S'mores, but couldn't find marshmallows. So, we decided on chocolate chip cookies. (Can you tell that Jim played a role in this decision?)

Now, you need to know that almost no Chinese home has an oven. Our apartment does not. Neither do most restaurants have an oven, as few menu items are baked. Luckily, the restaurant for foreigners on campus has one, and we were able to reserve it for Sunday afternoon.

As a rule, the Chinese eat very few baked goods, especially items with sugar in them. We knew we had quite a task just to find the ingredients. In Beibei, we found white and brown sugar, nuts, and flour. We went to Chongqing (an hour away) and found butter and chocolate. But, in neither place could we find two very important ingredients: baking soda and vanilla extract. Once again, luck was on our side and a neighbor of ours who is an American married to a Chinese woman had both. The soda was in the familiar Arm and Hammer box, only it was dated 2006. The vanilla was his own brew: two vanilla beans soaked for several months in a local alcohol called bijou.

So, Sunday afternoon, we baked. One of our Chinese friends came to watch cookies made for the very first time. She asked twice, "Would most Americans know how to bake cookies?" We felt pretty confident answering "yes."

Here are a few pictures. Our chocolate chip cookies (made with chopped up chocolate bars) turned out very flat. Our mini-Monster cookies based on Sue Knauss' recipe turned out just right. Our friend pronounced them "delicious!" (Connie)

My Doctors - Beibei, China

2008-11-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

Beibei's weather is either hot and humid, or cool and wet. Not the best weather for me, but the warmness of the people make up for it. Maybe because of the damp cold, I have had a continuous cough for weeks. As a consequence, I've had some interesting medical adventures...

Doctor #1. I consider my massage therapist my first doctor. I happened upon him when John and Cheryl were here. I was looking for a relaxing massage; I found an acupressure professional. I've now gone to see him about six times. Without any words exchanged, he always hones in on what is wrong. My first visit, he attended to my neck which has always been weak. He has used both traditional massage and "hot jars" to soften up the knots there. Now he has been working on my Achilles tendon - and often spends time on my lymph system. He thinks he's going to help me get rid of my cough. The cough sticks around, but my neck and Achilles feel better!

Doctor #2. Since I cough a lot in class, my Chinese acquaintances try to help. One brought me some herbal packets. Another went all out; he guided me to his own doctor. His name is Doctor Li. He used to work in the campus hospital, but since retirement has focused solely on traditional Chinese medicine. My friend was with to interpret my symptoms.

Dr. Li took my pulse in several places on both arms. He looked at my tongue. Then, he started writing out a prescription. It contained twenty items! And, when I took it to the counter - a counter unlike those you've encountered - they spread a big plastic mat on the counter. Then, they went into bins, drawers, and doors and brought out those twenty items. There were herbs, metals, mushrooms, grasses, branches, and roots. I was told to cook this prescription and drink the juice (which I did). You can see what the kettle looked like before the "prescription" was cooked.

P.S. I still have the cough. (Connie)

Sunday Market - in Beibei, China

2008-11-20T05:48:00.000-08:00

As our time in Beibei, China nears its end, I realize that I have written more about our travels to other places in China than about Beibei itself. I need to rectify that!

One of my favorite things about Beibei is its Sunday market. Early on Sunday, the streets are packed with people from nearby villages. Here you can find the usual fresh fruit vendors and meat vendors, but you'll also find people selling everything else as well - medicines, pets, socks, snacks, etc. You can buy homemade baskets and brooms. You can buy portable wooden toilet seats on legs (very handy for use with your typical eastern toilet). The plants are particularly impressive; you can buy wispy orchids or large, potted trees.

Some of my favorite items for sale are not even products, but services. On the street, you can get an acupuncture treatment. Just sit down on the stool. You can get a haircut. Or, you can get your teeth examined and "new" teeth inserted. (I put new in quotation marks, because almost all the teeth appear to have been pre-owned.)

By noon, most vendors are sold out. (Connie)

Sunday in the Park - Kunming, China

2008-11-16T02:59:00.000-08:00

After five days of traveling with 24 other "close" friends (our students), we all looked forward to a free day on Sunday, November 9. We were in Kunming at the time.

Jim and I opted to spend our free time in the city park. We idled away our first hour or so reading a novel. Then, I got up to stretch my legs and found that a musical performance was about to begin. I sat down on the ground to watch, but quickly someone brought me a short stool to sit on. I had a front row seat.

I loved the little girl dancer the best, but the musicians were all fascinating to watch. (Connie)

Pandas!

2008-11-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

All this time in China and I have not yet talked about pandas. And, yes, we saw them during our trip to Chengdu. There they have a Giant Panda Research Center.

With fewer than 1000 pandas left in the wild, breeding is the focus here. Mating occurs in the spring - and if lucky, the baby pandas appear in fall. We were fortunate enough to be there when they had five baby pandas in the 'nursery.' All five shared one human baby crib.

Most of the adult pandas we saw that day were either sleeping or eating. (They have a "thumb" that helps them strip the bamboo leaves off the stalks, and handle the shoots and stems.) These three "teenagers" were quite playful, so we watched them the longest. I couldn't decide which was cuter - they, or our own Nakita, Marty, and Hallie!(Connie)

Bai Batiks in Dali China

2008-11-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

Also in Yunnan province, we visited Dali on November 7-8. The Bai people are Dali's principal minority group. They are noted for their blue and white batik.

