For two weeks, my classrooms on the 4^th floor of Teaching Building # 3 have been filled with talk of Thanksgiving Day. 

            Last week, the history of the holiday was covered in detail.  This week, our American Thanksgiving Day dinner was brought to life with a lesson on setting the table and the special foods we enjoy for that day.  Photos from my family Thanksgiving Day in the States graced the board, including the process of cooking a turkey.

            “Oh, I want to eat!” the students sighed with longing while crowding around the board during break.

             They ran their fingers over the plump, juicy turkey and pumpkin pie pictures, wishing them to somehow come to life.  (They weren’t the only ones.  I felt the same way.)

            Usually during the 10-minute break, I am gathering my thoughts and preparing the blackboard for the second half of the lesson.  But this week, I was grabbed right and left by students wanting us to stand by our beautiful classroom table setting for a photo. 

           The holiday center pieces, which I have carted around with me for over 12 years, delighted everyone. The cardboard turkeys, pilgrims, and pumpkins were snatched up right and left.  These were held aloft for photo ops or posed with while everyone’s classmates clicked away using their cell phone’s digital camera options.

            Another busy room aside on our campus, aside from my classroom,  has been the English Center.

            I am using this wonderful facility to the fullest, making every student give 3 mandatory visits by January 1^st.  To entice them, I’ve been leaving seasonal movies for them to watch.  For Thanksgiving Day, the selections have been:  Pieces of April (a Thanksgiving Day story about a troubled teen who invites her  family to dinner in her run-down New York apartment building), Indian in the Cupboard (Walt Disney film), and Dances with Wolves, which gives students an understanding of the Native Americans.

            And to entice them even more, I’ve been joining our movie crowd in the Center so we can enjoy the films together. 

            Today is no different. 
            So for my Thanksgiving Day celebrations, it’ll be another showing of Pieces of April to enjoy with my students as we learn the true meaning of the holiday:  the acceptance of differences, the love of family and the generous helping hands of strangers.  

            (I really encourage you all to check out this short, low-budget film.  It’s a real heartwarming winner.) 

 

            From Longzhou, China, Little Flower and I wish you our usual Ping An (Peace) along with a very Happy Thanksgiving!

           

Connie Wieck

Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities

125 Dushan Road

Longzhou County, Chongzuo City

Guangxi Province, 532400

P.R. of CHINA

 

 

 

            Last Saturday had my apartment filled with eager English Center volunteers.       What was the occasion?  It was time for us to record, catalog and fill the shelves of the English Center with the many books and games that so many of you have sent over the years.

            If you remember, I had been collecting books for an English Language Center in my former placement, Luzhou.  In 3 years, we had quite a nice display of English language materials in book cabinets I had purchased for the English office.  But we ran into a problem.

            The departmental staff wanted the books to be kept in the office, not shared with the students.  They were worried the books would be borrowed and not returned.  And so there they remained, under lock and key, with only the faculty using them as resource materials.

            While I was very happy the staff was making use of our small library, that was not the original purpose I had hoped for.  So upon my move to Longzhou, I went through all the donated books and pulled out the ones I felt would be appropriate for my new college’s English Center.  These went into boxes and were trucked, along with all my things, on the 4-day journey to Guangxi.

            In addition to books from Luzhou, other reading materials have also arrive in M-bags from the States. 

            Last week, the English Center students finally cleared away enough space for all your offerings.  It was time to get them into the student population for use.

            On Saturday, 15 volunteers and I spent 2 hours preparing 243 books and 42 DVDs for the Center.  Afterwards, we sat enjoying my homemade banana bread, fruit drinks and candies as my thank you for all their hard work.

            As each left my home, their arms loaded with books for the hike to the 6th floor Center, they thanked me again and again.  I think those of you who sent these donations would truly have been moved by everyone’s excitement and gratitude.

            I know I certainly was.

            Thus from a grateful American, I want to say from all of us, “Many, many thanks for all you’ve done to make our English Center a shining star on our campus.”

 

            Ping An (Peace) from China!

 

Connie Wieck

Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities

125 Dushan Road

Longzhou County, Chongzuo City

Guangxi Province, 532400

P.R. of CHINA

 

 

 

 

 

  Reunited With An Old Friend

         

            The past two weeks have been a whirlwind.

            Immediately after our Halloween festivities, I was visited by a very good friend from America, Becky John.

            Becky and I first met about 17 years ago when I was going off to China and she was working for the United Methodists in the New York offices.  Later, in 1999, Becky and I met up in Taiwan where I was teaching at the Wesley Girls’ High School and she was studying Chinese.  Our kindred spirits launched us on an immediate, long-lasting friendship.

            Although we lost track of one another, we never forgot about our fun times in Taiwan which just recently were relived.

            Yes, Becky managed to swing a vacation visit to China after years of being back in America, working for State Farm Insurance.  Her first order of business was to find me, which she did, and arrange a visit to our little town of Longzhou. 

            For 6 days, Becky and I enjoyed the high-life of remembering our youthful 20’s and 30’s as well as being ushered about to visit this area’s scenic spots.   We were able to enjoy the famous 2,500 year old cliff drawings by riverboat tour (courtesy of one of the tourism majors here at the college) and even the Detian Pubu (falls), the world’s second-largest transcontinental waterfalls.  (Niagara being the first).

            Becky, being the utterly delightful and friendly person that she is, also busied herself meeting the students both at our English Center and in the classroom.  Everyone was not only impressed by her Chinese but also by her warm personality.

            Having such a great guest at a new school has certainly stengthened my relationships among my colleagues and those in my community.   And it’s also been wonderful to share my new life with an old friend.

 

A Campus Highlight:  The Chinese Language Department’s Food Fair

 

            While Becky’s classroom and English Center visits were  a nice bonding experience for her, I’m going to have to say experiencing the campus Food Fair was probably what endeared the students to us the most.

            I wasn’t aware of this annual event until Becky landed on Thursday.  The students were already in an excited mode concerning what goodies they’d be cooking for Saturday night.

            “What’s happening Saturday night?” I asked.  “My friend Becky is coming.  We should know.”

            I was then inundated in news of the annual Food Fair, which was sponsored by the Chinese and Management Departments.  Classes and student groups organized a small booth and prepared all their own foods, cooked or not, which they sold to the student population for a small amount.  Those participating had already signed up and I was told there would be over 90 booths lining the student walkway on Saturday evening.

Teachers would be the judges to taste and decide what the winning foods would be. 

            Since there are no student cooking facilities on campus , participants had to be creative in borrowing equipment, such as gas burners and charcoal grills, or doing their own make-shift cooking areas for their booths. 

            I really had no idea what this all entailed until Becky and I finished our cliff-drawing riverboat tour and landed in the midst of the crowds on Saturday evening.

            It was incredible how the students had so carefully made their booths, with huge signs and colorful drawings inviting  hungry passers-by to try their wares. They shouted, grabbed, dragged, and shoved people in the direction of their enticing foods, hoping to make a 1 or 2 yuan sale (15 – 30 cents). 

            Becky and I managed to cruise the stalls first before returning to fill our empty stomachs with what the students had to offer.  We saw a lot of  local delicacies and then the normal Chinese fanfare.  Such offerings included stuffed with meat tofu squares, fried donut and sesame seed balls, lamb, pork, chicken feet and chicken wing kabobs, pig feet soup, grilled vegetables and corn-on-the-cob, fruit cups, jelly tea, thick rice-noodle wraps,

stir-fried sliced potatoes, french fries and the list goes on.

            Deciding whose to eat wasn’t quite as difficult as deciding whose not to eat. The students were over-enthusiastic in their drive to grab up the two foreigners and hustle them over to their booth.  On several occasions, we wound up with free servings even though we tried to pay.  Stuffing the Americans seemed to be the top priority on their “to do” list for the evening.

            Did we mind?

            Not in the least!

 

Still Keeping Busy

 

           Becky left last Tuesday, leaving the apartment quiet once again aside from Little Flower’s playful antics with her toys.   We certainly had a great time together and I look forward to having such a gracious guest again.

            But the week didn’t slow down with Becky’s departure.

            I still had visits to the English Center and then English Corner on Friday evening, from 8 to 10 p.m., where we all enjoyed outdoor free talk and games. 

            Saturday morning found me on the bus at 6:30 a.m., heading off to the capital city (Nanning) to meet up with our Amity teachers in this province for our regional meeting.

            Every semester, the Amity teachers in our respective areas get together for fellowship, sharing and a relaxing weekend together.  I spent only a day as I had to return for a student-planned evening activity that night but it was well worth it to catch up on all the latest from our new Amity folk.

            In our province, we have 3 new comers, two who came accompanied by their spouses.  Claire with her husband Martin from the UK, Ueli from Switzerland with his South American wife Johanna and Bob also from the UK.   Then we have Lena (Sweden) and myself (America), who are pretty well-established long-term teachers, which brings us to a total of 5 teachers, 2 spouses.

             Claire was unfortunately in Hospital (as the Brits say) and wasn’t able to join us.  Martin, her husband, stayed behind to take care of her. Her high blood pressure has been a serious factor here in China and we are all a bit worried about her at the moment.  Please keep her in your prayers.

 

Thanksgiving Day’s Coming!

           

            Now it’s back to classes on Monday, which ushers us all into my Thanksgiving Day Unit.  This week, we will concentrate on the history of the day and next week, we’ll be learning how to set tables and all the foods involved in the grand dinner.

            Too bad there are no turkeys in China but I have plenty of family photos to give them a “taste” of Thanksgiving Day in America.

 

            And on that last note, I wish you all Ping An (peace) for your upcoming week!

 

 

           

 

    

 

A Visit To the English Center

 

            It was a fair hike to the 6^th floor of Teaching Building No. 1.

            A small crowd followed behind me as we made our way up the stairwell with our English Center student volunteers in the lead. 

            This was the semester’s opening day for the campus English Center and I had been invited to welcome the newcomers.

            Being a newcomer myself, I was eager to see what materials this school had to offer for students studying English.  Most small Chinese colleges have nothing much as far as resource materials or books are concerned.  Even the libraries are pretty sparse with ancient, smelly Chinese texts available only for in-house reading.  Checking out books or materials is usually not allowed in Chinese schools.  The leaders are afraid no one will bring them back.

            But the English Center is a different story.

             It was started 6 years ago by former Amity teachers.  Over the years, more Amity teachers have increased the English reading materials by asking for donations from their home countries or adding more themselves.

            Magazines, world country picture albums, novels, short stories, maps, resource books on teaching, listening tapes and over 200 English language DVDs are all available for check-out or just for reading in the small room.

            The walls are painted with English phrases and cartoons.  There’re plenty of stools for students to sit down and read or watch DVD’s on the TV there in the room.  There’s also a water dispenser and paper cups, which are greatly needed in this roasting weather.  A fan above blows down cool air to keep the stuffiness and heat down.

            There are 15 volunteers who take turns opening the center Monday to Friday, 4 – 6 p.m. when students don’t have classes.  No one is allowed to speak anything but English in the Center and the volunteers make sure of that. They are quite strict and shove those who start chattering away in Chinese out the door.

            As I sat in the Center, talking with the new visitors and the volunteers, I was so impressed by what Amity had done and then how the students themselves had taken over to make this Center their own.

