During the month of April Senior I and Senior II students have their ‘Spring Outing’. Given an invitation, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see exactly what a Chinese field trip would entail. I traveled to Shanghai with the Senior II group where we spent the day visiting the Science and Technology Museum. Though the students warned me this wouldn’t be an exciting field trip, I had a great day. The organization of the trip is what really amazed me. Eighteen coach buses caravanned the group of almost 800 students. Once we arrived, the students were off to tour the place on their own and instructed where to meet to board the buses in the afternoon. We were gone from about 7:00 am until 5:00 pm, but the day went off without a hitch. The trip with the Senior I students was handled the same way. A procession of buses took us the four-hour ride to Shaoxing Scenic area. This sight is chosen as the Senior I destination because it’s the birthplace of Lu Xun, sort of like China’s literary equivalent to Mark Twain in the States. The scenic area is attached to an ancient water town where actors dressed as famous characters from The True Story of Ah Q performed for the audience in the streets. The kids got a real taste of life and characters from China’s history.
A quick weekend trip to Jingdezhen, porcelain and pottery capital of China, proved to be a fun and productive shopping venture with Courtney and a couple of SAS friends. Our guide, Monte, made sure we found all the interesting spots to check out, including a tour of the ancient kilns.
At the end of April, I was able to travel north and visit Jessie and Dave in their home city of Luoyang. We decided to meet up in Zhengzhou where I took myself on an early morning walking tour through the city’s parks. On the streets and throughout the parks, groups of old and young alike were practicing tai chi, tae kwon do, and doing other traditional arts. Jessie, Dave and one of the teachers from their school rode the bus in from Luoyang. When they arrived we were all excited to go for lunch at Pizza Hut. Sometimes there’s a craving for western food you’ve just got to satisfy.
I made it to Luoyang in time to catch the end of the Peony Festival. Dave had an extra bike from when his son had come to visit, so we all spent a day riding out to the new suburban area of the city where the festival’s park is located. The climate in Louyang reminded me a lot of Colorado – it’s really dry in this part of China. I had a terrific time spending a few days here seeing their school and touring the sites. Then, since I was so close, I took a bus a couple of hours to another former capital city of China, Kaifeng. I spent a night here and took in the sights, sounds and smells of open markets, ancient temples, parks and museums.
The first week of May in China is another ‘golden’ holiday, meaning much of China has this time off. Jessie, June, Bret, Francesca and I braved the crowds and spent five days in Qingdao. We enjoyed our time together taking in the German architecture and strolling along the beach. The brewery tour and beer wasn't all bad either.
A surprise for me this year has been making new friends with folks from Portland, Oregon. No. 10’s sister school is Portland’s Jackson Middle School. They have an ongoing exchange program with students, teachers and parents involved. A group of twelve students, two teachers, spouses and a few parents were recently here for their tour of Suzhou and other parts of China. I got to spend a night at Tai Hu (lake) with the adults and Chinese host teachers, while students lived with their Chinese host families. The lake’s a really wonderful area about an hour drive from Suzhou. We had a chance to tour an ancient village in the area, visit one of the lake’s many islands for a hike, and pick the local louquat fruit that’s now in season.
The highlights seem to be unending. New places and experiences have become the norm. What a year! At our last English Corner meeting, the students decided they wanted to give me a ‘real’ Chinese name. We came up with Wang Meng Zhen. Meng Zhen means dream come true – that’s largely what teaching in China’s been to me. The kids told me it’s sort of an unusual name. I told them I think it sounds just right.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Qingming
Today, April 5, is Qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day. This Buddhist based holiday, also known as ‘Clear-Brightness’ day, originally marked the arrival of spring. It’s the time of year when people get outdoors, fly kites and enjoy the spring flowers. Over the centuries, it’s also come to mark a specific time of year when Chinese people visit family cemeteries and pay respect to their ancestors.
