connie's space

As I write this, I’m in the midst of December Christmas festivities for my students at Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities. We have just finished our Christmas culture lessons, including our classroom re-enactment of Christ’s birth and learning the traditional symbols of the holidays. Next step? The dreaded semester finals.

Testing Taking Place

For me, it’s now Week 2 of conversation testing. I’m to finish all my exams by January 1^st but my students will be continuing with other final exams until January 14. At that time, their school year will end. The foreign language teacher, however, always finishes early. This is to allow students to concentrate on more important classes to close off the school year.

My second year English Education majors are being challenged to thoroughly explain their thoughts and ideas concerning testing young learners in English. For 30 minutes, each pair must truly demonstrate their ability to create good testing questions and theories for their future students. In Chinese, the test would be a piece of cake. But in English? Well, let’s just say they are proving themselves qualified to be second year English majors. So far, everyone has done above-average on their test scores, which is a good sign that they are on their way to be wonderful teachers someday.

As for my 120 freshmen, testing with the foreign teacher is nerve-wracking. This is their first oral conversation final in their lives. While they do work in pairs to give one another support, it still causes them anxiety and panic.

In Chinese junior and senior high schools, all English tests are strictly timed written exams – reading (passages with questions), listening (tapes played once with comprehension questions), vocabulary and grammar (choose the correct word for the sentence.) No spoken English is required.

At the college level, oral tests are a given for English majors. Understanding each other and responding to questions is a top priority in my class so that’s what we do for the final. Although they’ve had 4 weeks to prepare for the set questions and dialogues required of them (all of which were given beforehand), it’s still a frightening experience, one which demands celebration after it’s over.

Let’s Celebrate!

So, as is my custom, after every small group has completed their tests, they are invited to my home for Connie’s Christmas Open House. I have 14 of these in total, held in the evenings, for both my freshmen and sophomore students. 

With my freshmen, their newfound Christmas knowledge can be put to use while enjoying my over-the-top Christmas fantasy land. Miniature crèches , stockings, holiday stuffed animals, Christmas trees, strings of lights, sparkling tinsel roping, advent calendars, Santa hats, and family photo albums – This is the first time for them to visit a foreigner’s home. They are so excited that their cell phone cameras are in constant use for the entire hour they are visiting. Pictures with me, their friends and of the many decorations gracing my home are a must to show family members back home and for memories of our special night together.

My sophomores are not quite as amazed since they saw all this last year. They are more laid back. We sit together, talk as old friends, and gobble down my homemade Christmas cookies.

There will be more time together with my colleagues during their open house on December 24. Their children are always invited, which makes for a more joyful atmosphere since everyone enjoys showing off their kids and the little ones have so much fun.

Goodies Galore

I never tire of these special Christmas events, especially because a great deal of the goodies served have been provided by kind people back in the States.

Christmas checks deposited into my U.S. account have been very generous this year. The uptown candy ladies are ecstatic every time they see me head their way, which is on a daily basis. They fill my bags with assorted varieties, convincing me that 10 pounds is better than 8.

I don’t argue.

Candy for my students is a great luxury. They never buy it for themselves due to the price (A pound of candy for $1.00 is two meals in our cafeteria). Being able to heap my Open House baskets high with different sugary treats is so much fun. Even more so is watching my guests excitedly dig through all the selections available and choose the ones they like the most.

To prepare for these events, I’ve also had a few weekend trips to the capital city, Nanning, three hours away. I was able to purchase butter for cookies and fudge (butter is not a Chinese food item so it is very difficult to find), as well as a substantial supply of great decorations for our English Center.

Christmas Items in China? Yes, and Plenty of Them!

Even though Christmas is not a Chinese traditional holiday, the idea of the festivities has spread clear across China. Stores now stock up on Christmas decorations for those wishing to enjoy a “Western” holiday. Christmas sales can be found in every major chain store. Santa hats, roping, Christmas stockings, door decals, trees, strings of lights and ornaments can be purchased for fairly decent prices.

While Longzhou’s supply is quite limited due to the size of this small town, Nanning as a big city had plenty to offer. On my trips to the Christmas section in Nanning’s chain grocery the Ren Ren Le (Everbody’s Happy), I think I bought out the entire holiday aisle. Dozens of curious Chinese gazed at my cart on my numerous buying sprees. Their eyes grew big when they saw it overflowing with tinsel roping, stockings, lights and everything else I couldn’t pass by.

At the check-out counter, I even had some customers dig through my cart while we waited, pulling out items to ask what we foreigners used them for.

“To make the house look pretty for Christmas,” I told them. “It’s an American tradition.”

Even though China is currently over-run with Christmas decorations placed in stores to give a more festive atmosphere for consumers, buying such things for personal use is considered a waste of money. When the Chinese standing behind me in the grocery line watched the check-out attendant total my goods, they shook their heads in disbelief.

The kids, however, had a different viewpoint. They gazed in awe and wonder at all these sparkly things being stuffed into bags. I could just imagine their thoughts: “The foreigner’s home must be really something to see!”

