Christmas Shoppin' and Airport Hoppin'

I’ve got five different currencies in my pocket right now, and I need all of them.

And I’m heading home... just for a bit.

While I originally planned to stay and travel in China during my winter break (which started in December), I had a change of heart. Actually, I just came across good fortune. When a random, unnamed donor offers to pay for your flight back home to visit and surprise family for Christmas, it’s hard not to accept.

What a parade!

So, just this past week, I had to plan. A lot. Seeing as I am returning home for two weeks, then leaving January 10 for Thailand, Cambodia, and Hong Kong, I had to pack accordingly. Take that and then add in end of semester classes, Secret Santa gift exchange, money transfers, and Christmas gifts for friends and family… and… well, you get the idea. “Stress,” amongst other colorful, less innocent words, were a regular part of my vocabulary during past week. Before leaving Chongqing for what amounts to be about two months, I am surprised and thankful to say that I've tied up all loose ends.

I departed from Chongqing at 3:30p.m. on December 19, 2012, anticipating on spending the Mayan apocalypse in Hong Kong with the St. Olaf Global semester study abroad group. While the Mayan apocalypse never came around, lots of great times with Elise sure did. Our first day was spent around Europe-like Macau, a Porteguese settlement with a complementary mix of East and West influences. Aside from the obvious draw of gambling at THE VENETIAN, GALAXY, WYNN, and THE GRAND LISBOA, I found the streets of Macau to be a fascinating place to wander. In one day we came across several beautiful churches, a protest, a parade, and even ate Macanese food (e.g. baby pigeon).

hmm.. baby pigeon

“This is another one of those traveler moments,” I said to Elise as we skipped away from a fun view of the Macanese Independence day parade, “when you come across things and just get lucky.”

Our second day in Hong Kong was as fortunate as the first. By happenstance we spent the day with two Hong Kong natives, Marcus and Matthew, friends of one of Elise’s fellow students. They showed us around downtown Hong Kong (Central, Times Square, etc.) and took us to their favorite Hong Kong restaurants. They even accompanied us as we strived for the last of our Christmas shopping, showing us the places we could get the best deals. At the end of the day, they guided us back to the MPR (Metro Public Railway?) and bid us adieu. Elise and I both agreed that a day spent with locals in a city is even better than the best day at the city’s most famous tour stops.

Now, after my brief stop in Hong Kong, I am heading towards my fourth airport in the last week; Chicago, Ill. I have a very brief layover before I fly into Minneapolis, MN, get a ride home from Grandpa, and surprise my little sister for Christmas for the second year in a row. By the time this blog is posted, I will likely be enjoying the delectable feast made tirelessly by Mom. Although I’ve still got that travel bug bad, there’s nothing like being home for Christmas.

I’m around Minnesota till January 10. Give me a call if you can! I wish all blog readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Time Flies After Thailand

My Mom and Dad stayed here

Time Flies After Thailand

HOT POT!

I’ll admit, my blogging enthusiasm hasn’t been up to par in the recent month. This isn’t due to inactivity; rather, quite the opposite. After returning from spending a week with my family amongst the sun-soaked mountains of Chiang Mai, Thailand, I returned to throw myself completely into a life of constant study. This has involved a disciplined yet reclusive routine. After completing classes, I would return to my apartment, flip on the space heater, scarf down a day old “Fat Sister” (fried rice from our favorite local street food vender), light up my cheap “Ocean Breeze” Chinese incense, turn on my study soundtrack (“Explosions in the Sky”), and crank out two hours GMAT, one hour Chinese. Tuesday and Thursday nights became long this semester, with Chinese night classes. Nevertheless, I completed my hour goals and caught up.. just waiting for Christmas season to make me behind again.

Riding an elephant

Thailand was a magical place. Pictures will do it better justice than will my words. Reuniting with my parents and sister was a blessing. For the first time in years, I was spending time abroad with one of my siblings. The fact that both of us are grown adults made it even more exciting. A couple of days in Bangkok were enough for visiting the incredible but repetitive Buddhist temples and shrines. I also got briefly familiar with Elise’s Global Semester crew, which made me reminiscent of my semester abroad in Ireland only three years ago (see www.thomasinireland.blogspot.com). After Bangkok, we experienced a 3-day stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern, culture-keeping city.  A mere three days led us to enjoy the delicious Thai food (think sweet AND spicy), visit several Buddhist temples including one with a live, living (maybe?) meditating monk, and a spectacular trek through Thailand’s jungles, each of us atop our own massive elephant. The experience was full, and our accommodations were as posh as could be. After spending months backpacking around twisting turning roads in Guatemala and embracing the dirty squatters of Chinese bar bathrooms, having a smooth Gin and Tonic poolside was a refreshing splash of reality in another way traveling can be enjoyed.

