Illness and More Holidays

Sooo, I've had some weird intestinal cramping and diarrhea for about a week now.  I've been to two doctors, received countless I.V.s, and taken innumerable pills.  No one seems to be able to tell me what's wrong.  It's really starting to piss me off.  I want to shake this thing and move on.

The worst part is that it really messed up our travel plans.  We have yet another holiday this week, but due to my illness (and to the fact that we were unable to book tickets in advance, as we received our paychecks 2 days before the holiday), we are stuck in Shaoguan.

We've decided to head back to Hong Kong tomorrow.  We're going to buy some Western groceries (for ourselves, and a neighbor), see a movie, and spend a day in Macau gambling (insert joke akin to... "You think Macau has gambling?  Try ordering the street food in Shaoguan!  Now that's a gamble!").  On the way back, I'm going to stop by the Western clinic in Guangzhou to speak with an American/European doctor.  No offense to Chinese doctors, but they always seem to mix Western medicine with Chinese, telling me things like "Do not eat fish, it will give you hot air in your body that will pull your Chi out of balance."  Thank you Dr. Hu, (okay, not really, but I always assume that Chinese Doctors are named "Hu") but I'd much rather know what's actually wrong with me than hear you wax philosophic about my life force; be sure to pass my greetings along to the Emperor.

Classes went pretty well this last week.  I'm really starting to get the hang of my international trade class.  I think that the students enjoy the class, and I could tell from quizzes and the answers that they give in class that they're really starting to grasp the material.  I've asked if I could teach a politics class next semester.  I think the school is going to try and arrange something.

And now, though seemingly superfluous to this post, here are some pictures of Li, our neighbor Steven's son.

Li, reading my Lonely Planet

Steven and Li

That's about it.  We'll post again upon our return from HK.

Yangshuo

Ah, Yangshuo. Definitely one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Before we left Shaoguan, we had one small roadblock. Since we had just handed over our passports to the police for our resident permits, we were without ID. Three hours before our train was scheduled to leave, we got a call from Ella at the international office saying that without our passports, we wouldn't be able to check into a hotel once we arrived in Yangshuo. So, after a last minute scramble to gather copies of our passports and visas, the receipt from the police, and a letter from the university, we were finally on our way Monday night, relieved to say the least! We arrived on Tuesday September 21st, after a 9 hour overnight train ride from Shaoguan to Guilin, and then a 1 1/2 hour bus ride from Guilin to Yangshuo. On the train, we opted for sleeper seats, which are basically bunk beds, usually 4 or 6 beds to a compartment. The beds are hard, but it's SO much better to be able to stretch out and sleep for at least a little while, rather than sitting the whole time. Although I'm familiar with the train system from the last time I was in China, I forgot about the realities of Chinese public transport. When we got on the train in Shaoguan, our bunks had already been slept in since the train had originally departed from Shenzhen. The pillows and blankets were full of hair other things I don't want to think about. But, Collin and I were tired, and we laid in those beds like seasoned pros! However, the next morning before we disembarked, I woke up, stretched, and looked up in the corner of my bunk only to see a giant booger dangling from the wall about 6 inches from my face. GOOD MORNING TO ME!!

Finding the bus station in Guilin was pretty easy, and the bus ride uneventful. I can't even describe how much easier it is to do everything when you are with someone who can speak Chinese. I'm so impressed with Collin's language skills and his ability to communicate with people, it's made things much less stressful for us. I really hope I can learn more Chinese while I'm here so I can become less dependent on him to communicate, but I appreciate his efforts more than he'll ever know.

Once we arrived in Yangshuo, we checked in at a hostel that Collin stayed at the last time he was there in 2008. Liz, the owner, was very helpful to us and really made our stay wonderful. The best part about our room was the cedar bathtub in the bathroom, when you filled it with hot water, the aroma of cedar was just amazing. The beds were also really comfortable, which in China is hard to come by (no pun intended). However, much to our dismay, we learned that the weather probably wouldn't cooperate for us for the rest of the week, which was weird, because this is supposed to be the best time of year to visit Yangshuo. Considering the main attraction is the beautiful countryside and mountains, most of the activities are outdoors (hiking, biking, etc). We actually considered leaving early because of the rain, but decided to tough it out.

