Spring Festivus For the Rest of Us Part II

So here it is. Part two of the epic journey. In Kunming we caught a bus for Dali. Dali was the seat of a Muslim empire that emerged after Kublai Khan conquered China. The bus trip to Dali was great. The view from the bus was spectacular. The road from Kunming to Dali slices through the mountains and passes many small villages. There are actually two Dalis. One is New Dali, which is a modern city of about five million, and the other is old Dali, which is a well preserved walled city. The two are separated by about 8 kilometers and centuries of time. Dali is set at the foot of a large mountain and flanked by a massive lake. The valley near the lake is quite fertile with thousands of plots of land where many different vegetables are grown. Scott, Bryne, and I stayed at a hostel in neither old nor new Dali. It was down by the lake about two miles from the walls of the old city. It was a bit isolated and taxis were nonexistent. We spent a lot of time at the hostel playing Risk as a result of our isolation. We did get to the old city for a few nights and it was quite nice but nothing like the old city we would see in Lijiang. While in Dali we went to a hot spring spa which was excellent. It was set in the mountains and the natural springs were the perfect accompaniment to the view. Our brief visits to the old city were punctuated by bizarre encounters with elderly drug dealers. Everywhere me or my friends went we were approached by old women wearing traditional clothing and all they would say was, "Ganja? Hashish? Heroin?" These ladies were all over the city and dealing out in the open in front of God and everyone. In China you get the death penalty for dealing (or using) drugs so I have no idea what the deal was with these heroin dealing grannies. The manager of our hotel explained that Dali is a unique autonomous region where the drug rules are relaxed due to the religious practices of many of the minority groups in the region. I've never heard of heroin being used in a religious ceremony but then again I don't know that much about Scientology.

After three days in Dali it was time to head to Lijiang. Lijiang is a UNESCO world heritage site that earned its place on the list not through a famous statue, or beautiful view, but through sheer durability. Lijiang as a city was formed almost 1000 years ago. The old city is famous because of its incredibly well preserved Song Dynasty architecture. The wooden buildings and their distinctive sloping stone roofs seem to go on forever connected by small stone alleyways that spill out into small public squares. The city is beautifully lit at night. It is quite an amazing place. Lijiang is famous throughout China for being the travel spot of choice for young couples seeking a romantic getaway. The city is set near Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which dominates the landscape. We stayed at a hostel, again, on the outskirts of the old town. This was not as bad as the situation in Dali because everything is in walking distance in Lijiang. We spent three days in Lijiang just wandering the streets and looking into the small shops that line them. This may seem a little boring but the city is honestly one of the coolest places I've ever been. Many people in Lijiang still wear their traditional ethnic clothing which is always quite colorful and the sites, sounds, and smells are a lot to take in. One of the main reasons we went to Lijiang was its proximity to Tiger Leaping Gorge. The gorge is located on the opposite side of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from Lijiang. The two hour bus trip to the gorge takes you over another smaller mountain and runs parallel to the Yangzee river. At this point in its course the river is a deep blue which is quite amazing considering the brown hue the river becomes in eastern China. As the fame of the gorge increases new visitors centers are being constructed. We had no desire to see the gorge you'd see on a tour. We had heard of a hike that takes you through the gorge at 3,000 meters. In Lijiang we asked some locals and picked up a few hand drawn maps of the trail with a few points of interest and guest houses drawn on. We had heard that the length of the whole hike was about 12 kilometers so on the morning of February 9th (my birthday) we took the first bus from Lijiang in hope of hiking the whole gorge in one day. The weather was beautiful and when we arrived at the town near the trail head we followed the first of the yellow arrows that would guide our path through the day. The views were breathtaking. It was really a great way to spend my birthday and a day I will never forget. The hike did have its low points. One section is called '28 Bends'. It is a snake path that takes you up about 300 vertical feet in about 100 horizontal feet. I honestly thought I might die. I thought I'd be one of those people whose headstones have the same date at both ends but luckily I survived. As the day went on we stopped at several guest houses in order to get food and rest. We pushed ourselves to get to the end of the trail but we could never seem to find it. Around every bend where we expected to find the last guest house we would find the trail extending around yet another bend. The day was getting late and we were exhausted and at this point wondering if we'd made a mistake somewhere. Finally we arrived at Tina's Guesthouse 15 minutes before sunset. We got at the guest house six hours after we began the hike and found out that from the trail head to Tina's is 27 kilometers, not 12. We were happy with ourselves for completing such a long hike in such a short time but at the same time we were kind of worried that the map we followed and advice we were given were so wrong. The next morning we left the gorge and headed back to Lijiang where we caught a flight to Chengdu.

We spent three more days in Chengdu before heading to Hainan Island. One of Scott's co-workers helped us buy plane tickets and book a hotel as part of a tour group. We met the group at the airport and, no surprise, they were all old Chinese people. It was a bit awkward for them to be traveling with three white guys but they got used to it. We flew to Hainan on Valentines Day and during the flight the stewardesses performed a few skits and even had couples participate in a game in the aisle. The TSB would be enraged by these actions but it was quite entertaining once the shock and disbelief faded away. We landed in Sanya in the evening and the whole tour group went straight to the hotel. The tour guide had zero English. We were told he would speak English and be able to tell us about Sanya and Hainan but there was no way that was going to happen. At the hotel we spoke with the man and told him we were not going to continue with the tour group and he seemed fine with that. Bryne, Scott, and I went out for a bit that evening before heading to bed. The next morning at 7:00 a.m. the tour guide was knocking frantically on our door. He was telling us we had to go with the group. We said we didn't want to and he demanded that we go. We found out that the group was not staying in Sanya that evening. The group was headed to the interior of the island to see some Buddha or something. We were in Sanya to relax. We had seen many sites of cultural significance but now we wanted to relax on the beach and enjoy the warm weather. We could see no way out of this bind at the moment so we went along. At this point the tour group had been waiting for us for about a half hour, they were happy with us. We boarded a bus and headed to some faux cultural village. Sanya looked beautiful as we were driving away. Once at the cultural center Scott called his co-worker and she explained that we could pay a small fee, sign a contract, change hotels, and be relinquished from the grip of the tour guide. We paid the fee and were free. We spent the next two days going to the beach and sipping coconuts while we lazed in the sun. Exactly what we wanted to do. It was in Sanya that I had some of the best seafood I've ever had. We spent several dinners eating on the street. In Sanya there were streets where restaurants would be set up on the sidewalk. They have all their ingredients out on a table and they let you select which vegetables and meats you'd like and then they cook them right there in a wok on the sidewalk. The fish was amazingly fresh and all the dishes were great.

On the fourth day we went to Monkey Island (Ho Dao). It was a ways away from Sanya and getting there was kind of expensive as was the admission ticket. It was totally worth it. As soon as we got off of the cable car that ferried us to the island a monkey appeared and frightened a woman so terribly that she jumped into my arms. The island had many attractions with monkeys but the best part was just having wild monkeys everywhere. Monkeys were stealing things from people and terrorizing children. It was monkey chaos. One monkey even stole Bryne's water bottle. I laughed and laughed. Some of the attractions included Monkey Stunt Show, Monkey Comedy Show, Monkey Color Guard, Monkey Introspection Room, and Monkey Jail. I never found out why the monkeys were in jail. One monkey even approached me and climbed onto my head where, disturbingly, he found a few good things to eat in my hair. Monkey Island was great. The night we returned from Monkey Island was Spring Festival Eve.

