connie's space

             Every year, for the past 10 years, I’ve always given each of my students 2 laminated photographs as a memory of their foreign language teacher. The pictures are usually of me and Little Flower, with poses around our school or in holiday attire for special occasions.  The students are thrilled with their gifts,  taking them home to show family and friends.  My Chinese friends and chance acquaintances also enjoy having something to remember me by.

            The first photo is always in winter, taken at Christmastime. 

            The second photo is in the spring, given for  May 1^st,  the UN announced Labor Day Holiday which China and numerous other Asian countries recognize.

 Where To Go? 

            The Christmas picture is an easy one.  My apartment decorations are the ones to usually provide a festive backdrop.  But then comes the spring, when it’s a bit more challenging to find the perfect spot for a gift photo.

           Last year’s May Day picture was taken at the famous Detian Waterfall, a 2-hour drive from Longzhou. Detian Falls are located at the border between China and Vietnam, with half the falls in China and the other half in Vietnam.  It’s a popular tourist site with quite impressive scenery.  Just beautiful, and no mistaking you are in southern China.

            While the students certainly appreciated the photo of me grinning at them with the waterfalls in the background, they were disappointed.   Little Flower was not in the picture.  I got a lot of flack about that so this year, I paid particular attention to getting us both in the shot.

 A Site is Chosen

            Yet where in Longzhou would be a memorable spot which gives this little town its notoriety?

            The school’s campus wasn’t it.  Shady trees, grassy lawns, wide walkways. Nothing special there.

            But the one thing that truly sets this town apart from any others in China has to be Da Qiao (Big Bridge), our magnificent hand-cut, hand-laid stone bridge over the Li River, which is just outside the school’s back gate.   What a great background this would make for not only the Chinese but my friends in America as well.

            Once the site was chosen, I needed photographers.  Among my second year English Education majors, I had 2 volunteers.   Eleanor (Li Jualan) and Jasmine (Wei Qiuyan)  were more than eager to help with photo taking.  Partly what made them so  enthusiastic to help was that they knew their reward would be to take as many pictures together and then with me as they wanted. 

           For the Chinese, photos are a huge deal.  They love taking them, sending them and sharing them.  For foreign visitors, Chinese can really wear a person out with all their photo hype.  Patience and understanding is definitely needed.  Over the years, I’ve gotten plenty of practice in both when it comes to a camera in the hands of the overzealous Chinese.  Hundreds of shots will be taken so best to go with the flow and enjoy.    

 The Photo Shoots:  The Right Spot, The Right Angle, The Right Snapshot

            We made an appointment time for 1 p.m., a week before May 1^st, so I’d have plenty of time to get photos copied for everyone.

            I donned a colorful shirt, put on my make-up and gold earrings,  gave LF a bath and nail trim, and  off we went to meet Eleanor and Jasmine at the school’s back gate.

            Jasmine was just as gussied up as I. She had dressed in a long, flowing skirt, pinned up her hair and was ready for her photo session with me. 

             Of course, it would have to be a horrendously hot day, very steamy and stuffy outside.  LF was already panting when we came to our first photo shoot, located behind the fruit seller stands alongside the road.  Here the bridge could be seen from one angle but it wasn’t very clear.  Too much glare from the hazy sun.

            The next vantage point had us on the other side of the bridge.  After passing through one of the arches, we selected numerous places along the town’s busy river road.  We even hiked down to the river itself, hoping for a better view of houseboat life on the river with a distant Da Qiao  behind us.

 The Finished Product

            After a good hour, we all were ready to call it quits.  I had plenty of photos to choose from and we were all hot.  The girls were happy with the many pictures we’d taken and I knew that somewhere in all those poses and shots, I had my May Day picture.

            It was a bit of a challenge to choose the right one, but I got it. No complaining this time around that the dog wasn’t in the picture. She and I were front and center, me with a smile and the dog with her tongue lolling.

            Hope you enjoy our Da Qiao photo shoot in the slideshow below.  Now we’ve gotten this year taken care of but . . .  where to go for next year? 

              From China, here’s wishing you Ping An (Peace) for your day.

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             I am not a great one for participating in games.

            As a teacher, I love to organize them in my classroom. It’s fun to officiate over mini spelling bees, student blackboard contests or “Simon Says”.   But actually participating in them?  No thank you.  It’s just not my thing

            And that does become a problem inChinawhere party games and silly contests are always the hit of any group gathering, whether for children, teens, college kids or adults. 

            It happens in English Corner all the time.   Ridiculous races or contests are always the warm-up crowd pleasers before we begin to divide into groups for English discussions. That’s why I tote my camera around with me everywhere.  It’s an excuse to bow out of pop the balloon with your teeth or fill the container with water, a thimble-full at a time.

            But yesterday, I found myself in a situation that pretty much demanded my participation.

            Around 5 p.m., I received a telephone call from Mr. Lan, the vice-dean of the English Department.

            “Connie!  This is Mr. Lan.  The teachers are having some fun games in the sports building.  You can have a try. I think you will like it!”

            The fact that the foreign teacher was invited to join in a staff gathering was actually a kind gesture.  Usually, I’m forgotten about for meetings or parties.  And although I hate games and silly races, and knew these would be exactly the kind of thing I whole-heartedly dislike, I decided to grit my teeth, force a smile and take part.   After all, it’s always the thought that counts.  Even if I didn’t particularly like the idea, this foreigner wasn’t going to be a spoil sport.

  Games Galore

            When I arrived at the covered sports building, the teachers had already been playing for 30 minutes.  There were about 60 present from all different departments.  Some teachers had classes or office work and weren’t able to attend.  Those that showed, obviously, were quite willing and excited about the competitions.