One little girl had her eyes on a little Santa box I had in my cart. I purchased 10 of these as gifts for my monitors (class leaders) to thank them for their help this semester. Since I had an extra one, I made sure she received it after I’d left the line.

“Merry Christmas!” I told her, handing her the box.

She hesitantly looked at her mother who told her to thank the foreigner and take it. She did so with great care and a huge smile.

The one thing I love about Chinese parents is that when it comes to giving a child something special, there isn’t a big fuss made. No “Oh! Don’t do that. It’s too expensive” or “You don’t know us. Please, take it back.” They understand that gift-giving is a gesture from the heart that should be accepted with gratitude, no matter how big or small the present.

I think that follows for us at Christmastime as well.

And on that last note, I’ll close.

Many, many blessings for your Christmas Sunday and a very happy new year!

As always, Ping An (Peace) from China.

Note: My website is still blocked. This posting is courtesy of my friend, Pam, in Marshall.

The elderly in China have all sorts of activities to keep them busy.  Retirement age in China is 55 for women, 60 for men, so most retirees are quite spry, healthy individuals. In towns and cities, they enjoy gathering in the evenings or early mornings for group exercise (line dancing, taiqi, ballroom or traditional Chinese dancing). They form small clubs and practice in nearby parks. It’s quite common to see such clubs every day in China, out in the open and enjoying their crafts: choirs belting out folksongs or Beijing opera numbers, mahjong players, mini orchestras, painting or sketching enthusiasts, Chinese calligraphy artists, or sword and fan dancers.

Others not in metropolitan areas, those who are countryside farmers, never give up their skills of growing vegetables around their rural homes. Even when they join their grown children living in towns and cities, their green thumbs itch for seeds and soil.

Perhaps that’s why, on our campus, we have so many of the older crowd who have taken up gardening.

Most of the teaching staff here came from remote farming communities. Our teachers were the first to get a higher education in the family, have a good profession and be able to care for siblings and aging parents with their incomes. Children in China feel a great obligation to care for their relatives when they grow up, thus it’s not unusual for parents to move in with their kids later in life.

So in our campus faculty apartments, many elderly are living with their grown children. And because they were farmers in their youth, they feel the need to keep busy planting on Mother Earth.

That’s where our gardener’s paradise began.

A Deserted Patch Is Tended To

Three years ago, when I first arrived at this school, I took a walk around the campus. On one end, there was a walled in area with deserted classrooms, toilet shacks and dormitories.

For a number of years, this had been our college’s attached junior and senior high school. Young people from the countryside areas and Longzhou had registered to study there. Those who weren’t from Longzhou stayed in the dormitories provided. I heard that about 600 attended both the junior and senior high levels. Hard to imagine in such a small space.

In 2004, the college decided to do away with the institution because better schools were being established in Longzhou. There was no need for us to help educate younger students. The administration decided to focus on only on those at the college level.

Seven years of disuse took its toll on the past educational institution. The cement had buckled, weeds sprang up everything and walls crumbled. Piles of brick were heaped high, waiting to be at some point recycled for small building projects around the campus.

In other words, when the dog and I first walked into this walled-off area, it was a mess. A sign posted on the iron gate told people to stay out, even though another entrance easily allowed people to come and go as they pleased.

No one did as there wasn’t any reason to.

Every day that first year, I had classes in the building adjacent to this eyesore. I was on the third floor, which allowed me an excellent view to look down on our abandoned school yard below.

Imagine my surprise, however, when very slowly, day by day, bit by bit, that weedy mess changed into something amazing.

The elderly on our campus began to see possibilities in growing things among the rubble. Our campus had no other place to grown small gardens than this one plot of land. Thus, despite the sign saying otherwise, the determined, innovative elderly entered and started their journey to create something out of nothing.

A Gardener’s Paradise Emerges: Something from Nothing

For over 2 years now, I’ve watched from my 3^rdfloor classroom balcony as a magnificent vegetable and fruit tree garden appeared.

It started as one sole woman cleared a tiny area to put in some beans. News quickly spread as word got out among the older folk living here that there was a place to grow things. If you were willing to put in the time and effort to clear out the bricks and concrete, and block off your own little corner, you were welcome to join in.

And so it happened that we now have an impressive garden, created by our campus elderly, which is truly a work of art.

Looking down on this amazing feat, you can see tidy rows of beans, carrots, cabbage, peas, soybeans, cilantro, scallions, hot peppers and corn. Vines of egg plants, pumpkin, tomato and cucumber cluster about in nooks and crannies. Four papaya trees are already bearing fruit and a few pipa trees are likewise ready for harvesting (Pipa, or loquat, is a south- Asian tropical fruit, something like an apricot.)