             The volunteers are very particular about who gets to be a Center volunteer member.  Last Sunday afternoon, they invited me for their interview sessions for new members.  We had 73 who wanted to join and we listened to all of them for 2 ½ hours.  They introduced themselves first and then we asked them questions. 

            My questions were quite simple, such as, “Tell us about a happy memory” or “What’s your favorite animal and why?”
             But the current volunteers, in their quest to find the best, were more indepth.

            “If you are an English Center member, what are the duties you will have to perform?”

            “What will you do if those in the English Center start to speak in Chinese?”

            “How will you improve the English Center if you are a member?”

            After the first rounds, the top 40 were chosen.  This coming Sunday afternoon, we’ll again have our last interview to choose the top 15. Then the current volunteers will invite them to become members.

            What I’m quite excited about is adding even more to the books on their shelves.  Already, I have Scrabble games and Boggle (an English word game) to add to their shelves, numerous DVDs and over 100 books that have been sent over the years to me in Luzhou.  I brought a large number of them with me.

            Other books are current arrivals from Paris and Champaigne, Illinois UMCs.

            The volunteers are heading over this weekend to pick up all the new materials so they can begin cataloging them next week. I’ve been sifting through them, putting them in order according to difficulty and genre.  Then I’ll join our staff to help organize for the shelves.

            Definitely a joyful celebration will be in order for our small English Center.  Not only will we be increasing our number of volunteers, but the volume of books as well.

            Many, many thanks for those of you who have helped to stock the shelves here with new reading materials.  They will be greatly appreciated and put to good use.

 

Halloween Celebrations

 

            During the past 2 weeks, students have been learning about the history and customs of our American Halloween traditions. 

            With a new foreign teacher, it’s always difficult to break-the-ice and get students comfortable enough to talk.  The best way to tear down that barrier is to invite everyone over for a visit. 
            Halloween is always the best enticement to have my new students visit my home.  It comes at just the right time, when the foreigner’s teaching methods  are starting to become more familiar and students’ ears are attuning themselves to “English-only” for our 2 periods together every week.

            And what better way to get these shy, worried language learners into my home than a trick-or-treat venture coupled with promises of candy and a huge photo session in Connie’s apartment?

            All week, students have descended upon me in the evening in small groups, carrying their hand-made masks and candy bags.

            Carved watermelon Jack-o-lanterns (pumpkins this far south are impossible to find) alighted my balcony for those who didn’t know where I lived.

             “Trick-or-Treat!  Trick-or-Treat!  Trick-or-Treat!”  filled the stairwell numerous times, making my neighbors peer from their doorways to see what all the commotion was about.

            And my apartment was loaded with excited Chinese youth, digging through my photo albums, clamoring for photo sessions around the decorations and practicing their English, however limited it might be.

            After 20 minutes, it was time for the next group to arrive.  Off they went, shouting their thank you’s and feeling confident that, yes, they can communicate in English with Connie after all.  Wow!  What an accomplishment!

            Saturday evening, the English Association student group is hosting an outdoor Halloween party.  Students will be bobbing for apples, carving Jack-o-lanterns out of watermelons, having costume racing games and  dancing to English pop songs as a closure.

            What a great way to end October and bring in November! 
           

            Wishing you Ping An (peace) for your weekend and hoping yours is as fun-filled and exciting as ours.    

           

 

Getting to Know the Students

 

            As the students appeared at my doorway last week, I ushered them in to my spacious sitting room where  they plopped themselves down on the furnishings.  This was their first visit to a foreigner’s apartment and they were getting the full treatment.  Drinks, candy, cookies, and Connie’s family photo albums adorned the coffee tables.  Fun gadgets, such as a mini Etch-n-Sketch and battery-operated toys (Kung Fu Hamster, a favorite), were displayed for use.  Picture books of America and China were within easy reach. 

            The evening groups that came to my home in waves were quiet, overly polite and shy at first but within 30 minutes, the place was alive with laughter and chatter.  The fear of speaking in English began to melt away.  Little Flower added even more to our time together with her insistence on squeaking toys at everyone’s feet.  In Little Flower’s mind, playtime is always a must for every guest who wanders into her home.  Her basket of doggie toys attests to that.

 

Getting to Know My Colleagues

 

            Others who have been enjoying my hospitality efforts are my colleagues.

            I invited the Chinese English teachers here on our Longzhou campus (about 21)  to meet me last Friday afternoon after they finished classes.  Those who weren’t busy came, including our vice-dean (Ms. Liang), Kate (my co-teacher) and several others.  Two in our numbers were expectant mothers so much of the conversation was given to joking with them about their upcoming babies and the work that will involve.  A lot!

            In reciprocation of my invite, Grace (3 months pregnant) invited me to attend her 26^th birthday party last Monday night at her home.  Co-teacher Kate came to pick me up and together, we walked to the teachers’ apartment building behind my own where the younger staff are living.

             Grace and her husband had pulled out tables and stools to set up outside their  small 1-room apartment, furnished by the school.  Snacks of pumpkin seeds, shelled peanuts, peanut brittle, dried squid, cooked chicken wings, kabobs of tofu and mutton, candy, tangerines, bananas and juicy watermelon slices greeted us upon our arrival. 

            The stools began to fill as their friends gathered around to wish her a happy birthday.  Her husband presented her with a bouquet of flowers and a huge birthday cake.

After lighting the candles and making a wish, Grace served big pieces of cake which we certainly weren’t about to turn down.   Some even had second helpings.

           In the cool night air, we entertained one another with stories and teasing anecdotes about family members and friends.

             I just remember thinking how very welcomed I felt and how very grateful I am for being here.   

 

Meeting the Neighbors

 

            As for my new neighborhoods, it seems the children have taken a liking to me.  I have two sweet little girls (Huang Ya Wei, age 10, and Yao Xiao, age 6) who have come for afternoon Saturday and Sunday visits to play with my stash of kids’ toys, draw pictures and talk to the foreigner.  Both of these girls are from the poorer families on our campus.  Yao Xiao’s father, for example, is a watchman at our front gate.

            I am very impressed by their polite manners and their understanding of what it is to be a guest.  On their second visit, Huang Ya Wei brought a cooked squab from the nearby fast food joint (KMC, a Chinese knock-off of KFC) to share with all three of us.  I poured us drinks, pulled out a plate, cut up the chicken, brought out the chopsticks and we dug in with glee.

            The highlight of their afternoon was dressing them up in Halloween paraphernalia.  Masks, foil hair and witches hats were their attire.  Since this tradition is alien for most Chinese, I didn’t bother explaining. We just enjoyed the fun of dress-up and I left it at that.

           

The Classroom Teaching Situation

           

            As an Amity Foundation language teacher, a majority of my classes are to be English education majors.   Amity stresses that its foreign language experts concentrate on those who will be teachers, not working in other English related fields.   However, I find myself currently in the situation of teaching 6 classes of  Business English and Practical English majors (tourism – service industry) and only 2 classes of  English Education majors.  All of these are the 1^st year students (total 260), just beginning their college studies away from home. 

            While this is not the purpose of Amity, I’m sure that next semester, we can rearrange the schedule to fulfill the organization’s goals.

            In the meantime, I am very happy to do what I can for those struggling with their choice of major.  My classes are smaller than in Luzhou, giving me 30 – 35 in the room at a time.  This is certainly needed due to the low level of English I have been finding.         My education majors, who will one day be teachers, I am not worried about.  They have enough of a skill level to build upon.  But in my Business English and Practical English classes, a large number don’t even know simple English vocabulary, such as their colors, names of countries, common animals and even basic phrases.   The books we are using, O.K. starts for those with a foundation, are quite a challenge.  In many cases, the units are a bit useless because they center on these students being in America, which will most likely never happen.

            More appropriate dialogues and vocabulary would have them here in China, not abroad.

            Due to this problem, I have compiled my own textbook which has already been distributed to everyone.  A local photo copier and I bargained for a decent price and 300 books came off her copy machines in 4-days’ time.

            Although my own materials and lessons are a challenge, at least they are more useful for the students’ fields.  My units center on traditions and holidays, and are an integrated approach to learning with writing prompts, dialogues, vocabulary building, listening exercises (movies, songs)  and pronunciation practices.

            Coupling my textbook with the one they currently have will satisfy my needs and theirs, or so I hope.

            At present, we’re digging deep into the Halloween traditions of America.  This past week, we’ve done the history, vocabulary and pronunciation of new words. Next week, we’ll be diving into the fun activities of trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples and creating plus wearing costumes.

            Sound like fun?  You bet!

 

            After only 3 weeks in my new home, I am already feeling settled  and quite excited about future activities with students and new friends. Watch this space for more reports of our times together!

            From Connie and Little Flower, here’s sending you Ping An (peace) from Longzhou, small town along the Li River.      

 

                 Friday, October 9th, saw all of China back to normal. 

                The holidays were officially over.  Classrooms filled with students, the overburdened airports, train and bus stations cleared of vacationing millions, and stores cleared their shelves of mooncakes and 60th anniversary discounts.  TV stations  are no longer featuring flamboyant celebratory programs of dancers and singers, and the newspaper headlines are back to the usual mundane affairs of the country.

 

 

                But here in Longzhou, my new placement at Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, we are still in the upheaval mode.

                Although I was told to return for October 9th classes, once I arrived  on the 5th, I learned that most likely we'd still be waiting to begin the new semester due to the opening of the new campus.   

              Just as a recap, there are 3 campuses to this school.   The oldest campus is in Longzhou (where I am).  The second campus is in central Chongzuo, the county capital city 1 1/2 hours away.  The 3rd and brand new campus, which is the one now opening to new students, is located in the outskirts of Chongzuo, in the middle of sugarcane fields and dirt roads.

               The Longzhou campus will eventually be closed in  2 or 3 years because it's just too small to accommodate the growing number of students that have been enrolled.  In the meantime, different departments are moving to the new school.   The English Department, for now, is remaining in Longzhou thus all the English major students and faculty will be here.  A few other departments are here as well.  Of course, we stay but a vaste number of others are leaving.

 

              All freshmen students have been at this Longzhou campus, doing their mandatory military training, for a month while the brand new campus was being completed.  I had assumed the students would leave us before the National Day holidays to move into their new school dormitories 1 1/2 hours away but I guess the final touches on the buildings there hadn't been made yet.  Thus everyone stayed put here in Longzhou, including the faculty who were moving as well, and waited for the big move ahead.

              And that move is taking place this weekend, with classes hopefully beginning on Monday. 

               We are having 3 days of thousands of students packing up their small belongings into huge plastic carrying bags with zippers or small suitcases, dragging their things to truck pick-up points and seeing them off to their new home in Chongzuo.

              The administrators have done an excellent job of organizing the student move.   The pick-up point is in the covered sports' building where everyone receives a colored ribbon to tie on their things.  The colors are by departments.  Then their bags get a bag check sticker and the owners receive the receipt number so they can get the right luggage  back at the other campus. 

              All bags and suitcases are all lined up in neat, tidy rows for loading onto the truck.   The loading is done by workers who carefully pile the things into the truck, stacking them clear to the vehicle's compartment roof to get as many as possible inside.

