The End

Today was my first day back. I spent it reconnecting with my family and soaking up my home.

My son and husband cleaned the entire house before I got home, gave me flowers and chocolates and even cooked for me. I really am blessed to have two such wonderful guys in my life.

I ran about 4 miles this evening to the Mama Mia soundtrack (I should be sick of it by now but I'm not. I blame my friend Samantha who first hooked me on that movie). I could mouth the words while I pounded the pavement and no one thought I looked the least bit strange. Or at least they didn't stare at me from their cars as they zipped past on the busier roads with no sidewalks. After all, I'm just one of 270 or so million Americans here.

Most of the time, though, there were no cars or any people to see me at all. The gold, orange and red leaves are half on the ground and half in the trees. I filled my lungs with the smell of pine needles and that damp odor of fall in the Northwest.

Near my house is a long road with a horse pasture on one side and blackberry bushes on the other (My son and I had a blast picking those berries last September. He ate more than he put in his bucket).

I stopped there to just soak up the largeness of the blue sky and gaze at the horses waiting at the corner of their fence for their evening feed. Mt. Rainier was just behind them with a fresh covering of snow from the 'Pineapple Express' that hit before I arrived on Friday.

With this, my dear readers, I will close my blog since it is no longer October and I am no longer in China.

It was good to see such an astouding place and meet such incredible people. Very good. And like every other trip I've ever taken, it's good to be home. Very good.

Seeing the Sky Again

After seventeen hours of traveling, Mom and I made it home today. I fell into bed at 5pm tonight only to wake up 4 hours later and not feel sleepy. Jetlag is a stark reality at the moment.

We met many more interesting people including a German-born American that I spoke to in German on the plane. After floundering along in Chinese for so long, it was lovely to speak in a language that I have some grasp of. And after that he helped me haul all of our baggage off the circular area where all of the travelers huddle around and try to pick out their black non-descript bag from all of the others. He said the bags weren't heavy. My aching arms were really glad they felt so insignificant to him.

We asked him what business had brought him to Shanghai. He apparently works for an environmental firm in Denver that is testing the air quality in places around the world. Shanghai is "pretty bad" he told us while shaking his head. The measurements were comparable to Mexico City which is supposed to be one of the worst in the world. He said that my dry scratchy throat is probably a result of the pollution there.

I was so glad to see the deep blue sky in San Francisco and even think the ovecast in Tacoma looks lovely. I have always been something of an environmentalist but the air in China has really motivated me. Imagine, if you will, living in a soup of smog that sometimes hovers near the ground and leaves a film in your apartment that isn't dust. Imagine it first for 5 weeks and then stretch that out to years or even a lifetime for my friends who live there.

I learned from the German that we cleaned up Los Angeles when it was that bad. We've really got to do the same for the rest of the world, too. I say 'we' because I am so convinced that the earth is all connected at this point. What happens in Shanghai affects my corner of the Pacific.

I never want to see my bright clean Washington state become a place where I never see the sky. I also pray for that kind of beauty for the 1.3 billion Chinese in their own country.

It might mean giving up our cars. Trust me. It's worth it. Or don't trust me. Visit Shanghai yourself and you'll agree.

And that's my soap box for today.

Gratitude

There are so many people to be grateful for here.

At the top of my list right now is a teacher from Singapore named Wee Nee. She speaks both Mandarin and English and happened to be on the train with my mom and me on our way from Shanghai to Wuxi two weeks ago. She spoke flawless English to me for the first time on that trip (I'd seen her speaking in Mandarin to the other teachers at my bus stop and never knew that English was her first language). She helped us with our luggage that day and then included us in her return trip on the train back to Shanghai.

Today we rode together and somehow managed those hideous stairs at the train station. Mom waited at the top while Wee Nee and I hauled two pieces down the stairs. Then I sprinted back up to Mom, grabbed another piece of 10 ton luggage while Mom started to drag it down the steps. I then ran back up again to take Mom's bag so we could hustle to the train JUST IN TIME for it to leave.

We could not have carried our luggage or managed the Chinese language without her. She even had a cell phone that helped us find our agent here in Shanghai. What a wonder. Mom and I are pondering what we can do for her in return. I doubt there is anything. We'll just have to pay it forward somehow. In any case, my family owes their Christmas presents to her strong arms and luggage guarding abilities this year.

