China. What else can I say?

My Story So Far and My Story To Come

2010-08-19T17:46:00.011-05:00

Those of you who have been receiving my email updates know that I'm back in the US. It's been almost a month since I returned and I still wake up craving Chinese food and and confused by the presence of air conditioning. Every person I have spoken with since returning inevitably asks me one of two questions. "When are you going back to China?" or "What are you doing next?"

When I had to answer these questions a month ago it was easy. I knew I wouldn't have the money to go back to China any time soon and I had a month of visiting family (like Zac, my nephew who was born while I was away!) and friends lined up to keep me busy. Now the month is over and I try not to feel like the entirety of the rest of my life and the weight of my whole future is pressing down on me. Because then I sound like a drama queen.

Something about my past that even those of you who have known me for a long time might not have noticed is a certain pattern related to my employment. Last night I gave this some thought and it turns out that I have received W-2s from nearly a dozen different companies in my 14 working years. Granted, some of these were summer jobs during college, etc., but the fact remains that I have a history of quitting jobs where I am making good money, not terribly unhappy and secure in the knowledge that if I was hit by a car, I wouldn't have to ask to be left in the street because I can't afford hospitalization.

I'm a logical, capable person. Why would I make such stupid decisions again and again? Each time it seems to be the same. I want to do service. I have had an internal struggle raging inside me for over a decade centered on the belief that a person cannot do the kind of service I want to do and have a decent retirement plan. Thus, I get a great job, work really hard, find corporate success, try to be happy and fulfilled, hear about an amazing service opportunity (for example, my trips to: Ghana, Thailand, China, etc.), quit my perfectly good job, make my family and accountant think I'm crazy and catch a flight halfway around the world. The length of these mission trips has been steadily increasing and this last year spent in China forced me to deeply consider alot of the assumptions I have been making about my life.

Towards the end of my time in China I received an email from one of the coordinators of my program who was based in the US. She told me about a special program at University of Notre Dame called Leaders in Transition for people returning from service missions of one year or more. I read up on the program and decided to apply. After submitting my application I called to verify that they had received it and was informed that I was too old for the program. At 29 years old I had apparently bypassed the acceptable age to be taking the financially irresponsible step of spending an entire year of potential profitability working for a pittance as part of a mission overseas.

After a year of hearing my students gasp in surprise and horror when told that I was 29 and unmarried, you can bet that I wasn't going to let some admissions committee reject my application based on age without putting up a fight. I emailed the contact and explained my situation...rather extensively. There may have been some begging. I really believed that God had put this program in my path and that I was meant to be there. Eventually, I convinced them that I was right and I was chosen to be (the oldest) among the 39 participants.

This program was amazing and incredibly helpful in so many ways, but the one thing I want to share here is something that has, along with this conflict about service, been a persistent issue I've dealt with my entire adult life; a little matter I refer to as FROGing.

A young man who lived in my dorm during college always wore a green bracelet along the lines of WWJD, livestrong, etc. It said F.R.O.G. I love frogs and I love green, so the bracelet often came to my mind. I admired the bracelet from a distance for a long time and as my freshman year progressed, I came to know this boy better. Eventually I asked him why he liked frogs enough to have his only accessory reference them. He looked confused and then laughed. His mother had given him the bracelet to remind him that, whether he liked it or not, he would always be Fully Reliant On God. Needless to say I was embarrassed, but I was also taken aback. As a life-long Christian, I was taught that one should give thanks to God because He gives us everything. Sometimes that caused me to think about how lucky we are that air is comprised of the right gases to oxygenate our blood or that it's a blessing that our world is three dimensional, but this guy went on to tell me that being reliant on God meant that He wasn't just in charge of the involuntary things in our life like heartbeats and hurricanes, but that we had to surrender control of our lives to Him. As in choose to not be in control. Ten years later, I still struggle with this, and one manifestation of that is my checkered employment history. It seems I often think I should be doing one thing while perhaps I am being called to do another.

During the time I spent at Notre Dame, I listened to number of hugely qualified and really excellent speakers. The one who influenced me most was Dr. Matt Bloom. After years of working as an executive at American Express, he quit his job, went back to school and now he studies happiness. Seriously, that's his job. He gave two presentations on how and why to be happy. Here are some facts, people. Money, status, cars, sex, TV...none of these things will make you happy. Science has proven it again and again, but for some reason (that science is still trying to figure out) our brains have a really hard time accepting that. Three things that will make you happy, though, are meaningful relationships with people, helping others, and using your strengths for good. That sounds really easy (and cheesy), but I spent a week trying to figure out what that means and I'm still not totally sure how a person can do it and have enough money to feed themselves. That said, by the end of the week-long Leaders in Transition course, I was positive that I do not want to go back to another corporate job that I'll end up quiting in a year and a half in order to spend time in Tanzania. I feel that I absolutely have to find some kind of work where I can use my abilities to be of service to others in a way that I find valuable.

For now, that means two things. First, I am moving to Chicago. I will be living on a friend's floor while I search out service opportunities in the city and hopefully even find something that can pay me some kind of money. My current budget allows me about $6 per day for food, assuming I find work within three months, so I will be trying to find new ways to cook beans and rice. A year in China will prove very valuable training for this, I'm betting.

Second, I am attending a conference by author Don Miller, of Blue Like Jazz fame. I found out about this conference almost two and a half months ago and had just finished reading Miller's most recent book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, when the conference was announced. I was in China at the time and knew that when I was done with my year of service I would have very little money, no car, nowhere to live and a strong conviction that I should be doing the work I'm meant to do, even if it isn't what I always thought I'd be doing. (Apparently Disney already had a CEO and isn't looking for a new one.) I had saved up some money that I was going to try to trick someone into taking in exchange for an old clunker, but my friend Peter convinced me that life was better without a car. I knew I wanted to live a more purpose-driven life, so I decided to make the leap of faith and use the money to enroll in Don Miller's conference on Living a Better Story. Granted, I didn't have the money for the conference AND the airline tickets, so I have no way to get there yet, but I'm hopeful that my rideshare postings on craigslist will prove fruitful or some other means will make itself available. F.R.O.G., right?

What is the goal in all of this? Well, I think I finally know what I want to do in life, but I'm not sure how to go about it and what I can do to ensure that it ends up being a meaningful experience. Don't forget that I worked for a non-profit before and I ended up quitting to help at a school being built in Africa. I want to do work here in the States (for once) that actually has real meaning in which I can be of both administrative and direct service. Ultimately, I want to plan mission trips. It makes me nervous to even write it down because, even as I climbed various corporate ladders and had more and more people working under me, I never wanted a position or was willing to sacrifice so much to be able to do a certain kind of work like I am willing to work for this. I am in a place where I see alot of obstacles and not a whole lot of opportunity, but I take comfort in knowing that I have never yet been disappointed when trusting in God.

Dr. Bloom says that the core of knowing yourself, and thus being able to achieve happiness, is being able to tell and shape your own story. After his presentation I went up to him to say thank you, but also to recommend Don Miller's books as they spoke to alot of the topics addressed in his presentations. Dr. Bloom told me that he was very familiar with Donald Miller and had actually seen him speak, twice I believe, at Mars Hill in Michigan. We had developed a bit of a rapport and I told Dr. Bloom that I was attending Miller's conference in Portland in September (transportation notwithstanding) and he smiled his huge smile and said "I think that's exactly what you need."

Living a Better Story Seminar from All Things Converge Podcast on Vimeo.

What a Difference

2010-07-20T19:40:00.005-05:00

I wanted to take a minute to talk about missions.

People who haven't traveled to developing countries or perhaps even people who haven't stayed in these countries for an extended period of time might not understand the impact that they can have.

I'd like to tell you a story.

As you may know, I just returned to Hong Kong after spending a week in the Philippines visiting my friend, Kim. This is the same friend who I visited last year. Several things have changed in her life since I last saw her. For one, she is in the process of adopting a baby and is living as a full-time mom. Two, she got a water heater.

That may sound silly, but let me explain. Kim has been teaching as a missionary in the Philippines for 8 years now and when I visited her last summer, she still didn't have a water heater. They are expensive and she can put the donations she receives to better use elsewhere so she just never bought one. Having experienced the cold showers at Kim's place, though, I can assure you that it was no fun bathing in often frigid water. Then, this past winter, Kim's family decided to take up a collection from all her relatives and they sent her a check for the express purpose of buying a water heater. I was excited for her (and not just because I could look forward to a warm shower after my flight) and couldn't help asking "So how much does a water heater cost in the Philippines?" The answer? $50.

That's right. $50, installed. Think about the things you have bought for $50. A semi-nice meal. A shirt you wore twice before deciding it didn't fit right. A pair of shoes. A quarter of a month of electricity. Yet for the same price Kim could have spent the past 8 years showering in significantly more comfort. Taking a cold shower in 50 degree weather is no joke, trust me.

I just wanted to share that story, because it really touched me. I don't think that people in developed countries should feel at all guilty for what they have been blessed with, but the next time you have something to spare, consider sending it overseas where it can have a truly huge impact. When you hear about children who can have their cleft lip/cleft palate surgically repaired for $200 or eye surgeons who will remove cataracts for $30 and restore the sight of an elderly person I hope you find it encouraging that we CAN have an impact on some of the world's problems. It may sound impossible, but feeding the children on $.30 a day can actually happen.

If you want more information about Kim's adoption process, you can go to her blog, here. Also, there is donation information on the right side of the page if you want to start making an impact right away.

I'll write again soon and elaborate on my trip to the Philippines, but here is a picture we took on my last day there. As you can see, little Daniel (20 months old) learned his most excellent 'tiger pose' and is a truly fearsome sight.

Life can be hectic when you're riding in the bucket seat.

2010-07-19T09:45:00.004-05:00

I'll do my best to post again before I leave Hong Kong. That is a challenge considering I'm only here for 45 more hours!

So much to share and so little time left...

2010-06-27T11:55:00.014-05:00

Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let my pictures do most of the talking.

The majority of these pictures are from my time teaching at a second school in Zhanjiang. They are a school with less prestige and less funding and in general the students are even more poor than those at the Normal college. Every week Kevin, a fellow Maryknoll teacher (pictured above), and I would spend our Monday nights after class having what is called English Corner. This is a time when students get together to speak English with us, do some fun activities and just generally see us outside the classroom. It is open to the entire school and often most of the students are from classes other than those we teach.

At our most recent English Corner the students wanted to give us a special gift, so they all joined together in a touching rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

The second video is one I took months ago but had yet to post. Almost all schools in China have required morning exercise and I have here a short video that gives you a taste of what it is like.

After my last class at this school, I spent about an hour taking pictures with the students. First we had individual pictures.

With many, many students.

And then all those that were left after an hour of waiting around all wanted to get a group shot. This picture basically represents the spirit of our class. Sometimes we didn't always get everything done that I'd hoped, but we definitely had a good time doing whatever we DID manage to get through. I will miss working with such spirited girls.

Besides finishing classes at my second school, another big event to take place recently is the birthday of Fr. Bill Galvin. He has been one of the biggest spiritual influences of my time here in China. The example he sets of tolerance, loving others and giving of oneself is an inspiration to me. At 81 years of age he figures he probably will never retire and is currently on a pilgrimage through the north of Spain called the Way of St. James or the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. I want to rock that hard when I'm 81!

We love you Fr. Bill! Happy Birthday!

I'm a Survivor

2010-06-20T07:15:00.005-05:00

Well, I've just survived the 12 hour journey back from Hong Kong. I have made this trip on numerous occasions before, and often something or other goes wrong or happens unexpectedly, but this time around might take the cake (so far...I still have at least two more round trips in the next month).

Maybe a brief description of the process will help you get an accurate mental picture of what is involved. In order to go from Hong Kong to Zhanjiang by the cheapest possible means I go through the following process:

- hike down the mountain (the Maryknoll house has a great view...because it sits on the top of a mountain) with all of my luggage.
- wait at the bus stop for the bus going into central Hong Kong
- transfer from the bus to the MTR (Hong Kong subway)
- transfer subway lines
- transfer from subway to distance train line
- alight from the train at the Hong Kong/China international border in Shenzhen and go through customs and immigration
- get on the Shenzhen subway
- transfer subway lines and take the subway to the last stop
- wait outside the Shenzhen University gate for the bus
- fight with elbows (and, for the first time today, foot stomping) to get a seat on the bus
- arrive 8-9 hours later at my school

Though this process is long and more than a little bit complicated, I am usually able to complete all the necessary steps with little fuss. A series of unfortunate events made the journey today a little bit different.

It seems that the bus company, not wanting to lose money, reserved more spaces than there were seats so some people had to sit in the center aisle on upside-down buckets for the entire trip. Having secured a seat for myself, I felt bad for these students, but it wasn't until my backpack dislodged from the overhead storage during one of the more violent swerves employed by the driver that my heart particularly went out to them...most especially the boy who had just been hit in the head by my rather large pack.

The result of this was that I had to spend the next several hours with both my book bag and large pack on my lap in the tiny, cramped bus seat. These buses are, as you can probably imagined, designed for maximum transport of people, not comfort, and they stop once per trip for 20 minutes at a place where they charge an exorbitant rate for what is basically the worst food in all of China. So, after 12 hours of not eating, the terrible smells that are inevitable on this kind of bus, both of my legs being asleep and the well-deserved dirty looks from my fellow passengers, only one thing could make this trip even more disturbing.

This was the only time I've been in this kind of bus where they played not one, but TWO movies in English. The first movie was some kind of horrifically gorey slasher movie that had the girls screaming and vomiting (though the vomiting part is pretty normal for Chinese people on buses) and the second was Event Horizon. Have you ever seen that movie? I have incredibly vivid memories of watching it my junior year in high school and not sleeping for days. I avoided looking at the screen for the four hours these movies were playing, but I kept almost falling asleep and then hearing something from the speaker right above me like "What are you doing? You're going to kill us all!" and then I would jerk awake, horrified that I was doing something or failing to do something that would kill everybody. See, this is the problem with hearing English so rarely. When I DO hear English being spoken, I assume it must be directed at me.

That being said, I'm back in Zhanjiang and, after a week away, my apartment doesn't smell as bad as I expected, so I'm considering it a win overall.

Exams start tomorrow and I'll be in Zhanjiang until June 25th when I head back to Hong Kong for a short respite before the last hooray of finishing my exams in China in early July.

More to come soon, including new photos, so be on the lookout!

Gatherings

2010-06-12T07:21:00.013-05:00

I've been running around lately with the end of the semester looming and many last-minute activities popping up. That has made for some good pictures with students and friends. I hope you enjoy!

My friend/colleague and a student I've nicknamed "Bright Eyes". I wish I could somehow get a picture of her real smile!

One of the many excellent classes of ladies I teach! Can you spot the foreigner?

This is a special multi-discipline class that I was asked to begin teaching halfway through the semester. They were probably the most motivated students I had and we had a GREAT time together.

Recently, a band from Hong Kong came to visit us in Zhanjiang. Stephen, the lead singer, is a teacher at a Maryknoll school in Hong Kong and a super nice guy. Ditto for the band members.

Luckily I was able to grab a pic with him on the bus back to campus!

There are just so many students that I love, it's hard not to post pictures of them all! This is Rose and she is the monitor of one of the classes I teach. One of the most responsible 18-year-olds I've ever met.

About a week later, it was party time. A Chinese teacher wanted to host a 'Western party' and, as a westerner, alot of the duty fell to me. We pulled it off with only very minor hitches.

The students seemed to have a great time, even if their spelling did leave a little something to be desired.

Group picture, as I believe is required by law for all Chinese events...

Finally, I was roped into going to a competition in which several of my students were taking part. I'm quite often bored out of my mind at these events, and this was honestly no exception, but a few of my students really stood out as especially impressive. I teach all four of these lovely young men and women who were present not to compete, but to act as host and hostesses. You cannot possibly imagine how difficult it is to look elegant and maintain an air of quiet, dignified grace after spending over three hours in a stuffy, unventilated room with no air conditioning in 90 degree heat with a 96% humidity factor. Good job guys!

Buns et al.

2010-06-04T04:59:00.017-05:00

That's right. Buns. Alot of buns. On a small island about an hour (by slow ferry) off the coast of Hong Kong island they hold an annual festival dedicated to...any guesses? That's right. Buns.

First they build these huge towers and stick many steamed buns to them. Why you ask?

I'm pretty sure it has something to do with worship of these traditional (Buddhist, I believe) gods. You should see them take the giant, paper-mache-type statues away to celebrate other portions of the festival, like burning fake paper money to honor this god or that god. It's all very colorful. Very, very colorful. And smokey.

Another important part of the festival is the parade whose point seems to center around 3 things. One, small children being high in the air. Whether it be by standing on the shoulders of someone standing on the shoulders of someone else or just having them stand on top of a platform at the top of a high pole, the point seems to be to get the kids way up there.

Two, dragon dancing. You may not be able to tell, but there is a man inside of the head of each of these dragons standing on a pole while controlling the head, the eyes, and using their costumed legs as the front paws.

Three, bagpipes. Yeah, that's right. Bagpipes. I snuck a picture of these guys while they were practicing in a school yard before the parade. They were much better than I would have expected Chinese people to be at playing bagpipes.

As I mentioned in my last post, I visited the home of a student in the countryside. She and her two sisters were excellent guides around the town of Wu Chuan.

