Tag Archives: street

Chinese Medicine or was that marijuana I smell?

Posted on by
Reply

My experience with Chinese Medicine has been a humorous encounter!

As an American our standards are just entirely different than the Chinese.  The traditional basic Chinese customs are fresh air is a must, even if it is below freezing.  One should open a window and let the cool air in.  Hot water is drank all the time, no ice and no cold water.  One must wear many layers of clothes and jackets pretty much all the time.  Of course if you are into the “fresh air belief” your home will be as cold as it is outside, therefore  jackets are worn in the house.  Surgical masks are worn by a majority of the people on the street.  Is it a fashion statement or is it to stay well?  I just bought one to keep my nose warm when I bike in 23 degree weather.  Mine has words on it– “Not Paranoid!”  One is allowed to cough, hock up a loogie and spit it on the street, or in your hand and then flick it on the road. One must always watch where one walks.  Kleenex tissues, impossible to find in the store are not used by the Chinese.  I have pockets full.

My wonderful Chinese neighbor brought me some throat lozenges to help my sore throat.  They are pink, round and chalky.  I tried one of these “Watermelon Frost” tablets as it was titled in English.  As fast as it went in my month, hit my tongue I expelled it!  The taste was that of Lysol!  I don’t want to disinfect my month but soothe it.  Last week I walked into our library to smell marijuana wafting throughout the room.  I saw the librarian holding a white cigar lit stick, in front of the heater letting the blowing air dissipate the smoke.  I asked, “What in the world are you doing with a huge doobie?”   She said it was Chinese Medicine to ward off the flu virus we all have.  I have news for you it may not get rid of the flu, but no one will care in an hour or so.  Someone needs to tell me, is hemp legal here?

Art teachers, art museums and the Pi Lu and Ling Gu temple

Posted on by
1

October 14, 2010

In our school many of the rooms are set up, but they are never used. I see Chemistry labs, woodworking labs, art labs, taxidermy rooms, and so on.  Jonathan, my British colleague says it for ‘show.’  I found a couple of really lovely art rooms with sculpted busts, easels, spot lights and an array of still life items.  No one is allowed in them as they are locked and even double padlocked.  I asked if I could use the rooms, and I get answers like the IB program is taking over and this is for the government public school program.  Yet they sit unused.  Last week on my way to class I noticed this art room was unlocked.  I walked in, and low and behold there was a young man painting a 24x 60 landscape in oils.  His palette had an array of colored dollops of paint nicely organized in a rainbow of hues.  I was so excited to see a real painter and began to chat yet he spoke no English.  Come to find out, after I snagged my art student Joy to translate, he is the government public art teacher.  His name is John Ching Wong and a most handsome man at that.  He invited me to his second floor office, which had a sign printed Art Department Office in English and Chinese.  Finally I have found real art teachers.  Inside he and two colleagues had their desks.  The other art teacher Mr. Drew a short older man with a scruff of a beard shook my hand and pointed to a beautiful watercolor seascape with sculpted gray rocks in the foreground.  It was magnificent.  He painted it.  (Pat Wolf, my watercolor teacher from Taos and Ann Sauve, my Colorado watercolor buddy would be amazed at his expertise.)  I need to take lessons from him, now!  The third man was the music teacher and translated our conversations.  They found out I throw pots and were quite interested in having IB buy a wheel and kiln so I could teach them.  There may be some art trading going on in the future if I can do some negotiating.  When I see John now, he makes a point to say hi or wave.  I have art painting teacher friends!

