Category Archives: art

Ji Ming Buddhist Temple and meeting a “Leader!”

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September 5 2010

Today was a special day.  I inquired about the Ji Ming Temple last week and Alice the Chinese economics teacher said she would take me.  Today we meet up and walked first to her friends Ceramics Art Gallery.  I was able to see all kinds of ceramic and porcelain tea pots, cups and jewelry made by local artisans.  They had throwing ribs made of bamboo, that was very unique, and durable.  What fun I had there.  Ended up with some sweet gifts and earrings for me.  Figuring how to ship small items may be interesting, will have to check into DHL.  Alice’s friends have a bamboo caged little pet in the shop, named “Leader”, like leader of the government so Guli the owner calls him.  The pet is a large grasshopper.  It makes the funniest noises while you shop.  I want one!  so Guli said he will keep an eye for the woman vendor who sells grasshoppers on the street.  He said he saw her with 200 caged grasshoppers.  His is a month old and eats pumpkin and cabbage.  I got to touch it’s foot.  Alice bought a teapot and got a lotus pod.  They said the word for seeds means children. So the lotus flower has many children, I can relate!

Alice’s husband met up with us after his Tai Chi class and we took a taxi to the temple.  It was many flights of stairs.  I threw coins in a giant tripod container — if your coin goes in you become wealthy. Took me many tries to get that darn coin in that hole.  At the top of the temple you can eat Vegeterian food and it was very crowed today.  We got a seat and I finally ate “mock meats” instead of just vegetables.  We had a vegetarian beef meat and a bowl of noodles with mock shrimp.  It was very good, similar to Sumi Veggie in Richardson. I tried Plum Juice, very tasty.  We looked at all the Buddha sculptures, very large, colorful and quite impressive.  I saw only four real monks, all bald, even the girl.

We then strolled  Xuanwu Lake Park next to the temple.  The temple has a huge pagoda and a great wall around it and continues down to the next pagoda and another temple probably a mile or so away.   It is similar to the Great wall in Beijing.  These walls were built to keep the enemy out, the Mongolians.   It is quite old, but in good shape. The entrances have arches and are magnificent.  On the lake was hundreds of small boats similar to paddle boats.  It was a colorful site to see.  In a park area, the senior citizens dressed in yellow Chinese old fashioned clothes were preparing for the fall festival, by practicing their music.  Another group was singing Chinese opera.

As I am writing this I hear opera outside my hotel window.  A student is practicing his singing too.  Occasionally I hear piano coming from the music building.  It’s all very soothing and delightful.

Another good day and tomorrow, school.  Maybe I will figure out how to do laundry in the morning, since my class starts at 11:20.

I need a “Leader!” and I shall name mine “Obama!”

China is heaven!

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September 4, 2010

Just got in from a night on the town, ok it is 10:15 pm and that is late for me, but I did have dinner and hit two bars with my colleagues.  We met up at McDonalds, the Aussie Peter, Brit Michael and youngster Brit John (he has lived here six years and is the one married to a Chinese woman) plus my American friends Daniel, Paula and their little sweet daughter.  We had a lovely Chinese dinner across the street from the University for 141 RMB, not quite $20 for seven of us!  Dinner was served family style in a private room, red walls and gold chairs and a gold table cloth.  Only chopsticks are allowed!  Got a proper lesson on how to hold them from John, the bottom stick doesn’t move only the top one!  Since John is Vegan, life if good for me, as he orders in Chinese and most all we have to eat is Vegetarian.  Michael says that the Chinese will eat everything that has four legs except the table!  E-gads…. Gad I am vegetarian.  I see chicken feet, turkey necks and all sorts of meat products we would toss in American, that are scrumptious morsels here in China.

After dinner we head to the Youth Hostel for a beer.  Just the guys and I go; Paula has to put the wee one to bed.  A Snow beer 2.5 alcohol content, and tastes like a girl beer from Texas with bubbles!  So this is really nice for me, the guys hate it.  Then after one beer, John wants to move on to another bar.  Off we go, this time to a college hang out, have a lager, and listen to the cute Chinese girl sing hits from the Carpenters!  That was eerie!   Played pool with the guys, felt like I was 19 and in college.  Had a few lucky shots, but let the Aussie and Brit win!  Yes I am good at pool, but guys need to win!  Then about 10 pm decided it was my bed time and they all walked me back to the hotel.   Someone tell me where I went wrong in America?  These guys actually care about my warfare.  How delightful is this??   I so love China, John told me I would never leave, I fit in so nicely.  It is a really unusual feeling, like I belong here.  Someone told me I must have lived a past life here, duh….. I think many past lives.  I am so comfortable here, everything makes sense.