Old Duck Soup with Mom and Dad

Meditating, (e)motionless monk

Chinese Dishes with my Chinese Family

On a riverboat in Bangkok

Learning about elephants

A scene from the JUNGLE BOOK

The whole experience was topped off by a visit to “CAPTAIN JACK’S,” a high-scale seafood restaurant near our gorgeous in Bangkok. After regressing back to Bangkok from our return flight from Chiang Mai, we jumped on Sangri-La Hotel’s complementary boat ferry and made our way down the river to our five star meal. I ended up polishing off spendy but extensive seafood platter with Elise while we overlooked the river. Could anything had gone better? Well, maybe if Dad and I had remembered to wear PANTS… (we had to borrow quite a few pairs on the trip)

Chongqing Cold

Cliché… weather talk. Pardon my trite topic, but its been on my mind. Out of no where, Beibei has gotten brutally cold in the last few days… a shivering 7 degrees Centigrade (40 some Fahrenheit).

“Where is your Minnesota blood?” you may ask, “How can’t you still be in shorts now?” This kind of cold is different. Like Ireland (and some rather nippy days in the mountains of Cobán), it is a wet cold. Everything remains damp in Chongqing… year round. It is 10 degrees colder than Guatemalan temperatures, and, (the silent killer) there are no heated buildings. Our rooms have expensive-to-run space heaters that hang from the ceiling. Nevertheless, I’ve recently rearranged my room in order to feel the hot air blow on my shoulders as I sit at my desk. I have thought many times of my BVC comrades in the Bahamas… sometimes second-guessing  my choice to live within the confines of a cold, mountainous region rather than a warm beach.

I must say, however, that my current choice has not come without merit. My grasp of the Chinese language is very slowly but steadily coming into fruition. I find myself muttering Chinese phrases as I wake, and I now have a few sentences to memory. Characters are beginning to look more familiar, and understanding every fifth word in a Chinese sentence is still something I find encouraging.

Studying remains popular amongst our group this year... everyone is encouraged to learn more and more Chinese. I’ve been logging long hours of GMAT study as well, which is something I’ve come to enjoy. Finally after years of life as a college student, I find interest and incredible merit in academia.

One night I had a dinner with over 30 students! We filled 4 tables

Working a teaching job hasn’t been too much to handle. Every day I walk into work, I am greeted with a rousing cheer, “GOOD MORNING TOM!” Students go out of their way to say hello when I walk around campus. I have gone out to dinner with almost all my students, and I am constantly assured of my incredible persona. Need a confidence boost? Become an English teacher in China.

Recently, us foreign teachers went on an excursion to XiannuShan, a location near Wulong that touts the biggest natural land bridge in the world (see pictures below). The massive cliffs were  

amazing, and made me itch to get back on the road.

Teaching my students American games

That moment will come all too soon. This Saturday, I will pick up my Mom and Dad from Chongqing airport. They will enjoy a few days visiting Beibei, and then we will head over to Thailand to visit my sister in Bangkok. I look forward to sharing with all of you more photos and adventures from the road…

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-The size of the Chinese “Army” that many politicians talk about may be a bit deceiving. During my first month here, all Chinese freshman students are required to be dressed up in military uniforms and instructed to march and stay at attention. This is their “freshman orientation.” While the sight of hundreds of Army green uniforms may look intimidating from afar, as soon as you get closer, you’ll notice hundreds of immature, giggling 18-year-old 105 lb little girls in military gear. Hardly threatening, I’d say.

I saw a Preying Mantis!

-Cars in China, because the most rich own them, are all very fancy.  Porsche, BMW, Benz, and Bentley are all too common status symbols.