More on gratitude to come...

The 11 Best Things about China

So here they are:

1. Just the idea of being in a country so far and so different from my own.

2. Getting to teach people in their own culture and their own country. I haven't done this in a long time.

3. Watching people dance in the streets at night where they feel totally safe in a city twice the size of Seattle. We go out at night in Seattle but we are always aware that it is a risk. There is no such sense of danger here.

4. Seeing everyone be so helpful each other. People move from their seats on the bus for the elderly or for mothers with babies. And it's absolutely miserable to stand on those swaying, swerving things so it really is remarkable to give up your seat.

5. The near lack of road rage. Sure they drive like maniacs. But no one seems really up tight about it. It's just business as usual with no hard feelings.

6. How hard everyone tries to speak English. They may not be able to tell me what they need to but they always try (with the exception of the occasional taxi driver)
.
7. My students themselves. They are delightful young men (and three young women). I have really enjoyed getting to know them and find out the things they love: basketball, singing karaoke style and listening to me mangle Chinese words.

8. Beijing. I loved seeing this city. I will remember the history and architecture forever.

9. The other teachers here. I felt like a colleague from the first day I started. Even on the days when they chattered away in Chinese they somehow made me feel included.

10. The Chinese I've learned. It's not nearly enough but when I look back I've learned so much during my stay. After all, now I can ask the clerk at the store where the garbage bags are. I certainly couldn't have done that before.

11. The food. OK, it's bizarre at times but I've grown to love it. Some of the flavors are divine. Plus, I can eat and eat and eat and never feel that bloated feeling that comes at Thanksgiving. And by the feel of my pants, I've lost at least 5 pounds. While eating all the time. Amazing.

That Wall

Last weekend, Mom and I took a taxi by ourselves to the Wuxi airport and got ourselves to Beijing. Taking that taxi was slightly frightening and I lost one yuan because the driver didn't think I could count. I decided that it wasn't worth fighting over less than 20 cents.

It was most certainly worth those 20cents to go to Beijing in spite of the fact that every single person I talked to said that two days wasn't enough time. They shook their heads sadly just thinking about me trying to see anything of the capital. This is one time I'm glad I didn't listen.

We saw the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall and Tian An Men Square. If I had to choose, I'd say that the Wall was my very favorite. There is some history behind my choice.

Way back in the beginning of September I began to picture what it would be like to be in China (I should have known to get my visa then). The picture was always my view from the Great Wall.

I missed a few things when I was visualizing, though. Actually being there was much colder than in my imagination. It was sunny but about 40 degrees Fahrenheit with a chilling wind that liked to slice through my jacket.

It was also steeper than I'd thought. I'd heard people talk about 'climbing' the Great Wall. I thought they were talking about climbing stairs or something to get to the walkway on top. Not so. They were talking about the fact that it wanders around really steep Eastern Washington-like hills and just being on the walkway puts you at an angle. In addition to the hills under the wall, the walkway itself is askew so that the water will run off and not leave rivers running along the wall.

The stones underfoot are slick. When they are dry. I kept picturing those soldiers trying to defend China by shooting arrows through those holes along the northern side. And they probably had other nasty things like ice. And rain. And arrows flying toward them. I'm sure it's not a job that I would have wanted.

Since I had none of those things to worry about, though, I could just relax and enjoy the feeling of being in the China of my imagination. It hasn't always been easy here. And I still have many pieces to put together before I leave in 3 days. It hasn't been easy on those I left behind either (they tell me all the time). But I'll always have That Wall.

(And, yes, I do have pictures, but, no, my computer will not allow you to see them. I'll have to try to trick it into letting you see them later. I'm getting tired and tomorrow's another big day.)

The Benefits of Learning Chinese

It takes discipline to learn any language but, for me, Chinese has been above and beyond a challenge. Over the past month I've learned more things than I can count but I still can't tell the taxi driver which way to go when he loses his way.


In spite of my failures, there are many reasons to love Mandarin. Let me count the ways:

1. Extra brain power just for trying to learn. It has to be increasing my mental abilities. I can't imagine that my thinking hasn't improved from all of this exercise. It's better than Sudoku and crossword puzzles could ever be.