            This was organized by those at the school in charge of building stronger departmental relationships. These sort of things are quite common at schools and colleges inChina.  They are meant to bring staff closer together, build school unity and add some fun to the tedious daily work that we all have to do.

            The organizers had done a splendid job in their preparation.  They had print-out sheets of the names of those who signed up beforehand, had divided everyone into heats and had a schedule of races we would be doing.  I wasn’t on the list because I didn’t know about it but that didn’t stop my colleagues from thrusting me into the races, anyway.  They were so pleased that I showed up and was willing to join in.  My co-teacher, Ms. Zhao, was constantly at my side, hustling me to the different race areas, making sure the announcer knew my name and explaining the rules if I wasn’t clear what I was supposed to do.

            There were 3 races I was able to complete.

             The first was putting marbles into bowls using chopsticks.  We had 90 seconds to race back and forth between bowls, filling one with marbles and emptying the other.  The one who had the most marbles in 90 seconds was the winner.  (I managed 10 marbles in my bowl, the lowest of any other participant.  The winner had 28!)

            Another race was jumping into hula-hoops, placed on the ground the width of the building.  The winner of that race was the fastest to finish.

            Then we had a clever ping-pong event.  We had to run to the other end of the building, place the ping-pongs into bowls going down and then picking them up coming back.  This was called “Sow the seeds and harvest the crops”.  The “seeds” were the ping-pongs, which we “sowed” going down and “harvested” coming back.

            Again, the winner was the one with the fastest time.

            Yet another game had teachers back-to-back with a ball in the middle of them.  They linked arms and had to shuffle to the other end and back again. You weren’t supposed to drop the ball, of course, and I was amazed that everyone could do that so well.  Not easy.

 “We’ve Got Spirit! Yes, We Do!”

            It’s hard to imagine American teachers being at all enthusiastic about such activities.  I can see them refusing to even show up unless forced into it by the administrators.  But at our school, everyone was full of spirit and a great sense of fun.

            They were also pretty darn competitive!

            I was just happy to get through the events without falling flat  on my face. My co-workers, on the other hand, took these games rather seriously.  They went all-out in the contests, faces locked in serious concentration and pushing themselves as far as they could. Some became quite cross with a partner when they let the ball drop or goofed up the game so their times were slow.

Winners Get Prizes!

            Perhaps the disappointment in not doing so well had to do with the prizes. 

            As always inChina, whenever you have a contest or competition, you get prizes.

            Our prizes were as follows:  1^st place – Kleenex boxes; 2^nd place – washing detergent; 3^rd place – Safeguard soap; 4^th prize – toothpaste.

            I know it doesn’t sound like much to get excited over but these are items used daily inChina. The Chinese are very financially frugal people, so receiving a useful item which you don’t have to buy yourself is a big deal.

 Not So Horrendous After All

             I must admit that, despite my dislike for party games and races, I did have a good time.   Watching my colleagues enjoying themselves so much, and racing right alongside with them, did bring us closer together.  I met some great people from different departments and became quite the popular one with my camera, snapping away memorable moments for everyone.

            And on that last note, I’ll let you enjoy the photos of our gathering and see for yourself that this foreigner, despite her attitude toward games, made a good impression.

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

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             Dogs on our campus are forbidden.  It’s a long-standing rule of the school.  This is a protection to students and our staff plus their families who live here.

             Dogs in most rural areas of China, whether pets or strays, are rarely inoculated or properly cared for.  Pet ownership is still a new concept in China so vaccinations, or vaccination upkeep, are not taken too seriously.  Nor is spending money for a sick animal on the priority list, especially when it’s hard to find a vet and finances are low.

            Here in Longzhou, there is no veterinarian.  The nearest ones are 3 hours away, in Nanning, and even those it’s hard to trust.

            There are still few trained professional vets in China, most being quacks who set up a clinic and say they are animal care experts in order to make a living.  In actuality, they’ve perhaps taken some courses on animal husbandry yet don’t have a clue what they are doing.  Most animals die under their inexperienced hands while their unsuspecting owners hand over big bucks thinking their pets are in safe hands.

            Rabies is also prevalent in this country.  Over 2,000 human deaths are reported inChina every year (a majority being children) due to rabid dog bites. 

            So you can see where our campus authorities are concerned about having dogs on our campus.  Thus the “no dogs” rule.

 The Foreigner Gets Special Treatment

           Two years ago, Amity offered this school a foreign teacher but explained that I had a dog.  Is it permissible to have the dog on campus?     

            Not willing to lose the opportunity of an Amity teacher, the officials said not a problem. But in actuality, they were bending the rules for me. 

            Yes, Connie can have her dog but no one else can.

            Granted, my dog has all her yearly vaccinations, is trained and well cared for. I have it all:  Vitamin supplements, heartworm doses, fungus shampoo, flea repellant, pain meds, doggie stomach antacids, canine nail filer, not to mention all the other emergency supplies in my possession.  All of these things I brought with me and keep well stocked in my Little Flower drawer. 

            In other words, my dog is decidedly different from what my neighbors would have or could have available for their own pet care options. 

            But that doesn’t stop people from looking at me with envy, and longing, thinking, “Well, that’s not fair.  The foreigner has a dog.  Why can’t I?”

Rebel One

           Our first dog ownership rebel on campus was Amy, the little girl who visits me every Saturday afternoon.

            Amy’s father is a security guard at our front gate.  He sits all day, making sure those coming and going are students or staff members.  He has both day duties and night duties.  He also lives in our school’s workers’ housing unit, which is certainly small and nothing as plush as what the teachers get but it is on campus.

