HOME AGAIN

I am home again.  It's Monday, June 30.  There is very little "jiggity" in my "jig."  The trip ended up about 30 hours- very long, but I am glad to be in my home.  My neighbor sent a message in Chicago that she could hear my bed calling me.  It was...LOUDLY!  Thanks to everyone for following along.  Can't wait to share it all in person! Thank you God for a successful and fun adventure!!

Last night I had a great dinner with my friends from Yong Kang and the principals from Dong Yang.  After an elaborate meal that was WAY too big, the friends form Yong Kang came back to my room for a while.  We all had a final goodbye and a few laughs.  This morning is was early to rise since we had a 4 hour drive to Shanghai.  It ended up being about 4 and a half.  My flight is delayed 4 hours but that's a good thing.  With traffic and the horrendous lines at the airport, I would never have made my 3:15 flight anyway.  So it's all good.  Enjoying a cold drink and catching up on some things in the news with free wifi.  20 hours from now, I'll be in Chicago!

My Last Full Day In China

Today is Saturday, June 28.  My last full day in China is wet!  Since yesterday the teachers took me on an 8 hour walking tour of a palace and a movie studio in the rain, I declined any more outdoor tours for today.  I have spent the day relaxing and getting ready for my long trip home.  For the first time since I have been here, I slept in.  THAT was nice!  I have packed and repacked my bags trying to fit in all the "stuff."  Most of what I brought with me stays!  I think I am ready to go.   From this door to my own it will be 20 hours or so. I am using today to charge my batteries so I can make the best of the long travel tomorrow.  Tonight, the principals from both schools and a few teachers are meeting for dinner.  I do look forward to that.  It will be difficult to say goodbye to the friends I have made here, but I am looking forward to being home. I said goodbye to everyone at school yesterday.  One by one, I have bid farewell to people who have taken very good care of me for two weeks here in Dong Yang. A month is a long time to be away.  I've learned so much about China and its culture.  I've learned a lot about myself, too.  The people here are very kind, simple, hardworking, and generous.  They want to learn about us as much as we need to learn about them.  Politics aside, I have found very few people who are different from myself and my friends and family at home.  The students are much the same, as are the teachers I have met.  The families and the households are so similar to ours in the U.S.  People want peace, happiness, and prosperity for themselves and everyone around them.  Their dreams are very simple.  I'm impressed by the work ethic and how children rearrange their own lives to take care of their aging parents.  I'm stunned by family dedication.  Grandparents who travel hours to take care of grandchildren, sons and daughters who give up living and/or working in a city to go to their hometown to care for their parents, and the amount of sacrifice each willingly gives to other family members.  The small things that annoyed me or caused me an discontent over a month's time have all but disappeared in the memories of all the good I have experienced.  There's even beauty in the rain!  All the time and effort put into this trip have been well worth the experience.  I look forward to sharing more stories and pictures with all my friends and family at home soon!  36 hours from now, I plan to be in MY bed, in MY house, in MY country.  Thanks for reading.  Hope you have enjoyed the blog!  I'm not positive this is my last post as dinner may bring another interesting story or two tonight.  But most likely, the next blog will simply say, "Back home again in Indiana!" (or as my Mother always says, "Home again! Home again!  Jiggity-jig!"

My Last Day in the Classroom in Dong Yang

Today was my last day at the school.  A month of teaching in China has just flown by.  I can't believe all that I have seen and learned.  One thing I learned is to be careful what I wish for.  I have been hoping the rain would stop because 6 days straight of pounding rain was getting to me.  But I forgot that when the rain stopped, the sun would come out.  As beautiful as it is, it is so hot here I can't believe it!  I can walk three minutes to work and look like I just got done swimming.  With all the water, the humidity is unbearable.  But, it is better than wet shoes and dodging puddles. :)  Our play, "Little Red Riding Hood" went off very well at 8:30 this morning.  1800 kids gathered outside standing in soldier formation for 25 minutes to watch our group of 5th graders put on the play.  The wolf howled, the hunter shot, the singers sang, and the sun shone brightly.  It was a rough 8 practices, but I think they did a fantastic job for the short amount of time we had to get ready.  My last three classes here were all 4th grade.  We talked about opposites, verbs, and the difference between he, she, his, her, and him.  Those are tough concepts to teach kids who barely know the language.  It made me realize how much more patient I need to be with my class at home as they are not a whole lot further along in their learning than these kids are as far as language skills go.  I had lunch with "Tom" and "Jane."  I stayed a Jane's house last week and Tom is like her brother.  We scuttled our way through lunch with "Chinglish" as they call it.  They ordered for me and we spent a nice bit of time talking about school and how nice it was to have met each other.  Before I left, I gave Tom my Indiana shirt that he liked so well.  I am now officially out of IU stuff.  I have given it all away.  After my last two classes in the afternoon, I stood in the courtyard and watched all the kids run and play and get ready for their next period.  I waved goodbye to all the older kids hanging off the balcony and managed to see Tom and Jane for one last second.  It makes me kinda sad to leave, but I am looking forward to COFFEE, CHEESE, and CHOCOLATE!!!  Tonight the English teachers and I are going to dinner at my request.  They have been so kind, I would like to treat them.  I highly doubt that happens.  As a guest here, I am overloaded with gifts and have rarely been allowed to pay for ANYTHING!  I will give it a shot though.  I have packed 1 suitcase full and have been sorting through the clothes to leave here and what to try to take home.  I have purchased a backpack.  I will have three bulging suitcases and an overweight backpack on the plane all of which will cost me hundreds of dollars I am sure.  But, it will be worth every penny, every ounce of sweat lugging them here and there, and will be a great way to bring home and share many happy memories!  I'll update some recent pics tomorrow when I can.

