connie's space

            All day Saturday, the English Association volunteers we busy at work preparing for our first English language singing contest.  They had banners to display, backdrops to finish and runways to set up.  They had red carpet to put down, judges’ tables to prepare and competition score sheets to Xerox.  Lastly, they had to coordinate all the necessary equipment usage with the hired professionals.  The school graciously paid for outside help in setting up and running efficiently the sound system, lighting and even the event’s video taping. 

            In other words, this was a pretty darn big deal!
            Did the weeks of preparation, hours of meeting to discuss details, days of rehearsal time by competitors and our student MC’s pay off?

            Read on to find out.

Checking Out the Set-up

            Earlier on Saturday, Little Flower and I headed over to the outdoor stage area to take a look at how things were progressing.  It was 4 hours before the competition and everything was already in place. The stage was ready, the sound equipment guys were blaring songs to entertain those hanging around, lights were being checked, the video camera position was being readied and everyone seemed quite satisfied that things were ready to go.

Arriving at The Competition

            When I headed over to the stage area at 7:45 p.m., a huge crowd had already gathered. Students brought their own stools and sat according to classes, which had been orderly chalked off on the concrete so everyone would know where to sit.

            Our judges were showing up, four of us being English teachers and one being a Chinese music teacher.  Although he spoke no English, he was quite qualified to determine the musical talent and stage presence of those participating.

            I sat between Mr. Pan, now retired but living on campus, and Mrs. Zhou, a young teacher in her 20s who just recently had a little baby girl.

            I was very impressed by the care which the students had gone to make sure we had all we needed as judges.  We each had a desktop light so we see how to mark our scores.  We had the lyrics to the songs printed out for each contestant.  We had a list of the competitors, their names and songs. And we had slips that outlined what each category for scoring would be and the points we needed to assign.

            It seemed nothing had been overlooked, including a bottle of water if we became thirsty, pens and extra paper if we wanted to write down comments.

The Competition Itself

            As many in the audience didn’t speak English, we had 2 MCs – one to give the English announcements and the other to translate.  The two interacted very well together and gave the contest an extra zip with uplifting comments and clever contestant introductions.

            For the most part, our 20 singers did an excellent job. Everyone remembered their lyrics.  Everyone dressed in their sparkling best to look good on stage.  Most had good stage presence and belted out their songs with adequate emotion.

            Of course, there were those that stood out as being better than others.  Those singers were our top places.

             It was interesting that our winners did a duet, “Just One More Dance,”  with one girl singing the female vocal and the other doing the male.  I can’t say their singing prowess was so great. Lots of wailing and screeching, mostly off key, but their interaction with the crowd and each other, not to mention their intensity in emotion, put them over the top.

            Their final score of 9.53 out of 10 gave them 1^st place.

            During the halfway point, we had a drawing for prizes.  I was invited to the stage to draw the names and then ask a simple English question which the participants had to answer in order to win. 

            “Name one song in English,” “Name one singer who sings English songs,” “Sing ‘Happy Birthday’ in English” were just a few, all of them easy enough for anyone to answer, even if their English wasn’t so good.

            The final segment of the evening was to invite a judge to give constructive comments about the singers and their performances.  That was my job and is something I always enjoy doing.  It’s great fun to hand out praises galore and then slip into a few helpful hints on how to be better next time.  Chinese students honestly take such things to heart so it’s important to pinpoint exactly what went right, and wrong, to make everyone happy.

            Our contest wrapped up at exactly 10 p.m., which is certainly much earlier than I had expected.

             Obviously, due to perfect planning, the English Association members outdid themselves for their 1^st English Singing contest.   It was certainly a successful night, one which no one will every forget.

            I have a feeling that next year, I’ll be reporting again about another night of English song from Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities. 

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

What News of Earthquake Emergency Relief?  UMCOR in Action

            Those who are United Methodists will be pleased to hear about our UMCOR  efforts (United Methodist Committee on Relief) via The Amity Foundation.  Amity staff with supplies  reached the afflicted area in less than 24 hours after the quake struck.

            UMCOR always works through partnership agencies within countries that need help.  The Amity Foundation (which is the organization that I’m associated with as an English teacher) is our UMCOR partner.