Every day, in the cool, early mornings or late evenings, you can see our gardeners carry water to the tiny seedlings and tend to their charges. In fact, it’s not unusual for me to meet my 5^th floor neighbor hauling buckets of water up and down our stairwell for her vegetables. She balances her two heavy buckets on a pole set on her shoulders and skillfully maneuvers herself down five flights of stairs. (No elevators on our campus, no matter how high the building.)

I’ve watched her carefully, slowly make her way to her garden, under the heavy weight of her buckets. It’s a rather long stretch to get there but she does it several times a day.

Nor is she the only one. If you want your garden to thrive, there’s no other way to supply thirsty plants with what they need. There are no water lines connected in that deserted part of campus. Our tropical, sizzling sun and roasting temperatures shrivel everything in a matter of hours, even during winter. If you want your plants to survive, you’ll have to provide water another way. Carrying it from home is the only option.

What Will Befall Our Campus Garden?

Such care and love have been put into this gardener’s paradise that I do wonder what will become of it next year. In the summer of 2012, our school is moving.

The entire campus will be sold. All students and faculty will be moved to the new campus in Chongzuo, 1 ½ hours away, where already a majority of the students (8,000) have already been attending school for the past two years. Our school, educating the one-thousand plus, 3-year vocational students, had been holding off the move until more dormitories and faculty housing had been built to accommodate everyone.

I’ve heard now that everything is ready for our arrival in Chongzuo. Next semester will be the last one at Longzhou’s Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities. After that, another school with another name will take our place.

That’s why I wonder what will become of the garden that our retired farmers have worked so hard to create. Without anyone here to tend to the individual vegetable plots, there is little hope of its survival. Such a fate of doom and gloom!

Or not.

Perhaps whoever moves into our faculty housing units will bring with them retirees willing and excited to take over where our gardeners left off. Might even be a banana tree or two gracing our gardeners’ premises in a few years.

Now that certainly would be something to see!

Until then, our squatters’ paradise still has numerous months to thrive and flourish, bringing with it our elderly’s nurturing love of gardening.

Until next time, wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day.

        National Day holidays have ended today, yet the remnants of Typhoon Nesat from a week ago are still hovering in Guangxi Province.

      Last Friday morning had my hired driver, Mr. Ling, landing at the bottom of my stairwell right on time at 11 a.m..  My early morning class had gone very well and I was relieved that the heavy rain was holding off.  The news had reported of a typhoon landing.  The skies were all whispy, dark, wind-spun clouds whisking by but the rain seemed to be holding off. 

      I was hoping that would be the case on our 3-hour drive toNanning.

      Oh, sadly, not so!

         Little Flower, Mr. Ling and I were cruising down the road in his SUV only 20 minutes before the big wind swooped down upon us.   

          After passing our Longzhou tollbooth, we were on the expressway where we were battered by heavy gusts that had Mr. Ling gripping the wheel firmly while his windshield wipers frantically thumped on high speed to keep the glass clear from the rain.  Even LF woke numerous times from her pleasant slumber on my lap when we were thrust and tossed aside by the quarrelsome gails.

          Two hours into the trip and we still were experiencing bad weather, even for my favorite Fusui rest stop. 

Fusui Rest Area

          Let me take a little moment to tell you about these new-found Chinese rest areas.

         As middle-class Chinese are getting wealthier, they are also getting more accustomed to comforts.  One of those is private car ownership, which years ago in China was unheard of.  Now the cities and expressways are full of private citizens with their own cars.  This abundance of vehicles has obviously brought with it a great dealo f nuisance (traffic jams and horrendous pollution), but there some perks.

            One of those plus points is the great rest areas China’s transportation ministry has developed.  Before, motorists and long-distance bus passengers were forced to stop at grimy shacks that had rank, disgusting toilets and served unsanitary food. 

          Not so anymore.

          The rest areas  that line our Nanyou Expressway are truly lovely.  As a newer highway, and one that stretches all the way from Vietnam, it especially has pleasant pit stops due to the Chinese-Vietnamese tourist trade.  

         For those of us traveling from Longzhou, the best one is the Fusui Rest Area.

         Fusui is a small town located just 1 hour from Nanning.  Its rest area is just before the exit into the town.  Not only does it have the most beautiful scenery of the 3-hour drive to the capital city but it has the best man-made landscaping and biggest snackie offering in the convenience store.

          I’ve taken plenty of pictures of the Fusui stop but not this time around.

          When Mr. Ling pulled in to get gas and allow us to use the rest stop facilities, the weather was just too wet for photographs.  LF pranced about in the downpour, hiding under trees and picking her way through the grass to do her business.  I was more fortunate to have the indoor toilets to use.  

           Although it wasn’t as pleasant a stop as I usually experience, I did enjoy gazing for a short time at the misty mountain range that lay before us.   Even in the wind and rain, the Fusui Rest Area was surrounded by the mystical charm of traditional China.

 Arrival in Nanning

         We made it to our small hostel a little over the usual 3 hours due to the wind and rain. 

