We had district conference today for the China International District Branch (I just found out what it was called, haha); it's interesting listening to Church through a computer. I'm so grateful my group has a worthy Priesthood holder so we can partake of the Sacrament each week--I was afraid I'd miss it for four months. Today is Sunday for me, which means I get to watch the Relief Society General Conference meeting on LDS.org twenty-four hours after Mountain Time's 7PM. Which is I think is 9AM tomorrow. I can't do the math right now. I'll watch GC on Monday because it is Sunday in the States. LDS.org works here, which sort of surprises me, but it's definitely a blessing. I was just given my first-ever visiting teaching assignments and sisters to visit, within our small group here. I feel so grown up. Haha.
Yesterday, Miz, Katy and I went to Big World (a big mall here) and I bought a small cactus and a bamboo plant for my apartment. The Chinese laughed at us crazy white girls buying cacti, but we're used to it by now. We got manicures, too. My first ever; it was a fun experience. Then we and Adam went to the beach, which was fun but kind of cold. I saw a couple sea stars and some jelly fish. After, we ate dinner and showered and then went to the Central night market. We had a lot of fun together.
It's been a month since I left the States for China. It's been the longest month of my life, but it also feels like time flew by. I know I'm going to miss China and I think the next three months will go by fast.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
September 19-Kitchen, Hugs, and Night Markets
Today was a great day. I'm teaching Kitchen, so I get to make food with the kids. Today was crackers, peanut butter, cookie, and chocolate sandwiches. Talk about delicious! The kids were unusually attentive and obedient, but that's because I threatened them with not getting any food if they didn't listen to me. I wish I could always do kitchen. Haha. Afterward, when they were waiting for their Chinese teacher to come get them, I asked Lily for a hug. Her face brightened like nothing I've ever seen and she basically flew into my arms. She planted a long kiss on my cheek. While she hugged me, the other girls joined in for a group hug, and then some boys wanted hugs. I was...oh my goodness it made me so flipping happy. My. Students. Are. ADORABLE. I love them. (Some, not so much, but the majority have my heart.) I want to take pictures of them and I want the pictures on my wall when I go back to the States.
Just saying, hugs make everything better. I give them to everyone randomly when I see them (in my group, not random Chinese people). It's just nice to feel like someone cares, you know?
Tonight, Adam, Mizzy, Katy and I went to the night market. We tried this pizza-like thing--it's hard to describe, but basically it's doughy, with a spicy sauce and chives on top. Really good. I love street food. I was warned that I'd pay for it in the bathroom, but I haven't gotten sick off anything. Yet, at least. Adam's had it before and didn't get sick, so here's to hoping. Besides the pizza, I didn't buy anything else, and I'm proud of myself. I have compulsive shopping disorder, I swear. I really just want to wait until we go to Yongshuo, because Cami says there is amazing shopping there for great prices.
Just saying, hugs make everything better. I give them to everyone randomly when I see them (in my group, not random Chinese people). It's just nice to feel like someone cares, you know?
Tonight, Adam, Mizzy, Katy and I went to the night market. We tried this pizza-like thing--it's hard to describe, but basically it's doughy, with a spicy sauce and chives on top. Really good. I love street food. I was warned that I'd pay for it in the bathroom, but I haven't gotten sick off anything. Yet, at least. Adam's had it before and didn't get sick, so here's to hoping. Besides the pizza, I didn't buy anything else, and I'm proud of myself. I have compulsive shopping disorder, I swear. I really just want to wait until we go to Yongshuo, because Cami says there is amazing shopping there for great prices.
September 12-Beijing Day 4
Monday was the last day of our trip. Before heading back to Weihai, we visited the Temple of Heaven. It consists of three main sanctuaries, which each have two annexes: The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, The Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar. According to Wikipedia: The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven (simplified Chinese: 天坛; traditional Chinese: 天壇; pinyin: Tiāntán; Manchu: Abkai mukdehun) is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism.
It was an incredible experience. I loved seeing the traditional architecture and the colorful paintings. However, it seems to me that China tries too hard to modernize its culture; in its attempt to keep up with the modern world and to become more Westerner or tourist friendly, it has lost the sweet savor of its own traditional culture. Temples that were once the holiest of places to the Chinese people are now tourists attractions, where they’re more concerned about making a few yuan and selling cheap fiber-optic lights and doohickeys than preserving ancient traditions. Even the Forbidden City is visited by thousands of people every year. It’s saddening, especially since I find the traditional Chinese culture so beautiful and unique.
Maren, Kelli and I discovered two attractive European men and asked them for a picture. One is German, the other Italian. They had lovely accents and smelled delicious. Every European we ran into in Beijing smelled amazing. They were big sweethearts and we girls left giggling.
Outside of the Temple, in the Temple gardens, groups of Chinese people played a game similar to hacky sack, except with what looks like a tennis birdie. It looked like so much fun that most of my group bought a birdie hacky sack and we plan on having an ILP tournament someday.
There were people doing tai chi and others playing a game…well they had what looked like tennis rackets—each person had two, one in each hand—and a ball that they passed between each other. They stood only feet from each other, and their movements reminded me of tai chi or a slow kung fu, or like they were dancing. The ball slid between them like it was floating—everything about the “dance” was fluid, smooth and graceful. It’s hard to describe, but it was super cool to watch.
Finally, it was time to go home. We loaded onto the bus and started the 10 hour bus ride back to Weihai. It was during the day, so I was finally able to see some of the Chinese countryside. China is very lush and beautiful; I saw innumerable fields of various kinds of vegetation and once I saw a farmer in a traditional Chinese straw hat. It was grand.
Unfortunately, the weather worsened and it rained most of the ride home—and Chinese rain is something with which to be reckoned. When it rains, it pours, so visibility was extremely limited and I was no longer able to see anything out of the windows.
Hours into the bus ride, our driver requested that we sing American songs. So we turned on someone’s iTunes and had a mini dance/karaoke party on the bus. Then Walle, our guide, sang in Chinese to us. He was not musically inclined, but we appreciated the gesture, anyway. Right before we reached Daguanhua, he asked, in broken English, that we remember that “we are friends.” Everyone adored Walle; we’re gonna miss our little Asian.
We arrived at Daguanhua at about 8PM, four hours earlier than we had expected. I had an unbelievably awesome time in Beijing, but it was nice to be “home.”
.
It was an incredible experience. I loved seeing the traditional architecture and the colorful paintings. However, it seems to me that China tries too hard to modernize its culture; in its attempt to keep up with the modern world and to become more Westerner or tourist friendly, it has lost the sweet savor of its own traditional culture. Temples that were once the holiest of places to the Chinese people are now tourists attractions, where they’re more concerned about making a few yuan and selling cheap fiber-optic lights and doohickeys than preserving ancient traditions. Even the Forbidden City is visited by thousands of people every year. It’s saddening, especially since I find the traditional Chinese culture so beautiful and unique.