            A recent article written by Diane Allen on our UMCOR website reads as follows:

            The earthquake in Qinghai (pronounced ‘ching high’) is one of China’s poorest provinces.  The quake’s epicentre occurred in Yushu County Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.  Yushu is situated on the Tibetan plateau, over two and a half miles above sea level.  According to Amity’s She Hongyu, Assistant General Secretary, it has a population of 90,000 of which 93 percent are ethnic Tibetans, 

            Both the high altitude, which can make breathing challenging for those not acclimated, and sub-freezing temperatures have made rescue and relief efforts especially difficult. 

             “Freezing weather, hard mud floors, 60 percent oxygen density, sleeping bags to be warmed up, is the true picture of the rescue situation in Yushu,” said She.  “Amity staff have been working in Qinghai non-stop, determined to help as much as possible.”

            Once at the quake site and in coordination with national relief efforts, Amity and its local partner in the area began focusing relief efforts in Longbao Township, 14,500 feet above sea level and about 40 miles from the hardest hit town of Jiegu, the county seat.  

             To date it has delivered emergency relief to nearly 4,000 thousand people in Cuoduo, Cuimei and Cuosang villages. 

            According to She, “Local buildings are mostly made of wood and low-level brick work.  Many of them collapsed during the earthquake.  Among the first batch of supplies were much needed quilts for the freezing weather at 1 degree Fahrenheit.”  Other immediate provisions included:  2,790 cartons of mineral water; 1,120 cartons of sausages; 517 cartons of instant noodles; 50 tons of rice; 25 tons of wheat flour; and 600 sets of bedding.

            Most of Yushu County’s population are traditional animal herders, living well below China’s poverty line, with incomes of less than $130 per year.

            Poverty is one of the key reasons people are so vulnerable in times of disaster. 

            The Amity Foundation has been working in Qinghai’s Yushu County for several years, with integrated rural development and environmental projects.  The organization was a key partner with UMCOR in responding to a massive earthquake in Sichuan Province in China in 2008. Nearly 87,000 people died in that earthquake.

A Recent Email from Ms She

            As an Amity Foundation teacher,  I have been receiving daily updates of Amity’s relief work  in the earthquake zone.   

            Here is one such email, which should make our Methodists very proud to be a part of such a swift, meaningful and life-saving venture.

Dear friends,

        By 10:00pm, April 19, the death toll in Yushu earthquake rose to 2039, 195 people are still missing, 12,135 people injured, of whom, 1,434 are severely wounded. (http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2010-04/20/c_1243493.htm)

        Ms. Tang  and Mr. Cui set off to Xining with the early morning flight from Nanjing and arrived in Xining at 2:00pm. Later this evening, together with Mr. Shu Junsong, they will be tumbling on the road to Yushu in two trucks fully loaded with relief materials.

        While the lowest temperature in Yushu rises to freezing during night, the place was swept by strong wind covered with snow. It goes without saying the tough weather added to the difficulty of relief work.   In sand, storm and snow, Amity team worked till 4:00am April 19 and distributed the 3rd batch of relief materials to 360 households in Zanian village, Longbao Township.        Materials distributed were:

8 tons of flour;

2 tons of rice;

2000 bottles of mineral water;

1000 cartons of beef sausage

         "People from thousands of miles away care about us, bring us food and drinks, you have given us hope for life", said the villagers in Zanian village where  people died and 50 people badly injured from the strong earthquake.

         Accompanied by the Principal of Longbao Township School, Mr. He Wen (Amity’s Assistant General Secretary) visited a number of schools collapsed in the quake to assess school condition and food supply . Amity will endeavour every effort in the reconstruction and restoration of the destructed villagers . Specific project items are to be decided based on the over-all comprehensive evaluation.

         Amity’s fund raising efforts started the day the powerful earthquake hit Yushu. By April 19, a total of RMB 1.49 million Yuan ($219,117) was received.

        Tomorrow morning, Mr. Wei Wei, staff member of the Church & Social Service Prog. will set off to Xining in order for those who have worked in Yushu withdraw and have a moment to adjust and replenish much needed energy and sleep.

