Awards and Airpocalypse

In this final month reflection has caught up with me.  Describing my experiences here is like trying to tell a child how an apple tastes by showing him a picture of a seed.  As difficult as it is, I will share a few more adventures....

Our dragon boat team came, saw, and walked away with two awards!  Another team's captain commented that we had improved more this year than any other year.  Hard for me to tell, but despite the mere month of practice and weekend rains it seemed our team did better than expected. 

Perhaps you're asking yourself, "But Joanna, what did you win?"  One award was definitely for spirit.  I learned about this awards before the actual race, but the second one seemed to have been negotiated over the lunch break of the second day's races.  Something to do with international participation or general liveliness is my guess.  Our sizable monetary prizes were enough for our team to enjoy dinner together and reflect on the future of C.E.C.P. 

During the dinner I gave a brief speech about my work in Wuhan.  As much as I have worked to educate and document changes in Central China Normal University's Montessori program, there is still much work to be done.  There have been great changes this year.  Still a lot to be questioned and better researched, but I know the teachers are better capable of continuing this.  I will miss them greatly and be forever grateful for their service to children. 

Speaking of much to research, the main librarian of this University invited me to see the archives and explore more of the Boone Memorial School's history.  There were books on display which were brought to Wuhan by Mary Elizabeth Woods, (including several biographies of George Washington published in the late 1800s),  and a book of Common Prayers from the Episcopal church dating from the 1700s.  These books are displayed close to other famous pieces of the library's collection.  This includes an original copy of China's first constitution, (from 1912), and books from the Ming dynasty. 

Yesterday I took a final trip with C.E.C.P. to visit Chibi, a famous tea village.  It's history dates back to 1861where many French, Russians, Americans, and Japanese came to buy the bricks of tea which could travel easier and last longer.  We sampled 30-year-old tea, toured the factory, visited an museum dedicated to the intellectual collective period from the 60s and 70s, and learned the difference among green, black, and dark teas. 

the evidence

Recently the air quality of Wuhan has been referred to as an "airpocalypse".    The local news blames the farmers for burning the field leftovers all at once.  As we drove through farms and fields we searched for such evidence.  A few small piles were located and carefully documented.  We also passed by a text book factory to observe some real estate opportunities under their headquarters. 

the apartments for sale!

Just a few more weeks before bidding adieu.  Next year the kindergarten plans to open two more Montessori classrooms, (making a total of 6 out of 19).  Lots of planning still to do before I can finally say goodbye. 

Rolling along

Joanna the sushi chef is ready to roll up the world!  For the second time in my life I’ve successfully made sushi rolls.  If the world ever has a surplus of early childhood educators, I may change careers.  My Japanese neighbors hosted an early afternoon session of sushi rolling.  We consumed our rolls whole as done in the area of Osaka.  We also sampled Japanese plum wine, sake, and rusk biscuits.  Two Japanese-speaking Chinese students from CCNU, my friend Paola, and her husband were also invited for this special gathering.  

For some holidays many Japanese people will eat the rolls in whole facing a specific direction depending on the year.  We faced northeast, and silently ate our first roll while thinking about a special wish for the next year.  Last year Paola’s husband attended this same type of gathering and made a wish for a baby.  Paola is currently four months pregnant.  We celebrated with songs and an interesting discussion about the meaning of our names.  

In addition to preparing Japanese cuisine I was recently invited to talk about my involvement with C.E.C.P. to the American consular general of Wuhan.  We met in a historic area of Wuhan where the great travel writer, Ms. Hu, shared interesting information about the historical buildings related to the old American concession.  I talked briefly about the Boone Memorial School and my work with CCNU’s kindergarten program.  The consular invited us again to meet the Ambassador while he visited Wuhan.  

We met Max a few days later in the same part of Wuhan.  He asked me about non-traditional education programs in China and a little about the logistics of kindergartens here.  I invited him to visit CCNU’s Montessori program next time he is in Wuhan.  The meeting was brief, but still quite an honor for C.E.C.P.  

The children at the kindergarten have been very different with the changes to accommodate the Children’s Day performance schedule.  The classrooms have spent hours choreographing and practicing lengthy dance routines that would make Bob Fosse proud.   Thankfully the show will be only for the children and the teachers at the school.  Parents will be a recorded copy sent home.  

This weekend our dragon boat team with face off against other amateur groups from Wuhan.  The last few weekends of practice have given me hope that there will be enough people to fill a long and short boat.  I may be drumming or I may be paddling.  Anything to get the dragon rolling along to victory.