-One of the very few miserable parts of living in China is enduring the “Squatter” toilets. Bathrooms are not bathrooms. They are glorified holes in the ground. Also… don’t forget to bring your own paper.

Welcome to the Family

“No do not worry! I do all this because I love you.”

Stretching with Stone Stretchers before a long climb

Climbing Jinyun Mountain

This is what my Chinese father said to me as he rebuked my apology for taking up his time on a Wednesday night earlier this month. After tutoring his prodigy ten-year-old son in English for $15/hour and eating dinner with his wife and mother, Mr. Li drove me to the most expensive hotel in Beibei to make a reservation for my real parents who will visit in mid-November. The 10-minute car ride was made in vain; the classiest hotel in town doesn’t take reservations till a week before the determined visiting date.

I have been tutoring Pong Pong, Mr. Li’s son, for about a month. The arrangement was made through John’s Chinese mother, Ada, who is an undergraduate English professor at SWU. Mr. Li is a Chinese Literature professor; he has written several well-known books in China. On one of my first visits, he bestowed upon me a signed copy of one of his books.

Pong Pong is a smart boy. He is already reads, speaks, and reads Chinese, and knows basic English terms and phrases, as well as his English numbers and ABC’s. Every Wednesday afternoon, I enter a gated community near the university with a special key that Mr. Li gave me. At 5:00pm Pong Pong and I begin our lessons. Lately, I have been working on the differences between “You, I, My” etc. I began this through a simple card game, “War.” Pong Pong’s eyes light up every time I bring out the playing cards.

Pagoda atop Jinyun Mountain

Every tutoring session usually results in my receiving a gift from the family; or more specifically, from Mr. Li…
-One time, Mr. Li helped lead me to the best place to buy darts for a dartboard I had recently bought (about a 15 minute walk was involved).  He purchased the darts.
-On one of the first family dinners, Mr. Li brought out Bai Ju (Chinese Liquor), which was retained in a special bottle. After “gombai”ing the first drink, Mr. Li explained,
“This bottle was made by my father. He many years ago dead.”

Talk about initiation into a family.

My best gift, however, is a piece of paper that I will have for the rest of my life. It is a large parchment several Chinese characters on it, along with my name in English. Three pronounced characters are my Chinese name: Li Zhong Qu (means “Mid-Autumn,” the time I arrived in China) with a Dragon stamp (I was born in the year of the Dragon).
Next to my name is a poem about the Mid-Autumn Festival by the famed Li Bai, a celebrated Chinese poet with our family name. After the poem, the inscription reads, “Li Bai welcomes Tomas to China.” Mr. Li signed with his red stamp (See Below) Priceless.

I am probably the first foreigner Mr. Li has ever met. He is thrilled to have me as a "family member," as it has been his dream to visit America. He is constantly studying English and tells me that he is preparing for an entrance exam to get permitted entrance to the States. If he does it, he tells me he wants to visit Minnesota.

"We'll be waiting for you," I sincerely respond.

Note: We never made it out to the Three Gorges River Cruise. Rain, sickness, crowds, and other extraneous reasons kept us in Beibei for all of National Holiday week. Instead, we took a trip to Beibei's tourist spot, Jinyun Mountain, where a pagoda overlooks the valley of Beibei. The photos above are from that trip.
I made a lucky break recently. My small class on Friday agreed to join my recently added Monday afternoon class. Thus, I will have class Monday 8-12, 2:30-4, Tuesday 8-12, and Wednesday 8-12. Wednesdays are my new Friday’s. Awesome.

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-“Math” is pronounced “maths.” “Path” is “Pass.” “Think” is “Sink.” “Campus” is Campurse.” “China” is “Chinar.”
-Clothing repair is cheap, too. It cost me 80 cents to repair a big rip in one of my pants. The lady was overwhelmed with joy when I handed her the extra 20 cents.
-Volleyball is the old person’s game in China… I’m on a team. The professors of the school have a volleyball league. I’m on the Administration Team with my boss, Frank Wang. I’m the all –star… my teammates range from poor to average players, all 40-50 year old men. Our get-ups include matching blue collared jerseys and black shorts. Our team is 1-2. I’m determined to take the team all the way to the end of season championship, but there’s work to be done.

