Updated on March 30, 2011
The Chinese flag
The curriculum the team has developed for our sophomore oral students is focused on communication as a global citizen. The first semester, students learn about cultural values such as individualism and collectivism, particularism and universalism, and high and low context communication. Second semester, students explore and discuss how these values impact different facets of culture. The year culminates with a large group project where students create their own culture. They choose their cultural values and flesh them out in various aspects of culture like folktales, city planning and development, money, and flags. The focus of this week’s lesson was “Flags of the World”. Students examined and discussed various flags from around the world, and determined common denominators of colors and symbols between these flags. They also discussed the high context meaning of a lot of the world flags. As a warm-up activity to the lesson, I had students teach me about the Chinese flag. After living in China for four years, I’m a little ashamed to admit that I really didn’t know what the symbolism of the flag was. Prior to class, the closest guess I had was that the red stands for good fortune (which is why many of the new years’ blessings are red). However, I would have been entirely wrong. This is a red with a much different and much more specific meaning. While there was some disagreement about other aspects of the flag, everyone agreed that the red was the blood of the revolutionary martyrs who fought for China. However, I was quite surprised that the students were unsure about the meaning of the stars on the flag, as well as the significance of the color of the stars. The conjecture was put forth that the four small stars represented the four classes in society, but students couldn’t remember what the four classes were. Someone else just said they represented the people in China. All were fairly confident that the large star represented the communist party. What was somewhat ironic was that later on, when discussing the American flag, they were much more certain of the meaning of the various symbols on this flag than on their own. However, when I went home to research the Chinese flag, I discovered that indeed, the meaning of the stars is somewhat vague and has various interpretations. One of the more common explanations is the four classes (workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie, and patriotic capitalists). Another common explanation is that the stars represent various ethnic groups in China. The official line seems to be somewhat vague, acknowledging only that they represent the people of China. Interestingly, the flag is a result of a contest in 1949 to design China’s flag. This week, our sophomore students’ homework is to redesign China’s flag. The five best flags out of all of the sophomores win a meal with the sophomore oral foreign teachers. Look for some of the winners sometime next week!
Updated on June 1, 2011
Sunshine
Be lifting up this little guy (his Chinese name means sunshine; he has a disposition to match his name). He’s finally put on enough pounds to go in for his cleft palette surgery. He’ll go in as soon as a bed opens up in the hospital. Thanks for your thoughts!
Updated on June 10, 2011
Something to be proud of
The region of China I live in is not particularly famous for anything. The landscape would likely never be termed “stunning”, there aren’t any famous historical sites, and the weather isn’t going to draw many people. Let’s just say there aren’t many foreign tourists traipsing through this area of the country. However, it looks like we do have something to be proud of. I found this news item, about the city I lived in my first year in China (about 2 hours from where I am now). It might just be our new claim to fame (or further proof that there isn’t much to do around here…).
The never ending song (March 12, 2009, Xinhua)
More than 1,200 residents in northeastern China have set a new world karaoke record by singing continuously for 456 hours, two minutes and five seconds. Students, soldiers, and businessmen from Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, sang more than 6,200 songs from February 20 until yesterday morning, Xinhua News Agency reported today. It beat the old Guinness World Record, set by Finns in July, by nearly 10 hours.
Updated on June 1, 2011
Wipe-out
High-heeled boots + snow/sleet + slippery tiled Chinese sidewalks + 50 mph gusts of wind = disaster waiting to happen.
Sometimes, I’m just downright foolish. I almost fell walking back for lunch after teaching classes this morning. The snow/sleet mixture had started to fall about 45 minutes before class ended. It continued during lunch. Looking out the window, I actually thought through the fact that high-heeled boots in the current climate was looking for trouble. But I had on my grey dress wool pants…and I didn’t have any other shoes that would really go with those pants…and the boots look good. And I was too lazy to change clothes. Oh, don’t you love how your vanity comes and bites you in the butt–quite literally sometimes? I wasn’t fifty yards outside of my apartment building, when in a location I have affectionately labeled “wind tunnel of doom”, a sudden gust sent me quite uncontrollably flying off my feet and smack down hard on my rear end. That’ll teach me to listen to the voice of fashion instead of the voice of common sense…
Updated on June 1, 2011
Happy Women’s Day!
