My China Musings

This blog is my thoughts on many things and about my adventures of living and traveling in China.

March 30, 2008

I went to the Walmart store in Wuchang to get a carrier thing to put heavy boxes on. Afterwards, I decided to stop at the McDonalds and have a drink and an rest before tackling the buses to get back to the school. It isnt just simply climb on a bus in Wuchang..and a little while later you arrive where you want to be. It is take this bus to here, then get on another bus to there, then walk almost a mile to get on another bus and finally, you are at your destination. Xiangfan, I could get on one bus and be to where I was going in a few minutes...rarely had to change buses. Here it is a minimum 20 yuan ride to anywhere, just about. In Xiangfan, 20 yuan took me clear across town.... In Guangzhou, I think the system is much better than Wuhan. One can get around the city pretty easily with the metro underground.  But I digress... I was going to talk about a couple of foreigners that I encountered while having my rest. There had been a Brit or Aussie sitting there when I first went in, but he and his companion did not return my hello. Which isnt unusual. A couple of young guys came to sit at a table next to mine....they turned out to be quite funny.... One was from Saudi and the other from Yemen. We talked about living in China, and whether or not I thought studying Chinese was a good thing. The Yemeni guy got very pensive. He is definately missing home. He told about his friends in  Guangzhou and how they were always working. Noone had time to do anything but work. So he thought Wuhan was better. Except, there are not as many foreigners. I got to leave a couple times, but he asked me to sit back down and talk some more. He said finding a foreigner was like finding a member of the family and he wanted to talk. I dont know that it is the same as family, but  it is good to sit and talk in English without stopping to think about everything I say. So the afternoon, although cold and rainy, wasnt a total bust... I had a good visit and good laugh. May you have a good visit and laugh.  Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 23:39 | link | comments |
china, living in china

March 29, 2008

I am back in Wuhan. When the government offices of Hong Kong opened on Tuesday, I was in and out of the office and had my new visa within hours. Left the visa office, went down the street and got on the next bus back to mainland China. I spent the night with some friends in Guangzhou and climbed on a train the next day. My trip back was pretty uneventful. I got on the train at 9:30 p.m., climbed off the next morning at 10:15 a.m. I had a soft sleeper ticket (not exactly soft)…but only four people to the berth and a door that shuts. Being a foreigner in China, traveling on a train, I have been woken by people standing staring down at me when I traveled in what is called a hard sleeper…no doors and not private. Traveling at night doesn’t let you see the unfolding countryside out the window…you just go to sleep and wake up near your destination. Not a bad deal.

 

Too bad the weather in Guangzhou isn’t to my liking. The city has lots of amenities that I would enjoy. But I do not like tropical weather. Hot and humid, or maybe it should be humid and hot. Besides the really great foreign language bookstore, where one can find just about any new book as well as Time Magazine, National Geographic and others, Guangzhou has lots of stores where western sized clothing can be found. And of course, western foods. I noticed that the Time Magazine had on its newest issue cover, while I was in Hong Kong, a picture of the leader of the T*b*t*ans…(please understand, I am writing from a censored place… ) I found that interesting…it kept me from buying it because it is against the law to have a pic of that person in China. I thought about going to the bookstore just to see if the magazine was on sale in China…instead I opted to go to Guang Xiao Temple. I thought it was a family temple…there are lots of those around.  It turned out to be a Buddhist temple complex, right in the middle of the city. It had all the usual temple things, flowering trees, golden statues and beggars. Guan Yin, is an important figure in south of China, and her statue is also at this temple. She sits right next to the Buddha… complete with gold gilding… but the most beautiful statue of Guan Yin, here, is a reclining statue. It must be quite old, because it is encased in glass. I imagine that the whole complex is quite old. Imagine, if you will, older looking buildings with the wonderful upturned corners to keep the qi from falling…most of the eaves have guardian animals, such as dragons carved into them. Everywhere were people lighting incense, bowing to pray or placing fruit on alters as a offering to the deities. My friend lives in a part of Guangzhou that is a mix of old and new. Walking down the side streets, one comes across McDonalds sitting right among old village styled shops. Lots of big trees line the streets, making it a very pleasant walk from the underground subway to my friend’s apartment. Every morning you can find people selling everything from jade pennants to clothes to whatever… One street is a veggie market…where you can buy the freshest vegetables and fruits available. Since this is in the middle of the city of Guangzhou, I am not sure where the vegetables come from. Maybe, people doing the selling are farmers. There isn’t any room in that part of the city for a large garden, so I wondered where they get their goodies. At any rate, it is fun to hear the banter of people doing some serious haggling over the price of their next meal. If you walk along the main thoroughfare, you would never guess that this old part of the city exists. Lining the main street is the usual tall buildings with banks, department stores and office complexes. I, much prefer, the side streets….Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 23:29 | link | comments |
china, living in china, guangzhou

March 24, 2008

I am as I write this, sitting in a net bar in Hong Kong. I was so clever, I came early so I could get my visa first thing this morning and go back early....so I wouldnt lose so many days of teaching. Well, today is a holiday in Hong Kong...and the government offices are closed. So much for the best laid plans.

