"Look! Foreigners": Guangzhou Pt.1

Guangzhou was my 1st destination. I traveled there with 2 other teachers, and none of us could wait to reach warmer weather. But, wouldn't ya know it, we were stuck in the Chongqing airport for a few extra hours due to "fright delays".
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Realizing that the idea of a taxi from the subway station to our hotel at 11 at night was far superior to the idea of meandering around in the dark for a few hours in hunt of our lodging, we hailed the next cab. Yeah, we would have never found it. The cab weaved down and back the freeway on-ramps and through a part of town which looked strikingly similar to the road beneath the Viaduct around Pioneer Square and Safeco Field. Chain link fences, railroad tracks, and just some sketchy alleys. But things are never as they seem in China. Safe? Sure. But it sure doesn't feel like it.
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From the taxi we saw 5 black guys walking down the alley. "Look! Waiguoren!" (We always get a little excited when we see foreigners.) One of them was dressed in full Arabic garb. "Cool." They were staying at our hotel which conveniently had an Arabic restaurant.
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Room 702.
We stood in the elevator looking at the buttons for awhile.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...where's 7? there's no 7. how can there be no 7?!"
By way of the elevator there's no 7, so we went to the 6th floor -- logical. Coming out of the elevator and turning the corner we saw a stairwell with old chairs stacked on one side. It looked like the staircase to the attic where they put the undesirables.
We were in 702. Quasimodo was in 701.
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Needing a little fresh air and, perhaps, a late night snack, we ventured out.
"Hey look! There's a shop with Arab clothing." "Yeah, and there's another Arabic restaurant...and another...and another...and there's more black people...a lot of them...WHERE ARE WE?!" We would find out the next day from some local friends that our hotel was situated in "Little Africa" -- the Muslim quarter of Guangzhou. Mostly black people, a few Chinese, 2 white guys and a pale girl. Out of all the minorities, we were the minority of the minorities.
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Click on this post's title for pics!

A Chinese Wedding

"Wait, was that the ceremony?" This was my response to the Chinese wedding I attended at the beginning of January. It seemed like more of a variety show than a actual wedding. Allow me to explain...
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About 2 months ago I was asked to be in a Chinese wedding by a friend of the happy couple. "Really? Why?" were the only words I could find at that moment. Yes, I know that sounds a bit rude and ungrateful, but hear me out. In China, being an American -- white face, brown hair, blue eyes -- means being a bit of a celebrity. The myriad of photos taken (even during my class by my students), the constant yells of "hello!" as I pass by followed by the giggles of both gals AND guys, the stupid requests to perform at competitions we've only been invited to watch, being taken places so that people can be seen with us...it's ridiculous and confusing. So often it's just: "TIAOWU HOUZI TIAOWU" (dance monkey dance). Now you might understand my reaction when, not even knowing the bride or the groom but only the daughter of the groom's father's friends, I was asked to be the maid of honor. The MAID OF HONOR! I've never even seen these people before! But, as the American girl and in hopes of another China adventure, I tiaowu-ed.
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I packed my overnight bag with 5 different outfits, not knowing what to wear as the maid of honor in a Chinese wedding. It was only when we arrived at a location a few hours away that I was informed that my services were no longer needed. (Typical of Chinese agreements to "save face" and not expose the breaking of an agreement until the absolute last moment when it seems like an unavoidable, unforeseen crisis [which it isn't] and then you are stuck with whatever they had intended.) It turns out, most people...actually, all except the bride and groom...wear jeans and sweaters to the wedding. It's incredible casual. I felt so under dressed but I was the same as everyone else. It even looked like one kid was wearing pajamas.
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We sat in the banquet room of the hotel waiting for the couple to arrive. (Since there are no churches as we have in America, couples typically get married in hotels.) There must have been 20 or 30 tables set up for all the guests. We, the token Americans, sat with the extended family. My fellow monkeys didn't get enough sleep the night before which was evident by the way they held their heads in their hands in an attempt to comfort their throbbing heads from the blaring high-pitched Chinese music. I just laughed and took pictures.
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Fog machines, colorful stage lights, Enya...typical Chinese wedding pre-game festivities.
...I think.
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Photos of the couple were set up all around the hotel, including a WAY larger-than-life poster at the entrance of the hotel. This gigantic picture spanned 20 feet and went from the floor to the elevated ceiling. As we were told, the wedding photos are very important with a lot of time and money going toward them. The couple was photographed by lakes and rivers and fields and forests and parks and houses and everywhere. We were amazing at the amount and variety of pictures.
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The bride and groom appeared once they had finished greeting all the guests. Pandemonium erupted as they walked into the room. They walked together down the elevated, colorfully illuminated aisle-- all I could think was "Project Runway". There was music and cheering and stage lights. It was as if the ceremony was the reception. The party had already started.
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I couldn't hear most of the ceremony but that's okay because it was mostly in Chinese. It all looked very Western: the exchange of vows, the music, the kiss. But there was no designated officiant (or maybe I was just too short to see above the Asian people). It seemed as though they were marrying themselves or that there were a few emcees to provide a little structure to the ceremony. I'm still unclear on all that happened. I don't even know what to call it since the couple was already married and had been for several months. This was an additional ceremony for the friends and extended family. The funny thing was that a good percentage of the guests weren't even watching. They were just sitting at the tables munching on snacks and chatting with those around him. I bet half of the people were paying attention only to know when the food would come. And it did -- for the next hour.
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We ate and ate and ate. Perhaps the most fun we had was watching the consumption of the raw lobster with wasabi soy sauce. An unsuspecting guest at our table dipped his piece into the huge mound of wasabi and proceeded to take a bite. We, the monkeys, just stared with eyes wide open waiting for the reaction. His face was calm and then his brow furrowed in wonder of why we were so activley staring at him. It took longer than expected but the wasabi hit and we all laughed as he frantically gulped down orange juice and red wine. It was surely a memorable experience.
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More on this later and other stories. Gotta catch my flight to America!!!

