connie's space

Arriving at our Luzhou Airport. The airplane taxies right up to the building and off we go!

         One of the highlights of this last trip to America was flying from and into our little Luzhou Airport.
         I have never done this before in all my years working here, although taking off directly to Shanghai would have been a lot easier than traveling the 3 ½ hours to Chengdu. The reason I always left from Sichuan’s capital city was because Little Flower’s sitter was located there. I’d go by bus, drop her off with Mrs. He and then take off the next day on my journeys to the States from Chengdu’s International Airport.
         But this time around, I had no need to travel to Chengdu with no Little Flower to care for. This time around, it was conveniently load my luggage in a taxi, pay the driver 50 yuan ($9) and in 15 minutes, I was outside of the city, in the middle of farmland, at a sweet little airport with limited departures and destinations.

The Flying Tigers and Luzhou

          The history of this air transportation service is amazing.
          The runway was built solely and painstakingly by Chinese hands in the very late 1930s, the first real runway in China that was not dirt and pebbles. It was specifically crafted with American backing for modern aircraft,  and was later used specifically by the Flying Tigers whose planes were not able to land on such tough terrain as it destroyed the wheels of their aircraft.
         As a reminder to those not familiar with the name Flying Tigers, here’s a little extra information which I found from the Internet:
         “The 1st American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, recruited under presidential authority and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters staff were likewise mostly recruited from the U.S. military, along with some civilians.
          The group consisted of three fighter squadrons with about 20 aircraft each. It trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II with the mission of defending China against Japanese forces.”
         This airport has a more personal connection to me because I actually know the daughter (Jean Woo) of the Chinese engineer who worked closely with the Americans to create this runway.
Jean Woo and her husband, Rev. Franklin Woo, are Presbyterians who worked many years with the NCC (National Council of Churches) as the China experts. Before their retirement, the U.S. part of Amity orientations were led by the two of them.
Jean’s father, a native to the country, was sent to Luzhou as the head Chinese engineer of this runway project. Believe it or not, I do believe he is still alive! Over 100 and now living in the States.
I have bits and pieces of the story, as told to me by Jean from her father’s memoirs.
          The building was done by hand, including hauling rocks from the Yangtze which had to be crushed to make the foundation of the runway.   Assembly lines were made from the distant river to the airport, and buckets of rock were passed along or carried by single haulers to where the heavy stones were needed.  

           Huge, concrete rollers that weighed over a ton were used to smooth over the runway layers. These were pushed by the Chinese laborers. According to Jean’s reports, several died on many occasions when the rollers accidentally ran over them.
        Along with the laborers, as was the custom in China, the families came to live on the site as well. Hundreds of tents covered the area to accommodate the thousands who were building the airport’s runway. Both men and women contributed to the construction. Extended family members living there would be in charge of preparing meals. Children were racing about as well, playing and helping with chores. This was not a time when kids went to school, wartime and this being the lowest class of Chinese, those not educated and referred to as “peasants.”
         The conditions of the camp were a problem. Many hundreds died of sickness due to sanitation and just close quarters. Disease spread quickly. This was something Jean’s father had to deal with as the Chinese overseer of the project.

More Details Unknown

        I wish I had more details to share.  Jean can easily fill in the gaps.  I will have to contact her to receive more information.

        I do know that Jean and Franklin visited Luzhou over 5 years ago when I was still here. They came during an Amity Foundation anniversary celebration, with a group of interdenominational guests, to visit Amity’s many social service projects in Sichuan.
When the city officials learned who Jean was, the grand-daughter of the chief engineer responsible for building the runway, the two were treated as honored guests. They received an impressive VIP banquet by the Luzhou mayor and then a private tour of the current airport. It was the highlight of their first trip to Luzhou, which will probably be their last. They are in their upper 80s now and it’s getting more difficult for them to travel overseas. How wonderful that they were finally able to see the incredible results of Jean’s father’s work after so many years.

My Own Exprience

           My own experience of flying in and out of the Luzhou airport wasn’t quite as moving but knowing a bit of the history did give me a twinge of great respect and pride in the Chinese people for such an accomplishment.
          While small, this airport certainly deserves to be noticed and written about, if only via my little article published here.

