connie's space

           Here I am, back in the States and beginning the first legs of my journeys around Illinois to visit numerous churches on my newsletter list.  It’s been hit-the-ground-running from the moment I landed.  I am happy to say that my week-long annual physical exams, completed in Atlanta at the Emory University medical centers, proved that I am fit to continue for another 3 years as a GBGM missionary.  That is a true blessing!
          Although I have many tales to relate, including a very hectic and nail-biting week in China before leaving, I will save those for a bit later.  For now,  I would  like to announce that I have finally found all my photo albums  online!  I’ve actually been searching for them but never could find out where they were located.  Search no longer as I’ve got the website info.

           Please check out the following gallery exhibit located on Skydrive to enjoy 2 1/2 years of blog adventures in China.   Lots of great memories, with always more to come.

            Ping An from America!    

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

            Since my 091 class received their fair share of blog pictures, it’s only right that 092 should also be in on the photo show.  

              We had a nice evening and were joined by Isaac, who tagged along beside me as he had nothing else better to do that evening.  And while our celebrations ended a school year’s, Isaac’s were of something a bit more different:  The school agreed to give him his graduation certificate! He has been hounding them all week so I guess his diligence paid off.  

            You can imagine his joy at our party, which added to the fun as he joked and chatted with others.  He was also our official group photographer.  Since we all wanted to be in the picture together, he was assigned this task for crashing the 092 party.  It was a good trade and he managed a great picture, as you can see.

          From Longzhou, here’s Ping An (Peace) for your day! 

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Isaac’s Back!  

           Those of you keeping up on my blog entries most likely remember the story of Isaac (Qin Haibo), a third year Business English major who loved to play games with me in theEnglish Center. 

            I never had Isaac as my student.   He just attached himself to me in the Center while visiting there for something to do. I then became his favorite person, somewhat like an elder sister of sorts to give advice or encourage.

              Isaac’s reputation as a student was of a very poor one. He always skipped classes, even important tests.  He spent most of his time playing computer games outside of the school.  He had nothing but contempt for the leaders, his classmates, our educational system and his teachers. 

            In other words, Isaac didn’t give much of a hoot about anyone or anything except himself.

And he definitely had no friends.  No one liked him due to his rude and distant behavior.

            But over the course of the year in our Center, Isaac came out of his shell.  He still had an attitude but we all got to know him a little better which made him more familiar to us than someone who was just plain weird.  And Isaac, too, started to curb his nastiness and odd ways in our presence.  He was actually making an effort to be liked and accepted.  That quality is something which is absolutely needed to succeed in the world, especially in business.

          As all 3^rd year Business English majors, Isaac left for the last semester of his studies to find a job.  For our 3-year school, which is more of a vocational college than a university, this is part of the study course.  Students leave for their last semester to enter into their chosen fields but all return at the end of the year to take their final tests.  After their tests are passed, they will receive their 3-year graduation certificate if all requirements were fulfilled.  That certificate, even though it’s not a prestigious degree, is absolutely necessary to get any sort of reputable white-collar job inChina.

 Isaac Has Stories to Tell

           Despite Isaac’s promises of never coming back, he turned up on my doorstep 3 weeks ago.  It was that time of year for the 3^rd years to begin their testing, even an obstinate Isaac. 

            When he showed up on my doorstep, he caught me in the company of Joe and  Ms. Nong, who were visiting me for the first time.  Ms. Nong was the classroom teacher I visited at Joe’s middle school.  She was coming to thank me yet again for my time with her students and also just to chat.

            I honestly wasn’t quite sure how Isaac would present himself when he unexpectedly came to my apartment.  He isn’t good with strangers and his mannerisms of a loner usually come to the forefront, making people dislike him immediately.  He also doesn’t like talking to newcomers so I thought he’d probably come back later, when I was alone.

            But imagine my surprise when Isaac bounded into the room and happily accepted a seat on the couch with Joe and Ms. Nong.  I did the introductions, expecting we’d pretty quickly digress from English into Chinese since Isaac was there. (He prefers Chinese to converse, especially as his English is just so-so).  Yet, surprisingly, that didn’t happen.

