Fascinate, Inspire, Grow

July 13, 2013

My last day in China was a full day.  The morning was relaxing, after a late night run to the airport to pick up Laurel.  Then it was time for some “wine and dine” by the school.  Nick – the director of our program, Apple – an international coordinator, Sophia – vice director of the school, Tammy - assistant, Jacqueline - assistant, (all Yali staff) and a former student, Pat all met us (Laurel, myself, Leigh, Tina and Willy) at a hotel restaurant for a very nice lunch.  All sitting around a rotating table center, the food was so bountiful and so delicious – lending to a full stomach as seems a pattern here in China.  We had fish, soup with freshly steamed vegetables (they provide the large soup pot and additional fresh vegetables to add to the pot), eggplant, various other vegetable dishes, and much more food that I don’t remember. There was literally so many dishes that I lose track.  We drank some tea, beer and wine to go with all of that. 

Nick, the director of the program, and the other staff thanked us for all of our efforts, and assured us that they and the students appreciated having us there.  They gave us a gift of a book with beautifully colored Chinese zodiac birth year animals.  After the meal we learned how to play Mahjong, a type of rummy game with tiles.  The Yali staff enjoyed teaching us the game and helping us play.  My teammate Tammy and I won a game! 
 
 

Our group at Yuela Academy

Very large Buddha + Andrea

The next stop on our trek was Yuelu Mountain.  We didn’t actually get to climb up the mountain but we toured through the old Yuelu Academy, one of the four ancient Chinese academies and a very well-known site in Changsha. We also saw there a large statue of Buddah. 

 

Our group with a show host

 

Getting into the car for our next stop:  the TV station – which apparently is very hard for foreigners to get into.  Apparently we had some pretty good connections.  We even got our photo taken with some famous Chinese TV host – none of us knew who he was of course, but it was a pretty big deal for the locals we were with.

Dance performance at dinner

West Lake Restaurant

Last stop of the day was dinner at one of the largest restaurants in the world.  West Lake Restaurant, deemed the largest Asian restaurant in the Guinness Book of World Records, has 5,000 seats and a performance hall where we saw a live show while enjoying our dinner.  At this meal we enjoyed chrysanthemum tea, stinky tofu (fermented tofu with a strong odor), soup with vegetables (they eat mostly all steamed vegetables here in order to kill most of the bacteria), a type of baked tofu, various other vegetable and a few meat dishes, and again I can’t recall everything that was on the table, as it kept on coming.  The show was enjoyable – a mixture of singing and dancing in colorful and interesting costumes.  After dinner we walked around the garden/pond area outside of the restaurant.  It was as if the restaurant was its own little oasis – as if we were in a maze meandering through the pond on various pathways.  I then said my goodbyes to the Yali staff and to Laurel, Tina, and Willy – to be on my way back to Leigh’s place to pack and get some good rest before my early a.m. flight.

Once I made it to Seattle, I breathed a sigh of relief to have the familiarity of home.  A comforting feeling to be back in the U.S. where I understand what is going on and how most things work.  Everyone seems so easy here now.  People don’t budge in front of me or simply stare at me and watch me as I go by.  Instead of pushing their way in first they will move out of the way, apologize, or offer to help.  Gestures I will no longer take for granted – as they are what helped me navigate and explore my way through China. 

I do miss China, as I knew I would once I returned – that is why I did my best to soak it all in while I was there.  I am thankful for the opportunity I had to take part in this experience – challenging as it was –well worth it.  When asked how my trip was, in a few simple words I describe it as challenging, fascinating, inspiring, interesting, with a great deal of personal growth resulting in a stronger person than who I was before.  I made some wonderful relationships, and beautiful memories.

A few facts about the city.  Changsha is the capitol of Hunan province, a very historical and cultural city.  Located in south central China, population is more than 6.5 million. Changsha consists of 5 districts and 3 counties and 1 county-level city with 83 towns and 31 villages and 53 streets.  A few words I learned along the way: nǐ hǎo = hello; xiè xie = thank you; dǎ bāo = “doggie bag” at a restaurant; bù kè qi = you’re welcome.

Saying Goodbye

June 29, 2013

 

I had a great last day of teaching, with many of the students telling me they will miss me, and that they hope to see me in the U.S. when they come to school.  Though I was only with them for two weeks, I will miss these kids.