Great Wall of Terracotta Confucius Pandas

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In Wuhan April showers seem to bring more May showers.  It seems to alternate very beautiful and sunny days with sharp rains on a weekly basis.  On a positive note, it keeps the air pollution down a bit and washes away the urine smells that seem to linger and ferment on a regular basis.  

Normally I have something written about every two weeks, but the final three weeks of April were full of a great visitor.  This visit prompted a 9-day tour of China, and some local Wuhan specials. I was able to explore more of China than I’ve done in the past 8 months. Together with my special wildlife biologist friend we explored the areas of Xian, Beijing, Weihai, and Qu’fu. 

Prior to the trip Josh had a week to overcome jet lag and give a few presentations to teachers at my school and students at another University.  He came prepared with a great PowerPoint on zoology for kindergarten teachers.  The teachers enjoyed his lecture and followed up with a few questions: “what is more nutritious, a fertilized or unfertilized egg?  How does a baby platypus nurse? What is America’s position on Japanese whaling?”  He responded well and challenged the teachers to learn more about insects and snakes, (animals that many felt uncomfortable discussing).  

My favorite memories of Josh during the trip were those of Chinese people sneaking pictures of his tall stature ducking under low beams and bearing witness to his uncanny ability to identify birds. 

Together we traveled to Xi’an, Beijing, Weihai, and Qu’fu.  We were advised earlier by my translator to change our travel plans and go to Sichuan province instead of Xi’an.  Although he has never been to either place, he hears that the food and women are better in Sichuan province.  After arriving to Xi’an, I was very happy that we stuck to our original plan.  Two friends from the CECP group and my former neighbor and her two friends joined us for a weekend in this ancient capital.  

Xi’an’s Muslim quarter was full of tourists, but the amazing food specialties were well worth the visit.  We tried cake on a stick, spicy squid on a stick, persimmon doughnuts, local yoghurt, and a few other odds and ends.  Our full bellies were ready to tackle the next day’s adventures of the Terracotta Warriors.  

Someone from our group found a Terracotta Warrior tour guide from Xi’an Craigslist.  Helen, our guide, gave us a full day’s tour and explanation of the city wall with incredible energy.  Being a Shaanxi province native, she provided detailed answers to many questions.  Although she was felt a little nervous having an archeologist and English teacher in the tour group, she shared very interesting information and also recommended a fabulous restaurant for dinner.  

As Helen put it, “Visiting China and not visiting the Terracotta warriors is like missing the Great Wall.”  I would have doubted this statement prior to our visit.  My mother always talked about the uniqueness of this site and the underground palace of China’s first emperor, but there is nothing like being in the pits of it all.  Even after traveling to the great pyramids of Egypt, the Terracotta Warriors left me which a sensation that which I still cannot shake. 

Although Beijing is one of the largest and most polluted cities in the world, it is also very different and full of unexpected delights.  Our three days were barely enough to see the Great Wall and Forbidden City.  In the future I would plan at least a solid week to see more of this amazing city.  Despite warnings from other Chinese about the metro system, we found it much more orderly and easy to use than the one in Wuhan. 

We arrived too late on the first day to make it to the Great Wall and most other things are closed on Monday, so we strolled through the parks with blossoming peonies and amateur photographers.  On Tuesday we were lucky to get train tickets to Badaling, (a section of the great wall which is said to be the least original and full of the most tourists). 

This was another sweet surprise.  The clear blue skies and fewer than expected tourists added to the joy of climbing.  After climbing the first 4 towers, there were very few tourists and we spent the rest of the day tackling every tower we could within this section.  I must add that this was a serious climb and a constant up and down.  In my mind I pictured the Great Wall to be so flat that you could ride a bike on it.  This is about as far from reality as American Chinese food is from real Chinese food. 

We kept up our touristic exercise program the next day by exploring the Czech embassy, Chairman Mao’s viewing hall, The Museum of Disappointments, The Forbidden City, some Hutongs, and the best brewery in Beijing all before catching a night train to Weihai.

Through a strange chain of events, we were among the final viewers of the embalmed body of the Chairman.  Many Chinese people consider him to be one of the greatest leaders in their history and several presented flowers and had very teary-eyed and solemn looks. 

The National Museum is also free, but more of a business center than a museum.  Even on the floor plans it shows that the majority of spaces are for private conference spaces rather than exhibits.  There was little information in English and unclear dates of specific items.  We left within half-an-hour. 

