Monks can talk on cell phones, too!

*Monks are allowed to talk on cell phones, but they're too shy to have their picture taken, and don't want any Oreos.*
This weekend was absolutely amazing. Jacky took us to some islands off the coast near Hangzhou-- about 2.5 hours driving and 1.5 hours on a ferry. When we got there on Friday night, we were all very tired, but hungry. We ate outdoors, basically in the road, across from our hotel. There were blocks upon blocks of restaurants set up under tents with lights, running water, grills, etc. at the water's edge that were completely taken down by morning. It was as if they had never been there! At night, they are all set up with seafood sitting on ice or in tanks under bright lights so taht people going by can see what they have (it's the menu!). We ate lite because we were all so tired.
I have to comment, though, that mussels plus alcohol, plus a tired and semi-homesick Tess does not equal a good time. I discovered that back in 1995 when I was in Italy and had mussels and a little bit of wine after a day at the beach, and I discovered it again on San Jianmen.... that was the only not-so-fun part of my weekend... but I recovered quickly!
Saturday morning, we woke up early to take a boat to Putuo to see a lot of sights-- mostly Buddhist temples. It was really crowded because that night/Sunday morning was Buddah's birthday (one of four Buddah has every year!), so many people were there to worship. It was interesting to see how another religion functions, especially on a holiday. Even the temples were loud and bustling and people were pushing (like normal). We first hiked up to a gigantic statue of the "patron saint" of complaints (or the "patron saint of whiners," as I like to call it).
Then we took a bus and a cable car up to the top of the mountain to see another temple. It was really neat to see monks all over the place, but they were not at all what I expected. They were all smiles and were really interested in looking at us foreigners. We were staring at each other so much, that finally we all just started laughing. And just then, Jacky pulled out a package of Oreos! Can you just imagine what we looked like to a bunch of monks, standing there outside their temple eating cookies? It was pretty funny. But they didn't want any...
Then we went to this gorgeous cliff, but got yelled at because it happened to be a military look-out point and they didn't seem to like a group of Americans with cameras hanging around there. Needless to say, I hurried back down the mountain. Of course Jacky just said "No problem!"
After lunch, we went up to another temple (this one had female monks!). We also got to look out over the ocean and loko down on a Chinese military base. The sign said, "Do not use military equipment as background for photos." I obeyed, so I won't be showing you any pictures from that viewpoint... sorry! We also got yelled at for climbing up on this rock that is a tourist attraction. There are signs in English, even, saying not to, but Jacky said, "Try, try, see!" We got a quick picture before the guy with the megaphone made us get down.
Then we saw the largest temple on the island, which was beautiful, but crowded. I'm not sure I could worship in a place like that. I could on a day where it wasn't crowded, but I certainly wouldn't want to be down on my knees praying that I don't get trampled by the hoardes of people trying to leave donations... just interesting to watch, really. The monks there were talking on cell phones and staring at us, too...
After that, we went to a beach. (I didn't swim, because it was the ocean!!!) That made Molly really happy. And I got asked to pose for a picture with some Chinese teenagers (so weird!). Oh, but let me tell you that the way to experience a different culture in all its glory is to see a locker room. I thought Chinese women were known for their modesty! Yikes! (That's all I have to say about that!)
We headed back to our island, which was an adventure in itself! We couldn't get a direct boat back to the island (San Jianmen, I think), so we had to take a boat to a different island, then bus across the bridge to ours. Well, we didn't trample anyone, so we didn't get a seat on the boat (we stood), then we got trampled, and almost didn't get Molly on the bus. That was honestly quite frightening. I've heard about mob mentality in psychology books, but I've never seen it before that night. Or maybe it was that I'd never seen a group of people so completely focused only on their individual wants and needs. (Seems to be the general way of things here.)
Then, once we were all safely on board and across the bridge, the bus stopped and had to wait for some policemen who had been called because a man said his cell phone had been stolen. They boarded the bus and searched a bit. No one besides the 6 of us seemed nervous about it in the least! Of course we were fine, but it was nerve-racking at the time, especially because we didn't have our passports!
The big dinner at the open-air take-down restaurant (after a quick and life-threatening pedi-cab ride!) was definitely welcomed. It was so much fun drinking wine, laughing, watching people and boats, and eating things I never dreamt I would touch, let alone put in my mouth! Eel and octopus, to name just a couple!
Sunday we left the islands and went to visit Ning Bo, Lois' birthplace. We at an amazing lunch in a really cool-looking restaurant. We had shrimp with seaweed (you can eat the whole shrimp because they're babies!), and nian gao (spelling?), whcih is a large rice-noodle. So good!
And it only gets better: Jacky then suggested that we go next door for a foot massage!!!!!! I was so excited! (You are all going to be SO JEALOUS!) For 50 yuan each (the equivalent of only SIX AMERICAN DOLLARS), we got a private room for the 7 of us, watermelon slices and tea for each of us, and an HOUR AND A HALF foot massage!!! It also included a little bit of a leg, arm, and back massage, too! It was awesome and so welcomed. A little awkward at times because of the language barrier, but it felt great.
I'm very satisfied by the whole weekend. The weather was great, the company was good, the sights were awe-inspiring, the food was spectacular, the hotel was sketchy (just the way I like it-- kidding-- I slept on a plank!!!), the treatment was celebrity-style... I couldn't ask for more... and I'm in China!!!
It's all downhill from here...