A few fine cinematic moments

This week is "National Holiday" week, when millions of people in China travel around the country. Day-long bus-lines, booked-out hotels and crammed trains are commonplace. If you ever want to experience the traveler's sixth circle of hell, come to China and try to even get a taxi during National Holiday.

While we have the whole week off for work (no classes), we have delayed an adventurous departure from Beibei until later this week, when travel madness from the National Holiday day (Monday) has subsided. Tomorrow, we catch a 1:30p.m. boat down the Yangtze River, the largest river in Asia and the third largest in the world. We venture out to explore the Three Gorges, The Three Gorges Dam, and several river towns and temples along the way. Our crew includes Sean, Kassy, John, and myself. All the while, I still need to come up with a class curriculum for my students on Monday. Yikes!

Enjoy these few videos from the past few weeks...

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-Arthur's Day, September 27, (the commercialized "birthday" of Guinness) is celebrated in Chongqing at one place. The Harp Bar. Fresh Guinness. I didn't miss it.
-Subway, KFC, McDonald's, and DQ have all made their way to China. KFC is by far the most popular. Also, these fast food joints are usually the cleanest places in any given city.
-Street dogs are common here. They are smart. I've seen a dog weave through speeding traffic without misstepping it's steady, confident trot. They're usually no bigger than a large watermelon.
-Still haven't consciously tried eating dog... yet.

Gettin' Class-y

Three days a week, I belt "Gooooood Morning CLASS!!" at 8:00a.m. Nervous, excited eyes skirt around the room in every class as I get a unified, enthusiastic response, "GOOD MORNING, teacher!"

"My name is Thomas, and I will be your English teacher for this semester. Has anyone here ever had a foreign teacher before?" The silent response and confused murmur indicated a "No."

My first classes consisted of introducing my family (with pictures), my backyard ("whooooah!"), my school, my interests in music and sports, etc. I also used my venture to Guatemala as a jumping board for my intentions with their English Class..

"I learned Spanish in Guatemala by speaking, hearing, seeing, living and EVEN DREAMING in Spanish. This is how you will learn English in this class. Any time you pass by this door, you are doing everything in English!"

A lucky long exposure I caught of dripping rain

I don't know how well I'll be able to carry out that theory, but hey, it sounds smart, doesn't it?!

During the second half of class, I had the students partner up and introduce each other. They were instructed to give their name, major, hometown, favorite american celebrity, and their future aspirations. Per usual Chinese uniformity, I received many repeat, uninteresting responses:

"I want to travel the world!" (Which usually queued my follow-up question, "Which country first?" "All of China first" was the usual retort).

"My favorite american celebrity is [Kobe Bryant x20, LeBron James x15, Michael Jordan x10, Steve Jobs x30].

While there were many repeats, a few funny responses stuck with me. One conservatively dressed, shy Chinese girl who misunderstood instructions and just introduced herself, said, "One day in the future, I would like to be a tattoo artist." She had no tattoos on her beautifully white, pale skin.

Having fun at Dazu

One cheerful young man grinned and said, "My favorite american celebrity is you, Thomas! One day in the future, I would like to visit your hometown." Verrry good, young man. Brownie points for the brown noser, but I'm quite honored.

  

Each class sees me once a week. I have six classes, which is over 250 kids to teach. This past week, I came up with a fun game to help give some of them their very own English names (the Chinese names are damn near impossible to pronounce). I created a slideshow of famous celebrities, historical figures, musicians, all from America. They used a cheap laser pointer I bought off the street as their tool for choosing their mysterious character.

"This man is a famous actor in the United States. Welcome to the class… DENZEL!" 

In a few classes with lots of unnamed kids, I had a few choose names from my high school Prom pictures. It was cool to her their oohs and aaahs when I changed each slide in the PowerPoint show. After their names were chosen, I took a picture of every single student with them holding their name and student ID on a sheet of paper. I'm going to try and learn all their names.. a steep task.

After all students were named, I allowed a Q & A session. Every class almost immediately asked if I had a girlfriend (the classes are about 70% female). I explained my Claugduagh ring several times, and had to describe what love is. They are a curious, respectful, obedient crowd, and I enjoy going to my classes-turned-comic-stand-up-routine.