I met this women in old town Dali. She liked me enough to take me to the backyard of her shop. There she showed me the stitching technique used to make the batiks. She also showed off her indigo plants growing there; they provide the blue dye.

When I asked to take her picture, her hair was down and very long. She said, dong yi dong. (Wait a minute.) She wanted to fix her hair.

I wish I would have taken pictures of the whole process! First, she braided her hair. Then, I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but she put on her hat and wrapped the braid around the hat. (Her braid is the black line you can see.) Then, she wrapped several strands of yard around her braid. As you can see, the end result is beautiful. (Connie)

Shi Lin "Badlands"

2008-11-12T23:53:00.001-08:00

Last week we visited near Kunming a stone forest Shi Lin. It reminds me of the badlands of South Dakota. We were riding by bus near a pretty lake, and then all of a sudden "wham!" there are these stone mountains, pillars, and other odd shapes.

Jim and I went walking on our own through this area. We walked down many small steps to 'the jail' area, and we walked up to one of the peaks. It was a beautiful day weather-wise so we could see forever! (Connie)

Many Ways to Say "Keep Off the Grass!"

2008-11-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

In my work back home, our company encourages governmental agencies who must enforce laws to think about ways to "win" people's compliance with the law. In other words, you can always threaten people with fines, sanctions, or punishments if they fail to comply. You can police them - and that's what most compliance organizations emphasize.

But we have found that compliance rates are even higher if you supplement enforcement with helping people see the reason for the law and making it easy or motivational for them to voluntarily comply. So, I smile every time I see a Chinese version of our compliance theory in practice.

How do you react when you see a "KEEP OFF THE GRASS!" sign? Does it make you want to step onto the grass? (It does me.) How much more willing would you be to stay off the grass after seeing one of these Chinese versions of the same message (all of which I've seen here)-

* Leave the grasses at rest.
* Protect greening so as to endow benefit to descendents
* Every emotion of grasses relies on your affectionate care. (Connie)

Lijiang Memories

2008-11-10T03:27:00.000-08:00

We have just returned from a five day whirlwind trip of Yunnan province. One beautiful spot we visited is Lijiang, right next door to Shangri-La. We were blessed with wonderful weather. The skies were blue with white puffy clouds, which we all appreciated after weeks of gray in Beibei.

Jim and the students went up 15,000 feet to the top of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and enjoyed a gorgeous clear view of the surrounding Qianhu Mountains. Some of the students took the opportunity to have a quick snowball fight.

Because I was having some respiratory problems, I stayed behind and explored the lower altitude of old town Lijiang. Crisscrossed by canals, bridges, and a maze of narrow streets, old town has shop after shop selling special teas, silver, woven cloth, leather, and other local crafts.
Jim later bought me a beautiful silver bracelet, hand-hammered into a dragon and phoenix design. (I have chosen as my Chinese name Long An - meaning peaceful dragon - so this bracelet has special significance to me.)

I also enjoyed seeing more non-Western native dress here than anywhere else in China to date. China has over 50 ethnic minorities. The majority of them live in Yunnan Province. The Naxi minority women wear the blue and black outfits seen here; the seven circles on the back of their blouses represent the stars. The Naxi descend from Tibetan people, but have lived in Lijiang for 1400 years so I think they're here to stay!

They are a matrilineal society. I enjoyed learning about the matriarchal influences in their language. Nouns enlarge their meaning when the word for female is added, and the reverse is true when male is added. So, for example, 'stone' plus female means boulder. 'Stone' plus male means 'pebble'! (Connie)

Obama Wins!

2008-11-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

Watching this election from abroad, I can report that the my corner of the world has great hopes for Obama. We watched the debates together over here - international students from Columbia, Vietnam, China, America, Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia. I asked them first - what did you think? They mentioned the new spirit that Obama brings to the world. They are very hopeful for a change in America's international relations.

And, I will always remember where I was when we heard the election results. I was riding on a bus over the hills of Yunnan Province in China. We had had no news contact, but had asked Chinese friends to telephone us with the news as soon as they heard. Finally, one of our students who is Taiwanese received a call from a study abroad student from Kyrgyzstan who asked to talk to her boyfriend who is from Columbia who then announced to all of us Americans on the bus that Obama had won! A cheer rang out.

What an international telephone relay. What an international cheer I heard! (Connie)

Valentin, the Rock Star

2008-11-03T02:03:00.001-08:00

Southwest University in Beibei recently sponsored a talent contest. Two of our most intrepid students - Dylan Ronan and Valentin Sierra - entered. They knew nothing of the popularity or scale of this event. Arriving the first night (and thinking that it would involve only a few people), they found that over 500 people had entered originally; that people were there in formal dress; that professional lighting and sound people were there ... It was a BIG deal.

Both of our entrants did us proud. And, after all the voting, Valentin ended up making it to the final round, where only fifteen entrants remained! This final round was this last Saturday night, November 1. Held in a large auditorium, the event was packed with a crowd estimated at 800 people.

Valentin, who is an international student at St. John's from Columbia, chose to sing three songs overall - one in English, one in Spanish, and one in Chinese! Groups of five entrants sang at a time, after which one was "voted" off. Valentin had a hard time because everything was in Chinese - so he stood up on stage, smiling and nodding, but not having a clue whether he was supposed to stay or leave. Often he would look as if he were heading off the stage, and they would indicate that he should stay.