            After seeing how much fun I had with Little Flower, Amy and her dad decided to get a dog, too.  Despite the rules, they figured if I had a dog, so could they.

            They had a young mutt which often came with Amy for our Saturday afternoon visits. I’d shut up my jealous Little Flower in the back bedroom and Amy’s puppy would hang out with us until it was time to go.

            I knew it was only a matter of time before the dog died.

             They never leashed their canine and it was always wandering around outside the school gate, crossing our busy roads numerous times.  It also had no vaccinations.  Parvo virus and distemper are prevalent inChinaand big dog killers.

            Then we have poisoning. 

            So many people leave out deadly rat pellets or food laced with poison to get rid of rodents.  A passing dog or cat often chows down such things.   My students are always telling me about how their own pets in the countryside died in this way so that’s why they don’t have them anymore.  It was too emotionally upsetting.

            And that is exactly what happened to Amy’s 7-month old. 

            As mentioned before, when I came back from winter break, Amy showed up at my doorstep without her pooch in tow.

             “It died,” she said, smiling with little concern.  “It ate poison.”

            I’m sure she felt horrible when it happened but, being Chinese, she knew these things happen often in her country.  Move on and forget about it.

 Rebel Two

            And with one rebel, there’s always another to follow.

            My neighbor lady has always been an animal lover.  She took care of a stray mamma kitty with her babies for quite some time before Mamma lost her kittens.  Sometimes, I see her feeding the many strays outside by dishing out leftover food.

            She has her daughter and son-in-law who live with her, as well as her ailing husband.

I’m not sure what position she held at our school but it was probably some sort of office work.  She is retired yet is still allowed to live in staff housing.

            A few weeks ago, for the Tomb Sweeping Festival holidays,  I heard barking coming from her apartment, as did all the rest of our building.  (The puppy was pretty loud.)

            At first, I thought it was a relative visiting with their pet.   I figured they’d be gone after the holiday ended.

            But that wasn’t the case. 

            My neighbor and her family now have themselves a golden retriever puppy, about 3  months old, which is obviously staying.  It’s a female and certainly looks full-bred which leads me to believe they purchased her inNanning.  (I’m sure for a very hefty sum, too, into the hundreds or thousands of dollars.  I asked but didn’t get an answer.) 

            Chinese who have money, and are into pet ownership, like the pure breeds.  Females are especially desirable because they can be bred and the babies sold for a profit.  

            Large dogs also are a bonus in the south.   I know this sounds awful but remember, dogs are eaten in the rural south.  Big dogs bring a lot more money as they’re certainly meatier.  There’s a lot more of a 70-pound dog to stir fry than a little 10-pounder, such as myChihuahua.

            I’m sure my neighbors, fervent dog lovers, are not going to eat their dog nor will they sell future puppies to be throw into the cooking pot.  I’m just stating what usually happens to big dogs here that are not beloved pets.

 Puppy Comes for A Visit

           It’s obvious to me that my neighbors are taking very good care of their puppy, whose name is Yuan-yuan.  Yuan-yuan is always well-groomed.  She goes out for romps around the grass when someone has time to take her out. They are teaching her good manners, such as not to jump on the little children.  And she is definitely well-fed, probably too much so as she’s a bit on the pudgy side.

            She’s also a bit on the noisy side, barking and whining when no one is home, but so are all puppies at her age.   

            Does she have her vaccinations?  That I don’t know.

            Is she ever leashed?  Not that I’ve seen.  Nor does she have a collar to keep her from wandering around, eating things she shouldn’t.

            Perhaps it is only a matter of time before this cute little one, too, is no longer with us.

            And she is cute!
            On my return shopping trip yesterday, I had my door open while I was carrying in groceries.  My neighbor’s door was likewise open and over gallops Yuan-yuan for a visit.

            She barreled across the stairwell, wiggling her way across the floor with puppy wags and subservient belly crawls. Into my door she came, sniffing excitedly to explore this new environment.

            Naturally, Little Flower was very upset by the visitor.  She is not good at sharing anything, including her space.  She stood at a safe distance from this large interloper, positioned herself on the couch and continuously barked high-pitched warnings of “Enter Not Here!”.

            Yuan-yuan paid her no mind.

            Then our puppy found the prize:  Little Flower’s toy basket, piled high with squeakies, balls and stuffed animals.

              Oh, what fun!  So many things to play with!  And there being so many, Yuan-yuan decided she’d just take one for her own use.

            Grabbing up the large, stuffed toy di, she took off with it to show her own family what she’d found.  Little Flower was in hot pursuit but stopped at my neighbor’s door. She sullenly returned without her plaything, not at all happy.

            Next door, we were all laughing at Yuan-yuan, shaking her find and proudly parading it about the apartment.  I’d have let her keep it except that it’s one of Little Flower’s favorites.  So I exchanged it for a squeaky bone, which I announced was her welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift.

 Two Big Dogs on Campus?  Not if Little Flower Has a Say

          So now we have two dogs at our school, one right across the stairwell from the other.   Little Flower has always been big dog on campus so I’m not quite sure she’s going to take so well to having another, bigger dog around to contend with.   

            Not to worry, though.  Our entire campus is moving next year to the new campus in Chongzuo, meaning Little Flower and I will be moving as well.  We most likely won’t be in Chongzuo, but at another school Amity deems fit for us.   She can be top dog there.

            In the meantime, I guess she’ll just have to get used to sharing.

           From Longzhou, here’s wishing youPingAn (peace) for your day.       

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Quite a few teachers in China enjoy teaching freshmen.  Whether high school or college, there are always  perks to having 1^st year students when they arrive at their schools for the first time.  Everything is new for them:  classes, teachers, friends, the educational environment.  Their excited attitude of a fresh start makes teaching these young people so much fun.