Yep. That's right. This is one section of a small Chinese town. With 1.6 billion people, even small towns can be a bit daunting.

My student and I went to a rich area half an hour outside of town along with some of her classmates who came to visit as well.

The scenery, cleanliness and nearly everything else about this area marked as different and significantly more affluent.

Even the temple was nicer.

After that, we went to see the 'new' section of the neighborhood.

My favorite part were the fantastic lions. Maybe you can tell...

I think I inspired my student's (very adorable) younger sister to a new-found love as well.

After a long, hot day of walking in the sun, my student's mother made us a fantastic meal. They live a very simple life, but they were incredibly generous during my time in their home. I've rarely felt so welcomed.

Then it was time for the bus ride back to Zhanjiang. After some pictures, of course. I contemplated just kneeling on the ground for this picture with my student's very dear and sweet mother, but decided crouching would be just as good...

And then a few dozen with my various students. We caused quite a fuss taking these pictures since I was the only foreigner some of these people had ever seen. I've rarely felt so tall or huge...

Let's Talk Video

2010-06-01T09:49:00.006-05:00

First I have a link for you. In China, there are literally dozens of websites where you can watch nearly everything that has ever been recorded for free. As a country, China does not really subscribe to the whole idea of international copyright. Speaking of which, check out this music video, and don't worry. Music videos don't generally have the same strict rules about being watched online.

One thing that I've found surprisingly difficult to deal with in China is the way people treat animals. I definitely wouldn't say that all people are mean to animals or that I've witnessed alot of unquestionable abuse, but there is just an overall difference in how animals are treated. Maybe it's a sign of how far removed we are in America from where our food is actually from. I'm not sure. Regardless, this is a video of a little kitten that I saw when visiting the home of a student in the countryside. My understanding is that kittens should be with their mothers for the first 12 weeks of their life, but as you can see this is not consider a "must do" by Chinese. I have seen people with puppies under 8" long on leashes, so I'd say the same goes for dogs. Regardless, this little guy was adorable!

I teach at a few schools and one of them is shown here during a rainstorm. I'd say this pretty much summarizes why American's should have known better than to use Chinese building materials in their homes. During times when it rains there are often huge puddles in my classrooms, leaks everywhere and the building 'lobby' is a giant cesspool of 2"-6" of standing water. Did I mention the building is less than 5 years old?

More to come! I have some other great pictures from the visit to my student's home and the Bun Festival in Hong Kong coming soon to a blog near you!

So Many Pictures, So Little Time

2010-05-17T12:22:00.017-05:00

This is what happens when you post after 1 in the morning...

From the top of one of the mountains in Jiangmen.

Beautiful trees make for a nice hike!

The temple at the top of the mountain has some great views.

Peter and Jenny are my awesome friends and even more awesome hosts in Jiangmen!

That's right ladies and gentleman! I have a video of Jenny and I on the back of a motorbike being driven by her uncle and you get a special view of rural China for the bargain price of FREE!!!

Jenny standing on top of her home and looking out over the rest of her village.

Motorbike is the only way to travel.

I was almost surprised when Peter and Jenny returned her baby cousin to his rightful mother. I thought they might take him home with them.

If I had to pick a favorite of all of Jenny's dozens of cousins, this adorable and sassy young lady would probably be it.

Eating in the country usually means the genecide of some animal or other. In this case it was river clams.

And shrimp.

We went for several strolls around the city of Jiangmen when we returned and the sight of hundreds of planting pots reminded me of my former job in a major way!

After returning to Zhanjiang and the crazy heat that IS southern China, I find that if you get a chance to have a frosty coffee drink, you should do it.

I had the chance this past weekend to play baseball again.

It was really, really hot and I think everybody ended up a little pink from either the sun or the temperature.

The Maryknoll program coordinator and one of my favorite students!

A Chinese teacher of English at our school really enjoyed playing baseball for the first time and we squared off to compare muscles. I think for the sake of China-American relations we called it a tie. I still say that Notre Dame beats St. John's any day of the week, though.

Too Long

2010-05-12T11:32:00.020-05:00

I know it's been too long. I'm posting pictures here to at least let everybody know that I'm alive and so you can get an idea of what I've been up to.

One of my very favorite students and I.

If you want to drink soymilk then you drink it from a bag or you drink it in the store, because that glass bottle isn't going anywhere.

The tiniest spoons ever fit into the tiniest individual pudding snack cups ever.

My typical walk to school every morning in Zhanjiang.

A few of my hundreds and hundreds of girls.

While visiting a friend in the hospital in Hong Kong we took time out to go to an amazing tea shop. It proves the journey is half of the purpose.

Sometimes I just love Hong Kong at night.

Tiny happy froggies holding hands.

From a bridge in Shenzhen where I was taking a moment to myself while waiting for the bus.

Easter eggs from some of the members of the Church in Jilin. They hand paint the eggs and it seems almost like a shame to eat them. Still, they are delicious!

The grotto near the seminary on the river in Jilin. It is a beautiful place to come and walk, read or just enjoy the view.

A chapel near the grotto and a lower shrine on the seminary property in Jilin.

Fr. Brian is my trusty and knowledgeable tour guide and I am SO glad he took me to this part of Jilin. I feel like I got to see an area that most visitors, and probably even most residents, never see.

From the seminary property they have a walking trail all along the river almost back to the middle of town. It's a great view and a beautiful hike.

I love hanging out with the Maryknoll guys. They teach in Jilin City and it was nice to visit them on my second trip up to northern China.

One of my guy pals George. Coming from northern America made the weather in Jilin less difficult for him to get through, but I found even 5 days somewhat difficult.

Wang Wei, a Jilin institution and general all-around awesome lady and yours truly.

You should be able to get everything here, right? Or maybe only just really generic stuff...

Well, that's all I have for now. My camera is loaded with more pictures, and I very much hope to get them up soon!

A Greater Distance

2010-03-06T00:25:00.016-06:00

Traveling from Hong Kong to China is never just a matter of distance. The difference in culture, experience and seemingly every little detail makes the transition that much more difficult.

Previously, I've always been excited to leave Hong Kong and get back to China. Hong Kong is very expensive, loud, confusing and I don't speak any Cantonese so I often have trouble communicating. This trip was different, though. I had a great time hanging out with excellent friends and I was thoroughly refreshed and rejuvenated by my time spent in Hong Kong over the holiday.

In some ways, that made coming back to China a bit more difficult. The most obvious difference between Hong Kong and Zhanjiang, China is in the number of westerners.

In Zhanjiang, with a western population of under 20 people, there are still plenty of western-type things to do. However, taking part in these kinds of activities with Chinese friends can often lead to unexpected results. For example, some of the most popular 'sports' in China are activities that we would label 'games' in America. Alternately, you can go out for 'drinks' and end up with tofu skin juice in a cup with a straw. Sometimes it's just nice to know exactly what you're getting into.

That said, I am glad to be back at Zhanjiang Normal University and I'm excited about the classes I'm teaching this semester.

The students were actually very excited to be back at school this week. Nearly all of the kids go home to their families over the break. A good portion of the students I teach come from villages and most of them said that their vacation time was either very boring without their friends or very boring because they had to do many chores over the holiday. Either way, I think they have come back ready to hit the books.

I came back to school prepared as well. As you can see, I was lucky enough to receive a package in the mail that included some excellent snapshots of my baby nephew. He's SO cute and growing up faster than I can keep track of. I enjoyed getting my first package in China so much that I've actually ordered a couple of books online so I can repeat the experience. Only six weeks until they get here!

I have been assigned the subjects of Reading, Oral English and Culture of English Speaking Countries this semester and the first week of classes leads me to believe that it's going to be an excellent term. I am especially excited about the reading classes as they are really great students, most of whom I also taught last term, and I have lesson plans that I'm hoping make the material interesting for them. Wish me luck!

In addition to lesson planning and teaching, I've spent the last week following through on a promise to myself to get out more and explore some of Zhanjiang. The area outside one of the local parks was still decorated yesterday for the Lantern Festival.

I had a fantastic time enjoying the sunlight and taking a leisurely stroll around the lake in this park. It's funny, but even the parks in China are vastly different to those in the west. It was quite hot, but nobody was selling drinks or ice cream and people avoid the sun or open grassy areas like the plague because it might darken their skin. Skin cancer will quite probably remain a negligible issue in China for quite some time.

Definitely the best and most interesting thing I've done lately, though, was an excellent lunch at the home of my dear friends Catherine and Roger. They are excellent examples of people who have managed to blend just the right amount of east and west into a comfortable and satisfying lifestyle. They go out of their way to find cheese, but they pair it with the delicious roast duck you can buy in the little shops on almost every street in Zhanjiang. They enjoy a spring salad but they create it using a variety of the local produce. Also, they have taken alot of time to explore their surroundings and Catherine was kind enough to be my guide around this park and one of the local shopping districts.

After a glorious afternoon I was very excited to visit one of the only places to hear live music in Zhanjiang. As I understand it, there are a total of two places where bands play in town, but for a city of well over a million, that still seems like a disappointingly small number to me. I have gotten the sense that music isn't terribly valued in China, or at least this part of China.

Though the band was pretty terrible, I still had a good time hanging out with a random but fun group of people and sharing a drink on the house.

Overall, it's good to be back where I can at least speak a little of the language and it's especially nice to see my students again. I didn't realize how much I had missed their enthusiastic, smiling faces!

Hangin' in Hong Kong

2010-02-21T22:02:00.012-06:00

When I read that title I think how lucky most people would consider me to be able to just spend a couple of weeks relaxing and hanging out in a world-famous city like Hong Kong. Sometimes, in the midst of all the issues I face by being here in China, I forget how lucky I am.

Let me introduce you to one of the sides of Hong Kong that I love the most.

Many of you might picture Hong Kong as being crowded with humanity and huge buildings, bustling with commerce and trade, home of many financial and corporate institutions and generally at the mercy of the all-mighty dollar. If so, you wouldn't be wrong.

However, there's alot more to Hong Kong than that. The great thing about having been here for an extended time during this long Spring Festival holiday period is that I've been able to appreciate some of the great things Hong Kong has to offer outside of the usual flash and pomp of a big city.

For instance, I went on a long and strenuous but supremely enjoyable hike yesterday. Hong Kong is very mountainous and the city has set aside many areas for parks, trails and preserves. Given the number of mountains, the views were beautiful and the effort I spent throughout the day made for great outdoor exercise. It's a good thing I've been keeping up with my workout routine!

After a few hours out in the mountains, it is easier to have a positive outlook on most situations and I found myself very refreshed and glad to have some excellent hiking buddies.

One of the benefits of Maryknoll that I did not fully appreciate initially was the fact that I am automatically part of a group of other foreigners who are having a similar experience and facing similar difficulties teaching in China. The other teachers don't always have any particularly great advice to impart, but sometimes just having somebody to talk to about a given issue can help solve the problem or, at the very least, relieve some of the burden of dealing with things alone.

This week will be my last in Hong Kong, possibly for the next 4-5 months, so I'm going to try to squeeze as much enjoyment and sightseeing as possible into the next four days. Well, as much as can be had for very, very little money at least.

I'll let you know how that goes!

The Hong Kong Paradox

2010-02-19T00:24:00.004-06:00

Visiting Hong Kong is usually such a paradox for me.

On one hand, it is great to be able to relax, have some western food and enjoy the peace and beauty of the house. Also, I am able to go to mass (in English!) every day.

On the other hand, I am a very action-driven person and, while Hong Kong is a great city with lots to do, everything costs money. Usually, quite a bit of money. Hong Kong is actually the fifth most expensive city in the world, believe it or not.

So, if you are wondering what I'm up to in Hong Kong and why I haven't posted more about it...well...I haven't really been doing anything exciting. I've mainly been reading and catching up on some American TV shows online. In China there is a website called Youku and it's alot like youtube except that China doesn't actually follow any international copyright laws so full versions of everything are easy to find and watch streaming online. Good for me, bad for producers.

There are other young teachers from Maryknoll staying in Hong Kong, but it seems that most people have somebody or other from home visiting them, so they are mostly otherwise occupied. One teacher is entertaining his grandfather who came in from the states, three others have had their girlfriends visit and another is playing tour guide to his father who is on his second trip to China.

Anyway, here is a picture of my favorite (and only) nephew to hold you over until I get some more interesting pictures of my own. He's a cutie!

Blog Week #7: To Shenyang and Beyond!

2010-02-13T21:51:00.022-06:00

When you travel in China, it's often best to do so at night. The theory is that when you arrive at your destination, you will be well-rested and ready to start your day. There are a plethora of means by which you can accomplish this. The two cheapest and easiest options are to take the night bus or the night train.

I've experienced both of these methods of transportation a few times and, before my trip from Beijing to Shenyang, I would have said that they are both convenient but definitely not restful. Well my friends, that was before I experienced the delight that is the 'soft sleeper' cabin.

Allow me to explain. Trains in China have four ticket options. In order from least to most expensive you can get a hard seat, a soft seat, a hard sleeper and a soft sleeper. I'll start with a description of the seat tickets. Hard seat tickets are basically benches, which are NOT very comfortable for trips that can last days. Also, if they have too many people who want seats, they'll just sell more tickets, meaning that alot of people will be left standing. Soft seat tickets entitle you to something more like an airplane seat but there are many people in each rail car.

Hard sleeper tickets are the least expensive 'sleeper' option. This ticket entitles you to a surface to sleep on that has some padding as well as a blanket and pillow which are usually wadded up and still warm and smelly from the last person who used them and is often leaving at the same train stop where you got on. The 'beds' are three high and in cubbies off the main aisle. This wouldn't be so bad except that people are constantly walking by talking loudly and accidentally hitting your feet. Also, even though smoking isn't technically allowed, there are always at least two or three people smoking in each car at any given time. Basically, it's a bit like what I'd imagine hell to be.

Soft sleepers, on the other hand, are two high and have an actual cabin with only four beds and a door that closes out all the noise and smoke. You can see the difference this makes in my disposition. When we walked onto the train in Beijing (or rather ran, as we were quite late) and I opened the door to our compartment and saw my nice, clean, big, not smelly, neatly made bed and breathed in the non-smokey air, I almost did a happy dance. I did actually give out a little yip of joy and then had to apologize to the two Chinese ladies on the upper bunks who were trying to sleep.

There are a few things that make trains better than airplanes. First of all, you can get up and walk around. Second, you get to lay perfectly flat which I feel is of great benefit when trying to sleep. Third, you get to bring as much food and drink as you like on board and there are no luggage restrictions. This last point is important because, when you're going to be on a train for 10 hours (or sometimes much, much longer), it is a good idea to have lots of food. With a train, you get to choose what food you want, buy it at inexpensive prices and enjoy it at your leisure. For example, Angel really likes to eat chicken wings.

Anyway, after our overnight train ride we arrived in Shenyang and my dear fellow Maryknoll teacher Patrick was waiting at the train station for us. At 7 am. In the morning. THAT is what I call good hospitality! I only had three days in Shenyang, so I tried my best to make the most of it.

The first day was spent walking around in the freezing cold (-20 degrees C for most of our trip) and seeing some of downtown Shenyang. Later in the day, we had a mean game of Scrabble that made me long for my game-playing days. I wish I could find more people in China who like to play board games. Anyway, after Scrabble we went out for Korean BBQ. Shenyang is just over 350 km away from Korea and there is a very large Korean population in the city.

The next morning I was rearing to go because Patrick's lovely girlfriend Taylor had agreed to take me to play ping pong. She is something of a ping pong expert and has played competitively for many years. Given that my idea of ping pong usually involves someone's basement and watching TV at the same time, I was excited and just a tiny bit nervous. It turns out I had nothing to be afraid of. Taylor was very kind and only hit the ball at me really hard twice and she actually proved to be an excellent teacher. We played for FIVE HOURS and, believe it or not, by the end of the afternoon I understood see why Chinese people consider ping pong a sport. One final thing. When judging my terrible choice of clothing, keep in mind that none of the buildings have any heat and it was twenty degrees below zero.

Overall, I had a great time hanging out with the girls in Shenyang. Even when it started to snow and the streets got terrible and mucky, I was very glad to be there with some excellent ladies.

After being schooled in ping pong, I decided that maybe some more sports were called for. Several more foreign friends were gathered together and we all went out bowling. It turns out that I am still a very mediocre bowler. Nonetheless, I loved it! I even won a free game for bowling a 111. I promise I wasn't as sleepy as I looked in this picture. >.< On the day of our departure, we packed our bags and dragged them out into the slush-covered streets to try to get a cab to take us to the airport shuttle bus stop. We were hailing taxis for over half an hour. Finally I devised a plan. I stepped out in front of the next available cab and refused to move while Angel made desperate pleas and explained that we were going to miss our flight if we didn't get a ride. The plan worked and, though we were verbally abused by the driver through the whole trip, we finally got to the airport shuttle and made it to the airport on time. During our crazy cab ride in the snow, I came across this scene. As I mention above, things are different in China. In America, if the road is covered with snow and ice, people usually move out of the way to let the snow plow through. In China, people see this as an opportunity to cut in front of a snow plow because they are a slow-moving vehicle. Thus, you are left with situations like the one pictured here. Just to be clear, cars in China drive on the right, just like in America. You may not be able to tell, given how many people in this picture are driving on the wrong side of the road, which is not at all uncommon. Ah, the beautiful chaos that is China.