I felt honored when Jiang Qin, Julia, asked me if I wanted to travel to Jiangyin with her family to see how this occasion is traditionally celebrated. I’ll admit I was a little uncertain about spending the day with extended family on a solemn occasion, but I was also eager to experience such a unique part of Chinese culture. So last Saturday at 7:30 in the morning Julia, her husband, and Yi-Yi, their ten year-old daughter, picked me up and we headed off. We took the expressway out of Suzhou about an hour northwest to Jiangyin. Along the way we stopped and met up with Julia’s parents, sister, and brother in-law who were driving there in their own car. The horrible rainy and cold weather seemed to fit the occasion perfectly.
When we got to Jiangyin, our first stop was at Julia’s aunt’s house where much of the local family had gathered. We waited there shortly for more family to arrive from Shanghai. Soon there were over thirty of us, and then as many of us as possible piled onto a bus one of the women had procured from her work place. The rest of the family tail-gated and we made our way to the first cemetery. While the occasion of the day was mournful, everyone’s spirits appeared festive and happy. This is the one time in the year when extended family all get together to celebrate one another and honor relatives no longer with us. At the cemetery, I followed everyone off the bus and out of their cars through a maze of short pine trees and headstones to the sites of Julia’s grandparents. On each headstone beautiful flowers were put down, along with bananas, oranges and some traditional green sticky-rice food. A small fire for each of them was then created burning bags of fake paper money for their spirits to spend in the after-life. Each family took turns bowing and paying their respects and then we all ran out of the rain back into the vehicles. Soaking wet and cold we made our way to a great new restaurant in town where a banquet lunch was served and the day’s celebration continued. After a couple hours of eating and drinking, we traveled to a second cemetery where Julia’s two uncles rest. This time the cemetery was further into the countryside at the base of a small mountain. It’s typical for people living in Shanghai, or along the East Coast, to be cremated and buried in cities further inland, like Jiangyin. The same ritual was performed at the headstone of her two uncles. Leaving the headstones everyone was given a stick of sugarcane to eat – a sweet treat to cheer you up after doing something sad.
Next we went to her 82 year-old aunt’s home and picked her up for the afternoon walk around the park and evening meal. The day turned into an interesting and memorable adventure and by the end of it, though I obviously didn’t belong, I felt I had become a part of this great big family. Four kids under the age of sixteen spent a lot of the day keeping me posted on what was going on, and Julia hardly left my side taking great care of me. While it would’ve been really wonderful to carry on a conversation with more of the family, everyone’s smile and welcoming attitude made me feel at home.
It’s April already, and I’m still finding new and interesting things everyday living in China. The way of life here is certainly different from what I know in the States. Almost daily, I’m fascinated by novel kinds of experiences. Observing the Buddhist traditions of Qingming, as well as little things like having a pineapple shaved and peeled on the curb of the street just before I take it home and eat it are unique parts of my life in China. I find now in the spring, the mangos, strawberries, and bananas are all so fresh I can almost live off the fruit sold just outside my door. For sure, it’s not all flowers and sunshine, but living here is definitely different, interesting, and the trip of a lifetime.
I felt honored when Jiang Qin, Julia, asked me if I wanted to travel to Jiangyin with her family to see how this occasion is traditionally celebrated. I’ll admit I was a little uncertain about spending the day with extended family on a solemn occasion, but I was also eager to experience such a unique part of Chinese culture. So last Saturday at 7:30 in the morning Julia, her husband, and Yi-Yi, their ten year-old daughter, picked me up and we headed off. We took the expressway out of Suzhou about an hour northwest to Jiangyin. Along the way we stopped and met up with Julia’s parents, sister, and brother in-law who were driving there in their own car. The horrible rainy and cold weather seemed to fit the occasion perfectly.