And I'm Back...for a day.

I just returned from my 3 week traveling adventure (returning only 2 days late -- trouble at the airports to say the least). So many things to tell but not nearly enough time before my flight tomorrow. Yes, I'm leaving again. This time, going to the great US of A!
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So, here is the introduction -- the beginning of my story of the past month.

This is Christmas...???...Really?!

So, I've had time to collect my thoughts on the whole "Christmas in China" experience...and I still don't have the words to adequately and accurately describe it.
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I actually managed to decorate my apartment and make it look semi-Christmasy. In fact, my apartment still looks like Christmas and will until the 28th of January when I get back from my travels. (Forgot to take it all down before I left.) Anyway, the decorations were...ARE as follows: I spend a whopping 18 kuai ($2.5) on a Charlie Brown Christmas tree -- complete with lights that had 8 different blinking settings! Stockings were difficult to come by. I bought the only 2 in Beibei and were they gaudy! But my Chinese friends (more like sisters) loved them all the same.
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On Christmas Eve, we (the English teachers and some of our friends) had a potluck dinner at my apartment. There was a wide assortment of American and Chinese dishes and no one left hungry. I was in charge of mashed potatoes and somehow managed to pull off fudge too (but it was nothing compared to yours, Grannie!) In addition we had grilled veggies, salad, rolls, duck & chicken (feet and heads included!), ganbien tu dou (Chinese fries), dougan (firm tofu) and spring onions, lotus, and so much more... But it would not be complete without baijiu (thanks Robb). This is the most disgusting alcohol -- the celebratory drink of China. I can't even begin to describe it. The smell alone makes me sick and the taste...death in a bottle at 57% (that's kinda low for Baijiu) -- but the Chinese love it. We kinda see it as a mark of strength if you can take a sip without grimacing. If you've had it, you know what I'm talking about.
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But the main story of our Christmas in China was what happended in downtown Beibei. I had heard stories but never witnessed it. It definitely lived up to its reputation. Here's the account of our adventure. Believe me if you can...
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The 8 of us -- Kyle, Drew, Keegan, Jackie, Tracey, Evan, Evan's girlfriend, and me -- jumped on a surprisingly uncrowded little yellow bus and headed toward the weirdest and most confused Christmas celebration I have ever partaken in. Walking down to the main square, the massive population of China in evident; people fill the walkway and the streets but, unlike in America, I (standing at 5 feet 2 inches) can almost see over the crowd. Street vendors selling inflatable bats and aerosal cans of fake snow (more like soap suds) are a dime a dozen. I convince the guys to go in on a purchase of bats with me. They reluctantly agree.
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The entire square is filled with people beating the crap out of their family and friends while covering each other in the fake snow. As soon as we have our bats in hand, the fighting begins. Being the token foreigners, we are attacked by anyone and everyone. And if you ran, they ran after you. At times all I could do was cover my head with my arms and search for safety (laughing the whole time though). Tracey and I had a epic battle across the entire square and back again -- everyone wondering what in the world we were doing. A classic moment came when Keegan was attacked multiple times by a group of 14 year old girls -- all we did was stand back and laugh as he struggled against the onslaught of bats.
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After a few hours, we were worn out and decided to retire from fighting. Our great Christmas adventure was over but it will never -- it CANNOT be -- forgotten.
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Jackie, Tracey, and I spent Christmas together. Opening present and cooking an amazing breakfast (which half consisted of leftovers). The other teachers came by later and a puzzle was attempted as is tradition in my family. Dinner was the Chongqing classic -- Hot Pot -- which we ate at the base of the mountain in Beibei with our Chinese teacher and her parents. It was a nice conclusion to our Christmas in China -- a mix of East and West.
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Picutres are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2050565&l=4c202&id=42901658