 A Glimpse at Telemarketing Jobs in China

          It was Isaac who plowed forward in English to tell of all his adventures during the past semester in Beijing, where he was working for some big company boss.  The president of the company took him under his wing, treated him like one of the family, toured him about and got him settled into the office as a desk worker.  The position had nothing to do with English but was just a Chinese company job, which is usual for English Business majors.  Just take the job you can find, whether using your English skills or not.

            Things seemed to be rolling along quite nicely until the boss moved toShanghaito start another company branch.  Isaac was left on his own to find another position.

            He did this with a tele-marketing firm selling Internet space to Chinese companies.  The job description was 6 days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., calling possible clients to buy Net space for up to $5,000 a year.

            This kind of work also required no proof of higher education, such as a college degree or vocational school certificate.  This made it a perfect opportunity for young folk with only a high school education to make money.  Once Isaac accepted the terms, however, he found out that this kind of work was a bit more than expected.

            The job was 7 days a week in an office building filled with 500 cubicles with 400 employees making calls all day.  National holidays were included and no days off.  500 calls per person a day were required.  Plus the hours were really  9 a.m. to 10 p.m., not 6 p.m. as advertised.   No one was allowed to go home earlier, either.

            Yet the pay was quite good, between 4,000 to 5,000 yuan ($625 – 780) a month, with an ability to move upward.  Considering the average person with a university degree, even teachers, makes about 3,500 yuan ($550) per month, that’s a mighty good salary.   

             But Isaac called it quits after a month.  He said it was boring and he didn’t want to work that hard.  His option was to return home toNanningwhere he’s been hanging out at home for 2 months, playing computer games.  (That’s his report, anyway.)

 Back on our Campus

              Back on our campus, Isaac and hundreds of others have returned this week to finish up their studies.  They’re all waiting anxiously to receive their certificates, which must be picked up in person from the departmental offices

         Will Isaac receive his graduation certificate?  The news hasn’t been good.  According to many teachers I’ve talked to in the office, Qin Haibo hasn’t passed necessary exams nor has he completed all the requirements.  While his classmates will be jubilantly parading about, knowing they can leave soon with their diplomas, Isaac may be stuck returning home empty handed.

         I’m sure he won’t be the only one.

 Departure for the Summer Holidays

          For myself and Little Flower, it’s off to Nanning on Saturday, a flight to Chengdu on Monday and eventually a return to America for me.  I’ll be in the States for 2 months, visiting numerous churches in Illinois to talk about China and the work of an Amity Foundation teacher.  I’m certainly looking forward to sharing with so many, and especially showing pictures of my school to others.

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

              My second year English Education majors and I are saying farewell.

            After the summer, they’ll be returning to our campus for a month of classes before disappearing into the teaching world to do their practice teaching.  While they will come back in December, we will no longer have classes together.  Their last semester (Spring, 2012) will be spent doing necessary graduation certificate requirements.  While we can arrange a few gatherings in the evening, we no longer will be seeing each other on a weekly basis.

            Thus for this week, it’s farewell parties for my second year students in Classes 091 and 092.

 Party Number 1 for 091 Students

            Last night, Sunday evening, we had our first party gathering in our usual classroom, Room 3303.  The students of 091 were anxiously awaiting my arrival at 8 p.m.  They had the room decorated with balloons and had spread candy, cookies, peanuts and sunflower seeds all over the desks for us to enjoy.  They also had numerous watermelons ready for cutting which would close off the night.

            I must say, my 091 students are not my favorite.  I have some sour ones in that class that don’t put up much of an effort, sigh and moan whenever I ask them to do anything, yawn with sleepiness when they enter the classroom and drag their feet when it comes to assignments due.

            Polly, the annoying girl who has missed 60% of my classes due to lack of motivation, and my one lazy boy (Owen) are also in that class. 