At the end of the day, we made it to our plane, which eventually got off the ground, and they even served us food. As you can see, they were gracious hosts and were quite happy to have us on board.

I had one more leg of my journey from Guangzhou into Hong Kong, but since I arrived I've been able to enjoy the beautiful, sunny weather.

I've been lucky enough to meet some new friends.

And I've just been having a generally good time.

I would also like to take this opportunity to really thank the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers for being such amazing hosts to those of us volunteering to teach in China. We stay in their house when we visit Hong Kong during vacations and breaks and it is so comforting to know that when we get burned out or frustrated or even just need to be able to eat some American cereal that doesn't have meat or seafood in it, we always have a place where they will welcome us with warmth and empathy since they have all served in China and know what we are going through. Thank you Maryknoll!

Blog Week #6: Can You Speak Beijinglish?

2010-02-12T19:39:00.023-06:00

When traveling, sometimes you come across a funny sign or picture and you feel like you just have to take a quick picture and share the humorous moment with friends and family. I'm not sure if you will think these are amusing, but while in Beijing I found myself reaching for my camera several times.

Ah yes. Other Meat. In China, when someone asks if you want "enter type of meat here" to eat, it is important to specify that you want 'rou', which means muscle. As you can see, every part of an animal is put to use as food, so I highly recommend being very clear on which part you want to eat.

While visiting the Forbidden City, I saw many interesting notices, but this was probably my favorite. The thing that I found most confusing was trying to determine their motivation in putting up signs like this when they just caused more people to gather around the indicated 'relic' to see why they shouldn't be touching it. It was like accidental reverse psychology.

This shop is set up opposite Tiananmen Square. Their goal? To sell as much Intangible Cultural Heritage as possible. That leads to the question...How can one sell something intangible? Also, why are people willing to buy it?

Anyway, enough with trying to answer life's big questions. Let's move on to the Forbidden City.

I don't really know what to say about this ancient palace. I can tell you that even though I am really against the idea of cheapening important landmarks and the negative impacts of globalization, I was wishing with all my heart that they still had a Starbucks within the City walls. I don't even drink coffee, but it was so cold and miserable outside that I probably would have been willing to pay the almost $5 for a cup of hot chocolate. As you can see on the right, the moat that surrounds entire Forbidden City compound was frozen over.

The Forbidden City is about 2.6 million square feet (half the size of the Mall of America, for you Minnesotans) and I cannot count how many really interesting and intricate statues and figures I came across in that massive space.

There are a multitude of feng shui arrangements of beautiful ancient cypress and gorgeous natural rock throughout the City enclosure and it was actually pretty easy to imagine what life must have been like for the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

One of the last tourist attractions I visited was Tiananmen Square. I went to the Square by myself and, honestly, I found the trip very solemn. The area is absolutely huge and as a result, even though there were hundreds of people around, I felt very much alone. It is a bit hard to describe, but I would certainly recommend that any person touring China stop by the Square. Ironically, the security checks to enter the streets and areas around Tiananmen was some of the tightest I'd seen in China.

Most of the rest of my time in Beijing was spent eating, sleeping, shopping and hanging out with my new pals.

As some of you may know, I love hats. I LOVE hats. Alot. A huge amount. While shopping at this amazing discount market under (literally under the city) Beijing, I turned a corner and was suddenly confronted by this huge wall of hats. So many kinds. So many colors. So many choices! Luckily, Angel was ready with the camera and also ready to restrain me from reaching for my wallet. Before we even entered the market I had told her not to let me buy more than a maximum of two hats.

In the end, I only bought one. I love Totoro! I have a giant stuffed Totoro back home and I often find myself wishing I had brought it along to China...which is completely impractical considering that it is nearly 3' tall. Ah well. If wishes were fishes, as they say.

As I mentioned above, I also spent alot of my time in Beijing eating. One of my favorite food-related experiences was eating at Xinjiang restaurant. Xinjiang is a province in China where a primarily Muslim ethnic minority of Chinese people live and they have their own amazing culinary delights.

Among these delights are deliciously spiced lamb kebabs, oven-baked flat bread sprinkled with onions and butter, and hand-stretched and cut noodles in wonderfully flavorful sauces. Mmm. So tasty.

Well, that's all for today. Tomorrow is the last day of Blog Week, so be sure to leave your comments if you feel the urge. Thanks to everyone who has sent their encouragement and I'll post again tomorrow!

Blog Week #5: Beijing Bombs then Bounces Back

2010-02-11T21:20:00.011-06:00

Hostels. My philosophy of hostels is that you win some and you lose some. My first night in Beijing was definitely a loss.

I guess it was time for some good luck in my life, though. A former Maryknoll teacher is living in Beijing and, though I had never met him, I had his phone number. I gave him a call to see if he could meet up for lunch sometime while I was in Beijing and his response was to immediately insist that Angel and I stay with him for the rest of our time in the city. He would not take no for an answer so we spent an excellent 5 days having a significantly more authentic and definitely better informed time in Beijing.

The first and most important thing I wanted to do while in Beijing was to go out to the Great Wall. As you can see, I succeeded.

The weather was very cloudy the day of my visit, so most of my pictures are not particularly excellent. It was snowing lightly the entire time I was on The Wall and, though it made the going pretty treacherous, the overall feeling it induced was worth it.

And my camera battery has just died. That means I cannot upload any more pictures right now and will have to charge the battery overnight. Well, I can guarantee more about Beijing tomorrow including several more interesting signs and objects and also probably a bit about The Forbidden City.

See you tomorrow!

Blog Week #4.5: A Greeting From the Great Wall

2010-02-11T01:02:00.003-06:00

Blog Week #4: Dynasties

2010-02-10T21:05:00.026-06:00

To get to the main roads of Xi'an from my hostel I had to pass right in front of the Chinqiang Great Theatre. After the first couple of days I decided to stop by the ticket office to see what was being performed. It turns out a Shaanxi Opera about the Tang Dynasty was in the middle of its four-week run.

While I had only a small interest in seeing the performance, my travel partner, Angel, is in love with the Tang Dynasty and insisted that we attend this show. When I pressed her for the reason behind her interest she admitted that it was because the Tang Dynasty is the period of Chinese history with the best costumes. I'm not sure if that's enough of a reason to sit through a Chinese opera, but the costumes were definitely elaborate and varied.

Another very famous Xi'an attraction is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. I'm of the opinion that, if you've seen one pagoda, you've kind of seen them all, however, it was fantastic to visit the area surrounding the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The structure has a huge open square to one side covering several city blocks where old people like to walk with their grandchildren and many native people living in Xi'an visit to get their exercise.

The opposite side abuts a road. The two remaining sides consist of a giant park area that is sprinkled through with items of cultural interest and interesting structures.

I felt that the best section by far was the park area. Every time I met a curve in one of the paths through the park I came across some new amazing installation...for example, these giant reproductions of historic opera masks.

Another surprise that I found fascinating was a specific kind of tree that grows in the Pagoda Park. As you can see, it looks amazingly like camouflage. It made me wish that the Chinese Army didn't have such a strict rule against taking pictures of its personnel. I REALLY wanted a picture of a guy in camo next to the tree...in camo.

That's right people, I have moved to the video age. One thing I wanted to share about Xi'an is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda Musical Fountain. As I mentioned in my previous post, it is the largest fountain in Asia and every night at 8:30 pm they have a free coordinated music, lights and water show. My clip is incredibly short and elementary, but hopefully it gives you an idea of the experience. The friend I was traveling with kept describing it as "romantic" and I had to explain to her that being by yourself or with a girlfriend someplace romantic is not normally considered a good thing. Nonetheless, it was well worth going to, even with the cold, and especially since it was free!

Xi'an was a city full of hilarious signs in English...or at least in Near English. I kept coming across signs and giggling, much to the confusion of my travel companion and the various other Chinese people in the area.

Possibly the best part of visiting Xi'an was getting to stop by and see the Cathedral and visit Fr. Stephen Chen, the Director of the Catholic Social Service Center in Xi'an. Fr. Stephen works directly for the Bishop and oversees all of the social service programs in Xi'an. He generously agreed to meet with me and we discussed the needs of the people in Shaanxi province, both urban and rural. It was an amazing experience because the idea of 'social service' is a fairly new one in China. Also, we were both schooled in the Buckeye State. It turns out he went to seminary just up the street from Ohio State University. (O-H!)

The church itself is wonderful. This building is about 150 years old, but there has been a church on this site for over 400 years. Xi'an is actually an amazing part of the history of Christianity in China. The discovery of the Nestorian Stele in 1635 proved that there have been native Chinese christian communities since 635 AD. During the cultural revolution the entrance to the courtyard was walled up and the parish offices were turned into a clock factory. Also on the cathedral grounds is a convent whose members number around 280 nuns. They serve in various capacities, but many of them run the over 80 rural clinics funded and staffed by the diocese. During my visit, Fr. Stephen and a young lady who helps him with the social service programs showed me a power point presentation explaining the work they do and it was touching to see people so anxious to help those around them. I could go on for hours about all the things we discussed and all the excellent information they were able to give me, so I'll stop there.

It looks like I didn't get to any information about Beijing today, so I'll have to start with Beijing during tomorrow's blog post! Thanks for reading everybody!

Blog Week #3: Eating in the North and the Terra Cotta Warriors

2010-02-10T00:22:00.021-06:00

As I mentioned in my last blog, China is not always what's expected. The Terra Cotta Warriors were no exception. I think that any person going to Xi'an should probably stop by and see the Terra Cotta Warriors, but it is best not to have very high expectations.

The goal of this facility, in my opinion, is to accommodate as many tourists as possible in order to make as much money as possible. To that end, they have very little information available about the different figures unless you hire a guide which, for foreigners, costs around 100RMB in addition to the relatively high admission fee. If you were to take an average of 10 pictures in each building and read every single piece of information available in English you could probably be in and out of this enormous complex in under an hour.

The other thing that I had a hard time accepting (keep in mind this is probably due to my own naivete and ignorance) was that every thing I was seeing was reconstructed. When the statues are unearthed they are in dozens of pieces and then they are reassembled and touched up by professionals. So...I don't know. Everything just seemed very fake and manipulated to me.

Instead, I would recommend going to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. Admission is free and they have AMAZING exhibits about nearly everything related to ancient China. In any given museum in the States, or even in Europe, you would expect to see artifacts that are several hundred years old. The Shaanxi Museum has amazing pieces dating back literally THOUSANDS of years.

We are talking about three floors of professionally displayed miracles of human construction. I cannot tell you how many times I was looking at a hugely impressive piece of bronze craft or ceramic and then saw that the creation date was 300 BC or something. This dog figure was probably my favorite piece in the museum. For some reason it reminds me of an old friend sharing a laugh.

The entire facility was incredibly impressive and I felt I had cheated myself by spending an entire day at the Terra Cotta Warriors and only leaving a few, last-minute hours for the Museum.

Anyway, as promised, allow me to reveal some of the culinary delights offered by northern China. The diet of the northern Chinese is surprisingly different from people in the south. In America, we tend not to have such a large discrepancy between regions because we ship food all over the country, regardless of the season. In the north of China, the food that is eaten in the winter is the food that is available. For instance, there are very few vegetables and the ones that are used are most often somewhat bitter plants that are considered 'healthy' and still grow during the harsh cold or root vegetables that can be stored for a long time.

Another big difference between the cuisines of north and south China involves the use of wheat over rice. In southern China, rice is an integral part of almost every meal whereas in the north, wheat is much more common and even prevalent. For instance, these steamed buns are made of a dough that is filled with a stuffing, in this case rice noodles, tofu and a sour green vegetable, and then steam cooked.

Another good example of the prevalence of wheat is in the types of noodles that are famous in these areas. The type pictured here is called 'liang pi' which means "cold skin". I've learned the hard way that people in China are not put off by unappetizing names. These noodles get their name from the fact that a) they are served cold and b) they are wide, flat and white and look like dead skin. That said, they are actually quite delicious.

Though wheat is much more common in the north, it's still China. Rice was available at most restaurants and even rice noodles made an occasional appearance. This is a very popular northern dish consisting of clear rice noodles in spicy soup. Trust me, if you have been out in the cold all day and then go into an equally cold restaurant with no heater, this soup tastes about as good as anything you've ever had. Plus, it has peanuts in it, which is the key to a great Chinese soup in my mind.

As you can see, I like soup with rice noodles.

Possibly one of the best things about getting sustenance in the north is their interesting method of warming the body. Because it is so cold, the last thing you want to do is have a cold drink. The shopkeepers, in their infinite wisdom, take a selection of bottled drinks and keep them in a crock pot full of warmed water. It's your favorite drink, such as the delicious milk tea with honey pictured on the left, except fantastically warm in your tummy!

One thing famous food that I did not try was the skewers of octopus tentacles. Angel absolutely loved them and we went back almost every day. Something about they way she said "They're so fresh. Mmm." just was not appetizing.

Ok, that's alot for today and I'm still not even through my pictures of Xi'an! Tomorrow I'll try to finish up China's ancient capital and move on to the current capital, Beijing.

Blog Week #2: Xi'an Continues

2010-02-08T21:40:00.015-06:00

One thing I noticed about my time in the north was how different the experience of riding a bus could be. I ride the bus as one of my only means of transportation when I'm in Zhanjiang in southern China. The buses there are relatively comfortable. They are usually air conditioned (with varying degrees of success) and they have many seats with only some standing room. The buses in the north are not heated at all and have very few seats. I was confused by the lack of seats at first, but after riding a few dozen buses I realized that, while in the south people will often walk to their destination, in the north people ride the bus, even for just a short trip because of the extreme cold. That meant that most of the buses were incredibly packed. This photo was taken during one of the only times during my whole trip that there was actually room to get a shot.

Another interesting difference is the driving style of both bus and taxi drivers in the north. I can't tell you how many times drivers in every city I visited had to SLAM on their brakes. In the south, I would say the drivers are pretty crazy but the drivers in the north would have to be categorized as maniacs. This picture was taken after the picture above just as the driver swerved and braked almost to a stop. While it was taken, I was trying to stand back up after careening across most of the bus. Overall, I'd say it's alot more fun but also probably more dangerous to travel in the north.

After surviving my bus journey, I arrived at the main train station in Xi'an which is located just outside the City Wall. Xi'an has the largest intact city wall in China. It surrounds the entirety of what was the ancient city of Xi'an. It is really impressive to see a structure that must have taken a huge amount of dedicated work to complete. The base of the wall is 18 meters thick and the wall forms a rectangle whose perimeter is almost 14 kilometers long. If I had been able to spend more time in Xi'an I would have loved to have walked around the entire wall. The lookout towers and gate guard towers are really an amazing sight.

Xi'an is most famous for being the home of China's second most popular ancient tourist attraction, the Terra Cotta Warriors. The dig sites are located amongst a huge complex of buildings dedicated to explaining this portion of ancient Chinese history.

The thing I've learned again and again in China is that sometimes things are not what you expect. It's all well and good to plan to go visit lots of attractions in a city like Xi'an, but you have to take certain things into consideration. For example, even though the location of the Terra Cotta Warriors is visited each year by millions of people, they still do not have any heating or air conditioning in the buildings. If you were thinking that I must have put on a little weight, you are right. Granted, it's in the form of three pairs of pants, two t-shirts, a long sleeved t-shirt, a sweater, a turtleneck and a hoodie...with gloves and scarf, of course.

In the Warriors Museum, outside of the actual excavation site but within the Terra Cotta Warriors complex, the government has set up several very interesting exhibits. One such installation was these two marionettes that were part of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony festivities. The larger marionette is over 22 feet tall and they are the largest working marionettes to have ever been created.

What I honestly found most interesting about my visit to the Terra Cotta Warriors complex were the many gorgeous carvings and the beautiful simplicity of alot of the architecture. What can I say? I really like stone and even concrete.

More tomorrow about the rest of my trip to Xi'an and I'll be sure to include some pictures of my favorite northern foods!

Blog Week #1: Heading North

2010-02-08T03:20:00.020-06:00

Alright. I have alot of blogging to do to catch everyone up with my travels over the past several weeks. As some of you may know, the Chinese (Lunar) New Year is fast approaching and I have been out of school for almost a month. I spent a bit of that time in Hong Kong and then headed up north to see some of China's most famous sights.

Ok, so a cute baby probably doesn't qualify as one of China's most famous sights, but still, it is something to see. You know how, when a baby is learning to walk, they usually don't get hurt because they fall on their diaper-padded behinds? Well, I feel like Chinese babies could fall ANYWHERE on their bodies and be fine. The funny thing about this picture is that the baby is wearing these clothes inside the house. That's right. This is not outdoor clothing, but rather the lighter indoor wear.

This is what the baby looks like when she is out of the stroller and can finally relax her arms.

Anyway, this young butterball belongs to the very generous couple who volunteered to let me and my fellow teacher Angel spend the night at their apartment in Guangzhou before we headed north.

Our first stop was Xi'an, the former capital of China and, in my opinion, an absolute MUST to visit for any person interested in Chinese history, architecture, or cool stuff to see.

While in Xi'an (pronounced she-on) we stayed at the Han Tang Inn. It was amazing. Honestly, it was the best hostel I've ever stayed in and the cost was about $7.30 per night for each person staying in a twin room with a private bath. I know that sounds like an advertisement, but if you've ever stayed in hostels, you know that it can sometimes be a gamble. Luckily, this gamble paid off.

