First, I should preface with an explanation of my philosophy on traveling. I trust the people I am with, and trust they would never put me into a situation which is dangerous and I trust in God's protection, so in China I always say YES. Do you want to try getting your hair washed? Yes. Do you want to do this? Yes. Do you want to teach teachers? Yes. Do you want to try this food? YES (but don't tell me what it is until after I eat it). Because of this rule, I believe I have found myself in many interesting and unique situations, but all things I wouldn't have gotten to experience if I hadn't said yes. How many times in your life do you get such a wonderful opportunity? Time to take off the breaks and say "yes."
Thursday night, Betty's next door neighbor with a HUGE home (it's on the corner so much larger) invited us to dinner. I thought it was next door, but I actually crossed Asia and went to Versailles.
I just wonder... Where do you sit? I mean, I know where you sit up straight perfectly erect like a doll, but where do you relax? A good question.
The dining room... Beautiful Betty on the left. When the Chinese answer the phone they say what sounds like "Way?!" I think it means hello.
We went in their backyard garden to see their moat. Well, I don't know if they are calling it a moat, but I am. The inside was a castle, so this is a moat. All they needed was a drawbridge! Everything was so beautiful.
And then we ate. Delicious wonton, which are my very favorite Chinese food, that actually aren't pictured here. Then in the middle, they call them "pancakes" but they are like very soft taco shells, stuffed with different things, usually lots of vegetables and some kind of meat. I never ask what's in them. See the black bugs on the right? Do you want to try this? Yes. So I did. What is it? Cicada. Spicy. Don't YOU want to try? I'll bring you some home...
Went by the bakery for more baked yummy and perused some Chinese mags.
Then I had some Dow time. Well, I pronounce her name "DOW." She wouldn't wake up from a nap for her nanny and her mom, so I went over, laid down next to her and showed her her picture. "That"s you!" And with the touch of technology, she popped up like a Pop-Tart. Just like I learned from my nieces and nephew.
Ayi and Dow.
She's my one chubby friend in China.
I tried to take a picture of her with the weight. There is a weight that they have that she practices rolling, rolling. Chinese babies lift weights. What can your baby do?
Of course, Betty is a pro. I was in a few of her classes again and she took pictures without me even asking. These are some third graders (5th in America), and they are SO EXCITED for the next round of the game.
Me telling them, LISTEN LISTEN. I would ask different types of questions to try to get them out of the box a bit. The Chinese students are wicked smart, but I like to push them. They are SO MUCH FUN.
Ohhhh this is hysterical. This is the eye exercise chart. Every afternoon, very important! I mean, I did it with them and BAM, this morning, I didn't need glasses anymore... If nothing else, I think it's wonderful to do these kind of stretches to help them in the afternoon, gets them moving and thinking again after nap.
They are wild between classes.
Those girls in the back? Playing a hand game which seems eerily similar to Miss Mary Mack and other assorted hang clapping games I used to play on the playground with Brittany, Hayley, Casey, Carmen, and so many others... Little girls are little girls all over the world.
Have you ever had 60 kids rush you because they see you are taking a picture? I ducked behind a desk. THEY FOLLOWED. Persistence.
Close relationships. They are so precious.
HIIIIIIII!
Time to stretch and massage.
The opener--getting to know them.
Hello, my name is Mrs. Lang. What's your name?
HELLO. MY NAME IS ______!
Nice to meet you.
NICE TO MEET YOU TOO!
*Shakes limply*
I explain to shake a little harder.
*Shakes off my hand.*
On the way home, we were re-routed because the Chinese high school which is in our neighborhood was giving a very important exam. High schoolers can choose to go to vocational school, a Chinese college or international schools. Once a year, they have the test comparable to the SAT/ACT for the Chinese colleges. A test in the morning, nap, then afternoon. About 2 1/2 hours each test. The school hires the police to not allow cars within so close of the school, so that the students will not be disturbed by ANYTHING. SO. SWEET. My SAT score would have been... Well. Just as terrible. Ugh, math.
Beth teaches at the #1 High School in our province (like a state). She teaches the students who are doing international SAT prep. Students who get into the top high school, come from all over, including my town of Yongkang. Some of the students in Beth's school are taking the Chinese test, so the ones doing international schools have three days off. One of the students in Beth's classes lives in Yongkang, and her parents know Betty and her husband very well. Her mother asked if she and Ivy, the daughter, could take me out to dinner Friday night, so I said yes, because of my yes rule. This was a risky choice for me. Not knowing these people, and not knowing if anyone speaks passable English.
So, they came and picked me up for dinner. Then, they took me to Wuyi, a nearby town, for dinner.
The parents' friends were opening a hotel, so they were having a huge celebration dinner. These are the appetizer courses. (See the Coke? It's like drinking America. And I'm proud to be an American.) My favorite appetizer was the mutton, which you see with the purple flower next to it. Food is so beautiful in its presentation, but I sometimes worry I'll accidentally eat Poison Ivy or something because they used it for decoration. That would be a difficult itch to scratch.