Finally there were only 5 contestants left, then four, then three, and at last only two. One was Valentin and the other a Chinese young woman. The five adult judges voted - four votes for the young woman, one for Valentin. But, each college of the University had one student who voted as well. After the student voting, the young woman won first place with 18 votes in total. Valentin had seventeen votes in all! He came in second, but was the heart-throb of all the Chinese girls in the room.

They tried to interview him afterward, but it was all in Chinese. So, he summed up his Chinese language training and shouted, "Wo ai nimen!" (I love all of you.) The crowd went wild. He was swarmed for autographs.

Congrats, Valentin! (Connie)

Halloween in Beibei

2008-10-31T08:05:00.001-07:00

Tonight we celebrated Halloween by hosting a party for the Waiban, our teachers, the other international students, and our Chinese friends. A subset of the students planned, organized, decorated, and hosted the whole thing. They had a mummy wrapping contest, bobbing for apples, showed a horror film, and had music for dancing. Many students came in costume.

My only contribution was walking all over Beibei today to try to find a pumpkin. I ended up carving a very large squash instead! The Chinese guests referred to it as my "pumpkin lamp." Jim and I also caused a stir by dressing up. They were impressed with my pirate costume, but Jim stole the show as Sarah Palin! He even had her accent down pretty well.

Fun was had by all. The Chinese students - and African students - were especially interested in the American tradition of Halloween. Several asked me to tell them stories about what really happens. So I told about children going door to door and saying "Trick or treat." I talked about haunted houses and haunted hay rides. I talked about people of all ages putting on costumes and having parties. I talked about 'soaping' windows and throwing toilet paper on trees as some of the "tricks" that kids would play. I think they got the gist of what I was saying, but several had fairly puzzled looks on their faces! I guess I would too if I were hearing about it for the first time.

Happy Halloween! (Connie)

Bad Things Come in Three

2008-10-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

We've had a spate of bad fortune this week --- three trips to the emergency room in seven days! (And this after we have had such good health). One reason I thought I'd write about the incidents is their comparison with the costs of the American medical system.

Last Friday afternoon, I accompanied one student who had been having severe stomach pain to the hospital on campus. She was seen by an admitting doctor, seen by a specialist, had lab work done, and was given three prescriptions. It took about three hours, and it cost 50 yuan (or about $8). Kathleen seems to be better.

Then Sunday night Jim was called at 10:30 p.m. as a different student was being taken to the hospital by ambulance for severe stomach pain. Jim jumped in a cab and met her at the main hospital in downtown Beibei --- Jui Yuan, Hospital No. 9. He came home about 2:00 a.m. only to receive a call that they wanted to operate. He went back to the hospital where they operated at 3:00 a.m. She had a perforated appendix which was about to burst (but hadn't). Josipa was discharged today. Her hospital stay of five nights, the surgery, her labs, and her dismissing prescriptions came to about $1000 US total. (As a comparison, this is less than the co-pay we paid for Emily's hospital stay of one night!)

Jim and I were invited to eat at a local Chinese host's family on Tuesday night. To make conversation, I mentioned that some people who are superstitious think that bad things happen "in three" and mused aloud who might be next. Did I find out!

Last night, while the students were decorating for the Halloween party they are hosting tonight, a plaster ceiling tile fell onto the head of Heather. I have always heard that head wounds bleed profusely; I can now personally attest to that fact. Blood gushed everywhere. So she, I and Ethan hopped in a cab and went to jui yuan for another emergency room visit. She required three stitches in her head, but the worst part for her was that they had to cut a swatch of her hair off right in front, as she has long, dark hair. On the plus side, her head is completely bandaged up, making a "ready-made" costume for the party tonight. (I know, it's not funny, but we teased her by saying she'd do anything to make Halloween gore more realistic.)

If bad things happen in three, we should be safe from here on in! (Connie)

Mid-Term Exams in China

2008-10-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Chinese teachers are used to giving only final exams. In our case, Jim has asked each of the teachers to use additional assessments, so that a student's grade is not dependent on only one grading point. In all cases, the teachers have been responsive. So, this past week has been "mid-term" exam week. We've had exams in Chinese; an essay due in Chinese Literature (I'm not proud of mine); and a wushu mid-term exam.

In calligraphy, I smiled when our mild-mannered teacher sweetly told one student, "This is not beautiful." My smile disappeared when he told me, "You should go back to drawing lines."

In wushu, the students were to demonstrate a tai-chi series of moves, and up to three animal routines. They were impressively in sync, as can be seen from these photos. Where am I, you ask. I didn't participate as I didn't want to bring down the grade of any group I was in; there are some moves that I physically cannot do. (Or, maybe I was demonstrating the animal of "chicken"!) (Connie)

The Button Bargain

2008-10-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

When our friend Cheryl was here, she searched for Chinese buttons. We couldn't find any. But on a recent trip to Leshan, I happened across a very old man selling buttons on the street. He had three cookie sheets full of buttons set up along the sidewalk by a park. He was on a VERY short stool, and had another one by the buttons. I sat down.

I started looking through his buttons. A crowd formed; several saw the kind of button I was picking out and starting digging through the buttons to help me find more of the same. Pretty soon I had 26 buttons that I wanted to buy. "Duoshao?" It was at that point that I asked how much they would cost. "Ershi wu yuan," the old man said (about $4). I shook my head. He thought I didn't understand, so he pulled out the bills to show me. "Wo dong," I said, "tai gui." (I understand, but too expensive.) I offered 5 yuan ($.75) - and the bargaining was on.