Maren, Kelli and I discovered two attractive European men and asked them for a picture. One is German, the other Italian. They had lovely accents and smelled delicious. Every European we ran into in Beijing smelled amazing. They were big sweethearts and we girls left giggling.
Outside of the Temple, in the Temple gardens, groups of Chinese people played a game similar to hacky sack, except with what looks like a tennis birdie. It looked like so much fun that most of my group bought a birdie hacky sack and we plan on having an ILP tournament someday.
There were people doing tai chi and others playing a game…well they had what looked like tennis rackets—each person had two, one in each hand—and a ball that they passed between each other. They stood only feet from each other, and their movements reminded me of tai chi or a slow kung fu, or like they were dancing. The ball slid between them like it was floating—everything about the “dance” was fluid, smooth and graceful. It’s hard to describe, but it was super cool to watch.
Finally, it was time to go home. We loaded onto the bus and started the 10 hour bus ride back to Weihai. It was during the day, so I was finally able to see some of the Chinese countryside. China is very lush and beautiful; I saw innumerable fields of various kinds of vegetation and once I saw a farmer in a traditional Chinese straw hat. It was grand.
Unfortunately, the weather worsened and it rained most of the ride home—and Chinese rain is something with which to be reckoned. When it rains, it pours, so visibility was extremely limited and I was no longer able to see anything out of the windows.
Hours into the bus ride, our driver requested that we sing American songs. So we turned on someone’s iTunes and had a mini dance/karaoke party on the bus. Then Walle, our guide, sang in Chinese to us. He was not musically inclined, but we appreciated the gesture, anyway. Right before we reached Daguanhua, he asked, in broken English, that we remember that “we are friends.” Everyone adored Walle; we’re gonna miss our little Asian.
We arrived at Daguanhua at about 8PM, four hours earlier than we had expected. I had an unbelievably awesome time in Beijing, but it was nice to be “home.”
.
Friday, September 16, 2011
September 11-Beijing Day 3
We awoke early to be at breakfast by 7, which was down the street at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Breakfast was, of course, an egg, a white rice roll, and some veggies.
Then we boarded the bus and headed for the Great Wall of China. When we arrived, most of us had to use the bathroom. That was an experience in itself, because there were so many women in line for the squatters that we were all pressed up against each other; also, the Chinese women have no sense of common courtesy and simply push through the lines to get ahead. We Americans weren’t going to take that so we formed The Great Wall of Americans so that no one would steal our places in line. China is breaking all my personal rules of common courtesy, because you are required to be pushy and rude if you are to get anything or anywhere in life. It’s probably a habit the Chinese women took up as a way to “get ahead” in a male-dominated society. The thing is, and I may have mentioned this before, but most (not all) Chinese men are very polite and step back to allow females to pass; like once at school, a group of male students allowed Mizzy and I to go ahead of them in the cafeteria line, which was a refreshing gesture of chivalry.
Returning to the group, we were informed that we needed to pay an extra 60 yuan to take the “sliding car” to the Wall, which was a mini roller coaster that went straight up the mountain. Otherwise, it would have been a killer walk to the top.
Arriving at the top, I stepped onto the Great Wall and surveyed my surroundings: circling me was a lush mountain range with jagged peaks and thick fog blanketing the valleys; it was the ideal Chinese landscape, straight out of the movies or National Geographic, or even my dreams. The Wall snaked over the peaks of the mountains, with towers at the highest points. In the distance, I could see the silhouette of a tower in the fog, mysterious and beautiful.
In truth, I was speechless. I mean, literally speechless. There were no words to describe how I felt at that moment, and how I still feel just remembering the experience. I even shed tears of excitement and disbelief—disbelief that I was really there, standing on the Great Wall of China. I have always wanted to see it in person—it’s on my Bucket List.
Oh, if only you could be there. The view of the Wall snaking down the lush mountains and the towers peeking out of the mist was, and is, one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring sights I have ever seen—hands down. Pictures are an insult to the real magnificence of the Wall; you just have to be there to really understand what I’m talking about.
We walked up and down the Wall, taking pictures, getting our pictures taken with random Chinese strangers (because we’re American and they love us), owling on the Wall (a new trend), climbing uneven stairs and near vertical ramps (I wondered how the Chinese soldiers got around so quickly to warn each other of danger), relishing the freezing, crisp mountain breeze, and basking in the grandeur of our surroundings. I could have spent all day on the Wall, but our guides had allotted us only two hours.
We descended the mountain on the sliding car, which was a lot of fun.
Next stop was the Olympic Park in downtown Beijing. Although we didn’t go inside anything, we saw the Crow’s Nest and the Cube and the Torch from the 2008 Summer Olympics. Those buildings have some crazy architecture to them. Walking around the park reminded me of attending the Olympics in Salt Lake City.
We then had lunch, which was ordinary Chinese food but in a much nicer setting than our last restaurants. They offered us water, but it was boiling hot—to kill the bacteria. I filled my water bottle with it and waited for it to cool.
Next was the Summer Palace, the Emperor’s summer retreat. It was so large and confusing and the group got separated, so we just wandered around aimlessly. The Palace gardens are beautiful and mysterious, with strange plants and trees with twisted trunks. My favorite part of the gardens was this glassy pond in the middle of a courtyard, surrounded by traditional Chinese walkways and buildings. A lily pad forest grew freely on the sides, with gorgeous lilies the size of my head sprouting from the water. An oriental bridge allowed passage over the still waters filled with bright orange fish, and museums and shops lined the outskirts of the courtyard.
The scene was absolutely stunning.
Kelli, Maren and I continued to wander, hoping to make our way to the Palace itself, but we never achieved that goal. We found a door with an admission fee, but that was all we could understand. We assumed that was the gate toward the Palace, but we didn’t want to pay the fee to find out. Instead, we eventually found ourselves on the banks of Kunming Lake, where paddle boats drifted out for a better view of the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the grandest hall of the Summer Palace. It’s style is similar to a pagoda, or a tiered octagonal structure-ish. Look it up, or look at my pictures on Facebook. The Tower is a very awe-inspiring sight, and very beautiful with the lake beneath its gaze.
Exhausted from walking around all day, we settled down on a small island with a great view of the Palace. An old Chinese man played a flute-like instrument with a beautiful typical-Chinese sound. Three teenage Chinese girls came up to us and asked for a picture with us and chatted with us for a bit. They had relatively clear, good English skills and told us they wanted to be friends with us. They were total sweethearts.
I had thought the Summer Palace was like a single castle, but after looking at a map, I realized that the palace spans over miles surrounding the lake, with halls and corridors and gardens dotting the landscape. The Tower of Buddhist Incense was a good distance from the main gate, and would have taken more time than we had to get there, plus a fee we weren’t willing to spend. What we were able to see was gorgeous, and I was satisfied.