Spring Festival is what we know in the west as Chinese New Year. It involves many traditions but the most famous are the dragon dances and the fireworks. We went out to a bar that evening and celebrated with the locals. At the stroke of midnight the sky was ablaze with fireworks. The Spring Festival traditionally lasts about two weeks so for the next two weeks it was quite hard to sleep as fireworks had been going of constantly since that first night. The next day we bid farewell to Hainan Island and headed back to Chengdu and finally back to Beijing.

Second semester has begun and now there are only 15 weeks left in the school year. I have twice as many classes as last semester including six classes a week with the Korean students in the international building. Last week I returned to Capital Mandarin for my Chinese classes and last night I attended a party at 789 Art Gallery. Things are back to normal here but I still feel like I was in the stone forest and had a monkey on my head just yesterday.

Spring Festivus For the Rest of Us Part I

Hello everybody, I'm back. After a long and fantastic trip I have returned to Beijing. I have actually been back since the 21st but because of various obstacles and distractions I have been unable to post.

I traveled far and wide across China in what I thought was a very short time. I saw and did so much that I'll have to break the blog up into two posts so I don't make you regret being interested in my life.

Our itinerary was as follows: Chengdu, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Hainan Island

On the 29th of January Bryne and I flew to Chengdu in Sichuan province which is in the midwest of China geographically. Chengdu is kind of viewed the way St. Louis was around 1804. It is the last bastion of civilization before getting to China's 'wild west'. Scott Dedels resides in Chengdu. Scott is a friend I met at the seminar at the beginning of the year and he is a former roommate of Bryne's from back in England. We flew during the day and from the air we could really see the rugged terrain that surrounds Beijing. We could also see the Great Wall snaking its way along the ridges of the mountains that cushion Beijing's north side. The first and most striking thing I noticed about Chengdu was the color green. The streets are lined with trees that, due to the warm and humid environment, remain green all year. This was a nice change from the gray that dominates Beijing in the winter. Scott has a great apartment very close to his school's campus. I'm jealous. Sichuan province is known across China as home to the most beautiful women in all the land. I must say that this stereotype holds true based on my limited travel experience. Scott is a lucky man.

Scott showed Bryne and I the nightlife in Chengdu and we were not disappointed. The clubs and bars were packed with people. It was in Chengdu where I succumbed to a Chinese tradition which I had avoided since my arrival. Buying bottles of liquor to split among a group is a very popular method of drinking in China. On the surface it seems ok until I tell you that it is only one kind of liquor, Chivas Regal, and one kind of mixer, green tea. The Chivas and the tea are mixed together in a pitcher and dolled out in little glasses for people to drink quickly. Going out in China requires you to participate in drinking rituals that amount to peer pressure in the west. When you go out to a bar everyone is drinking Chivas and tea and everyone is toasting one another. You must always accept a toast and must always offer another one in return. The toast is 'Gan Bei' which means bottoms up. So by strictly adhering to cultural norms and not wanting to offend anyone you can get quite drunk quite quickly.

The next day we finalized our plans for the next two weeks. We decided to head south from Sichuan to Yunnan province. First we would go to Kunming, then to Dali, and finally to Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge near by. Having confirmed our plans Bryne and I set out to see the sites in and around Chengdu. The main attraction around Chengdu is the panda preserve just outside of the city. Sichuan province is the only place in the world where giant pandas are found and as a result there are many different preserves around the province. We spent a day at one such preserve and I learned a lot of interesting things about pandas such as they are doomed to be extinct. The panda has to be the most evolutionarily ill equipped animal that is not already extinct. It is can eat meat but doesn't because it would expend too much energy in the process so instead it eats bamboo which has almost zero nutritional value so it has to eat a lot of it. It has to eat so much bamboo to sustain itself that it does nothing but eat bamboo. Pandas can eat 60 different species of bamboo but only like to eat 27 of them. It will turn it's nose at the other 33 varieties. They also refuse to mate. It doesn't get more Darwinian than having zero sex drive. They have to be forced together and the male has to physically be placed on top of the female by handlers. This last point has nothing to do with reasons they will become extinct but they make the weakest noises, kind of like a pouting baby. I'm really glad I got to go see the pandas because they are not going to be around 1 generation from now. No way. I also got to hold a red panda which is more like a large raccoon than a bear. It was soft and ate apples from my hand.

The other major site near Chengdu is in Leshan. Carved into the face of the cliff that looks out on the confluence of three rivers, the Leshan Buddha is 233 feet high and is damn imposing if you ask me (which is kind of weird because its Buddha). The seated statue is about 1300 years old and was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 1996 (I forgot to mention that the panda preserve that we visited was also some sort of world heritage site. This was a sort of theme for the trip as we ended up visiting 4 such sites). Bryne and I hired a car and traveled along with two Australian girls that Scott had met in Xi'an at the beginning of his holiday. The Buddha was breathtaking. The original paint is still visible on the chest and lap. I just imagine being a fisherman in the year 700 AD cruising downriver and happening upon this giant, fully painted, Buddha seated on the side of a cliff. Ridiculous.

We spent one more day in Chengdu before we headed off to Kunming in Yunnan province. During this down day we scheduled a trip to Hainan island in the South China Sea. We paid to fly and be housed with a tour group as to reduce the overall cost. We booked the tickets and reserved the hotel for the 14th to the 18th of February (more on this part of the trip in part 2 of this blog). After finalizing our plans for the last part of our vacation we flew from Chengdu to Kunming. Yunnan province is home to 60% of all minority ethnic groups in China so to say it is an ethnically diverse place is an understatement. Many people in smaller villages and towns (and some in the cities) still wear their traditional clothing every day. This is a vast departure from the Armani suits and Louis Vutton bags in Beijing. Kunming was very similar to Chengdu in its foliage but the weather seemed to be a bit colder. We stayed at a fabulous hostel near a busy shopping area in Kunming. The hostel also provided a menu of western food which we were happy about. We arrived in the evening so the next morning we wanted to see the sites of Kunming. This is a problem because there are no sites of historical or cultural significance in Kunming. In western Yunnan there was a mini Muslim empire formed by allies of Kublai Khan after he took over China. The Muslims used Dali as a base of their power and repeatedly sacked Kunming. If this wasn't enough Kunming was hit hard by the Cultural Revolution as well. One culinary delight that Kunming is known for is Crossing-The-Bridge noodles. This delightful dish was created by a woman who would have to cross a bridge to give her husband his lunch. She'd take a boiling hot bowl of broth with a thin layer of oil on the surface and walk it over the bridge. Once on the other side she would add the noodles, meats, and veggies and they would all cook in the broth. It amounts to the best Ramen Noodles of all time with a diverse mix of ingredients including tripe and quail egg.