The art museums in town are small but unique.  The contemporary museum houses many oil paintings of Chinese representational peasantry life, scrolls of traditional ink landscapes and calligraphy plus a variety of modern art.  They had two of the worst Picassos’ I have ever seen.  I hope they are on loan!  The old provincial museum across the street had a magnificent collection of serigraphs by a local artist.  They were a combination of decorative almost Aboriginal in design compositions of everyday Chinese life, some very humorous in bright colored opaque inks.  I would have bought a dozen of these, if they were for sale.  Anna my art student had accompanied me on my quest for museums.  We were fortunate to see a sign to the Pi Lu Buddhist Temple, and off we went many blocks through some dank alleys.   Walking by a beggar man with no legs leaning on a dirty sofa cushion on the edge of the street, I realized how fortunate I am.  Anna is Buddhist and this temple was a find for her.  She and I heard chanting and proceeded to the center of the temple.  As we walked in many people were kneeling on sloping pillows chanting and praying.  We watched and walked around the building then climbed all the stairs to the top to view the golden Buddha in the main room.  This was a site to see, the ceiling was lavishly painted in a bright colored design to enhance the Buddha’s presence.  10,000 Buddha’s restaurant was housed on this level.  The smell wafting from the door way was that of old fried grease and soapy dirty water.  We weren’t hungry nor would we be for hours after smelling this odor.  As we walked the bald Buddhist men in saffron robes made their way to the courtyard, I couldn’t stop staring at them.  They were intense at staring back at me as well.  Guess neither of us had seen anything so amazing.  Then many local women removed their long robes to unveil their street clothes and walked out and on their way home.  Was this women’s prayer day at the temple?  Anna had taken me aside and she showed me how to pray Buddhist style.  On your knees, hands together in prayer, bow placing your hands down on the pillow next to your knees, then flip your hands over and back up into prayer mode.  Do this three times and each time pray for something, like security, prosperity, happiness whatever you want.  It was a lovely way to pray.  She was excited to tell her mom about the temple and would bring her.

Taking photographs is an obsession.  Iris, another art student invited me to Purple Mountain for a photo shoot.  We met in front of the school last Saturday morning and to my surprise, her mom couldn’t come so her dad’s driver took us.  She presented me with a gift of green tea from a nearby tea grower, in beautiful golden tins.  What a treat.  We photographed Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s mausoleum having walked some 350 steps to the top.  Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a revolutionary hero of the people.  He was instrumental in removing the emperors from the Chinese government.  Next we rode a charming little open air tram to the Ling Gu Temple and Pagoda.  A Buddhist temple yet no longer used as such, more like a museum with dioramas of the revolution.  Iris is a quick walker and hurriedly climbed the circular stairway to the top of Ling Gu Pagoda.  The sun was shining and many of our photos have wonderful cast shadows through arch ways and decorative windows.  Iris captured children sliding and climbing up sculpted walls.  I liked photographing the old people in their traditional clothing.  Lunch time, more Chinese family style food served at the food court near the temple.  Iris’ mom and dad met us there and we had the best eggplant, potato and green pepper dish along with seven or eight other dishes.  Another feast!  Iris’s dad wanted to know how long I had been using chops.  Six weeks, I replied.  He thought longer.  For me if you’re hungry and eat with sticks, you must learn how quickly so you can cram it down and not starve!  I am nimble with the chop sticks!

Michael Bolton is a hit in China! Ha, ya’ll!

Posted on by
2

October 7, 2010

Up at 6:30 am, I can never sleep in.   A Latte is in order, using a coffee filter, tea strainer and IKEA frothier with my S.I.T. ground coffee, I whip up a strong one.  Today I think I will look out the upstairs balcony window.  Across the way is a young man pacing on his roof top terrace with a book in hand.  I saw him yesterday morning doing this.  Is he studying for a test?  SAT exams are coming up.  They are not offered in China. High school seniors planning to go to college abroad or in America will need this test for their application.   Students travel to Hong Kong to take it on October 8th and 9th.  The flight is over two hours, I can imagine the expense.  I look further down to the courtyard and there are twelve people in three rows doing Tai Chi.  That looks easy so I stand up in my purple night gown and brown fuzzy knee length robe and begin to follow the movements.  This is interesting, the movements give the impression of slowly moving your prana around and then there is a quick movement to push it off of you.  I like this.  It might get rid of bad spirits.  Although I moved half way around the world you would think I had gotten away from the bad spirits, but who knows, maybe a little Tai Chi is in order.  I brew another cup of coffee and trot back to my perch on the balcony. The class is over but two students remain practicing with red fluffy fans.  The movements are fluid and almost hypnotic.  This is quite enjoyable to watch, much better than TV.

