Indoor Yard Sale

In America, there are yard sales happening on nearly every street this time of year. But in China, not so much. Until recently, second-hand goods were very taboo, as it was thought that evil spirits could live in the objects and be passed on to the new owner. These days, atheism has pretty much nixed the belief in any spirits, but second-hand goods still haven't taken off too much.

When I mentioned having a yard sale in my classes, though, my students were pretty excited. The indoor yard sale (it's too hot to do it outside) began at 10am this morning, and we had students waiting outside even before then. It was a much bigger success than we could have ever expected and, more importantly, a lot of fun! We were even able to hand out some good materials at the event.

The Graduates

The graduate student commencement ceremony at HangDian University was held today. Congratulations to our friends Jake and Paul!

Jake (above) already has landed a job in Harbin and will begin in July. He is Matt's one of Matt's oldest and closest friends here. Paul is also a great friend; and although he already has one job offer, he is still interviewing for better options. We are excited for both of them; but we will also miss them, as they may be leaving Hangzhou as soon as next month.

Thoughts on Speaking Exams

It may well be possible that teachers hate exam time even more than the students--at least when the exams are speaking exams. You see, students have a 5-minute time of torture on one day of the week in which they have to speak English for a grade. We teachers, however, sit and listen for several hours everyday as student after student talks about the same things, making the same grammar mistakes in, sometimes, incomprehensible speech. And it is cold in those classrooms when you are sitting still for hours on end. If only I'd been as clever as Matt; he is doing his speaking exams at the nice, warm apartment.

OK... Enough complaining. :-)

JiLiang Idol

You may wonder why Matt's students are covered in Christmas tree garland and clutching stuffed animals and roses while they appear to be singing...

Students here love to perform. Really, really love it. Singing competitions are a normal occurrence, and usually (like last night) only about half of the students on stage can actually carry a tune. But no one seems to mind and no one gets booed. Instead, students (despite their singing ability) are given tons of gifts, hugged, kissed, etc. by their friends, admirers and classmates... All while singing!

Whistlin' Dixie

This afternoon, I am sitting in a tea shop next to our house, and I am not lying when I say that a guy outside is actually whistling Dixie Land. You know... "Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land." I have to say, it's not something I ever expected to hear in China, but this place never ceases to amaze.

In other news, I've been sick the past week and after days of avoiding going to doctor because I was afraid I may be diagnosed with swine flu and thereby be quarantined, I finally gave in. If you're sick in China, you don't go to a doctor's office, you just go to the hospital. It was my first trip to a "real" China hospital that didn't have a foreigners clinic, and I have to say that I now have a new and great appreciation for those foreigners clinics! I didn't have swine flu, as it turns out, and am feeling much better now. Aside from one small annoyance, that is...

Perhaps my biggest pet peeves about China is also one of the things I love most about it. The Chinese people are so kind and so eager to help out when you need something. Most of the time, this eagerness it appreciated and loved. But, then it becomes wintertime, and suddenly, every student becomes a worrisome mother--constantly warning us that we should wear more clothes, drink more tea, eat more rice. And when we get sick, it only increases. For example, this is one of the many text messages I received this week from a student: "Amy, have you had supper and taken some medicine? Drinking some hot water will be better for you. These days the weather is bad so be careful and wear thick clothes." Another girl called at 7am to tell me I needed to have a rest, which is exactly what I was doing until she called. I know, I know... They just care and are trying to help, but even this foreigner knows to dress warmly in the cold weather and rest when she's sick!

This Thing Called "Sports Meeting"

Today and tomorrow at my school is the Sports Meeting. Basically, it is a track and field meet for the freshmen students. But like most things in a foreign culture, there are so many elements in this that we just find strange!

For example, this is your all-inclusive track and field meet--complete with pole vault, javelin throw, discus, high jump, hurdles, etc. BUT... few (if any) of these students have EVER taken part in any of these activities before today. So, you have students attempting pole vault, hurdles and everything else with no training. At Matt's sports meeting last week, a student broke his leg jumping hurdles and students throwing discus could not even throw it past the circle they were standing in. And yet, students suffer through it each year.

Every student I've ever talked to hates sports meeting day--in spite of the fact it is supposed to be fun. The ones that are not competing sometimes take part in the parade and performances of the opening ceremony. But most students just sit in the stands watching. And that's another thing... All freshmen students are required to attend sports meeting all day for both days. Sophomore students are required to attend for at least two hours each day. This is so the stands appear full when pictures are taken. And just in case you think of slipping away unnoticed, the class monitor takes attendance every 10 minutes to be sure everyone is still there!