Day 2 in Kunming Scott and I booked bus tickets to Shilin, commonly known as the Stone Forest. Bryne could not join us this day as he was feeling unwell. The Stone Forest is located about 2 hours southeast of Kunming and is yet another UN sponsored site. It is a surreal place. It looks like something from a fantasy or science fiction movie. The pictures I have do not do it justice. The park is broken up into two sections. One section is set up like an over grown rock garden with patches of green grass and reflecting pools placed between the rocks. The other part is more natural with narrow footpaths looping under, over, and around massive rock formations. Scott and I spent four hours there just wandering around in constant amazement of our surroundings. I think it has to be one of the top five 'Must-Sees' in China. After we left the park we headed into the town of Shilin to have some lunch. Of course we had Crossing-The-Bridge again. This time we ate at a street cafe where they also served fried bees and crickets. I couldn't resist the opportunity to add to my insects eaten list. The bees were saturated with oil and lightly fried...about 1 day before I ate them. I feel that this may have ruined the bee eating experience for me. Who knows, maybe there is nothing as tasty as a plate of freshly fried bees. After lunch we headed back to Kunming. It was at this point that Scott began to complain about his stomach. Once we got back to the hostel he turned in for the night while Bryne and I stayed up and chatted with other travelers (I was trying to find a hot lead on a place to watch the Super Bowl which was the next morning, no luck). When we returned to the room Scott was doubled over in pain and could not stop vomiting. It was scary stuff. I offered him some medicine which he took and promptly evacuated all over the floor of the room. Luckily I had a cold so I avoided the smell. And I was the one who ate the bees. Two days later Scott was back in action and we boarded a bus headed west for Dali.

This is where our story ends for now. Stay tuned for the next installment featuring heroin dealing grannies, the mini version of The Long March, and Monkey Island. Take care. Dsai Jien.

Hamilton's Travels

This coming Monday I will set off on what promises to be an exciting vacation to southern China. After a lot of grading, testing, complaints, illnesses, and headaches I'll finally be on my way. On the 29th I will fly to Chengdu where Bryne's friend Scott is teaching. That will be our base for a few days while we tour around central Sichuan Province. Two highlights should include the giant Buddha at Leshan and one of the many giant panda preserves in the area. From there I will split with Bryne and Scott and head south to Kunming by train. I have read in several guide books that this train trip has some of the most beautiful scenery in China. The trek takes you around sharp mountain passes and crosses several high altitude bridges. Once I get to Kunming the plans become a little bit unclear. I have heard from many people, and read in several books, that Yunnan Province is an amazing place. One third of China's minority ethnic groups (Non-Han people) live in Yunnan. Some sites I will be sure to see are the ancient Buddha grottoes in the south east portion of the province and the old town of Lijiang. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. I will also stop north of Lijiang and hike the length of Tiger Leaping Gorge for two days. Tiger Leaping Gorge is formed by one of the two large tributaries of the Yangtze River, the Jinsha River. The river essentially bisects a massive mountain creating waterfalls and a very deep gorge. From there I may head to Chongqing, the largest municipal area in the world. Whether I head there or not I will eventually make my way to Xi'an and see the Terra Cotta warriors for a few days. Maybe I'll see if I can work there for a few days. Some extra cash and to be able to say I worked on the excavation of the largest tomb complex in the world would be awesome. Hopefully, after all the serious touring, I'll have enough time and money to go skiing near Beijing. There are a few indoor ski slopes in the area to the north of the city as well as many expensive outdoor places.

To record all of this I have invested in what could be troublesome thing for international relations between China and the US. I have purchased a camera/camcorder/voice recorder/mp3 player/coffee maker/electric toothbrush. Well, maybe it doesn't make coffee or brush my teeth but it does do all the other stuff. I am very excited to use this new device. I also bought a 1GB memory card for it so now it can record one and a half hours of video and take 230 pictures. Who knows? With the help of Garry Seltzer I could end up with a travel video of my own. The mere thought gives me tingles.

Now, should I not return from my vacation trip I would like everyone to know that I can be found in the Himalayas. I will be wandering the Earth like Kane from Kung Fu. Larry gets my maps, Robert gets my CDs, Kevin gets my signed Hakeem Olajuwon shoes, Dulaney gets my DVD's and books.

I hope to put up a post or two while on vacation. I will add all the pictures once I return back to Beijing.

Garry, DeDe, Kevin, and Andrew Kogan are coming to China! It is official. They will be here in the middle of May. I am quite excited about the prospect of dragging them around Tongzhou to see all my favorite landmarks. We'll visit Mrs. Dong, the proprietor of the restaurant that serves the best eggplant dish in the world. She is also the owner of the best laugh in China. We will also go to eat some meat sticks at a slummy cafe and of course they will get to meet all the people I have been annoying here for the last 5 months. Like I said, I'm excited. After they visit Beijing for a day they will be off on their 'Confucius' Path' tour of China. One week later I will go to Shanghai to visit them for a long weekend before they depart.

The 12th of February is the day of the Spring Festival. Every little village and town goes nuts for Spring Festival from what I have heard. To me the fireworks and dumplings are the most enticing aspects of the celebration. This is the busiest travel season in China as people are traveling home to spend the holiday with their families. Some other traditions include a thorough cleaning of the house and card games. Everyone traditionally wears red during this period and it is considered good luck in the coming year to extend charity to people you do not know. Seeing as I will be in many small villages I am sure to attract some of that hospitality. I was told at the orientation seminar in August that as a foreigner it is common to be pulled off the street and fed by a family until you explode ('the mint is wafer thin'). What a way to go.

I can hardly wait to get going on this vacation and leave my mark on China just as it has made its mark on me.

It's A Celebration!!!

It is the season for school parties. We have had a Christmas party, class New Years parties, and the Uygur Qurban festival all within the last week. Each celebration offered something different, entertaining, and delicious.

The Christmas party was amazing. All of the students gathered in the gym on Christmas Eve for the grand event. I had attended the rehearsal for the proceedings earlier in the week but had no idea how many people would attend. In all there were about 4,000 people in the gym to watch what amounted to an eclectic talent show. There were 24 performances by students and teachers. Most of the students sang songs or displayed various other types of musical prowess on piano, guitar, and pipa. There was no real Christmas theme to any of the performances with the exception of one, mine. The foreign teachers were asked to do some kind of performance for the party. We decided to sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It is short, easy, and everyone knows the lyrics. On the day of the performance a few of the other teachers bailed in favor of prior commitments. This left us depleted in number and with fewer voices for each of us to hide behind. The performance could best be described as macabre. Santa attire and William Shatner-esque singing style did not fly in front of the Chinese students. It was worse than the worst karaoke and classified as 'musical torture' by one teacher.

