I'm Striking Out in Chinese

I have been trying very hard to learn Chinese. I have made flash-cards (like in the third grade) and I know over 100 vocabulary words. But, I have a ways to go on pronunciation! Here are quick vignettes from just the last three days -

Day 1 - I order fish in a restaurant. I am proud that I know the word for fish. It's "yu",and is pronounced (u-ee). The waitress smiles, writes it down, and goes away. We are served pork ribs. (The Chinese word for pork is "zhu".) I must not have been close. Strike 1.

Day 2 - I decide to stay away from fish and pork because they apparently sound too similar. I order chicken. In Chinese, chicken is "ji rou". Here ji is pronounced "gee." It should be quite clear. This time we are served beef roll-ups, with cilantro in the middle! They were good, but it was Strike 2 for me.

Day 3 - Yesterday Jim needed to write up a proposal for school, so I went wandering the streets myself. I had a lead on the location of a good massage parlor. That sounded great. I know I got to the right general vicinity, but I couldn't see anything that looked like a massage parlor. I tried two places, but they just shook their heads and didn't know what I was trying to say.

Then, a kind person on the street tried to help. I said, "Nar shi massage." (nar shi means 'where is') And, I added my fool-proof method - charades! I pretended I was giving a shoulder massage. I pretended I was rubbing in a circular motion.

Her face lit up. She gestured for me to follow here. Confidently, we set out. She took me to a mahjohng parlor!

I watched for awhile (wicked game!), and then just went home! Strike three! (Connie)

Mei You Cafe

I smile at my own misunderstandings that have arisen during this trip due to translations between English and Chinese. As one example, there is a place in Yuangshou called the Mei You Cafe. "How nice!" I thought. "They're trying to say this is a cafe for "me and you." But then, I saw the signs hanging out front-
Warm Beer! Lousy Food! Rip-Offs! Bad Service!
My image of the place changed immediately. Who would want to go there?

It was only after I started my Chinese class that I learned that "mei you" in Chinese means "to not have." So this restaurant was using an intentional play on words - saying that they did NOT have warm beer, lousy food, rip-offs, nor bad service. (Only I didn't get it.)

Now I wonder what was really meant by this sign that I saw outside a hotel. What am I misunderstanding re: "chance amorous?" (Connie)

Silk

Tonight's headlines contained news that the recent earthquakes in China has quite adversely affected the silk industry, here and throughout Southeast Asia. Much of the silk-producing worms and habitat has been destroyed, and it will take years to recover.

This news comes on the heels of my learning more about silk worms. Recently, a local proprietress of a shop showed me the steps of making silk. According to her, single worm cocoons are used to produce single strands of silk thread. But there are also double cocoons (with 2 worms each) that are used to make silk batting for comforters. Seven thousand double cocoons are needed for each comforter. She showed me the steps of removing the silk from these double cocoons. (Connie)

Impressive Photos - Yuangshou

Today I've added new pictures from the Yuangshou performance at this blog entry: Yuangshou - A Must See Performance. PLEASE check them out! They were taken by Josipa Fofic.

Sunday Basketball

On September 21, there was a international basketball game held at 4:00. The St. John's/ St. Ben's team played the Chinese psychology department team. Unfortunately, the Chinese team "psyched" us out and won the game. But, fun was had by all.

Spitting

Until now, all of my posts have been about what have I enjoyed or found interesting. To add a little balance, I should mention my biggest pet peeve. Before I came I had heard that Chinese people spit a lot. While it doesn’t happen as often as I had imagined it might, it still happens several times a day.

I just enjoyed reading a book entitled, In China with Harpo and Karl, by Sibyl Jones. She lived in China for a year teaching English, and published this book of daily life. She devoted an entire (short) chapter to spitting. Since her description is just too perfect, I quote: “Outside every Chinese window lives a spitter. At six, he hawks the sun up, plants it for me in the street. You can hear him priming like an old pump in the chest or a motor revving till the rust turns juicy, bubbles up and out.”

And, walking down the street, I do hear that “revving” sound often. I glance nervously around, trying to figure out who has the spit wad in his/her mouth and which direction it is about to sail. I haven’t been hit yet, but have had several close calls. Yuk! (Connie)

Grocery Shopping

One of my “goals” for this trip was to experience another culture not simply as a tourist, but as a “resident”. I considered needing to buy groceries as one example of what would be different about this experience.

And, I’ve loved grocery shopping, even though it is a much bigger – or, more frequent – ordeal than at home. Why? For one thing, our refrigerator is tiny, so it can keep only a few items cold. For another, I walk to the grocery store so I am limited to what I can comfortably carry back on a fairly long trek. (I did break down once and take a taxi home which cost a little less than a dollar. I may have to do that again.)

