Oh, the City Life

I've gotta say, I love my job and I love the people I get to work with and all the ways we share life.  And yet, it took moving to a country of more than a billion people to irrefutably confirm that I decidedly lean more towards the introvert side of any kind of -vert scale.  So, as much as I love my students, my team, and even the cute little aunties at the supermarket, sometimes living here is just plain hard - you know, in the being-totally-overwhelmed sense of the word.  I have a friend who lives in a nearby country who may have put it best when he said that the culture basically "stampedes" us.

I've learned that in order to keep any semblance of sanity, sometimes it's necessary for me to just get away and have a little alone time.  Thankfully, working on a university schedule affords many such opportunities.  This week, for example, is Tomb Sweeping Day and so I was able to sneak off to a nearby-ish city for a couple of days before meeting up with a few of the other foreign teachers to check out a glacier park.  (Seriously.  Checking out glaciers.  In China.  How is this my life?!)  It's crazy how refreshing it is just to eat an omelet, drink non-instant coffee, and overhear English conversations in Irish, American, British, and even Polish accents.  I spent the whole afternoon yesterday on a comfortable sofa with a fresh cup of coffee, studying my Chinese characters in peace - pure bliss.  Last night I was able to talk to a handful of people back home that I hadn't been able to connect with due to a poor connection.  Few things are better (or more homesick-inducing) that hearing the voices of the ones I love.

On a different note, many times waiguoren choose not to acknowledge each other in China, like some kind of unspoken rule that this Texas girl just hasn't quite figured out yet.  However, when we're on our own and in a western business/setting, somehow it seems to make us more susceptible to speaking to each other.  It's always interesting to see the different personalities and hear their stories.  Whether it's a couple from Europe taking a four month holiday to travel the world or an organizer of an Ethiopian benefit concert wrapping up some real estate deals, I'm always fascinated to hear what could have brought them here.  With the (extremely odd/rare) exception of the random Frenchman who quite literally showed up on my doorstep last year, this kind of thing only ever happens on a trip into the city.  Sometimes just a reminder of international diversity is all I need to feel reenergized enough to dive back into the life of my city and appreciate the unique culture it has to offer.

A Little Perspective

Friday is typically my busiest day of the week.  I have a nearly full set of classes that day, which means lecturing to about 240 students over the course of six hours, and I just recently resumed my Mandarin lessons with my (amazing!) tutors.  This past Friday I was also invited out to a nearby-ish campus by some other foreign teachers with the purpose of remembering why this particular Friday is so Good.

After finishing my classes (and the lunch I'd intended to eat four hours earlier), I ran home to grab an overnight bag before setting off to find the bus to their elusive campus.  I wandered around downtown with no luck and finally began asking where to find the stop.  Naturally, each person I asked pointed in a different direction and none of them had ever heard of the other school.  Finally, I approached a group of young women hoping they'd be a little more knowledgeable.  Two of the three were ready to dismiss me then and there, but one immediately responded that she'd ask around and take care of it for me.  Y'all, this girl was legit.  She asked nearly everyone in sight and wouldn't settle for just pointing me on my way.  She had such an unusual calm about her and insisted on seeing me safely to the bus.  Of course, this meant a good 30 minute walk around the city center with multiple stops to ask further directions.

We finally arrived at the (unmarked, of course) stop and confirmed with others standing in line that it was indeed correct.  Homegirl still hung tight, until I tried to give her some cab money to get back to her waiting friends a little quicker.  She sternly scolded me, "I want to be sure you get on this bus safely, but I'll leave if you try to give me money!"  The bus arrived and a mad rush of waiting passengers ensued.  As I joined in the throngs, I looked back through the crowd of people to thank her one last time and she placed her hands together and said something like "I wish you peace."  I was blown away.  I still am.  Although I'd be remiss not to say that people here have indeed gone out of their way to be hospitable or helpful at times, no one has ever come close to that and no one, perhaps with the exception of the trendy Christmas apples, has ever uttered words even remotely close to that to me here.

As I contorted myself into the only empty space left on the overcrowded bus, I tried not to think about how uncomfortable I was balancing my bags and holding onto the bar above me while the seated young men tried to nap.  I tried to ignore the two old men who both seemed to have so much to say to each other all at the same time.  I tried not to hear the blaring music of the two passengers that were convinced their (conflicting styles of) music needed to be appreciated by all present over the din of the bus's own speakers full of white noise.  I tried not to smell the foul waves of rubbish being burnt by the farmers drifting in through the windows, interrupted only by the occasional waft of body odor.  I tried not to think about how the lady next to me was vying for a free massage by intermittently pressing various pressure points along her back into my unfortunate elbow, or how just one wrong swerve could careen us all over the mountainside.

In the face of so much discomfort, I was again struck with the words of my unanticipated guide, "I wish you peace."  Peace.  Isn't that, after all, the entire reason I was going to see my friends in the first place -  to celebrate the One who offers the hope of everlasting peace?  Peace that is freely given to all who accept it - not just for me, but also for the napping students, the chatty old men, and everyone else enduring a discomfort far, far less that what was endured on our behalf.  Peace that brought me a little much-needed perspective, and peace that continues to give me purpose.

National Day Trip

The alternative title for this post could be "I may have finally learned my lesson."