One of the best things about the hostel was it's location. About 10 minutes away by foot was one of Xi'an's most famous sights, the Bell Tower. The Bell Tower is both of historic interest and an excellent example of cool-looking Chinese buildings. Also, there's a giant bell inside.

On a similarly musical note (pun intended), the Drum Tower is only a short walk away from the Bell Tower and is of a similar construction. It is easy to tell them apart, though, because the Drum Tower is the one with the enormous drums around the outside of the entire first floor.

Xi'an is the kind of city where you can't throw a rock without hitting something famous and of historical importance and then there's also the probability that the rock you just threw was actually a piece of something else famous and of historical importance.

For example, after leaving the Drum Tower I went looking for Xi'an's famous Cuisine Street to get a bite to eat. Instead, I happened upon this enormous mosque which is an interesting combination of the usual Muslim arrangement and ancient Chinese styles. Luckily, the Cuisine Street was right around the corner and, because of the Mongolian and Muslim-Chinese influences in the area, I was able to get some delicious spicy lamb steamed buns! So tasty!

After some quick food I had to check out the many items available in one of Xi'an's most famous markets. They sell everything from fleece-lined gloves (which I needed badly...it was freezing!) to combs made from the horns of water buffalo. Since this was the first stop on my trip, I restrained myself and didn't buy much because I knew I would have to lug it around the rest of northern China.

More tomorrow about the lovely city of Xi'an!

Pictures Pronto!

2010-01-29T23:27:00.008-06:00

I have about 13 minutes of internet freedom before I leave for Beijing. I will post as many pictures as I can!

Buying cotton candy is super fun!

Almost as much fun as trying to figure out how to eat it.

Finding out that your cotton candy is all gone, however, is no fun at all.

I am sitting on the lap of a famous Chinese fortune teller. He seems rather contented with the situation, but that could be because his lap is made of bronze.

Alright. I don't have time for anymore because this connection is too slow. More later from Beijing!

Bad Feet, Goose Pagodas and Waterworks

2010-01-29T08:46:00.000-06:00

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that I was able to visit Asia's largest fountain today and witness a pretty spectacular (and free) music and water show...in freezing temperatures, granted, but it was still well worth it. The bad news is that I never got to Hua Shan, a Holy Mountain of China, because I seem to have somehow sprained my ankle. I honestly have no idea how it happened. Two days ago I realized I had a twinge in my foot and about an hour later I noticed that I was limping pretty badly. Since then I've been visiting lots of historic sites and walking almost constantly which, in hindsight, may not have been the best idea. Tomorrow I leave Xi'an for Beijing so I'll be spending most of the day in an airplane, which should be restful for my foot. At least the parts where I'm not rushing for a cab, hauling around my suitcase that has one broken wheel and carrying it up and down the stairs to and from my room, loading luggage onto the airport bus and trying to find my terminal will be restful.

But enough about my foot, let's talk about the fountain! Alot of the time "historic sites" in China get over-hyped and can leave a person disappointed, but this fountain is honest to goodness HUGE. I definitely believe it to be Asia's largest. Every night at 8:30 pm they have a 20 minute presentation of choreographed music, lights and water. Granted, we were told the program started at 8 pm so we stood in the 30 degree weather for almost an hour waiting, but I'm glad we stuck around. The fountain is located in the square to the front of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in southern Xi'an and the park area around the square is a great place to walk, hang out, exercise or just watch Chinese grandparents out walking with their grandchildren.

To top off a pretty good day, I had Subway for dinner. I would say that Subway cookies are delicious by American standards which pretty much means that for a person who has been in China for six months and not had any decent baked goods they are PIECES OF HEAVEN delivered down to us mere mortals by some benevolent force. I would have paid nearly any price to have them for my very own, but at 6 cookies for the equivalent of $2.20 I felt myself both lucky and thrifty, my favorite combination!

Warriors, Walls and a Whole Lot of Spice

2010-01-26T23:03:00.001-06:00

I'm writing this post from a very slow and only partially functional hostel computer, so I'm afraid I am not able to upload any of my many and awesome pictures just yet, but never fear! I will do my best to get pictures up on this site as soon as possible next week.

After leaving Hong Kong on Jan. 24th I went to Guangzhou to spend a short night and catch an early flight into Xi'an in north central China. This city is famous for being a treasure trove of historical antiques and amazing architecture. I have not been disappointed on either account.

On my first day here I checked into my hostel. Now, for those of you who have never before had the chance to stay in a hostel, allow me to elaborate. I always consider booking a hostel to be akin to roulette. You're never really sure of what you're going to get. I cannot tell you, therefore, how incredibly lucky I feel to have found the Han Tang Inn. Everything about this hostel is awesome. The people are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and every single staff member speaks English (with the exception of their very friendly and totally non-English-speaking cook). Also, they have western-style bathrooms and beds which I appreciate oh so much.

After checking into the hostel, I went out to explore the Muslim quarter of the city. They have several mosques built in Chinese style which is a very interesting thing to see. This area is right by several other huge attractions of the city including the Bell Tower, Drum Tower and Cuisine Street. After alot of looking around and a little bit of shopping I stopped in at one of the small restaurants on Cuisine Street to have some northern steamed buns called baozi (pronounced bow tse). Now, I eat baozi for breakfast nearly every morning in Zhanjiang, but the buns in the north are quite different. It's hard to explain exactly how they are different, but the taste is not the same. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my dinner very much and was surprised to find that many of the flavors used in this northern and somewhat Muslim-influenced city are similar to those in Middle Eastern food, which I love very, very much.

After a night of much-needed rest I headed out yesterday to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, Xi'an's most famous attraction. In some ways it was more impressive than I expected and in others, much less so. Let me just say here that, as in most places, the buildings are not climate-controlled so it was approximately 20 degrees inside of the buildings where the Warriors are located. I think that was the coldest I've ever been while inside a building.

After coming back to the city center last night I had some amazing rice noodles in spicy soup. I am really loving all of the spicy food and varieties of flavors, though I do think that MSG is much more commonly used and in much greater quantities here than in the south. Nearly everything I eat here is very salty and I've had a slight headache after eating almost every meal. I've memorized the Chinese word for MSG so I'm going to ask next time around if they can leave that out. I don't know if it will help at all given my experience at lunch today. I was having a local specialty called Liang Pi Noodles (literally "cold skin noodles" because the noodles are very wide, white, and served cold) and I asked for the noodles to be served just 'a little spicy'. They came out with literally three table spoons of hot red pepper on the top, so I'll let you know how my quest for less MSG works out.

Tomorrow I hope to visit Hua Shan (Flower Mountain) which is one of China's 5 Holy Mountains, so wish me luck! I'm looking forward to a good time hiking, so hopefully the weather is neither too cold or, heaven forbid, rainy.

That's all for now and I look forward to being able to upload some pictures!

The Others

2010-01-23T06:50:00.009-06:00

There are many opportunities to teach in China, and not always in a classroom. These are some of my favorite girls in Zhanjiang. They let me feel like a teacher even though I'm pretty sure that most of the time they are schooling me.

:D

I wanted to be sure to give you two poses so you could chose your favorite.

Zhanjiang Doings

2010-01-23T05:51:00.015-06:00

Granted, I'm in Hong Kong at the moment, but I wanted to post about some of the things I was doing in Zhanjiang before I left.

We were very lucky because the brother of one of the other teachers at my school came to visit China. It's always nice to see new faces and this was definitely no exception. We wanted to welcome him, so we told him we would all go to dinner at any place of his choosing. His choice? I'll give you one guess. That's right, McDonald's. You can see Alex, the honored guest, making a rookie China Visitor mistake. He has asked Angel, our friend and fellow teacher, to interpret the nutritional and ingredient information on the side of the Big Mac box. Trust me, you never, never want to know what's in the food. Just eat it and be happy. That's true for both food in China and food at McDonald's in general.

That said, as you can see, everything worked out just fine and everyone left happy and full. This was the first time I'd eaten a meal at McDonald's in Zhanjiang, so I was glad to have the experience. It's good to know that McDonald's cheeseburgers are the same throughout the world...even in China (which is, admittedly, part of the world).

Speaking of eating, I got this great picture while we were at Jack's. I'd say this just about sums up the evening. Joe being a Strong American, Alex being tall and Debbie looking just like her brother...or rather, him looking like her. One or the other.

Another event of some note was what I supposed to be the final day of my tiny space heater. The weather in Zhanjiang only gets down to the 40s, but when you have no insulation, windows that are not fitted to the walls, buildings made entirely of concrete, extremely high humidity and no heating, 40 degrees can feel really, really cold. Imagine yourself outside when the temperature is 40 degrees and then imagine going inside where it's actually COLDER because the concrete has absorbed the chill and your walls are running with condensation that is puddling on the ground. Yes my friends, that is winter in southern China. Thus, the breakdown of my little space heater was quite a tragic event for me. I called the school liaison in the hopes of getting the maintenance person to take a look, but she never got back to me.

I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I know. It's amazing that something so small can create so many sparks and so much electrical-fire smoke. Nonetheless, that was the case. After some diagnostic testing (which I won't describe in detail because I'm pretty sure that would void my ability to be personally insured), I determined the problem was with the "safety" button on the bottom which causes the unit to switch off in the case of tilt or overturning. This is meant to prevent fires, which is funny considering the only danger of fire was coming from inside the unit.

From the first time I used the heater this safety switch was broken and it wouldn't work unless I piled flat objects under the button to be sure it was fully depressed. At this point, though, even that was failing to turn it on. After some searching, I found the problem.

Now, this may be difficult to see from the pictures, but the contact for the orange wire is supposed to look the same as the one for the red wire. However, the plastic around the orange wire had completely melted, shorting out the connection. How could this possibly have happened!? Well, my guess would be that it had something to do with the pieces of coat hanger and duct tape that I found inside the heater from the last time the maintenance man came to fix it.

This is where China swoops in for the win. In America we would have said "Oh well. Time for a new heater." and gone to the store to buy another $4 heater. Not in China. No sir. The maintenance man spent half an hour rigging some kind of safety button bypass and then proudly handed me back a working and only barely sparky heating unit. China may have a serious problem with littering, but they still don't generate nearly the amount of heavy trash that we do in the States because of this kind of "repair and reuse" mentality. If I don't die in a terrible fire, then hopefully this instance will serve as a good lesson to all of us about making do longer with less.

Lamest Story Ever, But Still True

2010-01-19T03:53:00.004-06:00

While looking out the window on a bus today I saw two giant hawks fighting in the sky.

Finally, one flew up and out of contact range while dropping something from it's talons.

The other hawk swooped in victorious and plucked what turned out to be a snake dropped by the first hawk clean out of mid-air and flew away.

Ancient hunters playing out an ancient battle directly over my destination, CyberPort.

Make of that what you will.

What Not to Eat

2010-01-17T21:10:00.010-06:00

Yes, it's that time again. Time to discuss things not to eat in China.

I have been here long enough that your common, everyday gross foods no longer have any effect on me. Skewer of pork lung? Nah, I'll pass thanks. Stretched duck neck? Hmm, maybe later. Spicy chicken claw? No, that's ok.

Here are just a couple of the foods that still manage to get a rise out of me, one way or another.

BRAIN
What can I say? It just grosses me out. The thing about brain is that...it always looks like brain. That's the same reason I can't bring myself to eat dog. It is a 'specialty' of the city where I live and I haven't taken any pictures because I'm afraid people might be offended. It isn't that I'm necessarily against the eating of dog, it's that they take a puppy and cut it in fourths and you can still see their little paws all curled up under their roasted bodies. The thing about eating brain that makes me laugh is WHY people eat it. People in China eat brain because they think it will make them smarter, more alert or just generally more mentally capable. This is a portion of pork brain, but what's really a delicacy and highly valued is the eating of monkey brains. It's illegal in China to eat monkey brains, but it is still commonly done and is a very lucrative industry. The terrible part about the practice is that they believe that fresher is better so they often pour boiling oil into the opened skull of a live monkey. It's very cruel and I try not to think about it. Now, I thought I remembered hearing someplace that you can get kuru from eating monkey brains. I did some research and it turns out that I'm right. Not only can you get kuru, a horrible and deadly disease, but many other prion diseases as well. The thing about prion diseases is that they are all bad and they all end in a miserable death. Overall, stay away from the brains. Brains are for thinking, not for eating.

Also, I hear brain tastes horrible.

Ah yes. Look how happy I am. This cake was given to me by a Korean couple who I helped with some translation. It was very good experience so I didn't expect them to repay me with this generous cake and I was delighted to receive it. A former Maryknoll teacher told me something this summer and I should have paid more attention. His words? "Nothing good comes from Chinese baked goods." Well, he has proven himself correct time and time again. There have been rare exceptions, but I can't tell you how badly disappointed a person can feel when biting into a delicious-looking food expecting one thing what what you get is something very, very different.

CHOCOLATE
The rule in China is that "If it looks like chocolate, it isn't chocolate." At the center the cake was a delicious fudge core. I was so excited! I was sharing the cake with four friends so we would each have 1/4th of this delightful cake and amazing chocolaty treat. Why have I not learned!? I've been in China half a year at this point! What I thought was chocolate turned out to be puree of sour prunes. Yes, that's right. Sour prunes. Not only was it not chocolate, but the incredibly sour and undesirable flavor made it nearly unbearable to even eat the rest of the cake. I've learned my lesson and I think from this point on I'll only eat something if I know for a fact what's inside. Sometimes, it's a sad, sad, sad, sad world.

Other times, though, the world can be just fine. At one of my very favorite restaurants, which we call Jack's, the owner's step-mother was celebrating a birthday and we were invited. Now, THIS is what a cake should be.

Not only was the cake comprised of three layers of amazing cakey goodness, but there was chocolate ice cream inside! Jack, the owner of the restaurant, had his employees make the cake for the party. THAT is how you make a cake!

Besides the delicious goodies to eat, though, a very fun time was had by all. The Chinese very much enjoy birthday candles, but they use a type that are completely different from our Western ones. They are long, thin and incredibly drippy. Also, they are one use and one use only type candles. It is always a rush to see if a group of people can get all the candles lit before one breaks in half and melts the cake or burns all the way down. It's like an unexpected party game!

The other fun tradition of Chinese birthdays is dabbing a bit of frosting on the face of the birthday girl or boy. Given that there were Westerners around, of course things got a bit out of hand, but I'd still say everyone enjoyed themselves.

Bookstore Defeat

2010-01-16T05:58:00.006-06:00

I decided that today would be a great day to do some browsing at Hong Kong's two used bookstores.

I started out at the one I'd been to before, Flow. This is located in Hong Kong's Mid-Level area near SoHo. I think a person who has lived in Hong Kong for years could still get lost in that part of town. Anyway, after getting off at the right landing of the escalators, finding my way down to the street level, navigating around the hundreds of milling people and getting on to the right street I then had to find my way to the tiny space between doors that leads to the staircase which leads to the almost-unmarked door of Flow. Once inside, the journey has only begun, let me tell you. As you can see here, Flow is absolutely jam-packed with thousands and thousands of books. There is barely any order to this chaos, so you have to come with some time on your hands. They have labels on several of the shelves saying things like "History" or "Pregnancy" but those are just general guidelines to let you know there are probably some books on those topics in the vicinity. Considering the whole shop measures about 10'x20', everything is pretty much in the vicinity. Anyway, after about an hour spent navigating around stacks of books and other shoppers, I didn't actually find any of the books I was looking for or anything else that proved too tempting to pass up.

Thus, I left Flow with nothing and proceeded to attempt to find the subway so I could get to my next stop, the Wan Chai area of Hong Kong. Before leaving the Maryknoll House in Stanley I had written myself directions to The Book Attic. That may sound silly, but you would be amazed how really, really confusing Hong Kong can be. For example, if you take one subway route all the way to one end you get out at Chai Wan, but if you aren't paying attention you might get off at Wan Chai...on the same line but many, many miles from where you're headed. Anyway, miracle of miracles, my directions proved excellent and I got there with no problems at all. As soon as I opened the door I knew I was in for an experience not at all like Flow. The stairs here were clean and did not have stacks of books piled to the ceilings. I proceeded upstairs and was stunned. It looked like someone's personal collection. I could tell that each and every book had been lovingly arranged. The person tending the store turned out to be Jennifer, the owner. She and I had a lengthy discussion on the business of books and her passion for the subject was impossible to miss. She had considered opening her store in China but didn't want to run the risk that she would accidentally carry a banned book and be jailed or worse. In the end, she decided to open her shop in Wan Chai and I'm glad she did. There was one sad and insurmountable hurdle, though. As you can see from her online catalog of books (yes, she lists every book she has online), she only has about 2,500 volumes. The Book Attic is beautiful and clean and very welcoming, but I think a big part of that is due to the fact that there just aren't enough books. Still, in the end I bought a book I had some small interest in reading mainly to encourage Jennifer's efforts and show my appreciation for her lovely shop. If only she could work out an arrangement with Flow to buy some of their mountains of excess books sitting outside in the elements waiting to be ruined. Alas.

Anyway, at the end of the day I have one book to show for my troubles but given how amazing the weather was all day today, I think I definitely came out ahead.

A Very Christmas Contrast

2010-01-04T09:54:00.013-06:00

Wow! My first post of 2010. I hope everyone had an excellent Christmas and a great New Year.