A Couple of Random thoughts

Last night I had a totally out-of-body experience. I was walking home from dinner on my own and was thinking about how completely alone I was. Not that it was a bad thing, just kind of overwhelming how big the world is and how I am totally disconnected from everyone I know. Even mom and everyone here would not be able to get ahold of me if they wanted to when I'm walking alone-- no cell phone or anything! I was completely in my head thinking about that when all of a sudden I heard someone say "Hi Tess!" and I thought it must just be my imagination, but I turned around, and there was one of my students! It dawned on me at that moment that even though the world is very very big, you cannot be completely lost and alone. For heaven's sake, someone in China knows my name! How crazy is that?! Anyway... it was just a bit of a jarring and interesting feeling to have those two thoughts running through my mind at the very same time.
Another crazy thing: I find it hard to believe that China still has a population problem, not even because of the regulated-birth bit, but because of the crazy traffic and people being able to smoke anywhere and everywhere they choose (and they do! ick!). Not to sound politically incorrect or anything, but shouldn't more people be dying over here? Maybe there is something to that Chinese medicine thing...
I finally broke down and did the McDonald's comparison thing. I'm sorry to say that even a double-cheeseburger couldn't cure the cravings I've been having for cheese. And in fact, it made my craving for ground beef even worse! The place itself was really interesting, though. The colors are not the typical red and yellow-- they're much more up-to-date and modern. And it was two floors! I will, at this point, also admit that I've broken down and had some Hagen-Daaz as well. That, I am happy to say, was exactly the same, if not better than it is in America! Yea for "Western food" as it's called over here!
Anyway, 10 minutes to prep for my next class. Keep sending those e-mails, people! I miss you all so much! (My half-way point is this Saturday, for those of you counting!)

So weird....

Interesting how even in China I don't like to be woken unexpectedly by loud noises. This morning, at exactly 6:00am, there were very loud noises like firecrackers and gunshots coming from the direction of West Lake. Not cool. I was almost afraid to look out my window for fear that WWIII would be going on!!! Nothing of the sort, I guess, because it stopped in about 10 minutes, but man was that weird.
And speaking of weird, this morning was beautiful and sunny (and of course hot), and then at about 1:00, we got drenched. Little did I know that a typhoon is coming our way. That could very well spoil our weekend plans of going to an island (don't ask me which quite yet). The ferries don't even run if there is something like a typhoon going on. I'm sure we'd still find something fun to do, but it'd be cool to go for a road trip. Don't get too excited, though. I'm still going to be completely white when I get back. This island is not a beach resort in any sense of the word. I don't even really know yet what we will be doing, but that's pretty much the way things go around here! :)
I just wanted to make a quick note, before I forget about these things (that happens around here quite a bit, too): Not last weekend, but the weekend before (I'm not sure if I've already talked about this or not), I did karaoke with a whole bunch of people, but it was the way that we kids in the states can only dream of! It was in this secluded room, so we were just singing for our friends, but there was a little stage and about four microphones. The words were on a whole bunch of screens, so many people could sing along if we so chose, and there was a buffet down the hall and we had our own small keg of beer! It was AWESOME!!! (And yes, I happen to like Chinese beer... who knew I'd have to come to the other side of the world to acquire a taste for the stuff!)
This last weekend, we went to Shao Xing. It was so beautiful and amazing. There were buddah statues and waterfalls, mountains and islands. It was like a big state park with about 2000 years of history built in. So cool. I have pictures, but I don't think I'll be able to post them to the blog without paying for it. I'll try to discover another way, but that always takes up so much time. Anyway, I should be going because I need to talk to my students' tutors and make sure we're all on the same page.
Wish me luck for getting my visa renewed... otherwise I might be stuck here like you all warned! (kidding.... I don't think China could handle me any longer than I'll already be here!) ;)

Exciting news!