But there’s yet another bonus for teachers:  Freshmen start 2 weeks later than upper classmen, meaning teachers of these students won’t have a full teaching load quite yet.

Why the 2-week late start?

China’s Mandatory Basic Military Training Course

In China, a 2-week military training period is required of all incoming freshmen, both high school and college.

While upper classmen are busy at work with regular classes, the freshmen are dressed in their spanking new camouflage uniforms, marching about campus in careful formations and learning how to work together as a unit.  Their instructors are soldiers from the area’s local army base, which sends representatives to lead the students in their daily drills.

Aside from correct marching techniques, soldiers give lectures on proper upkeep of dorm rooms (spick and span!), daily life expectations, love-of-country  and how to get along with one another.

The content of the basic training depends on the instructors and their base criteria for a civilian student training course.  A few training courses even teach students how to shoot rifles, but for the most part, it’s just a lot of marching about while chanting drill slogans all day in the hot sun.

What’s the Purpose?

            These mandatory courses began for college freshmen in the mid-1980s, followed as a requirement for high school freshmen in the 1990s.   Most foreigners look at this as a means of controlling students, instilling a strong sense of patriotism for school and country with a lot of fervent, gung-ho army chants and strict disciplinary measures.

My take is that it was meant to instill a sense of unity and camaraderie among students who, for the first time, are far from home and in need of guidance. Independence and individual resourcefulness are not traits found in most Chinese young teenagers or college students.  They need help in dealing with upheavals and sudden changes in their lives, such as moving to a new school where dialects are different and surroundings very unfamiliar.

To maintain some sort of stability, a military training course keeps them busy for the first 2 weeks.  They have no time to think about family or how lonely they are.  They can’t go away and hide in the library or their dormitory rooms, feeling sorry for themselves.  They have to complete the course, meaning being surrounded by classmates all day and bonding in a way which otherwise wouldn’t take place if they were just left alone.

Quite a majority of Chinese students I’ve talked to say that the freshman basic training course was tiring and  tedious, but they were glad they had to do it. It brought them closer together as classmates and helped them adjust to a new family life, that of their school.

Our School’s Training Delay

Here at Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, incoming freshmen are also required to do their military training course at the beginning of the school year.  After arriving in late August, they usually begin their 2-week requirement before even stepping into the classroom as a college student.

But Longzhou is so far south, with the weather in the high 90s (even 100s) in September, that the school officials decided to postpone the course until the spring semester, when it’s much cooler.  Their idea was to have the training course in March, as soon as the students returned after their winter holiday break.

Unfortunately for us, the nearby army base was training its new recruits in March.  They had no spare instructors to send over until they finished with their own soldiers.

With that announcement, we have all been waiting impatiently to hear when exactly our 1^st years will be able to complete their mandatory requirements.

Since a majority of my students are freshmen, I’ve especially been anxious about when I’ll lose my classes for 2 weeks.  Every week, I’ve been told it’ll be next week.  And yet next week arrives, and I’m still teaching everyone.

I did scramble successfully to complete all my Easter lessons, and even managed to set up my Easter displays in my home.  We missed out on classroom egg-coloring, however.  I just didn’t know when to schedule those in, which is a shame as I’m sure everyone would have enjoyed it.

Uniforms Arrive!  Maybe Next Week?

           This past week, there’s been a lot of buzz around the campus and among the offices that perhaps the freshmen are ready to begin their basic training course, starting Monday.  No official word has come down yet from the higher-ups but students did get their uniforms 2 days ago.

When I entered the classroom to begin my 10:30 a.m. lesson, my freshmen English Education majors were hyped.  They all had their crisply folded, camouflaged uniforms and were trying them on.  Cap, pants, jacket shirt and plastic belt were included in the set.  In other schools I’ve been in, flimsy, thin-soled, green canvas shoes were thrown in but not here.  Students had to wear their own tennis shoes, which is just as well.  Those cheap training shoes wore out in a hurry.

Everyone was pretty much in an uproar as it seems one size fits all.  The uniforms were humongous!  The pants were 2 or 3 sizes too big around the waist, thus the absolute need for the belt.  Otherwise, you’d be losing your trousers.

Yet another rather annoying fact was that they stunk.

My entire room reeked of pesticide-sprayed, factory clothes that came fresh off the assembly lines.   The stench was awful and about made us all sick.

“I bet I know what you’re all doing after class today,” I announced to the group.

Not missing a beat, everyone said, “Go back to the dorms and wash our uniforms!”

It wouldn’t be so bad except these things cost money.  Each student was required to pay 150 yuan ($23) for their military training attire.  They’ll most likely use the clothes for 2 weeks and then discard them.  Not only are they too big, but the material is sticky, stiff and very hot.  I’m not sure what they were made out of but it certainly wasn’t a very nice weave of comfortable cotton.  Even after washing, I’m not sure they’d be very desirable or pleasant to wear.

Connie’s Plans for the Military Training Course

For myself, once the freshmen begin their training, I won’t be having their classes.  I do have the 2^nd years, but in between, I’ll have nothing to do.  With that I mind, I decided to get some necessary business done.

Since all foreigners are required to have an annual physical to extend their visas for a year,  I’ll be doing that in Nanning.  The process is 3 days, with the physical taken one morning and the results picked up 2 days later.

My plan is to leave with the dog to Nanning and have that done, once the official announcement comes down from above that the freshmen are, indeed, starting their basic training course next week.

Until then, it’s still wait and see.

Here’s wishing you Ping An ( peace), and blessings, for your weekend!