         Until next entry, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day.

The first “real” runway built in China, with distant Luzhou in the background.  While restored many times, the foundation has remained as it did over 70 years ago.

          You’ll remember my past reports of Mr. and Mrs. Old Man River (Zhen and his younger wife, Wu) who recycle discarded materials throughout the campus. With the rapid return of students, and our school garbage cans quickly filling with trash, they’ve been hard at work collecting all week.
         And often trotting alongside of them, just like a loyal little canine, has been their trusted companion: a very large, white and yellow cat.
          Yes, during my 3-year absence, the Rivers have adopted a feline, which I call Yangtze.

The River’s Tomcat, Yangtze.

          Yangtze is quite the masculine Tom, prowling about the building late at night, often looking for the ladies and yowling for their attention. He enjoys hanging out in the Rivers’ apartment where he is amply fed. He always keeps Mr. River company outside while he sorts, stacks, piles and packages up all the recyclables for the day. He also follows Mrs. River when she goes out to meet her friends, a group of elderly ladies who sit on benches under the shade of trees in front of our nearby dormitories. Here the women enjoy gossiping late into the evening before returning home to prepare dinner. And here is likewise where Yangtze joins in their gathering, lounging at their feet.

Showing Gratitude, The Feline Way

          In return for their kindness, as any grateful kitty will do, Yangtze often leaves little presents at their front door after his midnight outings.
         Coming down the stairwell early morning on my way to the pool, I have been coming across those endearing gifties, dropped off right in front of the Rivers’ apartment door so as not to be missed: dead mice.
          They are carefully preserved, without any disfiguring marks and the innards intact. After all, these are meant for his people friends, not for himself. Human consumption of his delicious prizes is utmost on his list thus the need for more thoughtful, less gory kills.

Coming down the stairwell every morning, I spy the Rivers’ front door . . .

graced with one of Yangtze’s many late-night, fully intact gifties.

The Sentiment Appreciated
         I must say, seeing gummed-to-death mice on my way out to the pool every morning is not the pleasantest of sights. I certainly am not going to miss seeing that after leaving for Chengdu tomorrow for my language study venture.
         But I am going to miss the sentiment involved.
         I know I am certainly grateful to the school for all the kindness they have shown me regarding this new change in my position for the year. Keeping my things for me, allowing me to visit from time to time to check up on my apartment, and being willing to invite me to teach again next year are not extended to every foreigner. I am fully aware of that and have taken every opportunity to thank all the leaders and the college staff who have been involved in such generosity. Tea, American chocolates, copied photographs and small hometown items were my presents of appreciation given this past week.
          I guess you could say that Yangtze and I are on the same page when it comes to saying thank you to people who have taken such good care of us.
          I just made sure not to do it with dead mice.

         From along China’s infamous Yangtze, before I leave for Chengdu living tomorrow, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day.

NOTE: As some might know, my website is blocked in China. While people in China can read my entries, the photographs are blackened out and I am not able to post using Chinese Internet access. I have a re-router which allows me full access to do all that I need to on the Net but that is connected to the city’s system. While in Chengdu, I will need to change servers so it might take awhile to get things up and running. Hopefully, I can keep you all updated after that is accomplished. Just give me a little time.

           The calm, quiet, peacefulness of our empty campus has disintegrated with the coming of the weekend.
          The upper classman began trickling in on Saturday, streaming through the gates on Sunday and dragging their stored belongings back to dormitories on Monday.

Upper classmen drag their stored belongings back to the dormitories, with a little help from friends.

It’s hard work, lugging your things across campus.

Some students arriving by bus had their luggage from home picked up by campus trucks at the station and delivered to their dorms.

It’s still a struggle to haul all that to the rooms, especially if you’re on the 5th floor.

        In this horrible heat and wicked sunshine, the girls’ have brought out their umbrellas for personal shade, speckling our walkways with soft pastels trimmed in lacey material.

           How women in Asia love their pretty umbrellas!