            The group dynamics has never been as strong or enthusiastic as my 092 class, which can wear on a teacher week after week.  Despite their lax attitude, I would always put on my best face and plunge into the lesson with as much energy as the other classes I teach, even though I would have preferred giving them all a firm scolding at times.

Some Surprises

             I wasn’t really looking forward to 2 hours with this class, especially in our roasting heat.  The temperature was well into the 90s even so late at night. I was already drenched in sweat when I walked into the room.

            “I’d rather be home watching a movie,” I was thinking.

            But as soon as I entered the classroom, my mood brightened.  Students were excitedly clapping my arrival, the tape player was going with favorite Chinese pop songs, the microphone was ready with Owen as our MC to lead the event, and all were positioned in their seats anticipating our time together.  They’d spent a lot of time putting up balloons and purchasing snacks. This certainly promised to be a worthwhile night after all.

            All Chinese parties are organized like mini gala events.   There are always performances.  The 091 students were no different and had prepared dance performances and several singing songs as well to accompany tapes.  They weren’t very good but we didn’t care. It was just nice to see people participate and have a good time.

            One group of girls creatively did a dance about how hot Longzhou is and how we have to take showers 3 or 4 times a day. (Very true because I take cold showers 4 times a day sometimes in this heat.) They had us all in hysterics with their movements:  showering the body, washing the hair, soaping up arms and legs, and drying with a towel.  Very, very clever.

            After the first hour, we had time out for each student to come to me and say some words about our classes together.  One by one, each came to thank me for teaching them, making the class fun, and always smiling and being patient.  And each one received a hug from me in appreciation for their kind words.

            Only one of my students, Nadia, had difficulty getting out her message.  She is the shyest of all my students and was always very quiet in class.  After her first sentence, she was overwhelmed with emotions of our farewell and broke down in tears.  I gave her a hug, told her later she could talk to me and she went to sit down while her classmates comforted her.

            Her embarrassment and her sadness got the better of her, though.  Before our final picture of everyone together, she went back to the dorm room by herself.           

            Today, I called Zoe (my monitor, or class leader) to make sure she was OK.   We then  scheduled a picture-taking session just with the two of us.  The poor thing deserved a picture with her first and only foreign teacher, especially after such a display of emotion last night.

 My Gift From The Class

           Naturally, it’s always a custom to give a farewell gift. Usually, class gifts are photo albums, desktop nick-nacks or stuffed animals.  But in my case, the students really surprised me with a Chinese traditional dress, the qipao (chee-pow). 

            After opening the box  to see what was inside, Zoe explained what they’d done.  She and others had gone to our local seamstress on the campus, picked out some material and told her they wanted a traditional Chinese dress.  They didn’t have my measurements but the seamstress had seen me around campus and said she could guess without too much difficulty.

            When I held it up, I could tell immediately it would fit.  And to prove it, Zoe and I went into an empty classroom where I changed into my new Chinese garb to show everyone.

           Cheers went up as I runway-walked myself around the room. Aside from the sneakers, the outfit was quite complete.  A beautiful fit and very appropriate for a gift to the foreign teacher.

            Afterwards, we had pictures taken right and left as students rushed forward to pose with me.

A final group photo was taken with my camera as a reminder of our special evening together.

            Just perfect!

 The Final Farewell

            I did change back into my shorts and T-shirt when the sliced watermelon pieces were served.  I wasn’t about to drip all over my new dress. 

            When 10 p.m. arrived, it was time to call it quits.  We sang Auld Lang Syne in English and everyone began scurrying about, cleaning up the mess they’d left. 

            For myself, I headed back to my apartment,  thinking what a great night it had been, even for a class that had never been my favorites to teach.

            Still to come is this Friday for yet another farewell gathering, this time with my 092 students.  I’m sure it will be just as fun-filled as the one we had last night.

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

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Dragon Boat Festival: June 6

         All of China enjoyed a marvelous 3-day weekend due to Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional day which is, as of 3 years ago, now one of the official 1-day holidays we have off. 