Our next stop was Dr. Tea’s tea house. We sat around a rectangular table and watched while a Chinese-speaking waitress, garbed in traditional dress, explained to us various Chinese teas, while another English-speaking native translated. We were served in small China tea cups; although I don’t drink tea and was prepared to reject the tea, Scott explained to me that the first few teas were herbal and therefore were okay for me, a Mormon, to drink. I turned down the black tea, however. I didn’t really like the tastes of any of them. It was a unique experience, though.
Finally, we were allotted some down time back at the hotel. I watched a few minutes of the 9/11 memorial services at Ground Zero, though it was in Mandarin. Then Scott, Kailey, Kaylee and I cleaned up to go to a Chinese Acrobatic show downtown. Everyone else wanted to go to the pearl market to shop, but I figured that I’d have time to shop anywhere else in China, but how many opportunities would I have to see a live Chinese acrobatic show? In Beijing, China, nonetheless.
And let me just tell you, I did NOT make a mistake. For 100 RMB (about 15 USD), I attended one of the most incredible shows of my entire life. The costumes were incredibly beautiful with brilliant colors, sequins, feathers, silk, in crazy, mystical patterns; think traditional Chinese with an Alice in Wonderland twist. One act was contortionists, another was shirtless men hopping down pyramids on one arm; in one act, a guy flipped through a hoop that was near 16 feet in the air, without any sort of trampoline; in another act, they fit 10 girls on a single bike and rode it around in circles. The last act was a motorcyclist defying gravity while he rode inside a huge metal ball, and another cyclist joined him, and then another, and another, until there were five motorcyclists in the metal ball, revolving around the inside. My heart stopped a few times as I feared for their lives, since there was hardly enough room to fit all of them. If one had made even the slightest mistake and gone off course even a tiny bit, it would have turned gnarly.
I didn’t breathe until they were all safely on stage again.
I was, and still am, in awe at the feats those acrobats performed that night. It was truly unbelievable, and I am so glad I decided to go see it.
Afterward, we ate at KFC, because it was across the street. Kailey is Polynesian, so we had her hail a taxi while we stood a ways off, because she looks slightly Asian. It’s sad, but Asians really are racist here; or at least the taxi drivers dislike picking up foreigners because we usually don’t speak Mandarin, and it causes confusion. (Remember my second day in Weihai, when Maren and I got lost? Point proven.)
However, the hotel had given us cards with the hotel’s address on it, which helped us get home with little problem.
It was an exhausting but productive and unbelievably awesome day.
Then we boarded the bus and headed for the Great Wall of China. When we arrived, most of us had to use the bathroom. That was an experience in itself, because there were so many women in line for the squatters that we were all pressed up against each other; also, the Chinese women have no sense of common courtesy and simply push through the lines to get ahead. We Americans weren’t going to take that so we formed The Great Wall of Americans so that no one would steal our places in line. China is breaking all my personal rules of common courtesy, because you are required to be pushy and rude if you are to get anything or anywhere in life. It’s probably a habit the Chinese women took up as a way to “get ahead” in a male-dominated society. The thing is, and I may have mentioned this before, but most (not all) Chinese men are very polite and step back to allow females to pass; like once at school, a group of male students allowed Mizzy and I to go ahead of them in the cafeteria line, which was a refreshing gesture of chivalry.
Returning to the group, we were informed that we needed to pay an extra 60 yuan to take the “sliding car” to the Wall, which was a mini roller coaster that went straight up the mountain. Otherwise, it would have been a killer walk to the top.
Arriving at the top, I stepped onto the Great Wall and surveyed my surroundings: circling me was a lush mountain range with jagged peaks and thick fog blanketing the valleys; it was the ideal Chinese landscape, straight out of the movies or National Geographic, or even my dreams. The Wall snaked over the peaks of the mountains, with towers at the highest points. In the distance, I could see the silhouette of a tower in the fog, mysterious and beautiful.
In truth, I was speechless. I mean, literally speechless. There were no words to describe how I felt at that moment, and how I still feel just remembering the experience. I even shed tears of excitement and disbelief—disbelief that I was really there, standing on the Great Wall of China. I have always wanted to see it in person—it’s on my Bucket List.
Oh, if only you could be there. The view of the Wall snaking down the lush mountains and the towers peeking out of the mist was, and is, one of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring sights I have ever seen—hands down. Pictures are an insult to the real magnificence of the Wall; you just have to be there to really understand what I’m talking about.
We walked up and down the Wall, taking pictures, getting our pictures taken with random Chinese strangers (because we’re American and they love us), owling on the Wall (a new trend), climbing uneven stairs and near vertical ramps (I wondered how the Chinese soldiers got around so quickly to warn each other of danger), relishing the freezing, crisp mountain breeze, and basking in the grandeur of our surroundings. I could have spent all day on the Wall, but our guides had allotted us only two hours.
We descended the mountain on the sliding car, which was a lot of fun.
Next stop was the Olympic Park in downtown Beijing. Although we didn’t go inside anything, we saw the Crow’s Nest and the Cube and the Torch from the 2008 Summer Olympics. Those buildings have some crazy architecture to them. Walking around the park reminded me of attending the Olympics in Salt Lake City.
We then had lunch, which was ordinary Chinese food but in a much nicer setting than our last restaurants. They offered us water, but it was boiling hot—to kill the bacteria. I filled my water bottle with it and waited for it to cool.
Next was the Summer Palace, the Emperor’s summer retreat. It was so large and confusing and the group got separated, so we just wandered around aimlessly. The Palace gardens are beautiful and mysterious, with strange plants and trees with twisted trunks. My favorite part of the gardens was this glassy pond in the middle of a courtyard, surrounded by traditional Chinese walkways and buildings. A lily pad forest grew freely on the sides, with gorgeous lilies the size of my head sprouting from the water. An oriental bridge allowed passage over the still waters filled with bright orange fish, and museums and shops lined the outskirts of the courtyard.
The scene was absolutely stunning.
Kelli, Maren and I continued to wander, hoping to make our way to the Palace itself, but we never achieved that goal. We found a door with an admission fee, but that was all we could understand. We assumed that was the gate toward the Palace, but we didn’t want to pay the fee to find out. Instead, we eventually found ourselves on the banks of Kunming Lake, where paddle boats drifted out for a better view of the Tower of Buddhist Incense, the grandest hall of the Summer Palace. It’s style is similar to a pagoda, or a tiered octagonal structure-ish. Look it up, or look at my pictures on Facebook. The Tower is a very awe-inspiring sight, and very beautiful with the lake beneath its gaze.
Exhausted from walking around all day, we settled down on a small island with a great view of the Palace. An old Chinese man played a flute-like instrument with a beautiful typical-Chinese sound. Three teenage Chinese girls came up to us and asked for a picture with us and chatted with us for a bit. They had relatively clear, good English skills and told us they wanted to be friends with us. They were total sweethearts.