Alice called last night while I waited on wedding fire crackers to explode and wanted to meet in the center of the city to listen and buy some music.  I hailed a taxi and off I went.  The city is different at night, with all the lights and many people bustling around.  I meet her at a foot bridge and we walked to a side street and into a CD shop.  Sawyer is there chatting with the owner, they are friends.  We look at music and it seems the Chinese are in love with some of my favorite music from 90’s.  Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, and Kenny G are their favorites.  To all of my art teacher friends, Mr. Garrott, Miss Gilly and Mrs. Arago you put up with my Michael Bolton posters and music, guess what they are hits here and now!  Ha, I told you this was good music.  Now a whole country loves them too!  I ended up with some old Beatles, Hall and Oates, Norah Jones and Sheryl Crow for 15RMB each.  The discussions centered on what Americans listen to now.  I had to break it to the shop owner Bolton is no longer a big hit in America.  Americans move on to newer musicians and melodies.  He just couldn’t believe me!

We walked down the street and there were night vendors set up on the sidewalk.  I checked out burlap looking shoes, PJ’s and then my eye went to some old Chinese art books.  Ah ha, a find!  I ended up with two, one on Ceramics and the other on paintings.  They are fabulous, colorful and of course in Chinese.  But art is universal, who needs words?

Someone is shooting fireworks this morning, I can’t see where they are coming from in the daylight, bummer.  I woke up about 1 am hearing a huge display of Roman Candles go off.  In a variety of colors and array of lights, it was like a dandelion explosion.  Then a phone call from Possum Kingdom followed.  My realtor is renewing my property contract in the Hills over PK.  Anyone interested in two acres overlooking the lake?  It is too far for me to vacation!

8 Million and the “Joker”

Posted on by
Reply

October 5, 2010

I was trying to figure out my metal rice box container on rollers located under my kitchen cabinet when Michael called and said meet him at S.I.T (Sculpting in Time) for lunch.  Many of the taxi drivers don’t know where this ex-pat place is so I called Alice to get it said in Chinese.  The last time I had a driver drop me off, I ended up a couple blocks away and was lost.  There are no outstanding landmarks and every place begins to look the same, especially if you can’t read Chinese characters.   This time I was dropped off right in front, need to get Alice to write that out for me in Chinese.  I met up with Michael and he introduced me to Derrick and Annette, a married couple from England.  Derrick and Michael taught together last year.  They have an electric bike to buzz around in and said their drive is 25 minutes from their new place in the “burbs!”  A long way, but they have more western furnishings, like a “UK bouncy” bed and dryer!  The population of the city was a major discussion.  I read it was 2.8 million.  The men said hardly, it was more like 8 million.  In five years it has doubled as people want to be closer to the conveniences of the city and better jobs.  No wonder I think it is so huge, it’s like New York.  Alice and Sawyer joined up for lunch.  Then the three of us took off walking and searching for light bulbs.  We actually found a vendor on the street that had what I needed, so I bought three.  This business of being able to find specialty items in specific places persuades me to buy extra.  I ask for a business card, so I can find his place again.  My wallet if bulging with business cards after living here a month and a half.

Sawyer wants to watch movies so we head back to my place.  He invites a movie editor friend visiting from Beijing.  His name is “Joker” like in the Batman movie.  What is it with strange American names, Chinese people give themselves?  He brought an old Michael Douglas movie, “The Game.”  Joker says it is one of his favorites.  It is an old 90’s movie and edgy.  I wasn’t too excited about the plot.  Afterwards we had a discussion about what Americans watch on TV.  He has a preconceived notion Americans watch old movies, like black and whites from the 40’s up to the 80’s!  He likes “Bonnie and Clyde” and watches it repeatedly.  I am thinking Americans are more interested in new flicks, not old stuff like on the Turner network.   The discussion went to political land accessions of China, such as Taiwan, North Korea and Tibet.  Are these separate countries or Chinese?  Would I be arrested if I wore a “Free Tibet” T-shirt?  Sawyer said, nah, not that many people can read English and would just pass me by on the street!  Now if I was in Tiananmen Square that might be different.  Ok no protesting there!  The conversation over democracy whiffs in the air and we decide China is becoming democratic and maybe the US is becoming socialist!  Are the countries flipping beliefs? Somehow the conversation drifts to an in depth debate about ghosts.  We discuss “The Sixth Sense.’  Joker and I agree it is an intense movie.  He doesn’t believe in God or ghosts!  Oh my, I can debate this issue for hours.  He has no idea what metaphysics or theosophy is so we can’t get to in-depth. I am reminded he just like movies, which is why, he is a movie trailer editor.