2. Confidence from reading the characters. I honestly think it's insane to have that many characters in a written language. When I studied linguistics, I would just shake my head at the very idea. Still, there is a beauty to all of those lines and a sense of accomplshment that comes whenever I recognize them.


3. Leaping tall buildings by writing characters. If reading them is something to write home about, writing them is even better. I feel a little like superwoman when I write something and my friends here understand.


4. The crazy English spelling system. Those characters help me understand what it's like to learn to write English as a child or as an adult. Of course our alphabet has connections between sight and sound. But 100 or so sounds with around 1200 spellings isn't always enough of a connection.


5. Humility, humility, humilty. There is nothing so humbling as trying to say someone's name and watching them try not to laugh. Or better yet having your whole class snicker at you for your attempts. Every language teacher should remember that feeling.


6. The tones. I love the sing song tones. I don't love them when no one understands me but I do when I get it right. Or at least close enough to right that they're not laughing.


7. Facing my fears. I used to be so afraid of Chinese. So afraid that I wouldn't even try it. But I've found that, like anything else in life, if you take it one step at a time and believe that you can do it, progress happens.



8. The power of making a choice. I have so very many students who speak so very many languages. I wish I had the time and energy to learn them all. This used to stop me from really diving into anything but German, the language Frau Jones began teaching me in high school.
I'm so glad I've made an effort to dive into Mandarin. Even though it won't help me to speak with my Russian or Vietnamese students, it has benefited me and my classroom all the same.

And those, my English speaking friends, are the great things that can happen when you try to learn Chinese. Even if you're not a language teacher, you can still reap the mental exercise benefits.
If nothing else you should learn to write one character some day. You just might like that superwoman (or superman) feeling.

Transportation

I know that I can never describe the experience of transportation here.

That won't stop me from trying.

Riding the bus is the easiest. I put my 2 yuan into the slot and then just hope to find a seat.

Mom and I went downtown today and there was no seat to be had. So we stood. And tried not to fall as the bus driver accelerated and swerved to miss the pedestrians that step out in front buses all the time. They must because there is no other way to get across a street. Meanwhile electric scooters dash in and out of traffic lanes and onto sidewalks. Sometimes they go in the right direction. Other times they head into oncoming lanes of cars and buses.

A mob of children rushed the bus where we were waiting to go back to the apartment today. They pounded on the side of the bus, crushing an old man to the side as the bus driver kept moving to get to his regular stop. No one looked surprised. They just all thought it was normal. Only Mom and I were holding our breath.

But I like the buses. The things that really scare me are the taxis. They zoom along at 50 miles an hour swerving and missing the other cars by inches. Maybe by centimeters.

I know. All taxi drivers are crazy, even in Seattle. The difference here is that people wander around in front of them and the other cars drive the same taxi cab way. And don't forget the bicycles with an occasional motorized cart full of a tower of garbage. At least with the buses, I'm up high enough. And there I don't mind so much that no one wears seat belts. Not even I do. I can't find them in those wild toad ride taxis.

Sore muscles and downsizing

Mom and I hauled her luggage from Shanghai to Wuxi yesterday and my arms are really sore.


There were a couple big bags that I needed to carry down flights of stairs in the train station. It was the last two flights that really wore me out. The picture here isn't from the actual stairs but it gives you the feeling of what it was like and why my arms ache.

A kind man helped my mother and then two kind people helped us on the way back. Thank goodness for those people. May someone somewhere help them, too.


Still Mom and I are plotting to get rid of everything we can before we go back. We'll give away shampoo, books, clothing and whatever else we don't absolutely need or is not a gift for our beloved family members.

In the back of my mind I remember that....

I bought something heavy for both my son and my husband. I know it will mean more trouble but then I don't know what else I could have gotten them. The perfect gift to give isn't always the perfect gift to carry down train station stairs.