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Coloring Eggs with the Kids

            For those that follow my website, you already know that Saturday afternoon is my time with the neighborhood kids.  I have an open door policy from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday for those children who want to hang out in the foreigner’s apartment.  I have regulars who come often and then those that pop in for a visit every couple of months.

            We put together puzzles, play with the remote car, enjoy snacks and sometimes do holiday activities.

            What holiday is fast approaching?  It’s Easter! And what makes Easter fun?  Egg coloring!

            Yesterday afternoon had those present coloring eggs.  Amy, Joe and Annie were my only visitors, meaning that they had a lot of eggs to take home in their Dollar Store Easter bags. (I made sure to stock up on those years ago in the US and I still haven’t used them all.)

 Dinner with Bill

           That evening, one of my 1^st year students, Liang Jinbao(whose English name is Bill), came over for a lesson in US table manners. 

            Bill is quite the keen language learner, visiting the English Center daily to practice his conversation skills.  He recently won our school’s Master of Ceremonies (MC) contest and was offered the job to MC our upcoming English Language Singing Contest.  This was such a hit with the students last year that we’re having another one.  Both a Chinese language MC and an English language MC will be present, translating one another’s banter and introductions for judges and audience alike.

            Bill had a choice, to be in the contest as a singer or to MC it.  With some guidance from me, he decided that being the host is a better opportunity to gain experience in English public speaking and quick-thinking skills in our language.  Thus he’ll be in front of the crowds when the competition takes place.

            For our evening together, I set the table as we would in the States and waited for Bill’s arrival.  Being a thoughtful guest, he brought flowers (3 fresh carnations) which immediately went on our table as our centerpiece. 

            He also brought jiaozi (dumplings) and a raw-fruit salad from a nearby seller at the back gate.  This comprised our meal for the night.

            After receiving instructions on how to use the knife and fork, as well as napkin etiquette, Bill dug in. 

            As his Emily Post, I would have to say he did an excellent job for his first time handling the entire process of dining American style, which included not only table manners but conversational skills as well.  It’s not easy to eat politely while talking.  In China, we usually just hunker down to the eating part without saying much of anything.  Lip smacking, slurping, open-mouth chewing, and spitting bones onto the table or floor is quite common in China. 

            None of that at Connie’s table, that’s for sure!

            So here’s a toast to Bill, for being brave enough to ask for lessons and even braver still for eating under his foreign teacher’s critical eye. 
            Well done!  You’d make any American host or hostess proud.

            Ping An (peace) from Longzhou.  Here’s wishing you a great weekend!

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           Qing Ming Jie (Tomb Sweeping Festival) arrives on April 5.  This is one of China’s newer official holidays, having been declared as such 3 years ago. 

            Before, Tomb Sweeping Festival was merely a traditional day that was not on the list of holidays given to workers and students in China.  Its long history focused on remembrance of those who’ve passed before us.  It was set aside for families to honor their ancestors, visiting gravesites to clean the area of weeds, light special incense called joss sticks (“joss” means a Chinese image or house idol in a shrine) and burn paper money for their loved ones to spend in heaven.  Those with no gravesites to attend to (such as city dwellers) merely gathered together for the usual customs celebrated in their areas. 

            Yesterday, one of my students told me in his village, everyone had to kill a chicken and prepare noodles to offer to those who had died.  After praying and bowing to their hastily-created table altar, on which was placed the lifeless, plucked chicken and pile of noodles, the family then took away the offerings to cook for the family dinner.      

            As mentioned before, Tomb Sweeping Day was never a holiday.  Most people who had moved from home had to wait for weekends to return to hometowns for such events.

            But that all changed when the May 1^st holiday (7 days off) was cut to 3 days.  My guess is that it was thought that giving the Chinese more holidays spread out over the year was better than just lumping a holiday all together, giving entire week.  (Interspersed holidays also allow for more  touring opportunities and holiday shopping ventures, thus boosting the economy.)

           With the May holiday reduction, the government went searching to find replacements.  They did so by changing traditional Chinese days to holidays.   Mid-Autumn Festival (late September or early October), Tomb Sweeping Festival (April 5) and Dragonboat Festival (sometime in June) were then added to the sanctioned “1-day-off” list.

 The Make-up Day Custom

             Yesterday was Saturday, which usually means no classes but on this particular weekend, our classrooms filled with the usual lessons due to Qing Ming Jie.

            Although only 1 day is given, most offices and schools create a make-up day on Saturday or Sunday in order to allow a 3-day holiday to emerge. 

            This year, our make-up day was Saturday. 

            All across China, government workers, educational institutions and companies  worked yesterday to make up for a day off on Monday.  On our campus, our Monday classes were all moved to yesterday, allowing students to have Sunday to Tuesday off.

            Yet our school is one which is quite remote.  Students wishing to go home have little time to get there and  back in the allotted 3 days.   So for us in little, far-away Longzhou, an extra day has been given.  Our Wednesday classes have been canceled, much to the delight of the students. 

            A surprising 4 days off is now in effect with classes resuming on Thursday.

 A New Holiday Hype:  Longzhou in the full swing of things

            What happens when a new holiday emerges?  Well, what happens in any country:  Commercialism!

            Before Qing Ming Jie was declared a holiday, Tomb Sweeping items mostly included the usual fragrant joss sticks, paper money, traditional Chinese gold ingot paper chains and white, tissue papered ribbon-strip decorations to be placed on top of graves.   (White in China is the color for death, unlike America where it’s black.)

            But now, commercialism has taken hold.

            Longzhou’s narrow outdoor market street is now overrun by hastily erected booth tents, selling all the fanciful decorations your deceased loved one desires.