 
She Hongyu
Assistant General Secretary
Director, Research & Development Centre

More Earthquake Updates

            Those interested in giving to earthquake relief via UMCOR can do so by visiting:

 http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/. 

             Those wishing to be updated daily about the efforts or donate funds through the Amity Foundation are also welcome to do so by visiting:

http://www.amityfoundation.org/wordpress/?p=1199

         From Longzhou, Ping An (Peace)!

            Sunday and Monday had us roasting.

            Temperatures soared into the 90s with the humidity so high that stickiness was everywhere.  Dampened clothes sagged, papers and books grew limp, dormitory and apartment walls dripped with condensation. 

            It was a forewarning of what was yet to come for my May and June teaching in Longzhou.

            Then the wind suddenly picked up on Tuesday afternoon.

             Within a few hours, our wicked heat dissipated and temperatures dropped 40 degrees, plummeting us into the 50s.  Skies clouded over and we all waited with growing anticipation for the drought to finally end. 

            We’d been tricked many times into thinking this time, we’d have some rain.  But always the clouds just hung there.  Sometimes thunder rolled across us but never a drop of water, much to the despair of many.

             All across this region of China, and overtaking several southern provinces, the drought has brought emergency relief measures into full swing.  Water has been trucked in from across country just so those in rural areas can have something to drink. Meanwhile, lakes have gone completely dry and barren farmland is cracking under the hot sun.

            In this province alone, 7.8 million people have been affected with 81,000 without access to drinking water.  Not even a bowl of soup for meals has been present on many rural village tables.  Water is just too precious even for that.

            It’s the worst in 80 years, news reports stated.

            For Longzhou, the drought hasn’t left too many suffering.  Our water supply has been constant throughout the township.  It’s just the outer-lying farmers with their sugarcane and rice fields who have been troubled by our lack of God’s watering.

            When our huge thunderstorms hit after midnight, early Wednesday morning, I could imagine the feeling of relief for those praying for thriving crops. 

            For us on campus, those heavy torrents of rain weren’t quite what we had wanted.  Students and teachers alike were praying for the rain to let up before classes started at 8 a.m. 

            I know I was.

            Instead, it just rained even harder when it was time for me to head out the door.

            This was my first total downpour at our school. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect once I headed out of the building to trek to the classroom.  I was almost about to slip on my dress shoes when I went for the heavier boots instead.

            Wise decision.

            As with everywhere in China, drainage is always a big problem during any downpour.   Backup is always present for Chinese water systems that have aged over the years or never been properly designed to begin with.     

            I sloshed about, trying to pick sidewalk pathways that didn’t have me ankle deep in water.  I watched my colleagues doing the same.  We teachers were rather stuck with all the main thoroughfares and grassy areas around us completely flooded. 

            Laughing at each others’ antics, we hurriedly splashed on tip-toes or went for fully flat-footed dashes .through vast oceans of wet.

            Nor did we have any relief when we reached the concrete courts before the teaching buildings we were headed toward.

            They also were inundated in water.

            This left both students and faculty in somewhat of a bind.  After having braved what we thought was the worst of it, we were confronted with a giant pool that didn’t seem to be going down anytime soon. 

            Umbrellas held high, everyone managed in their own time and pace to finally make it to the classrooms.  I came in with just 3 minutes to spare before class was to officially begin. It was a miracle we began at all, I thought.

             I think all of us felt quite proud of our achievements on such a dreary, nasty morning.  It would have been easier to stay in bed, which I’m sure most American college kids would have done.  For my first class that morning, I was happy to see only 4 stayed away. 

            Interestingly enough, they were all my freshmen boys. 

            I expected as much.  The guys tend to be a bit lax in their studies for my class. 

             The gals, on the other hand, were seated eagerly in their chairs, all waiting cheerfully for our English language discussion warm-up to begin.

Grateful for Shelter

            Our drenching caused yet another trial for a campus resident who has been known to huddle in my stairwell.

            It was the outdoor cat that my neighbor across from me feeds and invites into her home from time to time.