I had thought the Summer Palace was like a single castle, but after looking at a map, I realized that the palace spans over miles surrounding the lake, with halls and corridors and gardens dotting the landscape. The Tower of Buddhist Incense was a good distance from the main gate, and would have taken more time than we had to get there, plus a fee we weren’t willing to spend. What we were able to see was gorgeous, and I was satisfied.
Our next stop was Dr. Tea’s tea house. We sat around a rectangular table and watched while a Chinese-speaking waitress, garbed in traditional dress, explained to us various Chinese teas, while another English-speaking native translated. We were served in small China tea cups; although I don’t drink tea and was prepared to reject the tea, Scott explained to me that the first few teas were herbal and therefore were okay for me, a Mormon, to drink. I turned down the black tea, however. I didn’t really like the tastes of any of them. It was a unique experience, though.
Finally, we were allotted some down time back at the hotel. I watched a few minutes of the 9/11 memorial services at Ground Zero, though it was in Mandarin. Then Scott, Kailey, Kaylee and I cleaned up to go to a Chinese Acrobatic show downtown. Everyone else wanted to go to the pearl market to shop, but I figured that I’d have time to shop anywhere else in China, but how many opportunities would I have to see a live Chinese acrobatic show? In Beijing, China, nonetheless.
And let me just tell you, I did NOT make a mistake. For 100 RMB (about 15 USD), I attended one of the most incredible shows of my entire life. The costumes were incredibly beautiful with brilliant colors, sequins, feathers, silk, in crazy, mystical patterns; think traditional Chinese with an Alice in Wonderland twist. One act was contortionists, another was shirtless men hopping down pyramids on one arm; in one act, a guy flipped through a hoop that was near 16 feet in the air, without any sort of trampoline; in another act, they fit 10 girls on a single bike and rode it around in circles. The last act was a motorcyclist defying gravity while he rode inside a huge metal ball, and another cyclist joined him, and then another, and another, until there were five motorcyclists in the metal ball, revolving around the inside. My heart stopped a few times as I feared for their lives, since there was hardly enough room to fit all of them. If one had made even the slightest mistake and gone off course even a tiny bit, it would have turned gnarly.
I didn’t breathe until they were all safely on stage again.
I was, and still am, in awe at the feats those acrobats performed that night. It was truly unbelievable, and I am so glad I decided to go see it.
Afterward, we ate at KFC, because it was across the street. Kailey is Polynesian, so we had her hail a taxi while we stood a ways off, because she looks slightly Asian. It’s sad, but Asians really are racist here; or at least the taxi drivers dislike picking up foreigners because we usually don’t speak Mandarin, and it causes confusion. (Remember my second day in Weihai, when Maren and I got lost? Point proven.)
However, the hotel had given us cards with the hotel’s address on it, which helped us get home with little problem.
It was an exhausting but productive and unbelievably awesome day.
September 10-Beijing Day 2
We arrived in Beijing around 7AM and ate breakfast at a Roast Duck Shop. Breakfast was a white rice roll, some vegetables, a dumpling-like roll, and an egg; the typical Chinese breakfast. It’s a rather pathetic meal, actually. I’d kill for some cold cereal and milk.
After breakfast, we bought umbrellas from street vendors (who bombarded us the moment we left the restaurant) because it was rainy and cold. As far as I can remember, this was the first real rain I’d seen in China. I had expected it to be warm and humid like Indiana rain, but this rain was freezing. My head teachers had told me that it was supposed to be warm, so I was underdressed with pants, a T-shirt, and no jacket or coat. The umbrella helped to keep me dry and therefore warmer, but the umbrella was a sad excuse for anything. It was rusty and had a broken arm—worst 15 yuan I’ve ever spent.
Nevertheless, I simply laughed because hey, I’m in China. And after a short walk from the restaurant, I was in Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is, of course, the site of the catastrophe that killed 20,000 people in 1987 (I believe that is the date) when the people rebelled against the Chinese government. The Square is a huge stone “square” boxed in by the Museum of China, the Hall of People, some other building, and the Forbidden City. There are statues and red and yellow flowers (to complement the Chinese flag colors) and lots of vendors. We took a group picture from Tiananmen in front of the wall of the Forbidden City.
Our tour guides had never been given English names, so we named them Walle and Benny. Because we always asked, “Where’s Walle?” we decided his full name is Waldo and his nickname is Walle. Benny was a nice guy, but very business-like. Walle always had lots of energy and loved to participate in our American activities and tried to learn as much English as possible. He was also somewhat of a shweye kuh (cute boy), so we all adored him.
The Forbidden City is magnificent, and gigantic. We walked through stone courtyard after stone courtyard; up countless stairs; through ornately carved archways; over lopsided, crumbling cobblestones; looked into vast halls that had columns and molding decorated with bright yellows, reds, blues, greens, and gold. Gold dragons slithered over the ceilings, guarding ornate thrones and gold burning pots. Outside, the roofs curved in the traditional Chinese architectural style, and carvings of various animals prowled on the corners; the more animals on the roof, the more important the building. Nine is the highest regarded number (in case you were wondering, eight means wealth and is a lucky number; 4 means death and is the unluckiest number; nine is the imperial number, you could say).
I was surprised, however, at the lack of restoration on the City. Of course, the City is thousands of years old, but since it is such a huge tourist attraction, I had assumed the Chinese would restore and keep up the quality of the City. Perhaps they want to retain the ancient feel of the City, but most of the paint was faded and wearing off, the cobblestones were crumbling, and the wood was worn and obviously ancient.
Walking around the Forbidden City, I felt as if I had stepped back into time, or even into a movie, like Mulan. It was surreal and awe-inspiring. The Imperial Gardens were breathtakingly beautiful, with traditional statues and unusual Chinese plants and Chinese-style gazebos.
Inside the souvenir shops, there were beautiful brush paintings for sale and traditional dresses. I want some, but I figured I’d find better prices at the night markets or the pearl market in downtown Beijing.
On our way out of the Forbidden City, we witnessed a shocking sight: four Chinese people, two male and two female, were going at it in a full-on fist fight. Umbrellas were also used as weapons. Of course, we didn’t know what had caused this fight, but we knew better than to get involved. (We could be interrogated and/or arrested.) What also surprised me was that there were security guards literally a yard away, but they did nothing but direct pedestrian traffic around the fight—super bizarre. By the time the fight wound down, a woman and a man lay (apparently) unconscious on the sidewalk.
I wanted to help, but we rushed away from the scene before the police arrived to avoid any further conflict. It was the first time I’ve ever seen a fist fight in person.
Right after that, we went to a street market. The street vendors are super pushy here, but they speak good English. There was a vendor selling seahorses, star fish, and scorpions on a stick. The scorpions were still wriggling, which was a most disgusting sight. Another vendor had wriggling grubs.
I bought a stuffed panda bear: he’s super fat and kind of flat, like a hamburger. I named him Pangzi (PAHNG-zhuh), which means “fatties” in Mandarin. I would have named him simply fatty, but that’s pangde (PAHNG-duh) and it sounds too close to panda. I justify my decision by the fact that he is fat enough for two pandas. He’s so freaking adorable he makes me happy.