We just found out at lunch yesterday that Jacky, our contact here in Hangzhou, is going to be a father! His wife, Xianjin, has been feeling kind of ill for a few days and went to the doctor yesterday. Apparently, she's with child! It was really funny when Jacky told us at lunch. Can you just imagine this very private Chinese guy telling six very emotional American ladies (in the middle of a crowded restaurant) that he is going to be a father?! Oh man, was that quite the scene. And that was before he had even told his family!
We are planning on having an American-style baby shower for Xianjin before we leave. I think she will really like the attention and the tradition of it (even though they don't throw baby showers here in China). I especially think it will be nice since the doctor said she should stay at home for the next 3 months (it's the first trimester, so I think that's a little strange, but hey, it could be a cultural thing).
This weekend should be pretty exciting. We are going to tour an umbrella factory (they say it's the largest in China, which could quite possibly make it the largest in the world) and then take a day trip to a town famous for its rice wine on Saturday. On Sunday, we will go hiking in some of the mountains around this area and then go to the silk market here in Hangzhou. I am hoping to find myself a cute silk robe as a souvenir. I really haven't bought anything for myself yet, so that could be the first big purchase!
Anyway, have a wonderful weekend!

Officially feeling great

My classes went so amazingly well today. I just had to make a note of how cool my kids are. I have three classes that stay the same every day, so I get to actually build relationships with those kids. They are the ones who are junior high- senior high age. Yesterday we learned vocabulary for airports and plane trips and made airplane tickets for ourselves. Then, I gave them homework to make themselves a passport, complete with picture and visa. Today, we did a little role-play of an airport/plane ride. It was AMAZING! The kids totally went for it and thought it was fun. And they were hilarious!!! The kids who don't usually talk were even into it. This one kid, Edward, is usually pretty disengaged and sometimes misbehaves in class, but he drew the card to be the customs agent and he was so good at it! He was asking about a million questions to each "passenger" about where they are from, why are they travelling, let me look in your bag, etc. Everyone was just cracking up! It went well in my lower-level class, too.
Then we moved on to talking about money and banks. They were so interested in American money and in explaining Chinese money to me (because I still don't always get it-- I know, it's dumb...). They even went along with the team activity I had planned that I thought would bomb!
Then in my afternoon class (higher-level) we talked about types of schools and had a really good debate about whether it's better to go to public or private schools. They also really liked looking at the writing guides, pictures, and yearbook that I brought with. We listened to the Beach Boys' song "Be True to Your School" and a couple of other songs that I liked a lot when I was in high school. They had a blast looking at pictures of me from when i was in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in high school. And they liked the pictures of my friends from college. (You guys are practically famous here, now!)
So, I just wanted to share with you all that today went really well and for the first time, I feel like a really successful teacher. They learned a lot and had a really good time doing it. I feel so rewarded and thankful.
Well, off to go rest! Take care!

First day without Pepto Bismol! Whoo hoo!

