Eleventh Hour Invitations & Hamburgers

I have read some about last minute (eleventh hour) invitations in China, and I don’t think I need to read anymore to understand the reality of them. In a way, eleventh hour invitations are exciting. I think that in this way, I am a little bit Chinese, because I would often initiate eleventh hour invitations in the States.
This past Saturday, several students called me at 5:40 and asked me if I had plans for supper. I was in the midst of a language lesson, but I said that if I could bring a friend, I could meet them. We met the students at the front gate and ate at a delightful Hunan restaurant that is popular with students. Afterwards, we walked around campus and the students showed me their dorm rooms. One particular student is very infatuated with learning how to cook American food—specifically the hamburger. I think she brought up making hamburgers at least 3 times. She also had me write down the ingredients. I hope that I can invite her and a few others over to make hamburgers—but in fact, I have yet to make a hamburger in China, and I know for a fact that it is not as simple as buying “ground beef.” The meet here is not as processed, so to make “ground beef” will involve some fancy chopping work. I think that students here assume that Americans eat one hamburger a day. And, I happened to read in one of their textbooks on American and British culture that, “Hamburgers and hot-dogs are some of the most popular foods in America.” Interesting!!

Mid-Autumn Day Festival

(A moon cake with egg and sweet bean paste filling)
Yesterday was the official mid Autumn day in festival China. This is a day set aside for sharing a large meal with friends or family. More noticeably on this day, people give away moon cakes in the same way they might give away an overabundance of green beans from the garden. I think I received about 20 total moon cakes from students and friends. These moon cakes are filled with different things such as egg, peanuts, bean-curd, strawberry paste, or coconut paste (to name a few). I have heard at least 2 different stories about the meaning behind Moon Day festival. I do not remember the exact details of either story, so I will refrain from writing too much. But apparently, there are several legends behind this celebration. In one story, a secret message was hidden inside the moon cake. This message led the army to victory.

No More Ms. Nice

Here are some motorcycle taxis just waiting for the next customer.

9/15/07
Yes—I thought this title might get your attention. Remember how your mother and father always told you to mind your P’s and Q’s? Well, I feel that my parents have done a great job of raising us kids to be polite and always say “Please” and “Thank you.” Apparently, this politeness comes across differently in China. After I was thanking my language tutor for all her help, she said that I must not thank her all the time because it made her feel uncomfortable. I was a bit confused, but she said that when people are overly polite, it implies a problem or a distance in the friendship. So, I of course humbly asked her to forgive me, and then I probably said “thank you” after she forgave me. I told her that I would do my best not to thank her all the time.

Walk to School

We do have some fresh fish here--I have not tried to buy any yet or prepare it--maybe that's a project for the second semester.




This is how people buy most of their fruits, vegetables, and meat--from street vendors. This vendor is close to our apartment.

Walk to School

These people have been working near our apartment for the past week. The man usually pounds the cotton with a taunt string tool--it sounds quite musical, and the woman usually flattens out the cotton (like the man is doing here.)

Be Flexible. . . Or Go Crazy.

Be Flexible . . . Or Go Crazy.

It’s a Friday morning here at 10:15. As usual, the morning before class always goes too fast. I was feeling this way earlier this morning, but was resigned to the fact that there will never be enough hours in the day. As I was briskly walking to class with my team-mate Amber, four spirited students approached me and asked if I was the teacher for Class 3. Yes—I said that I was. They explained that many of the students would not be in class today because they were greeting the new freshman students. Okay—no problem I thought—we could just meet with the students that were in class. But the leader of the students said that perhaps we could make-up class next Friday afternoon. That would mean that this class of students would have 2 classes with me on the following Friday. I was not sure how productive 2 speaking classes in one day with the same group of students would be. In the end, we decided on a different time next week to make up class for today. So, I waltzed home thankful for the extra time to have this Friday morning and looking forward to meeting with this delightful group of students next week.

This experience describes a majority of my experiences here in China. Nothing is as it seems, and what I think I know may change rapidly under my nose. It’s a complex system of negotiations, relationships, and circumlocution. I have a lot to learn. But today, I am thankful to reap the benefits of this ambiguity and enjoy the extra time of rest and relaxation.

Be Flexible. . . Or Go Crazy.

It’s a Friday morning here at 10:15. As usual, the morning before class always goes too fast. I was feeling this way earlier this morning, but was resigned to the fact that there will never be enough hours in the day. As I was briskly walking to class with my team-mate Amber, four spirited students approached me and asked if I was the teacher for Class 3. Yes—I said that I was. They explained that many of the students would not be in class today because they were greeting the new freshman students. Okay—no problem I thought—we could just meet with the students that were in class. But the leader of the students said that perhaps we could make-up class next Friday afternoon. That would mean that this class of students would have 2 classes with me on the following Friday. I was not sure how productive 2 speaking classes in one day with the same group of students would be. In the end, we decided on a different time next week to make up class for today. So, I waltzed home thankful for the extra time to have this Friday morning and looking forward to meeting with this delightful group of students next week.