After that debacle we were invited to join the principal for the annual foreign teacher's dinner. The dinner was held at the nicest restaurant in the area, a place I have passed many times but have never gone inside. The interior was opulent with giant wood carvings and waterfalls. We were led to a 'VIP' room on the top floor and treated to one of the best meals I have ever had. There were about seven teachers, staff members, and principals in all. We talked about our charity drive and our raffle sale and how successful each was in raising money and school supplies for economically disadvantaged children who attend our school. The principal, who speaks no English, was informed of our deeds and immediately doubled the total of money raised by donating 300 Yuan. We were very grateful and appreciative. He then told us that he personally pays admission for two children from poor families. He does this because he was poor as a child and the principal of the school paid for him to attend when he was a boy. He is merely fulfilling his social responsibility as he sees it. While we were talking we had begun to be served. What followed was a procession of the most colorful and delicious Chinese dishes. In the end we had 20 different dishes for the seven people at the table. It was awesome. We had everything from Beijing Duck to fried eggplant. As is tradition at Chinese feasts the bai jiu flowed quite freely. I obtained from most of the heavy drinking as I was recovering form an illness. It was quite the experience and a great end to a good day.

On the Saturday and Sunday before New Years Eve we had class. I was disappointed but we have the first, second, and third of January off so I can't complain that much. On Saturday each class had its New Years party. I was invited to three parties, one each for my two conversation classes and my FEC class. I started at the FEC party because those are the kids I am closest with as our class meets everyday. The kids were really excited about the party and each student had prepared a song or performance of some sort. Some of the girls in my class stood up and sang individually. This is something that I can't imagine high school girls doing in the US. The kids have no anxiety about putting themselves out in front of everyone because all the kids really support each other. No one is made fun of or singled out. Again, I was asked to sing a song and I obliged and let loose with Feliz Navidad. From there I went to the conversation class parties where I was greeted with a cheer. A little embarrassed, I took my seat in the class. I was then asked to say some tongue twisters that the students had prepared. It turns out that I am pretty good at speaking English and the kids were impressed. It was a lot of fun and a good break for the kids who are heading into exams and have endured a long semester of 14 hours of class a day.

Yesterday, Sunday, was the Qurban festival. The Qurban festival is Muslim holiday celebrated by the Uygur people who inhabit the far western province of Xinjiang in China. The holiday coincides with the end of the Haj. I found out that the holiday celebrates Abraham's test by God. Most of you probably know this story so I will be brief. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his loyalty. Abraham complied and just before the sacrifice he was stopped by an angel and told to sacrifice a goat instead. During the Qurban festival whole goats are roasted. I was invited to the lunch celebration by one of my Xinjiang students. He is really respected among his classmates so when Bryne and I arrived we were treated very well. The food was great, a real departure from the Chinese food we eat everyday. There were also three whole roasted goats on the tables. They were delicious. That evening, New Years Eve, there was another event at the gym. This was a huge production with 30 acts each performing in Uygur so I was sure to not understand a word. Again my student Abdul Habir treated me like a king and tried to translate for my benefit. It was fun to see the traditional clothes and listen to the singing of the Xinjiang people. In the middle of the production there was a big dance. Abdul demanded that I join the traditional dancers. I hate to disappoint so I did. We all danced around in a large circle shaking our shoulders and stomping our feet. It was great fun and hopefully I will have a short video of it soon.

We also had our first snow of the year last week. It only accumulated to about two inches but it was a whole lot of fun. We had snowball fights with the guards at the front gate. It has been freezing cold and will remain that way so the snow has no chance of melting anytime soon. The guards occasionally surprise me with a snowball when I least expect it.

Last night I spent New Years Eve in Beijing with Bryne, Jen, and Vivian. Vivian is a Chinese English teacher here at LuHe. We had a great time and were able to expose Vivian to a real western New Years celebration.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. Here is to a fantastic 2007. Cheers.

Do they know its Chrishanukah time at all? Yes

Yesterday was amazingly cold. I fear that it was only a preview of the weather to come in January and February. The air temperature hovered around freezing while a strong wind whipped around and drove the cold right through me.

The Chinese classes are going well. I am able to hold perfectly normal conversations with cab drivers. Cab drivers in Beijing have been given a series of tapes and books aimed at improving their English ahead of the Olympics. Between my Chinese and their English we learn a lot about each other. I am now totally capable of giving directions, ordering food, and talking about my likes and dislikes, and asking questions. I just need some more adjectives and verb constructions and I can make my run at Vice Premier.

Last Monday was one of the worst pollution days ever in Beijing. You can read the 'official' account here During the day you couldn't see more than 50 feet in front of you because of the smog. It was horrendous. I spent most of the day with a scarf wrapped around my face. The Chinese didn't seem to mind it so much and actually laughed at me when they saw me walking down the street. On Mondays I have Chinese class after work from 5:00 to 7:30. After class I went out for dinner with some of my co-worker's friends. We had a hearty Sichuan meal. Side note: I am really getting used to the heat of Sichuan cuisine. This is adding another depth to my eating repertoire (look out world). After dinner a few of us went to have some drinks at a really classy bar nearby. By the time we finished our drinks the subway had closed. Sorry to do this again, but side note: The subway closes at 10:15 p.m. every day of the week. Through the course of our time at the bar the pollutions seemed to get worse and worse. In the end we could not even see the buildings across the vacant lot. We some how found a cab and began to make our way back to Tongzhou. We tried to get on the highway but it was closed due to the smog. It was so thick that it was dangerous to drive at high speeds! I feel as if I shaved 3 years off of my life that day. To add more horror and disbelief to an already unbelievable situation, I was told that the winter has the highest concentration of clear days. Heavy pollution days are most frequent in the summer.

Tuesday was just as eventful and almost as harmful to my health. I went to McDonald's. I did not go in order to fulfill some sort of burger craving I had. This is not to say that I have never had any such craving, I have but that was not the impetus for this visit. The foreign teachers were approached by the school and asked to participate in an English Corner. At the training in Changzhou we were told that participation in English Corners would be, 'strongly suggested' by our schools but it is in fact mandatory. English corners are sponsored by provincial and local foreign relations bureaus. They are a chance for community members to get together and practice/learn English. English Corners are open to the general public and are usually facilitated by English speakers living in the area. The English Corner in Tongzhou takes place at the local McDonalds. The reason I went on Tuesday was that I have been tutoring a student at our school who is taking part in an English speech competition. About a month ago she won first prize among all the high schoolers in Tongzhou. Two weeks ago she placed second among all the high schoolers in Beijing. Next week she is competing in the national competition so we went to the English Corner in order for her to work on her speech and get some more practice. McDonald's was packed. There were probably 70-80 people packed into the back corner of the restaurant all speaking English. It was a strange sight to see so many Chinese speaking English with each other.
I had a chance to speak with a gentleman named 'Wilson'. He was quite the character. He was there with his English teacher (also Chinese). She had told him that it was a good chance to practice his English and if he went she would give him a kiss. He complained to me that they had been there for hours and she still hadn't, "laid one on" him. He had an arsenal of colloquialisms and he used them all perfectly. He was cool. I will be back there again this Tuesday for the Christmas party.

On that topic, happy holidays to everyone! It is strange how much pub Christmas gets here. Decorations are out, lights line major thoroughfares, trees are up and decorated at most shopping centers, and you even hear Christmas music at the malls here. Not surprisingly there has not been one hint of Hanukah. I am on the look out for some decorations to put up. After all, the wall hangings and various other decorations are made here so I should be able to find them somewhere. Or maybe not.

Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas!

Travels and Trials

At the close of my last blog entry I said that I would be traveling to Hubei Province. Well, I did. It was a pretty interesting journey highlighted by brilliant scenery, shady villagers, and train rides. Our trip was hanging in the balance up to the morning of our departure. We had not seen our passports in 10 weeks. They had been collected form us in order for all of the forms, licenses, visas, certifications, and various other forms of red tape (I now know why it is called 'Red' tape) to be processed. One of my compatriots (Kevin) had become so enraged by the fact that we were not going to be able to travel if we didn't have our passports that he quoted the Geneva Conventions to an administrator. It was a surreal and blatant use of coercion on his part. It was like the scene in Bridge over the River Kwai where Alec Gunnies' character does the same to the Japanese commander. I thought it would end the same way too, with Kevin in 'the oven' and me working hard labor but his threats were responded to quite positively. We received out passports less than 12 hours later, so we went on our way.

The first stop was Baoding, a small town of about 6 million people located 120 km south of Beijing. We took the train which was an interesting experience unto itself. There was an army officer pounding Baijiu (Chinese white lightning) in the seat next to me. I offered him candy as a peace offering and he accepted. Kind of like the Willy Wonka version of the daisy in the gun barrel. It was almost a three hour trip to Baoding and when we arrived it was night time. The place we were actually there to see is a small town outside of the city. There is a giant marsh there. It was created 500+ years ago when a dam that was created to hold back the waters of NINE rivers burst and water flooded the vast plain. Who would have guessed? It is now a giant wildlife preserve (one of only a handful in China) and the scenery is equal parts eerie and spectacular. Once we arrived to our desired locality we had a little trouble finding a hotel. This was described to us as a big tourist area for the Chinese in the summer so we were surprised. We ended up getting rooms in a fancy schmancy resort for a very cheap price. We were able to live in the lap of luxury and we were happy about it, even for just one night. Oh, one funny thing that happened there occurred when I went to use the internet in the business center. I was approached by the lady who worked in the computer center and she asked me to edit a page for her. I obliged and completion of my task was met with more work. She was having me correct horribly written English descriptions of the hotel and its amenities. The things that were written before I corrected them were unreal. I have always said that I'd love to write product descriptions for packaging and this was my chance to explore my ability. Before, the hotel had "unstrenuous rock waters for which to by relax." Now the pamphlet beckons you, "Come, and let your cares melt away in one of our 12 on site hot spring spa baths."

After our night at the hotel we woke up early and went out on the marsh. We were possibly the only foreigners to visit that place in the last 5 years. The people followed us around and wanted to shake our hands and observe our habits. Rockstars we were. We found a dock where there were small boats that for a small fee would row you around the marsh all day. We got in and observed people really living off of the land. There were countless boats piled high with harvested reeds and fishermen using domesticated waterfowl to do the fishing for them. It was awesome. These birds would swoop into the water and collect fish in their mouths and then when the boatman (not really a fisherman at this point) smacked his long stick on the water the birds would return to the boat and drop the fish out of their mouths. Oh, the birds also had ties around their throats to ensure that not a fish was swallowed. It was pretty cool. We toured around the peaceful swamp for a while and ended up at "The Lotus Cultural Center". This place is probably amazing in the summer. They have a collection of 200 different varieties of lotus flowers growing there. Of course none of them are in bloom right now. Each one had a funny name too like "Dwarf Power", or "Lightning's Shadow". After a long day on the water we decided that the 4 star hotel was a little bit too expensive to stay there for another night so we decided to move down the road to a small village near the marsh. This place was incredibly small by China standards, 8,000 people. We found a small hotel and decided that we should take a walk around the town. As we walked we gathered a small entourage of kids. We walked with the purpose of finding a restaurant but there was only one opened one to be found in the whole town. The proprietor was a really good guy and sat and talked with us for several hours. Afterwards we decided to see what the night life was like in this small town so we went a walking again. This time the hotel operator told us that we could not go. After much discussion he let us out only under the condition that he comes with us. An odd request yes, but no skin off our backs. So we walked along and into the heart of the town we came. The feeling among the locals was infinitely less inviting this time. People vacated the streets at the sight of us and those who stayed looked angry. The final foreboding straw was when one man asked us, in succession, "Where are your passports? Do you keep them close? Do you know Kung Fu?" This let us know it was time to go back to the hotel. And there we went, back to our unheated rooms, to sleep in all our clothing.

The next day we went to another place called Shijiazhuang. There was not much to see besides an old walled city on the out skirts of town and a temple complex. The highlight for me was the red lantern courtyard. It was a small courtyard with two old Ginkgo trees. These trees are about 200 years old, the both of them. They were covered with small red lanterns that had good wishes and prayers inscribed on them. There were literally thousands of these things all over the two trees. It was a visually stunning sight. From there we made our trip back to the Beijing. It was a good trip. Great to get out of the smog and hustle and bustle of Beijing.

Now that I am back in town I have started taking Mandarin lessons. Wow. I am in way over my head learning this language. Kevin, Bryne and I are all in the same beginner level class so that makes things a lot easier. We go to class 9 hours a week. I am in the middle of week two right now and man, it is sooooooooo hard. The great thing about it is that we get to use everything we learn in class everyday of our lives. This will make learning easier I think. The language school is also putting on a Thanksgiving dinner on Friday. It will be complete with Turkey (a non-factor entity in the meat world of China), cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. It will be nice to have some 'traditional' foods since I can't get to my mom's cornbread stuffing. This holiday I hope everyone has a happy and healthy one. Take care. D'sai Jien

It has been a while

I have been having some problems with access to the internet lately. There has been a crackdown on blogs and other types of sites. I am not even sure if this will end up being posted. But here is a brief description of what I've been up to.

I went to KTV with Cindy, Bryne, and Cindy's husband who I named Brian. He is one of the few Chinese people I have come across that has no English name. His Chinese name begins with a 'B' so I told him his English name could be Brian if he'd like. He seems to like it. Let me back up for a second here. KTV is what they call Karaoke. I found a large street in my district that is packed with KTV places. Brian is a legit movie star. We were interrupted several times by workers who wanted a picture and an autograph from this guy. Crazy stuff. They thought Bryne and I were movie stars by association, and I even signed this guy’s paper when he asked for an autograph. I signed it, Nicholas Cage. This was quite the luxurious experience with beer, fruit, and various other snacks abounding. I sang Sounds of Silence for the first time and I think it might be my new go to song for KTV. On a side note, I was extremely lucky to have Bryne and I assigned to the same team. We both love karaoke and this has proved to be very valuable as KTV is one of the most popular evening activities in China. I have told you about the format of karaoke here in China, with KTV having private rooms for groups to sing in. I was talking with Cindy and she said that about a decade ago karaoke was in large groups where there was one screen and one player for an entire bar. She claims that this led to fights between people over who was next and more importantly (and probable) fighting over women. So this inspired a governmental mandate or something that changed the format of karaoke in China. Wow, I have just written a hell of a lot about karaoke. We'll take a break from it for a moment because I am sick of writing the word.