Okay, so I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to read Chinese so that I can edit my last blog post. I realize that I sound like such a whiner. Apparently, I really did need the attitude check that my mom gave me on the train on the way home from Shanghai. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining when I talk about all the differences and difficult experiences I'm going through. I just think that it is interesting to compare and contrast cultures. And, there are times when I'm just plain crabby because I'm tired, it's hot, and there are so many people in a small area.
Now. With all of that said, I want everyone to know that I'm having such an amazing time! I love my classes. They are so wonderful. I love that they all know Kevin Garnett from the Timberwolves and that we can bond over little things like that. Also, people here are so free with compliments. I don't think it's normal to be modest about what you are good at. For example, in my 7:00pm class tonight, I only had one student (this is fairly normal in the regular program here) and I read her an exerpt from the lesson plan. She told me that she loved my reading and that the intonation I use reminds her of the beauty of the language and of the reasons she began studying English. I wanted to cry, it was so sweet!!! I will miss the wonderful compliments when I get home. I will also miss the hospitality. Even though there are cultural barriers, it's easy to see that the Chinese people are very welcoming and are happy to have us here. They are all like grandmothers who make you eat until you're so stuffed... they show their emotions through food. And believe me, we are well-fed!
Shanghai was a very interesting experience. I loved the view of the city we got from the tower (one of the highest buildings in the world-- we were on the 88th floor). It's amazing to know that the whole sprawling thing was basically built in my lifetime (the first skyscraper there was built in 1985). When you're down in the streets on a hot day, though, it's easy to recognize China's population problem. In the open-air markets, so many sweaty bodies are in such a small space, and everyone is fighting to sell or buy something. It's a really crazy experience. Very eye-opening. Again, though, the standout of the trip was the food. mmmmm......
For the last two nights, I have been swimming at the Dragon Hotel with Jacky (our connection here, and basically our tour guide). The first night, we weren't allowed in the pool right away because there was thunder and a little lightning, but then we got to go in and swim in a very light rain, which cooled the pool down just the right amount. I was so happy to be in water!!! Then we went to a restaurant comparable to a Denny's called "900 Bowls" for dinner. Jacky, Peg, and I all got noodles and then we ordered a vegetable to share. After getting our noodles, we heard a loud BOOM from the direction of the kitchen. Then, I woman went frantically screaming (in Chinese) past us and the manager went running by with the fire extinguisher. There had been a kitchen fire/explosion of some sort. Luckily, no one was hurt, so we went on eating, but some people were a little bit frazzled by it. The next thing you know, Kenny G. music is coming over the loudspeaker as if to calm us down. And then, the waitress comes over to our table and shows Jacky the receipt, crosses off one item, and says bluntly "No vegetables." It was the funniest thing ever. Maybe you had to be there, but the whole thing was just absurd.
I had another adventure in the pool last night: Molly, Peg, and I were swimming as Jacky was playing tennis, and we were in the middle of being bathing beauties when we saw this gigantic bug in the pool. It was about the size of a small bat, and we were all really freaked out. Finally, we motioned to the lifeguard to get it out, thinking he would use the net. But no, he just picked it up by its wings and threw it into the air. It flew for just a second, and then took a kamikaze nose-dive right at my head! Needless to say, I screamed like a 10-year old girl and freaked out. We all (including the lifeguards) had a pretty good laugh about it. Especially when I decided it was a tiny terrorist cell and was trying to suicide-bomb me. Then Molly said we should be on high alert and tell "Condoleeza Lice" about it (Jacky and his brother Adam had both mis-pronounced her last name that way earlier in the evening). I just about drowned I was laughing so hard.
So, now you all know that I'm doing okay and that I'm not a whiner. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure out a way to get some pictures online or in an e-mail so that you can all see the beautiful place I'm living in (at least once it stops raining-- it has been for three days! but at least it's cooler now).
Take care! Send me an e-mail if you have a chance!!!

It hasn't been below 90 degrees since I've been here!

One might think that, after a week of living in a foreign country, things would begin to settle down and I would begin to feel comfortable, but that certainly isn't the case. I feel like a child who is learning to ride a bike. At the beginning of our trip, I had training wheels. There was always someone with me who knew how things worked or how to speak Chinese. I was feeling pretty good about making my way through this busy city. Then, I moved into the hotel and had my training wheels removed. I couldn't help but notice how much I was falling on my face!
The first night I had to order dinner without a Chinese-speaking person, I took a total nose-dive. Julie and I went downstairs to the restaurant in our hotel. Knowing full well that we are waigouren (foreigners), they gave us a menu that was all pictures, which would have worked, but then they came over and took that away and replaced that with one that had English translation. This would have been just as good, except there weren't as many things we liked! When it was time to order, we just pointed, thinking that was the expected mehtod of communciation, but they shook their heads "no"! We pointed at another dish, but again, we were shot down. They tried to suggest a couple of things, but we weren't interested in those, so we tried again. Finally they agreed, but we weren't entirely sure that we got what we had pointed to. Nonetheless, we had a great meal (some kind of pork soup and some leafy veggie), but it was so disorienting. Then, after all of that trouble, I had forgotten that it is not okay to put my purse on the floor... it's such a habit for me to just set it down next to my chair, but to the Chinese, the floor is very dirty, so things should not touch it if at all possible. I felt like a scolded three-year-iold when the hostess came over, pulled a chair from another table, put it next to me, and put my tiny little purse on it like it were another dinner guest. I was so embarrassed!
Not only is it taking me awhile to adjust to the culture, but also to my new job as a teacher. It is really hard work to try to fight through a language barrier for seven hours a day and then not be able to rest from it (though from the other side) when I leave. It is also interesting to me that so many people want to speak English with me when we are alone-- and they talk about wanting to practice-- but completely ignore me when other Chinese-speaking people are around. Even Lois, from our group (whom I love) will fall into that mold with what limited Chinese she has. It is just an interesting observation. I told the kids in one of my classes that if they make the others laugh by saying something in Chinese, they have to explain it to me in English so that I can laugh, too!
Besides the language barrier, there is the appearance barrier, which is something that may discomfort me a bit while I'm in Hangzhou. Even when i am just walking to work in the morning, I feel like I am on display. It's funny, because at home, I really like attention, but this is so completely absurd! People stop what they're doing to stare at me... it's so weird. And random people (who obviously don't speak any other English) will just say "hello" to get me to speak. And because this city has six million people, I have a lot of eyes on me. It's especially bad in a restaurant when I have to use chopsticks and everyone gets a good laugh...
The upside of sticking out like a sore thumb is that other foreigners do, too (though there aren't many)! It's an interesting little connection we all have-- kind of like we're all old buddies. I ran into a guy who used to teach at the school I'm at when I was walking down the street. I had no idea the connection would be that coincidental, but because he was black and said "hi," I knew he was in "the network" as I have taken to calling it. It's just so cool that between "the network" and my co-workers, I am meeting so many interesting people from all over the world!
Unfortunately, that also means that I notice the "ugly American" syndrome on occasion. I do not count myself out of this equation, but of course it's more noticeable when observing others. Hopefully, by the time I leave, I will be as well-adjusted and as un-arrogant as possible. If nothing else, this experience will surely be one of the most humbling of my life.
One last thing: I'm keeping a list of the things I miss most from home, and will add to it as necessary:

1. My daddy.
2. My dog.
3. Cheese.
4. My roomies and friends.
5. Being able to put my toothbrush under running water.

Also, things I will miss from China when I get back home:

1. Chinese prices (a tee-shirt is about $1!!!)
2. Yang mei (the most amazing fruit ever!)
3. The table manners (they're so relaxed!)

Okay. Enough of my novel for now. Wish me luck doing karaoke tonight and travelling to Shanghai this weekend!!!!!

Completely overwhelming

Wow. There is so much to write about, but so little time...
First, the plane ride was fine. Nothing special. We had our own little screens to watch movies on and play games and everything. I highly reccommend flying in an air bus if you have the chance.
My first night here was great. I was so excited to sleep that nothing could have phased me... not to mention I was practically a zombie after travelling for almost 24 hours. We stayed in a very nice hotel and got up for a 10:00am meeting with the headmasters of the school that we will be teaching in (which is practically right across the street from the hotel).
It's a very nice school. The classes are small and kids sign up to take classes kind of at their whim. It's called Web International English school and I can't believe that they're letting me teach someplace like this! You should check out their website (I haven't yet, but plan to after this post!) http://webi.com.cn
After the meeting, we got to meet our host families. The people I stayed with last night were very very nice, but the whole family is so busy. The father is the president of the bank building in which our school is located. The mother works in a department store, fashion department. The 13 year old son plays soccer and goes to school. Again, they are very sweet people, but because they are so busy, and I would be left alone in their apartment quite often (which is not walking distance from the school), I am going to be staying someplace else. I feel terrible that I have to make the switch so soon, but I was a little frazzled about the whole situation this morning, and Jacky (the Chinese man making all of our arrangements) was very quick to change my arrangements. I think I could have adjusted in time, but I'm still tired and confused about everything. I am going to be staying with one of the other women in our group (who does not have a family at all) in the hotel we stayed in the first night.
Not only am I frazzled about the big changes, but I was also ill from the food. I love it because it tastes so amazing, but my stomach can't handle it yet. And being sick in the little squatter toilets that many places here have is not so much fun. Ick. Last night I ate at this very posh restaurant near West Lake (a famous site in Hangzhou) with the father and son of the family I was with, Molly (a girl from my group), a woman from the father's doctorate class (because she speaks good English), and her driver. I couldn't eat a thing because I was sick from eating too much too fast at lunch! I felt so bad because I had to explain that I like it, but I just don't feel good.... so much explaining and so little understanding. That's the big issue so far. Working on it, though.
After dinner Mr. Zhang (my host father), and Cole (his son) went to a supermarket because they thought I was going to need things like towels, feminine products, etc. I said I had already brought that stuff, so they brought me to the food section of this HUGE, BUSY market. I hardly recognized anything. I said all I really needed was bottled water (you can't drink the water here, or brush your teeth with it, or put in your contacts with it, etc.), but they wanted to buy me things that I could eat for snacks and so on. I saw some of the most interesting things. They bought me potato chips, but the flavors are crazy! They have seaweed flavor and crab meat flavor, mexican meat and tomato flavor... unbelieveable. It's also really scary to have the fish and the meat and everything sitting out like it was. And there were so many people. It was so overwhelming, just like everything else has been so far.
I really am having a good time, it's just so much! I don't want to sound like I'm whining or anything because this is the most fascinating experience. It's still nerve-racking, though, because I have so much more to learn. Stay tuned, everyone. There ought to be more to come when I have breaks from teaching and whatnot. I start in my own classes on Monday!!! Yikes!