 

Chatting with the students on my last day of class

Every place I visit and stay for a while finds a space in my heart, including China – Changsha and all its beauty.  I know I will miss this place and all of the fascinating experiences it has offered.  Despite the stress and culture shock, I have learned a great deal and met some really wonderful people with whom I hope to stay in touch.  The food is delicious, the countryside beautiful, massages fantastic, tea wonderful, and there are some really great people.

Chrysanthemum tea & melon at the spa

Friday evening Tina, Willy, and I went to a foot massage, compliments of the school.  Jacqueline (one of the TAs) and Duo took us to a place near the school.  A very relaxing evening, with the massage and dinner to follow.  I do enjoy the foot massage especially because it is a fun experience for the whole group to experience together.  We all sit in the same room, with a TV (which I am not a fan of – I prefer the relaxing music) and have the same massage done at the same time.  They bring us bottomless tea (my favorite is the chrysanthemum tea) and watermelon to enjoy during our massage.  A foot massage is not only for your feet, but also the entire body.  They start on your face and head with pressure points, then move to your arms, legs, then feet.  They end up with your back.  At certain points during the massage they sort of slap the part of your body they are massaging (I think to relax it and get the blood flowing there), at one point the ladies that were massaging Jacqueline and I were doing this rhythmic pattern in unison on our legs.  It was kind of funny and I couldn’t help but laugh a little. 

Deciding what to order

The dinner that followed was exciting for me, as we went to a Chinese/Middle-Eastern restaurant – bringing me back to my wonderful memories of Israel.  The food was fantastic.  We had lamb kabobs, lotus root with chestnuts, a chicken & noodle dish, a vegetable dish, green tea, yogurt with white raisins, and some fried potatoes with spices.  I was going to order some fermented horse milk to drink, but all they had was the big bottle – I was not ready for that commitment!

Lamb kabobs!

Tea & yogurt with white raisins

This morning I packed up my bags and moved to Duo and Leigh’s apartment (located about 10 minutes from the school by the hospital) to stay until I leave on Monday morning.  Laurel is flying in tonight, so she will be staying in the room that I had.  I enjoyed staying at their place.  It was much more peaceful, light, open, calm, and removed from the stress of the school.  I didn’t have to hear the class “music” all day.  I don’t remember if I mentioned that earlier, but in Chinese schools instead of bells they play music (ours was piano music) over the loudspeakers that you can hear all the way on the other end of campus.  It was cool at first – for the first day, then it got old quickly.  That said, it was nice to get away from that for a while.




Students who took us to lunch

A few of the students had asked me on Friday if they could take Tina and myself out to lunch on Saturday, they wanted to take us to one of their favorite places which is near the school.  I agreed to it and we met up with them at noon during their mid-day break.  There were 7 girls who escorted us (Willy came also) to a restaurant called “Fire Palace.”  This was an interesting restaurant, in which the servers pushed around carts of food, and the customers point to the dishes they would like to order.  It was entertaining to see them go to town asking for items from the carts that the servers pushed around. 

Lunch with the students

Century egg

The food they ordered was interesting.  A lot of sweet items, a bunch of sweetened rice, a green starchy blob which must have been mochi (a Japanese rice cake), fresh watermelon juice, and a few other unique dishes.  We had “century eggs” also known as a pidan, also known as a preserved egg.  These are common in China. I had tried this once before, it is made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months.  Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green/grey, with a creamy consistency and an odor of sulfur and ammonia, while the white becomes dark brown, translucent jelly with hardly any flavor. The worst food I had was the pig feet!  It was all bone, fat and some slimy skin.  I asked the girls what I was supposed to eat from it –they told me to eat the skin!  The tiny bite I had was not pleasant – worth the experience though.  That was my first meal since arriving in China in which I didn’t particularly like the food we ate, but it was a fun experience. 

frog, open heart vegetable, taro, broad beans

I had one last dinner with Duo and Leigh at their favorite local restaurant close to their place.  Once again, delicious food at a very low price.  River eel, baby river shrimp, cucumbers with purple cilantro, and the empty-hearted green vegetable.  We went for a stroll to let our food settle.  We walked by a nice, quaint place in the middle of the city where there is grass and some small trees with flowers, and many Adirondack – type chairs spread about.  There is a stand where they sell tea to people and they can sit, relax, and enjoy the outdoors.  There is also a stone trail weaving through the trees, in which some people walk barefoot because the stones are good for the acupressure points in their feet.