         The trip was well worth the money, especially in the horrible weather.  Granted, the bus is so much cheaper ($12) and on most occasions, I would use it.  But with my luggage and the dog in tow, the private car is the best way to go.  It is my only holiday splurge and since I save on the hotel (only $10 a night), I figure I can afford it.

           Mr. Ling is one of the cheaper drivers in Longzhou.  He charges $85 for a Nanning trip, which I still think isn’t enough.  The toll on the expressway is 90 yuan ($14) one way, $28 roundtrip.  The gas is 270 yuan ($45).  So all together, it’s $73.  He makes a total of $12 for his efforts, which entails over 6 hours of driving in one day, there and immediately back.

           Mr. Ling was kind enough to wait for me to check into the room then give me a ride to the Xiyuan Hotel swimming pool, which was on his way back to Longzhou. With the horrible rain, getting a taxi was going to be difficult so this saved me not only a $5 fare but some time as well.

 A Holiday of Drenched Spirits

         Mostly around China , everyone enjoyed their official 4-days off with trips to scenic spots throughout the country, tours to major cities and outings to buy big on store sales.  (Consumerism is huge in China for holidays.)

        But here in the south, China’s 62^nd anniversary of the founding of the PRC was a dreary affair.  October 1st continued with torrential rains that just wouldn’t let up.  Even the big fireworks display was canceled that evening. It did get underway here in Nanning but a sudden increase in rain caused the planners to give it up.

        Dropping temps also had people hovering inside, not at all willing to go out in this mess with umbrellas in hand to fight those wanting taxies or thousands of Chinese crammed into shopping areas to get the best of the sales.

         My greatest sympathy lay with several of my 2^nd year students.  Before the week-long holiday, on Thursday, I had met with a few of them in the English Center where they excitedly told me of their plans to go to Guilin , in the north of the province, for sightseeing. Guilin is famous for its gorgeous scenery, with odd mountain formations that jut upward out of the middle in the plains. Winding rivers weave their way around densely forested areas, giving tourists spectacular cliff views during river cruises.  

        Guilin is  a well-established tourist destination with many attractions and is a favorite for Chinese and foreigners alike.

      From Longzhou, it’s a 3-hour bus ride to Nanning to pick up either a bus (5 hours) or train (7 hours) to get to Guilin.  The bus is more expensive as it is a straight shot to Guilin city.  The train a bit cheaper as it stops along the way. 

        One group of my students was traveling by train, another by bus.  They were so excited to be going on an adventure of this sorts with friends.  Money is tight and touring is not something  my students have the luxury of doing. When I heard of their plans, I was so happy for them.  What a wonderful time they would have!
      But those conversations were on Thursday, when our skies were clear and it was roasting outside, nearly 95 degrees.

      The next day, the typhoon hit.  \

       Here Mr. Ling and I were being blown all over the road so I could just imagine the bus ride being the same that my students took to Nanning. 

        Saturday was just as miserable, if not worse, with the constant rain and cold.  Sunday was likewise yet another day of showers with only Monday for us being dark but clear of the rain.

        I’m wondering what stories my students will have when they return on Friday to begin make-up classes on Saturday.  Most likely, it won’t have been a very fun venture, plus quite chilly as Guilin is far to the north.  But I have no doubt it will certainly be a memorable, unforgettable journey for all of them.

Wedding Parties Grin and Bear the Weather

           Yet others who had to make the best of a rainy situation were our wedding couples.

      As is quite prevalent inChina, holidays are the time for marriage parties and celebrations to take place. Holidays are safe because guests invited are off of work. Since wedding celebrations are an all-day affair, beginning with a huge noontime dinner for a hundred guests or more, and then carrying on all day at the place of venue with card games, KTV or chit-chat, it’s important to make sure everyone can come.  Holidays provide that opportunity and National Day is a big one for this.   With most employees getting 4 days off, it’s the perfect time to share your marriage happiness with family and friends.   In fact, one of my former students told me she had 3 wedding invitations this National Day.  Busy girl!

       In Nanning, last Saturday to Tuesday was to be the day for couples to gather outside of their chosen marriage venues (expensive restaurant hotels), greet guests and usher everyone in for the big dinner.  Traditional white wedding dresses with poofy full skirts, glittery floor-length gowns or sequin-studded qipaos (Chinese dress) are the thing Chinese rent from wedding agencies throughout the city.  The groom is likewise in a spiffy suit, usually a tux, also rented. Professional make-up artists and hair stylists also make sure the bride and groom look their best for their marriage display.

       For National Day, it’s not at all unusual to see wedding couple after wedding couple along the streets, at the doorway of posh establishments, handing out the traditional favors of candy and cigarettes to guests entering.  But for our southern China, the rain and wind sent a lot of our couples inside to greet guests. 

         Nor were the closing wedding pictures, taken outside in nearby parks with family and friends, yet another popular sight I’d usually be seeing at this time.  I was sorely disappointed not to be able to capture any of these special moments on my own camera, which is something I often enjoy doing for holiday wedding parties inChina.