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Last weekend John, Ouyong, Sean, Kassy, and I visited the Dazu Buddist Rock Carvings near Kassie and Sean's hometown of Rongchong. The entrance fee to Dazu was steep but incredibly worth it. No one remained in the park as we explored these incredible ancient masterpiece carvings. Photos and words… as usual… cannot do such a place justice. Many photos above and below are from Dazu. Please also check out Sean Scullin's spicy blog at http://www.shigady.blogspot.com. I love his perspective and unique verbage. Kassy also has a flickr account which has several fantastic pictures on it already. See.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rongchang

At Dazu Rock Carvings

Rongchong- A river runs through it

 -Chinese students know nothing but studying. Only the very rich are able to "play high," or go out on the town. A typical student's life on the weekend consists of studying, computer games, and a fun, intense session of Karaoke, or KTV with friends.

-Driving in China is absolutely organized chaos. Today, I saw a bus pull into oncoming traffic in order to pass a clogged up lane stopped by a stoplight. There are no rules. Pedal to the metal and hope to don't get hit (not too unlike Guatemalan driving).

 -I binged for four hours on a new game called Mah-Jong last weekend. It is a bizarre mix of Gin Rummy and a card game called "SET" from my home. I love it and can't get enough.. I'm like many Chinese who often illegally gamble big money in on game, I'm hooked.

Friendly Faces

The Beibei Posse runs deep with various characters and personalities. We get along well, and although we may not reunite every single meal or evening, we understand each other's personalities and respect them. Meet… the crew.

Raiko

This Bosnian fulfills the eclectic, eccentric artist character of our crew. Raiko is beginning his second year as a teacher at Southwest University, and the campus shows it. On buses, road signs, seats, and poles all over SWU, you will see Mucky Muck, Raiko's sticker character (see right photo). Raiko's artwork ranges from paintings to street art, printed screen tees to putty-head necklaces. His sleep schedule is as abnormal and irregular as you can get. Raiko likes going on mini-adventures with one or two other people, and enjoys anything that strays from what is popular en masse. Always full of interesting perspectives and conversation, Raiko is the perfect person to people-watch with. 

Eric

This talkative teddy bear heads our crew for most studious, perhaps most driven character. He hails from Eden Prairie, MN and I was pleased to hear that he is friends with my close friend Justin from my Guatemala experience. Like Justin, Eric runs every morning, regardless of the previous bar nightlife (there must be something in the water over there in EP). Eric has been in China for a year and a half; he speaks Mandarin as if he has had another year in him. Eric studies countless hours during the week learning Mandarin, and it shows in his meticulous choice of word ordering in Chinese conversation. Also, Eric is about 6'5" and 230lbs (used to play Gopher Football). It is comical seeing him march around 5' nothing Chinese, especially at the bar. Always a smile on his face and a compliment on his tongue, he's a great guy to have on the crew.

Diana

The lone female of this group, this pretty latina gal can hold her own on just about anything, including and especially keeping up with the guys at the bar. Hailing from Los Angeles, She is fluent in Spanish and enjoys retaining and discussing Latino culture. Diana is beginning her second year at SWU. She has and will teach the same post-graduate classes that I will teach, so I have already taken several notes from her past year's experience. I am thrilled to have her here to keep my Spanish sharp. I commend Diana for her patience to deal with such a male-dominated environment.

Matt and Diana

Matt

If there's a sports guy in every clan, Matt pulls his weight for that character. Dedicated to keeping up with the NFL, Matt will wake at an early 8:00a.m. to catch the Monday/Thursday night football live. He has several cool baseball caps that he sports around town. Matt has a very easygoing, "down-for-anything" personality, which is common amongst our crew. He is also starting his second year at SWU. He too teaches post-graduates, and has shared some unique ideas for teaching. Matt's Chinese is good enough to get by in basic restaurant, shopping situations. I'd be lost if it weren't for help from people like Matt.

Keegan

Keegan is in the middle

In every posse, you gotta have that one "Great Master," veteran character. Keegan is that man. He has been in China for six years. Keegan speaks Mandarin well but prefers "Chongqing-wa," the local dialect, in which he is fluent. Keegan is familiar with everything about China and everything about SWU. Walking around campus with him is an all-day event. Everyone who knows him wants to say Hi when he passes. He is the great connector for jobs, opportunities, gossip, bars, everything. Our social scene would not be half of what it is without Keegan's advice and input. Aside from knowing everything, Keegan is enjoyable company and does not put on airs with his mastery. A night out with Keegan almost guarantees a good story.