I realize without my cell phone, internet or TV I spend much of my time in discussion with people.  I like being connected and not distracted.  I like the cultural education I am getting.

Military Training and Rikisha ride

Posted on by
Reply

I walked onto campus greeted by a thousand students in uniform doing tai chi.  Now that was overwhelming and very wonderful to watch.  A nice start to the day.  Had lunch in the canteen (school cafeteria) with my Chinese colleague lady teachers.  There is a meat and vegetarian option.  YEW HAW!  So this is what I had:  bamboos shoots steamed with chili peppers, sauteed julienne sliced celery, sauteed sliced potatoes, a Chinese steamed spinach, sauteed cucumber, rice and a bowl of water soup with a see through square vegetable-looked more like a Jello cube.  Each item was it’s own dish.  The soup was blah but everything else was pretty good.  I just didn’t recognize the taste of the potatoes as a potato!  I get free lunch with my school card.   What a deal.

Class consisted of three delightful DP HL students working on individual art projects.  Class was an hour and a half.  Off to the bank  to open a checking account.  There is a 45 minute wait, and then much stamping of documents with the ever familiar red chop to open my account! I get my debit card and some other card with scratch off numbers on the back.  Is it a lottery card?   No it’s extra pin numbers when you login to your internet account.  Ah ha, something we should do in the states — extra security.  Walk back to school and everyone is out playing badminton when I return.  I have to weave in and out of  hundred plus kids swatting their rackets at the little birdie.  What a sight.

I just make it in time to see the Military Training presentation put on by the Pre IB or foundation students.  During the summer these students are required to attend one week of military training about two hours away in the countryside.  They showed videos of their training, did skits, played music, sang and gave each other awards for a variety of good deeds.  The program was in Chinese but the skit was about how to be a good military student, respect your officer and be disciplined.  Maybe we should do this with American students!

I am told I can leave early, cause the program is in Chinese, so I head out for a taxi!  By now there are none to be had so I walk a ways, stop get a iced latte (maybe a long walk and need to stay awake).  Still can’t get a taxi, so one of the police men point down a smaller street, so I walk that way.   I check out a pastry vendor, shoe store and a cosmetic shop.  (found some fingernail polish  and the clerk gave me  free lotion!)  Walking to the corner see a McDonald’s, ah good spot to get a taxi, no way!  Now it is between 5 and 6 pm –shift change for taxi drivers, darn!  Then out of the blue this swarthy guy with an electric powered rikisha pops up and motions he can take me, so off I go on an open aired three wheel bike for the price of two fingers.  We make a couple of cut through turns and end up in a seedy area.  At this point I am thinking this guy in his “Bobby Gang” shirt and pink Crocs might just turn down a dark alley and take my 3oo yuan. ($45)  But we pop out onto a street I recognize.  Then he stops and picks up a metal pipe he sees in the road and stores it for later under my seat.  He lits up a cigarette and motions I should take a hit!  Think not.  Off we go again passing hundreds of people, bikes and cars.  I see the familar McDonalds on the corner by the University.  We made it.  I hand him two yuan and he gets madder than a hornet.  He pounds his fist and stubby fingers demanding more–so I think he says four, still not enough. I motion for the University guard to come over and so does a college student, now this is getting loud and lots of Chinese verbiage is flying.  The college girls asks me what he said he charged?  I remember the two fingers, well I guess I didn’t get the figure or fingers right.  He wanted 40 yuan (almost three times a taxi ride!)  I looked at her and said I had gotten taken, she agreed, and I gave him 37 and just walked off.  Geez what a night.  I need to learn more Chinese and how the bus system works!