My first Chinese pool hall

Today was a good day with the kids. I taught all 4th grade classes.  It was a lot of fun as they have some English experience so I could take my lessons a little further than I have with some of the other classes.  For lunch, Bao and Prince took me to a famous noodle restaurant where they ordered me the most famous "Italian" noodles.  My vision of Italian noodles and what showed up in my bowl are two totally different things.  I asked what the items were and they kept saying "local delicacy" or "local cuisine".  I ate very slowly and picked out one noodle at a time with my chopsticks trying desperately not to accidentally get a hold of one of the mystery pieces in my bowl.  I did find a shrimp...just one that I think was there by accident,....and I did swallow a piece of something unidentified, but I just chugged my water immediately afterward.  Crazy meal.  During my free time after lunch, Bao and one of his friends took me to a pool hall.  Entering in the front of a luxurious spa-like salon, we walked through a door, down a tiny dimly lit hall, and down two flights of stairs to the basement!  It had 7 beautifully hand crafted pool tables and was so smelly and dirty.  I loved every minute of it!  There were several characters there playing pool.  The chairs were old salon furniture and in the corner by one table there was a stack of old salon equipment.  I couldn't believe how much fun it was, though.  We played a few games before rushing back to school to finish my lessons.  Then we went back for another hour to play a few more games.  It was definitely an interesting experience.  Aside from the pool playing, the sights, smells, and sounds just added so much that I couldn't possibly describe it all in one post.  Great afternoon!  After school, a group of teachers and parents invited me to dinner and tea.  They brought their kids.  We ate another funky meal.  They tried to translate what some of the food was.  A few things looked familiar.  We went to a teahouse then where we had a wonderful tea service and about a million snacks.  The first round is cold fruit/nut type things.  The second round is hot...whole chicken feet, mushrooms, fish parts, pigeon eggs, and a couple things I just gave up trying to figure out what they were.  I am so intrigued by what they all eat.  (Which is pretty much everything.)  We had some great conversation about the differences in education in the US and here and the differences in children.  For example, kids are with their parents up and out until as late as they want whether it is a school night or not.  If a parent owns a shop and it is open until midnight, the children are most likely there with them running around the store until it closes.  I explained that most parents made arrangements for their children to be in bed or cared for if they had to work.  They didn't totally understand the reasons why.  All in all - another good day.  Interesting place, people, and food, of course.  Looking forward to my last day teaching tomorrow.  The play that I have put together with a group of 5th grade students will be performed in the morning complete with costumes, scenery, and songs!  I will have lunch with a couple of students that I have met.  Dinner with the English teachers tomorrow night.  As much as I love it, I AM looking forward to home. :)

Wild Weekend

The rainy season has begun.  They warned me about it but I wasn't sure quite what to expect.  Since Friday, it has not stopped raining.  It's not just "rain" but torrents of hard, heavy, street flooding, shoe soaking, blowing rain that is constant.  The people just seem to take it in stride.  I, on the other hand, had a little trouble adapting to being wet from the belly down because my small umbrella only covered my head and shoulders.  Saturday after a long car ride back from Hangzhou where I was taken on a boat ride and toured several things I had already seen (once again in the POURING rain) I got back to Dong Yang to find that I needed to move quickly from the house where I had been staying to a new hotel.  After juggling the suit cases (three in a tiny car) and getting settled, I met a friend from my first school for dinner.  We ate and stayed in a luxurious hotel in the newer hip part of the city where we could walk to cool places to watch the World Cup and have some drinks. (Once again...all in torrential downpours of rain)  This hotel is most likely one of the finest I have ever seen anywhere.  I decided, since I have not spent any money yet on this trip, to get a suite for the night just for fun.  It was a huge 3 room suite, 1 full bath, 1 half (both stunning and all marble) gigantic master bedroom with flat screen, huge living room with big screen, a view of their version of Central Parka and the river, and more amenities than I can describe in one post.  The cost??  A whopping 1000 Chinese Yuan.  That equals right at $150.  I couldn't believe it.  Well worth it!  The next morning, and ALL day Sunday (in the pounding rains) I was treated to a walking tour of the oldest historic district in the city.  It's well over 1000 years old and beautiful.  I'm sure on a sunny day it would have been spectacular.  We saw a museum and then went to Wood Carving City.  It's the biggest mall filled with ONLY local wood carved pieces.  Some small, some furniture, some statues- anything you can think of.  We had FOUR HOURS to roam the place because they insisted that I pick out something to buy as another gift.  I didn't find anything I loved, so I settled for a few little things they thought I couldn't live without.  The whole gift giving culture here is unbelievable.  They give and give over and over.  For them, too much is STILL not enough.  Dinner was " a surprise" for me.  Well, during my trip, I have learned to be very leery of "surprises."  Surprise meat.  Surprise dinner.  Surprise schedule changes.  None of them has been very easy.  But I took this one like a man and agreed to follow along and not ask any questions.  They had rented a room in a Karaoke dinner house.  Karaoke is SO popular that 18 year old kids KILL to get their first chance to go since the legal age is 18.  They can drink when they are 12, but driving and Karaoke are 18.  It was a riot.  Several people I have met at the school and all the principals attended.  15 around one table sharing 18 different dishes.  All the weird stuff I have already had, new weird stuff, and some outstanding new things were on the menu.  They made it very clear at the onset that their goal was to get me drunk.  This is a custom about which I have been warned MANY times.  They had brought my favorite wine and tried VERY HARD to toast me until I was under the table.  They underestimated my stamina as well as my wit.  I got the hang of the whole toasting thing and started hammering them as fast as I could.  The Principal left early, and two of his colleagues were close behind because they had had enough.  Score one for the American teacher!  They may think twice before trying THAT again!   But it was a wonderful evening and a great way to end a very long day.  It's Monday now and I only have 3 days of teaching left.  The play that I have put together for the 5th grade English kids is on Thursday.  More tours on Friday/Saturday, to Shanghai to fly home Sunday morning.  Off to work....