A Schedule Appears!
         Finally, a set schedule has appeared with the return of staff to our administration buildings this week. Teachers’ meetings will be held Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Everyone must be in attendance for welcomes from the leaders, lectures on new teaching regulations and reminders of duties to students and institution. The Peace Corp volunteers will arrive on Thursday early evening, giving me time to meet them before I leave on Saturday for Chengdu.
           During that Saturday departure for me will be the arrival of incoming freshmen all weekend and then throughout the week. Upper classmen will begin their classes on Monday but freshmen come a week later to take up military training for 2 weeks before they officially begin their coursework. I’ve written numerous blogs about this so take a look at past September entries if you want to review what that entails.
         Even at Sichuan University, where I’ll be studying Chinese, freshmen have military training. Fortunately for me, that doesn’t include foreigners such as myself who enter a Chinese school for study.

Goldfish News: Being One-upped

         Today, I find my clever, slippery intention of creating a campus mystery has been thoroughly and utterly crushed.
          I’ve been one-upped by the school workers, or rather 20-upped.
          A few hours ago, upon my arrival to the rocky fountain to check on my little swimming buddies, I was met by quite a sight: a very noticeable clump of large goldfish, making themselves quite at home in what used to be my secret plan.
           No secret now that the school has one-upped me by stocking the water with a generous 20 carp (yes, I counted them) of considerable size. Puts my one inch, tiny, 16-centers to shame. Those biggies were at least a dollar a fin, maybe even a buck-fifty.
My miniscule lot are so miniscule you can hardly make them out in the water. Most likely, everyone will think my additions are the offspring of all those Moby Dicks seen brazenly cruising about.
So much for my mischievous fish prank.
           Guess the campus mystery will have to be how so many big fish had so many babies in a matter of a day. Not the mystery I’d hoped for but I’ll take what I can get.
          Until next entry, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day.

         Our formal schedule listed August 26th, Monday, as the start of school.
         But I’ve been back now for 4 days and the campus is still vacant. No students. No administrators. No teachers.
Only the workers are busy with last minute preparations before students finally do arrive. New lamp posts are being fitted with fresh light bulbs. The sports field is finally getting that much needed haircut it so deserves. Buckling pavements are being fixed and dormitories are having a last going-over before being officially released for occupancy.
              I have asked the gate keepers, the dormitory monitors, and the campus shop keepers when school will, indeed, start and I am getting the same answer: “Bu yiding (boo ee-ding). Not certain. It hasn’t been announced yet.”
            Such is China, where last minute changes are always to be expected and everything is often an up-in-the-air affair. I’m sure eventually, the school website will offer students information on exactly when everyone is to arrive but for now, it’s “bu yiding.”
            I will be here about 10 days before packing a suitcase and heading off to Chengdu for language study. I’m to pay tuition on September 3rd, take care of permanent visa business by Sept. 5, have a placement test on Sept. 11, a morning orientation on Sept.12 and start classes on Sept 15.
              Before then, I’m hoping to meet the new Peace Corp members who should be arriving to teach at our school.
           And what will I be up to, aside from swimming every day and weeding out my apartment of unnecessary items (clothing and old lesson plans)?
         Well, already, I’ve been up to a bit of mischief

Mischievous Acts to Start Out the School Year
         An empty campus and jetlag has emboldened me to perform mischievous acts, in the name of goldfish.
         Let me explain.
          The school’s library has a hidden courtyard which boasts a tall, majestic, Chinese rock formation surrounded by murky water. It could be considered a fountain except for the lack of liquid spew.  The encased cement “pond” is only filled by a trickling plastic pipe.
               Weeds, unkempt bushes and trash have filled the surrounding area since I arrived 11 years ago. It was also blocked off to the public. Most of us only saw this courtyard during meetings in the lecture halls, which exited into the open-air 2nd floor walkways that overlooked the thing.
             But over a month ago, before I left for America, the courtyard was getting a facelift. All the weeds and shrubs were pulled out. Grass seeds were strewn across the plowed dirt. A walkway was laid and the water pump in the rock formation had been fixed to allow circulation and refilling of the fountain’s enclosure.
             Touring the place on Monday, I saw the gate had been unlocked to allow easy access, trees had been planted and classrooms made out of the empty rooms lining the ground floor of the library.

