In search of simplicity I wondered around the city on my own today. I bought some food from a street vendor everyone calls the “Crunchy Taco Man” and a Coca Cola from across the street. The food the CTM makes is perhaps the best that I have had since my stay in China, and if not the best then at least on par with other great foods here. Whatever it is that he makes has the feel of a burrito with sun chips in the middle surrounded by some type of bean sauce and bit of cilantro with a hint of spice; maybe I like it so much because of its resemblance to the Tex-Mex I miss so much.
Taking my food and drink to the Peoples Square I found an empty bench and had my lunch. The People’s Square is fascinating. Floating through the air in the distance is a large helium filled Mickey Mouse Balloon drifting in the same wind that is guiding the Chinese flag that sits in the foreground – a perfect image of how the West has found its way into China. Gallantly streaming, the Chinese flag waves proudly in the center of the People’s Park as suitable reminder of the hand that feeds and provides for such a luxury as a town square.
Everyone stares at me. Is it so strange to see a white man in China? Perhaps foreigners who visit Beijing or Hong Kong do not have the same experience as this, but to be stared at for ones differences has the effect of placing an air of reflection on ones history. However, it is not hate that drives this unstoppable reaction but an apparent uncontrollable curiosity that is evident by those who stop and say ‘hullo’ in their glorious Chinese accents.
Today’s weather warrants the ability for people to come out this afternoon and fly kites in the Square. I counted seven in the air today. One kite flew so high that it must have been nearly a mile out from its operator. While flying kites is a bit of childish thing to do in the US, here it is revered by the elderly. Of all the people flying kites the youngest looked to be no less than 60 and the proud owner of a wellspring of wrinkles from years of smoking. These old men fly these kites with such diligence, waiting for the gust of wind to come to them rather than chasing after the wind as a child might do. The imagery I could witness from their ability to catch the same wind by standing still, as opposed to putting physical energy into lifting the kite, was overwhelming – such simplicity in their action and such reward for their patience.
Two kids ran across the Square chasing after a battery-powered car. The car was much faster than the boys and as one dove to catch the car he missed and skinned his knee. His friend, or maybe brother, continued in pursuit, leaving his brother behind, but equally managed to not catch the car. Eventually the car found its way to into an encounter with a barrier wall of the park and changes direction in favor of the boys who were chasing it. This time around both kids dove for the car and, as though I were watching a “Three Stooges” re-run, both kids missed and bumped into each other. Everyone in the park who was watching chuckled a little, and by the overwhelming sound of laughter resonating through the Square I could tell that the boys had acquired a respectable crowd of spectators. Finally the boys managed to catch the car, and like all good boys released it again to resume their pursuit.
Everyone else was sitting and watching or walking around and eating. Since it was lunchtime there was an equal amount of eating by those who were sitting and by those who were walking. From work to home, from home to work again, from school to home, from home to lunch, from lunch to school again, or just shopping, everyone has the same agenda – coming and going. All people come and go. What I began to notice was this, that these people are no more or less the same be they Chinese, Arab, or American. They are, everyone of them, human; happy and sad, strong and frail, excited and tired, emotional and flat, light and heavy, life breathing, selfishly oriented, family established, food digesting humans... and they are all, everyone of them, beautiful. Communist, Republican, Democrat... none of this matters on this day; just simplicity, and the ability to appreciate life for what it is – short.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
I am the greatest man that ever lived... in China
China has provided me with many new opportunities such as eating some of the best food ever, speaking to people in a language that in no way resembles communication, befriending some of the nicest people in the world, and, of course, playing Rock Band.
Several of us foreign guys have established our own little Chinese 'night cap' and play the game Rock Band at least 3 nights out of the week. One fine evening, after a delightful meal, several of us make our way to the stage and begin rocking, and one of the songs we rock out too was by the band Weezer titled "I'm the greatest man that ever lived." Not to disappoint any of my readers who have complete faith in my rocking abilities, but the song was new too me and I sucked at life when it came time to play the song. Only He knows what might have happened if i was singing... maybe the earth would have collapsed with my suckiness. Nevertheless, I became determined to learn the song so that when I returned I would not only have improved, but would have improved with such awesomeness that I would be considered on par with the greats of Rock!
So, at lunch the next day, as I sat in my flat, I jumped over to youtube and listened to the song a couple of times in an effort to learn the song. Being alone in my house, I.... may.... have become overly bold and sang the song as though I were alone in my car... which means I was belting the song with great intensity in my flat. For those of you who have never heard the song there is a part where the singer, out of no where, hits the highest note ever sung by a man and sings "oooooooh baby, I've been told that I'm going crazy," and he holds the note for a while. So here I am belting this song, alone, in my flat, feeling good about myself and the fact that I am going to Rock the next time we are... rocking.