Friday's Meeting with the Foreign Affairs Group

Another crazy day in China.  Today I was able to teach one class of awesome third grade students before being whisked away to Hangzhou where I was asked to meet with the Vice-Director General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and a couple members of his staff. My friend Josh, the Principal from Dong Yang, and these men enjoyed dinner.  It was a dinner beyond description.  There were 8 courses and several times during each course I was toasted.  It lasted a couple of hours and our conversation centered around the importance of this exchange program and things we can do to improve it.  Gifts were exchanged, compliments paid, and I was escorted to my suite in the Hua Jia Shan Private Resort.  It is located just near the lake and the grounds are stunning.  It's lightly raining but doesn't dampen the spirit to take a long walk and explore the grounds.  I am waiting for my good friend, Doreen, to arrive.  She is from the US and is taking a train to meet me here for this evening and the morning.  I'm very much looking forward to enjoying some time with her.  All in all, another wonderful and productive day.  Only 8 days left- they will fly by, I am sure!

BASKETBALL AND DUMPLING DAY

Today was hotter than hot!  I took a long morning walk and explored some stores and a market before my first class this morning.  Classes were great.  I had the daughter of my host family, Jane, and their friend, Tom in class.  It went really well with them.  I taught them opposites and how to properly pronounce nouns.  As soon as I walked in the door at 5:30 they wanted to start practicing.  During the afternoon, before my last class, I was asked to join a basketball game.  Two other teacher, 7 kids, and I played a great game.  Of course, I was the first one to sweat, groan, and call for a sub!  I saw some clouds and started praying for rain to call off the game, but it didn't work out.  It was really fun and they have some good skills here.  They work on it a lot in gym class because of the NBA and all the stars they see on their limited internet.  I tried to take pictures of dismissal at the school.  I have watched it  before, but today, with a heavy rain, was complete and total bedlam.  1800 kids dismissed to a street full of geriatric umbrella wielding people (grandparents, I suppose) who fight and scream to get their kid first to avoid the crowd.  That makes me laugh.  Then, there are people on mopeds with ponchos who pick up two or three kids and all their stuff to drive in between the cars After school I came home to a house FULL of people.  They had promised to teach me to make dumplings.  About 8 of her classmates, Jane, and three or four of her mom's friends gathered around a huge table and LOUDLY made a couple hundred dumplings.  It was a great learning experience and a lot of fun with the family.  They cooked them in three different ways and we ate and drank until we were all stuffed.  Then, they called my bluff and told me my night to cook Western (Indiana ) food was Tuesday and they had invited about 20 people.  Should be fun....if I can ever translate a list of ingredients.  We took a long, long walk with all the kids along the river after dinner.  Should be a great night's sleep.  This is the most exercise in one day that I have had since arriving.  Tomorrow I leave for abetting with some Chinese leaders who are involved with this program.  Hope to make a good impression so they will allow the exchange to continue!  The weekend is jam packed full of activities, travel, and dinners.  Looking forward to it!

Wednesday, June 18th

Today was another rainy day, but good all the way around.  Since I had so much tea last night I hardly slept.  Got rolling early and walked up a mountainside before school even started.  It was gorgeous and cool just before the rain started.  There was a HUGE statue of a soldier.  My guide told me it was "in honor of the men who conquered in battles."  As I got to the foot of the monument, I noticed a war helmet under the soldier's foot with "US" written on it.  When I pointed it out to the guide, he was rather embarrassed. I had a good laugh.  The Principal invited me for lunch today.  He and a could of the English teachers took me to a place where I ate like a pig...again....  He is a short man- MAYBE comes to my shoulder.  His belt wraps around his waist twice.  He laughs at every thing I say and says, "Oh good, American" about every 3 minutes.  Very cool guy.  He registered over 300 new 1st graders for next year in one morning.  He said his lunch should be all beer after the stress he had endured.  I dared him to do it but he didn't take the chance.  After several wild 6th grade classes and play practice, I had arranged to take the young guy out who has been translating for me and taking me around town.  We had a great dinner at a very elegant "vegetable only" restaurant.  I have had enough mystery meet for a while, I thought I would have a stress free meal.  ICE COLD BEER and some incredible food made for a great evening.  We walked along the river and he explained several historical points along the way.  The river walk is beautiful.  There are thousands of moving lights along the water's edge and all the major hotels and buildings are brightly lit.  With the light rain, the crowd was small.  We watched a mom, dad, and two kids play tag in the park.  We had some ice cream to cool the evening, and headed home.  I just enjoyed a nice chat with my host family while we chopped some strange looking mushrooms for the filling of our dumplings for tomorrow's dinner.  We plan a cooking class for me tomorrow - it should be fun.