The Forbidden City is the place to go for treasure hunting.  For an extra 10 RMB one can see a beautiful wall of glazed dragons, the royal jewelry and costumes, and a five-story Peking Opera theater.  The intense collection, including massive Jade carvings and ancient stamps were still not enough to fill the hunger that no amount of ice cream bars could fill.  By the early evening we were ravenous for a solid meal. 

Through a Lonely Planet guidebook we found a decent pizza place before heading to the Great Leap Brewery.  This brewery had more than ten craft beers on tap and despite the odd placement, (surrounded by local single-story traditional Chinese homes), it drew in a diverse group of foreigners and Chinese. 

That night we slept very well on the hard sleepers to Weihai and met up with my former Wuhan neighbor in her new residence.  She showed up some of the highlights to this small beach city including an American-managed bar called Beavers.  In the morning we took a quick boat trip to see a giant stuffed Sperm Whale, two frisky pandas, and a museum about the 40 years of British occupation in that area. 

ignoring tablets and watching birds

Qu’fu, (the home of Confucius and all of his ancestors), is also in Shangdong province and we finished our journey with a quick look at the great teacher’s hometown.  The city is relatively small for Chinese standards and seems to survive mostly through tourism.  The Confucius temple was honored by almost every major dynasty following Confucius’s life and there are hundreds of giant stone tablets and ancient trees in every part of the temple.  

The food throughout the trip was fantastic.  We are incredibly thankful for the kind people of Shangdong province and their ability to understand my basic Chinese when ordering food or finding monuments.  Getting back to Wuhan was a restful relief and we spent the final days seeing a few sights and enjoying a full night of Karaoke with the teachers from the school. 

Life is getting back to its relatively normal state.  Dragon boat practice has resumed and my team is looking forward to the competition at the end of this month. No more ice cream bars until June!  

Dragon boat time

Spring feels like it is here to stay.   Time to put away my heavy winter coat, hat, mittens, scarves, and long underwear.  On most days both outdoor and indoor environments are warm enough to use sandals and short sleeves.  My bare arms and toes attract many stares.  Most people in Wuhan are fully dressed with layers until an unofficial date sometime in late April/early May.  My translator was sweating bullets on Friday afternoon.  I suggested that he take off his jacket, but he felt that his long sleeve button-down shirt was insufficient.  I sat across from him in the office very comfortable in a short sleeve shirt and flip-flops.  

 

Since the discovery of the Boone Memorial School I’ve been digging deeper into the history of this University.  Following the Second World War the school was relocated to Guizi hill, which at that time was a large cemetery.  The remains were removed and many tombstones or direction markers helped create the walls and steps to the University.  Since this time most have been covered with cement or replaced, but a few are still visible.  

Along with warmer weather comes dragon boating.  The national holiday is particularly special to Wuhan as it originated from this area over 2000 years ago.  The C.E.C.P. group has a team every year and last Saturday was our first practice.  We spent time reviewing safety and strategy before using the training center's simulation boats to improve rowing techniques.  

Before China I had little knowledge of Dragon boating.  I tried it once through the canals of Gdansk, but never really gained expertise.   The leader of C.E.C.P. approached me months ago to join the team.  Oddly enough, I learned more about the event from Miami’s Dragon Boat website: http://www.miamidragonboat.com/race.htm. Never would I have dreamed of racing in the center of dragon boat history.    

Following the simulation training we made it to a real boat and paddled back and forth across the East Lake.  Getting 22 adults to work together in a narrow wet space is more challenging than convincing the people of Wuhan to take off their jackets in the heat of spring.   Thankfully we have two more months of practice before the big weekend.

Signs of Boone

Boone University Gallery

 

How fitting to discover another Boone legacy right around my father's birthday.  My Chinese language teacher first noticed the family name in the basement of the campus library and asked me if I knew anything about it.  From the look of shock on my face it was easy to tell that I had no idea.   She showed me the Boone memorial gallery displaying old photos of this University from its earliest years.  The information was in Chinese, but even with the interpretations there was little information about Mr. Boone.

Later in the week my teacher put me in contact with a librarian who knew more on this topic.  He traveled to the US in the early 1990s to research the Boone Memorial School. At that time there were VERY few records of Boone in China.  This librarian's research through Yale’s divinity school archives delivered most of the records currently held in China.