As I believe I mentioned before, I spent Christmas in Hong Kong. I took an overnight bus into Shenzhen, China and then I took the subway to the boarder between China and Hong Kong and then the Hong Kong metro (MTR) into the center of town to catch the bus out to Stanley, Hong Kong where the Maryknoll house is located. The total trip time is just under 12 hours. If you are thinking "That seems like alot of trouble to go through for just under 3 days in Hong Kong." Well, that is true, especially given that I had to leave at 7 am on Sunday morning, but let me explain. Better yet, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Christmas in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China

One of the hundreds of Christmas displays and festivities in Hong Kong

Sometimes you just have to be around some Christmas spirit, you know?

I traveled for part of the time with my good friend and fellow teacher Angel. She is a shopper and she loves to analyze the "atmosphere" of a place. It seems that Hong Kong has great atmosphere, so now you know. Angel had an excellent time in Hong Kong and I'd have to agree with her. It was a very fun time. One of the main reasons I went to Hong Kong was in order to attend a church service in English. They have a church in Zhanjiang but the services are all conducted in Cantonese. It was comforting, enriching and just wonderfully familiar to be able to go to church on Christmas Eve and feel like part of a community. I enjoy living in Zhanjiang very much, but sometimes it is difficult to establish a group-type feeling because there are just so many obstacles to relationship including language, culture, habit, behavior and background.

After church I went with a few friends to a small party hosted by a fellow Maryknoller. We had many of my favorite Christmas snacks and it was really nice to sit around and chat. That is something that I never do in Zhanjiang and it was the best present I received for Christmas, by far.

The second-best gift was a reminder of Christmas in the States. My nephew is 20 months old and this is his first "fully coherent" Christmas. Luckily my brother and his wife made full use of their camera and were able to send me an awesome reminder of the importance of family over the holidays.

Happy New Year everybody!

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Field!

2009-12-28T06:57:00.011-06:00

The great American sport of baseball has officially been brought to Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China. Well, actually, the great American sport of baseball was officially brought to Zhanjiang by another foreign teacher last year. Still, I spent the Saturday before Christmas playing pickup baseball with a very enthusiastic group of girls.

I don't actually have any pictures of the game itself because I was an active participant. This experience was a great reminder of how many things there are out in the world that are completely unfamiliar. For example, can you imagine having NO idea how to hold a baseball bat or what you are supposed to do with it? When one of my students asked what she should do with "it" as she held the bat in front of her like a handbag I probably had a look on my face similar to the look a Chinese person gets when I explain to them that I can't shell, de-head and de-leg a shrimp with a pair of chopsticks. You always hear the phrase 'different strokes for different folks,' but sometimes it's easy to forget that some strokes aren't just different, they're often not even in the same ballpark. Pun intended. ;-D

After almost two hours of baseball, the activities dissolved into a mess of picture-taking. It's amazing how often this happens. I don't think Chinese people can ever get enough pictures. One of my students' favorite poses is the "pretend-kiss" picture. They will keep taking this picture until the 'kissee' gets it right. The key to this is looking delighted at the prospect of the impending contact. Smiling is also acceptable, but not ideal.

It seems that after every sporting event my students like to see a display of strength or athleticism. For example, when I play basketball, then want to see from how far away I can make a basket. On this day, the interest was in how big a person I could lift. The largest student at the field was a boy weighing at least 3 kg less than me (that's ~6.6 lbs., for those of us who don't speak metric). It was decided that I should do a test run first with this much lighter girl, Lorelai. After lifting her without so much as a grunt, the true test began.

First came the discussing of logistics and relative weights.

Then came the moment where I realized that a person shouldn't do everything an impressionable Chinese student tells them to...

And finally, success!

It wasn't baseball as I've known it before, but it was certainly alot more fun than many of the times I've played more organized ball in the States.

Picture Piper Picked Some Pictures

2009-12-21T05:08:00.011-06:00

Some pictures for you to enjoy. I know I haven't been able to blog every week, so I figure at least this way there will be interesting pictures to look at!

Yeah! Who's the best chicken? You're the best chicken!

Ruth and I in ZhongShan visiting Nick, another Maryknoll teacher

Yes, I was asked to be the honorary white person at their wedding. If only I were kidding. I think it might be considered lucky or a symbol of status or something to have a foreigner at your wedding.

Why do they only give each table half of the pig?I don't know. At least they split it long-ways so every table gets some delicious pig head.

This might be one of my favorite China moments of all time (so far). Keep in mind that this "cheese platter" was at the CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, a five-star establishment, during their Thanksgiving Dinner buffet. What is it about processed 'cheese' squares cut in half on crystal and marble that just seems wrong?

Christmas shopping in Zhanjiang. Actually, this is what shopping for almost anything looks like.

Forgive the sweater. I am freezing to death here (it's amazing how cold 52 degrees feels when you have no heaters, constantly high humidity and concrete floors and walls) and a friend lent me a very Chinese-type sweater.

I hope to post again before Christmas, but, just in case, I want to wish everyone MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Field Trip

2009-12-21T04:31:00.008-06:00

So, every semester the school is required by contract to take the foreign teachers on an 'outing'. That is an incredibly vague word and can often spell trouble, from what I hear about outings of years past. This semester, however, we went on a boat ride around Zhanjiang Harbor.

Zhanjiang is a major port city in southern China, so they have alot of ships coming in and out. Also, Zhanjiang is supposed to be the future home of an incredibly huge aircraft carrier. The most impressive and famous sight in the Harbor, though, is the Harbor Bridge.

Like most things in China, the boat tour was smoky, a bit polluted, longer than necessary and a tad nausea inducing, but I still had a good time.

Because Chikan, the part of Zhanjiang city where I live, is a 20 minute bus ride from the ocean, I often forget that I live near the sea. Also, this is not a "Let's go to the beach!" kind of area, but rather a posted NO SWIMMING AT RISK OF YOUR HEALTH kind of area, so it's not like I would visit the beach even if it was closer. Nonetheless, it was good to be out on the water. It's been entirely too long since I've been out in a boat and had that slightly windburned face feeling.

It is easy for me to think of Zhanjiang as a small town but the nearly constant construction proves that impression is not correct.

In case you're wondering, the statue in this picture depicts a famous Olympic diver who was from Zhanjiang.

One thing about this job is that you don't often have the opportunity to just sit back and think, so I believe that might be what I enjoyed most about the hour and a half I spent on the water. Well, that and watching the 100 or so people on the boat throwing their trash into the ocean.

Apperance

2009-12-10T09:18:00.008-06:00

Howdy! It just feels weird typing "howdy" in China. Anyway, I know it's hard to believe, but the first semester is almost over. I have been gearing up for finals which, in China, is an incredibly complicated procedure. The amount of paperwork involved in doing anything in China is astounding.

A long time back I published this post. Someone wrote me an email commenting on how they were impressed by how beautiful, modern and even somewhat fancy all of the buildings on campus seemed to be. Allow me to tell a story.

One of my majors in college was film. In every introductory film class you learn that a camera is a tool that allows you to include or exclude. Since I had just arrived in China and was receiving many emails from excellent, dedicated friends and concerned family I definitely wanted to put the best face forward. Now that we're all a little older and more comfortable, I thought I'd include a shot of what much of campus actually looks like.

One thing you can count on in China is that "face," or outward appearance and pride, always takes precedence, even when functionality is compromised. That is one reason why the facade of a building is quite often beautiful while the bathroom might be built completely crooked so there is always a huge puddle of miscellaneous wetness at the back of the room because the floor slants so unevenly.

The good news? When I went to this building for my weekly class there today they had removed the blockade from the road so I didn't have to climb through the mud. Life is all about the small blessings! Thank goodness for that.

Everyone Need a Mummy

2009-11-29T05:47:00.008-06:00

American holidays are of great interest to all of my students. Thus, to help them understand how and why we celebrate Halloween, I had parties for all of my classes on the week of Oct. 31st.

I brought in a piece of candy for each student (because I teach over 500 kids, one piece was really all I could afford) and we discussed the origins of Halloween in All Souls' Day and customs of Halloween such as dressing up.

The younger Chinese generation is generally very conservative with regard to the use of paper. Because there are few native trees in China, especially in the south, they use paper very sparingly. However, when I explained to them that we were going to have a competition to see which group could create the best toilet paper mummy, they took the challenge very seriously. Again and again I am inspired by the creativity my students show. Each group was responsible for explaining to the class why there mummy was the best, and I had justifications including "economic mummy", "most fashionable mummy" (left), and "talented mummy" (below) who can do basic math and perform several dance steps.

The preparation for these classes was exhausting for me, but after each class period I had several students come up to me to let me know that it was the best class they had ever had. It's hard to find the motivation to do so much work when I could get by with alot less, but hearing that kind of encouragement is what it's all about, right?!

Oh excuses, excuses...

2009-11-25T23:55:00.017-06:00

I know, I know. I set a goal of publishing a post every 8 to 10 days and I have not succeeded in accomplishing that goal. I could claim sickness (which is true; I've been running a fever for days) or that I'm too busy (which might also be true considering that I now teach even even more classes, tutor on the side and have several additional responsibilities), but the fact of the matter is that my blog has been lacking and for that I apologize.

I don't have the energy for a long post (see above comment regarding illness) so here is a peek at what I've been doing lately:

Halloween Karaoke

Aaron's visit to Zhanjiang in October

The ladies of the Foreign Language School taking second place in the school-wide basketball league (with a tallest player coming in just under 5'6").

The biggest fan of ladies b-ball in Zhanjiang (also by far the loudest cheerleader)

Trying out all my different hats (more to follow soon!)

All of 4,000 freshman on campus walking around in uniform during military training

Eating some delicious dishes during my trip to Zhongshan

Yangshuo, China

2009-11-11T20:52:00.010-06:00

I'm back in action after returning from Yangshuo, a small town outside of Guilin, China. I took a bus from the part of Zhanjiang where I live across town to the train station. Then I took the night train into Guilin and another bus into Yangshou.

Yangshuo is somewhat picturesque and, after many hours of sleep deprivation on a smokey and loud train, it seemed to me like heaven.

The town itself is fine and all, but the real reason people come to visit Yangshuo is the beauty of the surrounding countryside.

This small part of China is dotted with tall but often very thin rock formations. They are usually labeled as hills or mountains, but the particular effect is really hard to describe unless you've seen them.

I spent 10 hours bicycling around the outskirts. Given that it is late autumn, I was lucky enough to see many local people harvesting their rice crops and planting some winter vegetables. Also, I managed to fulfill a lifelong dream. I had my picture taken with an honest to goodness water buffalo! I love them! They are so huge! And cute!

All in all it was a great trip. I have more pictures and hope to post again as soon as time allows.

Guilin Here I Come!

2009-11-05T03:45:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to make a quick post to let everyone know that I'm going to be visiting another city in China this weekend. I leave in a couple of hours on the night train to Guilin.

It has been a very busy and eventful past few weeks with the biggest news being the change in weather. The temperature dropped about 25 degrees in a period of just a couple of days. I very much enjoy the cooler weather but two somewhat unfortunate things have been revealed as a result of this change in weather. First, it seems that cool weather in Zhanjiang brings about some kind of pollen or mold or dust or something that has set of my allergies in a MAJOR way. I've spent most of the last four days sneezing. It has started to cause whiplash-like symptoms. Hopefully this is just temporary and will not continue through the next several months. Second, I attempted to put on pants for the first time since I arrived in China and, alas, they no longer fit. I've been losing weight at a pretty slow but consistent rate since I got here and now the pants that I packed drag on the ground and are beyond the help of a belt. That would be great news if I were in the States, but given that I am in the Land of Small Sizes, this is not as excellent an occurrence. The result of this decrease in waist size is going to be an expensive trip to the only places that carry anything close to "western-sized" clothing. I'll be heading there as soon as I return from my trip and I'll let you know how it goes.

Volcano Lake

2009-10-22T02:42:00.012-05:00

Just outside Zhanjiang is Huguangyan National Scenic Spot, home to the local maar lake. A maar lake is a lake that forms on the top of a volcano that falls in on itself and creates a crater. These kinds of lakes are relatively rare, so from a geological perspective, the trip was educational. Have no doubt that the trip was of great cultural educational value as well!

We pulled up to the entrance and I knew right away I would LOVE this park. First, a GIANT turtle! It felt like I was in the Neverending Story. Even better, though, were the many statues of dragons right next to it.

Of course, when one sees dragons, the first thought that comes to mind is how you need to practice your dragon fighting stance techniques. Here is a picture of me and my good friend Ruth doing exactly that.
The park had some of the most beautifully kept grounds of anyplace I've seen in China. There was relatively little trash and overall I really enjoyed my time away from the city. It's only about an hour drive away, but it almost felt like I'd left the country.

Though it rained pretty much the entire time we were there, I think everyone had a great time.

God (and plumbing) Works In Mysterious Ways

2009-10-18T01:15:00.004-05:00

I have a confession to make. Even though I've traveled to nearly 30 countries, prior to my recent trip to Zhu Hai and Shen Zhen I had never before used a squat toilet.

I know. It's shameful. I have an excuse, though. Two excuses, really. Number one, I have a bad hip and employing what we girls call the "hover method" causes alot of strain on said hip, which then sometimes locks in place and is extremely painful. Number two, I have "Catholic School Bladder," otherwise known as the ability to 'hold it' for hours at a time, if necessary.

On the way back to Zhanjiang from Shen Zhen, though, I thought I was going to die. I put too much faith in my expando-bladder and not enough faith in the bumpiness of Chinese roads. Three hours in to a seven hour trip, I knew I was going to have a problem. Finally, I decided that I had to try using the bathroom facilities on the bus.

This is how I came to find God in the 'toilet' on a Chinese bus.

I don't mean "find God" like seeing the Virgin Mary on a grilled cheese sandwich, but rather...well, let me explain.

I walked into the 'toilet' and almost turned and walked right out again. I hate to admit it, but my pride stopped me from leaving. I didn't want the other people on the bus to think that I felt I was "too good" to use the really, really terrible facilities. Honestly, I didn't feel I was too good to use them, I just felt very ill equipped to do so. I was standing in the dark with my flip-flops in about two inches of sloshing liquid staring into a hole and trying not to choke on the terrible smell permeating everything. I couldn't get a picture of the actual bathroom on the bus, but here is an approximation, though this one has far less fluid collected on the floor.

I knew if I tried to pee it was going to be a disaster. The road was extremely uneven and I could think of no means of stopping myself from falling down. It was a highly uncomfortable situation.

Then I felt the Spirit intervene. That probably sounds ridiculous, but I'm serious. I desperately had to pee at this point and I had no idea how to go about it without getting my pants wet and being even more uncomfortable.

I decided that if I was going to be in a foul-smelling bathroom anyway, I should just go to the bathroom. The problem was that I had no idea how to actually...go. No one had ever told me HOW to use a squat toilet and I pictured...well...squatting. I'm very familiar with exercise-type squats and thought that was also what should be done using a squat toilet.
The problem was that this type of squatting was impossible in a moving, swaying bus with no handles where any slip meant either stepping into oblivion or, even worse, falling into two inches of other people's spillage.

I looked around, trying to figure out how to solve my dilemma and then I had an epiphany. Seriously. An epiphany. I suddenly realized that instead of 'squatting,' what I really needed to do was something more like sitting on my heels. Immediately after I understood this, my next thought was "Praise Be to God!" I kid you not. God helped me (an idiot) figure out the least complicated waste disposal system in the world.

Once I had decided that would be the best method, I decided to give it a try. Since more than half of the world employs this method, you shouldn't be surprised to know that it worked. I left the bathroom relatively (physically) unscathed with only my feet and flip-flops falling sacrifice to the less than ideal situation.

I guess the moral of this story is two-fold. First of all, God can be found in the most unexpected places. Second? When traveling in China, wear a skirt.

When in China...

2009-10-16T02:09:00.022-05:00

This is going to be a quick post, but I just wanted to point out some of the many, many cultural differences that I've come across since I've been here.

Snack food.

Laundry day.

Wal Mart special of the day.
(No, I'm not joking. I almost got thrown out of Wal Mart for taking this picture.)

The suburbs.

Taking your medicine.

A night on the town.

Things are definitely different in China, but that isn't always a bad thing. Granted, I say that now, but we'll see how it goes when I'm desperately trying to find dry clothes to wear once it gets cold and none of my laundry will dry outside!

Campus Pictures

2009-09-29T11:10:00.010-05:00

Several people have asked, so I'm posting some additional pictures of the campus of Zhanjiang Normal University. Keep in mind when viewing these that many things in China are all about external appearance.

For example, this is the campus gym. The building has no A/C, so students try to avoid it when possible because there are also too few windows. In addition, it is not an arena-type building as the shape would suggest, but is broken into many smaller rooms for sports such as basketball, badminton, etc.

This is the school library. The facility is actually very nice, inside and out. Unfortunately, a foreign teacher in 1997 stole a couple of books and now the school requires foreign teachers, but not Chinese teachers, to pay a 200 RMB deposit to get a library card. This card is required to even enter the building. I went on a special library tour where I was able to get this photo. I can't afford the card, so I don't have access to the (very limited) selection of English books they keep in stock. Ah well. Thank goodness for the internet!

Last but not least, this is the building where I live! I am on the 4th floor (the right-most two windows are my apartment!). I have to admit that I like the morning exercise during my 20-45 minute trek to work. The time it takes depends on which building I teach in on a given day.