When we got to Jiangyin, our first stop was at Julia’s aunt’s house where much of the local family had gathered. We waited there shortly for more family to arrive from Shanghai. Soon there were over thirty of us, and then as many of us as possible piled onto a bus one of the women had procured from her work place. The rest of the family tail-gated and we made our way to the first cemetery. While the occasion of the day was mournful, everyone’s spirits appeared festive and happy. This is the one time in the year when extended family all get together to celebrate one another and honor relatives no longer with us. At the cemetery, I followed everyone off the bus and out of their cars through a maze of short pine trees and headstones to the sites of Julia’s grandparents. On each headstone beautiful flowers were put down, along with bananas, oranges and some traditional green sticky-rice food. A small fire for each of them was then created burning bags of fake paper money for their spirits to spend in the after-life. Each family took turns bowing and paying their respects and then we all ran out of the rain back into the vehicles. Soaking wet and cold we made our way to a great new restaurant in town where a banquet lunch was served and the day’s celebration continued. After a couple hours of eating and drinking, we traveled to a second cemetery where Julia’s two uncles rest. This time the cemetery was further into the countryside at the base of a small mountain. It’s typical for people living in Shanghai, or along the East Coast, to be cremated and buried in cities further inland, like Jiangyin. The same ritual was performed at the headstone of her two uncles. Leaving the headstones everyone was given a stick of sugarcane to eat – a sweet treat to cheer you up after doing something sad.
Next we went to her 82 year-old aunt’s home and picked her up for the afternoon walk around the park and evening meal. The day turned into an interesting and memorable adventure and by the end of it, though I obviously didn’t belong, I felt I had become a part of this great big family. Four kids under the age of sixteen spent a lot of the day keeping me posted on what was going on, and Julia hardly left my side taking great care of me. While it would’ve been really wonderful to carry on a conversation with more of the family, everyone’s smile and welcoming attitude made me feel at home.
It’s April already, and I’m still finding new and interesting things everyday living in China. The way of life here is certainly different from what I know in the States. Almost daily, I’m fascinated by novel kinds of experiences. Observing the Buddhist traditions of Qingming, as well as little things like having a pineapple shaved and peeled on the curb of the street just before I take it home and eat it are unique parts of my life in China. I find now in the spring, the mangos, strawberries, and bananas are all so fresh I can almost live off the fruit sold just outside my door. For sure, it’s not all flowers and sunshine, but living here is definitely different, interesting, and the trip of a lifetime.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Travels
“I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.” ~Lillian Smith
A month has gone by since my Spring Festival travels but vivid memories of people, adventures and experiences are alive in my heart and mind. And now, in the place that I call home, I also have many tangible memories from all the fantastic shopping we accomplished in those two and a half weeks.
Shanghai, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Koh Samed and Bangkok are the destinations Karen, Sarah and I mapped out. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when we met up at the Shanghai train station. It was great fun showing them around and watching their expressions as they marveled at the stark contrast of old and new in this gigantic city. After a full day of having clothes tailor made and shopping at the three-story Pearl Market, we brought happy hour to Courtney’s place and went for dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant in her neighborhood. Since I’ve been in China, Courtney’s been a gem of a host showing me the ropes around Shanghai, and now Karen and Sarah have reaped the benefits of her hospitality, too.
Then it was on to my ‘hometown’ where I was happy as could be to show off No. 10 Middle School, the gardens, local temples and pagodas, Yang Yang’s dumpling restaurant, and all the fine shopping right here in Suzhou. Before our three days in Suzhou were over, Karen and Sarah decided they better lighten their load and they got to experience first hand the delights of a post office in China. Maybe it was because the guy in charge of shipping knows me a little by now, but he scarcely rummaged through ALL the goodies they sent home.
Hong Kong, our next destination, is a fantastic city to visit. I liken the entire city to a giant amusement park. The ride starts right at the airport where if you buy an Octopus card public transportation throughout the city is yours. The subway, bus system, and ferries all make getting around really easy. Aside from a most incredible sushi dinner, one of my fondest memories in Hong Kong is when we got off the Star Ferry tour and walked across the street to the bus terminal to catch a ride to Stanley Market. We climbed aboard the double-decker bus and set off to see the south side of Hong Kong Island. Five minutes into the ride we looked at each other and knew we were headed in the wrong direction. Hopeful that the bus would soon make a turn and start heading south, we contentedly sat and took in a tour of Kowloon from our comfortable front seats on the upper level of the bus. Getting lost on a local bus is a great way to catch a glimpse of people’s everyday lives. On the bus with us were three Pakistani kids, ages 15, 11 and 5.