Central China Normal University, (Hua Zhong) opened in 1871 as Boone Memorial School.  It was named after one of the first Episcopal Bishop in China and his son, (Bishop of Shanghai), helped to open it in his honor. The school became Boone Memorial University in 1904 and in 1924 it became Hua Zhong University.  During the first fifty years Boone Memorial School grew from a small elementary to a widely well-recognized University and introduced several Western activities such as marching bands, baseball, and boy scouts.   

The story of William Jones Boone can be found online thanks to the work of librarians and archivists in the US.  One can also find the work of Mary Elizabeth Wood.  Her years of missionary work created the first public library in China as part of Boone Memorial School.  This library eventually was taken over and privatized through the University of Wuhan, but it still exists today. 

Yesterday I searched through CCNU’s archives and read through a small book that was found buried in a box along with 9 silver dollars from 1908.  The box was unearthed in the early 1990s while the University was digging for the construction of a new building.  Thanks to this treasure the mystery of this school’s earliest years was beginning to unfold. 

Following the archives visit I got a sneak peak at the University’s museum. It aims to educate its students about the history of the school, but the English translations still need a lot of work.  I will work with them this Saturday before attending the tulip festival at the Botanical Gardens.

Aside from discovering my family’s long-lost Chinese legacy I’ve explored a few other destinations in the city.   

Yaks and crackers

The zoo left a very memorable impression.   A few foreign friends joined me along with a couple of teachers from the kindergarten.  I was shocked at the deplorable state of the animals.  To be fair, at least the birds had decent habitat areas, but the other animals were poorly maintained.  The animals seemed to be either in a state of rage or complacency.   

The cages of many primate and felines species were small and bare.  People, (young and old alike), threw everything from pink sausages, crackers, peanuts, and plastic bags at the animals.  The lions don't chase after peanuts the way you'd expect them to hunt wildebeests.  Despite the signs on almost every cage advising against this behavior the place was full of evidence to this ignorance.  

The look of disgust and sadness was plastered on our foreign faces throughout the visit.  We treated ourselves to homemade ice cream and a plate of Western-style food at a Hawaiian restaurant not far from the zoo.  Ice cream may not solve issues in animal abuse, but at least it sweetens the bitterness and aids in searching for solutions.

A very special wildlife biologist friend will be here in April and give a talk about understanding animals with young children.  Hopefully the teachers will be so inspired from the workshop that their students will help redesign the zoo. 

Amphibians.... more than just an expensive menu item

 

It’s hard to believe that I’m back in China, and somehow it’s still very exciting.  Following the eight-day teacher workweek I headed to the states while the rest of China celebrated the Spring Festival.  Most of my foreign friends that stayed in China said that it was like a ghost town around University campuses.  Many of these friends either traveled throughout the country or visited the homes of Chinese friends.  Chinese families got together and shared enormous meals.  It is not uncommon for people to enjoy heavy meals every day of the 15-day festival.  

My break was divided among family and friends across the USA.  I am blessed to have spent so much time with so many wonderful people.  As much I’d love to be back in sunny Miami rather than cold, wet Wuhan, there is something promising about this return.  Not only is over half of my work finished but also the weather should only get warmer from now on.   

The flight back with Cathay Pacific was ten times better than my first trip to China and I was able to adjust my sleeping schedule more easily after this flight.  Work began immediately following my arrival.  Each evening offered the chance to catch up with friends.  A few of my closest friends are moving this semester, but not before sharing a final farewell.  The ninth floor of CCNU’s foreign expert building is now mine for the taking, (at least until another foreigner moves into the newly emptied apartments).  

My news of China usually comes to me through my translator or from watching the news on the metro TV screens. China was very proud of their Olympic gold medal speed skater.  The video of the Korean skater falling and the Chinese skater gliding to the finish was on repeat for a week.  Due to the over-coverage of speed skating and curling, it was hard to catch the hockey games.  One bar/restaurant aired the games at 1 AM. I hope the rest of the world enjoyed the winter Olympics.

The nasty weather presents the opportunity to relax indoors and continue cleaning/sorting through the myriad of object that I’ve collected in the past 6 months.  Transient friends have left many bottles of cooking oil, towels, blankets, and several snack items. One cannot live on moon pies and sunflower oil alone, but these things provide a bit of comfort after a long day at the kindergarten.