Overall, the campus is fairly nice in comparison to the conditions in which many outside the school are living. I certainly can't complain, especially now that I've found out where to buy peanut butter!

Hot or Not

2009-09-25T20:28:00.010-05:00

What's hot in China? Well, that depends. Do you mean hot as in temperature? If so, then the sun is very, very hot. Do you mean hot as in popular? In that case, the sun is clearly not hot. Where is the rain in this picture? That is a valid question. Chinese people, girls in particular, use umbrellas in every kind of weather. I'm guessing that the rate of skin cancer in Chinese women is nearly nonexistent. They fear the sun in a major way as pale skin is a very important component of the Chinese standard of beauty. This does bring about another danger, though. I've nearly had my eye poked out by rapidly-opening umbrellas about four different times.

So, if the sun is not hot, in the popular sense, then what is hot? I have three letters for you. KTV. Everyone loves KTV (which is the Chinese way of saying karaoke). When I mention KTV to someone, whether student, teacher, shopkeeper or fruit stand vendor, their response is always the same. It generally includes a little hop, a smile and much hand clapping in delight. Karaoke venues in China are slightly different than most similar venues in the states. If you've ever been to a karaoke bar in the US you know that it usually is all about a few people singing and the rest of the crowd either appreciating the good voices or appreciating a good laugh. In China, EVERYONE sings. If you are a tone-deaf screeching banshee, you still have your turn at the mic. It is the act more than the quality that is important. This is made easier by the fact that individual 'parties' are given their own private rooms. A KTV club might consist of 30 rooms of varying sizes that are completely shut off from the rest of the club. As you can see from the following photos, a visit to the KTV club is quite a treat and it's best shared by a big group. Anyone up for a game of Where's Kira?

So, just remember. If you're visiting China, don't forget to bring your umbrella and your singing voice.

Getting Physical, Part II

2009-09-21T10:03:00.008-05:00

So perhaps you remember this post about the fun I had getting a physical exam to qualify me to come to China? The funny thing is that the Chinese school I teach for has required me to get a nearly identical exam now that I have arrived in China because they "know and trust the local doctors." I use the word "doctors" loosely. Also, keep in mind that I said the exams were "nearly identical".

This would be one example of the different methods employed by the Kelsey-Seybold clinic and the local hospital here in Zhanjiang. These are the urine samples of everyone who had been in that morning. No, I'm not kidding. They are sitting right under an open window in the middle of the hallway. Also, they use the same iodine swab for everyone before taking a vial of blood. I guess since iodine is supposed to act as an antiseptic, they assume that sharing is ok, right? (Yes, I HAD to have blood drawn. I was not super excited, especially once I saw the facilities, but I had no choice.) The scariest part of the whole experience was what I call the "moving x-ray". I was standing in a room by myself on top of what looked like a decades old machine of questionable origin. I thought the guy was really bad at positioning the machine because the 'camera' kept moving. Once I left the room, though, I was able to see him x-ray the next patient...for about 40 continuous seconds. The x-ray is running the WHOLE TIME. Again, I'm not kidding. You can see the lungs and heart moving. I wonder if a person can feel cancer forming...

Anyway, it seems I passed with flying colors and I now officially have a one-year working visa for China! Hip hip, hooray!

Oh, on a side note, one thing to consider before condemning the state of Chinese hospitals is the alternative. I felt a cough coming on a couple of weeks ago and a Chinese teacher at my school 'helped' me by taking me to a tea shop. Now, they have these shops on every corner. They are as prevalent as nail salons in Houston, TX. For some reason I thought they sold tea...for drinking. I could not have been more mistaken. They sell 'herbal tea', which in China is code for 'medicine'. I still shudder at the memory. Here is how the process works. You walk up to the person behind the counter and describe your symptoms down to the sound of the cough and the frequency and color of sputum. This person then uses their 'training in Chinese tea medicine' to choose a combination of brews from several of the dozens of teapots that surround them to blend a bitter cocktail of icky death just for you. Here are just before and just after photos. You be the judge.

Just so you know, I finished every drop. Also, my cough went away a few days later. Was it the tea? Was it the diet of fruit and broth? We may never know.

Back to School

2009-09-20T04:54:00.011-05:00

Well, I've officially been back in school for three weeks now. I'm into my fourth week and things are going great thus far.

I teach 18 hours spread over 4 days. This allows me just enough time outside of class to grade for my FIVE HUNDRED students. Yeah, that's alot of tiny, excited, Chinese girl energy. This is Shadow, one of my students, whose favorite phrase is "Oh Ms. Kira! You're so lovely!" I'm pretty sure lovely is Chinese-English for anything that isn't bad, so, it's still a compliment.

The buildings where I teach are quite impressive from the outside. The classrooms, though, are moderately rudimentary and, unfortunately, the desks are almost all of a bench chair, bolted to the ground, very small Chinese size variety.

One quite interesting thing about the Chinese school day (or work day, for that matter) is "the nap." Every Chinese person I've met, whether student, teacher, professional, shop-keeper or marketplace fruit-seller takes a nap from approximately 12:50pm until 2:10pm. I'm serious. If they can, they go home and lay down. If they can't, then they lay down where they are. You think I'm exaggerating? Take a look at this site. Chinese people are busy, period. They find time to sleep whenever they can, wherever they can. For example, my students have a 1o minute break between the first and second hour of class. Here is a picture of how they choose to spend their time.The students who aren't sleeping are probably just looking for a more comfortable spot on the floor or texting friends to tell them how they are about to sleep for the next 9.5 minutes.

Another one of my obligations is what's called English Corner. This is a time outside of class where Foreign Teachers make themselves available for students who want to spend some time with a native speaker. Today was the 'official opening' of English Corner, even though I attended last week as well. As you can see below, hundreds of students waited in the sweltering, mosquito-infested heat to be able to have a chance to speak with a foreign teacher. The student organizers of this event introduced us one by one and we had a chance to say something...over the screams of adoring students. I teach many of the students below, including several in the front row.We're not in Kansas anymore!

Transfixed by the Stare

2009-09-20T04:47:00.003-05:00

I'm a freak. That is one of the first things thought by any western person visiting rural or semi-rural China.

On my very first day in Zhanjiang (pronounced John Gee Ong) I went into a China Mobile store to buy a SIM card for a donated muti-region cell phone. I noticed the store was getting full, but I didn't really look around as I was concentrating on the task at hand. It's difficult to conduct important business in a language you don't understand. Once I had finished my dealings with the clerk, I turned around and noticed that the store was packed but no one seemed to be buying anything. It dawned on me that every person in the store was staring at me and the two other foreigners buying SIM cards...then I looked outside through the floor-to-ceiling display windows. I felt like I was in a zombie movie. There must have been nearly a hundred people just standing at the windows blatantly staring in. I looked around because I was sure there was a movie star or maybe someone was winning a prize inside the store with us.

Nope. I was transfixed by the stares of a hundred people who were simultaneously fascinated and freaked out by a 'foreigner'.

It's a little bit creepy.

This comes into play every day in a dozen different ways. For example, when I walk into a store where everyone else has to check their bag at a counter, I am allowed right in. Also, if people are waiting to pay for something or receive service, I am whisked in front of other people. On the other hand, some grandparents pull their children away from the scary white woman and people regularly shriek when they see me because I am so huge and frightening. I've almost been run over on the street because someone will see me behind them while I'm crossing the road and just stop to stare, blocking my way and totally disregarding an oncoming bus or taxi. I have my picture taken maybe 3-4 dozen times a day, often without me even noticing until the flash goes off. The worst is when someone comes up behind me while having a friend run ahead so they can be in the picture. Then I just see a flash and then hear a giggle behind me.

I also have children following me most of the time.

It is a very perplexing situation.

My students have a pretty universally excited reaction to my presence. They feel "honored" to have a foreign teacher who can help them speak "like a native." Most of my students are 19-21 year old girls. I really do mean girls, because the maturity level of the students here is VERY different. The dorms are locked down at 11:30 every night and the students have between 26 and 38 hours of CLASS time every week, not counting homework, studying, eating, sleeping, etc. Nearly every moment of a student's day is planned for them. So, these girls are constantly coming up to me to speak and then turning away breathlessly because they are literally overcome and they have to sit down because they are so excited to be able to speak with a foreigner (often for the first time, ever). It is a humbling experience.

More to Come

2009-09-18T10:41:00.003-05:00

Ta da! It looks like once again, computer nerds inherit the earth. Well done! I have been rescued from internet oblivion by that often unsung hero, he who sits in a cubicle all day and is underestimated by everyone he knows...until someone's computer breaks. Nice work!

More soon!

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

2009-08-26T07:01:00.011-05:00

Well, my time in Hong Kong is almost at an end. I have two more days before I board the bus to Zhanjiang and the weeks that I've been here have been full to say the least.

This is the Holy Spirit Study Center in Hong Kong. This facility is part seminary and part library and several of the Maryknoll Fathers I've met spend time there in various capacities as part of their work.

Only 5 of us accompanied Fr. Mike (center in blue) to the Holy Spirit Study Center, but it was a great trip into central Hong Kong!

Me and Debbie! I'll be teaching with Debbie at Zhanjiang Normal University. She speaks seven and a half languages. I speak one. I can hold my breath longer than she can, though! Hey, everyone's gotta have a talent, right?

Once while we were in town the whole orientation group decided to take a trolley instead of walking dozens of blocks to our next location. The trolleys are made for Asian people. This is the result.

One of the biggest attractions in Hong Kong is Victoria's Peak (often just called 'The Peak'). You can see a majority of the skyline from the top of the mountain. It's so nice!

Here are some more pictures of the skyline and a few fellow teachers.

If I don't get the chance to blog again before I leave Hong Kong, hopefully I'll catch up with you from mainland China!

A Room With a View

2009-08-18T08:36:00.005-05:00

I have mentioned before that I have a great view from the balcony of my room here at the Maryknoll house in Stanley, Hong Kong. I wasn't kidding! This is the Tai Tim Bay which is off the South China Sea.

If you look straight down you see a courtyard that is well-tended and super peaceful.

On a bus into Kowloon, an island part of Hong Kong, I took this picture out the window. Hong Kong has some very attractive areas!

Just wanted to share some quick pictures!

Big Trouble in Little Hong Kong

2009-08-16T20:53:00.007-05:00

No, don't worry. I'm not causing that much trouble here in Hong Kong...yet.

Hong Kong is an interesting place. The people here are composed of Chinese, British, Irish, Australian, French, German, and so many other nationalities that I haven't even been able to keep track. It is interesting to see all of them in what is really a foreign habitat.

Anyway, I have been spending my time preparing for orientation, which starts on Wednesday the 19th, and getting to know some areas of Hong Kong.

Also, possibly the best part of my time here so far has been getting to know the other people involved in this program. These are two other new Maryknoll teachers who will be stationed in another part of southern China this year.

One part of Stanley (the neighborhood in Hong Kong where the Maryknoll house is located) that could be my favorite is called Stanley Market. This boardwalk is located just outside of Stanley Market. If you've been to Asia, then you know that markets are the best place to find interesting items at great prices. Everyone should be proud to know that I didn't buy a single thing, but I still enjoy looking!

The next time I post will probably be after orientation begins (if they give us a chance to breathe, that is). I finish orientation on the 29th and then I take a bus to Zhanjiang and begin teaching the very next day!

Keep me in your prayers!

Why Hong Kong Isn't China

2009-08-12T21:09:00.004-05:00

After a long, very arduous and unnecessarily complicated journey, nothing is better than being able to sit down and eat something. I arrived at Hong Kong Central train station at 8:45. By 9:30 I was eating Post Raisin Bran and drinking Bluebird pineapple juice in the Stanley House dining room. It seems that, unlike in China, in Hong Kong, you can get almost anything. For example, I just heard that we are having beef for dinner tonight. People, I'm talking real, actual cow. Not like in Vietnam where the "beef" is grey and could be anything that used to be alive. Bona fide beef. I can't wait.

Oh. Did I mention I made it to Hong Kong? Despite the best efforts of the airport officials in Manila (where I transferred planes), I managed to get on my connecting flight and successfully arrived in Hong Kong!

I'll be here for the next couple of weeks, first seeing the sights and then for orientation.

Sorry for the short post, but I haven't slept in over 27 hours so I need to get some laundry taken care of before I fall asleep at the proverbial wheel.

On my way to Hong Kong!

2009-08-12T09:39:00.002-05:00

I'm off to the Ho Chi Minh City airport and then on my way to Hong Kong! Leaving at 1:00 am local time means I'll get into Hong Kong around 8 am. Rough night ahead!

Hue City Photo Tour

2009-08-10T22:40:00.017-05:00

I spent two days visiting Hue in central Vietnam. I didn't love the city, but nearly the only remaining historical sites in Vietnam are located there. It seems war is very tough on historical sites. Anyway, I don't have much to say about Hue, but I'll let some pictures do the talking.

The citadel in Hue was the seat of the Nguyen emperors in the 1800s up through the 1940s.

The interior of the citadel.

Some of the intricate carving that details the grounds one of the tombs of an emperor.

Lily pads! These were growing in many of the decorative ponds outside of the tombs of the emperors.

Some examples of the flora outside a typical "garden house" in Hue.

The Heavenly Lady Pagoda. This is still an active Buddhist temple, originally built in 1605.

I happened to be there on the 15th day of the lunar month, when the monks and the little baby monks (acolytes?) perform a ceremony to honor Buddha.

There were many other tombs and some amazing gardens, but hopefully this gives you a taste!

All Aboard the Express!

2009-08-10T21:56:00.003-05:00

The Vomit Express, that is.

This is a short ode to the benefits of Dramamine. Every bus in Vietnam, from the Night Bus to the shorter day buses (usually for trips under 8 hours), have little plastic bags tucked into the seat-back pocket. It took me about 10 minutes to figure out what these were for...or rather, it took about 10 minutes for the first person to puke into one of the bags on my inaugural bus ride.

Here is what I really don't understand. In Vietnam, you can buy almost any medication you want, over the counter, and BY THE PILL. Yes, that's right. You can buy medication per pill. When Dramamine costs only $.08 and would save you HOURS of vomiting on a crowded bus, wouldn't you think it would be worthwhile? And yet, everyone chooses to just go ahead and hurl. I don't understand. I've seen young ladies vomiting. I've seen business men in suits vomiting. I've seen couples vomiting together. Oddly enough, though, I've only ever seen Vietnamese people blowing chunks.

My conclusions are twofold. First, I think perhaps the Vietnamese are somewhat weak in the stomach. Second, I believe they should DEFINITELY invest in anti-nausea medication. Instead, the bus companies have a machine that releases a particular scent into the air circulation system of the bus so other passengers don't become sick when one person loses their lunch (and sometimes dinner, as the buses usually stop for food). The system is very effective as I haven't once been able to smell the...results. Why not just provide each person with a Dramamine tablet instead of going through the hassle of having this complicated scenting system? It's a mystery.

The Night Bus of Non-Sleeping

2009-08-09T20:16:00.007-05:00

The Night Bus. Unlike the Knight Bus in Harry Potter, an honest to goodness sleeping bus is in very common use in Vietnam.

Besides being built for Vietnamese people (and therefore being very narrow and not that long), the beds all use communal pillows and blankets. I remember a woman complaining one time on a U.S. Airways flight that she thought the blanket she was given might have been used. I can GUARANTEE that every blanket on the Night Bus has been used...alot. The great thing about traveling is that you are really forced to get over your OCD. So the bus smells like old food and feet? You're going to be on it for the next 20 hours, so you might as well get used to it!

Before I disembarked on my bus trip, someone told me that the key to the Night Bus is drugging yourself to help you sleep. I figured that was unnecessary and I was very wrong. I should have listened to experience in this case. So, if you're going to ride the night bus, allow me to make two recommendations. One, drug yourself...heavily. You want to be able to sleep through the constant honking, slamming on brakes to avoid collision, giant potholes, etc. Two, pee before you go. I have yet to see a bus in Vietnam that has a working washroom and you DO NOT want to use the 'facilities' along the way.

You Get Da Lat for Your Money

2009-08-09T06:50:00.013-05:00

Vietnam has been hard for me so far. I've been sicker than I'd like to admit, and the smog and really bad meat have had a surprisingly negative impact. I've found it hard to find food I like, even though I enjoyed everything I'd had from Vietnam before coming here. Overall, the adjustment has just been difficult.

Things have taken a better turn in Da Lat. The weather is gorgeous (despite the rain) and the people seem less like their goal in life is to take advantage of a foreigner. Also, everything is much cheaper. I just had a delicious roast chicken sandwich for $.39. I'm talking pulled chicken cooked in spices on fresh baked bakery bread with parsley and cucumber. Yummy! Also, the pho (noodle soup) here is really good and usually runs about $.80.

I spent the morning on a half day trek up Lang Biang mountain. It was raining and the trek was much longer than anticipated. I had a guide named Quy and he was VERY helpful and spoke amazing English. He was very kind and was happy to wait for me during the many periods I spent barely able to breathe because of my stupid lingering cough.

After hiking back down the mountain, I visited Crazy House, which is considered a "must see" attraction in Da Lat. The pictures really can't do it justice. Let's just say that this is not a house in which you would like to live if you are afraid of heights, have a poor sense of direction, or dislike stairs.