           Most likely, you’ve all been seeing dragon boat races on the news which take place all across the country at this time.  Even in America, I’ve heard dragon boat racing is a fast becoming a new sport for rowers.  But one thing you won’t find for Dragon Boat Festival in Americais the food that comes with this special Chinese day.  That’s zongzi.  

            Zongzi is a sticky, glutinous rice glob wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed.  There are many kinds to buy either in grocery stores or from venders selling homemade varieties for those who don’t want to bother making it themselves.  There are the savory, salted meat kind, the sweet red bean filling, or  the plain with pork fat drippings as flavoring. 

            Every province has it’s different version, style and shape. Guangxi is no different.

            Most zongzi in China are triangular but this province prefers it shaped as a huge rectangle.  If you line up zongzi across a table from the different areas of the country, you can spot a Guangxi zongzi a mile away:  they are huge and triple the size of the average ones.

 A Nanning Trip for the Holiday:  Pool Time!

          While my students spent their holiday here on campus (not enough travel time to go home), eating their zongzi from outside sellers, I spent mine inNanning.  The insufferable summer heat is upon us and the cooling waters of the pool always beckon.  After joining on a 3-month membership 6 weeks ago, I’ve managed to make it to my usual  relaxing water-world almost every weekend.

            For newcomers to my blog, the indoor pool complex I patron is located on the Xiyuan Hotel grounds.  There’s a 25 meter lap pool for those of us who are serious swimmers and an oblong-shaped pool for the young kids and floaters.  Towels, lockers, shampoo and other amenities are provided. 

             Since the water isn’t heated, not many are seen during the winter. Only the die-hard swimmers, such as myself, will be seen taking that plunge into the 55 degree, frigid pool from November to March.  But now that the summer is nearly upon with, with kids soon to be released from school in July and temps soaring into the 90s, there are a few more than usual  cooling off in our waters.

An Iconic Structure Falls

              One of the lovely parts about swimming at this particular pool is that it’s located in a lovely area.

             The Xiyuan Hotel is a conference center, sheltered from the surrounding city by it’s vast, walled-in grounds.  The place is huge with beautiful landscaping.  Dense trees for shading, wide grassy areas, silent walkways and small ponds surrounded by benches and arching bamboo groves make for a restful respite after a calming swim.

            One of the charms of the place was a palatial European-style building with columns, turrets and a majestic dome.  Looking at this gigantic structure, no long in use, left one awestruck.  It was such a strange thing to be seen inChina.  I wondered if at some point this was a foreigners’ club from the 1930s, a historical landmark of some sort that fell into disuse and was left as a reminder of the foreigner’s influence those many years ago.

            I never did find out its history, and now I probably never will.

            This Dragon Boat Weekend, the entire thing was being demolished. 

            A huge crane was busily roaring, grinding, swinging and knocking down the dome on Friday.  By Sunday, only the façade stood with most of the back end in rubble.

             The workers stopped on Monday for the holidays.  After my swim in the morning, before heading back to Longzhou, I took a long, last look at what was left.  By my next visit, all will be gone.   

            My guess is that a spiffy new high-rise complex is going up to add to the rather outdated main hotel which is certainly in need of refurbishing.

             It’s a little sad, but things change rapidly inChina.  I’m just fortunate that I have plenty of before pictures to keep our grand palace of the 30’s deep in my memory.

A Facelift for the Park

           While one of my favorite spots was demolished, yet another received a facelift.

            The small public park that is next to the hotel I stay at inNanningreceived a new appearance for the holidays.  New landscaping of plants, trees and small bushes, enclosed by 2-foot walled tiles, greeted me when I walked through the area on my way to the pool.  This small park is always filled in the morning with bamboo-caged birds and their owners, dozens of men who enjoy sitting about, chatting, drinking their tea and fussing over their birdies. 

            Before the park facelift, they brought their own chairs and stools to sit on.  But with the low-lying wall enclosure, there are plenty of places for them to park themselves while watching over their charges.