            This dainty dark striped feline can be heard meowing early morning or late at night, wanting food from the kind woman next door who puts out scrapes on a daily basis for her consumption. 

            Last weekend, the woman and one of our elderly residents were cleaning out the underneath storage area of our stairwell.  They often collect  materials  for recycling and the only place to put them temporarily is in the space provided to us on the 1^st floor. 

            After collecting for over a month, it was time to sweep out the growing pile and haul it over to the recycling center for cash. 

            The problem?

             In the midst of cardboard heaps, styrofoam packaging and bags of bottles was the kitty . . . with her 4 newborns. 

            She had found them a cozy place in a dark corner, on a dusty rag, far from any fear of being disturbed until today.

            Naturally, she was quite upset by the comings and goings of the ladies, even though one of them she trusted.  The two continued on their weekend mission to clean the place, moving out all the contents and sweeping everything away except for Kitten Corner.

            After growling, hissing and stalking about the women’s feet, Mamma K (Kitty) was finally able to settle down in a protected cubbyhole.  Her favorite human leaned a board against the back cement wall, shoved the kitten box into the dark space provided and left. 

            I half expected the mother to leave with her babies after such a traumatic 2-hour experience but she’s still there.  Her little ones can be heard every so often, mewing faintly, when I leave for class or return.

            It’s a good thing she opted to stay here.  Our dropping temperatures and the huge rain demand a safe, warm haven for her family.  Where she’s at is the perfect shelter for the kind of weather we’ve been having. 

Gearing Up For The English Singing Contest

            This evening, the English Association is holding the preliminaries for our upcoming English Singing Contest. 20 singers, both male and female, will be chosen tonight to perform in the finals next Saturday night where I’ll be judging.

            We had discussed last semester if a speech contest should be held instead but I suggested a singing contest.  These tend to be a bigger draw among the student population as everyone loves our American soulful singers and groups. Backstreet Boys are still quite a draw as is Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and current Top 10 vocal artists and their hit songs.

            For tonight, I get to enjoy the contestants as an audience member, not a judge. It should be a well-attended event as classmates come to cheer on their favorites. 

            Next week will be an even bigger affair with everyone going all out:   make-up, sparkling costumes, body glitter sprays and over-the-top personalities will alight the outdoor stage to the shrieks of young fans everywhere.

            Yes, it’ll definitely be a worthy blog, one I won’t fail to report on.

            Until next time, here’s wishing you Ping An (Peace) for your day from Longzhou, China.

            After class, on my return to my apartment building, I’ve come across a honey bee or two lying on the sidewalk.  On one occasion, it was a death.  On the others, the bees just seemed an unhealthy slow. 

            No feisty buzzing or zipping onward after my approach.  They just clung to the cement in desperate hopelessness, not bothering to go on.

Honey Bees in Crisis

            For several years now, we’ve been hearing in the States about a growing concern over the bee population.  The most recent report I saw on our bee dilemma was from MSNBC’s environmental video clips. 

            According to the US Department of Agriculture, there was a 29% drop in beehives last year in the States.  This drop is referred to among entomologists as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).   An eclectic mix of pesticides, insecticides, mites, viruses, electromagnetic radiation and climate changes were jumbled together as the reason for this decline. 

            Why is the population dip of a tiny insect such a threat? 

            Pollination of plants is largely due to the honey bee.  The report stated 80 % of fruits and vegetables we eat, many plant-based medicines, even our clothing (cotton, for example) depend on the honey bee for continued use. Over 235,000 species of flowers and 80,000  trees depend on cross-pollination for survival. 

            One average hive (considered 30,000 to 60,000 bees) can visit a million plants within 154 square miles in a single day.  With the disappearance of hives across the country, and the world, that’s a lot of land going without new growth potential.

            Basically, no honey bees and our world, not to mention our way of life, take a drastic turn, and it’s not for the better.

In China, Dangers for Bees As Well

            This is why the random sickly honey bee incidents I’ve been seeing on our campus have been gnawing at me for awhile.   Dangers for bees in the States seem to be here as well, with damaging results for the Chinese people, especially those who depend on farming for a way of life.