Syo (Pronounced Show)

While I have only met Syo twice, I am thrilled with his bravery and ambition. Syo is from Japan and thus teaches Japanese in SWU. This is quite a position to hold in China, especially since relations between China and Japan are still sour at best. Syo lives in the same apartment as us, but it seems as if he is never there. He too is studious, and either is in his room or out and about on his bike. In either matter, his door is always closed (picture not shown').

Jiong & Ouyong (Bear)

John Teaches in front of class

If you aren't familiar with who John is yet, please check my past blog, www.thomasinireland.blogspot.com. This is where my friendship truly enflamed with John, and we have been international adventure buddies ever since. In China, Jiong goes by a different but similar sounding name… Jiong (chinese emocicon meaning "embarrassed"). I've only witnessed John teach a class, but that was enough. He's a natural teacher. Jiong brings an outgoing facade to his classes that I have never seen from him before. The kids love him, and he is literally trending on SWU kids' Chinese Twitter. Mafioso status.

Ouyong is what the Chinese would call "John's secret." She is a beautiful girl from Japingba, a suburb closer to Chongqing. Her spoken English is enough to get by, but by no means proficient. It is fascinating to watch puppy love work without 100% clarity of communication. Ouyong often plays Mom; cooking meals, bringing snacks to Joing after class. She tags along with us when she can, and although she is more quiet she brings a feeling of comfort and serenity to the air. I can see why Jiong finds her special (picture coming soon).

Sean and Kassie

Our teaching friends in the 'sticks, Sean and Kassie are John's old high school friends. This couple was assigned to teaching posts in Rongchang, a rural SWU agricultural campus about an hour or so from Beibei. While we do not see them everyday, we try to reunite with them when we can. Sean is exhibits the same type of passion and spice for life that John does, so naturally I get along with him like a brother. Sean fascinates me with his creative mind, and we are constantly brainstorming about how to combine my talents of resourcefulness with his and John's creativity to make big money. 

Kassie is Sean's pretty girlfriend who also bring about a nurturing character. She too is patient with just about everything, and enjoys random adventuring like us. One night, after a wonderful day touring downtown Chongqing, Sean whisked Kassie out onto an outside plaza-turned-dancefloor. As I watched the two waltz around with several dozen other Chinese couples, I thought to myself, "God-willing, I cannot wait for this wedding." They are perfect for each other.

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I co-taught my first class with John today. Our lesson consisted of introducing ourselves to the class and fielding questions about our family, American life, culture, language, etc. At one point, I mentioned that John and I were best of friends. Just as I put my arm around John, a little Chinese girl in the second row peeped up and said, "Do you really like him? Like, have you ever seen the movie Brokeback Mountain?" Everyone laughed, but no one laughed harder than John and I.

-It is rare as an American to pay for beers at a bar. Because being American has somewhat of a celebrity twinge, bar owners refuse to accept payments from Waiguoren. They want you to return.. as many times as possible.

-Similar to not paying for drinks at a bar, rarely do I pay for meals. It is standard for Chinese to pay while hosting or planning a meal involving foreigners. No questions asked.

- Masses of food are always left over after a meal. No clean plate club here. 

- METRO, a German-owned version of Sam's Club, is the Chinese key to western food. It will, however, cost you. Block of Dubliner Cheese: $8. Bree: $6. Crackers: $3. Planter's Peanuts: $5. Having all the comfort foods from home at twice the cost: Priceless? Maybe not.

-Chinese people do not all look alike. I have seen several Chinese equivalents of classmates from home, and even an old man that reminded me of my Grandpa. 

My Apartment in Beibei

My apartment is on the fourth floor of a complex called "Golden Bamboo Garden." It is a 5 minute walk outside of the Southwest University Campus. On clear days, I can easily see the mountains surrounding Beibei, which are reminiscent of the beautiful backdrop I had from my monastic guest room in Cobán, Guatemala.

The apartment is all hardwood floor, complete with laundry room, living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The window from my bed looks out to a deck from another apartment, where an old Chinese couple maintains a small garden and Coy pond. 

Coy Pond outside my window

Living Room