               There are 3 pick-ups a day:  one at 9 a.m., one at 12:00 and one at 3:30 p.m.  It's just enough time for the truck to be unloaded at  one end and make the return journey to Longzhou for yet another shipment of thousands to be packed onto the truck yet again.

 

 

              As for faculty, many have waited until the last minute to leave.  Our campus is now filling with small moving trucks parked outside of apartment builings.  Neighbors stand outside, watching loads of boxes and furniture being hauled downstairs by movers who will begin placing them onto the vans.  Grandmothers with the grandbabies and grandchildren stand about, helping parents keep  toddlers from getting in the way of the bustling traffic of the movers. 

               In many ways, it's a rather sad scene. Some of these elderly, who live with and are now following their children (faculty employees) to a new location, have been here for years.  This is their home. These are familiar surroundings.   They have their community here and their nearby shopping places.  The new Chongzuo campus is far from having a friendly neighborhood feel yet.  The landscaping is nowhere near finished, meaning no pretty parks, walkways and grassy sitting areas as we have here. Also, the school is  located in such a distant location,perhaps 20 minutes by bus from the city itself.   I wonder how these people will feel after years of Longzhou living. 

               It will be quite an adjustment and I'm sure it won't come easy.

 

 

             For myself, the cooler temperatures here (in the 80s daytime, pleasant 70s at night) are proving quite a relief from the 90s and 100s that I experienced before in August.  All my lessons are in order for the first week of classes where I will be teaching English Education, Business English and Practical English majors.  Usually, Amity teachers only teach educataion majors.  Business English and Practical English will be a bit new for me.    I even had to ask what a Practical English major is.  I was told it's a major that is for any English field (teaching, business or tourism) a student wants to go into.  So rather than concentrate only on being an English teacher (English Education major) or working in the business field (Business English major), Practical English majors have the foundations for both as well as other English  language-related jobs.

            Classes I learned will be much smaller than in Luzhou, where I had 50 - 60 crammed into the room.   Here there are between 35 - 40 students, which is quite a luxury for me.  That I certainly am looking forward to.

 

 

            As for Little Flower, she is still feeling unsettled and not exactly at ease in her new surroundings.  The apartment is  huge compared to Luzhou.  LF has been wandering about most of the day trying to find places to crash in that feel normal.  She's flopped on the spare bed but that wasn't right.  She's moved from her bassinet to her carrier and back again numerous times.  That also doesn't feel right.  She's curled up on the two cushy couches in the living room.  Again, not to her liking.  She's even tried hiding in the wardrobe among my clothes and positioning herself on top of a huge plastic bag of unshelved books I still have to put away.  All good efforst to feel at home but likewise, disappointing bedding places.         

            I always knew it  takes time for one to feel settled and comfortable in a new environment.  I just didn't figure it would be that way for a dog.

 

           Perhaps yet another taking time to feel at home is Kitty, who was dropped off at Dr. Q's veterinarian clinic last Sunday.  He was a bit confused as to why he was in such a strange place when I left him.  Dr. Q's huge, fat and sassy cat came to take a look at the new arrival.  She was more interested in eatting  Kitty's food I carefully set out for him  than she was in really caring that another feline might be sharing her space.

           A phonecall to Dr. Q's clinic yesterday had me reassured that the kitten is finding his way around by himself.  He enjoys playing with the staff and chasing things around the many cubicles.  Dr. Q has given him full run of the clinic.  I'm sure within a short amount of time, he'll be parading around as if it were his own.

 

          News ends here at present until next week's accounts of students and school teaching life.  In the meantime, I  hope your weekend is a pleasant and happy one.  Ping an (Peace), everyone!

 

           

            

 

             

              

 

            Yesterday evening had me at the nearby grocery where the second floor was filled with mooncake boxes for sale.  Heaps of individually wrapped mini-mooncakes of all varieties and flavors also took up space in the specialty item selling area.  They'd been there for over a week but Friday night brought everyone out in droves, snatching up mooncakes galore in preparation for Mid-autumn Festival on Saturday.

            Below, in the 1st floor fruit section, hundreds of youzi, or pomelos (a large citrus fruit the size of a football, comparable to a gigantic grapefruit), were likewise being snatched up for the next day.  Mooncakes just wouldn't taste right without being accompanied by a pomelo for the family gathering the next day.

What is Mid-Autumn Festival?

            What exactly is Mid-autumn Festival (sometimes referred to as Moon Festival) and what does it entail?  Looking up on the Net, this is what I found:

            The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, or in Chinese, Zhongqiu Jie, is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese people, Koreans, and Vietnamese people (even though they celebrate it differently), dating back over 3,000 years to moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty. It was first called Zhongqiu Jie (literally "Mid-Autumn Festival") in the Zhou Dynasty.  In Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, it is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival.

           The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is usually around late September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumn and spring Equinoxes of the solar calendar, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest. The traditional food of this festival is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties.

          The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, the other being the Chinese New Year, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos together.

The Accompanying Folk Legend of Mid-Autumn Festival

         There are numerous versions of the folk story that accompanies this festival but I've only chosen one.  Here it is:

           Houyi was an immortal, while Chang'e was a beautiful young girl, working in the Jade Emperor's (Emperor of Heaven) Palace as the attendant to the Queen Mother of the West (wife of the Jade Emperor), just before her marriage. One day, Houyi aroused the jealousy of the other immortals, who then slandered him before the Jade Emperor. Houyi and his wife, Chang'e, were subsequently banished from heaven, and forced to live by hunting on earth. He became a famous archer.

           Now at this time, there were 10 suns, in the form of Three-legged birds, residing in a mulberry tree in the eastern sea; each day one of the sun birds would have to travel around the world on a carriage, driven by Xihe, the 'mother' of the suns. One day, all 10 of the suns circled together, causing the earth to burn. Emperor Yao, the Emperor of China, commanded Houyi to shoot down all but one of the suns. Upon the completion of his task, the Emperor rewarded Houyi with a pill that granted eternal life, and advised him: "Make no haste to swallow this pill; first prepare yourself with prayer and fasting for a year".  Houyi took the pill home and hid it under a rafter, while he began healing his spirit. While Houyi was healing his spirit, Houyi was summoned again by the emperor. Chang'e, noticing a white beam of light beckoning from the rafters, discovered the pill, which she swallowed. Immediately, she found that she could fly. At that moment, Houyi returned home, and, realizing what had happened, began to reprimand her. Chang'e flew out the window into the sky.

        With a bow in hand, Houyi sped after her, and the pursuit continued halfway across the heavens. Finally, Houyi had to return to the Earth because of the force of the wind. Chang'e reached the moon, and breathless, she coughed. Part of the pill fell out from her mouth. Now, the hare was already on the moon, and Chang'e commanded the animal to make another pill from it, so that she could return to earth to her husband.

        As of today, the hare is still pounding herbs, trying to make the pill. As for Houyi, he built himself a palace in the sun as "Yang" (the male principle), with Chang'e as "Yin" (the female principle). Once a year, on the 15th day of the full moon, Houyi visits his wife. That is why, that night, the moon is full and beautiful.

Connie's Plans for Mid-Autumn Festival

         My custom for Mid-Autumn Festival has always been to give mooncake boxes to the administrators and English department staff at the school where I'm teaching.  This year, unfortunately, finds me in Chengdu during the holidays when school is not in session.  That leaves me  trying to find a substitute custom for this year:  Giving mooncakes to those I know in Chengdu.

       Yesterday evening's visit to the grocery was a fortuitous venture as I hit the sales:  Buy 1 pound of mini-mooncakes, get the second pound free.  So along with everyone else, I was filling bags with mooncakes and having them weighed to receive my extra pound free.  I was loaded down with 8 pounds of mooncakes by the time I left, 4 bags each of 2 pounds. 

       Who will be the recipient of my mooncake gifts?

        First will be the pool staff at both the indoor pool and outdoor pools at Mengzhui Wan Aquatic Center.  As an avid swimmer, I have been a regular every day at both the indoor and outdoor pool this past month.  The staff keep both facilities extremely clean and never have a day off.  Even for Chinese New Year, the pools are always open.  The workers, always pleasant and quick to please, deserve a little something special for their family gathering  this evening so 1 bag each will be dropped off at the pools today for sharing with everyone.

       Next will be Dr. Q's clinic, which I'll be visiting tomorrow to hand over Kitty for his new life as clinic cat.  Although a day late, Dr. Q's staff of 11 can still enjoy snacking on mooncakes during their down times in between caring for the small animals visiting.

      The last bag will be for Jalin's family.  This evening, I'll be spending time with them, eating mooncakes and pomelo while we watch TV programs celebrating the festival.

      There will be a few mooncakes held back for Xiao Hua (Little Flower) because this is her 8th birthday.  Although the festival day changes every year, it's around this time Little Flower was born thus I always choose it as her birthday.  Little Flower will have her own individual mooncake and candle on top.  She will also be breaking her diet from our ongoing Diet Camp.  Everyone deserves to be spoiled on their birthday, Little Flower included.  She'll be given a full mini-mooncake to enjoy, whatever flavor she wants, before the day's end.

       Sad to say, we won't be able to enjoy the full moon tonight along with our goodies.  The weather is not cooperating at all with dark, cloudy skies and rain.  That's O.K.  Moon-sighting or no moon-sighting, I'm sure Little Flower and I will have a great Mid-Autumn Festival together, Kitty included.

        Here's wishing you Ping An (peace) for your Moon Day and weekend! 

         

 

              Diana (Ding Yanbin) was one of my favorite students at Luzhou Vocational and Technical College.

              To begin with, she was the first student I met with her parent in tow.  I was hanging out at the English Department's welcome table for new students when she arrived that first week.  Her sun-weathered, dark-skinned father, in his 60s, was with her.  She greeted me shyly by saying "Hello" and I was quick to praise her language ability, talking to her father in Chinese about her excellent pronunciation.  His face beamed and the two of them excitedly went off to find her dorm room.

 

 

             It wasn't until later I learned Diana had been abandoned at birth due to her blind left eye. It's noticably foggy and I'm sure for parents from the rural countryside, this was a frightening experience.  To have a girl child not in perfect health, maybe very well completely blind, was too much of a financial and emotional burden for them to take one.  She was placed on the street where a 50-year-old  unmarried farmer found her.  His kind heart went out to this little baby.  Despite being extremely poor, he adopted her and raised her as his own.  His own family (parents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles) had died, leaving him alone in the world, except for this gift from God. 

             And a true gift it was.  Ding Yanbin, or Diana as she chose for her English name, proved to be quite the intelligent one.  She worked hard in school and managed to be matriculated into our Luzhou college as an English education major.  Her father saved and borrowed enough money for just one semester, about $350, which left somewhat of a dilemma as to how she'd pay for the rest of her schooling.

 

 

            Fortunately, someone in their smalltown area heard of her plight and sponsored her to continue her schooling.  The gentleman owned a business that sold cars and was hoping that Diana would come to work for him for a few years after her college education.  The problem was that he insisted she study accounting.  He needed accountants, not English majors. 