             The idea is that by burning images of things, the dead can enjoy these in heaven.  

          Specially printed, fake money  has always been the traditional gift to burn as the dead can buy whatever they choose in their heavenly shops.   For the devoted family member here, a 3,500 yuan stack of fake, paper bills costs 1.5 yuan in our market, roughly 14 cents.  3,500 yuan is about $500 US.   Sending your late grandma or grandpa, mom or dad  a dollar’s worth of fake money would certainly allow them to live quite well in the afterlife.

            But if you’d rather purchase a “real” item yourself to send off to heaven, there are a lot to choose from.  Paper-made houses, cars, watches, cellphones, and clothes are to be had as well, ready to be ignited at the grave and whisked off into the hands of the deceased. 

            When I cruised our local market, I was astounded by all the cool Tomb Sweeping purchases available.

          A nicely-appointed, furnished house?  60 cents!  A lovely pair of traditional shoes, your choice of men’s or women’s?  45 cents!  Watch, cellphone, ring and necklace set?  40 cents!  Tissue-paper wardrobe, including appropriate colors for each sex?  30 cents!

            It was fascinating to see how a simple tradition had erupted into a full-blown spending spree by, and for, the living.  

           Naturally, wealthy, sophisticated city folk would splurge on more luxury items to burn than your average countryside farmer.   One article I read out of Shanghai included such paper joss purchases as an 18 yuan ($3.00) cosmetic set (lotions, lipsticks, eye shadows, facial cleansers, and fancy bra), not to mention bottles of wine and laptops.      

            In our little town, we have no such posh offerings by our sellers.  People here from the countryside mostly stick with basic needs of the average person, and that’s what’s filling our market tents in Longzhou.

 Any True Believers in These Tomb Sweeping Tradition?

            Do people actually believe such things?  That by burning money or items, their ancestors and recently departed can enjoy these things in the hereafter?

            Perhaps hundreds of years ago, yes.  But in today’s modern society, no, not really.

            “It’s just something we do,” my students tell me.  “A tradition.  A way of remembering our family members who are no longer with us.”

            I follow with the Chinese:  A very unique, time-honored tradition but no truth to it.  

            Yet you have to admit, the idea itself is quite intriguing.  What a pleasant thought that you could actually give gifts to those you love who are no longer on this earth!  Who among us wouldn’t delight in the imaginary figure of great Aunt Corrie or Grandpa James receiving your thoughtful items, smiling and waving to you in gratitude from heaven?

            Kind of comforting, . . .  for a dismissed Chinese superstition. 

            Even I, in all my logical, faithful Christian reasoning, couldn’t help but buy a few Tomb Sweeping knick-knacks from one of the sellers.  Mostly, it was in appreciation to her for allowing me to take as may photographs of her wares as I wished.  However, I must admit, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, “You know, Grandma Marie would really love to wear that flowery, purple tissue dress for Easter.”

        Have fun cruising our Longzhou market in the below slideshow!

      From Connie in Longzhou, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day. 

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             In the past few years, there haven’t been as many Amity teachers as there once was.

             In 1986, when the program first began, the numbers were well into the 40s and 50s.  Now is a different story. Sending agency budget cuts, inability for people to commit to 2 years of service in China (mostly due to personal economic issues), and lack of  PR work in our separate countries have seen the program shrink. 

            This year, we only have 21 teachers, and a majority will be leaving China at the end of the term.

            That  includes many in our Guangxi Province clan.

 Our Amity Guangxi Teachers

            For two years, Guangxi has had 5 Amity teachers placed in different parts of this province:  Claire Brook (UK, in Qinzhou University), Bob Kenyon (UK, in Hezhou University ), Ueli Walter (Switzerland, in Hezhou University), Lena Aspfors (Sweden, in Yulin University) and myself (USA, in Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities).

            Claire and Ueli both came with their spouses, who supported their venture in China for 2 years as staunch supporters.  Claire’s Martin found time to teach in a middle school near the college.  Ueli’s Johanna (from South America) spent her time learning Chinese and English, as well as tutoring students in Spanish.  Both Ueli and Johanna were the youngest in our group (in their 30s) and newlyweds to boot, which always made for great teasing on the part of those in Amity who had long-since tied the knot.

            Since we are so far away from one another, getting together isn’t easy. It’s always a challenge to find a weekend when no one is busy but March 24-26 had us together in Nanning, the capital city, where we were able to catch up, over-indulge in Western food and say our farewells.

            There just isn’t any time for us to meet again this semester, so this was our last opportunity to say goodbye.  Only Lena and I will be staying on in this province next year.  The rest are moving on with their lives in their separate countries.

 A Fun Time Had By All

            As the closing slideshow suggests, everyone made the most of the weekend.

            A Pizza Hut luncheon had us all so hyperactive on caffeine from the restaurant’s rich, dark coffee that no naps were needed that day.  We walked around a nearby teahouse park enclosure to take pictures and ended up enjoying a free tourist show of Zhuang nationality dancers.  Claire announced that during the weekends, the traditional Chinese garden was full of  brides and grooms, dressed to the hilt, having their pictures taken by professional wedding photographers.  

            Sadly to say, there were no such couples on the day we were there.  The weather was just too dark, chilly and dreary to entice anyone out for wedding photos.

            However, a cluster of elderly had set up stools for sketching the scenery around us.  Ink pens, chalk and water colors in hand, they scrutinized the covered teahouse bridge before us while their artistic abilities took over.