Finally, I headed out to Da Lat market. They sell everything from fake Abercrombie flip-flops to dried mulberries to orchids and other plants. The avocados were the size of ostrich eggs. I almost cried. I think of the tiny, piddly avocados I'm used to, and I just wanted to let the tears flow. Also, oddly enough, they had white peaches the size of grapefruit. On the way back from the market, I stopped at a local bakery for a delicious sandwich and a chocolate tart. Imagine getting a fresh-baked tart for $.18. Heavenly!

Here are some more pictures:

Some pretty flowers along the mountain trek.

An odd place to find a bunch of cows...

Me and Quy...standing by a tree! In the rain!

One of the interior rooms (the Land Eagle room) in the Crazy House in Da Lat.

Overall, it's been a good day. Tomorrow, it's back to the market for lunch and them I'm taking the bus back to Ho Chi Minh City in the afternoon and evening. Wish me luck (and less coughing)!

The Philippines by Photo

2009-08-08T02:02:00.026-05:00

I have so many great photos from my trip so far, but not necessarily the time or energy to make a post for each one (or every related topic) so I'm going to post pictures with some brief comments. Enjoy, and feel free to comment!

This is the store in Manila of Kira Plastinina. She is a 15 year-old Russian fashion designer and heir to a juice fortune. .

I call this the Goat Series. The best part about this place is that it is RIGHT on one of the main streets in Manila. This isn't out at some country farm. Mmm. Goat.

The reason I went to the Philippines is to visit my friend Kim. She teaches at Faith Academy in Manila. Every year she hand paints her bulletin boards, but this year she decided to use oil pastels, and that meant that I was able to help with the non-artistic grunt work like filling in circles, etc. Yeah! Coloring!

...umm, yeah. Instead of going to Kiss - King of Balls for squid balls I went around the corner for McDonalds. Fried pineapple pie!

The Kim and I on our way to Sabang and the beach (where I then became horribly disfigured and burned)!

The little place where we stayed in Big La Laguna.

The view from our balcony.

My toes at the beach! Before they were one of the burning casualties!

This is taho, a Filipino breakfast-type dish made of soy bean curd, tapioca balls, and a sweet syrup. What follows is a picture by picture description of me trying to eat it.

Here goes nothing!

This doesn't seem so bad...

Eww! Squishy parts!

Just hurry up and take a gulp of curd and squishy tapioca balls!

This is the look of someone who has been talked into eating something is not as delicious as expected.

A quick hour drive from Manila and you come across Daranak Falls. If you visit this website and see the pictures, you'll notice they are nothing like my upcoming photos. We visited during what is rainy season. Given that it is not a U.S. attraction, we were allowed to climb into the falls, and even attempt swimming (given that they don't have things like "lawsuits" or "personal injury lawyers" in the Philippines). I did not swim, however, as I was already moderately sick.

Kim and Heather enjoyed the water, though.

I tried to stay as dry as possible, which was no easy task.

Those are the best of my pictures from the Philippines. I'm halfway through my tour of Vietnam, and am currently in Da Lat. It's my favorite city in Vietnam so far, but we'll see how that holds up to scrutiny tomorrow when I attempt to go on a long trek (assuming I'm feeling up to it).

Good Morning Vietnam!!!

2009-08-03T22:05:00.003-05:00

That's right folks. I'm in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) safe and sound. It's been a rough ride getting here but I have been blessed in several ways along my journey. First of all, my symptoms were significantly less noticeable yesterday. The illness is back with some force again today, but it sure helped getting through the airports! Second, two very wonderful Vietnamese-American guys were seated next to me on the flight and gave me great directions on where to eat, what to do, places to visit, etc. and helped me with the interesting business of getting a cab and finding the guesthouse where I'm staying. Third, the room I booked by chance online in Ho Chi Minh is beautiful! The A/C works great, the people checked me in at 2 in the morning without a second though, and they have working computers. All in all, I feel very blessed!

I'm off to do some exploring (before coming back to rest my sick body again)!

Getting Around

2009-07-31T17:18:00.008-05:00

Jeepney. Half jeep, half jitney, all fun. Well, if you don't mind being cheek to cheek with a total stranger in hot, humid weather with no A/C, then it's LOADS of fun. The Jeepney is the most popular form of public transportation in the Philippines. As you can see here, it is popular with Kiras as well. There are many 'levels' of transport available to one without their own personal vehicle, so allow me to explain.

Buses - I'm not sure how these work, exactly, because they are too scary and hard to figure out for me to have tried to get on one. They are nice buses, don't get me wrong. Some even have A/C. However, once you see a huge bus cut off pedestrians, motorcycles, etc. it's hard to board, knowing you might end up seeing a person squished right in front of you.

Jeepney - You can't really understand the true awesome power of the jeepney until you've seen one up close. They aren't just painted in amazing ways with random pieces of metal tacked on to increase the 'aesthetic'. Jeepneys also feature very loud popular Filipino music, no A/C, a 'hawker' who assists the driver in collecting fares and convincing passers-by that a particular Jeepney is the one for them, and, my personal favorite, specialized horns. So far, I've heard horns that sound like horses galloping, a lady screaming, a voice saying "Whoa! Get out of my way!", a voice saying "Fire! Fire!" followed by the sound of machine guns, and dogs barking. When I heard the horn with the screaming, I thought someone was being murdered. They are very effective at getting attention, whether from a prospective client or the giant bus that is about to crush everybody on board. Jeepneys also follow a specific route, so if you're on a busy road, you can probably see dozens and dozens of Jeepneys at any given time. The cost is very inexpensive but there is a popular Filipino joke that might help explain why...How many people can fit on a Jeepney? Answer? One more.

FX - I don't know what this stands for, but an FX is basically any PUV (passenger utility vehicle) that travels a specific route. These vehicles vary in make and model, but basically think of an older model SUV and you have an idea. One popular model is the Toyota Tamaraw, just as an example. They are about two or three times more expensive than a Jeepney, but they have a limit on the number of people they can seat (11 including the driver) and they (usually) have A/C.

Trike - Think WWII motorcycle with a sidecar, add a bunch of scrap metal that forms additional 'seats' and 'storage platforms' and you have a trike! This picture might help with a visualization. Trikes are more expensive than Jeepneys because they do special trips to a specific destination. If you are only one or two people, however, a bike will keep stopping until they are full. You might be thinking, "How many people can you fit on a small motorcycle with a sidecar?". Well, I've seen up to TWENTY people if some of them are children. At this point, the trike is probably moving quite slowly, but the driver is paid per person, so the more people they can fit on a trip, the better.

Taxi - You can still get a conventional metered taxi, but it is better to ask how much it is going to cost to get to a specific location before actually getting in. These are alot more than any of the aforementioned methods, but we're still only talking maybe $8-$10 for the 30 minute trip from the airport.

Overall, public transport in Manila is always an adventure.

At what temperature does human flesh turn into cracklin'?

2009-07-29T22:18:00.003-05:00

Answer? Whatever temperature it was on Tuesday at Big La Laguna. I spent a wonderful time from Monday morning to Wednesday afternoon enjoying one of the many beach/resort type places that the Philippines has to offer. While the beaches, sand, food, and water were fabulous, I drastically misjudged the intensity of the sun. After laying on my back for twenty minutes, I switched to laying on my stomach, ensuring that all parts of my body are now covered in extreme pain after only about 40 minutes in the sun. The funniest part of this situation is that everyone I've seen since returning to Manila on Wednesday afternoon has asked what's wrong because I'm limping. I tell them that I'm very sunburned and they say it doesn't look that bad. You see, my face, arms and calves are all a nice brown. It's all the parts of the body that might come in contact with a chair that are really killing me. I wear a pretty modest bathing suit, and even so, I have managed to burn just enough backside and upper back to make sitting down extremely uncomfortable. Sleeping has been an exercise is trying to find what position burns least.

There is a Catholic tradition of "offering up" any kind of pain, suffering, boredom or discomfort to Jesus. I have many memories of my grandmother telling me to "offer up" something or other whenever I came to her with a complaint. Well, I hate to get all Old Testament, but I feel very much like a burnt offering.

On a brighter note, I had a McDonald's sundae on the way back from the beach. It was very tasty and cost the equivalent of ~$.50.

We've Got It All For You

2009-07-24T19:43:00.011-05:00

The Philippines are not what I thought. Well, let me correct that. Manila is not what I thought it would be. At all. Not even a little. The only similarities are that there are Filipino people here and they have a variety of modes of public transportation that you would not find in the US.

One example of the huge surprises in store for me included the prevalence of malls in Manila. SM Supermalls are everywhere. It seems I couldn't turn around without running in to another mall. I'm not talking about your parent's kind of mall either. I visited SM Megamall yesterday and this is 3,745,841 square feet of mall right in the heart of downtown Manila...and within blocks of FOUR OTHER MALLS.

Things featured in Megamall include the Thai restaurant where I had lunch and this delicious Thai iced tea. Also, Megamall features bowling as far as the eye can see, an ice rink, an IMAX theatre, Crabtree and Evelyn, Gucci, and the ability to hold FOUR MILLION PEOPLE. On an average day they get 800,000 visitors. This picture shows part of one of the buildings that comprise Megamall.

Given that I never shop at malls and don't have the space or money to buy anything, consider it a testament to the spectacle of Megamall that I walked around for a good three hours, most of it with my mouth open.

Review: Hong Kong Airport (HKG)

2009-07-24T19:20:00.009-05:00

Wow. As you can see here, coming into HKG at sunset was pretty cool. The city was... well, huge, but also beautifully lit and very different from Houston, in that there were drastic changes in elevation that did not involve a highway overpass. There were many smaller islands that we passed over on the way in. It seems that taking a picture out of an icy, dirty airplane window is not as easy as they make it seem in the movies, but hopefully you get the idea.

Once inside HKG two things become immediately apparent. One, they only use A/C in areas that are not where your plane is coming in. Two, all the signs are in both Chinese and English and almost every person there speaks actual English to some extent. It was like destination heaven. I was very tired and upon stepping out of the plane two very helpful ladies were pointing everyone down a hall saying "Hello! Please follow this to Baggage 9 where you will find your things!" and then you just follow the clearly marked passageways to the correct baggage carousel (where there was some level of A/C). Immigration and Customs both went quickly and though the lines were long (as they are everywhere) they had lots of staff on hand to make sure people were going the right direction.

Upon departure the next morning (I was only away from the airport for about 8 hours) I found that I hadn't even been to the 'nice' part of the airport the day before. The main terminals have beautiful shops and excellent A/C. There are many signs, however the departure signage was slightly more difficult to understand, so I would recommend knowing the time and number of your flight. With that information, anybody should have no problem getting to the right place.

As you can see from this picture, the airport is nestled between mountains. Nearly the entirety of Terminal 1 is made of glass and steel, so it is very easy to be impressed with the natural beauty right outside the windows. Everything was so clean and colorful and I also hear they offer free internet terminals. I know they have free wireless access and I did SEE computer terminals, but I only just found out they were free after arriving in Manila.

Overall, if you have to arrive in a non-English speaking country after 26 hours of flying, I recommend HKG. I had to go from my arrival gate to Health Quarantine to Immigration to baggage claim to Customs and then onto the Airport Express Line (AEL) train into Hong Kong Central station and I was at the station within an hour of landing. I'd call that impressive.

I am way too tired to think of a title...

2009-07-24T01:19:00.003-05:00

But I am alive in Manila! I'm staying at my friend Kim's house which is awesome and I am having difficulty forming sentences. More later, including many fabulous pictures of the Philippines so far and other goodies like some reviews of places I've been during my short time here. This will happen once I can type again and don't sound so much like an idiot with the not making words good because of not sleeping.

It's 3:00 am. Do you know where your children are?

2009-07-23T14:39:00.003-05:00

They're not in Hong Kong, I can tell you that much. (Well, except me. Hi mom!)

The trip was long. It's 3:00 am Hong Kong time and I'm awake because I am having a surprisingly hard time sleeping. You would think that since I only slept for about 2 of the 26 hours I spent getting here, I would be ready for more sleep, but that seems not to be the case for whatever reasons. Tonight, though, it's a drug-induced sleep for me. I'm not really one for this 'allow your body to adapt naturally' stuff, so hopefully some forced sleep will get this jet lag stuff over and done with in the shortest possible time. If not, then I guess I'll just keep posting at 3 in the morning and offer a general apology for the quality of my middle-of-the-night ramblings.

Off to the airport to fly to Manila in just over an hour...

On My Way!

2009-07-22T05:51:00.003-05:00

Leaving now to catch my 8:50 flight to Newark. Then my 3:30 flight to Hong Kong 'should' leave from the same terminal. I'll arrive in Hong Kong at 7:05 pm local time tomorrow or 6:05 am Houston time!

I leave the *next* day early in the morning for Manila, Philippines!

Please keep me in your prayers through these days of travel and I'll do my best to post from Manila!

New Haircut!

2009-07-14T11:57:00.003-05:00

I almost forgot that I promised to post some pics of my new haircut. I guess in the urgency of getting everything else done, for some reason it didn't seem that important. My apologies!

Now, I had a friend tell me awhile back that he was looking through my pictures on Facebook and kept having difficulty telling if the pictures were really of me. He said I have a tendency to look very different at different times. Well, I realized when I tried to have a picture taken of my new hair that could be because I am the least photogenic person in the world. Or rather, my timing always seems to be off. While the following pictures were being taken I really was trying to get a photo that wouldn't end up embarrassing me.

Obviously that didn't work out.

(I have really strong nose muscles and can actually flare my nostrils independently.)

The worst part is that none of these really show my hair, proving that my timing was off once again for taking pics right after a shower. Sorry mom! You'll just have to trust me that it's the best $7 haircut I've had lately.

Three is a Magic Number

2009-07-13T20:29:00.001-05:00

It is, right!? Three stooges, three kings, three flavors in Neapolitan ice cream. Well, I've decided to set three goals for the time that I am in China. I have three major things that I'm hoping to accomplish to at least some degree or other. I've found that I work better with a plan in mind. Thus, even though I know that ultimately I'm going to go with the flow and take what God provides, I have decided on these three things as accessory goals in addition to doing a good job teaching and not going all "Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong" on anyone.

Learn some amount of serviceable Mandarin
I am terrible with languages. Really, really terrible. However, I want to put forth the effort and try to learn. I am hoping to do this with the aide of a tutor and with generous (finagled, if necessary) support from the other Maryknoll teachers at Zhanjiang Normal University. By the time I get back to the States, I want to be able to tell somebody who speaks Mandarin what it is I did while in China. That goal may sound too meager for an entire year's stay in China, but perhaps you are not comprehending just how truly horrible with languages I really am.

Take violin lessons
Notice I don't say learn how to play the violin. The only other thing I do nearly as poorly as learn and retain language is learn to play instruments. My parents can attest to the fact that after three years of weekly piano lessons, I managed to play Greensleeves from memory and never actually learned how to read music. I am dedicated to finding some way to get personal lessons from someone who plays the violin in China. Wouldn't it be awesome if I could play Greensleeves on more than one instrument!?

Volunteer with children
I've come to the realization that children are everywhere. You really just can't get away from them. I went to a birthday dinner the other night at a restaurant where the bill averages $60 per person and, no joke, the table diagonal from us had a kid in a high chair screaming during our whole dinner. I have given alot of thought to what sort of volunteer work I would like to do while I'm in China. I've looked into a couple of orphanages that operate out of ZJ (Zhanjiang) and whether it is at an orphanage or a site supporting children with AIDS, I want to work with kids. Everyone seems to be having them, so I must be missing something, right?

I figure that between these three items and the fact that one of the other teachers has extended an offer to teach me to play bridge, I should be set for stuff to do in China. Wish me luck!

No punch bug!

2009-07-10T16:24:00.002-05:00

I got my typhoid vaccination today. Ouch. I can't raise my arm over ear level. I don't seem to remember it hurting two years ago...or two years before that. See, the problem with the typhoid vaccine is that the injectable version only lasts for two years. You can take an oral version that is good for five years but you have to be able to remember to take it an hour before eating every other day for four doses. If you mess up at all, it isn't effective. Also, it has to be refrigerated. So, for example, if you leave it in your fridge for a few weeks thinking you'll get around to it later and then something gets spilled on it so you take it out to dry it off and then take a dose and remember a week later when you see the package in the cupboard... You get the idea. Thus, I always end up opting for the painful, bi-yearly injectable.

On a far brighter note, an incredibly generous soul has pledged frequent flier miles to pay for my return trip at the end of my stay in China, so now my fundraising is getting closer and closer to an end! At this point I am still looking to raise money for the following things:

six months worth of food ($55/month, $330 total)
a bicycle (~$50)
at least the first three months of lessons in Mandarin ($90/month, $270 total)

If you can sponsor a month of food at $55 or if you want to pitch in so I can bike to the market instead of walking, please just let me know! I'll be glad to help you join the league of so many awesome donors before you! I feel incredibly blessed to have had so many friends, churches, groups, and even former strangers help me in this endeavor. With only 12 more days until I leave the country, I feel that I am going in good hands and with many prayers and good wishes. Thanks all around!

A Very Blogging Birthday

2009-07-09T10:27:00.005-05:00

Well, I'm another year older. Another year wiser? Hmm. Perhaps. The funny thing about wisdom is that only time will tell, right?