Today, March 8th, is Women’s Day in China. Moving to China has been good for increasing the number of days I get to celebrate. Not only do I get to celebrate this festive day, but I also get to celebrate teacher’s day in the fall and Singles Day on November 11 (11/11…creative isn’t it?). To be honest, I was entirely oblivious to the fact today was Women’s Day (you’d think after four years I’d catch on; perhaps I’m not as bright as you thought). I didn’t even think of it when I was told by teammates to leave today open at noon. I’m used to ambiguity and random appointments being added to my schedule, consequently no mental effort was expended in guessing what this reservation was for. About noon today, not hearing anything from anyone, I went in search of whatever it was I was supposed to be at. The Clements’ home tends to be a central gathering place, so I stopped there first. Rachel and Jennifer were there waiting. You’d think I’d be on to something now…I did figure at this point that the guys were making lunch for us ladies, but I though maybe they had decided it would just be a nice thing to do. Yeah, once again, not as bright as you thought. We were shortly informed of “technical” difficulties, and waited around for about twenty minutes while the guys finished a five course meal. Those of you who actually know the guys on my team, pick your jaws off the floor, I was just kidding. What I meant to say was we waited around while the guys waited at KFC for our food to be finished. After our brief interlude of waiting, we were ushered into Sonny’s place where a beautiful table had been set and a video of pictures was playing. It was at this point Sonny explained that it was Women’s Day, and everything became much clearer. Mark had made his famous iced tea, including ice cubes from the tea (so it wouldn’t end up being watered down at all). The fries, wings, chicken pieces, sandwiches, corn, and bread were presented exquistely on plates and platters, and we were waited on hand and foot. For desert, Sonny had whipped up some pudding. The lunch concluded with a heart-warming performance of “You are my sunshine”. All in all, it was a delightfully thoughtful event put together by the guys on the team. I hope all of you women had a wonderful day!
Updated on June 10, 2011
Reason #493 I love my team
How many teams would take the time to make 13 jumbo cards (with matching backs just like a normal deck of cards) to dress up for a belated birthday party? I’m truly blessed!
Updated on June 10, 2011
Reason #894 I love China
OK, I don’t know exactly what number reason this is, but there are countless little things that make me love living in this land. For example, being told I’m beautiful multiple times in one day (yes, it was wonderful to be back in the classroom today). Having a relationship with my fruit seller (which translates as being scolded for not wearing enough clothes). The fact that one of the most common greetings is “Have you eaten?” (I love a culture that revolves around meal time).
In this post I’m labeling the local shoe-repair-hut as reason #894. Here’s a picture to give you a better idea of what I’m describing:
Yes, it’s a tiny little room on wheels that is parked in the market everyday. And this man does more than repair shoes; he fixes zippers, copies keys, and probably many other things that I have yet to discover. This morning one of the tips of my heeled boots fell off, so I headed off to his shop after class. A few minutes and 10 cents later, my heel had been re-tipped. There are many things in China that take longer to do than they did in America. But having my shoes repaired is one of the conveniences I love!
Today was the first day back in the classroom, and although I wasn’t thrilled when my alarm clock went off, it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with my job all over again. Yes, the comments on my beauty help with that.
Updated on June 1, 2011
Plans
From the time I was a little girl, I’ve always been a planner. My plans stretched from the activities of the day all the way into the future. One very clear and specific plan was dramatized as a child with a pillowcase draped on my head as I marched down the aisle to Mr. Right. Shortly thereafter, a blanket would be stuffed up my shirt and I’d imagine my entrance into motherhood. The plan was always go to college, find your perfect match, get married, and become a mom. The first three steps of that plan were beautifully acted out in my sister’s life. I followed her steps to Wheaton, expecting to see my dreams and plans fulfilled. Just in case, I had the contingency plan of following college with a master’s degree in counseling. This would provide a career until my other plan came to fruition.