            I can’t say I’m 100% pleased with the changes made.  Before the landscaping, there was more green grass and wider spaces. Now, the park feels a bit crowded and enclosed.  It’s lost some of that wild, free, untamed spirit that it had before.

            Despite my opinion, the men are still quite happy to continue their morning ritual every day in this place.  I didn’t notice their numbers had dwindled at all from my previous visits.

             I stopped to talk to a small cluster of them when returned from my morning swim on Monday.  They told me a bird costs about $50 – 70, depending on which one you wanted.  They also said that the park had more sitting places for them, which was better than having to drag around their stools all the time.

             I mentioned that I preferred dogs to birds but, of course, a dog is a lot more work. Birds are less trouble to take care of.  They all nodded in agreement, although watching them carefully haul around the cages, fuss, fret and coo at their pets, I wondered if maybe a dog is a bit easier to care for after all. 

            Those guys certainly adored their feathered friends!

            I guess diligent owners of any animal, bird or otherwise, have the same feeling toward their beloved pets: spoil, spoil, spoil!  I know I certainly fall into that category with Little Flower

 Last Holiday Finished; Ending of the Semester

            We have now had our last holiday for the school year.  Already, my students are having their final exams in my class.  My last class day is June 24, but students will continue with their Chinese classes until July 9.  The foreign teacher always ends early, allowing students to concentrate on their other courses rather than worry about English Conversation finals.

            We are in the second week of testing and, so far, everyone has passed.  The second year English Education students are busy planning our end-of-the-year party.  Next semester, they’ll be off doing their practice teaching (what we call student teaching, in the States).  I won’t be seeing them much or have regular classes with them, which is sad.  Thus the party so we can all celebrate the end of our time together. 

            2 years together is a long time.  I remember them as young, frightened freshmen. Now they are growing up on me, soon to be in the classroom as novice teachers.  Their final exams have been teaching lessons in groups of 5 to their classmates, and I must say, they have done a marvelous job.

            It’s very fulfilling to watch them stand in front of the class as well-prepared English language instructors.  I must say, they have done a splendid job so far and their test results have all been in the 90s.

             It’s been a very rewarding experience to watch them progress to this level in just 2 years.  I’m very proud of all of them.

            And on that note, I’ll close for the day.  Ping An (Peace!) for your week.

           As mentioned before, I had some difficulty accessing my site to post the pictures to go with the previous blog.  Here they are!  Enjoy.

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Note:  Once again, there’s been difficulty here in China for 2 weeks getting to access my site.   Sorry for the long wait.  Photos will follow later, if I can get on again!

An Evening at Joe’s Home

             As many of you know, Saturday afternoons in my home are for the neighborhood kids.  From 3 p.m. to 4, my door is open to those wishing to hang out with the foreigner.  I have my regulars, Amy (Huang Yawei, 11) and Joe (Guo Guanyu, 15) as well as their friends.

            Last year, Joe invited me to his 14^th birthday party but I was unable to attend. It was a big disappointment to him and I remember how sad he was.  I promised, “Next year, Joe.  You have your party on a night I can come and I’ll be there.”

            Well, last Friday was it.

            After waiting an entire year, Joe planned his party on an evening when I could definitely attend,  school wouldn’t be held the next day and his buddies could all come.   His plan was to have me over for a dinner with all the relatives before his other friends began to arrive for cake and snacks.  This is the usual tradition for birthday parties in China.  An evening is set and relatives or friends just come and go as they please, nothing formal or organized. 

            Tasty dishes are left on the table the entire evening so those who haven’t eaten anything can pick over what the original dinner guests haven’t gobbled down already.  Bottles of Coke and Sprite, beer and hard liquor (for the older folk) are spread out for consumption while the kids race about, enjoying themselves.

            I’d been to parties before in other parts of China but never in Longzhou.  This would be my first family-cooked dinner in Guangxi and I was really looking forward to it. 

            What kind of dishes would be served for this province?  What host manners would be displayed?  What kind of a home would I be visiting?