We then checked into our hotel, which was a dodgy hole in the wall from the outside, but decent enough on the inside. There were two beds per room, a TV, and a ¾ bathroom. The beds were box springs, which were soft compared to our boards back in Weihai. (Sad, huh?)
That night, we went to the silk and pearl market, a gigantic indoor market filled with vendors and their wares. There were ties, traditional dresses, shirts, jackets, shoes, jewelry, trinkets, bags, bedding, coats, Buddha paraphernalia, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. My favorites were the real fresh water pearls and the real silk.
We ate Subway for dinner, and it was ridiculously delicious. I do love me some American food.
After breakfast, we bought umbrellas from street vendors (who bombarded us the moment we left the restaurant) because it was rainy and cold. As far as I can remember, this was the first real rain I’d seen in China. I had expected it to be warm and humid like Indiana rain, but this rain was freezing. My head teachers had told me that it was supposed to be warm, so I was underdressed with pants, a T-shirt, and no jacket or coat. The umbrella helped to keep me dry and therefore warmer, but the umbrella was a sad excuse for anything. It was rusty and had a broken arm—worst 15 yuan I’ve ever spent.
Nevertheless, I simply laughed because hey, I’m in China. And after a short walk from the restaurant, I was in Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is, of course, the site of the catastrophe that killed 20,000 people in 1987 (I believe that is the date) when the people rebelled against the Chinese government. The Square is a huge stone “square” boxed in by the Museum of China, the Hall of People, some other building, and the Forbidden City. There are statues and red and yellow flowers (to complement the Chinese flag colors) and lots of vendors. We took a group picture from Tiananmen in front of the wall of the Forbidden City.
Our tour guides had never been given English names, so we named them Walle and Benny. Because we always asked, “Where’s Walle?” we decided his full name is Waldo and his nickname is Walle. Benny was a nice guy, but very business-like. Walle always had lots of energy and loved to participate in our American activities and tried to learn as much English as possible. He was also somewhat of a shweye kuh (cute boy), so we all adored him.
The Forbidden City is magnificent, and gigantic. We walked through stone courtyard after stone courtyard; up countless stairs; through ornately carved archways; over lopsided, crumbling cobblestones; looked into vast halls that had columns and molding decorated with bright yellows, reds, blues, greens, and gold. Gold dragons slithered over the ceilings, guarding ornate thrones and gold burning pots. Outside, the roofs curved in the traditional Chinese architectural style, and carvings of various animals prowled on the corners; the more animals on the roof, the more important the building. Nine is the highest regarded number (in case you were wondering, eight means wealth and is a lucky number; 4 means death and is the unluckiest number; nine is the imperial number, you could say).
I was surprised, however, at the lack of restoration on the City. Of course, the City is thousands of years old, but since it is such a huge tourist attraction, I had assumed the Chinese would restore and keep up the quality of the City. Perhaps they want to retain the ancient feel of the City, but most of the paint was faded and wearing off, the cobblestones were crumbling, and the wood was worn and obviously ancient.
Walking around the Forbidden City, I felt as if I had stepped back into time, or even into a movie, like Mulan. It was surreal and awe-inspiring. The Imperial Gardens were breathtakingly beautiful, with traditional statues and unusual Chinese plants and Chinese-style gazebos.
Inside the souvenir shops, there were beautiful brush paintings for sale and traditional dresses. I want some, but I figured I’d find better prices at the night markets or the pearl market in downtown Beijing.
On our way out of the Forbidden City, we witnessed a shocking sight: four Chinese people, two male and two female, were going at it in a full-on fist fight. Umbrellas were also used as weapons. Of course, we didn’t know what had caused this fight, but we knew better than to get involved. (We could be interrogated and/or arrested.) What also surprised me was that there were security guards literally a yard away, but they did nothing but direct pedestrian traffic around the fight—super bizarre. By the time the fight wound down, a woman and a man lay (apparently) unconscious on the sidewalk.
I wanted to help, but we rushed away from the scene before the police arrived to avoid any further conflict. It was the first time I’ve ever seen a fist fight in person.
Right after that, we went to a street market. The street vendors are super pushy here, but they speak good English. There was a vendor selling seahorses, star fish, and scorpions on a stick. The scorpions were still wriggling, which was a most disgusting sight. Another vendor had wriggling grubs.
I bought a stuffed panda bear: he’s super fat and kind of flat, like a hamburger. I named him Pangzi (PAHNG-zhuh), which means “fatties” in Mandarin. I would have named him simply fatty, but that’s pangde (PAHNG-duh) and it sounds too close to panda. I justify my decision by the fact that he is fat enough for two pandas. He’s so freaking adorable he makes me happy.
We then checked into our hotel, which was a dodgy hole in the wall from the outside, but decent enough on the inside. There were two beds per room, a TV, and a ¾ bathroom. The beds were box springs, which were soft compared to our boards back in Weihai. (Sad, huh?)
That night, we went to the silk and pearl market, a gigantic indoor market filled with vendors and their wares. There were ties, traditional dresses, shirts, jackets, shoes, jewelry, trinkets, bags, bedding, coats, Buddha paraphernalia, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. My favorites were the real fresh water pearls and the real silk.
We ate Subway for dinner, and it was ridiculously delicious. I do love me some American food.
September 9-Beijing Day 1
Today at six PM, my entire group left by bus for Beijing. We have a long weekend, from Friday to Monday. I sat by Kelli Golden. Apparently, our bus is a “luxury coach” because it has a small TV and some cushion on the chairs. To us Americans, it’s only tolerable; but at least it has cushions and extra large windows.
I have been looking forward to watching the Chinese countryside, but most of this trip would be spent under cover of darkness, since it gets dark at 7 here. Kelli and I chatted some, but I slept for the majority of the trip. The bus stopped about every two hours for a potty break, which we discovered was really a smoking break for the driver, but the passengers could take advantage of his excuse.
You know when you travel by some form of ground transportation, and you need to pee but you know that the only choice you have is the side of the interstate or a dirty restroom in some hole-in-the-wall convenience store? Well, Chinese rest stops are infinitely worse. The toilet is the hole in the wall, or in the floor at least. You can smell the squatters fifty meters away. One time, the lights had blown in the rest room so we had to find our way in almost complete blackness. That sure was an experience.
In all truthfulness, I prefer public squatters over public toilets. I think they are more sanitary because you don’t have to touch anything. Most places in China do not provide toilet paper, so most of us packed a roll. There is the rare occasion where a restroom provides paper, but it’s usually a communal roll on a wheel outside the stalls and you grab some before you go in.
Anyway. Kelli and I watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine on my laptop until we fell back asleep. I awoke the next morning when we pulled up to breakfast in Beijing.