First lesson being, if I have the urge to get some much-needed-as-an-undercover-introvert alone time...well, I should definitely stick to a plan of traveling alone.  Second, the only people who should travel on national holidays in this country are those who need proof that the billion+ population is not a mere exaggeration.

(It's not.)

All week, as those around us celebrated the birth of New China, I contented myself with much smaller celebrations, such as:
the arrival to our first destination (after an adventuresome night followed by nearly 15 hours on a bus),

Pre-adventure - trekking down a CQ highway in the rain due to standstill traffic.

Laura made a new friend on the long bus ride.  Heh.

 experiencing "almost" Tibet,

Tibetan prayer flags strung across a local river.

my first glimpse of yaks,

Hairy cows!

a delightful bowl of noodles,

The much-celebrated Lanzhou Lamian.

 and perhaps the most beautiful creation I've ever seen.

Long Lake, JiuZhaiGou

Clear enough to see to the bottom - at least 10 feet down.

The natural minerals/elements (including copper) turn the water the most stunning aqua blue. 

I'm a sucker for waterfalls.

 Lesson learned.  But still, I couldn't have asked for a better classroom.

Year of the Dragon

January 23, 2012 marked two very significant events in China - the much anticipated year of the dragon, and the (not quite as much) anticipated birthday of one of our colleagues, David.  Before leaving for Myanmar, Arianne and I agreed to meet up with him so that he wouldn't be alone overseas for his birthday.  In the meantime, he had contacted some old friends in Guangzhou, so we decided to join them all up there.  It seemed appropriate that the first Chinese New Year that we'd be living in China would actually be spent in China.

As Arianne and I flew into the city on the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, we peered out the windows, amazed by the overlit city.  Lights of every color and intensity flickered and outlined buildings of every shape and size.  Then we noticed short bursts of sparkling lights shooting through the air some distance below us and realized that we were actually flying over firework displays.  Seeing something that is easily spectacular when viewed from the ground was amazing to see from the other side, high above it and through the clouds.

Guangzhou was unusually cold and we had not packed winter wear since we'd planned to be only in tropical climates while away from campus.  We walked out of the nearly empty airport and easily caught a cab to take us to the hostel where we were meeting up with David.  I gave the driver the name of the place in Chinese and did my best to be heard over the radio that was playing in addition to the New Year show on a TV screen in the back and white noise from a random, third electronic source.  He complained that he couldn't understand me (quite likely given all the other noises battling to reach his ear drums), couldn't read the address I had for the place, and then began loudly scolding me for not speaking Cantonese - his local dialect.  When we finally reached the hostel, he charged an additional 15 yuan (a little more than $2) for "fees" claiming there was a toll.  Tired of arguing and feeling belittled while competently speaking his official language instead of his personal preference of the local dialect, I finally tossed him the extra bills and muttered something to the effect of "Happy friggin' new year" as I ducked out of the car.

We met up with David and were soon comforted by the hospitality of the front desk staff.  The three of us sat around and caught each other up on what had happened during the past few weeks, effectively deciding to have only a couple days in Guangzhou before getting out of the cold and heading to the sunshiny warmth of Malaysia.  The next day - the actual holiday - was so cold and all the businesses were closed down, so we pretty much just hung out in the hostel lobby, watched the New Year specials on the TV, and booked tickets to our next destination.  My eyes had started to bother me a little, but I attributed it to the fact that I was once again in a cold, dreary place filled with unfamiliar pollutants/allergens.  Later that night, we met up with David's friends and tried to find a place for dinner - pretty impossible.  All the restaurants required tickets and far-in-advance bookings for their $40 and up meals.  We heard that the rest of the team (belonging to David's friends) were eating at an Irish pub and decided to try to get to that side of town to join them.

After running back by the hostel to grab our things (the friends generously offered to let us stay with them), and being warned that we were about to miss the amazing firework display (less intriguing since we'd seen the one from the sky the night before), we headed over and enjoyed the best (and only) home-style hamburgers we'd had in a good 6 months.  The GZ group took amazing care of us and it was so much fun getting to spend time with other Americans living in China, knowing they understood a lot of what we were experiencing.

The next day I woke up and couldn't see.  It wasn't so much that my vision was lost as my ability to effectively open my eyes was.  So, we headed to the warmest place we could think of (Starbucks, natch) and pretty much slummed it there all day - David and Arianne watching movies on their laptops and me in a benadryl coma, propped up against the wall.  When the GZ group called to meet us for dinner, a nice guy seated nearby overheard and offered to give us directions.  Turns out he knew our friends and decided to join us.  As amazing as the Italian food was, it was even more amazing to have the group gather around me and ask the Father for healing.  Our new friend asked me soon after if I felt any better and I responded a little facetiously with a quick "Sure," only to realize that I truly did.

After dinner, we decided to see the lights of Guangzhou before heading  back to the apartment.  It was incredible just to actually be able to see, much less to take in the enchanting surroundings.


Beautifully landscaped designs (like this phoenix) were on display to celebrate the festival.

 Fireworks are a traditional way of celebrating the Chinese New Year - the noise scares off evil spirits and the old Nian (literally "year") monster.

 Even the Canton tower was lit up in the colors of Spring Festival - red and gold.

The holiday was lovely, but I was far from sad to be back in the air and headed towards paradise!