Speaking of school, I believe that the teachers are on board with understanding vertebrates.  It was difficult for many teachers to distinguish amphibians from reptiles.  We talked about the life cycle of a frog, (going from egg to tadpole to frog), but they seemed unaware to the idea of newts, salamanders, caecilians, etc.  These animals are often found cooked on expensive plates at Chinese celebrations, but most kindergarten teachers know little about them.  One teacher told me that there was a mistake with the caecilian.  She strongly believed that it was a worm.  We had to have a group discussion about not only these animals, but what makes some animals fit into one of the five classes of vertebrates.  Then another can of worms was opened:  understanding invertebrates.

It seems that a trip to the zoo will be made within this month.  Hopefully many teachers will be able to join this outing.  Some teachers have mentioned that they never before studied such biological information.  How wonderful that they now have the opportunity!

The Village People

Lazy man gets no bread

Despite the cold and snow of Indiana, being back in the States is a refreshing breath of fresh air.  Literally.  Luxuries like indoor heating, high speed Internet, and cheese are a high comfort in addition to the things like clear skylines and phonetic alphabets.  The past few weeks in Wuhan were busier than a beehive in spring.  Hopefully the American vacation will renew my energy and send me back to China ready to tackle the last few months.

Prior to the eight-day teacher workweek I traveled with the C.E.C.P. group to several villages around south Hubei province.  Each village had unique structures dating from the period of the Qing dynasty.  The first places we passed had covered bridges.  The next village was a labyrinth of an old farm palace where possibly a hundred people now live.  The whole of the weekend’s villages offered different sites:  a 50 meter long dragon boat, family temples complete with ancestral remains in decorative coffins, and a variety of people that both love and disagree with the party’s distribution of wealth. 

Following the cultural revolution all land was redistributed and the ancient structures were taken from families that had lived there for hundreds of years.  The families that live there are very poor and survival is their greatest concern.  As a result, the beautiful structures are in disarray and maintenance is beyond concern.  Many people that earn money working in the city come back to the village and construct modern looking fronts for the buildings.  These villages are disappearing as China becomes a richer country.  The C.E.C.P. keeps records of these places on their website:  http://www.icecp.org/  You can also see many photos of me in the pictures from the end of the year gala.  Hopefully photos from this weekend’s trip will be up soon.

Saturday night one of our group members found a very decent hotel for us to stay at 85 RMB/room.  Between two people the total is around $6/person.  Each room had clean beds, heaters, towels, separate bathrooms, and Western style toilets.  It sounds like the norm for any hotel in the states, but a typical Chinese hotel at this price would offer none of the before-mentioned items.  Sometimes sleeping on a park bench offers greater luxury than a cheap hotel in China.

The following day was sunny, warm, and full of more villages.  The greatest surprise was an unassuming village with an AMAZING temple and a man who specializes in creating traditional Chinese coffins.  Chinese villagers try to make their own coffins if they live to a certain age in preparation for the inevitable.  This is a part of life, which is not easily planned.  In this situation there are specialists who make ancient style coffins for others.  The man went about his work creating decorative clay handles while we spent a few hours searching the temple, staging our own Peking opera on their ancient stage, and photographing both the beautiful ancient details and the cultural revolution marks left in sloppy red paint.  Most people in villages flock in masse to see foreigners, but this man continued working as if we were a passing wind. 

The leader of our group shared with this village two boxes of clothes and children’s toys that another transient member of C.E.C.P. donated.  At first many people said it was not necessary, but after seeing some designer labels, the boxes were emptied in under five minutes.  No fighting and everyone got something.

We drove to see the mausoleum of Li Zicheng, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Zicheng), before having lunch at a mountainside restaurant.  The final stop was to see terraced rice fields, but the road to the fields was recently covered by a mudslide.  The diverted travels lead us to a village funeral where they were honoring an elderly woman with a day of open mourning.  The pre-recorded sobbing prayers were blasted from giant speakers.  People close to the deceased wore white and covered their heads with white cloth.  There were inflatable ancestral gates and lions propped in front of the mourning tent and a truck loaded with huge fireworks.  Although the recordings broadcasted from the speakers sounded painfully tragic, people were smiling, talking, and looking forward to the great firework show that evening. 

Starting Monday the Montessori teachers of the kindergarten and I worked together for the next eight days cleaning rooms, creating materials, and talking about curriculums.  It was busy, challenging, and not completely finished, but certainly off to a great start before the break.  Happy Chinese New Year to all!  May this year of the horse be full of hard work and great payoff!  Ma shang you qian!