But it is a great time to be in Hong Kong. The weather is wonderful. Warm but not humid. Hong Kong is a great place. It has such a different feel than mainland China. If there is anything that I dont appreciate is all the hawkers from Pakistan,  India and such places trying to sell copies of everything.. Watches! Cameras!, and my favorite is "Bag Lady?".... I couldnt resist, I said;" now, why would I want a "bag lady?" Hong Kong is expensive compared to the mainland, though.  To stay at a decent hotel runs anywhere from 750 to 1000 Hong Kong Dollars...a night. On a teachers salary, that is a little much. So I opt for the hostels..... clean cheap but not much in amenities. Hong Kong, truly, is the Pearl of the Orient.  I have 3 minutes left on the net, so I will close... till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 12:35 | link | comments (1) |
china, living in china, hong kong

March 21, 2008

I have to make a visa run to Hong Kong. So I boarded a train for points south. Traveling by train in China isnt half bad. Trains pretty much run on schedule and the system is well developed. For the most part, I like traveling this way. If there is a downside, it is when one reaches the destination, you join in a multitude of other travelers that have just arrived, too.

This morning, my train from Wuhan arrived in Guangzhou...and I think maybe 3 other trains from other places, came in within a few minutes of each other. Now, is when one can really see the crowds of people and how they push. It is easy to see how that lady was killed in a crush last holiday season. Today I was walking along with the crowd...didnt seem to be very pushy. If there is one thing that China does, that I consider stupid, is they check the tickets at embarking. Your ticket is checked going into the station, when you board the train and again at leaving the station. They funnel, literally, tens of thousands of people down to 3 or 4 lines so that eveyone's ticket is checked again. This morning I was walking near a village grandpa and his four year old grandson. Everything was okay until we started to get near the exits. Then everyone wants to push so they can get out. Noone looks down, so noone sees the little one. Twice, a man tried to push his way over the suitcases that were being pulled to get in front of me, except the child was already there...I pushed the man back as hard as I could and yelled, XIAO HAR... chinese for child... He looked down then and backed off. All was okay until we got to the fencing that takes you through, to the guard and here come 3 or 4 villagers hell bent on getting into that lane. They nearly knocked me over and it made me furious... I put both my hands on one their chests and pushed as hard as I could against 3 men...who were pushing in unison and yelled, xiao har, again...the man started to cuss when the grandfather grabbed my hand...the man I was pushing was yelling something, but another man grabbed him from behind. I then stepped and blocked the fellow's way into the lane...grandpa and little one moved into the line and I followed. If the men had succeeded in pushing their way in, they would have crushed that little boy...he would have been flat on the floor....they had not even seen him. There was no place for the little boy  to go... When we cleared the guard...and were outside the terminal, the grandpa grabbed my hand and kept saying thank you with tears in his eyes. The poor old guy had a basket back pack loaded, this left arm carrying a package and the little one's hand in the right. I am sure he would have carried the little one if he could have. I told him mei guanxi..."doesnt matter" or "its nothing"..and then told him he was welcome and good bye. If the police had been there, I would have probably been the one arrested or whatever... but I wasnt going  to let that little boy get stomped on so that an impatient few could get out... The grandpa, however, made my day.  I hope your travels are filled with patient people...till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 01:14 | link | comments |
china, travel, living in china

March 18, 2008

Weather here has been cool and rainy. Skies are suppose to gray today. Kind of fits the mood... things have gotten a lot worse in the neighborhood so using the internet gets to be a real test of patience. Nothing is being said within the mainland. No pictures on the printed news...and I havent seen any characters for that part of the "town". Too bad uncle doesnt always tell the truth in such things. After all, harmony in the family is the most important.....Please, if you respond to anything I write, do not use proper names or places..... Or ask pointed questions. For obvious reasons, I cannot respond.