            This small drawing club of retired folk certainly were enjoying themselves.  While their talent wasn’t up to any high standards, it wasn’t meant to be.  This was just one of the many different club activities the elderly in big cities partake in year-round.  Whether it’s drumming teams, dancing troupes, tai chi gatherers, gardening green thumbs, calligraphy experts, drawing or painting amateurs, the Chinese older folk know how to keep busy, energetic and active in their retirement years.

            Unlike most of us sedentary, overweight Americans, TV is not their favorite form of relaxation. The Chinese elderly are always on the move, and their well-kept figures prove it, too.

Departures Made Amid Quick Goodbyes

                Sunday morning had a majority of the group already well on their way to return to their colleges.  Ueli, Bob and Johanna had a 7-hour bus ride far to the north.  Claire and Martin had a shorter, 2-hour journey to the south by train.  Lena headed to the east for a 2 ½ hour bus ride to Yulin.  I was scooting in the opposite direction, to the west on my 3-hour trip back to Longzhou.

            Next semester, Lena and I hope enough Amity teachers will be sponsored to fill the spaces our jolly band has filled for 2 years. 

            It’s always a little sad to see old faces leave our ranks but it’s also exciting to have new ones to replace them.   Be sure you’ll have updates on our new teachers here in our province.

Until that time, here’s a toast to our departing teachers:  God Bless and 一路平安 （literally translated as “One road, safety or peace” or rather in English “Safe Travels”）.

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          From Connie in Longzhou, Ping An (peace) for your weekend!  

           Sunday morning had me wondering why the electricity was off. 

            Last year, we had constant 12-hour blocks of electricity outages at this time of year. Rumors had it that new power lines were being placed around the town so that’s why we had such things occur.  All I remember is having to cancel my Easter egg-coloring sessions with some of my classes because in the evenings, we couldn’t see to color the eggs.  That and not being able to use the TV or microwave the entire day.  Plus no hot showers as my water heater runs on electricity.

            This year has seen very few such instances of no-power.

            So it was surprising that for about 1 hour Sunday morning, beginning around 10 a.m., the campus went “dark,” sending everyone outside with nothing better  to do but hang out with one another.

            Little Flower and I likewise left our cozy, warmish apartment to venture out under the chilly, overcast skies.  Walking was better than sitting inside, shivering because our little floor heater couldn’t be turned on.  It’s been a cold week with no sunshine and night temperatures dipping into the high 40s.  Very unusual for southern China, where last year we soared into the 70s and 80s.

            Now on the Net, I find that Earth Hour was in effect just about the same time when our electricity went off.

 World-wide Earth Hour Events

          Earth Hour began in 2007, a movement founded in Sydney, Australia by the global environmental group WWF.  It was meant to show the power of a single act when people came together – a united front, reminding people to commit to an action, large or small, that they will carry on through the year to help the planet.   

            That unified act was turning off your lights for 1 hour.

            According to Earth-hour executive director and co-founder Andy  Ridley, 134 countries or territories took part in the event this year. 

           In China, Hong Kong’s neon waterfront dimmed.  Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Bird’s Nest also went dark for an hour as well.

            The article I read continued detailing further Earth Hour moments.

            Sydney’s Opera House was the first of many global landmarks to go dark as the event got under way.  Hundreds of millions of people prepared to follow suit to enhance awareness of energy use and climate change. The London Eye ferris wheel, Times Square in New York and Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue likewise joined in.

            Moscow  turned off floodlighting on more than 70 buildings and bridges.  In Athens, monuments being darkened included the Acropolis, the parliament building, the presidential palace and the temple of Poseidon near the city. In Italy, more than 200 towns and cities took part. The Ponte Vecchio in Florence, the Tower of Pisa and the Colosseum in Rome all turned off their lights for an hour.  In Argentina, Buenos Aires switched off the spotlight on its landmark Obelisk.  In Paris a minute’s silence was observed for Japan as the city of light went dark, with illuminations switched off at the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, City Hall, opera houses and many bridges, fountains and public places.

            Even in Japan, still suffering from the effects of the earthquake and tsunami, Earth Hour was recognized.  Several thousand people and a hotel-turned-evacuation center in the northeast went dark to mark the hour.

 Earth Hour Here or Just a Fluke?

            And then we have our little Longzhou, where our Sunday morning 1-hour matched that of yours going off Saturday evening at the same time.

            Did we knowingly participate in Earth Hour or was it just a fluke that our campus power went out for 60 minutes Sunday morning?  Who can say?  But it did get me to wondering, and reading, and thinking about our excessive use of power in the world and small ways I can help here in China. 

            So fluke or not, at least for one person in Longzhou, some awareness has set in.   Now, I need to make sure to follow through.  

              Ping An (peace) for your day, and don’t forget to turn off the lights when you leave the room!

The American Candy Queen

           Wherever I am in the world, it’s always been my habit of purchasing candy.  Whether for classroom prizes, snacks for visitors or just for my own severe sweet tooth, candy can always be found in my presence. 

            And there’s no place better to get candy varieties than in China. 

            For wedding parties, candy is handed out by handfuls to guests or scattered on tables during the marriage dinner. 

            For student gatherings, it’s likewise tossed onto classroom desks while performances abound in front of audience members.

             Chinese New Year brings everyone out in droves for their candy fix, loading up on bags of the stuff to share with family and friends who drop by, bringing good wishes.

            And for myself, the American Candy Queen, it’s just a necessity to always have heaping candy baskets in my home for guests or on hand to lavish upon those in the English Center.  In-class prizes for answering questions or volunteering to perform dialogues is yet another great use of my candy stash. 

            Since students rarely enjoy such treats on their own, the cost being a bit high, candy is a much-appreciated treat.

 Candy on Longzhou’s Inflation List

           So imagine my surprise when I went candy shopping  to find our prices per pound had increased . . . yet again!