During the afternoon I looked at an apartment near the school where I teach.  It was perfect… 27th floor about 2 blocks from campus and will be available in a couple weeks.  It is more than the school allotment provides but it will be wonderful for me.  All the appliances are so not typical American, very “old school” Chinese, but hell with a pent house view

who cares.  It is something like 100 meters square, God what size is that?  It has 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room and a bath and a half.  Total cost 38000 RMB for one year… about $519 a month…. And the school will pay 2/3rds of that. I am so ok with a penthouse view. (It is really not a penthouse, I am just calling it that and it is split level) Too cool for this American Art girl.

What is a”Carrefour” store?  Went to one of those today and found green olives, hot damn!  I am in heaven, plus a jar of Pesto!  (Patti, it is really good, almost as good as I make!) OK don’t laugh too hard, but I had McDonalds French fries too!  Tasted just like the states!   And they had ketchup, yew haw!  Motor bicycles are 1299 up too 1899RMB which is about $200+.  Someone tell me how cheap that is!!!!  Peter is going to buy one and I will ride on the back.  I don’t think I have the nerve to drive one with all the traffic!

Stopped in a tea shop and sat down at a tree truck table, with a Buddha carved in it.  Ok that was the best Karma ever.  The guy boiled up some Oolong tea, oh my god, best I ever drank.  I sat there looking at his little Buddha clay trinkets for sale and found one with a frog on it.  Yes I have this frog thing going now.  He sold it to me for 30 RMB ($4) then he took it and soaked it in water and it somehow filled up!  Next he poured boiling water on it and the frog magically spit water out its mouth.  Omg, I started laughing so hard, I could hardly stand it.  Then he had a water buffalo figurine and he poured boiling water on him and low and behold he turned red!  I thought I was in magic heaven!  I am so going back to this place and having tea during school lunch break.

China is heaven!

Frogville TV

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September 3, 2010

Nice big thunderstorm, after I got home from my one class of three students.  Turned the TV on and have about 25 channels, of course it is all in Chinese.  There are no western programs or English.  On occasion you might hear seconds of English on a news broadcast, but it is nothing important.  I saw a water buffalo fight tonight; concept was like a cock fight in America.  Water Buffalo 48 was doing really good, they run head on into each other and try to kill the other, till he met up with number 15.  Water buffalo 15 knocked him to the ground and they hauled him off in a paddy wagon, poor 15. The owner of 48 got a red scarf which they put on the back of the buffalo.  Everyone cheered.  Then I flipped it to a show about frogs, looked like a place where they raised them, like a Frogville.  The weather was too hot and the little guys were dying of heat exhaustion.  So the owner was showing how he grew plants with large leafs to create shade for the little guys.  He even had cabbage plants for them to crawl in.  Then as it got hotter he made little wooden plank bridges so they could crawl under. The frogs had a mud moat to swim in and seemed to love the slime.  Then the owner showed how he took raw meat and let it set out and catch flies and in turn created maggots.  The maggot worms were gobbled up by the frogs, creating a very efficient business.  What he did with the frogs I do not know.  After thirty minutes I switched channels.

The channels are all called CCTV- Central China TV.  CCTV 1, CCTV 2 and so on, no diversity like in the US.  Although there is CCTV-MTV, now that’s a hoot.  Saw a guy that looked like Wayne Newton, ok sort of, with glitter in his puffy hair singing a Chinese Celine Dion song.  She would have been proud.  His voice was higher than hers!  Then a Michael Jackson rip-off was performing, and a Yanni piano guy. Yes, I liked the Yanni guy!  Remember it is all in Chinese!  There is a lot of Drama- with Ming Dynasty costumes, which is fun to look at for about five minutes.  Lots of love stories, boring.  Tonight I saw a Color Splash/Devine Design HGTV type of show.  The designer redid a Chinese apartment.  She had gone to IKEA and got some cheap shelves, which she arranged on the covered balcony, and then made a vase with popsicle like sticks.  GEEZ.  Not real impressed with the style.  Hey I found “Family Feud” in Chinese, just can’t read the answers!