         I only glimpsed one couple with their happy crowd standing at a riverside park in front of a flowery display of “62” (for the 62^nd anniversary).  This was during a lull in the rain, as I was zipping my way by taxi to the pool. I missed my chance.  I had no camera in hand, and no other couples have I seen since.

 Back to Longzhou

         My last swim for the holidays was to an empty pool.  The non-stop, pouring rain and chilly temperatures kept many of the die-hard swimmers away this morning. Since the pool water is not heated, the outside degree plunge has crept up on us all during the week. 

          Mr. Ling was not able to make the trip back to Nanning due to a friend visiting so he sent another driver, Mr. Wang, to pick us up.  At 3 p.m., the rain hadn’t let up so we left as we had come:  with stormy skies overheard and the windshield wipers frantically going.

          And just as last week, as soon as we were within 20 minutes of reaching Longzhou, right after the tollbooth exit, the rain stopped.  It was a dry landing, much appreciated by both of us.  Little Flower was immediately able to go for a nice, long sniff-and-smell around the campus after being stuck inside for 7 days straight.   Students were likewise out and about, finally able to enjoy a rain-free evening. 

          Will our 90-degree weather return? 

           According to the weather reports,  when we all hit the classrooms for make-up days tomorrow, it’s to be noticeably warmer with bouts of sunshine. 

            Wouldn’t you know it.  After holidays are over, we get the nice weather.  Go figure!

        While my photos were pretty sparse this time around, I’ve included a few.  (Those from the Fusui Rest Area were taken weeks ago, on a much kinder weather day than the one we had for the holidays.) 

         Until next time, here’s Ping An (peace) from a drenched southern China.    

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             Last semester, I was informed that our United Methodist Women’s Division had graciously made a gift of $3,200 for “Connie’s work inChina.”   The funds were transferred to the Amity Foundation inNanjingwho then sent it on to me in Longzhou.

            Such a generous amount was immediately put to good use — copying photos for students, buying candy for special events and getting a few needed items for ourEnglish Center, like a wall clock, pens and English study materials found in Nanning book stores.

 Textbooks Needed

            But what I was truly excited about with this amount had to do with this semester.

            Some of you might remember that I prepare and compile my own textbook for use in our classrooms.  These materials I have collected over the years and also created myself specifically for use with Chinese college students.   One textbook is for the first year students, entitled “In the Classroom with my Foreign Language Teacher.”  The second textbook is for my 2^nd year English Education majors, “Talking and Learning About Teaching.”

            After putting together my two 100-page books, I drop them off at the small family-run copy store across the street from the school.  There, Ms. Chen and her husband run off what I need.  In the past, I usually covered half the price of the copied book and my students paid me the difference, which ended up being about  $1.25 (10 yuan) for them.

 The Announcement “They’re Free!” Brings Cheers and Gratitude

            This year, however, not only were our textbooks free for the students but free for me as well.  I had 95 books copied for the 2^nd year students, coming to 1,450 yuan ($230) and 145 books for the 1^st year students, coming to 2,030 yuan ($322). 

            When I announced to the students in each class that their books were free, due to the generosity of Americans who wanted to help them, they were overwhelmed.  Their cheers and shouts of excitement were heard in next door classrooms whose teachers later asked me what all the fuss was about. 

            “Free textbooks,” I told them, “courtesy of my American sending agency.”

            Even my colleagues were moved by this display of care and concern shown to others across the world. 

           My dean, Liang Ling, remarked, “Oh, how wonderful!  Please thank your sending agency for this gift to our students.  We appreciate this kindness so much.”

 A Hearty “Thank You” to the United Methodist Women’s Division

           So from Dean Liang Ling, and myself as well,  I pass along a big thank you to those of you who support our Women’s Division through your giving and support.  This has meant a lot to all of us, and the great thing is that there’s still plenty of money yet for next year’s book as well!

            Enjoy the photos of your gift to us.  As you can see, it’s a pretty happy moment for everyone, including Ms. Chen whose copy shop made a tidy sum which I’m sure she definitely needed.

            Until the next report, most likely afterChina’s National Day holidays, here’s Ping An (peace) for your weekend.  

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            Here it is, September 28, and we’re finally ready to open the school year to all students, freshmen and upper classmen.
            This is the first full week of classes here at Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities.  My entry back into teaching my 3^rd year at this school certainly had some surprises, namely that I landed in China during a holiday.

            Mid-autumn Festival began on Sept. 11 and ended Sept. 13, which gave me an extended stay in Chengdu.  But even more extended that that, Sept. 14- 16, the freshmen were arriving, meaning all classes were canceled while the upper classmen, faculty and administrators settled them into their new environment.  So rather than dash off to roasting southern China immediately after picking up Little Flower (the dog) at her sitter’s home in Chengdu, both of us were able to hang out in Sichuan.  I enjoyed meeting up with many old friends, spending time with Jalin’s family, hanging out with my former students, swimming at the Meng Zhui Wan swimming pool and enjoying a bit of rest after such a busy summer.