The back of the library now hosts a lovely , renovated courtyard

The rocky sculpture, surrounded by water, is a nice centerpiece to the courtyard.

The new classrooms, the doors open, overlooking the courtyard.

          Students having lessons entered and left via the now grassy lawn, an inviting scenic spot which allowed for sitting during breaks and meditation early morning or late evening.
           Such a glorious transformation!
           But something was missing: the goldfish.
        No artistic, Chinese rocky formation surrounded by water is complete without goldfish. The Forbidden City has them. The many ancient, famous gardens located throughout the country have them.      So why not our little Luzhou campus?
               And who better to stealthily stock this newly renovated fountain than the foreigner?

The Luzhou Bird and Fish Market
        So it was that Tuesday, after a very nice pool swim early morning, I was off to the bird and fish market of this small city.
Number 216 bus dropped me off in the back alleyways of old Luzhou where I wound my way through the crowded clothes stalls and the vegetable and meat markets before arriving at my destination: the bird and fish sellers.
              Visiting this fascinating place is a nostalgic journey into ancient China. The few 100-year-old buildings left standing are located here with rickety wooden structures still existing, although probably not for long if modernization has its say. On one side, numerous birds can be purchased for a dollar or two (canaries, parakeets, Chinese indigenous song birds) and on the other, fish and fish supplies.
            Looking over the many tubs filled with golden mini-carp, it was difficult to choose which shop to go to. I cruised the line of sellers, asking prices and checking the liveliness of what was swimming in the water, until I found a decent array of what I was looking for. I purchased 12 energetic goldfish for 16 cents each, about $2.00 in all, and off I went with my prize to stock the courtyard fountain.

My purchase: 12 goldfish about to have a new home.

The Release

On my way for the grand goldfish release.

          With our campus still vacant, there was no one to discover my clandestine maneuver when I stealthily delivered our 12 fish into their new home.

The water awaits!

Time for our little friends to have a new home but . . .

it’s a secret! Don’t tell.

        They clumped together in a tight school before finally darting away into the depths of the sunken mountainesque sculpture.

Enjoy your new life, everyone.

             They were gone in a few seconds but certainly not forgotten.
I’ve visited them every day to find only one belly-up. (I quickly removed it.) The others are often hidden out of sight except for a brave three. These three breezily zip about, pecking at algae and chasing water bugs skimming the surface. Obviously, their new home is a huge hit.

Students Still to Come
            Now that the fish are settling in, it’s time for students to arrive and likewise settle into school life once again. How surprised they’ll be to find the library’s courtyard not only a pleasant place to visit but filled with an enjoyable array of colorful goldfish to watch as well.
            And therein lies the mystery of the Luzhou campus: Just how did those goldfish get into that fountain, anyhow?
           Gee, I have not a clue.

            From along the Yangtze, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day.

As always, a month in the States flew by.
I received my student visa by mail 5 days ago so I’m all legal for a re-entry into China. My most recent newsletter was sent 2 days ago so those who receive that, be looking for it in the mail soon.
I’ve had a lot of highlights, including a cook-out at my aunt and uncle’s house to a few days ago.

Charles (Chuck) Wieck, my dad’s younger brother, at the grill.

The men of the family, enjoying bonding time. My brother, Paul, to the right, Chuck (center) and my dad (right)

The Wiecks, minus my aunt. Left to right: Chuck, me, Donna (my sister-in-law), Paul (brother, behind her), my mother (in green) and my dad.

Attending Prayer in the Spirit of Taize      

Another highlight of my stay was when my mother and I attended a monthly prayer service in the spirit of Taize.  The prayer program explained all of this, which was new for me and my mom. The following are excerpts:

What is the Taize Community?

Taize (pronounced tei-zay) was a village in France, the home of an international, ecumenical community founded by Brother Roger. He was the son of a Lutheran pastor who acquired a small farm in the village in 1940. He welcomed those in need to his home, working out a call to follow Christ in community that would attempt to live out the Gospel day by day. In 1949, he was joined by his first brothers.
Today, the Taize Community is composed of over a hundred brothers, both Catholic and Protestant, from more than 25 nations. They make a life commitment to live togetgher in joy, simplicity and mercy as a “parable of community,” a sign of reconciliation at the heart of the world. 