Tuesday, June 17

Today ran much more smoothly.  My schedule at school was increased a little.  It was very hot today. by 9:45 I was a mess.  But, I had a nice long break before lunch so a son of one of the teachers here (who just graduated high school) came to take me around the city a little.  It has rained torrents since yesterday afternoon.  We managed to stay relatively dry.  During our sight seeing, he took me to a fantastic coffee house.  It was very eclectic.  There were small booths with love seats or wing backed chairs.  Each piece of furniture was covered with a huge colorful antique looking quilt.  The lights were low, the walls were covered by very interesting pieces of art.  Some were pictures, some were snapshots, shelves full of books, some western pieces and some Chinese.  Then, around each booth were curtains.  Some were heavy drapes and some were lightweight sheers.  They pull those around you for privacy.  First we were served cool lemon water in antique enameled cups that looked like old children's dishes.  Very cool. Then they delivered our incredibly delicious chocolate coffee in beautiful handmade stoneware with wooden spoons and all displayed on individual hand made clay trays.  It was out of this world!  We spent some time there to dry out from the rain then headed back to school for the rest of the day.  Today was our first "play practice" at school.  I reformed "Little Red Riding Hood" enough to have 9 characters and a forest full of 20 singing animals.  :)  It should be a riot.  The kids had fun with it and we have several days left to practice.  We are performing in front of the whole school.  We'll see how that goes!  Tonight after a dinner of noodles and vegetables, we went to a tea house for Chinese tea service.  One of the friends of this family served us.  We took several kids including "Jane" and "Tom."  (The student whose family I live with and their good friend's son.)  It was a very relaxing way to end our day. At least the rains have cooled things off for the time being.  Tomorrow promises to be equally as fun!

First day on the job!

Today was my first day at the new school and it started out a little rough!  I set an alarm incorrectly and got up at 4:40 thinking I was late for work.  So I was showered and ready by 5:19 when my ride wasn't leaving until 7:10 .  I have a new clock...tomorrow should be much better!  I taught three fifth grade classes today that were fun.  The school has asked me to do a play in English with the kids.  I am doing Little Red Riding Hood.  I know I could have picked a title with less R's and L's, but it will be kinda funny for me.  It was a long day at work.  The school has rented a hotel room for me in which I am to NAP from 12-1:30 each day.  Everyone takes a nap here.  I teach until 11:30, lunch quickly, then off to the hotel to sleep.  Back to teach.  Play practice from 4:30 - 5 and then go home about 5:30 or so.  It's a busy day, but it will make the weeks pass quickly.  Tonight when I got home, the host family had a huge dinner with guests planned.  The food was out of this world.  Nothing strange, just all incredibly good!  All home cooked, and so wonderful.  We shared a huge bottle of red wine with toast after toast to me.  I don't mind the toasting, just wish they wouldn't fill my glass so much when they do it! :)  Afterward, the kids and I shared some American internet videos of slam dunk contests and the NBA.  They all like this very much but can't get it on their internet.  The kids played piano for me and all the adults tried hard to translate things on their phones for me.  No one speaks much English and I speak no Chinese, but we do a lot of talking!  I loved this evening.  It was a great family experience.  Tom is a 13 year old boy who game me the name Xiao Ming.  He said if he had an American name (Tom after Tom the cat in Tom and Jerry) then I needed a Chinese name.  I shared some small gifts with them and we had a wonderful evening.  Everyone left early because they had heard the story of me getting up at 4:40 so they figured I needed to go to bed early.  After the wine, they are probably correct!

A sad end and a new beginning....

WOW! What a day.  Today I left YongKang.  It was very sad.  I had a difficult time leaving the people who had been so very kind to me.  Early this morning, my friend Tang brought the student "Mike" by my hotel to say goodbye.  He said in his best English, "I am so sorry you are leaving and it makes me sad."  He is quite a kid and I am happy to have gotten to know him and his family.  I had an elegant lunch with the Principal in YongKang , the three assistant principals and Betty. It was another wonderful meal which ended with gifts, of course.  I was presented with an incredibly beautiful Chinese vase.  It is "blue and white" which is one of the best types of Chinese porcelain art you can find.  I'm not exactly sure how to get it home, but if I have to throw out all my clothes to fit it in or pay a penalty at the airport, I will make it!  The four administrators, Betty and I traveled to Dong Yang.  It is my new home.  This city is known for its wood carving of expensive and rare woods.  Redwood and cedar are among the favorite mediums here.  I was given a beautiful bracelet while in YongKang.  Today I saw some spectacular pieces of art that are all hand carved and beautiful beyond belief!
We gathered at the new school for a passing of the "new American teacher."  The old crew passed me off to the new crew.  As they unloaded my bags and drove away, I was grateful to God for my awesome experience and had a huge lump in my throat.  I have made some friends that I am sure I will have forever.  The new gang invited me to the wedding of a colleague.  I can't even tell you how wild this wedding was.  It was more like the opening of a WWF match than a wedding.  There were three toasts given to the elegantly decorated room full of about 300 Chinese guests (and one American.)  One was given by the groom's best friend, one by the Principal of the bride, and one by the American at the Bride's request.  I was a sweaty mess by the time it was my turn, but I kept it simple for translation purposes and because by the time I spoke, it was a madhouse!  Speaking of houses, I am a guest in a luxurious home.  I had mentioned that I really wanted to have the family experience, and I am getting it.  She is a kdg teacher and he is a medical technology salesman.  They have a 6th grade daughter.  They are planning one party after the next to introduce me to the neighborhood.  I met two neighbor families tonight after the wedding over tea and fruit.  They are all very kind and welcoming and their hospitality is lessening the sting of leaving my friends from the first two weeks.  I know this experience will be as fantastic as the first.  I am excited about tomorrow. I begin te