Outdoor Tea Time

After waiving down another taxi, Leigh and I were on our way to the tea house, Duo went to the airport for his flight to Shanghai.  It was another relaxing evening at the tea house with Leigh and myself intermixed with the regulars floating in and out of the main table downstairs.  I thoroughly enjoyed every sip of tea, and realized that I really will miss this place – the more time I spend here.  After about an hour and a half we caught a taxi back to Leigh’s place so that I could meet Apple, one of our coordinators, to pick up Laurel from the airport.  Leaving the tea house was a bit tricky – we had to time it just right, otherwise they would keep refilling our teacups, and neither of us wanted to waste that precious, delicious tea.  Eventually we both downed our tiny little cups at the same time, stood up, and said goodbye.

Hawa, Umbrellas, and Chinese Caligraphy

Yes, I have returned to the quit and calmness of Minnesota.   As I finish putting together these posts from my journal notes, I am currently sitting on the porch enjoying the peace and sound of the crickets in the woods.  The extreme difference from where I was 2 weeks ago is incredible.  Our world is so big yet so small.  I will pick up where I left off in my adventures in China.

June 26, 2013

We took the bus with Duo and Leigh to a place close to the island called Hawa Café.  It was a unique place, with more of an international feel.  Little flags were hanging on the ceiling and writing was all over the walls.  I ordered pumpkin soup and a watermelon yogurt shake.  We had originally planned to walk through the park on the island after dinner, however, it was raining and wouldn’t stop so we decided to get some hookah - peach flavored, and spent about 3 hours in the café, simply chatting and enjoying ourselves.  That was nice and relaxing – though come about 7:30 the place picked up and became very loud.

We then bought some umbrellas and took a taxi to the tea house for another round of tea.  We drank tea to our hearts desire – until I felt so full of tea and a little woozy from the fermented tea, that I thought I would fall over.  Who needs to drink alcohol when there is hookah and fermented tea?  Not me!  This was very relaxing and we had a great time with the shop owner and her husband.

 

It is interesting to find so many fermented food and drink items here.  There are many health benefits, and it is a good way to preserve food items for a longer period of time.  I have been learning different aspects of Chinese medicine while here, and it fascinates me.  I would love to study and learn more - to bring a broader understanding back to the states.  So many of the beliefs, ideas, and concepts make so much sense - it is sad that our American industry is so heavily dependent on pharmaceuticals and ignore what is really good for us - natural remedies and holistic care. 

Thursday we had classes in the afternoon, which I found I did not like as much.  Firstly, I felt out of it and really tired by the time the afternoon came.  It took a while for the kids and myself to get into the swing of things, whereas in the morning I feel I can jump right in.  We made it through just fine, then as soon as I was done I went with Duo on yet another adventure.  We stopped at the stationary store to buy some paper, had it wrapped up as is was still raining.  Then we took the bus back to his neighborhood to meet Leigh for dinner.  We went to a restaurant in the “ghetto” area as Duo called it.  The food was once again delicious.  Duo went to town on the menu, as he usually does, ordering way too much food.  We had taro (a purple, starchy root vegetable), frog, kong shin tsai “open-heart” green hollow vegetable, peanuts, and broad bean noodle pasta.  It is really crazy how much fabulous food you can order here and it ends up being so inexpensive!  Nowhere in the U.S. can you find some of the vegetables and fruits they serve here.  Again, American food will never be the same. 

After filling up with food, we hopped in a taxi to his uncle (he is a friend, though they call close friends here as aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, or cousins) house, who is a very talented calligrapher and had agreed to write a verse – 1 Corinthians for me in ancient Chinese calligraphy to take home as a gift.  He does beautiful work, and is quick at it also!  We watched him work, and relaxed in the living room talking to his daughter and wife.  His wife then of course served us some of the watermelon that we had brought as a gift off the street, and poured us some smoked green tea.  After the calligraphy was done we all sat and talked for a while.  I then made it back around 10:20 p.m. to my ritual of a night-time shower and then to bed – which always leads me right to sleep, as China is a fascinating but exhausting city!

Out of this 'World'

I was unable to access my blog while in China, so I am now filling you in on my China adventures.  Below is blog #1, which I created one week into my time in China.  I left it unedited so that it is real and organic from mid-way through the experience. 

 

Getting around on the internet in China is a rather difficult task.  Many sites are blocked due to their government restrictions.  They don’t have access to facebook.  They have their own version of facebook that exists in China.  I am unable to access my blog, and at times accessing my email is not dependable. 