            Diana had already completed a semester of English courses and had her heart set on being a teacher.  When she learned that she would have to switch majors to accounting (something she isn't really very good at), she was disappointed and disheartened.  Yet with someone else paying for her education, she was obligated to study what her benefactor suggested.

            Her determination to continue with her English studies, however, paid off.  She managed to convince the man helping her that she could do a double major, English and accounting, and still do well in both subjects.  He agreed and thus she graduated last May as an English language teacher and an accountant.

           At present, Diana is at her benefactor's car dealership.  She works on the second floor. above the showroom, as one of the many sales girls who is in charge of the accounting department.  Diana's job includes taking large sums of cash to the bank (car buyers pay in cash in China, not by check) preparing all documentation of car sales for both the buyer and seller, and applying for/completing certifications of car ownership needed for government and license approval.

 

 

            When Diana visited me for the afternoon on Saturday, I learned a lot from her about the car selling industry.  Her boss' dealership sells only one brand, a Chinese car called Beijing Xian Dai.  This is a medium-priced vehicle in China, ranging from U.S. $11,000 to $21,000.   I assumed car buying would be down in China as it was in the States but according to Diana, the business is booming.  On average, their small dealership, located in a small town, is selling on average 100 cars a month.  Gracious!  I'm not even sure car dealorships in America did that well during a booming economy.  Most are filing for bankruptcy.

 

 

                Diana and I had a lovely afternoon together at the Bookworm, the foreigner's hang-out, where we talked, enjoyed iced coffee and giggled over possible boyfriends.  We even managed to walk Little Flower around Sichuan University before she departed on the last bus to her small town, 1 hour away from Chengdu.  It had been a wonderful visit together and one I hope we can do again in the future, on my next journey back to Chengdu.

 

            Tomorrow, it's time to visit yet another student another, Ji Ke (Jason).  I'll be traveling to his small village where a National Day of good food and family unity will be enjoyed. 

 

             I'm often asked by the Chinese why I like teaching here so much. Why don't I go back to America, my home country? Don't I miss my family and friends? 

             There are a number of reasons I prefer being in this country but the biggest has to do with people such as Diana, Jason, Jalin and her family, Dean Cathy:  They are my friends and family.  I don't have to return to America for that.  I have it all right here!

 

            And on that final note, I'll just say Ping An once again, peace, to all of you on this first day of October.

                 

            

 

  National Day Holiday is Nearly Upon Us          

 

             October 1st, China's National Day, is nearly upon us.

             On October 1st, 1949, the PRC was established.  This year marks the 60th anniversary of the country's founding so you can imagine all the hoopla that's been leading up to this coming Thursday.

             All around the city for the past week, banners have been waving high from government buildings, hotels, restaurants, department stores, schools and universities and so on. All proclaim warm wishes to the motherland for its 60th birthday.  Also taking a prominent place throughout Chengdu have been flags.  All shapes and sizes of the Chinese flag can be seen at every turn.  They hang from building tops, dangle from windows, flutter from car radio antennae, motorbikes and bicycles.  The weekend brought out the flag sellers, their 3-wheeled pedal bikes loaded with flags stuck into styrofoam, all for the patriotic passers-by.  They sold for 40 cents to a dollar, depending on the size you wanted.  I expect on the day itself, the flag sellers be out in grand numbers making a great profit for China's 60th.

           Celebrations during the last 2 weeks have included grand concerts of Chinese folk dancing, famous singers, dramatic poetry readings, children's patriotic performances, orchestra and choral numbers on a magnificent scale.

           Also included around Chengdu have been numerous singing contests, something like a Chinese Idol, where locals can take the stage and sing until the judges literally "gong" them out of the running for a prize.  Every evening in Jalin's home, her father and I have been watching that day's contestants.  The stage is outside in the open and anyone can stand in line to sing.  Those who sing for 60 seconds without the gong choose yellow balloons which are popped.  Inside are slips of paper with either "Thanks for participating" or a money amount.  Those who sing over 90 seconds pick from the blue balloons which have higher prize amounts inside, from $100 to 300.

           Granted, not many make it to the 90 seconds as most are pretty horrendous singers.  It doesn't matter, however, as everyone has a good time (including the judges) and since the contests are all fore-runners to National Day, the holiday spirit is quite strong.  Whether you get gonged or not, everyone leaves smiling.

           The holidays for National Day run from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8, meaning that Jalin is free during those days.  We already have plans to visit Ji Ke (Jason) in his village on October 1st.  He's invited some of his friends to join us and Jalin is considering bringing a classmate as well.  It will be a good opportunity for her to get outside of the city.  Living the life of a high school student is tiring and not at all pleasant.  I'm hoping this outing together with me will make the holiday a bit more special for her other than doing the tons of homework she'll be assigned.

 

 

        I'm sure as you watch TV in the States, you'll come across the Chinese flag during the National Day festivities that are covered on our news networks.  Here's a little FYI about the flag itself.

       While there have been several Chinese national flags throughout history, today's flag was introduced in 1949, when the People's Republic of China was formed. China's original flag, introduced in 1872, featured a blue dragon on a yellow background.  After the 1911 revolt, the flag changed to five different colored stripes.

 

 

 

            One National Day activity which took place last Saturday morning dealt with Jalin.

            A month ago, Jalin was selected by her teacher to participate in an aerobics contest among local schools in her education district.  This was to promote health and well-being of young people as China entered its 60 years of existence.

            Jalin's school had 3 teams of girls to enter while other schools chose from their students.  Saturday morning, the competition began in a small neighborhood square on an erected stage.  Jalin's mom and I went to watch her performance and cheer her on.  There were 4 categories of student teams, from elementary to high school, and each team had an 8-9 minute routine to show the judges. 

            Despite the drizzle and the chilly weather, everyone did their best and no one slipped on the wet, slick stage.  Jalin's team had a score of 8.4 out of 10. Not the best but certainly not the worst.

 

 

              While October 1st marks China's founding, October 3rd has us also celebrating another big day in China:  Mid-autumn Festival or Moon Festival.  

           This is a gathering of families together to watch the full moon rise, enjoy community time together and eat the many varieties of mooncakes available in China today.  Mooncakes consist of a pastry-like outside and a sweet filling inside.  The fillings run from traditional (red bean paste, pine nuts, hardboiled egg yokes, peanuts) to more modern style middles (chocolate, fruit jams, ice cream). 

          Every year, these mooncakes grow more ostentatious in their packaging, designs and flavors. They appear in every shop, department store, specialty sidewalk stalls, and grocery around the country.  In Chengdu, there is a monstrous selling hall filled with mooncakes from different Asian countries and regions.  Anyone can go to sample mooncakes from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, and even Japan, then decide which they wish to buy for relatives or friends. 

         Tomorrow, I plan to visit this gigantic Mooncake Palace.  I'll be sure to add pictures to this site when I've returned.

 

 

         Two weeks ago, a bleeding, wounded, crying, wet kitty landed in my hotel room. 

         Two weeks later, Kitty is enjoying the life of a full belly, comfy nesting spots atop pillows, crazy racing sessions around the room, stalking stints after Little Flower and shoulder perches on Connie while she watches T.V.  His wound has healed nicely, thanks to the anti-biotic spray, and while there'll be a scar, it won't be too big.

         As the days ticked downward to my October 5th departure, I was worrying about where Kitty would go.  After a visit to Dr. Qiu's clinic this afternoon, however, all worries are gone.

         Little Flower's vet, Dr. Q, said he'd be happy to have Kitty around as a clinic cat.  He has one already, a female which he spayed last year, so this will be his male addition.  Dr. Q will make sure his vaccinations are completed and he is fixed.  He'll roam about freely, come and go as he wishes, and have a happy life among the staff and with Dr. Q. 

        And the greatest thing about this new home is that I'll be able to check up on him during my visits to Chengdu in the future. 

        In the meantime, Kitty stays with me so I can enjoy our last days together.  I'm sure jealous Little Flower would rather he left immediately but she'll have me all to herself soon enough.  For now, she can just put up with Kitty until I turn him over on Sunday.

 

          Until next time, here's wishing all my Chinese readers a Happy National Day and Mid-autumn Festival!  And to all others, Ping An (Peace) for your week.

 

 Connie Wieck

 

 

 

               What is it about little lost critters and Connie?

               From  5-day old stray kitty, Xiao Gui-gui (Little Ghost), to jawless, toothless Chihuahua, Xiao Lao-lao (Little Old), it just seems these pitiful souls land themselves directly in my pathway for a reason -- they know I can't pass them up.

               So it goes for another small find 4 days ago. 

              After a horrendous lightening, thunder and rainstorm the entire Friday night, Little Flower and I made our way out of the hotel for our usual morning outing along the sidewalks of Chengdu.  The temperatures had dropped considerably from 88 degrees the day before to 65.  Literally, everything was drenched with leaves and twigs scattered in all directions.  And by "everything," I also include the tiny, mewing figure huddled against a closed storefront which greeted us within 5 feet of the hotel entrance.

              Here was a black and white kitten, about 5 weeks old, looking a bit like a drowned rat due to being soaked in rainwater.  He was very scared and cold, shivering and looking about for Mom.

              "Pass him by," my practical, inner-self said.  "He's old enough to fend for himself.  You can't be responsible for a kitty when you're leaving in another 3 weeks."

              But  he could use some shelter so I made sure he scurried himself into a quiet, shrub-covered cubbyhole alongside the building.  At least he wouldn't get hit by a car if he wandered off and also have some shelter when the rains started up again.

              Off Little Flower and I went on our walk.  I was determined not to give it another thought and I'm sure LF was determined not to have another visitor to take away her Number One presence in my life.

              Yet 5 hours later, the kitty was still mewing.  I had to check up on him, despite saying I wouldn't.  He was just too pathetic to leave in the muck, where he had positioned himself under a wet bush.  Off he came to the hotel room for a bath, which revealed a deep gash under one front leg.  It did not smell too good, either.

              This kitty, obviously, needed tending to.  Aside from being hungry and cold, medical assistance was a definite must. 

              So once again, it was Connie to the rescue of yet another one of God's helpless creatures.

              Five days later, our little kitty is racing about the hotel room, cuddling up for naps on my lap and stalking about the room a very wary (and jealous) Little Flower.   He uses his litter box like a pro and eats like a horse. Talk about a huge belly!

               A visit to a new veterinarian clinic, Harmonious Animal Hospital, has our kitty on antibiotic sprays for his wound.  It's already healing quite nicely although the area looks nasty, especially after the vet shaved off the surrounding fur so she could take a better look at what we were dealing with.

               Unfortunately, he's too little for vaccinations yet.  The vet believes he's about 6 weeks, which leaves him 2 weeks shy of receiving immunizations. 

              I've already been emailing friends in the area about a home.  My first thought was Jason, Ji Ke, who was a former student of mine.  His sister was in need of a heart procedure a year ago and I was thankful to have enough money to help out the family with the operation.  Jason's parents live in the countryside in a small village which is very near Chengdu.  A countryside home for a male kitty would be a great place.  He can wander to heart's content, especially when the adolescent and adult stages hit with full sexual driving force. Nothing like a strong Tom given full run of the chicken coop! 

             After a phonecall to Jason, who then talked to his parents, Kitty definitely has a home with them.