The packaging is all in Chinese so I spend a lot of time just wondering what’s inside. Often when English is added, it makes me smile. The English words always seem to include an over-the-top adjective. So, it’s “delightful bacon” you can buy. Or, “magnificent peanuts.” Sometimes the adjective they use is inadvertently gives the wrong impression. One product calls itself “grotesque”, when I think they meant something like “grand.”

People are always willing to help me, but they usually do so by saying a stream of Chinese over and over, as if I MUST understand it if they repeat it often enough.

I buy familiar foods way too much. I stick with carrots, potatoes, fruits, nuts, breads, rice, and yogurt. I should try what appear to be pickled vegetables, cooked ducks, and over twenty different types of mushrooms. Most items are less expensive than in the States. However, one type of mushroom was priced at 800 yuan, or over $100. I have no idea what it is or used for, but I won’t be buying any soon. (Connie)

Infrastructure Investment

This is a much different China than what Jim and I saw in 1985. Most bicycles are gone; cars are everywhere. Pot-holed dirt roads have been replaced with superhighways that crisscross the country. On our recent trip to Chongqing, we saw construction cranes in every direction we turned. They are building skyscrapers of New York City proportion.

Bridges, schools, water supplies, and electricity generation systems are being constructed. Every airport we've been at (Guangzhou, Xian, Guilin, Chongqing) has been modern and recently renovated. Around the country, there are currently ninety-seven new airports under construction! They are investing $20 billion into their rail system. They can definitely move goods and people well.

I am happy for China, but it saddens me to realize how under-invested the US has been during that same twenty year time period. While they’ve been investing in infrastructure, we’ve been investing in “homeland security” (if you can call it that), which will NOT pay the dividends that China’s investments will. (Connie)

Chongqing Hot Pot

This area is known for its food. In particular, Chongqing is known for its hot pot. A common large kettle of boiling oil is in the center of each table. Pieces of meat and vegetables are brought to the table and thrown in the pot. Some need to cook a long time, others just a little. Sometimes, there are two concentric pots - the one in the middle is principally oil and mushrooms. The one on the outside is the one I go for. It is full of peppery spices!

On our recent trip to Chongqing, we were treated to hot pot at the end of our long, wonderful day. I didn't eat the eel that went in the pot, but I did try the cow stomach. Lotus root was very good, and the lamb meatballs were the best of all.

We were eating with some fellow Americans and our Chinese host. Our friend Julie said that there were three things she wasn't going to eat in China, and she had already eaten all three - cow stomach, brains, and penis. "Penis," our Chinese host brightened up. "Would you like to try penis?" We politely declined. (Connie)

Farmers' Market in Beibei

A large farmer's market occurs in Beibei on Saturdays.

The food! Ripe green tangerines, Asian pears, onions, mushrooms, cabbage, meat. Cooked ducks hang with their necks twisted back, basted to a brown lacquer. Turtles and pigeons for sale. It is a magic moment, just walking through and watching the faces of the sellers and buyers. (Connie)

Chongqing - Three Gorges Museum

On this, our second weekend in China, we were treated to two trips to Chongqing, the nearest large city (8 million people). On Saturday (9/12), we were driven to a large store called Metro, which is similar to a Sam's Club. All who went were "foreign experts," or English language teachers from other countries. It was fun to see what excited people. "Yea - corn flakes!" "Cheese, real cheese!" What drew me was granola, candles , coffee, and a Chinese version of Spray-n-Wash (I hope). I really searched for diet pop, but couldn't find any.

On Sunday (9/13), we took a sightseeing trip into Chongqing. My favorite stop was the Chongqing Three Gorges Museum. Since China has built a huge dam for electricity, the three gorges have principally been filled up as a reservoir behind the dam. This museum rescued some of the hillsides and stone carvings that would have been underwater. (Other areas, including whole towns, were flooded). Over 3 million people were relocated as a result of the dam.

I'm glad that they preserved what they did - and they are displayed well. Some are displayed under glass floors that you walk on, so they appear as if they are underwater.

Other areas of the museum concerned the history of the Chongqing area. I particularly loved carvings from the Han dynasty period of time - and the 'rubbings' that people have done of the carvings. Both are works of art. (Connie)

Children - One Child Policy

Maybe because I'm missing our grandchildren, but I notice the children.

For one thing, our bathroom window faces the grounds of the kindergarten on campus. First thing every morning, we enjoy watching their exercises at 8:30 a.m. (when we're not in class ourselves).

For another, every child seems to be dressed beautifully. Even when the parents are obviously poor, their little girl is often in a party dress; their little boy in matching outfit and hat.