I have also discovered that if you are not careful, you may get overworked.  Tina, my co-teacher and I started our teaching days with 7 class periods a day, with a 2 hour lunch period.  That left us with very little time to prepare for class the coming day and to review and correct students’ work.  Needless to say, after the first day we were exhausted.  Jetlag aside, after the first week neither one of us had actually had time to process our experiences since we had hit the ground running upon arrival.  After some adjustments to our schedule, we now teach 4 class periods a day and have an office hour in which we meet with students individually.  Finally then was I able to breathe and reflect a bit on what had been happening, both at the school and all around me.

I am co-teaching an ACT Prep course for Chinese students at Yali High School in Changsha, China.  I am focusing on the writing section of the ACT, so I get to teach what I love – to write.  Everything has been so brand new to me, and I have amazed myself at how adaptable I can be in uncomfortable and unfamiliar situations. 

It has been a matter of taking a project with unclear communication and expectations, and turning it into something that functions and moves forward.  I have learned to take ownership of what I am able, and improve the process so that things can run smoothly.  I can honestly say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into when signing up for this project.  In hindsight, I am sure I will be able to say that it was a challenging, but good experience.  Currently, I am still in the midst of it (though very close to the end!) that I am not quite enough removed to have that relief.

The human mind and body is an amazing thing – able to handle more than we give credit.  I have stretched myself and my ability to handle all of the stress and pressure that I have felt during this first week teaching in China.  Yes I have felt run-down, drawn out to my last string, and pushed to the edge of my limit – though somehow I have pulled through.  Reflecting back I realize that through the crazy confusion and all of the doubt and disappointment, I seemed to be having an out of body experience.  I will never know how far I can go unless I get myself there.

Meanwhile, the many adventures of my time here will not go untold.  Everything from the way they budge in line, to the noisiness of meals, to the fact that I understand only 3 words in Chinese – it all adds up to some great escapades.

Going out to eat by ourselves is a manner of pointing at pictures and using our miming skills the best we can.  We always end up successfully ordering food that is delicious – maybe not quite what we expect, but it’s all in the fun of trying new things.  The food is fantastic – so many fresh vegetables and intense flavors.  Though much of the dishes do seem to have a lot of oil (people use tea oil in their home cooking which is the best kind), and some I avoid due to the skeptical pieces of fatty-meat substance that they contain.  Overall though, it is healthy and delicious.  The best meal I had was in a home in the city of Jingang, in which everything in each of the 8 or 9 dishes spread on the table except for the smoked pork was from the man’s garden/yard or pond (including fish and duck eggs).

While we feel a bit helpless due to the communication barrier, it provides me with a new perspective on the importance of communication.  This entire project has definitely honed my communication skills due to the lack thereof, prior to my arrival.

To help offset the stress of work, I have indulged in some good Chinese medicine – massage.  I have had a foot acupressure massage, as well as a full-body spa massage.  Both were absolutely wonderful and well-deserved.  We also visited a tea house with a friend here who works at the school.  That was also a very pleasant and peaceful experience.  I fully appreciate their love for tea here in China.  Having it at every meal, and in-between is something that I won’t have a hard time continuing back home (I am close to that already).

On Saturday I went with our friend Duo (he is basically our main correspondence with the school) and his wife to visit his father’s gravesite.  We painted the characters on his grave, as they were faded due to time and the elements.  Their gravesites are beautiful!  Tucked in the hills/mountains out in the countryside, gravesites are lined in a structured pattern.  For the sake of space, and the due to the large population of China, it is custom to cremate the body and bury it in the hills so as to save sacred land space that would otherwise be for farming, housing, or forest.  Each gravestone has a character on it to symbolize an important meaning (happiness, fortune, love, etc.) that is chosen by the family.

Our next stop that day was a house in Jingang – a historic little town that is about an hour outside of Changsha.  Duo’s mother’s friend invited us for lunch.  We had a relaxing time with them and I really enjoyed their little tiny dog.  Many of the dogs here are small – this one was only 1 month and was the size of a kitty!  As a snack, we were served melon and tea with sesame seeds, salt, ginger, and some sort of herb – delicious! 