Getting Back to Longzhou

            On Saturday, September 17, LF and I finally made our way back to Longzhou.    Due to the late-night, 9 p.m. flight we had to take (the only plane flying that day that had oxygen in the cargo, where the dog has to ride), we didn’t get back on campus until 1 a.m. Sunday morning.

            Of course, I had earlier flight choices in smaller planes but without oxygen in the cargo, that wouldn’t have been a very pleasant landing, having an expired dog on my hands.  Oh, dear.  What a way to start off the school year if that had happened! 
            I had already made arrangements for a pick-up from  Mr. Ling, the van driver I hired who brought us to Nanning in July.  He was waiting for us at 11 p.m. and off we went for the 2-hour drive to Longzhou.

 The Arrival: A Welcome Committee of Sorts 

            My apartment had been unused for over 2 months, plus during the steamy tropical summer, so I did wonder what it would look like upon us stumbling in so early in the morning.   I wasn’t looking forward to it, that’s for sure.

            I kept thinking:  What if the refrigerator broke down while I was gone?  What if there was a pipe burst in the bathroom?  What if I forgot to close off the gas tank in the kitchen?

            Who wants to deal with that at 1 in the morning?

            We pulled up in front of the building. LF eagerly clamored out of the van, raced up the stairs and waited anxiously outside the door to enter my 3^rd floor apartment.

            Mr. Ling was kind enough to haul my 50 pound suitcase up the stairwell.

            I pulled out my key, opened the door, and flipped on the lights.

            LF was the first to dash inside, grabbing up a few of her left-behind toys from the floor.  These she squeaked around while I looked to see what damage had been done.

            Aside from dust and smelling a bit closed off, everything was in great shape.

            In fact, I had a welcoming committee!  Scattered across the living room floor were 8 belly-up cockroaches, huge buggers that were definitely recent deaths.  (While sweeping them up, I noticed they were pretty juicy and not too dried up.)

            In other rooms, I found a few more dead ones and a very active fat one as well.  (Not active for long).

            It seems those roach pellets I put down certainly did their job.

            I have a great dislike for cockroaches but a welcoming committee of dead ones?  That was the greatest kind of welcome to have.

 Freshmen Dive Into Military Training

            After such a long time away from teaching and the school, I was ready to dive right into the classroom on Monday, September 19.

            But once again, yet another delay.

            While the 2^nd and 3^rd year students were already settling into their 3^rd week of courses, the freshmen were busy in other ways:  Military Training.

            As previously mentioned in other blogs, all Chinese freshmen (high school and college) have mandatory military training for 10 days before they begin their studies.  The military training session is led by soldiers from nearby army bases, ours being just outside of town.  Students are divided by their classes and majors, which become fheir platoons.

             Their training involves learning to march in formation (morning, afternoon and late evening practices – very exhausting!), lectures on working and living together in the dormitories, advice on getting along in a new environment, suggestions about studying well and getting the most out of your college experience and learning to build trust and camaraderie between one another.

            In other words, it’s not really military training we’re talking about but merely a “how to” course on adjusting to a new way of life:  That of a college student, far from home, in need of guidance and support.

            Last year, our weather was so roasting that the military training course was put off until the Spring semester, in March.  Having students pass out due to dehydration and heat exhaustion after marching about all day was not something the administrators wanted to deal with.  Thus the schedule change for last year.

             This year, however, our temps have been much lower so the school leaders decided now was as good a time as any to get this done and over with.

            Last week, it was great fun watching everyone proudly strut about in their uniforms, which this time  were quite fetching.  Every student paid 110 yuan ($17.40) for their 2 sets of clothing.  We had the marching outfits (camouflaged pants, cotton T-shirts, army belts and bright red berets) along with the more dressy additions which were a long-sleeved, button-down blue shirt and red tie. 

            These were the best uniforms I’ve ever seen for the training course, unlike last year’s stinky, stiff cotton garbs and ugly fits.  Previous photos of last spring’s awful look are online for review.  Compare them to this year’s pics and I think you’ll agree, it’s a great improvement

 My Freshmen Started Today!

            This morning, I’ve already enjoyed my first classes with the incoming freshmen English Education majors.  Both of us have waited an excruciatingly long time to meet one another so I think you can guess the excitement in the classroom today.  Everyone was on a high, which made for very active classes involving lots of laughter and good conversation involvement.

            I’m eagerly awaiting to meet the others later this week.

 Yet Another Delay in Teaching:  National Day Holidays Nearly Upon Us

          Just as we’re all getting started and settled into the school year,  I get yet another hiatus in teaching.

           China’s National Day holidays (the founding of the PRC) is nearly upon us.   October 1 – 7 are the days off, which will have none of us working.  Some of the students will go home but many will remain here on campus as it’s too far for them to return home.

            Little Flower and I will be in Nanning, as always, where I will enjoy pool swims and loading up on supplies from the capital city to start off the year. 