A larger and larger crowd formed, watching this American woman sitting precariously on a tiny stool bargaining with this older man. At last, he is at 15 yuan and not moving, and I am at 10 yuan and not moving. Jim, who was ready to move on, decided to split the difference and pulled out 12.5 yuan to settle the deal. I didn't see this and made a final offer: 12 yuan. He accepts. We smile. As he puts the buttons into a small bag for us, Jim decides to hand him 12.5 yuan anyway (an extra 7 cents). The crowd takes a collective inward breath, and emits loud muttering. ("Huh-uh. A deal's a deal.") The old man hands back the .5 yuan.

(This would have been a great video clip but unfortunately, our videographer was not along and both of us were so caught up in the moment that neither of us thought to take a picture.) (Connie)

Jin Dao Gorge

2008-10-19T03:08:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Saturday (October 18th), we took a group trip to a nearby gorge. The gorge has its own King Arthur legend where a villager found a golden knife buried in a stone inside a cave and easily pulled it out. He went on to become a great general. The village and the gorge came to be known as Golden Knife Gorge (i.e. Jin Dao Gorge).

The bus dropped us off at one end of the gorge and we followed the river through the gorge where the bus picked us up; a fair amount of walking, but mainly downhill. (At one point we descended what is called the "thousand step ladder." There weren't really 1000 steps, but it felt like there were.)

At some points, the gorge widened and contained crystal clear, blue pools of water. (Most other water in China has been very silty.) Several of the guy students took this opportunity to go swimming, which the few Chinese tourists who passed by found very entertaining. The students described the water as chily but refreshing.

Elsewhere the gorge was very narrow, with us walking 50 feet above the water while the cliff rose a 100 feet above us. For a long stretch (close to a mile?) we were walking along a walkway that juts out of the cliff, with rickety board slats covering the walkway. Occasionally, we would see a place where the walkway used to be somewhere else and was now broken with rotten boards. Fortunately, none of us fell through to the waters below.

At one point when we crossed the river from one side of the gorge to the other, we saw a family of ten to twelve monkeys below in the riverbed. The students stood and watched the monkeys from the bridge, and the monkeys watched the students. Connie and I continued on and were about 100 yards downstream where another bridge again crossed the river. I looked back and saw the head monkey take offense at something, bound up the bank and suddenly land on the bridge. I don't know how 20 students could vacate that bridge as fast as they did, but they were off in an instant! Fortunately, the monkey did not chase them further. (Jim)

Da-Zu Carvings

2008-10-18T22:40:00.000-07:00

Dazu is about 160 km southwest of Chongqing. In 1999 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I knew that Dazu contained carvings on the side of a mountain, but I never expected the sheer number or size of them!

Dazu contains thousands of pieces, large and small. Some carvings are huge - as can be seen on this group shot of us. Others are intricate, and reference such topics as evolution, family life, "heaven" and "hell."

They are not protected. As a visitor, you are right there - with many thousands of hands touching the statuary every day. But, then I realize that they have been here since around 1200 A.D. so maybe I need not worry. (Connie)

Toilet Habits

2008-10-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't been in China, young children often wear no diapers. Each outfit is just like ours, with the exception of a split crotch seam. Parents hold their babies, allowing them to go to the bathroom on the street. I have heard that they toilet-train much earlier than in the West.

On a recent trip to Dazu, an area containing an impressive set of lifesize carvings on a mountainside, I smiled to see a carving of a small boy with 'split pants.' Thus, I know that this habit has been a tradition here for at least 800 years. (That's how old the carvings are).

Most of us have also gotten used to the eastern "foot pad" toilets, although one student said recently that she'll forever "worship at the shrine of the Western toilet." I heartily agree with her. (Connie)

Shampoo and a Haircut - Six Bits

2008-10-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Jim and I are getting used to extremely low prices. Yesterday I got my first haircut in country. She did a nice job - and it cost me 8 yuan, or about $1.25 US. Jim had his beard trimmed for 3 yuan. (Now I know what it's like to sing, "A shave and a haircut, six bits.")

Most of the St. John's/ St. Ben's students don't convert yuan into dollars anymore when considering prices. They think of yuan as dollars and get upset if they have to pay more than 10 yuan for lunch or dinner (about $1.50). Last week, Jim and I went out with six students for supper. The entire, very good meal cost us 91 yuan, or about $13 for the eight of us, and, no one went home hungry.

The best "bargain" in Beibei is my massage place. I have gone for a massage twice; each time he has charged 25 yuan for a 60 minute massage. He really practices acupressure - and he seems to know just where you hurt. The first time he spent the majority of the time on my neck and right shoulder which is where I carry my stress. On Saturday, Jim and I had walked for 4 hours before I arrived, and he spent the majority of time on my shins, feet, and toes. How does he know??

Jim had a massage while on our trip to Sichuan province a week ago. It was fine although it cost twice as much. Imagine paying $7 US for a one hour massage (but I guess we all splurge once in a while). Our sense of prices are certainly getting distorted! (Connie)

John and Cheryl visit Beibei

2008-10-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Our friends, John Mallo and Cheryl Larson, visited us over the weekend of September 26-30. Because we were here, they decided that this was the time to visit China. Of course, you don't just "drop by" in Beibei, China. After visiting Beijing, Xian, and Tibet, they took a 4 1/2 hour uncomfortable train trip from Chengdu. They got off smiling late on a Friday night.

On Saturday, we all took the cable car up Jin Shan mountain near Beibei (a hard thing for John, who has slight fear of heights). Cheryl and Jim hiked up to the pagoda on the mountain top, while John and I visited the Botanical gardens lower down.

