Sep 17, 2008

One month in China.

I have been in china for one month now, and I wanted to convey some thoughts on my Alaskan Adventure. I would also like to express my gratitude for some of your comments, and it’s great to hear from a few of you that I haven't heard from in quite some time. Thank You.
I’ve had a good time so far and I am glad that I made this decision (albeit through much mental strife and hesitation; but as a wise man said many moons ago, “even though this type of working vacation is probably a career killer, it sure beats workin’!”
My fellow teachers, administration, and students are great. I work with a great couple with lots of travel experience from America, a Frenchie, and an Irish man! It has been a real pleasure getting to know them. And buying a mountain bike here has made my cruising in town and out of town just delightful, not to mention all the basketball goin on around here.
I can’t speak a lick of Chinese (besides a few survival words/phrases). It’s just a whole other world. It’s nothing like English to Spanish. It’s all about sounds and tones, and one character can have many meanings. For example, bu la can mean, “no thank you”, or it can mean “no spice”, i.e. leave the freakin hot spice out please! It all depends on how you say la, i.e. short, fast, down tone, etc... awwww! So I started to learn characters for food, so I could order off a menu. But that isn’t an exact science either…I will spare you the details. Sometimes I just walk in the kitchen and point at some food. But I am learning some dishes. When I was in Shanghai I went out in the morning looking for breakfast. After eating some bread stuff, I found a dumpling shop, and thought I would try one. The lady showed 1, and then 2 fingers. They weren’t too big, so I thought I would try 2...she brought me 2 plates of dumplings...BTW, my first week in China I had no idea what I ordered or ate. I bet some of that meat wasn't the kind of meat I am used to eating, if you know what I mean.
Life here constantly reminds of my time in Africa, with people working at their little shops all day, up early and closing late, and people everywhere, walking around town, standing around, smoking their pipes, doing Tai-Chi, hanging out at hot-pots or at the tea shops, playing a variety of Chinese card games and gambling on what looks like some type of dominoes all throughout the evening. Lots of students all over, near the university. Lots of little eating shops, some in peoples homes, where you walk by their bedroom to sit in the dining room (the other day I guess I was too early at my latest find, by my residence, and all the lights were off and someone was snoring away in the bedroom…I quietly left, taking a chicken leg for the road). Like Africa, the shops are on the bottom floor with residences up above, often many stories high. Every where in the world seems to build up, while we build out. I guess that’s why cars aren’t needed so much. Around here, walking is the main transportation, bikes next, and then electric scooters and moto’s, and then mostly taxi’s. Electric Scooters...why don’t we have those? They’re great...except they are quiet...and sneak up on you like a serial killer. I have almost been taken out a couple of times by those silent killers!
Even though the coastal cities as well as the interior of China are growing like crazy with the building of skyscrapers littering the skies, salaries remain low. Here in the interior, the situation is similar throughout most of China. The kids out here as well as others can work low-end jobs at make $1-2 a day. The Chinese English teachers make slightly above $400 a month (teaching is one of the better jobs out here in this region, I think). A couple of students that are graduating this year hope to get jobs making $300 a month. I think there is a realization that their futures aren’t that bright. One could move toward the coast, like Shanghai or Beijing, and make more...but just like Los Angeles, real estate has skyrocketed. In fact, they are having similar issues with their housing market dropping and getting hit with inflation. Many have told me that the prices of foods and noodles at the little food shops have doubled in the last couple of years. Housing is interesting here. You can sorta buy an apartment for a lump sum, get it for 80 years, you and all your relatives can live in it during that time, and then it goes back to the gov’t. You must live in it, or rent it out if you move. I am told that this is the cheaper alternative to actually owning forever. But even this “cheaper” method is difficult for many. Although, it sure beats living in a place that the rent goes up every year! And after 80 years…who cares what happens, eh?!
Did I mention the food is Great! Oh…and the Green tea…excellent. Ya’an grows this all over...among everything else. Funny, how you won’t find any green lawns out here. Just today, I was at immigration getting my residence card, and across the driveway a lady was hoeing the ground. Most patches of dirt have some kind of vegetable growing in it. Interesting contrast between here and there. People are practical, probably out of necessity. They grow to eat and sell; you don’t see grass growing around here. We grow grass to look at? Play on? On any given day, on the many rivers flowing through and around town, you will find men fishing on the banks of the water, or even an occasional canoe floating down the water with some guy fishing. I bet they don’t have to pay some fee to fish, or ride down their river. Did I mention the food is Great! Spicy, tasty, and yummy! You all know I love to eat...and I am in heaven here. So cheap, for me, with my big teacher’s salary (good for china, very little by American standard), but hey, I definitely didnt come here for the money. I must say, with my long winter and summer break, and my teaching hours, the quality of life issue is readily accomplished here. Although its only been a month...I could see myself in this lifestyle for a couple years...working a little, traveling around on breaks, experiencing different cultures, foods, and meeting the locals. Until next time...

Sep 14, 2008

Ancient Town

A few of us teachers and some of our students took a day trip to the Ancient Town, also known as Shangli in the Ya'an District.
Here is a quick slide slow of our day.