Forever Yang

The New Year of 2014 is quite different from the Chinese New Year.  The Chinese New Year is based around the Lunar calendar and will be celebrated later this month.  The Chinese New Year, (better translated as Spring Festival), is the most honored holiday for Chinese people.  Many children from the kindergarten have been absent since the first of this month in order to extend their New Year celebrations with family members in various parts of China.  I’ve been told that it's the craziest time to attempt travels in China.

The Western New Year’s Eve mildly interesting to Chinese people, and thankfully the first of January is considered a public holiday.  Many people told me that going out on New Year’s Eve was a mess and not to bother celebrating.  After work I headed to a friend’s place on foot.  The streets and walkways appeared no more busy than usual.  The metro stations were not crowded and no one looked festive or aggressive in any way, shape, or form.

After dinner with a friend we drove to a popular expat hangout, Brussels cafe.  The place was loaded with a mix of Chinese and foreigners, the music was great, and the party favors were a highlight.  Later on I discovered that my mask would leave smurf blue marks on my face, but thankfully I didn't have to remove my mask for the night. 

A Chinese woman told me that this year all fireworks on New Year’s Eve would be illegal due to the increase in air pollution.  Despite the warnings, someone set off fireworks on the other side of the lake and we had a grand display. 

Since January first life has returned to normal busy.  I’m preparing for an 8 day teacher workweek where the teachers will be organizing their rooms, creating more cultural materials, and practicing for a practical exam.  This is the last week of students and we will all re-convene on February 17^th.  The work week starts next week and goes across the weekend.  After this I can take a few weeks break and finally catch up with life on the other side of the globe.

This past weekend my neighbor and I set off to find Chairman Mao’s Wuhan residency on the East Lake.  The day was beautiful and the walk offered sights of birds, fragrant blooming winter trees, cycads, and soft pines.  The winding roads finally led us to our destination, but the residency is closed for the season.  We took a few pictures before heading to a nearby gala hosted by my traveling group.

During the gala the leader of the group, (Yang), showed photos from the trips to small villages interspersed with performances by both Chinese and foreign members of the group.  I sang “Wo Zhi Zai Hu Ni” by the late great Theresa Teng as the only foreigner in a Chinese singing group.  At the end of the event I sang a slightly different version of a Bob Dylan classic to honor our group leader: 

May your heart always be joyful, may your song always be sung, and may you stay……

Forever Yang

My first working Christmas

 

 Being a country without many friends or family can often be emotionally challenging during the holidays, but in China there is plenty of work to keep the mind far from emotions.  A few side weekend trips are helpful too.  Last weekend I cooked a dish called Gong Bao Ji Ding, (which means chicken dish fit for the palace guardian).  My language teacher took me and a few other students to a small city outside of Wuhan for a day of markets, cooking, and hot springs. 

Before hot springs we had to negotiate all of the ingredients in our dishes at the open markets with a little more than $3 on hand.  I thought this would be impossible for me, but I ended up doing better at bargaining than the Chinese in our group.  It helped that I was willing to take advice from a woman cutting and selling fresh dog in addition to many other common pets at her stand. 

There are many crowds this time of year for shopping.  They have deals at all shopping centers from 6 PM to 3 AM on Christmas Eve.  For Christmas one of the teachers at the school gave me a beautiful red scarf that took her 22 hours to knit.  Another teacher presented me an apple because the presentation of an apple, (pinguo), is similar to a presentation of peace, (pin pin an an).  

Despite the work and planning for January’s big eight straight days with the teachers time, I got the BEST Christmas present just a few days before the holiday.  My sister-in-law gave birth to my niece about three weeks earlier than expected.  Both mom and baby are doing well and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my skype sessions with her. 

I asked my family what they got for Christmas this year, and here are their responses:

older brother:  a new baby
Mother:  a granddaughter
younger brother:  a new niece
Father:  a granddaughter
Sister-in-law:  a daughter
My brother's dogs:  competition/sibling rivalry

I'm delighted to be an aunt.  My new niece has my face with her mother's beautiful full lips.  She already has everyone wrapped around her tiny finger.  Until I get to see her in about a month, I may enjoy a few more weekend adventures.  I'll start this weekend with a foreign teacher's Festivus celebration.  A good Festivus will help cleanse the mind of any grievances and start a fresh 2014!

Crow's Mouth

 

In the past month I’ve been taking Chinese lessons once a week.  Although I still feel like I’m in square one, my language teacher has a great amount of patience and is tremendously kind.  Having a good language teacher is not easy to come by.  Stephanie is more than worth her weight in gold.  Not only do I get vocabulary, grammar, and character practice, but also she occasionally throws in a side story. 