REMEMBER THE YES RULE? It's about to bite me in the butt. I always eat before I ask.
This is snake skin... Erg. Great. So that's how this evening is going to go...
Mmmm, clam cold and vegetables.
Shrimp with eyes. One of my main food groups here. My husband would starve to death. No mac-n-cheese, dude. But! When in Wuyi, do as the Wuyians do.
Sorry mom. I ate frog. Not like boiled or fried frog--straight frog. (My mom's kindergarten classroom is all frogs.)
Holy Mandarin Fish. This gave me the willies to eat. I also ATE AN EYE because it will "make my skin white and smooth." Also, it will make me throw up on you, but I didn't say that, and kept it down.
This was by the end of the meal. It was LAYERS of food. I taught them "My eyes were bigger than my stomach." They thought it was hysterical and told everyone in the whole place. They said "In China, our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs." Right, unless your eye is now in MY stomach because you were that fish.
We then went to see the famous Wuyi covered bridge. The locals say that they had a competition with Yongkang to see who could build the longest covered bridge, and Yongkang won, because they were tricky and curved the bridge. This is the straight one. I hope to walk through the curved one, the Xijin Bridge, soon.
On the bridge with Ivy, my young friend and Beth's student.
View from the bridge of another bridge in town.
BLURRY PICTURE! (Shout-out CILTs of 2011.)
Beautiful at night with the lanterns.
Then, they really wanted me to get a "foot bath." Which, although it was getting late and it was a school night, I always say yes right? And another spa, but this time for feet? It won't be bad, it will be great... (The woman ahead is the mother of the student. She LOVES to shop. She told me a lot about that.)
Getting ready for I don't know what.
Oh right. For soaking my feet in hot milk and herbs. My greatest dream for my feet has finally been realized! (Also, this milk was HOT. There needed to be a warning. And what would I say in the American hospital when I come home?! Burnt my feet in hot milk?!)
Naturally, watched some classic stories of the glories of ancient China while the milk thing was going on. I thought this was really interesting. Here's the story I watched:
"Wu Song passes by a tavern near Jingyang Ridge, where a large sign reads "Three Bowls Do Not Cross Ridge". This arouses his interest and he stops there for a break. The waiter explains to Wu Song that the wine sold at the tavern is so strong that customers would become drunk after having three bowls and be unable to cross the ridge ahead, hence the sign. Wu Song manages to remain sober after drinking three bowls and he demands that the waiter continue serving him wine even though the latter is reluctant. By the end of his meal, Wu Song had consumed 18 bowls of wine in total and appears tipsy. He is about to leave when the waiter stops him, warning him about the presence of a fierce man-eating tiger at Jingyang Ridge. Wu Song suspects that the waiter is lying to him because he wants him to spend the night there so as to earn extra money, so he ignores the waiter and proceeds with his journey.
While crossing Jingyang Ridge, Wu Song sees a warning sign bearing an official endorsement and is now convinced that there is really a tiger at the ridge. However, he refuses to turn back because he knows he would be scorned and laughed at by the waiter if he did. He moves on and does really encounter a ferocious tiger while trying to take a nap to get over the effect of alcohol. While trying to fend off the beast, Wu Song accidentally breaks his staff, rending himself weaponless. Under the stimulation of alcohol, he ends up slaying the beast by pinning it to the ground and bashing its head repeatedly with his bare fists." Via Wikipedia.
So basically: "Don't mess with Wu Song and Other Chinese Stories." Like ever. Dude killed a tiger. WITH HIS BARE HANDS. (*Note* This is actually a folktale. I don't think a man really did this...)
Then, she lit the glasses on flame and stuck them to my feet. How does this keep happening?! And why are people paid to do it? I could go to any elementary students in America, and they would suck the air out of a glass and stick it to my feet for free. They would probably be on board with the fire bit and milk thing too.
But, I acknowledge this for its cultural tradition, and again, was thankful for another phenomenal experience.
SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT BEING STARTLED BY THE FLAME?! I'm sorry to yell, but that thing has come at me twice now in a week.
Then, Mary Catherine's Asian twin (the resemblance was uncanny, and if you don't see it, I took a terrible picture) beat me with bigger versions of drumsticks.
Of course, we also watched an American movie with Chinese subtitles. I chose Star Trek. We got halfway through it--tells you the length of the spa dealio.
Overall the whole night was a lot of fun, and another night I am so thankful for, but I was really tired by the end. Because we have a seven day work week due to the Dragon Boat Festival next week (Have I told you they changed my work week to Monday-Sunday? Then we're off Monday-Wednesday), I am getting really exhausted. I'm ready for tomorrow afternoon and a few days break. Next year, when I feel like I have had a long week, I will try to remember--you know, the work week could be 7 days! :) Perspective.
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