They were returning home from school wearing beautiful traditional dress. They’ve been living in Hong Kong for six years and this ride is their routine. They first made their presence known to us by shouting obscenities from the back of the bus to someone who was apparently looking at them funny. When the eleven-year old boy came next to me and said, ‘excuse me,’ and hopped into the seat next to me, I commented on his good manners and we fast become friends. After asking us some questions about where we were trying to go and studying our map, he kindly pointed out to us that this bus will not be turning around and, our best bet is to ride it all the way to the end of the line with them and then catch another going in the opposite direction to take us to Stanley. Turns out the ride itself was a great destination and getting to know these kids along the way made it even more interesting. By the time we made it to the south end of the island the market was closed for the day. We were just happy the great restaurants weren’t closed and we had a terrific seafood meal at the Fishmarket, or Boathouse restaurant, can’t quite remember the name but the seafood alfredo dish was wonderful. Five days in Hong Kong is barely enough time to see and do all the city has to offer, but we were off to Thailand next so who could complain.
Thailand’s an experience that’s hard to put into words. For me, visiting another country in Asia and gaining a bit of a broader perspective was fascinating. Colorful is a good word to describe a sense of the little I saw of this country’s people, cities, food and shopping. Back to square one in terms of not knowing the language, customs and way around it was a challenge. It was great to have Sarah’s friend, Josh, pick us up at the airport and show us to a suburb of Bangkok where the
International school is located. After a few days at the beach Karen and I spent two days making our way around Bangkok and visiting grand places like the Grand Palace and Wat Pho – Temple of the Reclining Buddha. In the ten days I was in Thailand I barely skimmed the surface of all there is to see and experience here, maybe I’ll get to return one day.
Our two and a half weeks together flew by. Before I knew it I was saying good-bye to Karen and Sarah as they left the hotel in Bangkok at 3:00 in the morning to catch their flight back to Denver. It was sad to see my great company leave, but I had another adventure of my own to look forward to. Four days of beach time in Koh Samui isn’t a bad way to end a vacation. I enjoyed the respite of solitude, sun and water as I geared up to return to Suzhou for the second half of what’s been a great year so far.
A month has gone by since my Spring Festival travels but vivid memories of people, adventures and experiences are alive in my heart and mind. And now, in the place that I call home, I also have many tangible memories from all the fantastic shopping we accomplished in those two and a half weeks.
Shanghai, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Koh Samed and Bangkok are the destinations Karen, Sarah and I mapped out. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when we met up at the Shanghai train station. It was great fun showing them around and watching their expressions as they marveled at the stark contrast of old and new in this gigantic city. After a full day of having clothes tailor made and shopping at the three-story Pearl Market, we brought happy hour to Courtney’s place and went for dinner at my favorite Indian restaurant in her neighborhood. Since I’ve been in China, Courtney’s been a gem of a host showing me the ropes around Shanghai, and now Karen and Sarah have reaped the benefits of her hospitality, too.
Then it was on to my ‘hometown’ where I was happy as could be to show off No. 10 Middle School, the gardens, local temples and pagodas, Yang Yang’s dumpling restaurant, and all the fine shopping right here in Suzhou. Before our three days in Suzhou were over, Karen and Sarah decided they better lighten their load and they got to experience first hand the delights of a post office in China. Maybe it was because the guy in charge of shipping knows me a little by now, but he scarcely rummaged through ALL the goodies they sent home.
Hong Kong, our next destination, is a fantastic city to visit. I liken the entire city to a giant amusement park. The ride starts right at the airport where if you buy an Octopus card public transportation throughout the city is yours. The subway, bus system, and ferries all make getting around really easy. Aside from a most incredible sushi dinner, one of my fondest memories in Hong Kong is when we got off the Star Ferry tour and walked across the street to the bus terminal to catch a ride to Stanley Market. We climbed aboard the double-decker bus and set off to see the south side of Hong Kong Island. Five minutes into the ride we looked at each other and knew we were headed in the wrong direction. Hopeful that the bus would soon make a turn and start heading south, we contentedly sat and took in a tour of Kowloon from our comfortable front seats on the upper level of the bus. Getting lost on a local bus is a great way to catch a glimpse of people’s everyday lives. On the bus with us were three Pakistani kids, ages 15, 11 and 5.