This experience describes a majority of my experiences here in China. Nothing is as it seems, and what I think I know may change rapidly under my nose. It’s a complex system of negotiations, relationships, and circumlocution. I have a lot to learn. But today, I am thankful to reap the benefits of this ambiguity and enjoy the extra time of rest and relaxation.

Another great website

For those of you who enjoy learning more about Chinese culture, I recommend another blog to you. This blog is put out by someone who has been in the country for 15 years now and speaks Chinese. Her insights and pictures of China are excellent. Check it out at:
http://outside-in.typepad.com

Stuff on sticks

I took this picture in Beijing down "food street" alley where you can try a lot of varieties of food.

Street side shop

These businesses are on the corners of streets downtown.
I think the man is selling cigarettes and the women is obviously a seamstress.

A Cozy Commute

I have been wanting to get a picture of 3 on a motorbike for awhile now. Here it is. It always makes me smile to see so many people on a 2 wheeled vehicle.

Shoe shine anyone?

I thought this lady was a fortune teller right away until one of my team-members informed me that she was a shoe shiner. I like these bamboo looking chairs.

Team Photo Op.

Here we are. I look a little spent (it's the MSG) but my team-mates are all pretty photogenic. What a great group. I am blessed.

First Week Thoughts

Finally—some thoughts are becoming clear on my first week here in Hengyang. Immediately after arriving, I was too overwhelmed to sort through all the experiences. But here I am, a week into the adventure and my thoughts are starting to congeal.
First, I would like to compare my time here so far to my time in Junior High. Do you remember feeling like people were constantly watching you and intrigued by you? (I am revealing a little too much about myself here, but it serves this analogy). Well, I feel like I am back in Junior High here in Hengyang, and I don’t think it’s because I am paranoid. I think that people are genuinely staring at me and the other teachers because we look different, dress different, and are probably doing things that are culturally unusual. To complicate this feeling, I feel as though my body is going through puberty again too. I have broken out in acne, my hair is nappy and frizzy, and my clothes are all loose because we just let air-dry them (a 3 day process.) So, in many ways, my time here is reminiscent of the feelings I had in junior high (but hopefully I am a little more mature than I was then.)
As for the city, I would be lying if I said that Hengyang were the most beautiful city in China, or even a beautiful city in China. But the people are truly beautiful. They are very patient with us and willing to spend more time working with us foreigners. I cannot but thank the faithful teachers who have gone before us with this organization. Our predecessors have made it easy to engage with the people in this community.
Today the bubble tea lady and I had a very natural, communicative session again. She is working with me. She said an entire phrase to me in Chinese. She spoke very slowly, and when I looked confused, she repeated and used hand gestures. She was asking me if I had eaten yet. “Ni chi fan ma la” which literally means—have you eaten rice yet? I understood!! I said yes, and I said the name of the restaurant in Chinese. She knew it—we communicated. What a feeling. Maybe I should up my bubble tea intake to two a day just for these wonderful sessions. . .

Street food Paradise

A street side restaurant real close to our apartment. The food is delicious. It's called builin bao zai fan which stands for clay pot. You order your vegetable and meat and they fry it, and then put it over the rice in these clay pots.

A room with a View

(This is one view from my apt.)

Hello friends and family. As promised, here is another update on life here in Hengyang. I notice that every activity and outing takes more energy than I anticipate. One of my team-mates and I went to a larger Target type store this morning.


Now, shopping can be somewhat confusing. In some sections of the store, you pay for the item at a separate little counter in that department. But, the items that are reserved for these special counters are pretty random. So, you just have to guess where to pay. My team-mate tried to buy needle and thread at the big check-out, and they would not let her because she needed to pay for that at the separate little check-out in that section. Also, after you purchase your items, you need to keep your receipt out and show it to a person who stamps the receipt by the door. Needless to say, by the end of our shopping trip, we were both exhausted and had way more than we could conveniently carry on the bus. So--I decided that in the future, I will purchase fewer things at the store, but frequent it more often just for the experience of learning the system, riding the bus, and hopefully engaging in more meaningful communication.





On a positive note, I have a friend in the bubble tea lady who stands right at the corner of our apartment. Bubble tea is delicious, and there are so many flavors. I also have tried to speak a little Chinese with this lady, and she seems to find my attempts at Chinese humorous. For example, after I ordered my bubble tea, another man came up and was ordering tea and speaking to me in Chinese. I had no idea what he was saying, and the bubble tea lady kindly told him that I couldn't understand him (I do know this phrase in Chinese.) How kind of her. So, alas, a friendship has been built, and I will get bubble tea everyday and continue building the friendship.