I have been looking forward to watching the Chinese countryside, but most of this trip would be spent under cover of darkness, since it gets dark at 7 here. Kelli and I chatted some, but I slept for the majority of the trip. The bus stopped about every two hours for a potty break, which we discovered was really a smoking break for the driver, but the passengers could take advantage of his excuse.
You know when you travel by some form of ground transportation, and you need to pee but you know that the only choice you have is the side of the interstate or a dirty restroom in some hole-in-the-wall convenience store? Well, Chinese rest stops are infinitely worse. The toilet is the hole in the wall, or in the floor at least. You can smell the squatters fifty meters away. One time, the lights had blown in the rest room so we had to find our way in almost complete blackness. That sure was an experience.
In all truthfulness, I prefer public squatters over public toilets. I think they are more sanitary because you don’t have to touch anything. Most places in China do not provide toilet paper, so most of us packed a roll. There is the rare occasion where a restroom provides paper, but it’s usually a communal roll on a wheel outside the stalls and you grab some before you go in.
Anyway. Kelli and I watched X-Men Origins: Wolverine on my laptop until we fell back asleep. I awoke the next morning when we pulled up to breakfast in Beijing.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
September 4
For Church today, my group gathered in the head teacher, Marie’s room. We wore Sunday dress. We now belong to a very unique branch, which uses Skype to communicate. The branch is spread out over the entirety of China, and the members just call in from their computers to a certain phone number. We had opening song and prayer, and our Branch President addressed the announcements. Then we muted the speakers, and Scott, the only Priesthood bearer in my group, who had previously received permission to bless and pass the Sacrament, gave the Sacramental prayers and we had Sacrament. This was very nice, as I had been concerned that I wouldn’t be able to partake of the Sacrament for four months.
After this, we tuned back into Skype and Fast and Testimony meeting began. Those who felt prompted, wherever they were, simply spoke to the microphone in their webcams like you would on Skype. It was an interesting, but special, experience. We sang, I Need Thee Every Hour and I was touched that, especially now, while I’m in a foreign country which has banned God, I need Heavenly Father’s guidance and comfort.
After lunch, we decided to check out the beach that can be seen from my apartment window. A few days ago, most of the group went to the International Beach a 30 minute bus ride away, but we didn’t feel like traveling so far so we walked to this new beach. It took us a while to find it on foot, but we eventually made it. The beach is surrounded by what seems to be an abandoned mini amusement park: there are old water slides, broken down go karts, dinosaur statues, and life-size castles.
The beach itself is large and sandy, and wasn’t very populated, which was nice. There was a lot of trash on the beach and sometimes in the water, which was slightly disgusting, but it was so hot we didn’t care. The waves are mildly decent, and it stays shallow for a long ways out; I have yet to reach the drop off where I can’t touch the bottom. The water is super salty.
Adam and I think we saw a sting ray, but other than that there was no marine life. I can now say I swam in the Yellow Sea! It’s about a 30 minute walk, which doesn’t seem that awful once you’ve climbed nearly a thousand stairs every day for a week. (Been there, done that.)
Anyway. That night, Maren, Kelli, Marie, Kristin and I watched music videos on youtube for about two hours, and it was great. We were laughing so hard, checking out hot guys, talking about hot guys, being silly girls. We had a lot of fun.
After this, we tuned back into Skype and Fast and Testimony meeting began. Those who felt prompted, wherever they were, simply spoke to the microphone in their webcams like you would on Skype. It was an interesting, but special, experience. We sang, I Need Thee Every Hour and I was touched that, especially now, while I’m in a foreign country which has banned God, I need Heavenly Father’s guidance and comfort.
After lunch, we decided to check out the beach that can be seen from my apartment window. A few days ago, most of the group went to the International Beach a 30 minute bus ride away, but we didn’t feel like traveling so far so we walked to this new beach. It took us a while to find it on foot, but we eventually made it. The beach is surrounded by what seems to be an abandoned mini amusement park: there are old water slides, broken down go karts, dinosaur statues, and life-size castles.
The beach itself is large and sandy, and wasn’t very populated, which was nice. There was a lot of trash on the beach and sometimes in the water, which was slightly disgusting, but it was so hot we didn’t care. The waves are mildly decent, and it stays shallow for a long ways out; I have yet to reach the drop off where I can’t touch the bottom. The water is super salty.
Adam and I think we saw a sting ray, but other than that there was no marine life. I can now say I swam in the Yellow Sea! It’s about a 30 minute walk, which doesn’t seem that awful once you’ve climbed nearly a thousand stairs every day for a week. (Been there, done that.)
Anyway. That night, Maren, Kelli, Marie, Kristin and I watched music videos on youtube for about two hours, and it was great. We were laughing so hard, checking out hot guys, talking about hot guys, being silly girls. We had a lot of fun.
September 2
For our first weekend in China, my entire group took a bus to the zoo. It’s about an hour from the school, mostly on a coastal highway. The scenery is beautiful here: flowering trees, terraced fields, white sandy beaches, lush foliage, and wide open skies. The coastal city where the zoo is located is adorable and seemed cleaner than Weihai; it has a lot more historical architecture, too.
Every time I’m on the streets, whether in a bus or a bong bong or on foot, I constantly pray for my life. There are traffic lights here, which most everyone obeys, and I’ve seen a couple speed limit signs (in kilometers), but other than that people do whatever they want. Drivers are constantly cutting each other off, pulling U-ies in the middle of the road, changing several lanes in one fell swoop—they simply take any opening or lag in traffic that they see. And there are no jay walking laws: people cross the street with the same concern for their safety as the drivers—whenever there is a lag in traffic, or when they simply feel like crossing, and wherever they feel like crossing. We’ve nearly died a few times, especially since drivers won’t wait for you. Chinese people honk their horns like it’s the new fad, and if someone’s driving too slow, they’ll pull into the opposite lane, against coming traffic, to pass them. (Been there, done that. Multiple times.)
There is no road rage like the road rage in China. Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t speak Chinese well, otherwise I am certain I would be haunted by our bus driver’s excessive cursing.
We arrived in one piece to the zoo, which is the wickedest thing I’ve ever seen. Out front, there is a traditional Chinese palace on water, and giant statues of animals. The zoo is built upon the side of a mountain, with innumerable steps to the peak. We saw amur tigers, snow tigers, black leopards, pumas, hyenas, wolves, red pandas, pandas, hippos, all kinds of monkeys and birds, seals, dolphins, sea turtles, goats, chickens, and even a couple raccoons. There is one cage you can enter that has a bunch of rabbits, guinea pigs, and squirrels running around. If you can catch them, you can touch and hold them. We were able to pet a few rabbits. I wanted to pet a squirrel, but they were all too fast.
There was one exhibit that had only a rope separating the people from the monkeys. People were feeding the monkeys and the monkeys came to the opposite side of the rope to take the food straight from the humans’ hands. I didn’t touch any of them, but some of friends did. I could have reached out to touch a couple of the monkeys, but it was near the beginning and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to touch them. There was a monkey prison in the exhibit, where they put the “naughty” monkeys: the monkeys that stole purses or felt up women (hey, I’m just quoting the sign). Pretty hilarious.