             Or there are Luzhou city folk as well.  My good friends there would most likely give this little guy a very cushy life, free from fleas and diseases.  I know they'd make sure yearly vaccinations were in order.  In Jason's home, Kitty will probably remain susceptable to all the feline killers that come with not getting vaccinated.  No immunizations are just the way it goes for farm cats here.

             Thus in the Chinese countryside, it would be a life of free roaming with not much human care given to what happens to him.  In the Chinese city, it would be a lot of love, safety and comfort for the rest of his life.

             We just have to see how it plays out and who is the most willing to take in our little kitty.  In the meantime, he will continue to stay with me and Little Flower in the hotel room.   

             He'll heal.  He'll plump up. He'll scamper about.  

             Hopefully, I can get in one round of vaccinations before he goes to a new home and I leave for Guangxi.  One round is better than none.  And, hopefully, I'll find him  the perfect home before October 5 sends me, along with Little Flower, off to Longzhou to begin the school year.

 

             Wish me luck, and here's Ping An (peace) added for your day.

            

             

            

              

            

 

             I've received quite a few notes asking what is my new address in Guangxi.  Many of you have expressed a desire to send things on my wish list but have had no place as yet to send them. 

             Here you are, and I'll be sure to include the address in every blog entry just in case you can't find it easily enough.

 

           Connie Wieck

 

           As a reminder, I am helping add books to an English Language Center, located on the 7th floor of the library building I've been told.  I'm also a big fan of educational encouragement stickers (Good, well-done, excellent), which cannot be found anywhere in China.  I use these as rewards on essays, prizes, gifts to teachers I visit in grade school, and as a free-for-all for my Chinese English teacher colleagues.  By sharing with my colleagues, I am no longer considered the high and mighty foreigner who has all the goodies to distribute.  Your sticker gifts help me work in partnership with my Chinese co-workers, not in competition with them.   I consider this one of the best contributions you could make to my work as a teacher and a Christian here in China so send as many as you want!

          I've also been starting up my collection of Christmas holiday pencils to give to each student in December for our Christmas festivities.  I usually need around 400 of these.  They should be seasonal, meaning sayings such as "Merry Christmas" on them or decorated with snowflakes, Christmas trees, snowmen and so forth.  The glittery ones are usually the most coveted.  Such pencils are usually sold in bulk at educational stores or have to be ordered via educational on-line companies.  

 

         If you need some suggestions, have questions or comments, just email!   I'm always eager and grateful to help you out, especially as I'm the recipient of all the cool goodies you always send my way.

 

         Thank you for thinking of me and, as always, Ping An (peace)!

 

 

              It's the second week of my return to Chengdu as I wait out the start of my school year in Longzhou on October 9.

             As always, my evenings have been spent with the Yang family, my former neighbors when I studied Chinese here for 1 year at Sichuan University.  Jalin, the daughter, just turned 16 and is likewise in her second week of starting high school.  I was so looking forward to spending more time with her but, alas, her junior high years of carefree studies have come to an end.

             Jalin leaves for high school at 7:10 a.m. and doesn't return until 8:30 p.m., her last class of the day ending at 8 in the evening.  This is the life of a high schooler in China, Monday to Saturday.  Already, Jalin has signed up for Sunday courses in the morning at a cram school to improve her chemistry and math skills.  We are meeting up but usually at 10:30 p.m., after she's finally finished the last of her homework for the night.  

            In the earlier part of the evening, her mom, dad and I sit down to dinner where Jalin's mom has always prepared great homecooked meals which I'm  invited to.  Then it's an hour of watching the Channel 5 Chengdu news where I catch up on what's going on in the city. 

 

 

           This evening, Jalin's father introduced me to the big news which seems to be filling not only the TV channels but the newspapers as well. 

           Wedding banquets and celebrations are a big deal in China, usually taking place during national holidays or weekends so lots of guests can attend. Choosing the right date is likewise important.  Eights, for example, are considered lucky numbers because they sound similar to the Chinese word which means treasure or riches.   So unless the dates are really special, it's unusual to have weddings in the middle of a week but tomorrow seems to be an exception for some.

     September 9, 2009 (9-9-9) has been touted as being a good day for marriage.  The number 9 sounds like and is symbolic of "a long time"  and "forever"  in Mandarin Chinese, naturally meaning your marriage, and love, will last into eternity.

           On  the news, various couples in Chengdu were getting their licenses at the city's government marriage office.  Jalin's dad likewise told me tomorrow would be a good day for snapping wedding pictures.  Western style white satin gowned brides with their grooms standing outside restaurant doors will begin greeting guests for noontime banquets.   Cars bedecked with roses in the shape of huge hearts  and huge white bows will  also be parading throughout the city, the lead vehicle holding the happy couple within as they are whisked about to and from their celebrations.

 

 

          But other young couples are more hesitant about celebrating their special day on the triple 9 date.

          August 20 to September 16 is regarded as the Hungry Ghost Festival among many Chinese communities in China, Singapore and Taiwan.

          According to  folklore, the gates of hell are opened during this month to free the hungry ghosts who wander the earth in search of food.  The Chinese remember their dead family members during this time and pay tribute to them in various ways.  One of these is to offer food to the dead to ward off bad luck.  Fruit, cakes and canned drinks (coke, sprite, beer) are often seen during this time presented at the altars of temples or at the gravesites of relatives.   Fake paper money is also burned and joss sticks as well outside of the house, in the yard or along the sidewalk in front of apartment buildings or home owners' doorways. The paper money is to be used by deceased  relatives in heaven so they can buy whatever they want in the after-life. 

            (Well-stocked department stores and shops manned by angelic sellers?  One does wonder if the phrase "I'm in shoppers' heaven!" actually comes from the Chinese.)

         Also by the superstitious, it's not a wise idea to go swimming during these hungry ghost days.  An evil spirit might very well drag you under water and cause you to drowned.

         But from my daily jaunts to the swimming pool here in Chengdu, I find city folk might take their supersitions a little less seriously than those in other parts of China.  In our 90-degree heat and steamy atmosphere, I noticed Sunday had our crowds just as busy splashing about in the cool waters of the Meng Zhui Wan Swimming Complex  as  during the summer months when school wasn't in session.

 

 

         I guess the only way to find out if tomorrow's Triple 9 will hold in Chengdu as a great day for a wedding celebration is to wait and find out.  

        I'm already juicing up my rechargeable batteries for my digital camera as we speak.  I'm not about to miss out on a great photo opportunity when it comes to weddings in China.  The brides go all-out in their poofy, glitterly, princess-like garments and look gorgeous having such  slim and slender figures.

        Very few crash bridal diets in China for our Sichuan gals.  They're already quite fit and trim, which is a far cry from Americans and other Westerners, that's for sure.

 

 

         Not all Sichuan girls are in such great shape, I must admit. 

       After 6 weeks with her babysitter, Mrs. He, Little Flower's pretty little figure has gone to the dogs.  Hotdog pieces, meaty bones, and heaping bowls of rice gruel topped with leftover dinner scraps have taken their toll.  Although my strict instructions on food portions for LF (1/4 cup of dry food only   2 times daily) are fully understood, Mrs. He can't help but spoil my dog by feeding her the same as she does her  own overweight poodle.

       Both dogs end up getting 3 meals a day (Chinese are very particular about their hearty 3 meals a day and insist pets should get the same).  Both dogs end up getting tidbits of extra goodies.  And both dogs also receive their dry food on top of everything else.  

           All this  and no exercise made for a very fat  Flower when I returned to pick her up 2 weeks ago.

         Her 8.8 pound figure had ballooned up to 10.1 pounds.  Not a lot on a person but definitely noticable on a little Chihuahua.

         Thus for the past 2 weeks, Little Flower has been participating in Connie's Diet Camp.  No snacks and a lot of walks around the city streets and the nearby Sichuan University campus  are trimming her slowly back down to her normal size.  Yesterday's weigh-in had her at 9.8 on the scales, which is a great achievement in my books.

         When we land at our new home in Longzhou a month from now, I want her looking her best to greet neighbors, students and faculty. 

Same goes for me so that's why I swim every day, Hungry Ghost Festival or not.

 

       And on that last note, I close off for now wishing you Ping An (Peace) for your day!

 

        

 

 

            From the Nanning airport, I looked in amazement out the window of the delightfully air-conditioned school van.

            The vehicle swerved, swayed, and wove its way through  vast sugar cane fields and low-lying rice paddies, all nestled between jagged mountain peaks that exploded skyward over the flat landscape.

            Bright blue skies with mushrooming cumulous clouds perched themselves over our heads.

            Tiny villages with water buffalos tied to brick homes popped up at every turn.

            This was Guangxi Province, my new home.

 

Beginnings of a New Adventure in China

 

            Already, 6 days have passed since I arrived at Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities, located in the small town of Longzhou (long – joe), whose population includes just 1 foreigner, me.

            Since school hasn’t started yet, the campus has remained quiet and empty aside from the many faculty families living here.   Teachers and administrators likewise are not in offices quite yet, still enjoying their last days of summer vacation before entering a new semester.  This has allowed me plenty of time to unpack over 60 boxes and try my best to find places to put everything, which certainly hasn’t been a problem.

            My apartment on the 3^rd floor of the faculty building No. 6 is spacious and huge. I have 2 bedrooms, 2 office rooms, a large sitting room, 2 restrooms (one with western sit-down toilet, one with Asian squat style), a tidy little kitchen and a balcony area for hanging out clothes to dry.

            Everything was thoroughly cleaned before I arrived and all the equipment checked out to make sure it was working.  Never have I received such a great welcome in China before, where new residents to apartments are usually confronted by a filthy mess.  It’s the custom that the new occupants clean things themselves and the old ones don’t bother as they no longer are living there.

           

The Sizzling Heat:  Adapting To a New Daytime Schedule

 

            As is usual in China, one bedroom is equipped with an air-conditioning unit for comfortable sleeping purposes.   The rest of my large dwelling, however, is left to the mercy of the stifling heat.

            And this place is hot.

            The sun is wicked and sizzles the skin in just a matter of seconds as soon as you step into it.  Umbrellas are the savior of all here.  We carry them everywhere.  These shield us from burning rays, but they don’t protect us from the intense heat wafting up and around us from the concrete pavements. 

            In this climate, grandparents and parents are out early around campus with the children.  Since school has not yet begun, the excited cries of kids playing in the park in front of my apartment are a constant.  Everyone sits under shady trees to chat, especially the tiny elderly whose wrinkled, weathered skin show the damage of years of living in this region.

            Noontime to 4 p.m., the unbearably hottest times of the day,  people remain indoors.  There’s not a single soul outside on the school grounds.  The streets of the Longzhou are likewise quite empty as people hide within, not yet venturing out until evening.  Things again start to bustle after dinner, around 6:30 p.m., and then its more adult visiting and playtime for the kids.   This might go on until 11:30 p.m. when everyone calls it quits for the night.

            When our school year begins, the first class is at 7:40 a.m., giving us 5 class periods of 40 minutes each which end at 11:40.  There is an 11:40 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. siesta before we’ll start up again at 2:40 to 5:00.  Evening classes take over at 7 p.m. and close off by 9 p.m.  

            All of this is quite new to me.