My students are a delight. I have one class that is absolutely a joy. They are forward thinkers and use their imaginations. Students like to use the phrase "it makes me feel comfortable" for a plethora of different things. I told them they had to tell me about their favorite places and they could not use, "it is beautiful", "it makes me feel comfortable" or "it is interesting."  They had to tell me why. When they had to dig deep and find other words...it was amazing. When they had to really think why their hometown was so good... I really think that some actually saw their favorite place in a whole new light. China's educational system is geared toward passing examinations. Since there are way more students than schools, competition is fierce. Teachers at the high school level can actually be criticized and lose their jobs if their students do not perform well on the famous "College Entrance Exams." Using the imagination is not encouraged. In fact, exactly the opposite..."you do as your told." One of the favorite things I like to do with a new class is to ask the students to draw and then talk about their favorite flowers. Some students will sit for 20 minutes, trying to think, what is their favorite flower. No one is telling them. And pictures!, some of my kids are artists extraordinaire!  Too bad, they aren't encouraged to follow their hearts. The world would see another side of China and the art world would be enriched.

till next time......

posted by: CarolenChina at 22:56 | link | comments (1) |
china, living in china

March 16, 2008

The things that are happening in this part of the world are not good. I cannot and will not comment on political things... I will say, that the Tibetan people, I met and knew in Qing Hai, are proud and peaceful people. I will also, say, a pictures of a certain man, are everywhere. I went to Lhasa in 2005. It makes me sad to see the wonderful places that I visited and saw, all burned. I hope this situation is resolved soon, peacefully and the ramifications not to severe.   And above all I wish the locals peace and the ability to live with freedom to be who they are.

For you that do not know, China monitors the internet and has 40,000 or more censors that monitor for certain words and content. Supposedly, they keep China's youth from being exposed to pornography...and help to keep the society harmonious...Well, many Chinese sites are filled with porno...and any student with any computer ability can find their way around the Great Firewall. As far as the harmony....well, no comment....

till next time....

posted by: CarolenChina at 21:28 | link | comments |
china, living in china

March 14, 2008

I am quite sure, you all have read what is going on, on this side of the Pacific. I am having to rely on my family to tell me what is going on. It takes forever, it seems, for any news website to load. I can imagine that the Great China Firewall is up and running full force today. And probably, every internet censor is on the job. Please, think good thoughts about what may happen there. I will not comment on this situation if and when I can access the news. I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to do so. Till next time…

posted by: CarolenChina at 05:09 | link | comments |
china, living in china

March 14, 2008

Spring is having its usual spurts of being and non being...Warm days and soft breezes that are followed by cold rainy ones. Good news is, we have shucked the 14 layers of clothes and lighter jackets are being worn. Makes things much better...

I was thinking about some of the people I have met along my China journey. Some just make me want to show them the way out. And some are heroes in their own quiet way. China has some very strict laws about churches sending in their missionaries. While I am not going to point my finger at any particular religion... I get just a little steamed at what some of these ne'er do wells take upon themselves to do. They do not make life easier for the rest of us. Out in the western part of China, in Qing Hai Province, missionaries are blatant. Many manage to even to get themselves deported.  Xining, the capital of Qing Hai, has a really good Italian restaurant. Rumor has it that the missionaries opened it because they come in on business visas and the restaurant is their stab at legitimacy. I have met some people who manage to spread their good without going against Chinese law.  These are the people who should make the headlines, not the zealots that do. I have not much respect for the spreaders of the good word that cause problems for the rest of us laoweis.

One such person is my friend Jerry. Jerry is a big man, literally. He is an ex-football player and he does tower above the Chinese people. I have laughed when watching some of the Chinese people reactions at seeing him. He scares the bejabbers out of them, 'til he opens his mouth and then people realize, he is a gentle man. Jerry is a  manager of joint-owned plant that builds engines for trucks... He keeps a schedule that would kill most of us. However, he finds time to attend a Christian church. He does speak and understand Chinese...so he is able to communicate with the members. While he and I do not see religion the same way, I admire what he does. He usually goes through the leaders of this church to find ways to help someone who needs it. Once the church leaders were trying to raise funds for a project. When Jerry found out about it, he went to the leaders to donate money, they told him they didn't need anymore, they had reached their goal. So he found another way, he looked for other ways to help, like, say a family that has member sick and needs assistance. He goes through the church leaders and gets help to those people.This is just one of many things he does practicing his religion. He quietly spreads his good news by his actions. He does nothing illegal in China. He isn't meeting behind closed doors and isn't causing problems for the other foreigners in the area. He is a good guy.