A night and day in Hangzhou and my last days in YongKang

Friday was my last day to teach at Renmin Primary School in YongKang.  It was a great day.  The last two classes I had were really fun and made the end of my stay here memorable.  Several of the girls in the English department had small gifts for me.  It was a little sad, but I am ready for my next challenge that begins tomorrow!  Friday night and today were spent in a wonderful city about three hours away called Hangzhou.  It is very urban and holds a lot of history.  It is proudly one of the main cities for silk in China.  It even has a silk museum.  The hot spot in the city is the Lake.  It is huge and gorgeous.  Friday night, we checked into a hotel, took a taxi (and our lives in our hands) and got to the lake.  We found a really cool restaurant and had another strange dinner.  The "pork" we had, still had hair on it.  There were a couple of spicy dishes and tons of rice.  I lived....I know I keep saying that - but it's true.  I can always find someway to fill my stomach at the table when there are strange dishes presented!  We walked a bridge that crossed the entire lake.  It took about an hour and a half.  Then, we walked around and around the downtown.  It was a beautiful evening and the city was really full of life!  Today, we got up early, climbed the Hangzhou tower which is a huge pagoda and explored the biggest temple I have seen yet.  We were able to witness a ceremony during which Monks sang and chanted readings from a book.  The temple was decorated with fruits and flowers.  It was very lavish and made for gorgeous pictures.  We also took a long boat ride by paddle boat (where a man paddles our boat across the lake like a chauffeur) around the like.  It was about 2 hours.  He dropped us on one side of an island to visit an exclusive silk shop where scarves and fans are authentic, hand made, and 100% silk,  then he picked us up on the opposite side.  We toured the hotel where Nixon had his huge meeting with Chinese president in 1972.  It was a very history filled and wonderful day.  We took the bus back to Yongkang where I had dinner with Tang then met Betty, Harry, and Pom Pom for "late night snacks."  Oysters, snails, eggplant, jelly fish, and potatoes were on the menu.  I tried everything but only because I had a beer to wash it all down!  My last evening here in the city was super!  I also had a call from "Mike."  He was the student who invited me to berry pick.  He wants me to come again tomorrow before I leave and just climb the trees with him.  I had to decline, but it sure was nice to know he wanted me to join him!  I'm still not sure what the plan is for tomorrow, but I know at SOME point, I move to Dong Yang to start my next teaching assignment!

Berry picking

Thursday was quite a day.  A student and his family own a berry orchard and farm on the outskirts of town.  A few of the English teachers and Mike's mom drove us there.  It was really beautiful.  The trees cover a small, steep mountainside overlooking their farm.  To get to the tree path, we had to walk a very narrow mud walk (about 18 inches wide) through the rice paddies and past the small vegetable gardens.  Many members of the family work the farm.  Next week is the Berry Festival so they are really in full swing this week.  These berries are huge and dark, dark red.  They are so juicy.  I have never seen them before.  They are in season now for about a month and EVERYONE eats them, picks them, and sells them on the street.  It was a really fun and new experience for me.  I climbed as high as the flimsy trees would allow to pick.  I was kind of a joke there as everyone else needed ladders or had to climb high up.  I could just stand on the ground in some places and pick.  It made everyone laugh.  We had a lot of good conversations and ate as much as we picked.  Afterward, we took some pictures and drove back to the city to clean up.  It is VERY dirty work!

I met Tang for dinner.  He took me to a special restaurant and helped me do my laundry at his home.  The homes are very simple.  To have a washer in the home is pretty special.  It is so helpful to have it available to me.  We walked through the city and he showed me his fitness club.  It was a gorgeous huge four story facility in which they have every sort of equipment imaginable.  The only thing that cracked me up is the number of people who SMOKE while they work out!  Unbelievable.  But we had a great visit, a nice dinner and then a beer at the hotel.  We called room service 4 times for a little bit of ice.  It took almost an hour for them to find some and they brought about a half a pound in an old coffee pot.  Not many things are on ice here - they just don't use it.  It was a big deal for them to have it available to me.  Cracked me up!  Should I have needed a cigarette or lighter, however, it would have been there lickity split!

Today I am off to Hounczho.  It is a spectacular city according to everyone.  An old family friend, Doreen, may be able to meet us there.  We plan to see the sights, do some shopping, and then head back here Saturday night for my last few hours in YongKang.  I will move on to DongYang Sunday morning for my next new adventure!

Yesterday was Wednesday.  I had a light teaching day so I attempted to walk to school alone for the first time.  I got lost, but managed to use familiar landmarks to get me here in one piece and in time for teaching!  After school, I was invited by the Principal and two assistant principals to eat dinner.  It was in the home of Mrs. Wang who stayed at my house last year.  We enjoyed a fantastic spread (more pig, and a couple other crazy things) of really interesting food.  Two new things I have not tried before were delicious.  One was similar to a Chinese taco and the other was  a baked bread filled with meat and vegetables.  Once again, better to not inquire as to what the meat was.   I was offered the white wine but declined using previous experience as my guide!  After dinner we had a great trip to a lake about 20 minutes from the city.  In the village there is a lake Taipeng.  The road to get to the lake is a grape arbor.  You literally drive through a tunnel of grapes for about 10 miles to get to the village.  It was breathtaking.  The lotus flower farms were like nothing I have ever seen. The flowers were as tall as I am.  After we enjoyed an evening walk around the lake and taking pictures, we headed back to YongKang where we visited the oldest wooden bridge in the area.  It is 460 years old and still in use.  It is gorgeous, beautifully crafted by hand, and a meeting place in the middle of the city for many.  It was very nice and I enjoyed walking around and looking in the shops along the way.