            Farmers account for 70% of the population.  An estimated 700 million rural farmers provide 60% of the food for the country with their average income being a very low $300 to $450 a year.  Those at the poverty level make less than $120 a year.

            For farmers who depend on cross-pollination for their livelihood, such as those with tangerine, apple and peach orchards, an environment with fewer bees could mean the end of what little  income they’re getting now.

            Then there’s the use of pesticides and insecticides which small farmers feel pressured to use or they’ll lose their crops to the pests that eat them.  With all the plant sprays and poisons out there, it’s no wonder China’s honey bees are feeling a bit queasy and slow.

            Aside from cross-pollination needed for some farmers’ produce, bees provide a livelihood for those in the honey business. 

            While Americans might occasionally buy honey, it’s nothing like China’s infatuation with the Pooh bear’s chosen nectar.   I can guarantee that in China, every home, college dorm room, restaurant kitchen, or tea shop across the country has a jar or two of honey for ready use on the shelves.

            Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors always advocate honey over the processed stuff.   It’s considered healthier than white cane sugar, although according to Western experts, sugar is sugar.  It’s all metabolized the same way, whether it’s white, brown, solid or fluid. 

            In my small town  grocery store here, there are 5 different types of honey brands available.  Manufacturers of these store-bought brands, not to mention their factory workers and bee suppliers, will be seeing limited income as honey bees disappear. 

            In my area of the country, quite a few farmers even sell honey themselves as a means of supplementing their income. 

            During the late spring and summer, weathered farmers can be seen with their stools placed strategically along the outdoor market aisles. Used, empty plastic bottles lie in a pile alongside baskets full of fresh, juicy honeycombs, pulled from trees found in the wild.  Customers pick over the hive selections, choose one and the sellers squeeze and squish the gooey substance into funnels which drain down into the bottles.

            I can’t say it’s the most sanitary thing I’ve ever seen, but it sure is fascinating.

A Balcony Boost for The Bees

            While we can’t control all the bee-killing factors, we can help to make their lives easier to increase their numbers. The news report suggested planting large blocks of yellow, violet, white and blue flowers in gardens.  These colors are favored more by bees than others.        

            A small bowl of water left out in strategic places was also suggested.  Bees need water and in some of our drought-ridden areas, this can be a lifesaver for the little guys. 

            The point is to encourage bee visits, and that’s exactly my plan for today.  I have a lovely balcony which has been waiting to be filled with potted plants.

            Last week, on my wanderings down Longzhou’s narrow streets, I came across a wonderful plant shop.  Roses, flowering bushes and other brightly colored blooming varieties were ready for purchase.  The price was right and the sellers quite eager to be helpful with suggesting good buys.  I didn’t have enough money at the time so I promised to return next week.

            Next week is here, and after reading so much about our honey bees’ plight, I’m ready to do something about it.

            And on that last note,  I’ll be posting this now before heading off to the plant shop for purchasing some bee and butterfly-friendly balcony additions.

            Anyone out there want to join me by doing the same in your neck of the woods?

Welcome!

            From Longzhou, China, here’s Ping An (Peace) coming your way from Connie and the honey bees.

             Three years ago, the Chinese government decided to shorten the 5-day May Holiday (Labor Day)  and mix in a few 1-day holidays dispersed throughout the year. 
           One of these added holidays was Qing Ming Jie, or Tomb Sweeping Festival, held on April 5.

            This traditional Chinese day was set aside for relatives to return to their countryside homes to clean the tombs of their ancestors.  At that time, many people were buried deep in the mountainsides where a full year of weeds and brush had built up.  Family members returned to gravesites to tidy things up, light incense, burn paper money for the dead to spend in heaven and set off firecrackers to ward away evil spirits.  It was a very important part of honoring the dead.

            This was never a holiday before so most people just chose a day closest to April 5 to pay their respects or didn’t bother. But now with the holiday, students and distant family members are able to travel back to their hometowns for their traditional day of remembrance.

            This year, April 5 is on Monday.

            It’s an official holiday with schools and government offices being closed.  For our school, an added Tuesday off was given so students would have a chance to participate in gatherings on Monday, then have Tuesday to travel back to school.