I was fortunate to be by a Buddhist temple at 4:30 just as a 'service' began. They started with ringing a large metal bell. They lit incense sticks and blessed all four directions. They anointed the front of the temple with an oil. They prostrated themselves in front of an image of Buddha. I sat on this mountain hillside, listening to their chanting for a half an hour. In some respects, it felt very familiar (akin to St. John's). In others, I really was "half a world away." (Connie)

The World's Biggest Buddha

2008-10-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

We were in Leshan China over the weekend. It's a beautiful city at the junction of three rivers.

It is most known for its Grand Buddha. Carved into a mountain side, it is the largest Buddha in the world. Started in 713 A.D., it took 90 years to complete. Eight people, sitting around a table, can picnic on the nail of his big toe.

Can you see the people next to his eyebrow? (Connie)

Emei Mountain on National Day

2008-10-08T06:06:00.000-07:00

The students, Jim and I have just returned from a week of traveling to Sichuan Province. Tourism has been down by 60% since the earthquakes there, so we thought we'd encounter very few people. We were wrong. We went during the week of National Day. October 1, the day China celebrates its 1949 start as a country, is the equivalent to our 4th of July. Four million people, as measured only by those who went through travel agencies, were traveling in Sichuan Province that week. I think all of them went to Emei Mountain at the same time we did.

Emei Shan is one of China's four revered Buddhist mountains; it is about 9500 feet high. We packed some overnight things in backpacks and started on the bus ride up the mountain. The road was so congested we couldn't get close to the point where we were going to catch a cable car to the top. So, we left the bus stranded, and walked and walked - straight up. It was only about 2.5 kilometers, but I was definitely the last one to arrive at the top. An active monastery is there, adorned with a golden Buddha whose faces look in all directions.

We slept overnight in a spartan setting, before being awakened at 6:30 a.m. It is considered extreme good fortune to see the sun rise; we did not. While overcast and raining, it was still an incredible experience, following waves of umbrellas undulating up the stairs in the pre-dawn dark and mist. Many people were carrying lit candles.

After breakfast, half of the students walked down the mountain to the bus below. This walk is about 15 kilometers, and I did take the cable car this time! It took the hikers over 5 hours - and, their legs are still wobbly! The strong-kneed students who walked all the way are pictured above.

Last, I can't fail to mention the monkeys along the way down who demand food for passage. Several were quite aggressive and jumped on the packs of at least three students. No one was scratched, and all loved the monkey bandits! (Connie)

I'm Striking Out in Chinese

2008-09-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

I have been trying very hard to learn Chinese. I have made flash-cards (like in the third grade) and I know over 100 vocabulary words. But, I have a ways to go on pronunciation! Here are quick vignettes from just the last three days -

Day 1 - I order fish in a restaurant. I am proud that I know the word for fish. It's "yu",and is pronounced (u-ee). The waitress smiles, writes it down, and goes away. We are served pork ribs. (The Chinese word for pork is "zhu".) I must not have been close. Strike 1.

Day 2 - I decide to stay away from fish and pork because they apparently sound too similar. I order chicken. In Chinese, chicken is "ji rou". Here ji is pronounced "gee." It should be quite clear. This time we are served beef roll-ups, with cilantro in the middle! They were good, but it was Strike 2 for me.

Day 3 - Yesterday Jim needed to write up a proposal for school, so I went wandering the streets myself. I had a lead on the location of a good massage parlor. That sounded great. I know I got to the right general vicinity, but I couldn't see anything that looked like a massage parlor. I tried two places, but they just shook their heads and didn't know what I was trying to say.

Then, a kind person on the street tried to help. I said, "Nar shi massage." (nar shi means 'where is') And, I added my fool-proof method - charades! I pretended I was giving a shoulder massage. I pretended I was rubbing in a circular motion.

Her face lit up. She gestured for me to follow here. Confidently, we set out. She took me to a mahjohng parlor!

I watched for awhile (wicked game!), and then just went home! Strike three! (Connie)

Mei You Cafe

2008-09-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

I smile at my own misunderstandings that have arisen during this trip due to translations between English and Chinese. As one example, there is a place in Yuangshou called the Mei You Cafe. "How nice!" I thought. "They're trying to say this is a cafe for "me and you." But then, I saw the signs hanging out front-
Warm Beer! Lousy Food! Rip-Offs! Bad Service!
My image of the place changed immediately. Who would want to go there?

It was only after I started my Chinese class that I learned that "mei you" in Chinese means "to not have." So this restaurant was using an intentional play on words - saying that they did NOT have warm beer, lousy food, rip-offs, nor bad service. (Only I didn't get it.)

Now I wonder what was really meant by this sign that I saw outside a hotel. What am I misunderstanding re: "chance amorous?" (Connie)

Silk

2008-09-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight's headlines contained news that the recent earthquakes in China has quite adversely affected the silk industry, here and throughout Southeast Asia. Much of the silk-producing worms and habitat has been destroyed, and it will take years to recover.

This news comes on the heels of my learning more about silk worms. Recently, a local proprietress of a shop showed me the steps of making silk. According to her, single worm cocoons are used to produce single strands of silk thread. But there are also double cocoons (with 2 worms each) that are used to make silk batting for comforters. Seven thousand double cocoons are needed for each comforter. She showed me the steps of removing the silk from these double cocoons. (Connie)

Impressive Photos - Yuangshou

2008-09-22T21:42:00.001-07:00

Today I've added new pictures from the Yuangshou performance at this blog entry: Yuangshou - A Must See Performance. PLEASE check them out! They were taken by Josipa Fofic.