To top it all off, I am at a school that is 70% girls and 100% art students who would rather sit in the park reading poetry or make films rather than do sports. The plus side is that the opening ceremony at my school's meeting was rather entertaining--seeing as how dance is one thing my students actually like doing.

Click on the photo below to see a few pictures and video of this morning opening events.

Chuan Mei Sports Meeting

Whew!

Those slow weeks upon first returning to China are long gone! We've both met all our new students now; and for whatever reason, this year's students are much more eager to do... well, anything! We've already been making lots of new friends, and after only one class, Amy was invited to travel with a few girls to a nearby canal town. Matt is really enjoying teaching again this year and is still finding time for Chinese study about 6 hours a week.

Funny stories from our first few weeks of classes:

Amy was told by a student that she was pretty, but not cool b/c she didn't wear her sunglasses during class.

In a slight misunderstanding, Matt was thought to be 38 years old by a number of his students!

The rumors that we have a child named Levi are circulating again... No matter how many times I say "nephew," there are always a few who choose not to hear.

Matt has a male student named Daffodil.

Amy got temporarily locked inside a nearby college campus in their attempt to contain the swine flu.

The Swine Flu Scare

Today was Teacher's Day in China, which was lovely. I received lots of well-wishing messages and, even, a box of chocolates from one class. Usually, our universities give us a gift, as well... This year's present? A thermometer.

Swine flu fears had begun here even before we came home this summer. And, at one point, we were fearing getting quarantined at the airport. But all was well, and we haven't heard much about the infamous flu until this week. And suddenly, it's made a big comeback (the fear, not the actual flu).

Estimates from our city say that 1 student (that's right... 1) has swine flu and up to 20 students have shown flu-like symptoms. Not that they actually have the flu--just the symptoms. Seriously, in a city that has a student population of 250,000, I don't think that's so serious!

But apparently, I am wrong. For the past two weeks, people have been restricted from entering our campus unless they could prove they were a student or teacher here. If you were a student, but forgot your ID card, you were subject to a health check before entering. Other schools and businesses are taking similar measures, and students are sporting surgical masks to class. Soap has even made an appearance in the public bathrooms (the one good thing out of this)! Our friend at another university is required to send his supervisor a daily text message of his temperature reading. And now, I've been given a thermometer...

We are easily frustrated by the strange reactions to this virus. But at the same time, I guess when you have a country of 1.3 billion people living in close quarters, things spread quickly, as they learned with SARS a few years ago. Not to mention that health care is often at a bit of a different standard than some places. (Check out this story that happened in our city.) I just hope it all goes away soon--mostly, of course, for the public's health safety, but also for our sanity.

Things Looking Up

Matt returns back to our city of Thursday afternoon after his 10-day trip to the Southwest. The first week was a bit rough, but this week has been great! He and his friend have really enjoyed exploring business opportunities there and have met some great people that have been very helpful along the way. I'm excited to hear more of his stories when he returns!

Around here, it is the first week of school, so campus is booming again! It's a great change... even waiting in long cafeteria lines is no big deal after 2 weeks of a deserted campus! Even though it is the first official week of class, most of my classes do not begin for another couple of weeks. So I've really enjoyed the extra time I have to catch up with students from last semester. It is great to see them again, and I'm looking forward to meeting my new students soon!

We're Back!

After a bit of trial and error, we have managed a way to bring our blog back here. Who knows if it will last... We may end up having to move it again, but at least for now, you can find us here!

You may be wondering about our journey to LinPing. Well, it was pretty good, actually! Not much to the town, but it is a nicer suburb than where we live. People seem to have cars a lot more, which probably means it's a bit wealthier. But it wasn't crowded. There were nice, wide, tree-lined streets and a park in the middle of town. We went to a museum there, which was pretty interesting, as well as some other places. It turned out to be a really good visit with some good time to talk while they showed us around. Apparently it's "famous" because an emperor once found safe haven there from his enemies (LinPing literally means safe hiding) and for its watermelons. There are street-side watermelon vendors everywhere. We stopped to buy some from a guy in ashed, with his watermelon patch behind. Turns out the tent is also his house; one bed for two adults and, at least, one kid. Pretty eye-opening.

The day after LinPing, Matt headed out. He is visiting a fried of ours who lives in the rural SW of China. This is Matt's first experience with village life, and I'm sure he'll have lots of stories to share when he comes back.

Things are starting to liven up around here as students are returning. My school is the first to begin classes on August 31, which Matt will start on Sept. 7. We are looking forward to jumping in, meeting new students, and reconnecting with past students!

Last Week

These days, we rarely carry around the camera anymore. But last week, I tried to keep it in my bag to get some pics of life. Here are the results...