            I’m not used to a schedule built soley around the weather but I certainly am grateful for it.  Teaching in classrooms with ceiling fans swirling around oppressive, sticky air wouldn’t be much fun if we had to endure it all during the hottest hours of the day.

 

The Small Place Where I Live:  Understanding The Divisions of Government in China

 

            To understand a little about where I am, it’s important to understand the division of government levels in China.

            There are basically 5 levels of administrative hierarchy in China:  provinces (like our US States), prefectures (government level between a province and a county), counties (like our own state counties), townships and villages.  

            Under the division of “county”, there are a number of levels as well:  autonomous counties (those with ethnic minorities, of which China has 56 different ethnic groups), county-level cities, districts (subdivisions of urban areas), banners and autonomous banners (same as counties except the name is different).

            In Sichuan, I lived in Luzhou county with the city Luzhou (3 million) being the government county seat.  It’s what is called a prefecture-level city. 

            In Guangxi, I live in Longzhou (long-joe) county (270,000) with the town of Longzhou (maybe 50,000?) being a county-level city only.  Mostly, that means it’s much smaller, with no government level offices that are authorized to perform government duties, such as hearing court cases, export-import business documents, visas for Chinese travelers going abroad, work visas for visiting foreigners, and so forth.

            To do any of those kind of transactions, you have to go to the prefecture-level city Chongzuo, 1 ½ hours away.

 

Exploring Longzhou

 

            I arrived in Longzhou from the airport, a 3-hour drive away, and was whisked into my apartment quite late, at 8 p.m. I had no time to see Longzhou, even on Monday when I was driven to Chongzuo to register for my work visa.

             My waiban, Mr. Luo (the foreign affairs director of our school) and two young Chinese teachers (Millie and Kate) accompanied me.

            That left little time upon my return to do much of anything except begin to unpack, which I’ve been doing continuously for 3 days.  (That and sweating away in this sweltering heat.)

            Finally, the last box taken care of, I ventured out into the town for more than just a quick stop at the grocery store.

            Last Thursday led me on an exploratory journey outside the school’s back gate during the 11:30 rush hour of bicycles, a few cars and 3-wheeled taxi motorcades.  Here I found rows upon rows of fruit sellers under their canopied stands.  What exotic fruit greeted my eyes!  

            With us being so close to the border of Vietnam, only 1 hour away, you can imagine all the different kinds of south-Asian citrus displayed by sellers.  Half of the produce offered I’d never seen before. I’m just wondering if they even have English names.

             I’m sure when school is in session, the fruit sellers do a great business from students.

            This road also hugs the famous Li River, which is a part of the Guilin River to the east of us.  The Li River zigzags through a multitude of Guangxi hills for over 50 miles and passes hundreds of towns such as Longzhou. 

            Its muddy waters are doted by sampans and low-riding barges.  The tall, steep cliffs make for quite a picturesque view as boat owners cruise by. 

            Also quite majestic is the town’s stone bridge  which crosses the Li.  The locals call it Da Qiao, or Big Bridge.   Built in 1949 by the Communists, this bridge gave greater access to those from the distant farmlands into the town.  It also helped supply local merchants with more goods and services from bigger cities.

 

The Town Itself:  A Visit To The Market

 

            Longzhou is small. 

            One can walk from one side to another in about 20 minutes at a fast clip. 

            Beyond the town limits, you’ll find more sugarcane fields, rice paddies and mountains. 

            In the town, the center boasts the Longzhou Hotel, the fanciest one we’ve got.                           Buzz the gut and you’ll pass numerous family-run shops:  stationery, cakes and breads, small and large household appliances, cellphones, traditional herbal medicines, common people’s restaurants, and so forth.

            If you’d like to buy everything in one place, like we do at our U.S. Walmart or K-mart stores, then it’s best to visit the largest indoor supermarket.  There are 2 floors, one with food items and one with personal supplies and household goods. 

            There are 2 other such indoor supermarkets that offer similar things but they are much smaller.

            Buying fresh, decent produce and meat, however, is best done in the town’s covered open market.  Like many such concrete building markets in China, Longzhou’s market brings in sellers from all over. 

           Freshly slaughtered animals give buyers choice cuts  of beef, chicken, pork and duck.  All these are displayed openly on concrete slab tables.

            Flies abound so it’s best to purchase your meat early morning.

            Seafood is yet another section of the market, along with vegetables and fruit.

            On my walk-through Thursday, I found what normally I’d see in Sichuan except for one very odd item.

            Squatting low to the ground, 2 women and a child were opening up cocoons and depositing fat, wiggling grubs onto a canvas sheet.  The green caterpillars squirmed and writhed in the heap they were tossed onto.

            After conversing with the women, I learned can jian (as they are called in Chinese) are a favorite with the children. They are stir-fried and eaten as a snack. 

            “Hao chi!  Hao chi! (Good eats!  Good eats!)” the women grinned, trying to entice me to buy.

            Later, I was told by a new teaching colleague that their soft, pudgy bodies make for a squishy, delicious meal.

            Maybe so for the Longzhou crowd but as for me, I’ll pass.

 

Getting An Extended Summer Vacation:  October 9^th Starting Date

 

            The complicated make-up of Guangxi University for Nationalities will take a while to explain.  I’d leave it for later but since it has to do with my start to teaching on October 9, I’d better spell it out now.

             There are 3 campuses to this school.  

             One is here in Longzhou (the original campus), one is in Chongzuo city (1 ½ hours away) and one is outside of Chongzuo city in the middle of  nowhere, literally on the vacant plains without a  village, shop or bus stop in sight.

             The middle-of-nowhere campus is currently under construction.  Officials are determined it will be ready to go by October 9, which is after the 1-week National Day holidays, but I have my doubts. We passed it on my way to the government offices to get my visa.  The entire place is a muddy mess, with no walkways, sidewalks or roads yet, and the buildings are covered in scaffolding.  It’ll be a miracle to have it done in 6 months much less 6 weeks but one never knows in this country of incredibly speedy, seemingly “overnight” constructed buildings.

            Because all 1^st year students in China must have military training for a month, and because the new campus is yet to be completed, our freshmen are all coming here to Longzhou to do their mandatory marching, drilling, unity-bonding course. 

            There’s not enough dormitory space for the 2^nd and 3^rd year students if the freshmen are here so we have a delay of starting classes until October 9, after the National Day holidays.

              By that time, the 1^st year students assigned to the new campus will be moved to their school and all of our Longzhou students will be able to return to begin their fall semester..

            In other words, I now have an extended vacation of an extra 6 weeks.

 

Until October 9

 

            After the Amity Teachers’ Summer Conference in Nanjing is finished on Aug. 26^th, I’ll be returning to Chengdu to hang out with friends for awhile.  Then, with Little Flower, I’ll eventually make my way back to Guangxi by the end of September to gear up for my new teaching position here.

            It’s somewhat disappointing not to be able to teach immediately but this does give me yet more time to say my goodbyes to my Sichuan friends. 

I’m guessing by October 9^th, I’ll be more than ready to start fresh in a place of such beauty and interest here in Guangxi Province.

            As always, stay tuned for updates!  

            From Guangxi, here’s my first (and certainly not the last) Ping An  (peace) sent your way.  

           

             

           

 

 

           

           

 

              Tomorrow, a new adventure in China is about to begin for me.

              At 12:30, at the Nanning airport, my colleague from Longzhou will be greeting me and seeing me off in the school van to my new placement, a 3-hour drive from the big city. 

              I've already been back in China for over a week, first in Chengdu and then a return to Luzhou to say a few final farewells. 

              I was truly taken back when I walked through our quiet campus, still absent of all student life, to find a new 7-story dormitory had gone up in just 7 weeks.  Luzhou Vocational and Technical College was in great need of more housing for students so this is really a blessing.          

             The office spaces of 2 years ago that were being used for dormitory rooms last year were likewise under renovation.  The workers were creating walls and making smaller rooms while I was there. 

              In the English departmental office, everyone was busy at work getting ready for the new arrivals on the 20th.  I heard 130 spaces were open for our English major freshmen but 200 had been accepted.  In these small colleges, no one is turned away as more students mean more tuition money.  Our poor English teachers will be once again overwhelmed and have overloaded schedules.  There will be no foreign teacher to help them out, either. 

               Recruiting for small schools in non-capital city areas is always a problem.  Whether Chinese or foreigner, no one wants to go due to low pay and "out there" locations.  I've been trying to help them out for possible foreign teachers by announcing in EFL professional websites but still no takers, I'm afraid. 

              The music department, through the gossip grapevine, has greater woes.  Last year, 30 music students were enrolled but this year, only 4.  The administrators are now scrambling to figure out what to do with them.  Most likely, there will be some mergers between departments to take care of the 4 who are here. 

              While in Luzhou, I enjoyed swimming in our park's outdoor pool and meeting new employees I'd never met before.  Despite the hot and muggy weather, when August hits, the number of swimmers always decreases.  I noticed this happens in America as well.  The kids start to think about school and the desire to do recreational activities starts to diminish. However,  I did have a small following of children at the pool who wanted to learn how to swim. 

              For 4 days, after I finished my own work-out, I joined them in the shallow end where we had some time together.  As I instructed the boys and girls how to breath and properly use their arms, their moms walked alongside the pool and shouted instructions.

            "Listen to the foreign teacher!"

            "Do like she says.  Don't turn your head so much!"

            "Stretch out your arms!  Watch Teacher!"

            How very familiar was that experience.  I still remember years ago, when teaching swimming in my hometown pool, how the parents were likewise encouraging their own kids from alongside the pool in a similar manner. 

            It must be some kind of universal.

            Little Flower and I arrived back in Chengdu on Friday and she will be sent off to her babysitter's home this evening.  I'll then go to Guangxi on my own to settle into my flat, have my working visa processed and explore the town. 

          The Amity Nanjing conference, from Aug. 23 - 26,  is my next trip from Guangxi.  After that, I'll return to pick up LF in Chengdu for our journey via plane to my new placement.

           I'm hoping to eventually have Internet hook-up in my new home but it might be awhile. 

           For now, I wish you all a great weekend.  I know mine will certainly be a special one.  New school.  New friends.  New surroundings. 

          Now that's definitely the start of an exciting adventure in China!

   

         Here's Ping An (peace) coming your way, as always.

 

  

 

                It was a great 3 weeks back in my hometown, visiting with friends, family and settling Lao-lao into his new home with my parents.

               I especially enjoy summertime in my small town due to the summer band concerts on Friday evening and the many gorgeous yards that are so painstakingly cared for by our loving gardeners.  This also includes my mother, whose old-fashioned array of tall grasses, carefully placed flowers and forever-blooming specialties keep the back yard looking spry and chipper all the way into fall.

            Her only sore spot (and the sore spot of others as well) are the Japanese beetles, who tend to attack with a vengeance.  She was out there numerous times each day, flicking the little metallic-colored winged beasties into empty yogurt cups filled with water.  

            Every gardener has his or her own way of dealing with these invaders from Japan.  Drowning is one but another might work just as well. 