            As always in Chinese schools, however, an unofficial day off must be made up.  Thus Saturday, we had make-up classes for those courses we would miss on Tuesday.

            My  students came to lessons this morning in a rather dismal mood due to the chilly rain and dreary weather.  They also came in rather slim numbers.  Quite a few had left for home the day before after asking for leave from departmental heads.  Those who stayed live too far away for their Tomb Sweeping activities so they are stuck here on our small campus to sleep and eat away the next 3 days.

            I’m sure they’d love to be in the computer cafes, surfing the Net and chatting online with friends, but once again, we find ourselves without electricity.

            Rumor has it that Sunday will give us the same meiyou dian experience with illumination taking place around 7:30 p.m. after 12 hours doing without.

           Despite doing without, seemingly forced upon me as my sacrifice for lent, my Easter Sunday will still be a joyous one.  I’m not about to let meiyou dian spoil my “He is Risen!” moment. 

            Many blessings for Easter and hoping this Resurrection Day, shared with your loved ones and church community, is a memorable one.

            From Longzhou, China —  Ping An (Peace)!

           “I heard that Longzhou is famous for no electricity,” I volunteered to a crowd of 23 students, seated in the growing darkness of my living room.

            Laughter and  knowing groans followed.

            Tuesday evening, our first night for coloring eggs, had fallen prey to the notorious “Meiyou dian!” (No electricity!) which plagued our small campus and the town all day.

            Announcement boards at the dormitory had proclaimed that for 4 days, we’d have no electricity from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

            At least we had some warning. 

            In previous black-outs, coming once or twice every 2-to-3 weeks, it was just a surprise.

            Why the electricity flow isn’t a constant is beyond me.  I’ve asked a wide range of people and all of them have the same answer:  “Don’t know.  Maybe changing the lines?”   And why 4 days were designated for this past week is also beyond me. 

            Being the optimistic individual I am, I scheduled our first night of Easter egg coloring to begin at 6:30 p.m., when the lights were supposed to come back on.  The English Education majors would be the first wave to come to my home.  I’d arranged for them to arrive in staggered groups, each enjoying a 30-minute session of coloring eggs.  I would be done by 8:30 p.m. with plenty of time for early clean up and for everyone to get back to their dormitories to complete other activities.

            It was a well thought out plan.

            I’d boiled 45 eggs that afternoon, set up extra tables, arranged drying racks and cups for coloring, pulled out the best of the stickers and markers for egg decorating, swept the floor and tidied up my place.  

            I mixed 10 different colors of various shades to give all the groups enough time, and variety to choose from, to color their eggs within 30 minutes. And I put the dog away in the back bedroom as she gets a little too excited when too many people are present.

            After all this, I waited with great anticipation for the electricity to come back on and the evening to begin with the first knock at the door.

            What followed wasn’t exactly the perfectly planned evening.

            The electricity didn’t come on at the appointed time.

              My first group arrived so we just sat around in the darkening room waiting any minute to be illuminated so we could begin.

            Nothing happened.

             At 7 p.m., the next wave of students came to join us, bringing our number to 23.       

             Definitely time to bring out the candles and more stools.

            By 7:30, I had to turn away the 3^rd group of students due to lack of people space and tell them to return at 8:30.   I was starting to lose hope that our egg coloring would ever take place when, at 7:35 p.m., the lights finally came on. 

            A cheer went up as everyone scampered out of their seats and surrounded the egg coloring table for instructions.

            Although a bit chaotic due the sheer numbers of overly excited, enthusiastic, impatient Chinese young people, everyone did get to color an egg and photograph their special evening to hearts’ content.  

            Our last group petered out, having to come so late. I only had 4 of the original 12 arrive.  Those 4, however, were the luckiest. They finished the eggs of those who didn’t come, then took their many multi-colored prizes home with them, along with handfuls of candy.  I’m sure they were the envy of lazy dorm mates who opted out not to come. 

            It definitely pays to go last!

            It wasn’t until 10 p.m. that the last student left and not until 11 p.m. that I was finally able to clean up. 

            It was a worthy, worthwhile venture but one I didn’t want repeated.

           Thus due to our meiyou dian dilemma for the next few days, I decided to settle for just that one night of egg coloring.