Sunday Basketball

2008-09-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

On September 21, there was a international basketball game held at 4:00. The St. John's/ St. Ben's team played the Chinese psychology department team. Unfortunately, the Chinese team "psyched" us out and won the game. But, fun was had by all.

Spitting

2008-09-18T20:25:00.002-07:00

Until now, all of my posts have been about what have I enjoyed or found interesting. To add a little balance, I should mention my biggest pet peeve. Before I came I had heard that Chinese people spit a lot. While it doesn’t happen as often as I had imagined it might, it still happens several times a day.

I just enjoyed reading a book entitled, In China with Harpo and Karl, by Sibyl Jones. She lived in China for a year teaching English, and published this book of daily life. She devoted an entire (short) chapter to spitting. Since her description is just too perfect, I quote: “Outside every Chinese window lives a spitter. At six, he hawks the sun up, plants it for me in the street. You can hear him priming like an old pump in the chest or a motor revving till the rust turns juicy, bubbles up and out.”

And, walking down the street, I do hear that “revving” sound often. I glance nervously around, trying to figure out who has the spit wad in his/her mouth and which direction it is about to sail. I haven’t been hit yet, but have had several close calls. Yuk! (Connie)

Grocery Shopping

2008-09-18T20:25:00.001-07:00

One of my “goals” for this trip was to experience another culture not simply as a tourist, but as a “resident”. I considered needing to buy groceries as one example of what would be different about this experience.

And, I’ve loved grocery shopping, even though it is a much bigger – or, more frequent – ordeal than at home. Why? For one thing, our refrigerator is tiny, so it can keep only a few items cold. For another, I walk to the grocery store so I am limited to what I can comfortably carry back on a fairly long trek. (I did break down once and take a taxi home which cost a little less than a dollar. I may have to do that again.)

The packaging is all in Chinese so I spend a lot of time just wondering what’s inside. Often when English is added, it makes me smile. The English words always seem to include an over-the-top adjective. So, it’s “delightful bacon” you can buy. Or, “magnificent peanuts.” Sometimes the adjective they use is inadvertently gives the wrong impression. One product calls itself “grotesque”, when I think they meant something like “grand.”

People are always willing to help me, but they usually do so by saying a stream of Chinese over and over, as if I MUST understand it if they repeat it often enough.

I buy familiar foods way too much. I stick with carrots, potatoes, fruits, nuts, breads, rice, and yogurt. I should try what appear to be pickled vegetables, cooked ducks, and over twenty different types of mushrooms. Most items are less expensive than in the States. However, one type of mushroom was priced at 800 yuan, or over $100. I have no idea what it is or used for, but I won’t be buying any soon. (Connie)

Infrastructure Investment

2008-09-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is a much different China than what Jim and I saw in 1985. Most bicycles are gone; cars are everywhere. Pot-holed dirt roads have been replaced with superhighways that crisscross the country. On our recent trip to Chongqing, we saw construction cranes in every direction we turned. They are building skyscrapers of New York City proportion.

Bridges, schools, water supplies, and electricity generation systems are being constructed. Every airport we've been at (Guangzhou, Xian, Guilin, Chongqing) has been modern and recently renovated. Around the country, there are currently ninety-seven new airports under construction! They are investing $20 billion into their rail system. They can definitely move goods and people well.

I am happy for China, but it saddens me to realize how under-invested the US has been during that same twenty year time period. While they’ve been investing in infrastructure, we’ve been investing in “homeland security” (if you can call it that), which will NOT pay the dividends that China’s investments will. (Connie)

Chongqing Hot Pot

2008-09-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

This area is known for its food. In particular, Chongqing is known for its hot pot. A common large kettle of boiling oil is in the center of each table. Pieces of meat and vegetables are brought to the table and thrown in the pot. Some need to cook a long time, others just a little. Sometimes, there are two concentric pots - the one in the middle is principally oil and mushrooms. The one on the outside is the one I go for. It is full of peppery spices!

On our recent trip to Chongqing, we were treated to hot pot at the end of our long, wonderful day. I didn't eat the eel that went in the pot, but I did try the cow stomach. Lotus root was very good, and the lamb meatballs were the best of all.

We were eating with some fellow Americans and our Chinese host. Our friend Julie said that there were three things she wasn't going to eat in China, and she had already eaten all three - cow stomach, brains, and penis. "Penis," our Chinese host brightened up. "Would you like to try penis?" We politely declined. (Connie)

Farmers' Market in Beibei

2008-09-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

A large farmer's market occurs in Beibei on Saturdays.

The food! Ripe green tangerines, Asian pears, onions, mushrooms, cabbage, meat. Cooked ducks hang with their necks twisted back, basted to a brown lacquer. Turtles and pigeons for sale. It is a magic moment, just walking through and watching the faces of the sellers and buyers. (Connie)

Chongqing - Three Gorges Museum

2008-09-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

On this, our second weekend in China, we were treated to two trips to Chongqing, the nearest large city (8 million people). On Saturday (9/12), we were driven to a large store called Metro, which is similar to a Sam's Club. All who went were "foreign experts," or English language teachers from other countries. It was fun to see what excited people. "Yea - corn flakes!" "Cheese, real cheese!" What drew me was granola, candles , coffee, and a Chinese version of Spray-n-Wash (I hope). I really searched for diet pop, but couldn't find any.