The first two days were spent exploring the city. Yangshuo is small, but it's a huge backpacker destination. You'll see people from all over the world here, especially Westerners. There's also a lot of great Chinese and Western food, we ate at a really awesome dumpling restaurant where we also tried Guilin mi fen, a very famous noodle dish in Guangxi province. Later, we found a restaurant run by a Dutch couple, who made really awesome cheeseburgers. After a month of eating nothing but Chinese food, a good home-cooked cheeseburger was AMAZING! The couple, around our age, were really nice, and it was really interesting to talk with them about their experiences in China and running a business here. Not only did they cook tasty food, but they charged fair prices on the menu, so we felt obligated to come back and have a few beers every night!

Shopping is a major pastime in Yangshuo. Everyone wants to sell you something, especially if they see you are a Westerner. Walking down West Street, one of the main streets in the city, you'll hear "Huh-lo!! Huh-lo!! Very cheap for you! Silka! Pashmina! Huh-lo, pee-low? Looka! Looka!". It's a little daunting at first, everyone trying to get your attention. There's also a market with people selling all kinds of things like silk scarves, pillows, jade, painted scrolls, tapestries, etc. The thing is, most of the stalls sell similar goods, you'll see the same things over and over again, and it's hard to tell what things are actually worth. But, we did some major bargaining, let me tell you! Bargaining is all about playing the game, they always start the price out really high so when they come down it seems much more reasonable. Plus, they also play the guilt card, when you name a low price they'll say "Ohhh, no money, no money!!" One woman even told us that if we didn't pay 5 more yuan than what we were asking, she wouldn't be able to buy food! But we knew she was bluffing, and she knew it too because we were all laughing. The best part of the bargaining experience, by far, was competing with the Chinese tourists for the lowest prices. Since we're Westerners, the prices are automatically higher, no matter what the product is actually worth. At one point, I was looking at a table of silk scarves, when a Chinese woman came over and expressed interest in buying one. The woman selling the scarf would NOT let her buy it there, she kept telling the Chinese tourist to go to another table to pay. I automatically knew what was going on, she didn't want me to know how much the Chinese tourist paid so I would end up paying a higher price! Sneaky!! So I jumped in right as the Chinese tourist was about to walk away with the scarf, and I said "How much did she pay? How much did she pay?" The woman behind the table did her best to cover it up, offering me cheaper and cheaper prices, but I already knew I'd won. I ended up buying a scarf for 25 yuan (about 3 dollars), which is still probably higher than the scarf was worth, but I still felt like a champion anyway. Oh, my dad would be so proud...

Thursday, we decided to brave the weather and rent some bikes to take out into the countryside. I bought a really cheap rain pancho, which ripped about 5 minutes after I bought it, but it still kept my camera from getting wet. The rain made things cold, wet, and muddy, but it was so worth it. The scenery in Yangshuo is absolutely breathtaking, and the mountains are like nothing I have ever seen before. Tall, odd-looking peaks, called karst, are everywhere. Even in the rain, the mountains were gorgeous. Collin thought that they might be even more beautiful than the last time he was there, when the weather was better. We biked through some nearby villages, and stopped by the Lijiang River to watch the bamboo rafts carrying Chinese tourists. It was here that we were approached by a Chinese woman who wanted us to take one of these rafts down the river. We weren't exactly sure if she was just trying to be helpful, or if she really wanted to us to pay for one of these rafts, but she followed us for quite some time after we left the river. We'd lose her for a bit, and then all of a sudden, there she'd be! She finally gave up when we turned around and went back to the river, where we watched some Chinese men loading huge bamboo rafts (6 of them to be exact) onto a small dump truck. It was interesting, to say the least.

After we got back to Yangshuo, tired, wet, and muddy from our bikeride, we were approached by a middle aged white man, who asked us about the bikes and other things to do there. His name was Robert, and he said he was originally from California. He also introduced us to his Chinese "helper", a young woman in her early twenties. He was kind of forward and loud, but he seemed very friendly and eager to meet fellow Americans. He told us that he was a bus salesman and that he had been living in China for the last 3 years, and he asked us if we'd like to get together later in the evening for dinner. We said sure, and we exchanged phone numbers. Here, is where things get interesting, and the Tale of Robert begins...