This is where we had the meal I refer to above, with the fresh produce right from their yard (which is all garden) and the fish and duck eggs that they raise.  I also tried my first Chinese beer, with which we had many a toast throughout the meal.  The experience was so pleasant, and I had to remind myself that this was actually happening.  I feel as though the American meal experience will never be the same after this – not to mention the food will be very boring to follow all of the unique, flavorful dishes served here.

After lunch we explored the city streets, which reminded me a bit of Italy – stone roads and narrow passages between buildings.  We went to Duo’s house where he grew up, which is now a bar.  It started to rain on our walk so we spent some time in a little restaurant drinking hot water.  Many restaurants will serve water hot.  I believe it is to kill the bacteria, so that they don’t have to buy water, they simply boil and serve – also in Chinese medicine they believe that drinking hot water is better for the body than cold.  We then continued our walk trying food along the way.  I tried the dried minnows, some homemade candy from possibly peanuts, some cookies, some sweet potato chips, prune juice, and fermented rice.  We walked along the river and saw a dragon boat ceremony.  It was the end of the dragon boat festival, so there were men in this long dragon boat with one at the head beating a drum. Then fireworks were going off all around us for the rest of the afternoon.  It was neat to see, though a little disappointed because we were not able to take a boat down the river due to the celebration.  Later on our walk we saw some displayed stones with calligraphy – both modern and ancient.  It amazes me how people can read such script – it is truly an art.

 

An Enchanted Life

Preparing myself to embark on another adventure in this dance of life.  After landing a professional post-undergraduate job working in administration at an international school and living back in Minnesota again for one year – it’s about time I hop back onto a plain for another blog-worthy experience.  Fully equipped with my new camera, some ACT Prep resources, and my journal – I hope to make the most of this wild journey to Changsha, China 

A few weeks back I was chatting with a co-worker who was telling me about her exciting summer plans of teaching an ACT Prep course in China for the summer.  I responded with “Wow that is so great!  I’d love to go to China someday.”  Her response was “Well you should come with me!  I am looking for another teacher to come to help teach the class.”  My mind suddenly switched gears and I immediately say “Yeah, I should.  Why not?!” 

I had plenty of doubts about my ability to swing it, because it meant getting 2 ½ weeks off of work.  I am the coordinator of a Short-Term Turkey Program that we are launching this summer; which begins as soon as I return.  Thankfully my boss is all about the professional development and lifetime experiences and graciously allowed me to take the opportunity to go. 

That sets up the story of why I am 3 weeks later rushing around to get my visa, plan a syllabus and some lessons, pack my bags, and anxiously awaiting the day of takeoff.  I refrained from convincing myself that this would all actually happen until my visa went through and my flight was confirmed.  Both of those steps have now been completed, so that settled it - I am going to China! 

When telling one of my friends my latest travel plans, her response was “you lead an enchanted life.”  My hope is to inspire some charm in yours as well and I hope you enjoy following me on my journey to the East through my thoughts, words, and photos.  It is my pleasure to take you along for this enchanting ride J

Thoughts Along the Journey

Excerpt from an earlier journal entry:

Oh the life of a small town girl. So scared to go out on her own and find her way in a big city. Yes, I have the nerve, but I don’t like the feeling I get when I am stared at as I walk down the sidewalk, the only white person within 5 miles, then to be asked questions and talked to by people I would rather avoid. Yes, South Central Los Angeles. Hello.

My endeavor in the Notre Dame Volunteer AmeriCorps in Los Angeles is one that is definitely out of my comfort zone, and as a Midwestern small town girl, very far away from anything I have ever known. As I have been here for just over two months (now seven), I have learned a great deal about working with youth and teaching, as well as my own capabilities and passions. My experience thus far as a Teacher’s Aid/Academic Assistance Supervisor/Substitute Music Teacher at Saint Columbkille can be summed up as a road of self discovery through service with many challenges and rewards. A giving of myself as I have never given before – only to gain so much in return.

ThAnK yOu

Life finds me once again embracing this always changing, unpredictable phase of life. I have to be honest, it has not been a breeze. As a small town girl, making my way in the giant city of Los Angeles – living in a ghetto might I add, there are times when I ask myself “What the heck was I thinking coming here?” I do know that I was put here for a purpose – and that is becoming clearer as time goes on. As any other new phase, there are ups and there are downs. A huge thank you to all those who love me. I cannot thank my family and friends enough for being there through all of those times with me – and hanging in there while I make it through this. I would be nowhere close to where I am right now in my life if not for you. God has blessed and equipped me to handle each situation presented, with faith and support.