Sep 10, 2008

Lost in China

I took a 24 km ride to the Hot Springs outside of Ya'an,
and missed it...went a few km's off course, up the mountain...and when returning, missed the main road and got lost. I didn't know it at that time, but soon realized it when I got some assistance in finding where the Hot Springs were. Good thing I ran into my young helpers...

What u get for a $1...

The cost of living is obviously less here in Ya'an. So to give u an idea, here are some things that I have found for a buck.

Foods:

A vendor near my place sells a type of bacon (as close as one can get to bacon) with egg in a bun, like a breakfast sandwich, with a great sauce, just terrific. 2 for $1.

These veggies...all for a buck.


a similar amount of fruit...(not all fruits though),
about 5 handfuls of garlic cloves,
2-16 oz. bottles of coke,
about 4-6 ice cream bars, (sean would love it)
a loaf of bread,
a bag of bread stuff at the bakery,
a big bag of green tea (ya'an is famous for its tea growing)
a five gallon jug of drinking water,
2-22oz beers,
and at the little restaurants, a big bowl of noodles, small amount of some kind of meat, 70 Cents.

Sometimes Western products or "unique" products are very expensive.
Chocolate as an example, for Dove or snicker candy bars, its like $2 ea. or a big bag of cereal/granola type, $10!

Some Services:

I got a haircut the other day, $1.
Full body massage for almost an hour, 3 bucks.
I havent gotten a foot massage yet, (they have those shops around town), but i bet its around a buck or two.
2 workouts at the gym, $1.
taxi ride in and around town, usually less than a buck.
fixing something on the bicycle...maybe a buck.
There is a "red light" district,or "massage parlors", maybe...I was gonna check that out for u guys!
I was also told there were a bunch of bars...but when I rode by them, they were just Hot Pots that served beer, i believe (a type of restaurant that serves Spicy food).


The haircut was interesting.
First, they washed my hair (never used ta get that done),
then cut, then wash again, then blow dry and styled.
no tip. they dont accept it. consider it part of the service.
excellent hair cut by the way.

The massage shops that I famously heard of, are filled with old blind men.
I thought, "how cool to go there"...
I pictured some old guy with a long gray beard and cane, wiping out the kung-fu massage.
I didnt find any blind men, but they did have eye issues.
Just was an interesting thought that the society seems to have positions of employment for those that couldn't do the work that maybe others could. There is a deaf couple that works on all the bikes near the school as well, (these instances just made me think of our social programs/work programs, or lack thereof, in the u.s.,for those that have certain disabilities, but still are included in society rather than just receiving a check, and of course can earn some money on their own without receiving financial benefits. It also has made me rethink the "wal-mart" issue...Big corps vs. small business).

Anyways, the guy worked my back so hard that its still sore...
I think he tried to tell me something was wrong with me, but i didn't know what the h*ll he was saying, as usual. And i suppose thats why he kept bustin on my lower back. I think I need a massage for my massage!

So, just a few prices around town.

Master su fu jim

Sep 7, 2008

My English Class...

This is how my classes usually go!

Sep 2, 2008

Basketball Big in China

My second day in Ya'an, I went to shoot around at mid-day. A bit hot.
One fella was playing. English speaker (to some degree), and we agreed to meet later to play, when it cooled down.

The pics below is what I came to.
This is the scene everyday, starting about 4pm to 7ish.
12 half-courts full, with 4 on 4 games going on, with people waiting to play.
They play up to 5 when a team is waiting, otherwise the game just goes on, with no score keeping. BTW, there are 2 other main courts like this, completely full.
Also, there is badminton and volleyball courts and soccer fields being played on as well. An active student body, no?

Where is the Moving Truck?

So...I have had to purchase many basic amenities for my living quarters.
And one thing that has been troubling me is the lack of "cushiony" chairs and couches.
Much furniture is either made of wood, or is just plain uncomfortable.
So after searching the countless stores I found a decent couch.
Things that I desire for my comforts, from what I am used to are sometimes hard to come by. For example, I could not find a pair of size 10 bball shoes in the whole city. This goes for clothes as well.
So the guy in the store picked up the couch and started to carry it downstairs. I assumed we were going to load it up on the truck for delivery (since i live a 1-2 km away, up a hill). I set off to purchase something and told him I would meet him at my place (sort of, since i cant communicate with anyone!).

This was his delivery truck...


He got angry when i hopped on the top of his cargo...


Sometimes, things are just done differently.
I kept seeing corn layed out all over town. "What are they doing"? I kept thinking.
Is it for the ducks...the gods, some other thing???

Sep 1, 2008

Meat Market (part 2)

A face only a mother could love...



Pig heads are very popular here! Baskets and bags of heads going out to vendors all throughout the neighborhood. Can't wait to eat me some pig eyes...





This is where I purchase my meat. There is often smaller cuts hanging on racks, and since I can't communicate very well, I simply make a "sawing" motion at where I want them to cut the piece off at. So far I have paid about $1 a pound...i think...

The Meat Market

The market has all your needs...
Chicken, duck, pig, fruits and veggies.
I go every couple of few days to get the best bird, like these cute chickens that are waiting to be sold as pets...





OR MAYBE NOT...

Gonna have me some fried chicken.

And some veggies to go with the main dish.