            Years ago, inspired by my fascination of Gypsies, I came up with a beetle curse.  Circling the yard in the early spring and throughout the summer, my mother and I were once known to chant away our sing-song warning in the hopes of hexing those  who dared stray into our midst.  Now, it’s my mom who takes on this task. 

            Does it work? 

           Well, each time it’s used, my mom swears there aren’t as many beetles around as the year before.

            For those who wish to try it, be my guest!  (It’s a bit graphic and violent for PG viewing.  You might want to steer clear of more youthful ears when you use it.)

 

The Japanese Beetle Curse

By Connie Wieck

 

Curses, curses, beetle hoards.
Suppress your sex drives,

Sin no more!
Caste your lust looks hither, yon

On neighbors’ roses and beyond.

 

Curses, curses.  Heed my cry.

 Pass by this garden, lest you die!

Armed with hoses, rakes and sprays

We’ll win this battle and end your days.

 

Curses, curses, beetle bands.

Watch your backs for vengeful hands.

This warning comes from very near

With one clear message:

Don’t appear.

 

 

            From China, here’s wishing you a lovely August, full of cool breezes and less beetle chewings. 

            Be looking for news from my new placement in Guangxi, Little Flower adventures and updates about Lao-lao’s adjustments to family life without me.

 

            Ping An (Peace), everyone!

              

 

              

 

 

For the first time in my life, I was about to enter my country via US custom’s red "claim" zone at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

When it was my turn in line, I walked up to the immigration official, set my dog’s carrier on the floor and handed in my custom’s declaration form.

The uniformed gentleman seated in his cubicle scanned down the checklist.

"I see you marked ‘yes’ for meat, vegetable and other agricultural products," he said, eyeing me seriously. "And what kind of meat did you bring with you?"

I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that so I just said, "Uh, dog."

His eyes widened.

"Dog? You brought dog meat with you?" he asked incredulously.

"No, no! I mean, I brought a dog."

He looked doubtful.

"What dog? Where’s the dog? I don’t see a dog," he frowned.

He peered over his counter and was still unable to see the area around my feet where I had placed my canine companion. I made sure to lift up my Chihuahua’s small airline approved kennel so he could take a good look inside.

"See?" I said. "A dog. A little dog. From China."

The immigration official seemed relieved. He smiled, wrote "DOG" in big red letters on my form, circled it and sent me off through the inspection center for clearance.

And that’s how our little Chinese immigrant entered the country: not as dog meat, but just plain "DOG."

For a recap: I am an English language teacher in a small college in southwestern China and often travel to our province’s capital city, Chengdu, for weekend visits. A previous article in The Advocate described my finding, 5 months ago, a small Chihuahua who was a stray in Chengdu, which is situated on the outskirts of last year’s Sichuan earthquake zone.

After taking care of the dog’s health issues, it was time to find him a home. This proved to be a difficult task in China where pet ownership is still a new concept among many. In China, a majority of people are just worried about putting food on the table and paying for basic needs much less having an animal around the house to deal with. Then, too, due to ignorance in vaccinations or the cost involved, only 3 % of pet owners vaccinate their animals against diseases. There are over 2,300 rabies deaths a year due to dog bites with a majority of those deaths being children.

Dogs, in many areas of the country, are definitely not a welcome sight.

This poor little guy was also semi-toothless, which added yet another negative element to his adoption. An old injury of a shattered lower jaw and periodontal disease left him without much to chew on.

So Xiao Lao-lao (pronounced she-ou l-ou l-ou, with ou as in "ouch"), or Little Old, returned with me to Marshall where Ericka Yeley, our very own Marshall veterinarian, was sure she’d find him a great home among those she knew.

Actually, he almost found himself a home on several occasions during our journey to America. His quiet, sweet nature made him the darling of everyone we met, from the Shanghai Globypet relocation staff to passengers and flight attendants on our overseas’ plane journey. Even those we ran into during our 5-hour layover in Detroit held a special place in their hearts for Lao-lao.

Everyone who saw him was enamored by his sad story.

They cooed to him in his carrier. They held him for photo ops. They waved goodbye as they parted his company.

I had many email exchanges and genuine offers of: "Really, and I’m not kidding, if you can’t find him a home where you live, please contact me."

I was touched by the kindness of so many Americans willing to give this tiny, 5-pound, special needs dog a loving home and happy life.

Even in Marshall, during our walks around the neighborhood, I’ve run into a number of our citizens who have asked after his well-being, given him a gentle pet, and exclaimed how cute he is.

After our visit to Marshall’s Animal Care Clinic for a health check, Ericka Yeley volunteered to foster Lao-lao after I returned to China on August 3. She even had a few individuals in mind who might want to keep him.

Such a generous offer!

But Lao-lao seems to have already stolen the pity vote for adoption from another Marshall couple.

It’s none other than my own parents, Bill and Priscilla Wieck.

"Well," my mom said, gazing down at his tiny figure for the first time. His tongue hung perpetually downward (no teeth to hold it in). His short legs bowed outward. His little face looked up at hers.

"He is kind of cute."

My dad?

"Bring the immigrant up here on the bed. Let me pet him."

So it looks like Lao-lao has found himself the perfect home among people who will give him all the love and care he deserves after such a hard life overseas.

Now that’s about the best happy-ever-after story I could possibly have hoped for.

As always, here's Ping An for your day, this time from the USA.

 

            The Shanghai Airport is one which has a bit more class than our little Chengdu city’s out-of-town landing pad.

            I learned that in a hurry upon my arrival here last week to drop off Lao-lao into the hands of Globy Pet.

             Just as an update, Lao-lao (our semi-toothless stray found in Chengdu) has been with Globy Pet Relocation Co., Ltd. here in Shanghai for one week.

            Globy Pet is an international pet transportation service which saw to all of Lao-lao’s documentation requirements, overseas’ health checks and export-import needs from both countries, China and the U.S. 

            I brought him last Friday since a week was needed for Globy Pet to get him officially ready for overseas' departure. After handing him over to staff member Emily, I returned to Chengdu and Luzhou to finish up my  goodbyes.  Now I’ve returned to Shanghai for an overnight before leaving early morning tomorrow to America, with Lao-lao sharing the room with me as well.

 

A Happy Reunion

     

            This afternoon at 4:30, I landed in the new wing of the airport, which is was filled with fancy shops and beautiful wide, glass-enclosed walkways.

            After I picked up my luggage, Globy Pet Shanghai staffer, Emily (Shen Jun) was once again waiting for me with a very happy Lao-lao.  He was so excited to see me! 

            After opening his carrier, he scrambled out into my arms.  We drew quite a large crowd of curious Chinese who came to peer at the squirming, excited little dog.

             “Oh!  It’s a Chihuahua!  How cute,” they said.

            Emily handed over his documents and explained what I needed to do with these. I now have what I need to show tomorrow for check-in and also on the US end.  This will be my first time through the "red" zone.  Sure hope it goes as planned. 

            For the U.S., as long as Lao-lao’s papers are in order, there will be no quarantine. We just directly land in Detroit, go through the necessary declaration area and exit into the terminal for our continued flight to Indianapolis.

            I have a special in-cabin carrier for his journey and will be lining that with absorbent padding.  He can’t exit from his carrier the entire flight (14 hours), which is going to be hard for him, but those are the rules. 

            I’m certainly not about to break them and get us kicked off the plane.

 

Setting Up A Dog-Friendly Hotel

           

            Emily and Lao-lao weren’t the only friendly faces  to greet me at the passenger arrival gate. 

            Ken was there as well.

            Last week, before I boarded on my flight back to Chengdu, I went to the Shanghai Hotel Reservation desk to ask about a hotel that would allow a small dog for a night.

            The two Chinese gentlemen manning the desk were “Ken” and “Sky”. 

            Ken made some calls but wasn’t having any luck as he was trying  the up-scale foreigner hotels. 

            “No dogs,”the managers were telling him, thinking it very strange that he was even asking. 

            When I explained that I could speak some Chinese and was looking for a cheap place, Ken’s face lit up.

            “Just a minute!” he said, hailing Sky in the next cubicle. “My colleague knows all these places.  He can help you.”

            Sure enough, after a few phone calls, Sky had 3 dog-friendly airport lodging choices for me where  the average Chinese taveler usually stays:  A $78 hotel, a $45 hotel and a $40 one. 

            I wanted a nice place for dog walks so Sky suggested the $45 one, which is where I am at the moment.

            All I needed to do was give Sky or Ken a ring upon my arrival on Thursday. One of them would meet me, see to helping with my luggage and get me onto the hotel shuttle.

            And that’s exactly what I did.

 

Our Airport Hotel

 

            Ken showed up and ushered me to the shuttle, where I had a very nice chat with the driver to our destination, the Eastern Stars Garden Scenery Hotel.

            The name itself certainly describes the setting. We’re out in the farmland area surrounding the airport, making this a very fresh-air kind of dwelling.  But the real selling point for me and Lao-lao is a lovely grassy park in front of the hotel.  There’s a little gazebo, wooden walking bridge that arches over a small pond, lots of pretty grassy landscape and pretty stone walkways for strolling about. 

            As soon as Lao-lao followed me down the hotel steps and out into the parking lot, he joyfully took off for a roll in  grass.  Being cooped up in a kennel for 6 days, he was ready to get the run out of his system. 

            We didn't stay out long, however.  Shanghai is incredibly hot, sticky and humid this evening but in the air-conditioned comfort of our hotel, we are really enjoying this place.  And free Net hook-up as well!  Who can beat that for $45 a night?

 

            Next entry I hope will be of a happy landing in America without any unexpected glitches. 

            So for now, from the countryside of Shanghai, here's sending you Ping An (peace) for your weekend.

 

 

           

 

 

            This morning, Little Flower and I took a final walk around the campus of  Luzhou Vocational and Technical College before leaving for Chengdu. 

            Cruising by the empty dormitories, I was met by quite a sight:  A huge mess of trash and left-behind articles from students who had gone home for their summer break.  The workers were busy starting from the top 7^th and 6^th  floors and sweeping everything out into the hallway, then down the stairwells toward the 1^st floor exits. 

            I remember in the States how utterly amazed I was as a 32-year-old MA student when I saw what my university classmates were leaving behind in heaps outside of dormitory buildings:  couches, sofas, beds, still operational computers, stereo sets, TVs, unwanted clothing, electrical appliances .  .  . the list went on.

             I was stunned by the amount of waste. 

            As an undergraduate in the late 1980’s, I certainly didn’t remember this kind of wealth being left behind in such astronomical quantities.

            I remember thinking, 10 years later,  how college school life had certainly changed, maybe not for the better.

            I’m sure it’s gotten  worse in the States when schools dismiss for the summer, even with the current financial crisis.

            In China, the student rubbish left behind is of a different variety:  worn plastic thermos bottles, used toiletries, metal  mugs, unwanted textbooks, notebooks, broken suitcases, old shoes and clothing. 

            The dorm rooms are left a disgusting mess which workers are left to thoroughly clean out by hand before the summer’s end.

           It’s a tireless job and one which they certainly don’t look forward to, especially as their pay is at best 300 yuan ($40) a month, but it does come with perks.