As for the service, there are no rules but the 1-hour prayer time is composed of readings, repetitive singing, prayer and lighting of candles to remind us that even when the night is dark, Christ’s love is a fire tha never goes out.

Our Taize prayer vigil was at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in their 1876 church.  The theme was “Drought,” with the evening’s donations given to Living Water International (www.water.cc).  All services were focusing on the Year of the River, which is Terre Haute, Indiana’s celebration of the Wabash River. (St. Mary’s is located near Terre Haute.)

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy of the evening, before and after, as a closing of this entry.  Next reports will be from China, where I’m sure I’ll have lots of travel news to report.

From Illinois, here’s sending you Ping An (Peace) for your day.

My mother on the campus, in front of St. Mary’s 1876 church.

Church of the Immaculate Conception, St. Mary-of-the-Woods

We enter in silence before the service begins.

After the service, it’s my turn for a photo.

Mother Theodore Guerin, sainted a few years ago, is the founder of the college (1841).

After that last entry,  it’s time to report some good news, sent in an email this morning: DP has a home!

A playful DP, ready for adoption.

A Re-cap of DP

I wrote in a previous post that, before leaving for the States, I had taken into my care a 3-month-old puppy dumped on the campus by one of our students.  I named him DP (Dormitory Puppy) because the girls’ dormitory was his hang-out while anxiously awaiting the return of his owner, who had abandoned him to go home for the summer.

Healthy at first, he soon became sick.  Rather than watch the poor thing die a sad, lingering death, I hustled him off to our local vet. He was diagnosed with a common canine killer, the parvo virus.

A very, very sick dog. Here Dr. Mao examines DP on his arrival to the clinic.

Since his illness was so progressed, no one was sure he’d live long enough for the full treatments necessary but, amazingly enough, he did . I visited him every day at the clinic, taking him for walks and giving a little people pampering, up to the day before I left for America.

The vets and I had already reached a monetary agreement of how much I’d pay for them to house him, care for him and eventually find him a home while I was gone.

DP’s home in the clinic until someone adopts him. My last photo of him before I left for America.

Although a sweet, gentle puppy, my biggest concern was his size.  This was going to be a BIG dog.  So few in China want a big dog.  Would our 3 vets (Dr. Huang, Dr. Mao and Dr. Li) be able to find a Chinese animal lover willing to raise what would potentially be a huge animal?

I really had my doubts.

The Exciting Email

         But this morning, an uplifting message about our deserted doggy was waiting for me in my inbox, sent from my Chinese sister, Cathy (Li Xiaolian).

Since I would be in the States for a month, I’d given Cathy’s telephone number to Dr. Huang for him to call if someone wanted to adopt DP.  That way, Cathy could relay the news to me while I was away.

Sure enough, there it was this morning.

Cathy wrote:  “I received a phone from dog hospital, there a good lady take your dog, they gave me the phone number of that lady, and said if you want to know about detail, you can phone to them.”

Oh, Happy Day!

      When I read that note, I could hardly contain my excitement.  Not only does DP have a home, he seems to have a truly great home!

I think you can all guess the first thing I’ll be doing once I land back in Luzhou:   Call DP’s new owner and hopefully set up a time when I can visit this “good lady” who has so kindly adopted my big-pawed stray.

Now that certainly will be a great beginning to the school year.

From Illinois, here’s wishing you Ping An (Peace) for your weekend.

I received several comments on my website regarding the magnificent recycling efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Old Man River (Mr. Zhen and his wife, Ms. Wu).  It’s so nice to hear how others appreciate the hard work the two have done over the years to make our campus a little cleaner and brighter.

Here’s a bit more about my neighbors, including my other friends, which causes me great concern about the health of the Chinese people.  The culprit?  Tang Niao Bing (Sugar-Urine Sickness), known in English as diabetes.