            We’ll be starting up during the weekend (October 8 and 9) to teach what we call make-up days. China only allows a 3-day holiday for National Day but to give students a longer break, we are given 5 days.  Thus we have to make up the 2 days we were given.

              That about brings everyone up-to-speed on the happenings from this end in little Longzhou.  There are more stories to tell, of course, but until next time,   as always, here’s Ping An (peace) for your day!   

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                 I just want to remind readers that all my past photo albums and pictures over the last 2 1/2  years  are located at the below site.   

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=82087792aa368e14&sc=photos#!/?cid=82087792AA368E14&sc=photos&group=0&sff=0

         This entry is for my Chinese students, who will be logging on soon to complete their back-to-school homework assignment.  Because I am still in America, and our school year in China has already started, I want to keep them busy before I return.  Their current assignment is:  1) read 3 blog entries (one from 2008, one from 2009 and one from 2010 or 2011) and give impressions of your reading  in 100 words or more  2)  choose any blog picture to describe and tell why you chose it (50 or more words)    3)  Ask Connie 3 questions about what you’ve read or seen.     This written homework is to be handed in on the first day of class we have together, which will be the week of Sept. 12.

Itineration Explanation

              Why am I late in returning to teach in China for the 2011 school year?

              Foreign language teachers who teach with the Amity Foundation have sending agencies in their different countries.  The sending agencies hire the foreign language teacher to send to China to be an Amity Foundation teacher.  Every sending agency usually asks their teachers to return to their home countries to talk to others about China, their work and the Amity Foundation.  In this way, people from other countries learn about China, the educational system of the Chinese young people and what it’s like to teach in such a big country.  Also, this helps to recruit more teachers.  If someone is interested in becoming an Amity teacher, he or she can contact the Amity Foundation (amityfoundation.org) or the sending agency to discuss more about possibly being a teacher in China.

           The word used for traveling to different places and giving talks is itineration.  So this trip has been my itineration trip, about 2 months.

            For myself, I return to America every 3 years for itineration.  I travel to different cities and small towns.   I talk about my work in China and explain about the Amity Foundation.  This summer was my turn to visit my area of America to do just that.  For 2 months, I drove all around Illinois (my home state) and gave talks to large and small groups of people.  Most of the groups I talked to belonged to the United Methodist church, which is my sending agency sponsor. 

               I don’t have a car in America but my parents were very kind.  They loaned me their car so I could travel easily to many different towns and cities.   In total, I drove 3,150 miles and gave 24 presentations.   Many kind people invited me to spend the night with them when I had to travel too far.  My longest drive was 7 hours in one day.  

              Illinois is very famous for sweet corn and beans so I enjoyed looking at the beautiful countryside on my long drives.   

                 Illinois is also very flat.  There are no mountains or hills so you can see for miles and miles in every direction.  Illinois is known as the prairie state because we have a lot of flat land.  A prairie is a wide range of flat land.  Years ago, the land was filled with grass but now its full of farm fields — corn, soybeans and wheat. 

                 When driving along countryside roads, we have to be very careful in Illinois.  There are lot of deer and deer families that cross the road late at night or even during the daytime.  They are living in wooded areas or eatting the corn in the corn fields.  The deer run very fast and we have a lot of accidents when cars hit the deer.  My mother hit a deer once.  It took over $800 for her to fix the car!  Fortunately, the car insurance paid for the repair work. 

                   On my drives, I saw several families of deer.  I was fortunate not to run into any deer, though.  Lucky me!

                    After my talks, there was a short Q & A  session (Question and Answer).  My listeners gave their impressions and thoughts about what I had said and the pictures I had shown them during the powerpoing presentation.  Some of the things that surprised them and that they asked about:

1)  Almost all Chinese have cellphones (In America, cellphones are used but not by everyone.  They are a little expensive but in China, they are very affordable.)

2)  Chinese college kids look so young!  They look like they are in junior high school.

3)  Why are there so many girls in your classes?  It seems the boys don’t like to major in English in China.

4)   We always heard that Chinese families can only have 1 child.  Your students, however, have brothers and sisters.  In fact, some have very big families.  Why?

5)  Does the sweet corn in China taste the same as the sweet corn in Illinois?  (Well, I think Illinois corn is sweeter and juicier.  But maybe that’s because I’m from America.  Perhaps Chinese think their corn is better)

              There were many more questions people had and I was happy to answer for them.   Everyone was very interested in China, just like my Chinese students are interested in America.

                On Saturday, Sept. 3, I am flying back to China.  I will land in Shanghai first, then Chengdu  (Little Flower is in Chengdu at her sitter’s home) and finally Nanning.  I am really looking forward to returning to Longzhou.  I hope all my students will study just as hard this year as they did last year.  We will see!

            From America’s Illinois state, here’s wishing you “Ping An” (Peace) for your day.  I hope you enjoy the following slideshow from my many presenations and visits throughout Illinois.  I truly loved every minute!