Today, is Thursday.  My morning started by being picked up by Mr. Wu who is one of the PE teachers here.  His son has visited the US and just finished high school here.  His son has chosen the name "Edison" after Thomas Edison.  He wants to be as brilliant as he.  The boy was extremely interesting and knows much about American culture.  His father took us to the village where he was raised.  It is a remote village that is about 1,000 years old.  I was in awe of the craftsmanship of the homes.  They were in great shape for their age.  All through the city are temple like meeting places where people gather for programs or visiting.  Today was election day.  We were given special passes to wear around our necks to welcome me as a guest.  They selected a local guide to give us the grand tour.  We saw a museum, I saw how rice was made hundreds of years ago from seed to table, and I was treated so some incredible history lessons.  I am amazed that these people hold this heritage so well and can speak these stories at a moment's notice.  Edison did a phenomenal job of translating the stories.  He explained the different dynasties in China and some of the finer points of each one.  It was a gorgeous day for walking and I learned so very much from this group of men.  It impressed me greatly that they know so much of their own history and it was great to see how excited they all were to share it with me.  I was so warmly welcomed and enjoyed the trip very much.  We were late getting back to school, so several times during the drive I had my face covered because the drive was treacherous at best.  Mr. Wu's elderly mother had ridden back to YongKang with us.  At one point, in the middle of a very busy highway, he stopped, unlocked the doors and she got out right in the middle of traffic.  WOW!  Things are so different here - but I love every minute of it.  Great way to start my day!

This afternoon, I am invited to go berry picking with "Mike" and his family.  He is a 6th grade student here and he has made a great effort to make arrangements for me to meet his family and take me to get berries.  I am sure it will be wonderful, as well.  It's just another sign of how welcome I feel and how eager all of the Chinese are to learn more about my country and me!

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better.....

Today was stellar!  Aside from a fantastic day of teaching, I spent the day with my friend, Shi, and his wife and daughter.  We first met at their house where his 14 year old daughter blew me away with her self-taught piano playing.  She is a prodigy, for sure.  We enjoyed pictures as I presented them all with Indiana shirts just like mine.  We looked like one big happy family!  Afterward, Shi went to work and his wife and daughter picked up an English teacher friend and we set off on a trek through hill and valley to a remote village called, Shizhu.  Down a long dirt path that looked as if it had never been traveled before, nestled into a clump of willow trees and bamboo that reached as high as I could see, set along a quietly flowing river, was a small home and restaurant.  There were four large tables along the river.  As I arrived, I was told that the dinner was being held in my honor and I was being invited by the brother of Shi's wife.  In the group was a man and his son who now live in LA but are here for vacation.  Another man, his wife and daughter joined us.  The daughter will live in and attend college in Oregon this year.  The last man to join us spoke through the translator letting me know how much he appreciated me joining their group and giving them time in my busy schedule.  He was overly kind and appreciative.  It turned out that he was the owner of the home and the land. He introduced me to the one man who cooked all of the food.  It is NOT a restaurant, but a private residence to which only a select few people are invited.  I was very honored.  They treated me as if I were family instantly.  First, they offered me a cigarette, which is a show of company.  (I declined, Mom!)  Next they offered me a glass of "white wine."  I have heard about this already, but took the risk.  It was similar, I am guessing, to the alcohol created in bathtubs and stills in the 1920's during prohibition.  They toasted me over and over until I, myself, was toasted.  I kept trying to sneak drinks of Coke along the way, but they insisted on toasting me with the wine.  I suppose it was good that I was a little in the sauce when dinner arrived.  A large boiling stainless steel bowl of carp, head and tail on, was first.  Next was sliced, boiled pig stomach.  Additionally we enjoyed tofu soup with eel, snails, deep fried pig's feet, and some random vegetables and other mystery items.  I made an attempt to taste EVERYTHING at their insistence.  I lived.  I drank more wine.  It's all good.  After a long conversation and some more appreciation from the gang, we left to visit a tea house.  I was thrilled to be given a private Chinese tea ceremony.  There was a small group, Shi joined us, in a private room with our own tea maid.  She explained all the etiquette and the process by which she was making our tea.  She served us over and over.  During the conversation, I was presented with a gorgeous tea set of my own.  This set is priceless.  There are four main types of porcelain in China.  This is the second best.  Our night was filled with conversation, more tea, and a lot of pictures.  I wish I could have shared this evening with everyone.  So much to learn- so many new people - new challenges - new fun!  What a great day!!

7:00 p.m. I just got home from work. It was a fantastic day.  There was a teachers' meeting after school.  All 108 teachers were there.  I was asked to present some information about myself, my family, and my school.  The meeting was a weekly meeting during which a person orally read the schedule for the upcoming week and everyone was responsible to take notes.  An email seems more efficient to me, but this way works.  If you are not paying attention, it will cause you some trouble!  After the meeting and my presentation, they had a dinner in the school canteen.  It was another awesome Chinese meal.  The entire staff was there.  After the dinner, they all walked around the outside play area for "digestion."  As we drove home, there were many groups of people walking off their dinner.  It's a nightly ritual for all people of all ages.  Many of the teachers and administrators had to attend further meetings and work late into the night as they do every Monday.  I am lucky to be home now.  It's a beautiful evening to explore more of the city.  I only have 4 days left with so much to see.  The school staff has my week planned to the minute until I leave.  I'm excited to see what they have in store for me!

Today I ate lunch in one of the student canteens not the teacher's area.  There were about 700 students eating at the same time.  All 2200 students eat at once on one of the three floors of a huge building.  The food is set out in huge pans and the students serve themselves.  It runs like a machine and is louder than almost anything I can compare at our school.  But everyone takes it in stride.  Today is hot so they all wanted to eat quickly and get out to play before nap time at noon.  Very interesting lunch!  See picture below.