Collin and I went back to the hotel, showered, and then decided to eat an earlier dinner since we were really hungry. We went to the Dutch restaurant again for cheeseburgers, and after that we decided to take a walk down West Street. Here, we happened to run into Robert, who we had arranged to meet later in the evening, but since we met earlier we decided to take him and his Chinese "helper" back to the Dutch restaurant so they could eat. By this time, I was starting to wonder what sort of "helper" the young Chinese girl was. We got a table, and Collin and I ordered beers while they ordered food. As soon as we walked in, Robert immediately began obnoxiously joking to the Dutch couple (who he didn't realize were the owners) about how there were "too many Westerners in here." After another obnoxious and rather awkward conversation while ordering food, we were beginning to regret meeting up with this guy. Only we didn't know things would get worse. It was a little warm inside the restaurant, so Robert decided to take off his shirt. Lo and behold, under the t-shirt, was a skimpy weight lifting shirt, the kind that has narrow straps and dips down low on the chest and sides. To make matters worse, it was bright blue. He immediately started bragging about how he had actually made the shirt himself, how he lifts weights to stay in shape, and how he has such a great body for being 49. It was all I had in me to keep a straight face. The shirt, if you could call it that, was crazy, and everyone that walked by stared at him and us. So embarrassing! Then he told us more about his bus business in China, which was sort of interesting, but it went on for far too long. After awhile, his Chinese "helper" decided to get up and leave the restaurant to go shopping for awhile. As soon as she left, he began telling us all kinds of things about this girl, and other girls he has been with since he has lived here. As I'd figured, this girl was much more than a "helper". We learned far too much about his sex life with Chinese girls less than half his age, and he was none too modest, or quiet, to share this with us. By this time, I just wanted to leave. At the end of the night, we said goodbye, and as Collin and I walked back to the hotel, we looked at each other with expressions that said "What...the...hell..." Needless to say, we definitely did not want to hang out with this guy. EVER again. Wow...

That evening, after our interesting meeting, we decided to head up to the roof of our hotel, where we caught a glimpse of the surrounding mountains at night. Since we were there during the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival, the mountains were all lit up by spotlights. The neon lights from the city combined with the illuminated peaks created a truly amazing view. Definitely a pleasant end to a rather tiring and odd day...

On Friday, after a really great buffet breakfast, we decided we wanted to do a cruise down the Lijiang River. Our hotel helped us book the cruise, and we took a small bus all the way to the drop off point. After a rather crowded and uncomfortable bus ride, we met with our guide and made our way down the river in a "bamboo" raft made of PVC pipe. It rained off and on, but the scenery was spectacular. It was sort of surreal, both Collin and I couldn't believe we were actually there. It was a truly amazing experience. After a fairly long ride on the raft, we were dropped off further down the river, where we took a fairly violent tuk-tuk ride back to the bus station and hopped back on another bus back to Yangshuo. When we got back, we felt obligated to visit the Dutch couple one last time and apologize for bringing Robert there the night before. They were so nice about it, and said that he wasn't even as bad as some people they've dealt with. We just felt that we needed to come back and say something, because we didn't want them to think we were obnoxious Americans like Robert. I think many people from other countries have preconceived notions about Americans that people like Robert only perpetuate. We're trying our best not to fall into those stereotypes.

So, another long and dirty train ride back to Shaoguan, and we arrived back here safely early Sunday morning. All in all, it was a really great trip. Even though the weather wasn't the best and we had a few odd experiences, we still had a pretty good time. We're hoping to go back to Yangshuo at least one more time before we leave China, hopefully with better weather next time!

Home Sweet Home

Well, we're finally feeling a little more settled in our new apartment. A few bamboo mats and pictures on the wall really makes all the difference! The furniture in the living room needs a little help, though. We're hoping to find some cushions or something that we can put on the chairs and couch to make them more comfortable, because they're just not comfy at all! Sitting for more than a few minutes makes for a pretty sore rear end!