            Yes, a bit of a disappointment but at least one night was a success and enjoyed by those who came. 

            Next year, I’ll try it again.

From Longzhou, Ping An (Peace)!

Coloring Eggs: A Trial Run

            Every good teacher knows if you’re trying something new, better have a trial run first. 

            Since this entire week is going to be evening egg coloring for all my classes, I needed a testing session to make sure things would go smoothly.  Thus my regular Saturday  3 p.m. play-date with the neighborhood kids became the guinea pig session for coloring  Easter eggs.

            Sure, I’ve colored eggs before, and even done so with the students in my former placement, Luzhou.   Since finding food dyes in China is virtually impossible, I had a fairly good supply of them from the States that had lasted for 6 years.   Knowing I was running out, during this past winter holiday’s trip to America, I made sure to head down the bakery aisles of my local IGA to buy more. 

            Surprise!

            No longer did dyes come in the liquid variety I’d used for years.  Now we had something new:  food dye gels.

            The directions were the same:  use ½ cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar plus a teaspoon of  dye.  But the gooey gel seemed weird to me.  Would the colors be as vibrant? Would the gel dissolve?  Would the dyes mix to create different colors? Would the tubes last as long as the old variety?    

            As it turned out, the trial run was a great success.  In fact, I chose a good day for such an activity.  One of my 12-year old regulars brought 4 new friends with her to my home.  How nice to have something worthy for them to do to make their visit more meaningful.    

            Each chose an egg and one of the 6 different colors offered to enjoy their first time doing this particular American Easter tradition.  I explained the longer the eggs are left in the cup, the darker the colors would be.

            While we waited, we drank cola and ate cookies.  Every so often, we’d check to see how the eggs were doing.  Eventually, we figured they’d had long enough.  After drying, the kids wrote “Happy Easter” in Chinese and English on their eggs and placed small stickers on them.  Everyone received a plastic party bag to put their egg in before they left.  There were a lot of smiles at my doorway as they departed and happy chatter running down the stairwell on their way out.

            I can just imagine all the stories they told to their parents about their visit with the foreign teacher when they went home later on.  I’m hoping the same mood and stories will prevail among my college crowd.          

Getting Ready for the  Jelly Bean Contests

            Along with preparing for my Easter unit’s egg coloring night came prep work for the jelly bean contests.

            I’ve been saving plastic bottles for a week to get enough for 7 classes.  Yesterday evening, I opened one 5-pound bag of jelly beans to begin counting them into the bottles.  I realize I could very well just fill a bottle and make up a number for the contest but that’s not any fun.  Besides, I’m curious as to how many can go into a 20-ounce bottle.

            So far, the bottles hold anywhere between 560 -590 beans. At this point,  I’ve discovered a 5-pound bag has taken care of 4 bottles at (roughly)  1,800 jelly beans per bag.

             Just 3 more bottles to go . . . and 2 more bags of jelly beans.

            Hmmmm.

             Obviously, someone got a little over-enthusiastic about buying Easter candy.  10 pounds would have been plenty but I have 15!   

            Guess that last bag I’ll be saving for next year, or leave out for the students to enjoy this week as they come to color eggs.

A Present for Myself:  Easter Lilies

             Jelly beans, basket, stuffed rabbits, colored eggs, . . . the last item in my home missing for Easter?  The lily. 

            After asking campus locals where flowers could be purchased, I hit upon the Vietnamese language teacher. 

            “Out the back gate. Walk along the river road, under the bridge and about 10 minutes later, you’ll see a small flower shop,” she volunteered.

            Sure enough, a lovely stroll along the narrow road, lined with Longzhou’s ancient Chinese shops, led me to the tiny flower store.  It was sandwiched between numerous other clay tile-roofed, wooden-beamed structures which now held new storefronts and updated interiors to better suit owners in the modern world. 

            Although no white lilies were to be had, there were pink ones.

           $2.00 a stalk gave a customer 3 blooms.  Since the students would be expecting lilies in my home, especially after our lesson on Easter symbols (the lily included), I decided to get four with several large buds yet to unfurl.