One lesson we were working on pronunciation and I came across the words:  Wūyā zuǐ.  Stephanie laughed a bit and explained this meaning of “crow’s mouth”.  “If someone speaks ill in a foreboding way and this turns to be true, you may say to this person ‘crow’s mouth’”.  For example, recently I was very sick.  Before I got sick someone told me that I was not wearing enough warm clothes and I would get sick.  I can now say CROW’S MOUTH to this person.

Not sure how wearing enough clothes relates to a stomach virus, but there are still many things here that I don’t understand.  Prior to this illness I was much more active in my explorations of Wuhan.  Over Thanksgiving my American neighbors, Ted and I went to a Hawaiian restaurant for an all-you-can-eat turkey buffet.  It was Ted’s first time trying turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish, and pumpkin pie.  The following weekend I attended a charity gala by the Women of Wuhan to raise funds for students whose parents have died from AIDS.  The night of dancing was well received and it gave me enough energy for my six-day workweek. 

After the Saturday morning workshop I was still feeling on top of the world.  I went with a friend to explore a natural park in Wuhan and watched Les Miserables.  Sunday morning felt fine in the beginning, but the rest of the day was gut-wrenching torture. 

The day of emptying my insides gave me my first taste of meeting a Chinese doctor.  Ted served as my translator and often his translations came across as an accusation rather than a question.  Instead of saying, “Did you eat too much on Saturday night?” I heard, “You ate too much on Saturday night”.  My quick negation helped me to realize the loss in translation.  The doctor gave me some powders and pills, and my quiet day at home will give me enough time to rest, relax, and avoid any more crows.

Tea -chers

 

While Ted and the other administrators were away at a retreat for party members I attended a tea ceremony hosted by the Women of Wuhan.  I learned more about different types of Chinese tea and tea accessories.  After sampling teas a few of us traveled to a spa and endured a 110-minute Chinese massage.  I’ve never been in so much pain following a massage.  After three days I felt a bit better, but it may be while before I have a bone filing massage again.  

The spa’s building space was exquisite.  Attached was a private museum with a collection worth billions.  The main focus of the museum are pieces of furniture carved from single trees or pieces of wood, but they also have an extensive collection of rare jewels, jade carvings, Czar Nicolas II’s dishes, a stuffed albino crocodile, and a small dinosaur skeleton.  Hopefully they’ll be able to open their museum to the public in the future.  

No drink better represents China more than green tea.  Loose green tea is a standard in any home or office.  The basis of the Chinese health care system is free Tai Chi and green tea.  Generally I prefer black tea, but green tea is growing on me.  I don’t think it will replace the status of Cuban coffee in the morning, but it has a gentle kick to it.  After a long week it is a welcoming sight.  

In the past week the director of Montessori studies at Xavier and another XU consultant from Taiwan were here.  This was a hundred times more welcoming than a cup of green tea.  Their support and guidance was the perfect Thanksgiving blessing.  The four classroom environments changed dramatically and allowed for more fluid access to all Montessori materials.  The director delivered an impeccable speech for hundreds of school families.  After lecturing for ninety minutes she answered questions for another half hour.  One parent asked if she could give just one or two sentences which sums up the essence of Montessori.  After a reflective moment, she delivered:

“Educating the individual within a community setting, having at its heart the future of humanity.”  Later was added “through a rigorous education”.

The Xavier ladies will be greatly missed, but I have gained a stronger sense of purpose in my work with the Montessori teachers here.   My schedule will change in the future so that I can work directly with teachers and the materials without children around.  Developing skills in anything requires independent practice. I look forward to seeing how the changes impact the educators. 

Many families in the US will celebrate Thanksgiving this week and I will celebrate with a few other Americans here.  We’re not many, but it will be an after-work treat. Not sure what will be on the menu, but I look forward to trying a Chinese style turkey. 

Blessings to all

A chrysanthemum for Bachelor's Day

 

Although it may be Veteran’s Day or Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in many parts of the world, here in China it is Bachelor’s Day.  Wikipedia lists this day as Single’s Day, but Ted explained that it is the day to honor those not married, (the bachelors).  The numbers of 11-11 represent four single individuals.  Therefore, this day is appropriately made for bachelors to do………………… um.... bachelor things.  I’m not entirely sure what Ted will do to celebrate, but doubt that it will involve moon cakes. 