The living room area came furnished with the chairs and couch, as well as a small dining room set, TV, fridge, and drinking water (hot and cold) dispenser. Our kitchen is pretty tiny, but we have a small sink, a hot plate, microwave, shelf space, and a small washing machine. There's no dryer, so we just hang our clothes up to dry inside. The second bedroom is our "office" so we put both of our desks in there, along with some extra cupboards and shelves. Collin bought a dart board, so we've been playing darts a lot, and breaking a lot of cheap Chinese darts! The master bedroom came with a queen size bed with mosquito netting, a vanity (which I LOVE), and an armoire for our clothes. We had to buy a thicker mattress pad because the bed was incredibly hard. Imagine sleeping on what most Americans would consider a boxspring. That 's basically what the "mattress" is like, so extra padding was a must. In general, the furniture is pretty cheap, but it works. It basically looks a lot heavier than it is, because when Collin and I were moving things around, we were surprised how light everything was! There's also a balcony off of the master bedroom, which we really don't use because A) our neighbors keep chickens on the adjoining balcony, and B) we had to tape up the bottom of the door to keep cockroaches from getting in. Fun times!! :)

The outside of the apartment building, I'll admit, looks pretty scary. But the inside is not too bad. We have air conditioning in every room, except the kitchen/bathroom area, which is so nice considering how hot and humid it is here. There's a window in every room, with views of the tree tops, which is a HUGE step up from the view we had in our apartment in Madison (when you looked out the window all you saw was a brick wall!). So, all in all, it's a nice place to live, and we like it very much. Just a few more things on the walls and floors, and we'll feel even more at home.

Scheduling the Chinese way

Wow, it's been awhile since our last post.  Soooo many things have happend.  Most importantly, we got our air conditioning and internet fixed!  This means that we have been able to set up our office in the spare bedroom.  It's so nice to finally be able to fully move in.  We've printed a few 8''x10''s that we've framed and hung on the walls (pictures from the cottage, and Hong Kong).

The past few days have been consumed by a spate of attempts to figure out our school schedules.  Today we went to get them, and the staffer in charge of arranging them wanted us to come back Sunday afternoon.  We told her that we needed them "now" and she begrudgingly printed copies for us.  Turns out that I will have class Monday morning.  That would have been nice to find out on a Sunday afternoon.  This first class is going to be with a single student.  It's called the "Chinese Foundations Program" which is a fancy title for "preparing rich Chinese kids to go to England and study".  The first class (Monday at 8 a.m.) conflicts with a meeting we have with the police to get our residence permits.  What a clusterfuck.

Thursday I had my first day actually teaching economics.  This is going to be way harder than I anticipated.  I was given absolutely no information about this class.  I was told a time, a room number, and given the book.  I haven't even met the Dean of the Economics Department.  It's really hard because I don't know what these kids have already learned, and what they have not.  It's impossible to get any sort of cues from Chinese students.  Do they understand?  Are they bored because I'm lingering too long on each point?  Are they lost?  Nothing.

We're starting to figure out our schedule regarding the "holidays" in the upcoming weeks.  I say "holidays," because the first one isn't really much of a holiday.  Next week is the Mid-Autumn festival, and we have off Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  This sounds great, but then we find out that we have to teach next Thursday's lessons this Sunday, and next Friday's lessons the following Sunday.  Meaning, we don't actually get any days off, we just have an annoying schedule rearrangement.  When I brought this up to our Chinese helper, she seemed puzzled, then agreed, "yes, I suppose if you look at it that way, we don't get any days off."  Yeah, I thought so.

For National Day (two weeks later) we have to make up two of the lesson days (on weekends) but then get an additional 5 days off.  This is more of an actual holiday.  It is during this break that Cecelia and I are planning on going to Sichuan.  We want to go to Jiu Zhai Gou, and to see the big buddha.

We just had a visit from Dr. Rama Yelkur from UW - Eau Claire.  She was here in advance of the UWEC winterim program that will take place for this first time this year.  It was really nice to meet her, and I'm looking forward to more Americans coming out here, if only so we aren't quite so novel to the staring Chinese.