Ready, Set, GO!

Friday was race day at Southwest University -- a 5K for the teachers and a 10K for the students. Because I was sick for 2 weeks (and just plain lazy...haven't run in awhile) I didn't run. But I did go to watch. My friend Keegan and I caught the finish of the 5K -- seeing our friend Phil finish in the top 10. We continued to watch the teachers finish -- some of them running in jeans and wool sweaters. I saw one guy in his 30's or 40's in khakis and a button up shirt! (drenched in sweat, of course) One girl was running in flat shoes (like Converse), jeans, and a nice white, wool, turtleneck sweater. We couldn't believe it!
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We stayed to watch the students' race. The beginning and the end were all we needed to see to keep us laughing for days...
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Imagine hundreds of people lined up on the goal line of a soccer field. The gun sounds and they race across the field -- all aiming for the same gate, which is not even as wide as a soccer goal. The first few runners get through just fine, but, by the end, the last people (including the guys dressed in their army gear) were walking through, taking their sweet time, and waving at the camera.
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The finish was just as spectacular: as the racers came back in through the gate, the PE majors went to the right around the track and the non-PE majors ran left -- each only halfway down the straightaway. (For the PE majors, this may have been their final exam.) Before the racers re-entered the stadium, we spent a good chunk of time pondering over the signs...which Chinese characters say "PE majors this way" and which say "all the non-athletic people this way" (and, yes, China would say something like that). We waited on the non-PE side for our friend to finish. To our surprise, this is where the winner came! We thought he went to the wrong side, but, no, he wasn't a PE major. And he finished in just over half an hour!
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The rest of the runners came in and the finish line was backed up 100 M. We could also tell which side was the non-PE majors by the puddles of puke surrounding the finish line. "Chinese delicacies of things like oranges and corn," as the boys put it. So, the non-PE students ran hard, but there were a few things concerning "pacing oneself" that were overlooked. Nothing like a track meet in the States, that's for sure...something much more fun!
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{Click on the title for the video of the start of the 10,000 M race. And here is a link for the post-race commentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83gvN7yv3Xg&feature=channel}