Commercials are interesting; saw one today that was made of smoke that changed from a mountain, to a butterfly into a man, to a dragon, to the Great Wall of China and back to the mountain.  That was actually artistically cool and got my attention.  Don’t have the foggiest what it meant.  Cartoons are about the same, just Chinese-esque.

Speaking of smoke, the Chinese can smoke in motel rooms, cafes, taxis and at school.  My motel room occasionally will smell from next door smokers’ waking me up causing breathing problems.  Pollution is bad, yesterday morning was one of the first times I actually saw a blue sky.  It is humid, so mixed with the pollution seems smoggy most of the time.  I imagine in the country side it is cleaner.

1st day of school

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September 1,2010

Today I taught in China!  It was wonderful, but hot and sweaty.  Air conditioning is not something the Chinese use much! We have units in some rooms and our office.  The westerners come in and flip it on, the minute we walk out, off it goes by the Chinese teachers!  So my hair is in a pony tail today.  I am drinking water and carrying lots of toilet paper with me.  (No TP anywhere, carry your own!)

My classes start at 10:30 for an hour and a half then a nice long lunch for an hour and a half.  I come back to class at 1:30 and finish at 2:55.  It is wonderful.  One class today had 25  pre IB students all 10th graders the other was 3 fantastic HL students.  It is a great way to teach.  One of my HL’s asked me to sponsor the Ice Skating Club, and I accepted!  Can you see me on ice skates?  Zip, zip –boom!

I have a Chinese phone now, so if you need the number just email me.   I wanted a number I could remember, therefore I picked an easy one and was told it was a lucky number!  Yeah a lucky number, but it took longer to process because it was this lucky number, yes an extra hour.  Can you believe that was my luck?

School started with an IB faculty breakfast.  We had fried bread, hot soy milk, meatball bread dumpling, a loaf of sliced western bread all of which was yucky!  They did have instant Starbucks with real milk and a pastry with sesame seeds on top.  That was ok!   Found a little mom and pop cafe outside of the school campus that serves vegetarian food and the menu is in English.  Had sautéed broccoli then beans and mushrooms with fried egg rice and white rice.  Really great.  Learning to use those chopsticks, but picking up a mushroom is not so easy.  Very cheap, three of us ate for 44 RMB or $6.  Plus we had green tea.  I will be eating there again.

Off to yoga class……  It is fixing my back.  The bed I am sleeping on is just about to eat my lunch.  I have my down comforter on top of the mattress then a sheet on top of it.  Some better.

Namaste!

Medical Check up and Yoga!

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August 30, 2010
I had a med check for my China Visa, which included a dental check, eye check, full body X-ray, ultrasound of my liver, kidneys and spleen, an EKG, blood test and blood pressure test all done in less than one hour. Can you imagine America doing this for all our immigrants? And efficiently? It was a hoot running from one medical room to another and seeing so many doctors. I passed!

Afterwards, checked out the “Aqua mall.” Great grocery store, actually had everything anyone would need in an open air mall with a water fountain show in the middle, hence the name. Most name brand stores were there. I meet a cute couple from San Francisco, here for a week adopting a baby girl. They were so excited. My friend Sophia, the Chinese IB secretary is pregnant due in a couple months. I was curious to see is she was having a boy or girl. She told me the doctors won’t tell the moms what they are having, as some would abort the girls. They are only allowed one child, and when I say I have four — they flip!

Another short Inservice today, and I went to organize my desk and broke it! That was a moment when I was the subject of talk amongst the Chinese IB faculty! A bit too industrious!

This evening I met up with the IB coordinator at the Life Fitness Facility for a Chinese Yoga class. Oh my gosh– the floors are heated, the class was in Chinese and nothing like the “Sun salutation” classes I have had in America! This was very slow, pretzel-y upside-down, and twisty turny. It was just wonderful, I was so in my element. Even Yan said I was good, or maybe she was being nice. I signed up for three months and guess what they have spinning classes too! Yee Haw….. Maybe I can learn Tai Chi as well! Next door is the massage place, open till 10pm and no appointment! Hello China fitness!

Afternoon at Qingliangshan park

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August 29, 2010 Saturday was a busy day. Met up with my American friends and my new British colleague for breakfast at a place called S.I.T = Sculpting in Time! Looks just like a 1950’s British cafe, very quaint. Another latte and pizza…. with corn kernels on it? But tasty! Then a walk around the area, found a place to buy pirated DVD’s. Thought I’d wait on that, not knowing it they would work on my Laptop.