During Dr. Yelkur's visit, we met with her and the Vice President of the University for dinner.  Actually, we were brought to dinner early while Dr. Yelkur was still on her campus tour.  The Vice President (a lovely woman from Inner Mongolia) didn't speak a word of English, so for about a half-an-hour we had awkward conversations in Mandarin, which I had to then translate to Cecelia.  Once Dr. Yelkur arrive, however, the dinner was amazing.  The Chinese really know how to treat their VIPs (Dr. Yelkur) and the hangers-on who accompany them (us).

I think it's about time to wrap this up, as Steven is coming over to drink some beer and play some darts.  Hopefully this will be a nice, relaxing night.

Late Dinner

So, last night after our ordeal at the hospital, we went out for "late dinner" with a Chinese friend, Patrick.  Late dinner is, apparently, common amongst Guangdong inhabitants.  They usually go out to eat at around 9 or 10, after their normal dinners.  A bit like the hobbits' second breakfast.  Anyway, we went out and ate pigs ears, snails, and noodles.  We didn't care much for the ears, but I liked the snails (Cecelia, not so much).  We had a fair number of beers before returning to the dorms.

The food here has been relatively spectacular compared to my experience two years ago in Guangzhou.  I think this is due to our proximity to Hunan province, and the more concentrated variety of restaurants.  A few days ago we had potato noodles which were delicious.  We also managed to find a Uighur restaurant, where they make Xinjian noodles (the kind that are pulled fresh in front of you) which may be the most delicious thing on the face of the planet.

Today we took it easy, went to the store and bought a few items before going to Haiyan and Steven's for dinner.  The weather has been nice the past couple of days, a little rain, but relatively cool.  I've had some contact from students.  It's really a little unsettling, the amount of respect that they show me.  I wish I could say that it didn't make me uncomfortable, but it is a little awkward at times.  Hopefully I can adjust.

Adventures in a Chinese hospital

So we got the word only yesterday that we would be having a "body check" this morning, which basically is a physical exam required for all foreigners staying in China for an extended period of time. The school didn't really tell us what to expect, which I have to admit made me a little nervous. The whole ordeal was an interesting experience, but better than I expected. Of course, we assumed that we would just go to the school hospital here on campus, but we were quickly reminded that nothing in China is simple and you really shouldn't assume anything. So, instead, at 7:30am on a Sunday morning, we had to take a chartered bus with some of the other foreign students all the way to a hospital in downtown Shaoguan, about 10 miles away. After a 45 minute bus ride through the downtown traffic, we finally arrived at the hospital, where we went through a series of tests. Blood work, chest x-ray, ECG, torso ultrasound, ear/nose/throat, and urine sample. Thankfully, the hospital was very sanitary. The staff, however, seemed none too thrilled to deal with 20 foreigners on a Sunday morning, which I guess I can't blame them for.

The most hilarious part of the testing process was definitely the ear/nose/throat component, which was performed by a very agitated middle-aged Chinese physician. She directed each of us to sit in a chair in front of her while examining our heads and rapidly asking us questions in broken English: "You bleed from nose?" "You can hear?" (while rubbing her fingers together next to our ears) "You read numbers!" (for a color-blindness test, which you couldn't really read because the images were so faded!). She also checked our throats using the standard not-so-pleasant wooden tongue depressor, during which she would demand "RERAX!" (relax) to try and get us to relax the throat so she could examine it, but I still gagged anyway. I was waiting outside the door while Collin was getting his throat checked, and all I could hear was the woman yelling at him "RERAX! RERAX! RERAX!" about 20 times!! Needless to say, we couldn't stop laughing about it later, how are you supposed to RERAX when you're gagging on a freaking wooden stick??

The other interesting part of the physical, for me anyway, was the urine test. You have no idea how hard it is to fill a tiny little urine cup the size of a shot glass when you have to use a Chinese squatter toilet!! I'll spare you the details, but it was not so pleasant.

So, about 3 hours later and after we all finished our tests, we thought that the charter bus would be waiting to take us back to the university, but again, we were wrong. Since the bus was only hired for 1 hour (to bring 20 people to an outlying hospital for 8 different tests), we were on our own. After waiting around for close to an hour and arguing with Chinese taxi drivers about the price to drive us back to the university, we finally made it back, and immediately crashed for "the longest nap in history" as Collin said. SIGH!!!