Some parents, upon seeing Jim or me, will 'push' their child to speak to us in English. Some do; most are too shy. Several times very small children have burst into tears, frightened by our foreign faces.

China does retain its one child policy. I have been told that because of concerns about aborting a child of a non-preferred sex, all doctors in China are prohibited by the government from disclosing the sex of a baby prior to birth. And, the vast majority of parents we see have only one child. They walk hand in hand with their children - including children in their teenage years and beyond. (Connie)

Poverty Reduction

I read today that the World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion people – a quarter of the ‘developing’ world – live in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.25/day. Yet, according to World Bank data, the number of people in poverty in China fell from 835 million in 1981 to 207 million in 2008. China has experienced the largest and fastest poverty reduction in the history of the measurement used. Way to go, China! (Connie)

Everyone's Asking about Food

I've received several questions about food. Food is plentiful, spicy, and good! We have been served chicken feet, but it is much more common to eat small pieces of meat chopped up with vegetables in stir-fried dishes.

Wheat and corn are more plentiful in the northern part of China - so noodles and dumplings are prevalent there. We were taken to a banquet in Xian where the meal consisted of 18 different courses of dumplings! Several dumpling courses were shaped consistent with their filling (e.g. shaped like a duck, shaped like a walnut).

In southern China where we are, rice is more plentiful. With the current world rice shortage, farmers are being encouraged by the government to grow two seasons of rice. (Historically, they've only grown one.) The rice fields are very small plots of land, carved out in whatever space they can find among rivers, roads, and hills. Rice is planted and harvested by hand. It would be very hard to mechanize. I have been told that rice straw can be fed to livestock (which is different than the straw I am familiar with from wheat, rye, flax, or oats).

In our town (Beibei), it is hard to find dairy products. Cheese is unheard of. Milk comes primarily in powdered form with sugar already added. We can get wonderful yogurt, however, and use that for our dairy fix.

There are few "ethnic" restaurants in Beibei. In other words, you can eat wonderful, inexpensive Chinese ($2-3) everywhere, but not Mexican, Indian, Thai or Japanese. We have heard there is one Korean restaurant in town, so Jim and I are going to seek that out. Kentucky Fried Chicken is here, but that's it for American food.

There are several Muslim cafes. The one we've eaten at is owned by a family of an ethnic minority of China called Uighur. The food is stir-fried, very spicy (which I love), but the spice does not taste like the red pepper taste of Sichuan nor the cumin taste of curry. Maybe when my Chinese gets better I can ask them what it is.

Fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Small shops exist in every other doorway. Rural people truck or bike to town with their produce. Some walk, with the produce hanging from a pole stretched across their shoulders. They then sell their produce along any city street, sidewalk, or on bridges.

Grocery stores are fascinating! I can spend hours in them, just looking at the packaging and trying to figure out what's inside. The main grocery store I go to has live fish and frogs in tanks. Haven't bought either yet.

There are several good bakeries. Jim and I buy croissants to eat with our coffee in the morning. Other than a few times, we haven't gotten into the local custom of eating noodle soup for breakfast. (Connie)

Yangshou, China - A Must-See Performance

Our River Li journey ended in Yangshou, China. Yangshou is a much smaller town than Guilin, but quite used to English-speaking travelers.

Yangshou has a full bazaar where I enjoyed honing my bargaining skills. I only made two purchases, but in both cases, purchased the items for about a third of the original quoted price. Bargaining is "foreign" to most of the CSB/SJU students who feel bad doing it, even though everyone assures them that it is expected in China.

We also attended a performance of "Impression Liu Sanjie" in Yangshou that is not to be missed. It is one of only three performances around the world that uses a natural stage. The "stage" in this case is a part of the beautiful Li river. In one scene, there will be hundreds of poled fishing sculls moving in sync. The next has children singing on a floating stage where only moments before the sculls had been. For certain scenes, floodlights light up the background mountains. Words fail to describe what its like to sit outside after dark on a cool evening and see/hear the beauty of this performance.

It is directed by Zhang Yimong who choreographed the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. And what an impressive production it is. There are over 600 performers in the show, including local farmers who walk through the nearby hills on cue with their water buffalo. We were told that the cast practiced for five years before putting on their first performance. (Quite unlike the States!)

The pictures I have posted from the performance were taken by one of the students, Josipa Fofic. Remember her name; she'll be a world-renown photographer one day. (Connie)

Mid-Autumn Festival/ Moon Cakes

Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It coincides with the full moon at the end of the harvest season. This year's Mid-Autumn Festival is September 13.

It is primarily a time for families to get together. A special cake is made and exchanged with family and friends, called the moon cake. It is round, about 3 inches in diameter, has a design stamped on top, and is wrapped in a pretty package, usually red.