They were returning home from school wearing beautiful traditional dress. They’ve been living in Hong Kong for six years and this ride is their routine. They first made their presence known to us by shouting obscenities from the back of the bus to someone who was apparently looking at them funny. When the eleven-year old boy came next to me and said, ‘excuse me,’ and hopped into the seat next to me, I commented on his good manners and we fast become friends. After asking us some questions about where we were trying to go and studying our map, he kindly pointed out to us that this bus will not be turning around and, our best bet is to ride it all the way to the end of the line with them and then catch another going in the opposite direction to take us to Stanley. Turns out the ride itself was a great destination and getting to know these kids along the way made it even more interesting. By the time we made it to the south end of the island the market was closed for the day. We were just happy the great restaurants weren’t closed and we had a terrific seafood meal at the Fishmarket, or Boathouse restaurant, can’t quite remember the name but the seafood alfredo dish was wonderful. Five days in Hong Kong is barely enough time to see and do all the city has to offer, but we were off to Thailand next so who could complain.
Thailand’s an experience that’s hard to put into words. For me, visiting another country in Asia and gaining a bit of a broader perspective was fascinating. Colorful is a good word to describe a sense of the little I saw of this country’s people, cities, food and shopping. Back to square one in terms of not knowing the language, customs and way around it was a challenge. It was great to have Sarah’s friend, Josh, pick us up at the airport and show us to a suburb of Bangkok where the
International school is located. After a few days at the beach Karen and I spent two days making our way around Bangkok and visiting grand places like the Grand Palace and Wat Pho – Temple of the Reclining Buddha. In the ten days I was in Thailand I barely skimmed the surface of all there is to see and experience here, maybe I’ll get to return one day. Our two and a half weeks together flew by. Before I knew it I was saying good-bye to Karen and Sarah as they left the hotel in Bangkok at 3:00 in the morning to catch their flight back to Denver. It was sad to see my great company leave, but I had another adventure of my own to look forward to. Four days of beach time in Koh Samui isn’t a bad way to end a vacation. I enjoyed the respite of solitude, sun and water as I geared up to return to Suzhou for the second half of what’s been a great year so far.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Spring Festival
I spent the New Year holiday in Nanjing with June and Bret from Hefei, their son Paul visiting from the States, and Francesca, an Italian exchange student who is placed in Hefei for the year. On this 'golden' holiday the city buzzes with people and energy as everyone, save retail and restaurant workers, has the first of January off. It's on occasions like this when China's 1.3 billion population really comes to life. Streets and shopping areas become a sea of people.
One of the highlights of this trip was our visit to Jiming Temple. This colorful temple complex is an active Buddhist monastery and the first where I've seen female monks. Maybe they're not called monks if they're female...I haven't figured that one out yet.
We wanted to visit the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre, but that will not be open to the public again until December of 2007; plan accordingly. We wondered why the taxi driver laughed the whole while he was driving us out there. Being a tourist is such fun.
January 19 was my last day teaching for the first semester. I've managed a few short trips so far to Shanghai, Hefei and Harbin. I had a blast hanging out with Courtney and folks from her school while in Shanghai and Harbin. In Hefei, June and Bret prepared home cooked meals and showed me around their school and city. I'm lucky to have found great company to visit.
On Sunday I'll meet my sister and Sarah at the train station in Shanghai. After we spend about five days in Shanghai and Suzhou we're heading south to warmer weather and the beach...Hong Kong and Thailand. I'm so excited!
School will come to a close for students at the end of next week. Exams ended today, but most students stick around for a week of 'Winter Camp'. These are short classes where students do work to prepare them for next term or do remediation work for their exams and classes. Needless to say, everyone's looking forward to the holiday ahead of them.
Spring Festival officially begins on February 17. It's the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar and is set according to the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. Typically Chinese people get a week to three weeks off to spend time with family, eat lots of dumplings and other good food, give children money, and set off loads of fireworks. Train travel will be made close to impossible, if not very unpleasant, as millions of people make their way around the country to reunite with family.