Everywhere we go, we (the Americans) are treated like celebrities. All of the natives stare conspicuously. They even take pictures of us. I was once looking at a baboon when I felt someone push up against my side. I turned to see an Asian mother holding her baby and smiling at another woman taking a picture of the three of us. I obliged. It was completely random, but perversely flattering. After they take pictures of us, or we say hi, they respond politely but then whisper and giggle between themselves. They could be saying anything about us.
Kelli and I got separated from the group (which was alright, because there is one way in and one way out—one long trail throughout the zoo—it’s impossible to get really lost) and we came across this old Chinese guy with a (ratty) eagle—the size of a golden eagle but it wasn’t a golden eagle). He beckoned to us, and so we obliged. He had us sit on a bench in front of the eagle and put our arms out. We thought the bird would fly onto our arms, but the man just prodded the bird with a stick and it spread out its wings. Quite boring, actually. But then the man motioned to us to pay him, and we thought, “Really?” He asked for 50 yuan from each of us, and we thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Taken aback, we paid him. (We found out later that we weren’t the only ones to be suckered into his trickery—almost half our group had the same experience.)
This kind of dampened our moods, but I just had to think, “It was bound to happen sometime while I was in China.” Welcome to a second world country, right?
However, our moods were significantly heightened when we discovered what opportunities lay before us: For 40 yuan (about $6.5) I was able sit by, pet, hug and have my picture taken with a snow tiger cub (holy schmokes!) and for 50 yuan (about $7), I had an elephant lift me by its trunk. I stood in front of it, and it wrapped its trunk around me and raised me to its forehead. I was euphoric.
It would be amazing to ride an elephant, but they only gave the option of sitting on it or getting lifted by its trunk. I think, out of those two options, the latter is much more exciting and a much better story. Who can say an elephant lifted them with its trunk? Seriously, it was so cool! Slightly terrifying, but incredible.
I also pet a couple sea turtles and held a baby chicken. I could have sat on a sea lion, but I had run out of money by that time (stupid eagle/vulture or whatever it was man).
The animals, for the most part, aren’t very well taken care of, and it’s kind of sad. Lots of them had matted fur and looked unhealthy, like the countless stray dogs around the city.
On the far side of the zoo, there is a sea walk. You walk past the sea lions, seals, dolphins, sea birds, etc. on this trail that is built into the cliff right above an inlet of the Yellow Sea. It leads into a gorgeous cove with a beach and an amazing view. Kelli, Kaylee and I sat on the rocks and let the ocean mist our legs.
It’s a pretty wild zoo, and I had a total blast.
Every time I’m on the streets, whether in a bus or a bong bong or on foot, I constantly pray for my life. There are traffic lights here, which most everyone obeys, and I’ve seen a couple speed limit signs (in kilometers), but other than that people do whatever they want. Drivers are constantly cutting each other off, pulling U-ies in the middle of the road, changing several lanes in one fell swoop—they simply take any opening or lag in traffic that they see. And there are no jay walking laws: people cross the street with the same concern for their safety as the drivers—whenever there is a lag in traffic, or when they simply feel like crossing, and wherever they feel like crossing. We’ve nearly died a few times, especially since drivers won’t wait for you. Chinese people honk their horns like it’s the new fad, and if someone’s driving too slow, they’ll pull into the opposite lane, against coming traffic, to pass them. (Been there, done that. Multiple times.)
There is no road rage like the road rage in China. Maybe it’s a good thing I don’t speak Chinese well, otherwise I am certain I would be haunted by our bus driver’s excessive cursing.
We arrived in one piece to the zoo, which is the wickedest thing I’ve ever seen. Out front, there is a traditional Chinese palace on water, and giant statues of animals. The zoo is built upon the side of a mountain, with innumerable steps to the peak. We saw amur tigers, snow tigers, black leopards, pumas, hyenas, wolves, red pandas, pandas, hippos, all kinds of monkeys and birds, seals, dolphins, sea turtles, goats, chickens, and even a couple raccoons. There is one cage you can enter that has a bunch of rabbits, guinea pigs, and squirrels running around. If you can catch them, you can touch and hold them. We were able to pet a few rabbits. I wanted to pet a squirrel, but they were all too fast.
There was one exhibit that had only a rope separating the people from the monkeys. People were feeding the monkeys and the monkeys came to the opposite side of the rope to take the food straight from the humans’ hands. I didn’t touch any of them, but some of friends did. I could have reached out to touch a couple of the monkeys, but it was near the beginning and I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to touch them. There was a monkey prison in the exhibit, where they put the “naughty” monkeys: the monkeys that stole purses or felt up women (hey, I’m just quoting the sign). Pretty hilarious.
Everywhere we go, we (the Americans) are treated like celebrities. All of the natives stare conspicuously. They even take pictures of us. I was once looking at a baboon when I felt someone push up against my side. I turned to see an Asian mother holding her baby and smiling at another woman taking a picture of the three of us. I obliged. It was completely random, but perversely flattering. After they take pictures of us, or we say hi, they respond politely but then whisper and giggle between themselves. They could be saying anything about us.
Kelli and I got separated from the group (which was alright, because there is one way in and one way out—one long trail throughout the zoo—it’s impossible to get really lost) and we came across this old Chinese guy with a (ratty) eagle—the size of a golden eagle but it wasn’t a golden eagle). He beckoned to us, and so we obliged. He had us sit on a bench in front of the eagle and put our arms out. We thought the bird would fly onto our arms, but the man just prodded the bird with a stick and it spread out its wings. Quite boring, actually. But then the man motioned to us to pay him, and we thought, “Really?” He asked for 50 yuan from each of us, and we thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Taken aback, we paid him. (We found out later that we weren’t the only ones to be suckered into his trickery—almost half our group had the same experience.)
This kind of dampened our moods, but I just had to think, “It was bound to happen sometime while I was in China.” Welcome to a second world country, right?
However, our moods were significantly heightened when we discovered what opportunities lay before us: For 40 yuan (about $6.5) I was able sit by, pet, hug and have my picture taken with a snow tiger cub (holy schmokes!) and for 50 yuan (about $7), I had an elephant lift me by its trunk. I stood in front of it, and it wrapped its trunk around me and raised me to its forehead. I was euphoric.
It would be amazing to ride an elephant, but they only gave the option of sitting on it or getting lifted by its trunk. I think, out of those two options, the latter is much more exciting and a much better story. Who can say an elephant lifted them with its trunk? Seriously, it was so cool! Slightly terrifying, but incredible.
I also pet a couple sea turtles and held a baby chicken. I could have sat on a sea lion, but I had run out of money by that time (stupid eagle/vulture or whatever it was man).