            Walking by one of the dorm buildings, I noticed several cleaning ladies had already carefully  separated and packaged students’ discarded items into neat packages.  The recycling man, with his hand-pulled cart, was busy on the scene, weighing each one and shouting out the number of pounds by his hand-held Chinese scale.  The assistants wrote it down, later multiplying the pounds by the money each variety group was bringing in. Plastics, rubber, cardboard, metal and glass were going for a few cents per pound. 

            Doesn’t sound like much but these certainly added up.

            By the end of his weighing session, the total recyclable materials brought the ladies 511 yuan, about $75.  Split between them, that was quite a haul and this was only several floors’ worth of stuff.

            I can imagine after going through all our dormitories on campus, that hard work and agony of hauling, separating and packaging unwanted belongings makes for a very profitable venture.

            As the old saying goes:  “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

            On our college campus, and I’m guessing thousands of other campuses across the country, that’s a definite given when it comes to the end of a school year.

 

             Here’s Little Flower and me wishing you a final July Ping An (peace) from the campus of our school.  We're heading off tomorrow for Chengdu and my visit to the States with Lao-lao.  More updates on that journey yet to come.

 

The 2-Week Whirlwind Ride

 

            These past 2 weeks of leaving Luzhou have been a whirlwind.  I entitle them “The Last Hurah,” although they actually aren’t exactly the finalized steps of saying goodbye yet.

            The first week (also the week of final exams) had me being visited by friends and students, banqueted by staff and administrators, packing up belongings into boxes, taking care of the doggies, squeezing in my swimming time and getting those last-minute details settled for my move to Guangxi.

            Last Sunday morning, June 28, the movers came to load everything onto the truck.  It was a 4-day drive to deliver my things to Longzhou (long-joe),  my new school far to the south near the Vietnamese border.

            Immediately after everything had been shoved onto the truck (all 69 boxes and small furnishings), Little Flower, Little Old and I left for the capital city Chengdu to prepare our little foster dog for his overseas’ travel to America and my summer visit to the States. 

            Originally, that was to be my final departure from Luzhou.

            But I ran into planning difficulties of not being able to truly say goodbye to some very good friends, as well as my Luzhou church community.  Pastor Liao especially was concerned when she heard I was leaving and wouldn’t return.

 

Schedule Change

 

            So a rearranging of my schedule had me in Chengdu for 6 days (June 28 – July 4), getting LO ready for his flight to Shanghai and visiting with Jalin’s family.  On Friday the 3^rd, LO and I flew to Shanghai for his 6-day kennel stay prior to his overseas’ trip with me.  He is currently there at the relocation pet company’s kennel where all his customs forms can be accurately completed.

            I then returned to Chengdu, grabbed up a few things and returned to Luzhou with Little Flower so I could have a better closure than the original whirlwind departure.

 

Back In Luzhou:  A Quiet Campus

 

            It’s a strange feeling to be back in my small apartment on the campus, especially as all the clutter and most of my things are gone.  The school was very generous in allowing me to return for a few days, even though I am officially no longer their teacher.

            The silence of the campus is yet another strange feeling, especially late in the evenings. 

            During our late-night strolls, all the dormitories are silent with just a few lights on for students who applied for summer stays.  Some are here looking for jobs in order to pay for school as their countryside areas have nothing much to offer them as far as work goes.  Others don’t have the money to spend to get home as it’s a very long journey.  Still others have parents who are migrant workers.  They’re across country, in Shanghai or Guangzhou, doing factory work or temporary construction jobs.  The students have no way of staying with them as factory dormitories are for workers, not so much family members. 

          Parents, too, would rather have their kids safely looked after on our campus than roaming about among strange areas where thieves and disreputable people are often found.

           

Leisure Goodbyes

 

           I am really appreciating these few days back because I am now able to enjoy my time with the people I like the most.  Church yesterday was so appropriate as I had my last communion with the congregation members.  Pastor Liao was quite busy with a visiting Chengdu Theological Seminary pastor  so we didn’t have a lot of time to chat but it was enough for a prayer and cheerful farewell.

            My dear friend and former dean of this college, “Cathy” Li, and I are spending the evenings together.  I’ve already seen her son, “Jack”, after his 1^st year as a student in Beijing.  Little Flower and I visited her apartment the other evening.  Tonight, we’ll be heading out again for dinner.

            It’s been a very relaxing, fun return, one which will get me ready for a more adventurous journey soon with Lao-lao (Little Old) on our travel to America.

 

The Schedule From Now On

 

            Tomorrow, July 7, will see me back to Chengdu. 

            July 8, Wednesday, Little Flower will be sent to her babysitter’s home (Mrs. He) for her stay there for 3 weeks. 

            July 9, Thursday, has me in Shanghai with Lao-lao (Little Old) for an overnight at the hotel before we fly out early morning  on July 10, Friday, to America.

            July 10 to August 3 will have me in Marshall, Illinois, with my parents, and getting important matters taken care of.

            On August 5, I will be back in Chengdu. I’ve already planned a re-visit to Luzhou for a few days to spend more time with dear friends there.

            Aug. 15,  I must visit my new school far to the south to have my work visa completed, which will take 1 week.  During that time, I have no passport so I must remain in the small town of Longzhou. 

            This is actually quite fine with me.  It will allow me to unpack, open a bank account and telephone line, meet the locals, go shopping and get myself settled in.

            Aug. 23 has me flying directly to Nanjing for our Amity Foundation Summer Conference.  We have only 4 new teachers this year, all from Europe.  It makes our numbers extremely thin but better four than none. 

            Aug. 26 has me back in Chengdu to pick up Little Flower from her babysitter’s home.  Then we will travel down to Guangxi Province and arrive just in time to begin the fall semester in our new home, Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities.

 

Updates To Come

 

            During the summer, I will do my best to update you on our foster dog’s progress in finding a home as well as other events going on.  I hope to have Net access as well in my new placement when I arrive so as to orient everyone to my new surroundings. 

           80% of Guangxi Province and my area are the Zhuang nationality people, not the Han Chinese, so this will truly be an amazing venture: different landscape, different dialect, different people, different culture and customs, and different church community.

            A very exciting way to start off a school year! 

           

          Until those further stories arrive, wishing you all Ping An (peace) for your week.

 

             

 

 

           

           

 

            “We’re just so busy,” Chen Li, Mr. Xiong’s wife, said as I sat in the family’s small apartment.

            The heat was terribly oppressive in their flat.  Sweat was pouring off of me, dripping down on Lao-lao's little body where he was perched contentedly on my lap. 

            We had cut our 3-day visit short because the family was worried about their ability to care for the dog.  

            Chen Li had a government job which kept her working late into the night, often carrying out special hosting duties with official dignitaries in town.  Mr. Xiong  likewise was extremely busy at our school, not only teaching evening classes but also writing educational documents that needed to be turned in quickly.

            Their 13-year-old son, Xiong Chen, was in his 1^st year as a junior high student.  He had classes all day and didn’t get home until 7 p.m.  Then there were Saturday and Sunday courses that he also attended in order to prepare himself for the entrance exam into high school.  Although those tests were 2 years away, like a typical teenager in China, he was already busy preparing for them now.

            It was after 9 p.m. as I sat together with the three of them and also 2 of my students.  Seven had come over that evening to help assemble more boxes for my packing.  When I mentioned to the group I was heading out by taxi to pick up Lao-lao, two wanted to tag along.

            The stories of Lao-lao’s short visit began to unfold as we all visited in the sweltering, stuffy sitting room. 

             He was very frightened at first of everyone, especially the young boy who so much wanted a little dog top play with.  The teen had taken him for a few walks but Lao-lao wanted mostly to run away.  And he certainly didn’t want to return to the apartment but continue on longer treks around their neighborhood.

             Chen Li mentioned that it was difficult for her to continue going up and down the 6 flights of stairs to take him out.  She was tired and just wanted a quick outing. Lao-lao, on the other hand, had been cooped up all day and was ready for a real walk like he often had with Little Flower and me. 

            While listening to their apologies of not being good enough caretakers for Lao-lao, I truly felt sorry for them.  Mr. Xiong had been so pleased and excited about getting a little dog.  And it was obvious his son was already attached, even after 2 days.  He sat next to me, his little face saddened to have to say goodbye.  He gently stroked Lao-lao, who squirmed with enjoyment, and seemed to be holding back tears. 

            Mom, on the other hand, was more like the sensible, practical one in the family.  I got the impression that she was groaning when the dog landed in the apartment.  She wasn’t at all pleased her husband had done this.  She probably griped at him that no one had time to care for a dog and she’d be the one left taking care of it.

            (I did notice she had mentioned having to climb up and down the 6 flights of stairs several times to let the dog out.  Not sure where the son and husband were when she was doing that but they obviously weren’t in the picture.)

              It was a disappointing trial but at least we tried. 

           After thanking them again for all their help, and also apologizing for causing them so much trouble, I took my leave. 

           My students carried Lao-lao’s carrier and things downstairs.  Lao-lao enthusiastically pulled on his leash to get going.  He knew exactly where we were heading off to:  Home and big sister, Little Flower!

            Now we are all settled back into our comfortable, happy places:  Lao-lao sighing contentedly as he sleeps in his bassinet, Little Flower flopped on my bed in the air-conditiong and me, typing away on the computer.

 

What Will Become of Little Old? 

 

            All of my efforts to find a home for Little Old over the past 5 months have failed.  I've done posted Net videos in Chinese and English.  I've had a reporter actually write an article about him.  I've tried him out at 2 homes.  I've asked numerous neighbors and folks I trust.  The answer has always been, "He's cute, but we just have no time for a dog."        

           As for myself, it's very difficult for me to take two dogs to my new placement, which is a semi-remote area and one which would probably not be too pleased for a foreigner to have 2 dogs.  Rabies is quite common in China with over 2,000 rabies deaths per year because of dog bites.  My dogs have their vaccinations but not everyone understands that in China.  For a foreign teacher at a new school, where people don't know me or what kind of a person I am, to show up with not one but two dogs is not only disrespectful but somewhat rude.  The officials know about Little Flower coming but yet another pet?!  

          Not a very good start at a new placement for a veteran Amity teacher such as myself.          

         And I can't forget to mention Little Flower. She is still very jealous and upset that there is a second animal in the house.  Sharing Mom’s affection is not at all to her liking.

 

It’s Plan B:  Off to America!

 

            For several months, I’ve instigated a Plan B and prepared for that, which is bring Lao-lao back to the States where he will be placed with a loving family.

             My hometown vet, Ericka Yeley, sent a very encouraging email saying that she was 100% certain this little dog would find a great home.  Her connections with area animal shelter and foster care programs, plus the U of I vet school where she graduated, make her an angel for dogs like Lao-lao.

           

            So this Sunday afternoon, after the movers have loaded up my things onto the truck, dogs and I will be leaving for Chengdu.  There, Lao-lao will begin his official documentation procedures for customs and in-country  flights.  Little Flower will be enjoying herself in the hotel room and getting ready for her summer visit to Mrs. He (huh), her babysitter.

            And I?  I’ll be gearing up for quite an adventure accompanying our little earthquake zone Chihuahua to my home country, the USA.

            Stay tuned for updates on our travels, beginning next Friday with a flight to Shanghai for overseas’ health checks and procedures.

 

            Until next time, Ping An (Peace), everyone!