I need to address another issue before I can move on; The World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Wow, WOW!! I was able to watch all of the World Series games on the internet before my classes and for that I am thankful to Larry Gast, the internet, and Al Gore. Wow. I was ecstatic and going nuts inside but I suffered from some sort of paralysis. I was frozen in awe and had to immediately check the internet to see if what I had viewed actually took place. Sure enough it did! I will stay in China if my being here guarantees the Cards a World Series ring. I will have to research the connection before my final decision is made. Wow! I was also able to watch the parade and subsequent rally on the internet thanks to Cynthia and Garry Seltzer. I was very jealous of all my friends for being able to attend the final game/rally and parade. Save some memorabilia and merchandise for me.

Friday was Kevin's (from NY) birthday and we celebrated by going to the local club which was cool. Saturday we went to a park way out on the other side of the city. It was beautiful. The skies were clear of smog and the sun was shining brightly on the changing leaves. There were many small temples and convents located on the mountain (there are many mountains on the west side of the city). We took a chair lift to the top of the main mountain and the view of Beijing was awesome. At the same time it was kind of sad because you could see the smog cloud that envelops the city. The fall colors were beautiful! I have many pictures that I'll have to post sometime. At the top of the mountain they had a summer toboggan run. It is basically a metal slide that you go down on a sled that has wheels on the bottom. It was a blast! So fun we did it twice. They also had a zip line that was strung about 1000 feet across a valley. That was also very cool, but it was so fast that it was hard to take in all the stunning scenery from that awesome vantage point. We just held on for our dear lives as we zoomed across the valley while striking different poses ala Peter Pan or Superman. The whole day was capped by a large meal at a famous Peking Duck restaurant.

Earlier this week I attended my first Chinese class. I will be taking classes at Capital Mandarin. The school is a whole lot like Berlitz. I will be in a class with Bryne and Kevin as we are all starting at the same level. Because we are starting our own group we will be able to set up our own schedule to work around our teaching schedules. I am really excited to get started. I feel that it has taken a long time for me to find a good program but now that I have I am super psyched to devote myself to studying. This language is so hard but learning it, even a little more than I know now, will make everything in my life a little easier. Communication difficulties are some of the most stressful and frustrating things I have to deal with on a daily basis. It will definitely help with getting to know the culture a little better now. One example of this is the Chinese word for quickly or extremely fast. The literal translation of the word in Chinese is 'on a horse'. Interesting stuff for an anthropology nerd like me.

Hopefully access to the internet will be more consistent in the future. I have had real problems with everything from this blog to my email. I have five days off coming up this week. I plan on traveling to Hubei and going to see the Wall too. Hopefully when I get back I'll be able to post something. Take care. D'sai Jien

In The Throes of Autumn

I have been really lazy with my writing lately. No updates containing any earth shattering or even mildly interesting news. I understand. Things have slowed down here recently. Actually, I am not sure if it is that things have slowed or I have settled. I think it is equal parts both. I was sick recently, missed a couple of classes, but now I am back in full. That slowed things a bit. I also have gained a better handle on the geography of Tongzhou and Beijing so I think that has made it feel a little more like 'home' for me now.

It is getting colder here seemingly every day. There are things about the cold I enjoy now that I will hate after it has settled here for months. I like wearing my jacket and I like being warm in my bed. I hate how cold my feet get without shoes on and breathing in the cold air while outside. The chill in the air reminds me that this is the season for playoff baseball. I have been able to keep up with the Cardinals long strange trip to and through the playoffs with the help of video provided by MLB.com (thanks for the tip Larry). Watching the games does make me a little homesick/jealous. Homesick because I would love to be getting together with my friends at Mike Duffy's Sports Bar and watch the games. I miss the feeling of the collective exhale when our pitchers get out of tight situations and the high-fives that are exchanged when we score runs. I am jealous of Kevin Seltzer and all the other citizens of St. Louis for being able to go to the World Series. I am a cheering section of one when I watch the games live on my computer while still lying in bed at 7:00 a.m. I don't mind it so much but it does make me feel like none of it is actually taking place. It seems like it is all playing out before me and I am the only witness. Strange.

This past weekend I met with Gongbin Wang. Wang is the brother of a university professor my father works with in South Texas. He is a professor at Beijing Normal University. Wang's sister, Jinhao, arrived in McAllen about 15 years ago. I vividly recall going to a dinner at her apartment with my parents. I was around 10 at the time and remember being astounded by the fact that this woman came to a country halfway around the world to teach in a culture she was unfamiliar with. I was shocked and perplexed by the thought of doing something like that. Now...well, the irony is obvious. Here I am in Beijing visiting with her brother. The symmetry of this is very pleasing to me. We had a great time together. Gongbin, his wife, and I went to a small park and museum tucked in the corner of the Forbidden City. Afterwards, we went to eat at a restaurant on the other side of the Forbidden City. The restaurant was beautifully decorated and had phenomenal food. There was a wedding dinner taking place while we were there. After we ate we stepped outside and paused while observing the wedding party. There were people handing out cigarettes on a platter. One would hand out the cigarette, the other would light it. I asked Wang which couple at the table got married and he said it was the couple handing out the cigarettes. After we left the restaurant we walked the grounds of a near by park. It was a very peaceful place. After that we parted ways. They are wonderfully kind and funny people and I hope to get together again with them sometime.

Here are some things that I forgot to include in some of my previous posts:

When Bryne and I went to the Heavenly Temple we also went to the National Gallery which houses some of the finest artifacts related to early Chinese culture in the world (and rightly so). The Jade Suit, a burial suit for some ruler, was on display. This is one of the most famous pieces in the collection. It is like a suit of armor made out of thousands of jade pieces sewn together with golden thread. Really cool.

My camera is on the fritz. This is mainly due to the fact that batteries in China totally suck. They rarely work and when they do they only have enough juice to last for five pictures. Once I get this rectified I will get more pictures up here.

My Chinese TV debut occurred last week. I am referring to the video I made with Kevin, another English teacher from New York, for a TV show that is created by the kids to help them with their understanding of idioms and slang. I should be getting a copy of it soon. It is definitely YouTube material.

I get five days off coming up sometime in early November. That should be fun. I will DEFINITLY get out of Beijing this time around. I'll go anywhere; I just need to see more of China.

Alright time for bed. Take care. Be well. Namaste. Shalom, and all that jazz

P.S.- The picture at the top is from the first weekend I was here. I just couldn't put up two consecutive posts without a picture.

Feed Me Part 2

Let me first apologize for the lack of pictures associated with this post. I had an outing to Fragrant Hills Park that I will write about soon. The park was amazing and I have plenty of pictures to share.

But first...

The other day one of the Chinese English teachers invited a couple of us out to dinner. Little did I know she was springing for Beijing Roast Duck. It is a rather beautiful thing. They take a duck and puff it up with air, coat in something sugary like molasses, and roast the hell out of it. It is served with what amount to mini tortillas (except they are paper thin). They are more like spring roll skins. The way you eat this phenomenal thing is by placing some meat in the tortillaesque thing along with green onion strips and a piece of cucumber. The topper to all of this is a plum sauce that almost made me weep it was so delicious.