As most of you know, none of those plans happened. What did happen was far beyond any inkling of what I dreamed of as a little girl. Moving to China and building a life there…teaching? No siree, that was nowhere to be found on my page of hopes, dreams, and plans. Throughout the process of getting me here, and getting me to accept an indefinite length of living here, the Father has had to shatter quite a few plans that were of my own making. The lesson He has continually been teaching me is to let go of my plans and ideas for the future, and to live in the sacrament of the present moment. Frankly, I thought I was doing a pretty good job at this lesson. In fact, I was tempted to ask for my certificate of completion in the course of “pry your hands off of your plans”.
Today, I have been not so gently reminded how much I still count on my own plans, plans that are in no way guaranteed. Not that plans in and of themselves are evil; they are quite necessary in order to move in any sort of direction. However, finding security and peace in the expectancy of those plans is not a good move. Due to the current financial situation, and its effects on the company I work for, I’ve found out that I most likely won’t be able to work on my graduate degree this summer. There’s a chance I’ll still have one class, but regardless, my three year degree has quite suddenly morphed into a four year degree. There were several “scenarios” I had in my head about what the next two years might entail, and none of them contained this contingency. My first reaction was frustration and disappointment.
But then my mind went back to my travel experience two weeks ago (see the Amazing Race: Asia for more details). It was as if the Father was whispering in my ear, what did I tell you then? I answered, in that tone of voice children have when they know their parents are right but they really don’t want to admit it, “this is not a surprise to me”. His next question for me, “and what does that mean?” Still in the reluctant to admit voice, “You are working in this too and you have a greater plan.” The fact of the matter is, I should be excited by the situation. Because whenever the Father stomps on, halts, or changes my plans that usually means He’s got something pretty good in store. It may not be what I thought was my first choice, but it’s just another step in the beautifully orchestrated dance He has for me and Him.
Updated on June 1, 2011
Land of Smiles
I stick out in Asia. I have absolutely no hope of ever being able to completely blend in. I might as well be carrying around a large flag that reads “foreigner”. This fact means I draw attention most places I go. There is rarely a moment in public that I’m not being watched. Yesterday at the grocery store two old ladies actually stopped and started to physically rummage through my grocery cart to see what types of food I was buying–and proceeded to ask me questions about some of the items. Hopefully, if you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you have no doubt of my love for the Chinese people. They are truly the most hospitable people I’ve had the privilege of interacting with. However, walking along streets in smaller cities in China can be quite unnerving. The constant attention and expressions of onlookers could easily be labeled from an American standpoint as angry stares. In China, it’s not common to smile at other people, especially outside of your circle of relationships. When you meet strangers on the street, you don’t smile and ask, “How are you?” Upon forming relationships and once you enter someone’s home, this situation drastically changes. Yet when I’m out and about around the city, I’ve learned to in some ways ignore the stares around me.
I stood out in Laos as well. Consequently, I was also a subject of interest. Yet in Laos, those who looked at me did so with warm and friendly smiles on their faces. They had some of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen, and their warm demeanor made it seem more like they were being friendly than like they were staring. I absolutely loved getting to meet and interact with the people. The slogan for Thailand is “the Land of Smiles”, but whoever came up with that must not have visited Laos. The other characteristic of the Laos people that struck me, especially in comparison with China, was the laid back nature of the culture. Time just wasn’t all that important. As the class bell rang, very few students were around and the teachers were still lounging in the office. About fifteen minutes later, the teachers leisurely made their ways to the classrooms. The classrooms were empty about twenty minutes before the last period of the evening technically ended. There seemed to be a great freedom from the compulsion to fill the day with as much activity as possible.
The scenery in Laos is almost as beautiful as the people. I was in southern Laos, in the city of Pakse, for about a week. The city is at the convergence of the Mekong and Sedong rivers. The elevation climbs up steadily outside of the city, leading to an area full of gorgeous waterfalls. Hiking out to one deserted falls was one of my favorite activities in Laos. There are few things more therapeutic to me than waterfalls surrounded by dense vegetation. All those hikes my parents dragged my sister and I on as children paid off.