Another couple that I admired when they were in China were Chuck and Betty Lou. (I still admirre them, they are no longer in China.) They came with missionary titles for their church. However,  their church has, as one of its basic tenets, to obey the law of the land, whatever land they are in. So they did not wear their missionary badges and they did their quiet work with China Charities. They did many things, funneled money from their church's welfare system where it could help many people, they helped to rewrite legal documents, just many, many things. While they were wined and dined by many government leaders, they never once compromised themselves or their religion. Once they were invited to go to the Yellow mountains. Chuck constantly stopped to help his wife with the climb...she has a problem with her knees. The Chinese leaders commented on that, praising him for  his concern...so in his own way, he taught these Chinese men, how to treat their wives. They helped schools get books for their libraries, Mongolians got wells, among many other things. They spread their good news by their actions. They did nothing illegal and they certainly didn't cause problems for the  rest of us foreigners. I admire their quiet strength.

All the religious zealots make it harder for the those like Jerry and Chuck and Betty Lou... China wants the world to believe that its society is harmonious. This is a big joke... and it doesn't help the common Chinese citizen for idiots to come and try to turn the people away from their government in the name of a religion or a god. It is people like Jerry and Chuck and Betty Lou that show people how they can over come many things with a strong belief in a religion. Most Chinese people do not subscribe, thanks to a decree from Chairman Mao many years ago...he did away with practicing of religion. Many Chinese, especially younger, are searching for something to give their lives meaning... Examples like Jerry, Chuck, and Betty Lou are the best ways of showing them....

I am so glad that we crossed paths... till next time....

posted by: CarolenChina at 22:18 | link | comments (1) |
china, living in china

March 11, 2008

Maybe, you have read in the newspapers or heard on the news that a terrorist group was trying to bring down a Chinese passenger jet. That supposedly a woman from Xinjiang Province carried on cans of petrol and tried to ignite it in the w/c. I won’t tell you what to believe, but I am very skeptical that the story is true. And I will almost bet that a journalist will unravel the unlikely story. The last time I flew from Guangzhou to Wuhan, last December, I had to empty my pockets. I was not allowed to carry on my bottle (unopened) of water. So you tell me, how a woman, could get on a plane with CANS of petrol. It just doesn’t compute… Xinjiang Province, for you that do not know, is the home of Uyghers (wee gers). They are not Asian, they come from Arabic or Turkish roots. They speak their Turkish language. Their province was one of the “stan” nations that border western China… I don’t remember which one. It joined the Chinese nation much the same way as that other place that sits on the roof of the world…and because it is rich in minerals and oil…China keeps a tight rein. There have been some uprisings and probably will continue to be. Uyghers are Moslems, not Buddhists. So they are more likely to fight back..and they do have groups of people that do. Beijing tries to control the people and their religion, much the same way that Chinese Catholics are controlled by Beijing and cannot recognize the Pope. So, this will be interesting to watch. As I read in one forum, this is probably the way the government here is trying to gain sympathy as they start another unheralded crackdown on the people. It wouldn’t surprise me.

 

A couple of years ago, I traveled across Xinjiang province with a Chinese friend. We were told that it was not safe, he is Han Chinese and I am American. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. We found that the people incredibly warm and friendly. They treated my friend and I with the upmost respect and care.

 

Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 22:18 | link | comments |
china, living in china

March 5, 2008 Spring

Weather in Xiangfan is perfect a couple times a year. Early spring is one, autumn is the other. Right now, Xiangfan has Spring in the air. Weeping willow trees around the moat and other places are showing fragile new leaves. Trees lining the streets are blooming. Even roses are showing new buds. Skies are very blue, now. In a few weeks, the subtropical summer moves in. With it comes the heat and high humidity making the skies look whitish. Everyone looks like they have lost weight. In a way, they all have, they have shucked layers of clothes. Days are perfect, warm and soft sun. Evenings, temps drop so the night are quite cool. Perfect sleeping, weather.

 

Students have all returned to school, now. In fact, they are into the second or third week of classes. Streets are full of people. All the shop keepers that went off to their home villages during the Winter Holiday are all back. More people are walking in the evening along the river. I noticed that many swimmers are back in the river getting their exercise. All sure signs of spring.

 

In my home state of Alaska, a sure of sign of Spring, isn’t quite the same. The famous Iditerod Dogsled Race is going on. It comes in early March every year…just before Spring. Following the Iditerod, fishing season can’t be far behind. Here’s to the racers, they are a brave bunch to go across Alaska’s great white wilderness on just their skill and dogs. And congratulations to all those who finish.

 

Till next time.

posted by: CarolenChina at 22:47 | link | comments (2) |
china, living in china

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