Found a teapot art shop that sold one of a kind maybe antique Chinese teapots. They sold for over $1000. Just gorgeous. Stopped at the grocery and got some yogurt that doesn’t need refrigeration, with a fork, spoon, wash cloth and toilet paper!

Speaking of toilets, let me tell you more in my quest for the western lou, as my British friends are calling it! As we departed S.I.T., I found a hallway with sliding doors, ah they have men/women symbols on them, went to slid the womens door open and low and behold a Chinese guy was sitting on the toilet reading a newspaper. Did I squeal! So I just went to the Mens next door and used that one! Today I am carrying toilet paper.

The afternoon I spent at Qingliangshan Park, about two blocks away, across the street from the “Brain Hospital,” yes that was the name on the sign! Lots of men in their Chinese patterned Pajamas were walking around the hospital and in the park. I just figured they were airing out their brains! The park was old Chinese in style, with ponds and lily’s coming out of the mucky water. (Linda Giordono you need to know I thought of your Buddhist advice on life in the muck and the lily blooming from it! Alais I am in the land of the blooming lily’s! You know Susan means lily!) There was Calligraphy stones with characters on them around the ponds, and some locked buildings with sample Calligraphy on the walls. I think I saw a statue of Kwan Yin. Old men were playing cards, checkers and chatting while their bamboo caged birds sang little songs hanging in the trees next to them. How very charming that was to see.

Last night I went out on the town! Took me 25 minutes to hail a cab. Need to figure out what corner to stand on and how to jump out there without getting run over by hundreds of mopeds and bikes, ching-ching. Met up with Michael, the British Econ teacher and his two friends, John and Sue for a tea. Mine was a loose leaf, maybe a Darjeeling or Oolong but whatever it was defiantly a new experience. Came in a glass coffee mug, with a ton of leaves floating on top and would not sink down. Humm, trying to be the world traveler with my expert Brit tea drinkers I proceeded to drink this straining with my teeth. I think Micheal noticed I was not the seasoned tea drinker and advised me to add water to sink the leaves. Need to read up on teas! Next we are off to a Japanese restaurant for a Vegetarian dinner. These Brits were so sweet they all ordered vegetarian food so I would have plenty. The noodle bowl was tasty, great mushrooms and the broth was scrumptious. There was potato curry and a sliced cucumber dish. Sue had sake and the guys had Kiren beer I believe. I stayed with the hot water they bring you when you sit down. No booze till I get more comfortable, or maybe never with my past husband experience!

Just prior to leaving, tried another lou! Ok got to learn this squatting thing! (Patti remember you told me, squatting brings wealth. Now I know why the Chinese are fiscally viable.) Sue warned me not to lean back or I might fall in the hole! Geez that is not good, so keep my head forward and down. Thanks Sue. Then off for a coffee. Latte please! And another glass of hot water. We had a great conversation about politics, me and my Texas issues with these worldly Brits. Sue did show me where the western toilet was in the Costa coffee house so I would at least know my way around.

Homeward bound, asleep by 11pm and up for a new day. Did laundry in my shower and have it all dripping around the bathroom. By the way my hotel room has a western lou.

High School

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August 28, 2010 I like the school, even though it was raining when I arrived. The Taxi cost about $1.50 to take about 4 mile, can you believe? And I thought I would walk, not! Gated and two or three guards at the entrance, very secure. There are many buildings, including a fine arts performance hall and sculpture in the garden. The IB area is housed with one of the public school buildings. I have an office overlooking a grassed roof, go figure. The Art room greeted me with really bad graffiti on the walls, needs a mural to cover it. (Thinking of you Keleigh Brill) The art teacher that left, forgot to clean up! What a mess, looks like I will be pitching stuff on Tuesday and setting up the room for Wednesday first day. The room will be cool when it is straightened, only problem, no AC! (That was an oxy-moron) They are getting me a secondary art room with AC for those sultry days. There is a couple computer labs and a lecture hall. Quite up to snuff, I would say. Some of the hall ways, ours happens to be on the 5th floor, are open air. It is lovely, after you have puffed up the five flights.

I met my western colleagues, an American, Brit and Aussie! We all have such accents. I answered someone in Spanish and that was funny, they thought it was a dialect of English. My Chinese is just 2 words at this point. Have much to learn and it is mind boggling. I am going for latte with the western teachers today and looking forward to chatting.

My back is really sore, could use my inversion table or a good massage! (Where is Susan Cline when you need her?) Casey said to buy an egg crate, hope they have those here.