Silly Rabbit, Trix is proof of International Business

I have never appreciated my major as much as I do now -- especially since I'd love to be home for the holidays. Here I find myself sitting at a computer 6,000 miles away from home, eating a bowl of Trix with soy milk, and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" in an apartment all decked out for Christmas in a country that only celebrates the holiday because "it's western...and that's cool" -- this is the point at which I begin to love international business.
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(Today, as you can tell, is one of those days where I miss America. And, on those days, I get away from all things "China" and become a hermit with a bowl of cereal in my hands. Don't worry -- I'll be fine tomorrow.)
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But let me further explain...just a little more:
On Saturday, our boss took a few of us to Metro. (This is a Costco of sorts -- a warehouse which sells a wide variety of international items.) There I bought Heinz ketchup, sharp cheddar cheese, Trix, soy milk, French's mustard, butter, spaghetti noodles, and flour. It's like a shopping euphoria -- big aisles, forklifts, American food items, and -- most importantly -- hardly any people. I get tired of people shoving and pushing and yelling in the grocery stores. Metro is one of the quietest places I have found in all of China. All we hear is the soft sound of Western music playing on the speakers high above our heads, above the many levels of warehouse racking (probably up to E level, Dad). We spend 2 hours walking around with big shopping carts trying to find all the little things we can't find anywhere else.
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Coming home is just as fun. The other Americans and I display what's in our bags (which are more like treasure chests full of goodies).
"OH, where did you find that?!"
"I love those!"
"No way!"
"How much did that cost?"
"Can I have some?!"
It's so funny! It's like Christmas morning. We love international business.

Midterms

The past week and this coming week have been devoted to midterms. My students were required to speak for 5 minutes with a partner on any subject they wanted. At the end of this process I will have listened to roughly 180 midterms. And I love it! All of them have put in such wonderful effort and some have taken me off guard with how creative they have been. Traditional Chinese education is that the teacher teaches and the students accept that information -- no questions asked. This is beginning to change.
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I must also note that most of my students have been studying English for 5 - 10 years and still remain at a simplified, slowed down conversational level that is in need of much work on pronunciation. My friend Phil and I chatted about this the other day. It's frustrating because their pronunciation has been taught by Chinese teachers who, though they have done a good job, have trouble with pronunciation themselves. In every midterm I'm finding that my students and I must go back to the very beginning and work on letter sounds along with verb conjugation and sentence structure. But when they are able to express themselves in English, it is a beautiful thing.
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On the 1st day of midterms I had 2 guys talk about the problem of suicide related to the immense pressure of education. I was floored by their ability to talk about such a serious and difficult topic. I had become so engulfed in their dialog that I had forgotten to take notes on the first couple minutes.
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Two girls performed a variation of Titanic. And it was AWESOME -- complete with props and signs to tell us what year the scene was in. Jack and Rose had both survived and, 50 years later, bumped into each other on the street. Their undying love awoke and they began to recall those days of yesteryear on board the Titanic -- reenactment of the "I'm flying" scene ensued. Back to the scene on the street, they decided to do that once again for ol' times sake.
Rose: Oh Jack, let's do that again.
[Rose steps forward to "the railing" and Jack goes to help her but struggles.]
Jack: We can't. You are too fat!
The play concluded with a performance of the famous, and ever-popular-in-China song: "My Heart Will Go On".
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Another group (which included my most creative student) performed for the whole class a skit and a song and mini dance lessons to a few volunteers. All of this was based on Obama's speeches and slogan "Yes, we can". (99.5% of my students would rather fail then speak publicly.) I was left speechless at their creativity. Afterwards I told the whole class how amazed I was that these guys took the undesirable task of a midterm and modified it (while fulfilling all the requirements) into something . I requested a written copy of their performance. Here it the song:

It was a creed written into the founding documents
that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists
as they blazed a trail toward freedom
Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores
and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized;
women who reached for the ballots;
a president who chose the moon as our new frontier;
and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can to heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.

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Obama has been a hot topic, so I decided that I would have my classes watch the speech he gave after becoming the president-elect while I was listening to midterms. They were required to write a response paper answering the following prompt: "Whether you like Obama or not, he won. What does that mean for America, China, and the rest of the world?...also include YOUR thoughts and opinions." After reading 1/2 of the 350+ papers, I realize that I will need to go over the fact that "negro" is not a word we want to use anymore. One paper had "bla" crossed out and "negro" written in. From their papers it appears that my students believe discrimination to be very prominent in America -- almost to the extent that is was in the 60's. Next week's lesson: MLK's speech and racial discrimination.