            One thing’s for sure:  I knew the family was looking forward to meeting me.  Joe had been talking about me for almost 2 years now, displaying the small goodies I’d send home with him and the pictures as well.  This was a time for returning the favor of showing kindness to their boy.  I really needed to put my best foot forward, brush up on my Chinese small-talk and give a good impression.

 The Pick-up

             Friday evening, Joe came by with another one of our campus visitors, 11-year-old Annie (Chen Xinyu) and  10-year-old Mike (Nong Kuntian).  We then headed over to Amy’s small apartment at the front gate.

            Amy’s father is one of our gate keepers at our school.  His family has a rather dismal, dark and dank  4-room apartment (provided by the school) at the front gate along with several other campus workers.  Such housing for blue-collar school employees is the norm inChina.  The accommodations are not great, with cement walls oozing mold and dripping dampness, no windows, closet-sized stinky squat toilet with questionable sewage system and electrical wires dangling from the ceiling.  But there is no rental fee so they can save what little the workers earn from the school. 

            At Amy’s home, her mother settled me down in a rickety whicker chair to wait for her daughter to return from school.  Joe told me her mother  was an elementary English teacher years ago.  Her response to that was to adamantly shake her head and be embarrassed the topic had even come up. Her English was completely forgotten after years of no use, she said.  She really can’t remember anything.

            When Amy popped through the door, we had a quick photo session with all of us together before departing for Joe’s home.  Naturally, my camera was with me and I had fully charged the batteries just for this evening’s festivities.  

            As previously mentioned in the last blog, pictures to the Chinese are greatly treasured.  Having photos to remember special moments together are a must.  I personally didn’t have picture of Amy’s mom so I was more than happy to hustle us all together for a photo shoot.    

            After all, the evening was going to be full of photos.  Might as well get started early.

Arrival At Joe’s

          We all headed out the back gate, where two 3-wheeled taxies were hailed.  Joe and I jumped in one while Annie, Amy and Mike hopped in the other.  Off we went, zig-zagging the narrow roads of Longzhou on the town’s backstreets. 

            After just 5 minutes, we arrived at our destination:  a row of small shops situated on a snaking town backroad.  This was where Joe lived.

          The 3-wheeled cab stopped in front of a small, 1-room women’s clothing shop.  This was Joe’s mom’s business, he explained.  It was attached to a 4-story building and the family uses 3 floors in the back of the shop for living.  Both sets of grandparents have their own rooms, as does Joe and his parents and younger sister.  Then we have the uncles and aunts, which often arrive for daily family dinners as well.

            In other words, Joe had a very big family, which I discovered when we entered the living area of his home.

 Greetings Abound

         The table had already been set with dishes and everyone was gathered around, waiting for Joe and me to arrive.  His dad’s brother was busy woking up more dishes in the kitchen area, and the men were relaxing in lazy ease around the table, when I stepped through the apartment entrance.  The women in the family, Joe’s mom and grandmother, were the first to jump up to greet me along with Joe’s dad. 

            Mike, Annie and Amy came bursting in with giggles.  Their pent-up energy from school had them racing around the room and then disappearing outside on the street to play until it was time for dinner.  Joe settled me into a chair at the table and then bustled about, making calls to his 2 classmates who were coming over a bit later.   

            There was the usual apprehensive hesitation which comes when a new person is in the midst of a family gathering.  Everyone was a bit nervous for fear the foreigner wouldn’t understand.  Joe’s mother and grandmother had practiced their English greetings,as taught to them by Joe,  and were quite keen to use them..

            “Hello!” his mom  said, turning to me. “I am mother.”

            Her mom then immediately piped up, “I am grandmother!”

            “Father!” Joe’s dad beamed, pointing to himself.

            That sent dad’s brothers, the uncles, to hee-hawing with jovial delight.

            “Wow!  Your English is great!” I replied in Chinese.  “Very good.”

            That  pretty much set the mood for the rest of the evening.  Laughter, banter and friendly chit-chat ensued, now that everyone knew we could communicate.