After climbing the mountain on Saturday I decided to take a break. I enjoyed dinner alone for the first time.  I took the challenge of ordering for myself and  trying new dishes.  This restaurant had an iPad with pictures for an English menu.  The pictures were all small so I ordered meat, vegetables, and potatoes.  The man questioned me twice but I went with it.  The next thing I know I have a table FILLED with food.  I ordered enough for 10 people at least.  Everyone in the restaurant was staring and pointing and the waiters were all laughing.  One little guy came by and said, "You are a very big and hungry American."  It was a good learning experience.  Sunday was nice as well.  I spent a lot of the day exploring the city.  I took a good long run (the first since my arrival since my jet lag is gone) and then walked the city for the afternoon.  I found a mall and spent a couple of hours roaming a grocery store just watching the people and how they purchase food.  There were about 20 fish tanks in this store.  People would literally reach in and grab the big fish they wanted, wrestle it to the basket, and then let it flop around until someone could wrap it up and get it ready for them.  They had several counters of hot food ready to eat and people were lined up 10 deep to take lunch.  I found a few American products and very, very little chocolate.  If not for the chocolate I brought with me, I would be in trouble.  In the afternoon, Shi, the teacher who visited Logansport, took me for dinner and to meet his family.  It was wonderful.  Then, we joined Betty and the rest of the English teachers for KARAOKE!  Yes, Karaoke.  It was so much fun.  It is very different here.  There is a large building with about 10 rooms.  Each has its own sound system and video screen.  You and your party rent them privately.  So there were about 8 of us in the room alone singing.  There were very old songs like from the 50's and 60's in English and tons of Chinese songs.  Everyone sang.  I laughed and laughed and it made for a great memory.  It gave us all a chance to know each other better outside of school.  Ready to start an exciting Monday with my classes.  It is extremely hot here, but I am very comfortable with my fan and a cold beer once in a while!  Beginning week two...can't believe a whole week has passed!

Today, Betty, her friend Li, and I climbed a mountain.  It is called Fangyan.  Her friend drove.  I can't stress enough how many times I yelped, gasped, or curled up in a ball in the front seat of the car.  Some of it was to impress me  I think.  All it did was get us there quickly and give me more gray hair.  The mountain is special because both of their families grew up there.  Betty's grandfather was a local on the mountain all his life.  They explained all the history as we walked up the stone path and the steps. The stone path is miles long  and gorgeous.  It was hand laid and created hundreds of years ago by local laborers.  This city is named YongKang which means "Good health forever."  It is named that because an emperor wen to the top of Fangyan mountain to pray for his dying mother.  She was healed so he created this city in her honor and built the temples at the top of the mountain to the gods who healed her.  While at the top, I was encouraged to make a "wish" by shaking a can of sticks until one fell on the ground.  Then, an elder will read the message from the Gods that is on the stick for me.  Unfortunately, they were angered that I did not take it seriously, so I needed to make a donation to the Gods to make them happy with me again.  In an effort not to offend, it cost me about 40 yuan.  Then they treated me to a lunch at a local restaurant at the very top of the mountain.  There is a one lane path that leads to it that takes about 20 minutes to drive.  We squeezed the Cadillac up that path at 50 mph.  It was like a roller coaster.  The meal was interesting because it is the house of a family and we walked into the kitchen to choose our ingredients for our meal.  There were bowls and shelves full of freshly picked vegetables and herbs.  Elderly women sat on stools outside on the stone walk clipping beans and peas for the dinner crowd that would come in the evening.  Another man had a boiling pot in which he was boiling the feathers off of chickens he had just killed.  It was so provincial and wonderful to see.  The meal was served a huge round table.  Betty was so kind as to choose 10 dishes for me to try.  The snails were a no go for me.  The other mystery item that I ate was billed as a local delicacy meat.  They smiled when they said it and I politely ate it without asking any more questions.  WOOF!  The vegetables, bread, and other meats were beyond description.  We had a long leisurely lunch and after a rest, I am heading out on the town to shop and find some new adventures.  Man!  I LOVE THIS PLACE!!

Today is Saturday, June 7.  Yesterday was fantastic.  I had a great day teaching at school.  Then, I was invited by one of the PE teachers to go swimming in the reservoir.  His name is Tang Wong but he calls himself Michael.  Betty dropped us there and we walked up 100 large steps to get to the top.  This reservoir was tucked between mountains and was full of fresh spring water.  You HAVE to wear a floatie if you swim.  It's the law.  As funny as I looked, it was ok because everyone else had them too.  Mine was a lady bug.  I figure if I had to look ridiculous, I may as well go all the way.  It was a phenomenal swim.  We floated and swam from one side of the reservoir to the other for about 2 hours.  It was refreshing and relaxing after a very long hot day.  Then, we walked through the city center and had a wonderful meal.  I had my first beer in China and it was really good.  He ordered 6 new dishes which I have never eaten here.  My goal is to try as much new food as possible.  It was incredible.  He is a very interesting man who lives here in the city with his long-time girlfriend.  His English is excellent and he is self taught.  His goal is to come and explore the states soon.