Increases in “Sugar-Urine Sickness”

During my 3 years away from the college, the Rivers have changed in a couple of ways.  Aside from aging, Mrs. River now has Type 2 diabetes.  She told me that she goes twice a day to the local medical clinic across from the school front gate to receive her insulin injections.  I’m guessing most Chinese doctors  recommend that medical personnel give daily insulin shots rather than have people do it themselves but maybe I’m wrong.  Perhaps it’s her own choice to do this with help because she’s nervous about doing it herself.

       I do know that diabetes is on the rise in China. In my former school, our waiban (foreign affairs director) announced his aging father had diabetes, among other ailments.  Here in Luzhou, our college president is an insulin dependent diabetic (Type 2 as of two years ago) and Jalin’s mom (my former Chengdu neighbor) is taking pills for the disease.  Her daughter (a college student in New York City) and her older sister, who has a massage parlor in the Big Apple, send her the medications from America.

Yes, due to the rising increase of diabetes, China has these drugs as well but  quality control is iffy.  Some of the items sold in pharmacies are later found out to be fakes.  A majority of Chinese would much rather have overseas’ meds than meds from China just for this reason.  They are especially wary of buying “American” drugs in country.  TV and newspaper reports remind consumers that bottles and labels may say this is an overseas’ product but the contents have been tampered with and exchanged for cheaper or fake pills.  This has been a growing practice in China with pharmaceutical companies and small, homerun pharmacies being put to the forefront for fraud.

What’s Causing the Rise in Diabetes?

Butter cookies, Dove chocolates and crunchy noodle chips: Just a few modern, unhealthy  goodies that have overtaken young people’s traditional diets.

The August edition of National  Geographic has a very frightening, eye-opening, extensive article entitled “Sugar: Why We Can’t Resist It” which points out just how prevalent this condition has become in the world.  One paragraph (p. 96) reports:  Why in 1980 did 153 million people in the States have diabetes and now we’re up to 347 million?  The culprit:  Sugar.

While Mrs. River, our president and Jalin’s mom most likely didn’t get diabetes due to sugar overload, I can see it easily happening in the country’s younger generation, especially the kids.

It was great when China opened up to the outside world in the early 80’s, but the open-door policy did bring a huge negative change to the country, namely in people’s diets.

In downtown Luzhou, our McDonalds always has a long line for ice-cream cones, served from this street-side walk-up window.

All those fast-food chain restaurants, food and drink products from America and other countries seized China by storm.  Walking in any grocery store now yields aisles full of chocolates (Dove, Nestle, Hershey’s, Cadburys), soft drinks and juices (Fanta, Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Minutemaid and tons of sugar-filled Chinese brands as well), kids’ single servings of sweetened, flavored pure milk products (strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, apple, melon), cookies galore, and a huge variety of  ice-cream bars not to mention all the sugary breads and cakes that have overtaken all the bakeries.

Ah, those delicious, wonderful bakeries!

Years ago, bread was traditionally steamed mantou, both plain and lightly sweetened. Now European style bakeries which cater to Chinese tastes have overtaken all shopping districts.  Bakeries can be found on every street selling to the masses sugar-laden buttery sponge cakes, crunchy cookies and fluffy bread buns or loaves. In fact, the breakfast of many school kids, including my college students, consists of a piece of yellow sponge cake and a carton of sweetened milk picked up on the way to early morning classes.

It used to be a hard-boiled egg and a plain mantou.

My former student, Ji Ke, still enjoys his breakfast mantou, bought from local sellers.

Diabetic Research Findings

In America, the American Diabetes Association states that in the US, 1 out of 10 people have diabetes, a total of 25.8 million, Type 1 and 2 both included.  Of that number, 18.8 have been diagnosed and 7 million most likely undiagnosed.  Not included are the 79 million categorized as pre-diabetic.

A United Kingdom’s website (Diabetes.co.uk, reporting on the global diabetes community) stated that an estimated 1 out of 10 people in China have diabetes (Type 1 or 2) while in the UK, it’s 1 out of 20.

China is likewise thought to have surpassed India with the highest number of diabetes reported within a highly populated country.  Also mentioned was that Type 2 was rarely seen a decade ago in China.  Now is a different story, with numbers having tripled according to experts.  This seems to be somewhat proven in my own encounters with friends.