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                Of course, the church visits and presentations have kept me pretty busy during my time in Illinois but one event that couldn’t be missed was Terre Haute’s annual Bark-in-the-Park.

A Recap: Our Chinese Chihuahua Immigrant

           In Marshall, Illinois, most of the residents know of our family’s Sichuan earthquake-zone rescue dog, Xiao Lao-lao (shee-ow l-ow l-ow,), translated into English as Little Old-old.

         I found him 2 years ago after the Sichuan earthquake on the streets of China in Chengdu city while he was digging through garbage. His coat was dirty and his body emaciated, definitely telling signs of a stray, but what drew me to him was his flapping chin. He had no lower jaw due to a previous injury and no upper teeth, which myU.S. vet later attributed to periodontal disease. Only a few back teeth remained, giving him some ability to chew but not much.

      This sad-looking Chihuahua was just too pitiful for me to pass by.

       I scooped him up and a trip to my Chinese veterinarian had him in good shape after a 3- week hospital stay. Vaccinations, de-worming, neutering and a healthy diet transformed him into a lovable 5-pound companion that anyone would be proud to call his own.

       Although his age was estimated at a young 2 or 3 years old, I named him Little Old-old in Chinese due to his missing teeth, which reminded me of an elderly person.  It was a cute name and he had an even cuter personality, one I thought would surely win him a loving home among the Chinese.

       Yet the search for a home inChina didn’t fair well.

       After posting bi-lingual videos on the Net, inviting a Chinese reporter to do a newspaper article on him, trying him out at two possible homes, and asking among my neighbors, colleagues and friends, Little Old was still without a family who wanted him. My own dog, Little Flower, was too jealous for me to have a 2-dog household so it was on to Plan B: America! 

         He was immediately adopted by my mom and dad, who have been caring for him all this time.  Despite my absence, he still remembers me and is always happy to see me upon my return to my parents’ house.  This summer has been no different.

Attending the Annual Bark-in-the-Park in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana

                Terre Haute’s Bark-in-the-Park, now in its third year, was hosted jointly by the Terre Haute Humane Society and Young Leaders Program as one of their major fund raisers for the year. Half the proceeds went to the Young Leaders organization for their mini-grant programs.  The other half went toward the Terre Haute Humane Society for their many animal needs. 

               A small portion was also given in memory of Police Officer Brent Long, killed on duty just a short time ago in a tragic shooting.  His trusted K-9 unit member, a hefty German Shepherd, was injured severely but came through with flying colors.  Honoring his fallen master with a donation to Officer Long’s dedication and sacrifice was deamed a fitting tribute to police officers everywhere and the dangers they face to make our country, towns and cities safe.

             Just like last year, dogs and dog owners were invited to the city’s Fairbanks Park for a 3-mile walk, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Registration was $15 for each walker but dogs were free. A complimentary breakfast was also provided for those participating.  We had great biscuits and gravy, along with bananas and granola bars.  Free water was available, as much as you wanted, to carry along for your dog or yourself. 

            For our $15 fee, we also received a Bark-in-the-Park T-shirt and a bag full of doggie treats.  This year’s goodies were a dog water dispenser, numerous home-made dog biscuits, a toy frisbee, discounts at local pet stores and a rather large pooper scooper.  For us, the pooper scooper was a bit much.  Lao-lao doesn’t have enough waste in him to even come close to filling that thing but I’m sure we can find a good use for it somehow.

This Year’s Trekking Event

           Last year’s temperatures soared into the high 90s but this year, we lucked out with overcaste skies.  It was still fairly muggy, which sent quite a few doggies into the water tubs to cool off, but for the most part, it was a pleasant jaunt we took around the park walkways. 

             To make the 3-mile limit, we circled the park twice. Last year, Lao-lao ended up being carried most of the way due to the heat but this time around, he managed quite well and held his own.   He trotted right along on his leash with pride and a fascinated interest in all his canine buddies. 

               His little legs, however, were just a tad too short to catch up with everyone.  Lao-lao ended up at the back of the pack, along with several other physically challenged pooches.  We met up with a gentleman who had 3 dogs, one with a missing leg due to being hit by a car.   A wheel-chaired individual was also present.  In solidarity with her doggie friends, she made sure they received enough water from her cup any time they were thirsty.

Another Bark-in-the-Park Ends

              By 11:15, the entire event was over.  The staff were already packing things up and loading trucks with tables, chairs and equipment when we called it quits.  Most of the other participants had already taken off as well.

               Although our second time around, we still had a great deal of fun.  I know I wasn’t sorry I’d attended and I don’t think Lao-lao was, either.  He was the perfect little dog who zipped along with as much energy and happiness as his 4-legged American colleagues, even if he wasn’t as fast.  For a little Chinese dog, a former battered and mistreated stray from the streets of Chengdu, he certainly held his own.  As we say in China:  “Jia yo-oh!” ( Go-go!)   Bravo, Little Old-old!  You made us proud.

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

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