The Chinese teacher (Cindy) brought along her famous 'hus' (that is her nickname for husband). I call him famous because he kind of is. He directs stage plays and movies all over China. While at this wonderful dinner we discussed possible roles for a white guy. He told me that he will contact me the next time something comes up. Hopefully that will be soon because I can't wait to hit it big on the stage and screen here.

This dining experience was almost textbook. It was virtually identical to the ones outlined in all the books I read before arriving. Cindy's 'hus' was the perfect Chinese host. The first classic thing he did was order way too much food. There were twice as many dishes on the table as there were people. He was also ever vigilant regarding our drinks. Any time any of us got close to finishing our beers or tea he would swoop right in as soon as your glass hit the table and full you right up. He was also very careful to point the spout of the pot away from anyone at the table. This is also customary.

One dish that was served, and served in massive portions of 25 or 50, was duck head. One of the older teachers we were with refused to try it and the look on out hosts' faces were that of disappointment bordering on sadness. Bryne and I immediately decided it was up to us to restore the honor of our hosts. We cracked them right open and were instructed to eat the brain first. So, I did and then moved on to the eyes. There is really not much else to eat on the duck head but the Chinese in the restaurant sure found a way. By the time they were done with the heads there was little left but the bill and eye sockets. This got me thinking about how wasteful they would think out butchers are back at home. People all over the world eat more parts of more animals than we do. Tripe abounds here but it really is the one thing I avoid at all costs. Tripe and organ meat stew are off the menu for me. I have been served organ meat stew in restaurants when I have tried to employ the blind luck method of ordering. All the menus at the restaurants I frequent feature Chinese characters only. 90% of the time I get served something amazing by just pointing to a random dish on a random page. The other 10% consists of organ meat and other things I would describe as detritus. I have recently learned the words for beef, pork, and chicken and these words are proving almost as invaluable as hello and thank you.

Yesterday afternoon Bryne and I were patrolling our beat on the mean streets of Tongzhou when we were approached by a lady handing out flyers for a new night club's grand opening party which was occurring that night. It had a picture of Coolio on the front so we had to go. That night we arrived and the place was packed. No sign of Coolio. They had professional male and female dancers stationed around the dance floor. It was a pretty cool place. There were two Chinese gentlemen sitting at a table near the dance floor and they called us over and handed us beers. They were nice guys but one of them was wasted. His friend was keeping him in control all night. They bought us a few beers as we sat at their table. When the dancers cleared out and people started to get on the dance floor these guys were all over it. They were going nuts and got on a stage with a stripper pole and started dancing like the world was ending. They motioned for me to join them but I was a little reluctant. They then jumped off the stage and physically dragged me up there. (Some of you out there might be thinking, 'Yeah right. I know you and you went willingly.' It was late and I wanted to go get some hotpot before hitting the hay.) They had me in a sandwich on stage while they created new, never before seen dance moves involving a pole. These guys were out of control but we had a fun time with them and they were upset when we told them we had to leave. Many hugs and handshakes were exchanged before we got out of there. A fun time was had by all.

Mid-Autumn Festival and Back to Class

This past Friday marked the Mid-Autumn Festival. I am under the impression that the festival is something like a harvest festival centered on the full moon that occurs at this point in the year. The traditional food for this celebration is the mooncake, not to be confused with the equally delicious moonpie. Mooncakes are dense little cakes filled with an assortment of fruit and nut jellies. Each one is filled with a different filling but generally they taste something like fruit cake. On Friday night I sat out in the street and ate a mooncake while watching the fireworks through the ever present smog. There were many people on the street enjoying the holiday with their family members. It was kind of nice.

The day before my friend Bryne and I went to Temple of Heaven Park. This is a large green space in the middle of the city just south of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The park includes two of the most photographed structures in China, The Temple of Heaven and the Altar of Heaven. There were thousands of people at the park but not nearly as many as there were at Tiananmen Square. The complex was built in 1420 as a place for the sitting Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties to make sacrifices in order to ensure a good harvest. The north outer wall of the park is curved and the south wall squared. This design reflects the belief that heaven is circular and earth is square. It is a very impressive complex that attempts to balance heaven and earth, man and woman, north and south, and east and west. One thing that I was impressed with was the use of the Phoenix and the Dragon. The Phoenix represents the feminine and the Dragon represents the masculine in traditional Chinese culture. All over the park you see this balance. For every Phoenix you see there is a Dragon to match. Never on any one structure is there more of one than the other. The park is very peaceful and almost seems out of place in the middle of a city that is so chaotic.

I spent a few days in Beijing staying at a hostel in the Hutongs. Hutongs are old neighborhoods dating back from the Ming Dynasty. They are almost like suburbs within the city. Hutongs are small to mid sized homes, shops, restaurants, and ramshackle repair shops that are all connected by a system of alleyways. The small alleyways empty out in to courtyards that are commonly adorned with beautiful flowers and topiary. This is what people call 'Real China'. This is an old school lifestyle that exists to this day in the middle of Beijing. The Hutongs will probably not exists 10 years from now as they are being systematically torn down and replaced with 'economically viable' things like massive apartment towers and office buildings. Hutongs have a distinctive architectural style that is not displayed in any other structures built during the Ming Dynasty. It is sad that such a cultural treasure is being destroyed in favor of commerce. It was a really cool experience walking around/getting lost in the Hutongs.

Now it is back to work. I had to teach today (Sunday) because we were given an extra day off on the Friday before the break. When you think about it, a day off it was not. To boot Bryne is ill and I must take up the slack of his course load this week which means double the work at the same rate of pay. Awesome. I can't complain though I'd rather be working than suffering from impacted wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth at the age of 26!?! I guess should thank my mom for making me get those taken out over my spring break in high school...but I won't. I'm still bitter. Enjoy the pictures.

Golden Week

October 1st was National Day here in China. The day marks the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Although it is meant as a celebration of the communist takeover of the country it really celebrates the birth of 'Modern China'. The holiday really celebrates the end of imperial dynastic rule in China. They celebrate Sun Yat Sen along with Mao (Mao gets most of the love though). Most people get 1 week off of work to travel and celebrate the holiday. They call this Golden Week.

I celebrated National Day as 1.5 million Chinese are expected to do; I went to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. I have been to the square before but this was a different experience all together. It was absolutely packed with people. There were giant flower arrangements, and pictures of Sun Yat Sen and Mao erected in the square. When I arrived it was already noon so I decided to get some chow. Most places around the square are extremely expensive as they prey on tourists who know no better than to pay such prices. I decided to head to the south end of the square where the McDonalds is located. I haven’t had McDonalds since I've been here and it sounded pretty damn good at the time, but when I got to the front door I smelled an exquisite scent coming from around the corner. There was a street vendor selling stir fried noodles. I just couldn't bring myself to go into Mickey-D's. The locals were shocked when I took my hand off the door handle. I could sense their approval.