I'm looking forward to being among the throngs of people moving about over the next few weeks. I can only hope I don't miss any of my departures because getting a ticket anywhere these days is like winning the lottery!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Being Bilingual
Earlier this month I was asked to participate as a judge in the citywide teachers’ bilingual speech competition. The winners of all individual school competitions came together for this event and each had to give a three-minute speech on the topic of bilingual education. Five judges based their scores on content, pronunciation, delivery, timing and answers to two questions from the foreign judges, Rita and myself.
After listening to 40 speeches in one afternoon, I came to feeling well informed about the Chinese teachers' sentiments and ideas concerning this topic. Some were extremely passionate and dramatic in conveying the importance of their role as champions of oral English in school. Others discussed the goal and value of having a working knowledge and linguistic ability in two languages. One talked about how knowing a foreign language can be helpful in the struggles of life. I found myself thinking I can certainly relate to that idea this year.
Bilingual education is the use of a second language in teaching subject content, so here in China science or math concepts are taught in English. Students have to qualify to be in these types of classes and pay more money for it as well. In the States, as in China, there's debate about whether this concept is realistic or practical. Suzhou began and has been growing its practice of bilingual education since the early 1990's. Yet in terms of having a generation that's fluent and articlulate in both English and Chinese there's still a long way to go. My guess is that if spoken communication and a working knowledge of English is the ultimate goal, then part of the answer might have to be evening out the proportion of emphasis on grammar, writing and speaking.
In any case, I find the focus on English in the Chinese education system interesting, and certainly personally beneficial. As a school subject, English carries the same weight as Chinese and math in importance. The citywide exams for reading comprehension, grammar, written and aural English are analyzed closely. There's a difference with the oral component though, actually speaking the language; it's just not as easy to measure. Regardless, I've found that students, and young people in general in China, actually know quite a bit of English, at least enough to help me out of most any predicament I’ve gotten into. Today, many students in urban areas begin studying English in preschool and kindergarten.
After the experience of living in a culture where I don’t have the language, and meeting some people from different parts of the world, I'm more convinced than ever it's an invaluable undertaking to become bilingual. So I'll keep plugging away at my Chinese. I'm pretty sure I'll never be fluent or literate in Putonghua, it’s okay though, because many Chinese people have already been really quick to appreciate my efforts up to this point.
Here in Suzhou the commitment to bilingual education is real, as in many other places around the world, and the result is more and more people have the gift of two languages.
After listening to 40 speeches in one afternoon, I came to feeling well informed about the Chinese teachers' sentiments and ideas concerning this topic. Some were extremely passionate and dramatic in conveying the importance of their role as champions of oral English in school. Others discussed the goal and value of having a working knowledge and linguistic ability in two languages. One talked about how knowing a foreign language can be helpful in the struggles of life. I found myself thinking I can certainly relate to that idea this year.
Bilingual education is the use of a second language in teaching subject content, so here in China science or math concepts are taught in English. Students have to qualify to be in these types of classes and pay more money for it as well. In the States, as in China, there's debate about whether this concept is realistic or practical. Suzhou began and has been growing its practice of bilingual education since the early 1990's. Yet in terms of having a generation that's fluent and articlulate in both English and Chinese there's still a long way to go. My guess is that if spoken communication and a working knowledge of English is the ultimate goal, then part of the answer might have to be evening out the proportion of emphasis on grammar, writing and speaking.
In any case, I find the focus on English in the Chinese education system interesting, and certainly personally beneficial. As a school subject, English carries the same weight as Chinese and math in importance. The citywide exams for reading comprehension, grammar, written and aural English are analyzed closely. There's a difference with the oral component though, actually speaking the language; it's just not as easy to measure. Regardless, I've found that students, and young people in general in China, actually know quite a bit of English, at least enough to help me out of most any predicament I’ve gotten into. Today, many students in urban areas begin studying English in preschool and kindergarten.
After the experience of living in a culture where I don’t have the language, and meeting some people from different parts of the world, I'm more convinced than ever it's an invaluable undertaking to become bilingual. So I'll keep plugging away at my Chinese. I'm pretty sure I'll never be fluent or literate in Putonghua, it’s okay though, because many Chinese people have already been really quick to appreciate my efforts up to this point.
Here in Suzhou the commitment to bilingual education is real, as in many other places around the world, and the result is more and more people have the gift of two languages.
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