            The owner and assistant were quite joyous with such a big sale.  They enthusiastically wrapped them up in pretty floral plastic for me to take home.  

            Living in such a small town, and being the only foreigner, I always receive stares and surprised gawks but nothing like what I had walking back to the campus with my bouquet of flowers.  A foreigner loaded down with an armful of lilies must have been the highlight of everyone’s day.  People pointed, whispered and nudged one another as I bounced along with my Easter present to myself. 

            Whenever our eyes met, I smiled.

            “How beautiful!” they remarked, seeing my friendliness.

             “Easter holiday flowers,” I replied in Chinese.  “Yes, very pretty.”

            Even our gatekeeper, who sits in boredom all day with a sour look and disinterested expression on his face, greeted me with a bit of brightness.

            “Pretty flowers,” he mumbled, nodding approval with his cigarette dangling from his mouth. 

            “Yes.  And fresh, too,” I added and waved.

Bringing Easter to Those in China

            The lily purchase was my last preparation for the week.  Beginning tomorrow, my students will enjoy the traditional activities that come with our Easter celebrations.

            This is such a joyful time for me here in China as a Christian and foreign language teacher.  What better way to prepare for Christ’s resurrection than to share with others about our Christian faith?   Whether that entails religious or traditional celebrations, all will definitely be remembered by both my Chinese students and myself.

            From Longzhou, as always, Ping An (Peace)! 

            The question for the week:  How do you say “jelly bean” in Chinese?

            For Christmas, the search was for Christmas lights.  Living in such a small town, I had little hopes of finding them but managed to do so in a tiny, over-burdened with products, knick-knack store right in the middle of the business district.

            Well, it’s March now and we’ve moved on to jelly beans, which in my books are a must for the Easter unit with the students.  Not only are they needed for visual (and tasting) aids but also for our count-the-number-of-jelly -beans-in-the-jar contest. 

            It’s a tradition for me to fill jars (or bottles) with jelly beans and have every class of students guess how many are inside.  The student in each class who is closest to the number without going over wins the contest. . . . and the filled bottle.

            In Luzhou, jelly beans were easily found in small mom-and-pop stores around the city.  But once again, in Longzhou, I found myself sadly disappointed.

            Every store, large or small, I came up empty-handed.

            Yet is seems that the Easter Bunny was on my side today when Little Flower and I ventured out for yet another downtown search for America’s infamous Easter candy.           

           As soon as we left the back gate, I found my eyes wandering to a popular student goodie shop.  Huge bags of shelled peanuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, and other dormitory late-night snackies weighed down the inside shelves.   

            What do I see, right there on the table next to the scales, but a huge bag of jelly beans, unopened and ready for purchase.

            I couldn’t believe it.
            “How much?” I asked the owner.

            “How much do you want?” she asked.

            “The whole bag,” I answered.

            “How much?” she asked incredulously.

            I’m sure she thought  I made a mistake with my Chinese.  Why in the world would anyone want to buy a 5-pound bag of jelly beans?

            “The bag,” I repeated.

            She went to pick it up as I added,  “And do you have three?”

            “Three?” she stared at me.  “You want three?  Three bags?”

            “Yes, three bags.  But fresh jelly beans, though.  This bag looks old. Can you order them?”

            There was a thoughtful pause. She picked up the phone to call her supplier.

            Yes, three new bags were possible.  They’d be in on Sunday.

            Oh, happy day!
            With 15 pounds of jelly beans to fill the contest bottles, and a generous 120 yuan ($17.50) happily placed in the owner’s pocket, I think everyone will be having a very joyful and uplifting Easter this year.

            Along with the jelly beans will be egg coloring in my home but all these traditional American events will be taking place after a week. 

            Starting Monday, my students will be discovering the religious significance of  复活节（fu huo jie, the literal translation meaning “return life holiday”） along with new vocabulary such as lily, Palm Sunday, crucifixion, the cross and Easter Sunday.   While I’d love to give each one a lily, they’ll have to settle for an Easter seal lily instead, courtesy of all those Easter Seal stickers sent to me over the years.

            From China, here’s wishing you a blessed weekend and Ping An (peace).