In fact, 20 years ago, when I first came to China, no one even knew the disease’ name in Chinese.  Now tang niao bing is known by everyone, even the young kids I meet and the poorer, less educated people from the countryside.

Numbers Not 100% Accurate, But Alarming

According to most experts, it’s hard to estimate just how many have diabetes in the country because many people go undiagnosed.  A preliminary study conducted in China by the International Diabetes Federation found the number of diabetics has risen in excess of 92 million.

The certain thing is that diabetes in China is becoming dangerously high.

One of the major suppliers of diabetic medications in China is the US pharmaceutical company, Merck, whose business has increased astronomically in China.

“China has, unfortunately, become the world’s capital for diabetes,” said Michael Rosenblatt, Merck’s chief medical officer, in an Oct. 25 interview in Shanghai.  “The government is starting to pay more attention a this is the beginning of a huge problem, both health and economic.”

My Gifts Brought Back to Chinese Friends Are Changing

         In the past, I used to bring chocolates and American goodies to my Chinese friends after visits to the States.  These were one of the few things that were not labeled “Made in China” and were considered unique.

Not any more, especially as almost all of my former candy presents can now be purchased in any Chinese grocery store.

Now I focus more upon sale-item clothing, skin care products, jewelry, multi-vitamins (very expensive in China, and often fakes) or small local items.  They last longer and can be kept as a memento of their foreign friend, Connie.

Hard to hold on to an American Snicker bar for 20 years but not so for my hometown’s name and logo emblazoned on a T-shirt or a mug.  Those kind of gifts are more health-friendly, and certainly more appreciated.

And having said that, it’s about time for me to begin  that gift shopping already.  With just one week to go before my return to China, it’s always best to get a head start.

From Illinois, as always, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace), and good health, for your day.

           Mr. and Mrs. Old Man River are my 1^st floor, downstairs neighbors.

Of course, that’s not their real names.  It’s really Mr. Zhen, age 84, and his wife, Ms. Wu, age 60. (In China, the wife keeps her maiden name.  The children take the name of their father.)  But as a term of endearment, I use Old Man River, or River for short.

I’ve known this elderly couple for over 7 years.  When I first came to the school, I lived directly above them.  Their daughter is a teacher at our college and since these are the faculty apartments, they were all living there together. When I first arrived, there were 5 of them in their dingy 3-room apartment:  Mr. and Mrs. River, their adult daughter, her 4-year-old son and the father. A very tight squeeze but Chinese are used to these kind of living arrangements, including the shabby conditions of these on-campus living conditions.  Mold growing from the dank concrete walls, leaking toilets, wires dangling from ceilings – not very conducive to healthy living.

Now, it’s just Mr. and Mrs. River living there together.

Their daughter and her family privately bought a brand new, fancy apartment off-campus which they enjoy to the fullest.  They invited the grandparents to live with them but they refused.   This is their home along the Yangtze River.  To leave this place  and live clear across town without easy access to their friends or familiar surroundings is not to their liking.

And so they have remained in the tiny, dark school apartment with frequent visits from their grandson and daughter, usually on the weekends.

A Happy Competition:  Recycling

            What keeps these two busy?

Well, both the Rivers are experts at collecting recyclable materials.

This is one of  the greatest pastimes of many elderly all across China.  Finding plastic bottles, glass, cardboard, paper, rubber and Styrofoam, collected from trash heaps, trash cans and directly off the ground, is a great way to make money.  Recycling venders for all sorts of materials  make weekly or monthly pick-ups in their trucks after being called by locals.  They weigh the carefully packed items and pay X amount per pound, depending on what the current rate is for what material.  University campuses tend to have the most customers for this kind of money-making project, mostly because there is a wealth of recyclables to be found due to student consumption of bottled drinks not to mention discarded books and papers, especially at the end of the school year.

So as on any Chinese campus, we have a very healthy competition going between the elderly on who can collect the most stuff to make the most amount of money.

In competition with the Rivers, here is one of our campus elderly hauling their recyclables for pick-up at the front gate.