Chinese Hospitality and the Joy of Shopping

I have a computer here in my hotel (thanks to my mom) so I wanted to tell you all about my lovely weekend.
I rode the train for 1 and a half hours from Wuxi to Shanghai and somehow managed to find Helen, my friend and contact in Shanghai. There was a sea of people who didn't speak my language and it was frightening to try to figure out which exit I should go to. I was really relieved to see Helen waving at me down the end of a very long tunnel.
We then rode a bus for an hour to find mom at the airport looking tired but otherwise in good shape. After that it was back for another hour bus ride to our hotel.
After a good night's sleep for me and troubled sleep for my mom (jet lag), we had a breakfast with many western foods to choose from. This hotel, in fact, has so many westerners that I feel almost like I'm back in America. Shanghai is definitely more international compared to Wuxi where people stare at me and I rarely see a non-Chinese face.
The rest of the day was all about shopping. After a lunch of steamed buns hosted by the agent Madame Jia, we shopped and shopped and shopped. Three of our friends here took us to the Yu Gardens where there is a hundred year old temple converted into a marketplace.
Our hosts bartered mercilessly with the merchants and even carried our bags for us. I so enjoyed buying gifts for my family and friends back home. I budgeted to buy my Christmas presents early and, although I don't usually shop, I had an absolute blast.
We got jade, pearls and silks at unbelievable prices. I hope that what I buy will begin to repay my family for letting me go to this astounding place. I am especially grateful to my husband and son so I chose many things for them to make up for my absence these past few weeks.
Our guides were even better than the joy of shopping. They were an absolute delight. I can't think how to repay them unless they come to Tacoma. And then I intend to show them the very same hospitality.
I wish I could share pictures but can't upload them to this computer. Until later...

Mom's coming!

This is just a quick post because I won't have time this weekend: My mom's coming!
She's in the air over the Pacific Ocean (on a plane of course) and will soon land in Japan.
I'll pick up my very tired mom at 8:00pm local time. I'm so looking forward to it.
My last two weeks will be so much better because she had the courage to take a leap and follow me here. Thanks, Mom:)

The Importance of Literacy

Being in China has made me realize how very important reading is to my daily life.

My first day here I spent a long time waiting for my bus to leave for my apartment so I could go home after work. It was parked in the lot with some other buses that all looked the same. I could have waited on the bus but I had one problem: I couldn't read the signs on the buses to tell me which one was my bus.

My co-workers here had taught me to look for the people who rode my bus but none of those people had come yet. They were all in a big meeting. So I stood on the sidewalk for over half an hour until a kind lady told me which bus was mine. I decided right then to memorize the characters for my bus so I would never have to stand waiting again.

Everywhere I go there are many helpful signs that everyone around me can read. They tell people what food they can chose on menus, which city bus to take, and the names of the students in my college.

My sister-in-law went to Hungary a few weeks ago and also had headaches because she couldn't read. It's something we never fully appreciated until we were no longer able to do it.

So, my dear students friends and neighbors, if you can read this, count your blessings. Literacy is so very important to our daily lives!

Picture above: the sign I memorized to find my bus

A Busy Weekend

This last Saturday I saw a lot of amazing things.

In the morning I went to a pottery shop where they made beautiful figurines that had intricate details. My favorite was a statue of Kwan Yin, a lovely woman of compassion in the Chinese tradition. I bought something else for my husband but it will have to be a secret until I get home in case he's reading this!

Then I went to a Chinese wedding. It looked a lot like American weddings with one similar dress and similar decorations. At the same time it was also very different. The bride and groom came into the room 3 times in different clothes. The groom stood in the middle of the room asking the father for permission to marry the bride. And the guests all ate food at their tables, talking through most of the ceremony.

In the afternoon I went to Taifu, a large lake that's right next to the city. Here I rode a boat and learned the story of the four beauties. One of the beauties helped a king in ancient times conquer his enemy. She is very famous and they named this type of boat after her.

Next we sat in a tea shop for a long time drinking tea and relaxing with each other. Mr. Wang, one of the people I was with, said I was the first American he had met 'up close.' It was an interesting feeling to represent America for him. I certainly hope I didn't do anything that he would think was rude!

At the end of my Saturday, I went to a Thai restaurant. The food and decorations were lovely. Dancers came out with musicians. Because they were from the Phillipines, they spoke English and I could understand them when they taught me how to dance, too. Ok, I only learned a little but that wasn't because I couldn't understand them. My feet just wouldn't do what I wanted them to do:)

By then, I was worn out and went back to my apartment to rest. It was a very memorable day in China.