On Sunday (9/13), we took a sightseeing trip into Chongqing. My favorite stop was the Chongqing Three Gorges Museum. Since China has built a huge dam for electricity, the three gorges have principally been filled up as a reservoir behind the dam. This museum rescued some of the hillsides and stone carvings that would have been underwater. (Other areas, including whole towns, were flooded). Over 3 million people were relocated as a result of the dam.

I'm glad that they preserved what they did - and they are displayed well. Some are displayed under glass floors that you walk on, so they appear as if they are underwater.

Other areas of the museum concerned the history of the Chongqing area. I particularly loved carvings from the Han dynasty period of time - and the 'rubbings' that people have done of the carvings. Both are works of art. (Connie)

Children - One Child Policy

2008-09-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Maybe because I'm missing our grandchildren, but I notice the children.

For one thing, our bathroom window faces the grounds of the kindergarten on campus. First thing every morning, we enjoy watching their exercises at 8:30 a.m. (when we're not in class ourselves).

For another, every child seems to be dressed beautifully. Even when the parents are obviously poor, their little girl is often in a party dress; their little boy in matching outfit and hat.

Some parents, upon seeing Jim or me, will 'push' their child to speak to us in English. Some do; most are too shy. Several times very small children have burst into tears, frightened by our foreign faces.

China does retain its one child policy. I have been told that because of concerns about aborting a child of a non-preferred sex, all doctors in China are prohibited by the government from disclosing the sex of a baby prior to birth. And, the vast majority of parents we see have only one child. They walk hand in hand with their children - including children in their teenage years and beyond. (Connie)

Poverty Reduction

2008-09-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

I read today that the World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion people – a quarter of the ‘developing’ world – live in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.25/day. Yet, according to World Bank data, the number of people in poverty in China fell from 835 million in 1981 to 207 million in 2008. China has experienced the largest and fastest poverty reduction in the history of the measurement used. Way to go, China! (Connie)

Everyone's Asking about Food

2008-09-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

I've received several questions about food. Food is plentiful, spicy, and good! We have been served chicken feet, but it is much more common to eat small pieces of meat chopped up with vegetables in stir-fried dishes.

Wheat and corn are more plentiful in the northern part of China - so noodles and dumplings are prevalent there. We were taken to a banquet in Xian where the meal consisted of 18 different courses of dumplings! Several dumpling courses were shaped consistent with their filling (e.g. shaped like a duck, shaped like a walnut).

In southern China where we are, rice is more plentiful. With the current world rice shortage, farmers are being encouraged by the government to grow two seasons of rice. (Historically, they've only grown one.) The rice fields are very small plots of land, carved out in whatever space they can find among rivers, roads, and hills. Rice is planted and harvested by hand. It would be very hard to mechanize. I have been told that rice straw can be fed to livestock (which is different than the straw I am familiar with from wheat, rye, flax, or oats).

In our town (Beibei), it is hard to find dairy products. Cheese is unheard of. Milk comes primarily in powdered form with sugar already added. We can get wonderful yogurt, however, and use that for our dairy fix.

There are few "ethnic" restaurants in Beibei. In other words, you can eat wonderful, inexpensive Chinese ($2-3) everywhere, but not Mexican, Indian, Thai or Japanese. We have heard there is one Korean restaurant in town, so Jim and I are going to seek that out. Kentucky Fried Chicken is here, but that's it for American food.

There are several Muslim cafes. The one we've eaten at is owned by a family of an ethnic minority of China called Uighur. The food is stir-fried, very spicy (which I love), but the spice does not taste like the red pepper taste of Sichuan nor the cumin taste of curry. Maybe when my Chinese gets better I can ask them what it is.

Fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Small shops exist in every other doorway. Rural people truck or bike to town with their produce. Some walk, with the produce hanging from a pole stretched across their shoulders. They then sell their produce along any city street, sidewalk, or on bridges.

Grocery stores are fascinating! I can spend hours in them, just looking at the packaging and trying to figure out what's inside. The main grocery store I go to has live fish and frogs in tanks. Haven't bought either yet.

There are several good bakeries. Jim and I buy croissants to eat with our coffee in the morning. Other than a few times, we haven't gotten into the local custom of eating noodle soup for breakfast. (Connie)

Yangshou, China - A Must-See Performance

2008-09-11T03:27:00.000-07:00

Our River Li journey ended in Yangshou, China. Yangshou is a much smaller town than Guilin, but quite used to English-speaking travelers.

Yangshou has a full bazaar where I enjoyed honing my bargaining skills. I only made two purchases, but in both cases, purchased the items for about a third of the original quoted price. Bargaining is "foreign" to most of the CSB/SJU students who feel bad doing it, even though everyone assures them that it is expected in China.

We also attended a performance of "Impression Liu Sanjie" in Yangshou that is not to be missed. It is one of only three performances around the world that uses a natural stage. The "stage" in this case is a part of the beautiful Li river. In one scene, there will be hundreds of poled fishing sculls moving in sync. The next has children singing on a floating stage where only moments before the sculls had been. For certain scenes, floodlights light up the background mountains. Words fail to describe what its like to sit outside after dark on a cool evening and see/hear the beauty of this performance.

It is directed by Zhang Yimong who choreographed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. And what an impressive production it is. There are over 600 performers in the show, including local farmers who walk through the nearby hills on cue with their water buffalo. We were told that the cast practiced for five years before putting on their first performance. (Quite unlike the States!)