Early Morning Ventures Provide Fruitful Findings

           I would have to say Old Man River and his wife provide very stiff competition for these recycling “contests.”  They are both up early morning (6 a.m.)  and quite late at night (10 p.m.) to get the best selections from what the campus dumpsters and grounds have to offer.  Early morning is the best since students stay up late, strolling around the campus at night while eating snacks and enjoying drinks, the remains of which are left strewn everywhere.   Students in China are horrible at throwing things away in the proper receptacles.  They just don’t do it.  They are used to tossing their trash immediately on the floor of classrooms, dormitory hallways or outside on sidewalks and grassy areas.  Education on environmental responsibility is growing in China but is still a new concept for many in the countryside.  Their feeling is it’s the duty of workers to pick up trash so why should they bother lending a hand?  This of course leaves our recycling clans quite happy as they can spot discarded items a mile away without digging through the filthy trash cans.  Thus early morning ventures, which Mr. and Mrs. River participate in daily, are very fruitful.

Old Man River’s Recycling Heaps Bring Great Rewards

Two weeks of collecting result in quite a hefty amount of separated recyclables.

         Before leaving for the Luzhou airport a few weeks ago, Mr. River had compiled all his recyclables in neat, tidy piles outside our building.  He was busy with his Chinese calligraphy brush, dipped in dark ink, marking the stacks with the poundage after weighing them using his traditional Chinese scales.  He carefully recorded on lined paper each category on a piece of paper, the amount designated per pound, his weighed amount and the price he should be paid.

After packaging up everything, Mr. River weighs his items using a traditional Chinese scale.

Mr. River carefully writes the weight with his calligraphy brush on every packed up item.

Cardboard: 18 pounds!

As I dragged my suitcase up the outside steps of our building on my journey to the States, the recycle truck was already parked in front of me. The driver was busy reweighing and adding up my neighbors’ amounts while the two of them looked on to make sure the numbers were accurate.

Our recycling guy and his driver both sort out the amounts, reweighing and recalculating, while Mr. River looks on.

Mrs. River (Ms. Wu) helps her husband load up the recycle truck after everything is in proper order.

Loading up the recycle truck takes some time and energy on everyone’s part.

Looking down on all the collecting the couple had accomplished in 2 weeks was quite inspiring.  One of those bagged piles could be attributed to me and my Diet Coke fetish.  I always make sure the Rivers get my plastic Coke bottles and cans to add to their stash.  This is my way of contributing a few dollars to their bank account every so often, something they are always appreciative of.

In this bag, my plastic Diet Coke bottles add to this 22 pound sack. I’m more than happy to donate to the Rivers’ recycling fund.

I did take a peek at the total this time around:  269.30 yuan ($44.88).

Mr. River’s carefully compiled and itemized list, seen here, was correct.

Not at all a bad haul for such diligence.

My Small Town’s Recycling Fever Falls Flat

         Back in the States, I watch as so many in my small town set out huge garbage bags full of paper, glass, plastics and cardboard to be tossed into our town’s landfill.

Shameful!

My mother refuses to add to that heap so we have a 4-station recycling area set up in the garage.  When her small bins get full, she loads everything into the car and drives over to the nearby city (Terre Haute, 15 miles away) where Indiana State University has a wonderful recycling center for the community to drop off all their materials.  When I’m at home, we usually make at least 2 runs to the center before going out to eat at a local restaurant

There is always a great feeling of accomplishment after emptying all these items into their separate bins, seeing all that would have been polluting the planet had we not bothered.

I can only imagine this is the same satisfaction my neighbors must get after every pick-up from the recycle guy.  Not only are they making our campus more beautiful by their efforts, not to mention getting plenty of exercise in doing so, but bringing in spending money for themselves.

Sure, dependence on adult children to supply their monetary needs is very acceptable in this culture but it’s still nice to know that, at ages 84 and 60, their ingenious self-sufficiency is still hard at work in their lives.

And on that last note, here’s wishing you Ping Ahn (Peace) for your day, with a gentle nudge aimed in the recycling direction for those not inclined to do so. (Hint-hint!)