Photos: Bride, groom, Karrie at the wedding; My hosts and I at Taifu with the boats in the background; Mr. Wang and Karrie; Karrie, Helen, Rachel and Mr. Wang at the tea shop; Karrie and Helen at the Thai restaurant

The Second Week

I can't believe I'm already writing about my second week! It's all going by so fast.

This week I began to teach my classes and really get to know my students. I'm embarrassed that their names are all so difficult for me. And yes, Samantha, I have been terribly busy.

The president and vice president of Bates came from Tacoma for the opening ceremony of our program. We met with all the students, went to a spectacular ceremony with speeches, and had another wonderful dinner after that.

And every day was filled with new Chinese words for me. My favorite is the word for jogging: man pao. I love to jog and really like the sound of that word. Yesterday I picked up some books for little kids to help me write the Chinese characters. I think those books are written for preschoolers but they are just the right level for me:)

Many people have asked about my apartment. It has a bathroom, a kitchen area, bedroom and small office. It's very comfortable for one person and even has a balcony so I can hang my laundry. People don't use dryers here and I've found that it's really not too inconvenient.

I'll do better next week and post more often.

Finally, to my dear students and the Quest class: I made a spelling mistake in my comments to you for the last post. Can you find it? I can't seem to fix it!

Pictures above right to left: My office with a blurry me, the building where I teach and have an office, all 81 students lined up in ties to greet the president of Bates, my favorite Russian tea (without alcohol), 3 of the students receiving their Bates ID tags.

The First Week

A metal peacock outside my apartment, a tree made of flowers, the front of my apartment

The lobby of the hotel in Shanghai, the view of the industrial area outside my Shanghai hotel, the Narita airport in Tokyo

My first week here has been full of new things and experiences.

I traveled all day and night to get to Shanghai and (my dear Japanese students) the Japanese plane was much better than the American plane. It even had better movies.

I arrived in Shanghai Tuesday night (China time) and was VERY tired.

On Wednesday morning I took the train to the city of Wuxi.

Here's a link to a map and a little information: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/jiangsu/wuxi/

There I my hosts gave me lunch and then let me get to my apartment. Again I was very tired.

Since then, I've slept a lot (12 hours Wednesday night) and met my students for this month.

I'm planning what to teach, calling my family and trying to get a look at the city.

It is a different feeling to be some place and not speak the local language. I have done this before but it's always good to remember how my students at home feel.

I am most impressed with how many kind people there are in the world. Today a waitress in the coffee shop was so very patient with me. I ordered Russian tea and didn't understand what she was trying to tell me. So she brought out the alcohol in a bottle to ask me if I wanted it in the tea. I was so glad she didn' t put it in the tea without asking! I really appreciated her.

How about you? When did someone help you when you really needed it? And how are you doing wherever you are?

Best Wishes from China-

Goodbyes

The hands of my family:)

It's really bittersweet this last weekend before I go. I'm still thrilled. My friends at church sent me off with their blessings and my family is wishing me well.

But, as my son Kieran says, five weeks is MORE than a month. It's the longest time I've ever been away from him.

So my husband, son and I have enjoyed each other's company as much as possible. Since Kieran wanted something to remember me by, we visited the local knickknack store. There we found the perfect thing: a mood ring.

I still have the free ring Kieran gave me this summer (he got it from the dentist), so I'll be wearing that across the ocean.

Tomorrow we'll all start our adventures. My family will do great things here without me and I will discover wonderful things on a different continent. We'll all come together again in November to share in what we've learned.

What was your greatest adventure or trip?

Packing Up

Today I'm really focused on packing. I keep thinking of something else that is SO IMPORTANT. Then I remember that I still have 3 days and relax a little.

What is the most important thing you bring with you when you travel?

Shots!

Yesterday, I went to the travel nurse. She gave me three shots and a lot of information about how to eat safely.

My arm hurts today but I feel like I am more prepared:)

Have you ever had shots that made your arm hurt? When did you get them?

A Surprise Trip

It was such a surprise to learn that I would go to WuXi, China this October. It will be my first time to Asia and I so thrilled to share my adventure with all of you.

The trip begins on October 6th and I return Nov. 7th. I'll teach in a college as a visiting instructor and am sure to fill my journal with ideas for stories and articles about China.

What do you think I will see when I first step off the plane in Shanghai?