After a hardy lunch I made my way back across the square and took some pictures. As I was clicking away I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a girl asking to take a picture with me. I was confused but obliged. She thanked me and scampered away. Upon seeing this many other Chinese got the same idea. I took four more pictures with people. I think they confused me with a movie star or something, it was crazy.

After that experience I headed to the front gate of the Forbidden City. This is where Mao made his famous speech proclaiming the foundation of the new republic. It is also where his massive portrait hangs. Once you pass through the gate you are still not in the actual city itself. Through the gate is a massive courtyard stacked with schlock shops selling everything from cameras and film to posters of Mao. After I waded through the crowd I got my ticket and audio guide and headed inside. The City is magnificent. Huge and sprawling, I almost forgot I was in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. The ticket I bought also allowed me access to the museum in the city. The museum houses various traveling exhibits. The exhibition I saw was a collection of pieces from 18th, 19th and 20th century Russia. There were various goods and wares that were used by Russian Tsars over the centuries. It was a real unexpected treat to see all that gold and silver but I didn't go to the Forbidden City to see Russian artifacts so after perusing the exhibit I was on my way.

Most of the buildings in the complex are well maintained. There were parts where the original paint and wood could be seen next to the restored pieces. Renovation of several structures was taking place ahead of the tourist rush expected during the Olympics. This was not new to me. I experienced the same disappointment when I went to Greece the summer before the Olympic Games took place there. The difference between the two host cities is that fewer places are closed for renovation here than were closed in Greece. I think that this is because there is a real effort to constantly maintain cultural relics and historical places here in China. I can assume that this is a backlash against policies and actions of the 1960's and 70's.

All around the palace grounds there are mini museums detailing life and culture of the imperial courts that called the Forbidden City home. There was even an exhibit on the early bronzes created for Chinese rulers. Some of the pieces dated as far back as 1600 B.C. Bronze work was perfected and ubiquitous in China around this time. Bronze items were a part of daily life for not only the rulers but for many upper echelon commoners as well. There were combs, boxes, and various vessels of bronze. It was really cool.

I ended up walking around the Forbidden City for almost 4 hours and it was still not enough time to see everything. The City closes at five o'clock sharp and they are serious about it. Guards trolled through the alleys and alcoves and hurried everyone out of there right at five. Outside of the north gate I was bombarded with people trying to sell a little bit of everything. This is the case in most tourist traps throughout China. I refused each and every one of them until I came to a man who was showing me pictures that were familiar yet odd. He had pictures of the Great Wall, but they were unlike any I had ever seen before. They were of sections of the wall that are not reconstructed or renovated. He called it "The Natural Wall". He was offering tours to remote and isolated portions of the wall. He said, and I have read, that the part of the wall that is around Beijing is 630 km long but only 30 km are open for massive tour groups. He takes small groups on what amounts to a hike around the "Natural Wall". I took his business card and look forward to writing about that experience at a later date.

After talking to the tour guide for a while I made my way to Wangfujing. This is an area that has many western stores and lots of glitz to entertain the eye. Near this street is the Night Market. The night market has many stalls lined up down the street all selling many different meats and veggies and stuff on a stick. It is a must for any visitor. I had been before but had forgotten my camera so this time I was there for pictures. You can see a picture above. After taking in the sights and sounds of the market I went to the English language book store for a map and a dictionary. There I met a man who approached me with some questions. He saw that I was an English speaker and had a few questions regarding an English language brochure he was writing for his company. After patiently answering his questions for 10 min. or so he stopped and looked at me and smiled. He told me that he believes in Karma and that by providing him with help I will be rewarded. He told me that I am a very kind man who deserves blessings and he will pray for those blessings. I was totally embarrassed and touched by his sentiments. I just told him to say, "Our company has engaged in the textile business for 40 years." instead of, "The company has had textiles since 40 years." That hardly makes me a hero, but it is strange the amount of English text here that is horribly misspelled and completely incorrect. Maybe there is a job for me somewhere in that observation.

Speaking of observations:

It seems that the Chinese people look at their empires and dynasties as silliness. They see that part of their history as somewhat shameful or irrelevant to today's happenings.

It is cool to see a world map with China in the center. It displays a different world view both literally and figuratively.

Mooncakes are the traditional food associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. They are little cakes filled with an assortment of fruit jellies or nuts. Some are very good. Some are very bad.

Damon Jones is huge here. For those of you that don't follow the NBA he is a role player who played for the Heat two years ago and now plays for Cleveland. He has a shoe deal with a Chinese company and has 5 story posters on buildings throughout Beijing. The other day I saw a massive poster of him next to a poster of David Beckham. Damon Jones is huge here.

Hope all is well. Take care. Stay tuned.

from slow motion for me, to more than a feeling.

I started this week thinking that I seem to be getting into a real rhythm in regards to my work schedule. I am starting to become a little bored with the classes and routine of it all. Thank god the National Day holiday is just around the corner. I think it will serve as a source of reinvigoration and when I come back I can work with the same gusto I had upon my arrival when everything was still new and fresh.

That being said I had a great time teaching my first geography class of the semester. My teaching partner and I are offering two sections of the class a week. The first is on Wednesdays and is for the Senior 1 students (the students with less English), and the second section on Thursday for the Senior 2 students (the students with more English). I taught the Senior 2 class and it was awesome. These kids have a great vocabulary that they like to show off which is different for me. I only teach Senior 1 normally and its like pulling teeth trying to get those kids to talk. Because of their vast vocabulary I was able to speak at a pace which is more conversational. Although it is not an English class many of these kids are in the class to be exposed to English at a higher level. I told them that if they want to study at an American university they will be taking classes on subjects they know little about and the teacher will not be speaking at a snail's pace either. So they loved that explanation and all paid attention for the rest of the lesson.

I started the lesson by presenting pictures of places to which I have traveled. They had to guess where the pictures were taken. They were good at that exercise. So then we got into an in-depth conversation about each country I had pictures of; Greece, Canada, US, and New Zealand were all extremely interesting places to them. We talked about everything including, but not limited to, culture, natural features, native peoples, and climate. I had one girl who had spent one year at a high school in Tilden, Texas. I can't imagine going from Beijing to Tilden. What a culture shock. I spoke with this girl after class and we discussed her experiences in the USA. She told me about her host family and how all the family members were shocked to find out she didn't know who Jesus was. That sounds like a hilarious situation to me, hell even she was laughing as she recounted the experience. She ended up traveling all around Texas and even got to go to Prom...with a boy!! She showed me a picture of her and her date that she keeps in her wallet. I told her that we will try to incorporate her experiences into a class on American youth culture.

Today is Friday and I can't even understand the boredom I felt earlier in the week. Everyday I see something on the street that is amazing (or shocking, whatever the case may be). Like last night, I saw about 20 or 30 old women with wooden blocks. They were singing traditional songs and banging out the rhythm on a street corner, amazing. Earlier this week I ate seahorse on a stick, shocking.

Just talking to people and seeing things through their eyes really reminds me of why I came. I'm not really here to teach English, that is not my passion. I came here to learn, understand, and participate in a culture where I am an outsider. Every time I eat something new or talk with someone about traditions, views, or even just sports I am renewed with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and peace. Oh, to be a stranger in a strange land.