            When I first arrived in Longzhou, the many candy sellers in the market were vying for customers.  They had huge varieties of individually wrapped selections piled into bins.  The beautiful shiny wrappers (gold, deep purple, vibrant blue, metallic green) were a big draw.  Each seller had at least 15 different containers of candy, some even more, which we could choose from by loading into a bag for weighing.  The cheap candy sold for 4 yuan (60 cents) a pound.  The more expensive (fancier wrappers and usually chocolates) were 8 yuan ($1.20) a pound.

            And if you were to go for the extravagant, big name-brands found in the Long Jia Supermarket, you went even higher:  $1.70 to $3.00 a pound.

            After several years of holding to the same price, last summer had us go up an entire 14 cents per pound, making it 5 yuan.  When I asked, the sellers told me it was due to the bad sugarcane crop in the area.

            But yet again, another jump has come after only 6 months. 

            My first week back to school after the holidays, I went to load up on  candy supplies from my favorite sellers to find we are now 6 yuan (90 cents) a pound for the cheap stuff and 10 yuan ($1.50) for the other.

             Meanwhile, in the grocery store, prices seem to have remained the same although that might be changing soon.

Gas Goes Up as Well

           And candy prices weren’t the only things that took a hike while I was gone.

            My first shopping day back in Longzhou, I managed to have quite a heavy load on my hands. The bag was overflowing to the point where I decided to take one of our local 3-wheeled mini-cabs back to the campus rather than walk. 

           Mini-cabs are the best transportation as they’re cheap.  For just 3 yuan (45 cents), you can go anywhere in the town.  It’s been that way for several years, according to the locals.

            When my driver landed me at the back gate, I already had my 3 yuan prepared to hand over.  She took my money and as I scrambled out, she said, “It’s 4 yuan.”

            “4 yuan? It’s always 3 yuan,” I announced with some suspicion.

            I was thinking: Is this driver trying to cheat the foreigner?  Well, good luck on that one!
             “Why is it 4 yuan?” I continued.

            “Higher prices,” she replied. “Gas.”

            Being a cautious individual, I had her wait a moment while I asked our gate attendant.

            “Is it really 4 yuan now for the 3-wheeled cabs?” I asked him.

            He nodded, leaving me to return and hand over yet another 1 yuan for my cab ride.

 Other Goods Will Follow,  Rice Included

            I’m guessing within another year, I’ll be seeing such increases expand to more necessary items than my candy. 

            Rice, for example, is now heading into that category. 

            I asked one student what she spent her hong bao (red envelope) gift money on during the holidays. 

            She replied, “I bought rice for my family, 80 yuan worth (about $12) – 10 pounds.” 

            For a family of 5, they can eat daily on that for a month if they stretch it.

            This reminded me of my former Luzhou student, Jason (Ji Ke), whose parents farm their plot of land and use all the produce for their own consumption.  They harvest 7 months’ worth of rice a year rather than buy it in the market.  That saves them a yearly 700 yuan ($105 US), money that they certainly don’t have to spend in grocery stores on rice.

             Frugal?  Sure, but the time and energy  taken to harvest that amount of rice by hand is not easy.  It’s exhausting labor, stooping outside in the hot sun to tend to the crops,  then having to pluck and dry the rice on roadsides over a period of several days. 

            Fighting the elements is thrown into the mix as well.  Damp, wet weather can ruin an entire rice harvest waiting to dry in the sun.   If a farmer picks the wrong day, with a heavy wind suddenly kicking up to scatter the grains off the tarps or an unexpected rain shower, the family has lost their staple food for the winter.    

            Most farmers also beat out the husks by hand rather than hire someone to use their machinery to do it for them.  Using such equipment is readily available, and quite a few make a good living renting their machines to locals for use, but the majority of farmers don’t waste their money on such things.  They do it all themselves, bringing in willing neighbors and other family members to lend a hand.

Increases Across the Country

           According to a March 11^th  article in the New York Times (“Inflation Prices Grow in China” by David Barboza), the consumer price index in China rose 4.9% in February alone.    Also in February, food prices rose by 11%. 

            That news certainly seems to follow what I and others have been experiencing here in little Longzhou.

            And we’re still not finished yet. 

            Barboza’s article explained further:   “Inflation remains at an elevated level and it has not peaked yet,” Wang Qing, a Hong Kong-based economist said. “We think inflation will rebound in April or May and peak midyear.”

            For me, such inflation news is not a big deal.  I have money.  Paying an extra 15 cents for numerous items is not going to cause any dent in my spending sprees.

 Students Unable to Continue with Their Studies

            But for my students and their families, it’s a different story. 

            Already I’ve lost 4 freshmen and 1 sophomore who dropped out of school due to money difficulties.  It’s sad to see their names crossed off my list, especially knowing that I’ll never see them again. 

            My sophomore in particular I miss.  Her English name was Soul, an appropriate name for her quiet, rather sad demeanor.  She was the silent type, rarely spoke in class and kept to herself much of the time.  And yet, after one year of my classes, she began to emerge from her thoughtful shell and take part in discussions.  There were even days when she managed a smile in my classroom!  It truly lit up the room.  I was so proud of her last semester for her efforts, and on many occasions, I told her so.

            Although 1 week late in returning this term, when she appeared again 3 weeks ago, I was happy to see she wasn’t giving up.

            But last week, I was told she left our school and is not coming back.   The burden of tuition is just too great for her family, and her will to study while causing her parents such financial hardship finally overcame her.

            I will miss our Soul in class.  I hope she finds her place in the world where she can be happy and content.

            From Longzhou, China, here’s wishing you Ping An (peace) for your day. 

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