 An Unusual Drinking Custom

           Of course, the family’s men in our midst added more to the festive atmosphere with their laid-back smoking and drinking, which  loosened them up even more.

            I’m used to both during a Chinese dinner but the drinking habit here was a bit unusual. In between bites of food and talk, the guys were spoon-feeding each other baijiu (“white liquor,” or whiskey) from a small bowl on the table.   I’d never seen this done before anywhere in China.  Usually, everyone has their own shot-glass to drink from.  But in Longzhou, I learned it’s the custom for the host to spoon feed his guests (and himself) a Chinese porcelain spoonful of whiskey from time to time.  The same spoon remained in the bowl at all times, with each sharing the same utensil whenever a slurp was given to another.

            Sounds a bit unsanitary but from the proof of the whiskey, I’m guessing anything alive in that bowl or on that spoon was dead as soon as the liquor hit it.

            We women were invited to participate in this male-bonding ritual but we declined.   Our fondness was for food, soft drinks and girl-talk, not liquor, cigarettes and machismo. 

More Friends and Relatives Arrive

           After a majority of us had enjoyed the many dishes set before us, Joe’s friends, family neighbors and others began to show up.   The place was buzzing with activity, especially from Joe’s friends who were ready to dig into the birthday cake.

            InChina, birthday cakes have now become a necessary tradition.  Years ago, birthdays were not important and looked over.  Cakes were not on the menu because ovens didn’t exist in China. 

            But now, with the international world crashing in on the country, birthday cakes are a must. Cake shops are all over town and make a fortune creating huge, double-layer sponge cakes loaded with whipped-cream frosting and decorative, fluffy figures on top.

            Born in the year of the rabbit?  The goat?  The horse?  No problem! Your totem animal goes right on top, amidst slices of fruit and chocolate shavings.

            Prices for cakes range from $15 to over $100, depending on how big they are.

            Joe’s was quite substantial and probably around $35.  He was the one to help carve and then Annie began to serve.

            As always inChina, the adults steered clear of the young folk at their table, dishing up the cake.  Adults consider cake a treat for the kids and don’t usually partake of such things.  So it was Joe’s friends and myself who gathered round to inhale our pieces. 

            Not only was cake on the birthday table menu but tubs of KMC fried chicken (a Chinese knock-off of America’s KFC), plates of cut-up fruit and bread buns.  These were for Joe’s friends who didn’t come for dinner, although I noticed that those who had eaten dinner with the rest of us were busy digging into the cartons.  They gobbled down those greasy chicken wings and drumsticks as if there was no tomorrow.  Amy, Mike and Annie certainly had their fair share as did Joe.

            How in the world do these Chinese kids eat so much and stay so skinny is beyond me.

 The Entertainment

           After the cake , Joe gave us the tour of the upper floors.  He led us upstairs to show us his room before we landed in his grandparents’ bedroom with the TV  set and DVD. 

             Joe’s favorite movies are the Narnia series.  As the birthday boy, it was only fair we watch what he wanted so we gathered around on the bed to see the exciting last half of  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Then it was Prince Caspian next.

            The chicken tubs were brought up in the middle of the movie, along with more Coke and cups.  Everyone was mesmerized by the fantasy world created in the film’s Narnia Chronicles.  I’d seen all 3 several times myself but had forgotten the storyline so it was  just as much a treat for me as for the kids.

 Time to Call It A Night

             Although Joe and his friends were ready to start the last of the Narnia movies, I had to call it quits. It was already 10 p.m. and had been a long day.

            Joe’s parents and relatives saw me through to the shop’s entrance where his mom hailed a 3-wheeled cab to drive me home.  There were many thank you’s and grateful farewells as I slipped in behind the taxi driver.   Mom made sure to thrust the cab fare into the man’s hands before we took off. 

            As is the custom in China, always make sure the guest is well-cared for, including paying for rides home.

            It’s been a long time since I had an evening out with a Chinese family and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.  With our initial introductions completed, I have a feeling that I’ll be visiting Joe and his family again in the near future, hopefully for yet another great dinner along with great company.

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

             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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