While I thoroughly enjoyed getting a taste of Laos, I must confess the great comfort I had upon arriving back in Beijing. I had the same driver who had taken Kasey and Kurt around picking me up, and his smiling face waiting for me at 1:30 am made the realization “I’m home” wash over me. It was fun to get to chat with him in Chinese on the way to our headquarters in Beijing. My Chinese was a little rusty, but thankfully he’s a very patient man! The feeling of home only increased as I got closer to my city.
I had a former teammate visiting this week, and now that she’s gone vacation is officially over. I’m trying to get as much grad work done as possible before the craziness resumes. In addition, I’ll be working on a listening curriculum for the semester this week. Back to the grindstone!
Updated on June 1, 2011
The Amazing Race: Asia
Three countries in one day. Buses and border crossings. Trying to bargain and communicate with drivers of Tuk Tuks (local transportation). Napping in a deserted airport waiting for a flight. Running at full speed upon arrival at an airport. Pleading with a taxi driver who has limited English to drive fast. It all sounds like an episode of the Amazing Race, doesn’t it? And it all describes my travel back to China from Laos.
Sunday morning, I woke up early to finish packing before catching a bus to Thailand from Laos. I was checking my email one last time and writing down my flight information for the day. Suddenly, I noticed something a little disconcerting. For my first flight of the day, which took me to Bangkok, I didn’t recognize the name of the Bangkok airport. I called over my friend who teaches in Laos (and who frequently travels through Thailand) and asked if indeed this was the same airport my other flight took off from. “Uhhh…no.” When we had booked my flight, we failed to consider the fact that there were two airports in Bangkok. Suddenly, my two hour layover to go from my domestic flight to my international flight seemed incredibly short. Like falling dominoes my mind went through visions of being stuck sleeping in the Bangkok airport, missing my arranged car that was picking me up at 1:00 am in Beijing, missing my friend who was meeting me in Beijing, missing my already-purchased train from Beijing to Siping…my stomach turned. But instantly, Sarah and I went into crisis-solving mode. If the taxi drove fast, and I took the more expensive toll roads, I should be able to make it between the two airports in forty minutes. Add in time waiting in baggage claim…too close. Our conclusion: I need to go all carry-on. Luckily, the suitcase I was traveling with was very reasonably carry-on size. (Yes, I was traveling for six weeks. Yes, you should be impressed.) So, after ditching some toiletries per liquid restrictions, and with the hope no one would be strict about weight, I was ready to fly all carry-on. The saddest loss in this transformation was shaving cream from the States. With a plan in mind, and a certain level of confidence from the awareness that the situation came as no surprise to my Father, I headed out for my long day of travel.
I took a three and a half hour bus from Pakse to Ubon, Thailand. Arriving there, I arranged for a red truck taxi (cheaper than regular taxis…you ride on the back of a truck that has benches bolted to it) to the airport. I arrived at the airport a full four hours before my flight, which was the only flight flying out of there in the afternoon. Consequently, I joined a grand total of two people in the airport–one working a small snack stand and the other a guard. I got some food, napped, and did grad work, trying not to think of the next hurried transition. We boarded the plane and took off a few minutes late, but I figured we would make up the time in the air. I was a little concerned by the old man who sat next to me, not wanting to have to tackle him in my rush off the airplane. Fortunately, though, he wanted more space and moved to the empty back of the plane shortly after take-off. As we landed, I prepared myself for sprinting. As soon as possible I was out of the seat, my suitcase was out of the compartment, and I made my way through the crowds of people up the gangway. I hit the hallway of the airport at a run, weaving in and out of people. The plane landed at 5:05. By 5:11, I was in a taxi. I almost took out a sliding door in the process. A little out of breath, I told the taxi driver, “airport, highway, FAST!”. He obliged. We sailed past other cars and I was at the airport by 5:38. There was no line at the check-in counter, and despite the fact that I was in the slowest immigration line EVER (the next line over was moving at a rate of four people to one person in ours; yes, I counted), I still had time to grab one last blizzard before boarding my plane to China. Another day of travel in Asia successfully completed.
I’m now back home in China, spending time with one of my former teammates who is up for a visit. Pictures from my time in Laos are slowly being put up on flickr. I’ll post a little more about that trip soon! For now, here’s one of my favorite pictures, taken on the Mekong.
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