I am having a ninja birthday party of penguin might later this month, but for today, it's time for a nice fancy dinner. This is the first time I've had meat in way too long. Being poor is hard! The food is not nearly as good. The great thing about China is that the food is not nearly as expensive. Granted, I don't actually like rice that much and the Chinese are willing to be somewhat experimental in what they eat, by American standards, at least.

Update on Air Pollution!

2009-06-30T12:07:00.003-05:00

Something that many people have expressed concern over is the terrible air quality that China has become famous for. My fabulous younger brother has even gone so far as to secure me two boxes of excellent quality masks to be used any time I step outside my door.

Well, I just found out some GREAT news! Zhanjiang in Guangdong province is listed as one of China's Top 10 Cities with regard to air quality! Yeah! I will be able to breathe!

Now, this does not mean that I won't be bringing along my trusty masks, but it does mean that there is a lesser chance that I will have to use them!

The webpage referenced in the link above has been an EXCELLENT source of all kinds of information. If you find you have some extra time on your hands, I would definitely recommend it as an excellent read.

Blessings Abound

2009-06-22T11:30:00.003-05:00

Three very blessed events occurred today, so I have to share.

I had arranged to have a car today so that I could go shopping at my favorite thrift store. Various Catholic churchs in Houston got together and they have a guild shop in a pretty ritzy area that sells some great things and usually at quite good prices. It's a typical thrift store in that sometimes you go in and they have nothing, and sometimes you arrive and every item seems to be 80% off and made for you. Luckily, it was one of the second kind of times.

I've been searching for an inexpensive way to get some more long skirts and linen-type clothes. Zhanjiang is pretty darn hot in summer but I still have to teach (in a room with no A/C) so I figured skirts and linens are probably the way to go. Anyway, I found maybe 10 items that were perfect and brought them up to the register. I'd been chatting with the many ladies who volunteer their time there and one of them comes up to me as it is my turn at the register and insists on buying my clothes. I blushed terribly and told her it was really no problem, but she insisted. When she saw that the total came to about $15, she told me that if she had known it was so little she would have asked me to get some other things. I told her what I had would be plenty and that every little bit helped. All the ladies shouted their good-byes to me as I left. I felt so edified by the whole experience and bolstered in my faith that God will provide.

As soon as I got home, of course, I got a call from my dad...who had gotten a call from AAA, who had gotten a call from Gwen, the nice lady at the guild shop. It seems that while being overcome with gratitude at the cash register, I had managed to forget my entire wallet on the counter. Again, I was blessed. If I had left my wallet with credit cards, ID, cash, gift cards, etc. anywhere besides a Catholic guild shop, I can only imagine what would have happened. Having to hussle around right before leaving the country while I have a million other things on my mind would NOT have been any fun. The wallet was recovered and all is well.

Finally, later that afternoon, I got a phone call. As many of you know, I volunteered in Thailand after the tsunami. What many of you might NOT know is that an amazing organization provided the financial backing for me to do so. I've been having very hit and miss response to raising money lately, so since I still had quite a bit to raise and not very much time left in which to do it, I appealed once again to this group of God-centered individuals. They came through with an amazing grant and now the only funds I have left to raise are those for internet, some food, and my return ticket home. Woohoo!!! I can't tell you what a relief it is to know that I can get my vaccines, buy some necessary items, and have the funds needed to get school-related supplies once I've arrived in China!

Of course, now I have no excuse to avoid the four shots in the arm...

California Girl

2009-06-18T17:25:00.002-05:00

So let me tell you a bit about my oldest brother. Jarrod has a sort of presence that one can't escape. Literally. He will find you. While I was in California for my cruise I spent one day beforehand and about four days afterward with him. Overall, I had an excellent time, but I definitely came home exhausted...in a good way, I think.

One of Jarrod's greatest interests is the use of hip-hop or street culture to promote a sort of healthy living. Granted, healthy living in LA means something different than it does to alot of us. For example, skin cancer isn't something that most people in LA take very seriously...which is odd considering they live in what 'should' be the desert. Anyway, the three young men to the right are Bboy Casper, Krazy Kujo, and Bboy Tailz respectively. Unfortunately Bboy Little Rock isn't in this pic. Alas. These are some of the guys who do shows with Jarrod. Basically, they go to schools and things and put on assemblies where the guys bust their many moves and Jarrod acts as MC. He tells the kids that they need to get outside, get some exercise, stop playing with their DS, not join gangs, and avoid drugs. Basically, the assemblies we used to have in school where a guy in a bear suit came out and said that only we could prevent forest fires has just gotten alot cooler. Every one of these guys has been involved with a major production (national commercials, touring with huge muscial stars, movies, music videos, etc.) and yet they're all still cool as cucumbers. That's the funny thing about LA. Everyone is involved with "the biz." My brother was outside talking to somebody and I when I glanced up I realized it was Paul Logan, his neighbor. One minute he's on the sci-fi channel, the next minute he's out walking his tiny dog and commenting on my brother's lemon tree.

All in all I had a really good time in LA. It's the perfect place to visit. The weather is very similar to heaven (hello, city of angels) and the traffic is so terrible that you're forced into having great conversations on the highway. Not everyone can live in the land of 80 degree moviestar perfection, however, so now I'm back in Texas, where the weather is very similar to another place...

Cruisin' USA. And Canada.

2009-06-18T16:53:00.006-05:00

Whew! You wouldn't think eating and reading all day for a week would be so tiring! If you consider it from a physics point of view, though, at the end of the week you are carrying around more overall mass; 5 or so lbs. of pizza and prime rib, 12 lbs. of books you acquired here and there, post cards, souvenirs, etc. At the end of the week, I was probably carrying a good 20 lbs. of additional weight around, and that means greater energy output. Of course, strictly speaking, mass varies with speed. I had many interesting physics discussions about the relative speed of the ship while we were walking a track and how my mass might be different given my relative velocity...

On to more interesting topics! Through the help of a wonderful friend, I did not have to spend much money on books for my trip because she lent me nearly a dozen selections from her own library. I spent alot of time reading and enjoying the scenery while I was on the boat. I must have read books by at least eight authors while cruising around the Pacific, which sounds like fun to me. I even ran across another Terry Pratchett fan at one of the art auctions. I was also able to view a cartoon short collaboration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali called Destino. Given my major in film, my love of painting, and the fact that I still watch cartoons, this was a real hit with me. I couldn't find a full-length video of this online, so it looks like if you want to see it, you might have to take a cruise!

At the various ports of call, however, there was much less reading and significantly more walking and even a few excursions to some of my favorite Canadian destinations. A visit to Butchart Gardens is always a must when visiting Victoria. This is me in front of the fountain at the end of the Sunken Garden. Also, I visited the Fairmont Empress which is known for both their High Tea and for the fact that my dad has been bugging me since before I turned 18 to put him up there for a weekend. Hey, we all have different life goals.

Overall I had a great time on the cruise, but I have also learned my lesson about cruising with Carnival in the summer. Unless you have kids or are incredibly kid-friendly then you might want to consider a different time of year or a different cruise line. Why does it seem that it's only American kids who are willing to throw a screaming tantrum in a crowded room if they aren't allowed to have a 5th ice cream cone? Granted, there was that once incident where the waiter told me they didn't have any more Warm Chocolate Melting Cake... Just kidding!!! I promise!

How to Lose 10 Purses in 1 Day

2009-06-04T00:02:00.002-05:00

Craigslist (CL), a marvel of the modern world. Also, a pain in my neck. The great thing about CL is that it brings people together into a community. The bad thing about CL is that said community is made of people, and people are naturally flawed. For example, when you want to rent out a house and someone from CL sets up a time to be there, you have about a 30% chance that they'll show up. Similarly, once you've spoken to someone on the phone about buying your brand new curling iron for an amazing price and they say their coming over within the hour...three days later you're left wondering if maybe they had a horrible firey collision. Still, hope springs eternal...

I have about 30 items I've been trying to sell (for an average of about $3 each) in the hopes of raising more money for my trip (I just found out that I have to pay if I want internet service in my mini-apt. so that's an additional cost...) but between the bad economy and the necessary dealing with people, I'm not sure if it's worthwhile. I had a guy come over to buy a NEW bottle of cologne I brought back to the US with me from a former trip to Paris. I was offering it for $4. Four dollars!!! New! Super posh PARISIAN brand name. He haggled with me, in my own living room, trying to get it for $2. ::sigh:: I think CL ends up spawning killers because someone comes over to buy your toaster for a very reasonable $5 and then after cutting your legs off at the knees and getting you down to $2.50, they offer to take your 2 month old living room set off your hands for $20 as a favor.

Ah well. Only 7 purses, an auto cargo net, an unopened curling iron and about two dozen other items to go...

Around the World in 22 Days

2009-06-03T08:44:00.001-05:00

Things are not always as they should be. For those of you who are webmasters, have you ever designed a sweet webpage and then found out that, though everything looked awesome in Firefox, IE was messing it up and interpreting the code differently so all your images were on top of each other or the wrong size? Or, for you bakers out there, have you ever had your oven 'preheat' to a specified temperature only to find out that your thermostat must be off because your darn cookies have been in 25 minutes and still aren't quite brown around the edges? Well, that seems to be the way things are with Filipino airlines.

That's right. I'm going to the Philippines! My basic travel plan is that I'm leaving the US for Hong Kong in late July. I'm stopping over there for two reasons. First, I'll have a checked bag to hold everything I'll need for a year and I don't want to drag that around on my travels through Southeast Asia. Second, I've heard that it's much cheaper and easier to get flights from Hong Kong.

After stopping for one night in Hong Kong, I'll be heading off early the next morning to the Philippines on Cebu Pacific Airlines. Never heard of them? Well, neither had I, but who could possibly doubt the wisdom of choosing an airline that has a aerodynamically defunct cartoon airplane as their spokesperson?!!?! Also, if I live to see Manila, I'll have saved 60% over the prices of other airlines. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I'm headed to Manila to meet up with a friend who did a mission with me in Thailand a few years back. I haven't seen her in awhile, so I can't wait! I'll be with her in Manila and the surrounding areas for about a week. Here comes the tricky part.

After a week in the Philippines, I'd like to leave Manila for Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Three things currently stand in the way of this goal. One, Vietnam requires a visa that I am still not sure how to get. Two, I'm not positive I have anyone to go with me and I can't decide if it's worth it to spend 13 days in Vietnam by myself. We're not talking Ireland here people. Three, the cheapest flight I've found is also on the aforementioned Cebu Pacific Airlines but it doesn't leave Manila until almost midnight and I would be getting into Ho Chi Minh City (a place I've never been, where I know no one, and where I don't speak a single word of the language) around 2 am. Why is everything scarier at night? The next least expensive flight is 3X as much money and gets in around 11:30 pm. Not a whole lot better.

The solution? Well...are there any guys or gals out there who are highly trained in either hand to hand combat or the Vietnamese language who would like to go on a short trip this summer? Barring a buffed out linguistic travel companion, I think I'm just going to have to decide whether my fears are well grounded and either give up on the idea and find myself a hostel for 12 nights in Hong Kong or suck it up and try to make a plan to see Vietnam by myself. Noodles are always better with friends, though. Alas.

I'll keep you updated!

A Yee-Haw Texas Birthday

2009-06-02T11:40:00.006-05:00

Delusion. It's a powerful state of being.

Have you ever felt in your heart that there was an activity out there that, even though you've never tried it, you are SURE that if you were just given the chance, you would show a natural talent for? For example, I knew a girl who was from warmer climates but was positive that if she lived in the North, she would be a fantastic ice skater. Those of us who have taken to the ice (with our butts, mainly) know that would quite possibly NOT be the case, but still...

Well, I have a confession. I have always had this deep-seated belief that if I could only get my hands on a shotgun, I'd have a natural talent for skeet shooting.

I know. I know. Close your mouth. It's true that even though I live in Texas, I do actually argue against the possession of automatic weapons (which is approximately the equivalent of living in the north and arguing against recycling). Still, I grew up around rifles and I even took a class in college on the use, care, and maintenance of .22s. There is just something very satisfying about watching things explode.

I'm afraid that this past weekend proved me very wrong in my assumptions. I was at a yee-haw Texas birthday party and hit only 1 of 8 skeet. Even though it was my first time ever shooting a shotgun, I fear that I have no claim whatsoever on 'natural' status. In fact, I even had bruises on my shoulder from the stock, proving my unsuitability. On the other hand, Aaron, who had also never held a shotgun, hit 16 of 16. His comment? "It's good to know that if civilization ends I'll be able to get my own food." ::sigh:: I guess I will have to stick to the incredibly delicous birthday chicken bratts with apple. Mmm.

You may be asking yourself what constitutes a yee-haw Texas birthday. Well, naturally it involves guns, and shooting guns at things...preferably moving things. It apparently also involves letting a 12 year old try out your AK47. That was a site that I just CANNOT believe I failed to capture on film. You know how you see little first graders going to school with book bags almost as big as they are? It's the same as that...only with an automatic weapon. Yee-Haw, Texas!

26 Miles Across the Sea

2009-06-01T14:13:00.003-05:00

Two words. Fire ants. You know how you go to the doctor and they say that you're going to need a shot and you think, "That's crappy, but it's probably not too bad. I'm an adult! I can handle this kind of thing." and then you get the shot and it's terrible and it burns and they've just invaded the sanctity of your body with a prodding, sharp foreign object? Well, fire ants are kind of like that. I was weeding the garden the other day and I was attempting to weed around the FIVE fire ant hills but I wasn't that careful because I haven't been bitten by a fire ant in about a year. It seems a bit like labor. Women tell me that if they had remembered how bad labor really is, they would never have had their second, third, forth...etc. child.

Grr. Fire ants. I had begun to think it was an exaggeration, like extra large eggs, but no. It really feels just like fire. A bit worse than fire, actually, because the fire is under your skin and not on it.

The point of my story? Well, several people have asked me whether I dropped of the face of the Earth because I haven't blogged in a shameful 20 days. Well, here I am. Besides fire ants, I've been dealing with tenants breaking their lease, my bum knee tricking out, researching Zhanjiang, reading an embarrassing amount of Jane Austen, renting my room for when I leave, trying to find a handyman, packing up years of stuff from living in Houston, finding a place to store all of my things, getting tickets to the places I am going this summer before Hong Kong (Manila, Vietnam, etc.), and finally, getting ready for my final trip of the summer...a vacation!

That's right! I will be sailing on the beautiful Carnival Splendor! It leaves out of LA and after getting back to port, I'll spend a few more days visiting my brother, sister, and mom in California before coming back to Houston to get down to the nitty gritty of packing. Now, you might be thinking how can someone scrimping every penny and eating cereal 2-3 meals a day afford a cruise? Well, in two ways. First, I am a major deal shopper. Cruises are the way to vacation, people! I'm paying less than $50 per day after all fees and that includes everything! Second, I'm subsidised. Well, in the sense that since I applied for the mission program, I've saved $10 a week to go towards a final vacation before I leave for the year. I'll be visiting Oregon, Victoria, and Vancouver, BC. I love the smell of Canada in the morning! Bon voyage...to me!

Your mission, should you choose to accept it...

2009-05-31T10:57:00.010-05:00

I have my assignment! Next year I will be teaching at Zhanjiang Normal University in Zhanjiang, Guandong, China. The name does bring up grade school prejudices about how if people had to tell you they were cool, then they really weren't that cool, but I don't think the same philosophy applies to the names of Chinese Universities translated into English. I'm sure the school will actually be quite normal...probably.

I will be stationed at this school (ZNU) with 3 other teachers in this program. Two are adult men and one is a young lady who moved to the US from Sweden. One of the gentleman actually taught at ZNU last year and is very exited to return. Besides the four of us, there will apparently be at least two other English-speaking foreign teachers there as well.

Zhanjiang is a booming sea-side city of over 7,000,000. As with most places in China, it seems to be a mix of urban cityscape and traditional Chinese culture.

What I have been able to gather from various sources leads me to believe that the school is very good, the students are motivated, and the toilets in the rooms flush with a handle and everything! In fact, besides comments on the quality of the cafeteria food, everything I've heard has been excellent. Woohoo! We're on our way!

Back in Action! Or at least back in Houston!

2009-05-11T20:37:00.003-05:00

I'll be back. More accurately, I am back. After a day of way too much squashing a month of accumulated stuff into a backpack and then carrying the 749 lb. bag through the airport, I am home safe and sound.

It has been an eventful day in every sense, but possibly the most important thing to happen to me today is my introduction to Funfetti Cookies. Forget all of the frosting stuff from the recipe. These cookies are delicious by themselves and frankly, who needs the extra sugar, right? ::types, as bouncing off walls:: It is three simple ingredients and a whole lot of cookies for the effort. It looks like the hours of preparing cookies from scratch are over.

Now, some people would arguably say that the more important thing I did today was say goodbye to my roommate who is going home for the summer. It was very hard and I am more traumatized than I'd like. Not only am I all alone in a house (Hello! I have roommates for a reason people!) but now I have to find another roommate. Oye. Wish me luck.

I know I'm reaching for obnoxiously productive, but I also managed to open about 58 pieces of mail (I'm saving the other half for tomorrow) and apply for funds from a group who sponsors Christian mission projects. I found that filling out the application left me feeling excited for all the good things to come which is contrasting with the terrible feelings I have about thefinal episode of House for the season! I guess I'm feeling tragically excited?

More to come later about my visit home, but for now it's back to opening mail and a quick workout before bed.