My space bags worked great but now that I am opening them, everything is so wrinkled, need to buy an iron next. And I need about 100 hangers, I have 6 in my closet.

For those of you interested in my bathroom findings…. The high school facilities are a lovely Prussian blue tiled hole in the floor, at least each hole has a door. I inquired about faculty restrooms and a regular toilet, and since I am the only female western teacher they may accommodate me with something. Maybe a five gallon bucket with a lid! Culture Update #1: Always carry toilet paper on you, as there is none in any of the bathrooms!

Need to take some pictures today. The university has historical architecture and some being renovated. They are using scaffolding made of bamboo that goes up maybe ten stories. It looks like an accident waiting to happen. I was told there is a Buddhist Temple behind the campus, that might be my first photo excursion.

Latte found!

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August 27, 2010 6:50 am

Up early! That what happens when you are in the future. Found a Cafe yesterday that serves the best Latte’s ever! Three blocks to a real western coffee/bakery shop. Yes better than Starbucks. I do admit the teas here are lovely.

Got a hair dryer for less than $4, what a deal. The grocery store and I are becoming good friends. They have everything, even M&M’s. Paula, my new friend pointed out the Dorian fruit which has the worse smell ever, will stay away from that one. Smells like that trench I visited a couple days ago.

Now I need an umbrella, next purchase! It is so tropical right now and raining. Will rain all week. Temps 69-80ish….. much cooler than Texas. Although I notice it is not in the 100’s in Dallas.

Today was to be the health check up, but it is postponed, which is nice so I can lounge in, write and drink tea. But later must get a taxi to school to check out my room and attend inservice. School is pretty much year round, starting September 1st and ending July 15th. We do have a three week break in February for Chinese New Year.

World Traveler

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August 26, 2010
I’m here!  I am ok, jet lag was not too bad.  up early thou….. it is 7:20 am and I think it is 6:20 pm in Houston.

The motel is nice, some quirky things, no clock….! and toilet paper is minimal.  I’m on the second tiny roll.  Had to have our driver pull over from airport, had the runs!  Went to a public pot, hovered over a trench!  Ha that was interesting! Do have internet… not YouTube or Facebook at all.  Skype is up.   Send your Skype addresses to me.  Really glad to have the internet back.  This is such a treat.  No Starbucks, bummer.  Did see a Tea/Coffee bar a couple blocks.  The town is gray, square and dank.  But lots of tall interesting looking trees. Motel room has 2 twin hard as a rock beds, nice shower, but no refrig or cook-stove!  TV is all in Chinese– same type of stuff like in the US.  Looks like 1950 in places around the university.

People are nice, many do not speak English but are somewhat friendly.  I have met an IB Physics teacher from the DC area moved here 5 days ago with wife and kiddo, they are nice. Hope to pal around with them some.

Food is ok, not great.  Like I said I already have travelers poop!   Weather is foggy or smoggy, can’t really tell.  Huge skyscrapers, and lots of them.  2 million plus in the city.   Flying in the landscape is beautiful in the suburbs, with square homes-kinda minimal European looking,  very quaint.  I am in town, large and like downtown Mexico city. Lots of action, accidentally bumped into a parked motorcycle walking down the street and set off an alarm!  Lots of bikes and mopeds and no one watches for pedestrians.  Will need to be real careful walking.  Streets in town are 4-6 lanes and a huge mess navigating. Vendors selling cool looking food.  Ate at the Canteen on campus, the Nanshan Motel is on the University campus.  Lots of college kids, refreshing!  Had tofu/green beans, cabbage, and eggs with something green like spinach, but not!  All tasted rather the same and greasy, rice sucks!  Tea is good, drinking it now.  Had to boil my water for it.  Hope that helps (boiled twice!– no more poop!)  ate with chop sticks alot…. need to invest in a fork.

No specific smells yet….  I remember Mexico city smelt like chicken and bus diesel.  Haven’t smelt that yet.  The flight was long!  I am thinking with layovers and all about 28 hours. Hong Kong airport was sheik, wish I had bought a hair dryer and iron there.  Now I need to go find one today.

Laundry is interesting, kinda like yours, Sarah in Sacramento–except the washers are strange, small and old.  It is on campus too.

Tomorrow I will be taken to the health doctor for a check up for my “Expert Certificate”  —  And in-service is tomorrow.  Wish me luck.

Next thing is the bus system…. oh my that should be fun!