On Sunday afternoon, some American friends came over to help teach our students some American kids games (you know, Duck, Duck, Goose; Freeze Tag; Hot Potato; etc). The students also taught us some Chinese games.





Hanging out in the Student Dorms.


Matt got a suit made (About $50 total!) for my sister's wedding. The ones he has in America are all too big now.


At the students' tug-of-war match.

The Chairman

In China, the word for cat is "mao," which sounds like "meow." Makes sense, huh? What's funny, though, is that it also sounds like the name of China's famous Chairman Mao.

So... last night, we found a super-friendly stray cat playing around our house, and we went outside to feed and play with her. Of course, she needed a name. And what better than "The Chairman," of course. Since she is a girl, we call her Ms. Chairman to her face. (Chairwoman just doesn't have the same ring.)

Anyway, here are some pics of The Chairman. We're hoping she comes around again tonight and every night! We really miss having pets around.

KTV

KTV is the thing to do among college students in China... It's a karaoke place, but different than at home. Rather than a large room with one stage, there are lots of smaller rooms, each one with its own karaoke machine, microphones, lighting system and all. I have students who regularly book rooms for 6 hours straight and sometimes overnight for 12 hours!

Amazingly, after nearly two years in China, we just went for the first time this week with some of my best friends. And, yes... even Matt sang karaoke.

Alarm Clock

You may think your alarm clock is annoying, but imagine waking up everyday at 6:30am to this. (Luckily, on Saturday, she often sleeps in until at least 7am and is not accompanied by her friends all doing the same vocal exercises!)

Click this link to listen: Audio.wma (It will take you to another website.)

First Week Back

Matt's classes started Monday; and although Amy's classes haven't begun yet, her students are trickling back with their suitcases in tow. Already, we've had some great lunches and hang-out times with some old friends, as well as some new ones!

We came into this semester really anticipating and hoping for a great first week, and we definitely feel like we've gotten it!

Home, Sweet Home

We are back at our house in China and very glad about it! Matt's classes start on Monday, and Amy's classes start on February 23. Still no students around, but they should begin arriving on Saturday. We are looking forward to seeing your friends again as they make their way back to the campuses in town.

The Exodus

Students finished exams yesterday, and the term is officially over. Oh, the craziness this brings.

Apparently, before leaving the campus, every student must obtain an official piece of paper saying that they have been given permission to go home. (I don't know why... I think everyone is granted permission.) In any case, they must give the paper to security guards as they exit the gate.

After getting this paper, the journey has just begun. Imagine every person within the city limits of Knoxville (nearly 200,000 people) trying to leave the city within two days. This is what we are seeing. Buses are packed so tightly that we refuse to even attempt getting on one, and taxis are impossible to find. Students with rice bags and suitcases fill the sidewalks and streets, making biking feel like navigating through a maze!

It's crazy, but it's the China norm.

There are a few students lingering here until tomorrow, and we'll hang out with a couple of them today. We wish all of them a Happy New Year Festival, and look forward to seeing them again in February.

Happy New Year!

It's been a crazy week since Christmas. We had two late Christmas parties on Friday and Saturday. And then Amy began giving final exams to her students on Monday. She has a holiday today and tomorrow for the New Year; however, she has to make-up Friday's classes on Sunday. (It's a strange way they do holidays here; I don't know why they even bother!) So, her exams will actually finish on Sunday. She was very happy to learn that she will have the same students next term as she has been teaching this term. We both really enjoy these students and look forward to deepening our friendships with them next term.

Matt's been finished with classes for about a week and a half now. He's been taking opportunities to meet up with Chinese friends and practice speaking Chinese. At some point, the conversation usually turns to English, but he can usually get nearly an hour of Chinese practice in before the language shift.

We celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday by avoiding the cold weather outdoors and cooking in. It seems unbelievable we've lived in China for about half of our marriage!

Christmas is Upon Us...

We can hardly believe that Christmas is next week! We've managed to significantly cut the number of Christmas parties we will be hosting this year. We are down to six... a huge improvement over last year's marathon run of 13 parties! The first party will be tomorrow afternoon, so I've been busy getting ready... baking cookies, wrapping gifts for games and trying to pull together a game plan. Keep us in mind as we party away!

Speaking of Christmas, imagine our surprise earlier this week when we walked outside to find the streets of our university lined with Christmas trees! It feels quite festive, and this week, we've been talking about Christmas in my classes, and I even taught my freshmen students some songs. Pretty impressive singing if you ask me!


By the way, thanks to the family for sending the sprinkles. They made our Christmas cookies look especially seasonal! Our students will love it!