The camping trip was a great success.  Many Chinese and a few other expats got together to camp by Liangzi Lake from the CECP group, (China Endangered Culture Protectors).  This lake is known for the local crabs.  After setting up our tents, we talked to a fisherman who prepared a meal for us.  Following dinner we built a bonfire, sang a few songs by Bob Dylan, learned a Thai dance and song for the full moon, and shared a few other campfire songs.  In the morning the fisherman allowed us to use their wooden fishing boats to paddle around the lake.  It was my first time with crossing oars to paddle, but I was able to steer us both away from and back to the shore. 

For Halloween I attended a party hosted by the Australian exchange program.  A few Australian English teachers are working for a year here in order to prepare students who will eventually spend a year studying in Australia.  My neighbor Grace is one of the teachers.  She invited me to attend, and I configured a ninja costume out of some items found at the 2-Yuan shop.  There were dancing competitions, carnival like games, bobbing for apples, and lots of Chinese candy!  I stuffed my pockets before heading home.

The next day I visited a school that is a branch of this Montessori preschool.  They have only four classrooms, but less than 15 students in each room.  There were 3-4 teachers in each room and the high teacher to student ratio felt a bit controlling.  Luckily, we went for lunch and a discussion afterwards.  Before leaving the school gave me a gift of fancy chopsticks.  The fun never stops around here.

Speaking of fun, Grace and another Australian woman and I headed to a Bordeaux wine festival last Saturday.  All foreigners had free entrance.  This was a treat because most wine in China is rather painful to consume.  After talking to one of the winemakers I was able to sit in a Master's class on sweet Bordeaux wines and go home with two extra bottles from the vineyard.  Surprisingly there was no sick feeling or headache following the day of tasting.  Good thing too, because on Sunday I went to an amusement part with the principal's son and his German foreign exchange friend.  There were few people at the park, so we had very short lines for the few roller coasters.  The park, (Happy Valley), is only a few years old, so not all of the coasters are up and passing safety inspections.  We went on the rocky wooden coaster 4 times, and some how I managed to keep my cool throughout the day. 

This past weekend I was invited to view a private collection of Mulan paraphernalia.  The collector has turned his three-room apartment into a museum of sorts to house his collection of posters, figurines, recordings, books, stamps, and even old Chinese phone cards that depict Hua Mulan.  Mulan is supposedly from this area of China, (this is one of three areas that claim to have been her home).  There are a few different versions of her story.  One of the members of the CECP wrote the following about the experience:

On 9^th, November, CECP team visited Mr. Ye Weizhang, the heir of Mulan intangible culture and his private museum.

Mulan is an ancient heroine in Chinese history. The legends about her are widely spread at home and abroad. About 1500 years ago, the northern nomadic people invaded towards the south. Every family was required to send at least one man to the frontline to defend their country. Mulan, out of her love for her father and loyalty to the motherland, disguises herself as a male soldier to take her father’s place in the conscription army. The Disney animation Mulan is adapted from this story.

The private museum is a little bit small but full of treasures related to Mulan. New Year pictures, a unique folk art for New Year celebrations, are dated back to around 1930s or 1950s. Porcelains printed with Mulan-related pictures, like teapots, vases and cups, are made of Dehua china, one of the top three Chinese ceramics. Some of them were used by civilians during the Anti-Japanese War period.

The legends of Mulan have been performed on the stage since the Ming dynasty in different forms, including Beijing opera, Shaoxing opera, Kunqu and so on. Mr. Ye has collected these theater tickets, vinyl record and videotapes through different sources. There are also some written materials in Chinese, French or Dutch on the Mulan culture. Some of them are rare and vulnerable and have to be preserved under special condition.

Thanks to Mr. Ye’s twenty-year devotion to Mulan culture, people around the world are able to enjoy such a precious culture and spirit. Meanwhile, more can be achieved by the joint efforts of responsible individuals and government.

The Botanical Gardens are showcasing an exhibit on Chrysanthemums.  Yesterday called for a visit to the gardens and a chance to photograph the beautiful blooms.  This week I am trying out winter again after a few years of hiatus in Miami.  I bought a pair of fleece-lined leggings in the XXL size.  In the US and Europe I usually wear a small or medium, but in China I fit most comfortably into XL and XXL.  It’s fine.  As long as the clothes fit, companies can name my size whatever they like.  May all bachelors enjoy their size no matter what it may be.