Info

A quick housekeeping note.  Anyone wishing to mail us packages or letters may note the new "Address Labels" link in the updated information section over here ==>

China

So, we're still having internet trouble.  Nothing in China can be solved in a day.  There's usually a week or two, and at least a dozen people involved.  I don't know how you write the Chinese character for "simplicity" but I bet it's complex.

Today was Teacher's Day.  It's some sort of unofficial holiday akin to Mother's Day in the US.  So when we went to the bank, they waved our fees.  I also received a phone call from one of my students wishing me a happy Teacher's Day.  Speaking of holidays, we've just learned that we may get up to 10 days off at the beginning of October.  The end of September is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the beginning of October (this year) is National Day.  They'll likely combine the two and give us a long holiday.  Cecelia and I are thinking of going to Tibet if we can arrange it.  We may need to go to Guangzhou next weekend to set it up with a travel agency.

Tonight while Cecelia and I were playing darts (I've purchased a dart board), she went into our bedroom to get something and screamed when she saw a huge cockroach scurrying around.  I came in just as it ran under our wardrobe.  We had to tip the wardrobe, which made it scurry away.  I caught up to it in our living room and killed it.  Is it bad that this may have been the highlight of my week?

Dao Le

Well, we arrived in Shaoguan after a very trying trip.  We decided to enter China through Shenzhen so that we could take the train straight to Shaoguan (rather than leaving HK by train and going through customs in Guangzhou, then taking a taxi to the central station, and another train to Shaoguan).  We arrived in Shenzhen and cleared customs at like 8 a.m.  The first train to Shaoguan, however, was sold out, so we had to sit in the train station until 6 p.m.  It was a hot, sweaty, dirty mess.  We finally arrived in Shaoguan at 10 p.m. and had so many bags (on such a short train stop) that I almost got stuck on the train, whose next stop was Guilin (like 2 hours away).  At the last minute I was able to fight through the crowd of boarding Chinese and hop out onto the terminal as the train began to move.  Scary.


Our time here has been good and bad.  We've met some great people, including the other English teachers, Steven from the UK (who has a wonderful Chinese wife HaiYan and son Li), and Alex from Australia.  We have also met some great Chinese students who have all been very helpful.

The Shaoguan campus is much larger, and more beautiful than that of JiNan.  The city is also cleaner, as witnessed by the fact that the sky is actually blue here.  We've found our apartment to our liking.  Nothing too fancy, but a couple of large rooms, a clean bathroom, a small kitchen, and a decent sized living room.

There's been sort of a mess regarding the internet.  Apparently, the previous tenent of this apartment got her internet through China Telcom rather than the school (which is free).  China Telcom, when installing her ADSL, really did a number on the wiring, so we had to have them back here to fix it.  Even so, our connection worked for half the day, then stopped.  I am currently on an unknown, unprotected wireless connection.

There's been some pretty aggravating moments (usually involving our pay, or our teaching schedules), but it has all gone much more smoothly than my first week at JiNan.  Aside from my allotment of English courses (which don't start for 2 weeks), I will be teaching a few sections at a private language school in town (ehhh), and 2 sections (possibly more later) of International Trade Economics.  I think the main point of the class is still learning English, but it focuses on economic theory and international political economic concepts.  I am really excited about this class.  I just finished my first syllabus ever.  Chinese don't use syllabi, but I really wanted to make one.  Cecelia thinks this makes me a nerd.  I think it's simply exalting in the importance of education.

There are plenty of more stories to tell about this first week, but I imagine Cecelia will blog about it in some detail as well.  I am tired and I have my econ class tomorrow.

Mainland

We're going to the mainland tomorrow.  I'm fine with this, given that I'm growing a little restless here in HK.  Everything is so expensive, and it's hard staying in the same little room for over a week.

I'm already trying to get myself into "China" mode.  I have to re-acclimatize to speaking Mandarin and being stared at.  Hopefully once we're in Shaoguan we can get our VISAs straightened out, get cell phones, and set up internet access in a prompt fashion.  I realize that things rarely go as smoothly as possible in China, but I'm not above hoping.