And then, because my lunch was over, I start making my way out of my flat, and as I close the door and turn around I spot two of my fellow Chinese teachers with the biggest Chinese grins on their faces and, in unison, and in a voice similar to the Chinese guys who sang "Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra" at the end of the movie "A Christmas Story," begin singing "OOOOOOOH BAAAAAABBBYYY!!!!!" and finish with a burst of humiliating Chinese laughter. That's right, I am the greatest man the ever lived... in China. Because only I would be dumb enough to think that no one would make fun me for singing so loud in my apartment.
Several of us foreign guys have established our own little Chinese 'night cap' and play the game Rock Band at least 3 nights out of the week. One fine evening, after a delightful meal, several of us make our way to the stage and begin rocking, and one of the songs we rock out too was by the band Weezer titled "I'm the greatest man that ever lived." Not to disappoint any of my readers who have complete faith in my rocking abilities, but the song was new too me and I sucked at life when it came time to play the song. Only He knows what might have happened if i was singing... maybe the earth would have collapsed with my suckiness. Nevertheless, I became determined to learn the song so that when I returned I would not only have improved, but would have improved with such awesomeness that I would be considered on par with the greats of Rock!
So, at lunch the next day, as I sat in my flat, I jumped over to youtube and listened to the song a couple of times in an effort to learn the song. Being alone in my house, I.... may.... have become overly bold and sang the song as though I were alone in my car... which means I was belting the song with great intensity in my flat. For those of you who have never heard the song there is a part where the singer, out of no where, hits the highest note ever sung by a man and sings "oooooooh baby, I've been told that I'm going crazy," and he holds the note for a while. So here I am belting this song, alone, in my flat, feeling good about myself and the fact that I am going to Rock the next time we are... rocking.
And then, because my lunch was over, I start making my way out of my flat, and as I close the door and turn around I spot two of my fellow Chinese teachers with the biggest Chinese grins on their faces and, in unison, and in a voice similar to the Chinese guys who sang "Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra" at the end of the movie "A Christmas Story," begin singing "OOOOOOOH BAAAAAABBBYYY!!!!!" and finish with a burst of humiliating Chinese laughter. That's right, I am the greatest man the ever lived... in China. Because only I would be dumb enough to think that no one would make fun me for singing so loud in my apartment.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
over two weeks in and no looking back
Just over two weeks ago I made the adventurous trip to China. Being my first trip to the orient I did not know what all to expect or who all I would meet. My experience here has been one of excitement and anticipation. Every new street I walk down and every new person that I meet has acted as a filling water within me that can only be expressed as a fulfilment to the needs of man, that is, the fulfilment of an adventure.
In coming to China, I had to throw away much of my belongings. This was mainly due to the clever, though ridiculous weight requirements posted by a European airline carrier whom I will not name. Nevertheless, as I sat in Edinburgh Airport shuffling through my luggage to weed out things that were not 'absolutely' needed, as all that I packed had sentimental or clothing value that was at least needed on a foundational level, I began to think of myself as a man readying to embark on a pilgrimage; not knowing what lied around the next corner.
The anticipation of landing in China for the first time kept me from sleeping at all on the flight over, though not for lack of trying. When we landed in Hong Kong and I looked out the window to see just just what China looked like, I became overwhelmed and excited. The rolling hills that surround the city were majestic and blocked and sight of looking more than two miles inland. On the other side of the plane, through windows blocked by the rest of the passengers, I could just make out the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean and some of the surrounding islands near HK.
I suppose the HK airport was my first "China experience," that European airline that I would not mention earlier was unable to provide a ticket for me that allowed me to get on my final flight to Wuhan where I would rendezvous with my friends who were coming from America; so with only an hour until my next flight I had to make my way through the unloading passengers and find my way to the nearest ticket desk. My new carrier, whom I will name, was Dragon Air; this is a company that is co-owned by Cathay Pacific and though I had the option to buy a Cathay Pacific ticket I chose the other... when in China, fly as the dragon does. One man beat me to the ticket line, and as it turned out he was the kind of customer who needed 20 minutes to explain his situation before anyone could help him - never mind the queue that was forming behind him. When I finally got to the desk I was speaking to a lady who was translating my English to a second woman who was training a third woman on how to use the computer. Needless to say, I was also one of those customers who needed 20 minutes. The security check was a breeze to get through (because everyone was held up at the line) and I made it to the plane as everyone was boarding. It was nice to look down the terminal and see friends who were anxiously waiting my arrival and who were equally worried about me not being on the flight to Wuhan.