The pictures I have posted from the performance were taken by one of the students, Josipa Fofic. Remember her name; she'll be a world-renown photographer one day. (Connie)

Mid-Autumn Festival/ Moon Cakes

2008-09-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It coincides with the full moon at the end of the harvest season. This year's Mid-Autumn Festival is September 13.

It is primarily a time for families to get together. A special cake is made and exchanged with family and friends, called the moon cake. It is round, about 3 inches in diameter, has a design stamped on top, and is wrapped in a pretty package, usually red.

There are many kinds of moon cake. Some have a firm jelly inside. Some resemble Western fruitcake in taste and consistency. And, some have a whole yolk baked into the center of the cake. When I saw this latter kind, I couldn't believe the yolk had stayed whole. It took me until the middle of the night to realize that that whole baked yolk represents the MOON! (duh) - Connie

Teachers' Day in China - Sept 10

2008-09-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (September 10th) was National Teachers' Day in China. Teachers' Day started originally to honor Confucius, as he was a great teacher and he vigorously supported the education of every person from every level of society. It has evolved into a day to honor all teachers. Many Chinese students presented their teachers with flowers and small gifts. Teachers (or Lao shi, in Chinese) hold high social status in China.

Jim and I were honored twice. First, SWU held a dinner to honor all teachers from other countries who are teaching at their university. We met two Peace Corps teachers (Kristen and Phil), two former SJU students (Keegan and Andrew) and two former Seattle students (Julie and Rob) who are teaching English, as well as teachers from Thailand and Korea. Many rounds of beer were used to cheer on the new school year - ganbai ("bottoms up"). I was glad I was only drinking tea!

Then, at about ten o'clock last night, Jim and I had a knock on our door. There were our CSB/SJU students, who presented Jim with a small cake and an apple! We were very pleased. A few stayed after, and we discussed the political structure of China. I love how passionate, well-reasoned and well-read they are. What bliss! (Connie)

Guilin

2008-09-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

We spent two days in Guilin prior to our trip on the river Li. Jim and I had been to Guilin once before in 1985, and we didn't recognize the place. As Jim wrote to family: "In 85 Guilin was a beautiful and quiet town on a pretty river with scenic low mountains all around. There were few hotels because foreigners were still rare and the Chinese couldn't afford to travel. Now it is a cross of San Antonio meets Las Vegas! They have a beautiful river walk, parks, hundreds of small chic shops and hotels upon hotels. Last night it seemed there were neon lights everywhere".

Jim and I think Guilin will become a 'destination city' if it already hasn't. But, in many respects, I preferred the old Guilin. I must really be an old curmudgeon.
(Connie)

SWU Campus in Beibei - "Lofty Ideals"

2008-09-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

The campus is large and beautiful – with “one thousand” trees. (In Chinese literature, the term one thousand is often used and means a large number/many thousands.) I have heard that 50,000 students attend. The classrooms are very modern, with technology in every room. On the down side, the acoustics are poor which makes listening to heavily accented English more difficult. The instructors are eager to help us learn, and the combination of classes reinforce learning of Chinese. (For example, in calligraphy you learn the meaning of characters while learning to create them artistically).

Many signs around campus contain the Chinese characters for this phrase: “Possess Lofty Ideals, Noble Character, Glorious Feats, and Immortal Works.” Imagine seeing that every day of your campus life! It's bound to sink in. (Connie)

Our Apartment in Beibei

2008-09-10T00:19:00.000-07:00

We are living in international housing provided for teachers on the campus of Southwest University. I think of our apartment life as camping meets "playing house." I boil water OFTEN so that we have enough on hand to drink and use for brushing our teeth. Everything in the kitchen is in miniature. I bend almost in half to place anything into the refrigerator. However, there is everything you need -- a two burner stove (no oven), a small frig, and cold running water. (There is a hot water heater in the bathroom). We have only 3 bowls, but I plan to invest heavily soon and buy a few plates. We wash our clothes and hang them outside on our patio to dry overnight.

The living room is great - with a sofa, two chairs, a large TV, a small dinette set, and a computer desk. Our bedroom is air conditioned. All in all, life is good. (Connie)

Xian -- City Wall and Muslim Street

2008-09-09T23:58:00.001-07:00

The old city of Xian is completely surrounded by a wall (and at one time, a moat). The interior of the wall dates back to an early dynasty, but its exterior received new brickface "only" 600 years ago. During our last morning in Xian, many students rented bicycles and traveled the top. The rest walked. I believe the wall is 8 miles in circumference. Marty, Hallie, Nakita, Dylan, and Valentin made it around during our 45 minute stop.

My favorite street in old town Xian was Muslim street. We didn't take many pictures (as we were advised not to), but there were vendors selling crickets in cages, LONG strings of kites for sale, and many new (to us) sights and smells. Our time there was way too limited. (Connie)

Terra Cotta Warriors - Xian

2008-09-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

Xian, China is full of history. It is most known as the home of the terra cotta warriors. There are 8000 life-size warriors in all, dating to the Qin dynasty (221 B.C.) The soldiers guard the burial site of the emperor. (See Jim with a legion of terra cotta warriors behind him.)

The warriors were re-discovered in 1974 by a farmer digging a well. He received 30 yuan for this property (about $5.00).

It was pouring rain the day we visited, but all the warriors are under cover, so no worries.

Each one is unique; each has a different face. (Connie)