The animals, for the most part, aren’t very well taken care of, and it’s kind of sad. Lots of them had matted fur and looked unhealthy, like the countless stray dogs around the city.
On the far side of the zoo, there is a sea walk. You walk past the sea lions, seals, dolphins, sea birds, etc. on this trail that is built into the cliff right above an inlet of the Yellow Sea. It leads into a gorgeous cove with a beach and an amazing view. Kelli, Kaylee and I sat on the rocks and let the ocean mist our legs.
It’s a pretty wild zoo, and I had a total blast.
September 1
Today was a relatively simple day. Class went alright. My “morning” students (8AM-9:50AM) are always angels: they listen and participate and watch me intently with their big, dark, almond eyes. A couple of them held my hand when I led them to their seat, which warms my heart. (Except then I think of the sanitation here, and I wonder where their hands have been, and then I realized I don’t want to know—hand sanitizer has been my best friend and constant companion ever since I left the States.)
My “afternoon” students (10AM-11:30AM) are, for the most part, hellions. Okay, that’s not fair. Each class has 1-3 kids that are constantly getting out of their seat, grabbing the supplies, running out of the room, ignoring me, screaming in Chinese (Chinese is not allowed in class), and inadvertently riling up the rest of the class. The other students are quick to call my attention to the hellion’s misadventures.
“Teacher! Teacher! Look!” is what they call, although they pronounce it “teach-uh,” pointing. Some days they are better than on other days, but today there were especially bad and I didn’t get much teaching done, mostly disciplining. I eventually had to pull out my bag of goodies for Store and threaten them that if they didn’t settle down and listen to me, they wouldn’t get tokens and therefore wouldn’t get Store. This actually helped quite a bit. I was quite relieved when the class period ended.
However, I had one very interesting experience during Store with my Homeroom. I have this one kid, Jack, who is smaller than most of the kids but I’m not sure if he’s just short or if he’s younger (they’re all between 4-8), but he’s one of the very active, grabby kids. He usually refuses to respond to me, but now and then he speaks and surprises me with how much English he knows. He’ll say things in perfect English that I never taught him, signifying that he’s been in an English class before. Sometimes he’ll come up to me and put on a mad face and say, “Teacher, I’m angry. Grr!” or a happy face and say, “Teacher, I’m happy!” Or he says things that make total sense but I never taught him how to say it.
Anyway, one of the items available to “purchase” for tokens (which the kids receive when they speak phrases in English) was Skittles. Jack pointed at it today and then looked at me, saying, “Teacher! Teacher! I want to taste the rainbow!” I stared at him, speechless. Wherever did he learn that slogan?! It was the greatest thing ever. After he bought the Skittles and ate it, he told me, “Teacher, I want to eat candy.” When I said he had to wait until next week, he again told me he was angry but I responded that if he spoke lots of English next time, he’d get more candy. Then he smiled and ran off with his class to PE. What a little stinker.
They’re all so adorable, in their own special way. And, in some cases, they are very special. Cases.
For dinner, Kelly took us out to Hot Pots, a traditional Chinese restaurant. The school would be treating us.
We had a private room with two tables and enough seats for our entire group. In the center of the table was an electric stove. Our waiter brought us a wok with a divider in the middle, both sides filled with soup: one side was a dark color and super spicy, while the second side was cream-colored and less spicy. Vegetables floated in it. The waiter placed a multi-leveled tray beside our table filled with food: potatoes, squash, chicken, beef, tofu, noodles, and dumplings. Kelly would periodically scoop some of each into the wok, and we would partake of the continuously cooking meal. The hot pot underneath the wok kept the soup boiling, the ingredients cooking. There was sesame sauce for dipping our meat in, which was super yummy. Tasted like peanut butter.
I also tried shrimp—plain shrimp. It wasn’t that bad, actually.
The food was absolutely incredible; I wouldn’t mind eating there every day for the next four months.
Afterward, we used the squatter toilet and then went out for a night at the night market, which is always super duper fun and interesting.
My “afternoon” students (10AM-11:30AM) are, for the most part, hellions. Okay, that’s not fair. Each class has 1-3 kids that are constantly getting out of their seat, grabbing the supplies, running out of the room, ignoring me, screaming in Chinese (Chinese is not allowed in class), and inadvertently riling up the rest of the class. The other students are quick to call my attention to the hellion’s misadventures.
“Teacher! Teacher! Look!” is what they call, although they pronounce it “teach-uh,” pointing. Some days they are better than on other days, but today there were especially bad and I didn’t get much teaching done, mostly disciplining. I eventually had to pull out my bag of goodies for Store and threaten them that if they didn’t settle down and listen to me, they wouldn’t get tokens and therefore wouldn’t get Store. This actually helped quite a bit. I was quite relieved when the class period ended.
However, I had one very interesting experience during Store with my Homeroom. I have this one kid, Jack, who is smaller than most of the kids but I’m not sure if he’s just short or if he’s younger (they’re all between 4-8), but he’s one of the very active, grabby kids. He usually refuses to respond to me, but now and then he speaks and surprises me with how much English he knows. He’ll say things in perfect English that I never taught him, signifying that he’s been in an English class before. Sometimes he’ll come up to me and put on a mad face and say, “Teacher, I’m angry. Grr!” or a happy face and say, “Teacher, I’m happy!” Or he says things that make total sense but I never taught him how to say it.
Anyway, one of the items available to “purchase” for tokens (which the kids receive when they speak phrases in English) was Skittles. Jack pointed at it today and then looked at me, saying, “Teacher! Teacher! I want to taste the rainbow!” I stared at him, speechless. Wherever did he learn that slogan?! It was the greatest thing ever. After he bought the Skittles and ate it, he told me, “Teacher, I want to eat candy.” When I said he had to wait until next week, he again told me he was angry but I responded that if he spoke lots of English next time, he’d get more candy. Then he smiled and ran off with his class to PE. What a little stinker.
They’re all so adorable, in their own special way. And, in some cases, they are very special. Cases.
For dinner, Kelly took us out to Hot Pots, a traditional Chinese restaurant. The school would be treating us.
We had a private room with two tables and enough seats for our entire group. In the center of the table was an electric stove. Our waiter brought us a wok with a divider in the middle, both sides filled with soup: one side was a dark color and super spicy, while the second side was cream-colored and less spicy. Vegetables floated in it. The waiter placed a multi-leveled tray beside our table filled with food: potatoes, squash, chicken, beef, tofu, noodles, and dumplings. Kelly would periodically scoop some of each into the wok, and we would partake of the continuously cooking meal. The hot pot underneath the wok kept the soup boiling, the ingredients cooking. There was sesame sauce for dipping our meat in, which was super yummy. Tasted like peanut butter.
I also tried shrimp—plain shrimp. It wasn’t that bad, actually.
The food was absolutely incredible; I wouldn’t mind eating there every day for the next four months.
Afterward, we used the squatter toilet and then went out for a night at the night market, which is always super duper fun and interesting.
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