The final flight was great and we landed in Wuhan Airport with no problems. Wuhan did not present any worthy stories except for the medical check I needed to take before actually coming to my final destination in Shiyan. This medical check consisted of a chest x-ray, a blood test, and eye exam, and an ultrasound. Before you ask, its a girl. The hospital was the most unsanitary place I have ever been and could have easily played host to a horror movie.
The drive from Wuhan to Shiyan took about 5 hours and as I watched the landscape change for the better I knew fortune smiled upon next year in China. Shiyan is a city surrounded by many low lying mountains, almost small enough to call hills, that are scattered throughout the landscape. This makes going places difficult as there a lot of hills one must often walk up to reach the places they go. But the city itself is beautiful. I can't wait for autumn when the heat and humidity fade and the surrounding scenic landscape changes into a parade of seasoned colors.
I am an English teacher here at East Wind #1 Middle School, at least I think that is how it was translated, and I have over 1000 students who all seem eager to want to learn how to speak English. The other teachers that work with have been so welcoming and the higher ups at the school have spared no expense on account of me being here. My only hope, if any, is that I can live up to the efforts these wonderful people have invested in me and that my being here provides a return they desire.
Finally, in walking the streets of the city and seeing how these wonderful people live their lives I have become enamored by both the Chinese and this city. I do not believe my being here is a mistake nor do I believe that the door to come was open for no reason. I am in search of finding my place both in the city of Shiyan and in His will; a revelation that will hopefully come soon.
In coming to China, I had to throw away much of my belongings. This was mainly due to the clever, though ridiculous weight requirements posted by a European airline carrier whom I will not name. Nevertheless, as I sat in Edinburgh Airport shuffling through my luggage to weed out things that were not 'absolutely' needed, as all that I packed had sentimental or clothing value that was at least needed on a foundational level, I began to think of myself as a man readying to embark on a pilgrimage; not knowing what lied around the next corner.
The anticipation of landing in China for the first time kept me from sleeping at all on the flight over, though not for lack of trying. When we landed in Hong Kong and I looked out the window to see just just what China looked like, I became overwhelmed and excited. The rolling hills that surround the city were majestic and blocked and sight of looking more than two miles inland. On the other side of the plane, through windows blocked by the rest of the passengers, I could just make out the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean and some of the surrounding islands near HK.
I suppose the HK airport was my first "China experience," that European airline that I would not mention earlier was unable to provide a ticket for me that allowed me to get on my final flight to Wuhan where I would rendezvous with my friends who were coming from America; so with only an hour until my next flight I had to make my way through the unloading passengers and find my way to the nearest ticket desk. My new carrier, whom I will name, was Dragon Air; this is a company that is co-owned by Cathay Pacific and though I had the option to buy a Cathay Pacific ticket I chose the other... when in China, fly as the dragon does. One man beat me to the ticket line, and as it turned out he was the kind of customer who needed 20 minutes to explain his situation before anyone could help him - never mind the queue that was forming behind him. When I finally got to the desk I was speaking to a lady who was translating my English to a second woman who was training a third woman on how to use the computer. Needless to say, I was also one of those customers who needed 20 minutes. The security check was a breeze to get through (because everyone was held up at the line) and I made it to the plane as everyone was boarding. It was nice to look down the terminal and see friends who were anxiously waiting my arrival and who were equally worried about me not being on the flight to Wuhan.
The final flight was great and we landed in Wuhan Airport with no problems. Wuhan did not present any worthy stories except for the medical check I needed to take before actually coming to my final destination in Shiyan. This medical check consisted of a chest x-ray, a blood test, and eye exam, and an ultrasound. Before you ask, its a girl. The hospital was the most unsanitary place I have ever been and could have easily played host to a horror movie.
The drive from Wuhan to Shiyan took about 5 hours and as I watched the landscape change for the better I knew fortune smiled upon next year in China. Shiyan is a city surrounded by many low lying mountains, almost small enough to call hills, that are scattered throughout the landscape. This makes going places difficult as there a lot of hills one must often walk up to reach the places they go. But the city itself is beautiful. I can't wait for autumn when the heat and humidity fade and the surrounding scenic landscape changes into a parade of seasoned colors.
I am an English teacher here at East Wind #1 Middle School, at least I think that is how it was translated, and I have over 1000 students who all seem eager to want to learn how to speak English. The other teachers that work with have been so welcoming and the higher ups at the school have spared no expense on account of me being here. My only hope, if any, is that I can live up to the efforts these wonderful people have invested in me and that my being here provides a return they desire.
Finally, in walking the streets of the city and seeing how these wonderful people live their lives I have become enamored by both the Chinese and this city. I do not believe my being here is a mistake nor do I believe that the door to come was open for no reason. I am in search of finding my place both in the city of Shiyan and in His will; a revelation that will hopefully come soon.
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