There are many kinds of moon cake. Some have a firm jelly inside. Some resemble Western fruitcake in taste and consistency. And, some have a whole yolk baked into the center of the cake. When I saw this latter kind, I couldn't believe the yolk had stayed whole. It took me until the middle of the night to realize that that whole baked yolk represents the MOON! (duh) - Connie

Teachers' Day in China - Sept 10

Yesterday (September 10th) was National Teachers' Day in China. Teachers' Day started originally to honor Confucius, as he was a great teacher and he vigorously supported the education of every person from every level of society. It has evolved into a day to honor all teachers. Many Chinese students presented their teachers with flowers and small gifts. Teachers (or Lao shi, in Chinese) hold high social status in China.

Jim and I were honored twice. First, SWU held a dinner to honor all teachers from other countries who are teaching at their university. We met two Peace Corps teachers (Kristen and Phil), two former SJU students (Keegan and Andrew) and two former Seattle students (Julie and Rob) who are teaching English, as well as teachers from Thailand and Korea. Many rounds of beer were used to cheer on the new school year - ganbai ("bottoms up"). I was glad I was only drinking tea!

Then, at about ten o'clock last night, Jim and I had a knock on our door. There were our CSB/SJU students, who presented Jim with a small cake and an apple! We were very pleased. A few stayed after, and we discussed the political structure of China. I love how passionate, well-reasoned and well-read they are. What bliss! (Connie)

Guilin

We spent two days in Guilin prior to our trip on the river Li. Jim and I had been to Guilin once before in 1985, and we didn't recognize the place. As Jim wrote to family: "In 85 Guilin was a beautiful and quiet town on a pretty river with scenic low mountains all around. There were few hotels because foreigners were still rare and the Chinese couldn't afford to travel. Now it is a cross of San Antonio meets Las Vegas! They have a beautiful river walk, parks, hundreds of small chic shops and hotels upon hotels. Last night it seemed there were neon lights everywhere".

Jim and I think Guilin will become a 'destination city' if it already hasn't. But, in many respects, I preferred the old Guilin. I must really be an old curmudgeon.
(Connie)

SWU Campus in Beibei - "Lofty Ideals"

The campus is large and beautiful – with “one thousand” trees. (In Chinese literature, the term one thousand is often used and means a large number/many thousands.) I have heard that 50,000 students attend. The classrooms are very modern, with technology in every room. On the down side, the acoustics are poor which makes listening to heavily accented English more difficult. The instructors are eager to help us learn, and the combination of classes reinforce learning of Chinese. (For example, in calligraphy you learn the meaning of characters while learning to create them artistically).

Many signs around campus contain the Chinese characters for this phrase: “Possess Lofty Ideals, Noble Character, Glorious Feats, and Immortal Works.” Imagine seeing that every day of your campus life! It's bound to sink in. (Connie)

Our Apartment in Beibei

We are living in international housing provided for teachers on the campus of Southwest University. I think of our apartment life as camping meets "playing house." I boil water OFTEN so that we have enough on hand to drink and use for brushing our teeth. Everything in the kitchen is in miniature. I bend almost in half to place anything into the refrigerator. However, there is everything you need -- a two burner stove (no oven), a small frig, and cold running water. (There is a hot water heater in the bathroom). We have only 3 bowls, but I plan to invest heavily soon and buy a few plates. We wash our clothes and hang them outside on our patio to dry overnight.

The living room is great - with a sofa, two chairs, a large TV, a small dinette set, and a computer desk. Our bedroom is air conditioned. All in all, life is good. (Connie)

Xian -- City Wall and Muslim Street

The old city of Xian is completely surrounded by a wall (and at one time, a moat). The interior of the wall dates back to an early dynasty, but its exterior received new brickface "only" 600 years ago. During our last morning in Xian, many students rented bicycles and traveled the top. The rest walked. I believe the wall is 8 miles in circumference. Marty, Hallie, Nakita, Dylan, and Valentin made it around during our 45 minute stop.

My favorite street in old town Xian was Muslim street. We didn't take many pictures (as we were advised not to), but there were vendors selling crickets in cages, LONG strings of kites for sale, and many new (to us) sights and smells. Our time there was way too limited. (Connie)

Terra Cotta Warriors - Xian

Xian, China is full of history. It is most known as the home of the terra cotta warriors. There are 8000 life-size warriors in all, dating to the Qin dynasty (221 B.C.) The soldiers guard the burial site of the emperor. (See Jim with a legion of terra cotta warriors behind him.)

The warriors were re-discovered in 1974 by a farmer digging a well. He received 30 yuan for this property (about $5.00).

It was pouring rain the day we visited, but all the warriors are under cover, so no worries.

Each one is unique; each has a different face. (Connie)