It is Friday morning and I am here in my office.  Last night with the girls was really fun.  We went to a nice restaurant and had a steak.  There were a few interesting side dishes.  I gave each one a try and only made a face on a couple of them.  We visited a gorgeous park in the middle of the city.  Hundreds of people go there in the evening to walk around the man-made lake and cool off.  There were groups of people dancing to music, karaoke, and families just enjoying the evening.  It was very, very nice.  This morning, Betty and I had breakfast at the hotel.  Again, all new things for breakfast- only one piece of some sort of animal liver was uneaten.  Otherwise, I just chewed really fast and drank extra juice.  I am relaxing now before I go to my first class of the day.  I was just invited to attend a teachers' meeting during which they vote in or vote out their current principal.  The teachers decide whether or not she stays or goes.  They allowed ME to vote.  The entire staff of principal and assistant principals were voted- I assume voted IN.  We'll see tomorrow.  The gym teacher offered to "play" badminton with me this morning after I got to work.  The humidity is 90% and he and a female teacher ran me all over that court.  I got my butt sufficiently kicked, but it was a lot of fun.  I reviewed the pictures of me that they took.  I would say from a grace standpoint, badminton is not my game.  I only missed a few and only got hit in the face once.  I think she meant to do that.  All in all another great start to a wonderful day here in China!  Looking forward to some light travel this evening and mountain climbing tomorrow.  Pictures to follow.

Today is Thursday and it was another awesome day!  Jet lag is killing me though.  Yesterday afternoon, Betty and I visited a beautiful little village near town.  It had a lake with bigger gold fish than any of the carp at Indiana Beach!  It was just gorgeous there.  We took a long walk and relaxed and then we went to her house for an incredible meal.  Her nanny fixed about 10 different dishes for me to try.  Everything was great with the exception of the jelly fish. It was like chewing rubber bands.  I took the first one like a man but didn't try any more after that.  I was exhausted and had to cancel plans for the rest of the night.  I made the mistake of falling asleep about 8 which caused me to be bright eyed and bushy tailed about 3 a.m.  Today was a long day.  BUT since we have nap time from 12-1 I took advantage.  The classes I taught today were really fun.  They were 5th and 6th grade classes.  Some of the kids have taken American names.  There were funny ones like "Harry" and "James."  Now there are a few who decided to take "Steve" as their American name!  :)
Tonight a few of the girls from the English department are taking me "out."  I'm not sure what that means, but I am well-rested and looking forward to it.  If it gets too crazy, I don't have to teach my first class until 10:30 so I should be good.  I had a really great conversation with the gym teacher at school.  We share an office.  He found a translator on his computer and I used google and we talked back and forth.  He is very interested in his son pursuing a higher education in the US.  He says it benefits all kids to go to school in America and it is a parent's duty to be sure they can afford it.  He is a nice man and when he found out I hadn't had any chocolate during my stay yet, he brought me double stuffed Oreo cookies for a snack.  Tomorrow is another busy day at school with 'plans' about which I have not been informed for the weekend.  I'm learning to fly by the seat of my pants, live without air conditioning, and not yell out loud when riding in the passenger seat of a car.  Pulling out in front of a big truck is not an issue for any of the drivers...no matter whose side the truck would hit! I'm still in one piece though.

I arrived at school this morning to a huge lighted sign that said WELCOME STEPHEN from LANDIS ELEMENTARY school in USA.  It was awesome.  They had a group of kids and a huge bouquet for me.  Well...the bouquet was for me...the kids were just to say hi. :)  I also got to sit in on a Chinese lesson for first grade.  44 very eager little ones.  They were like soldiers though.  I am beginning my first class with 6th grade today.  I decided to teach them cool things to say to their friends like "What's up?" and "Later" instead of hello and good bye.  We'll see how long it takes to catch on!  I have an office that is very nice and has air conditioning.  This place is GREAT!  And, yes...every kid said I looked like a giant!!!

After the tour of the temple in Shanghai and a short nap, we took the "fast train" which took 3 hours to get to a train station near our school.  Then, Betty, after getting her car unbooted for not paying the correct parking, drove me another hour to the hotel where I will be staying the next few days.  It was 9 p.m. when we arrived and the Principal, an Assistant Principal, and another teacher met us and surprised us with a nice dinner.  I have eaten some very interesting things.  The attached picture is of a market where we ate lunch today.  It all looks cool, but I was only brave enough to try a few things. Tonights dinner was a "chop sticks only" affair during which I was able to hold my own...literally.  Shrimp (whole with head on), some local sticky rice dumplings, and a few other really delicious things.  The ladies are all so kind and are excited to get me into a classroom tomorrow.  I am equally as excited!!

I was able to spend most of the day today discovering Shanghai.  Betty and Shi took me all over.  The open markets are really interesting.  We went to the oldest temple in Shanghai.  Each person is represented by an animal or a god based on the year he or she is born.  This is the year of the horse.  I am a goat.  Nothing exciting about that and no one is celebrating me. The city was spectacular last night it was fully lighted and filled with cool sights and sounds.  This morning we took the subway during rush hour.  That was a great experience.  I have never seen so many people all in one place at one time.  We were squished and squeezed and no one acted the least bit stressed out.  We are heading from Shanghai to the school where I will teach. It is a couple hours by train and then a short drive by car into the city.  I'm looking forward to meeting the kids and teachers at the school and getting started with my job!

I AM HERE

I arrived safely in Shanghai.  It was a very long trip- but a good one.  I am hoping to attach a picture of my friend Shi and my new friend Betty.  Shi stayed with me in Logansport and Betty hosted a teacher from LHS last year.  We are spending the night in Shanghai and seeing the sights tomorrow before I go by train for two hours to the school where I teach.  Hope to post pics tomorrow.

I will be arriving in Shanghai on June 1.  I will update my blog daily if possible.  Please feel free to ask questions or make comments and I will reply to them as soon as I get a chance.  My schedule is going to be very busy, but I hope to keep this site updated frequently!

Getting Ready for China

I have all my paperwork done and ready to go!