Meet and Greet

There have been many things going on here. We have been to Neijiang for a gathering of volunteers. We saw lots of friends from the summer and some of the volunteers who are about done their service. We had the Treeces visit us with their three sons and we had a great time playing with the kids. Renee has been to Nanjing to see her sister and her niece who just had a baby. We watched the Dragon Boats race. We are getting ready for our summer work teaching teachers in a rural community and planning to visit the family in Wuxi to study four genterations from the Revolution. Just some highlights among other things going on here - especially many competitions. BUT this blog is to be about some people we have grown to know and love.
This morning Jason joined us to watch the Dragon Boats. He often helps to organize us. We got to know him because he came to help us with our computer. He is a Chemistry-Environmental Major, but he knows computers. He knows them well enough that he is one of four young men who the school has hired to keep everyone's computers working. Tonight he borrowed our camera so he could have pictures of his friends. He downloaded on our computers and sent the pictures to his. We have been involved in his love and life. He will work for an environmental company next Fall and graduate in a year. You have seen his picture before when he climbed the mountain with us. The picture is from the Pear Blossom Festival day at the top of the mountain.
Zen Wei (Heidi) is our counterpart. She is the school contact for us. When we need to know something or do something we are supposed to go through her. You know she has her hands full with us. She on the other hand is supposed to relay all of the school information to us. She will be studying in America this summer. She is a sports woman and we have played tennis. The picture is from the Sports Meerting Day. The teacher with her is "Colin." He taught in one of the rooms after me last semester and observed me. We got to talk and are friends. We often ride the school bus together. He can remind me that my frustrations are small things and the Chinese teachers face them as well - they are just better adjusted. Colin is working on a poetry article for publication. He will be moving as well as us to the new campus sometime this summer.
These two nice looking gentlemen are my CHinese tutors. I meet with Gao Bin (right) on Tuesday mornings. He is from Shandong on the east coast. He is studying Journalism but hopes to go to graduate school to study Chinese. He is an basketball phanatic and I have learned many basketball words. We watched the NCAA finals together. Jackie (Shi Zhen Xin) is a business English major from Hebei Province. He has been involved in several schemes to get rich quick since we have been here. He has a girl friend in one of my classes and that also takes his time. We have been meeting during our lunch break time this semester. Jackie is a go to guy when there is a question about anything.
This semester I have been having lunch with the same group of students every week. I have gotten to know them pretty well and most of their English has improved accordingly. On Monday I meet with two art students, Wang Wu and Wu Ji Guo. On Wednesday I meet with Janey and Dane, two girls from my Class 6. Janey, who didn't say a word last semester, asked me if she could have lunch with me this semester and we have made it a practice. We are often joined by her friends or mine, but Dane and Janey make up the group. They will be teachers and do prsctice teaching next Fall. On Thursday I eat with Liu Shao Xin, a Journalism student and Gao Bin's roommate. I met him early last semester eating dumplings and we have been friends ever since. He is part of what I call the Shandong mafia. There are many students here a long way from home. He is a class leader. In order that he doesn't have to speak English every week, we often have an English speaker with us whom he invites. He is the tall one in the center.
My fifth friend is new. We met about Easter time. She and her group of friends often are in a group which we meet with on Sunday afternoon. It is quite a nice treat to be accepted into a group of young people. Ellen is an English major at Chongqing University of Technology and Vocation here in Yongchuan. Renee and I have enjoyed our conversations and her colloquial Englgish. Through her we have been invited to a wedding party for one of the group members and into several homes. We feel very accepted.
Our lives are full. Tomorow we will have lunch with the Catholic priest. He is nervous and is bringing his friend from the Foreign Language school in town so we can communicate. It will be a good time.

Spotlights

It was Rich's idea that we would each use this blog to tell you about five special people in our lives.

This is our beautiful friend, Serena, posing by a peach tree in blossom. She will graduate this year and receive a degree in Landscape Design, a perfect major for this lovely place. Then she will go to Nanjing Seminary, where her sister is already a student. She tried to go directly into the graduate school, but the exam was too difficult and instead, she will be admitted as a junior undergraduate. We have shared many precious moments, especially talking about our Best Friend. She often translates for us at the Protestant Church.

Here is David, one of my tutors. You saw his picture in the last blog preparing jiao zi. He is a man of many talents, especially cooking. It is a saying here that Chongqing men cook, and many do it very well. It is interesting that often students say that their mothers and grandmothers usually do the cooking, but on special occasions or for special company, the fathers and grandfathers cook. David is a big fan of American movies and American music. He can warble "Country Road," and recently watched Mamma Mia four times straight. From that movie he likes to sing "Money, Money," but we both like "Slipping Through My Fingers." Although he is only a freshman, he takes his tutoring very seriously and is always prepared with a variety of challenges and activities for me each week.

This is Sally. She is one of the young mom's that we have become acquainted with during the time we have lived here. She and her husband, Ji Quan Peng, have invited us right into their lives. We have an open invitation to drop in whenever we can, and we have learned so much about child rearing Chinese style by observing the care of their new little one, Ji Dian Shuai.
We call him Shuai Ge, which means handsome. Sally teaches Landscape Design and is back to work after having leave last term. Here "day care" is provided by grandparents. Even if they live far away, the grandmas at least come for many months and provide priceless service. Our friendship with Sally and her family has been made much easier because she is fairly fluent in English. How lucky we are.

Another young woman whose English is quite good is Becky. I'm sorry that we do not have a better picture of her. She is standing next to me in this photo, taken on a foggy, foggy day on Tea Mountain. Becky and her parents own a DVD/CD shop in Yongchuan. Becky has not had the educational opportunities that many people her age have enjoyed, but she has benefited from several years of Peace Corps tutors. I have joined those ranks, but I don't really have to teach her much. We are reading Tuesdays with Morrie together. She is a good friend too and a tremendous resource for all the foreign teachers. She often translates for us at the Catholic church.

The girl with the big smile in this picture is Hua Hua. Because of her, I know a few things about Chinese hospitals. When Hua Hua broke her leg last fall and had to spend almost a month in the hospital, I visited her several times. She is a very friendly girl, as you can see, and by the end of her stay, she was on good terms with all the patients and nurses and doctors on the ward. Breaking her leg was a devastating blow to Hua Hua who loves to dance and run and play a variety of sports. She has been very brave and has taught me a lot about perseverance.

Each one of these people, and so many more, bless our lives every day. They encourage us and we try to do the same for them as they face many of the stresses and strains that are common to people everywhere. Sometimes we marvel at their coping strategies. We are learning many things about our own American attitudes about life. In fact, I feel I am getting a better perspective on American culture by living in China. Rich and I both are realizing that we have little patience, and are constantly trying to "move mountains" with grit and determination when we might better try a little "wu wei," doing by not doing. Recently, I have been thinking about the Serenity Prayer -- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can change; and the wisdom to know the difference." Amen

And speaking of mountains, there is mountain building in progress near our apartment. This "mountain" often spilled rock onto the athletic field when we had a heavy rain. The solution has been rather ingenious. After removing all trees and all loose soil, the workers used wire to reinforce then blew concrete over all. There are many small round holes in the concrete, about 4 inches in diameter. We think it will be for drainage, but some say "maybe they will make a waterfall." It also looks like an invitation for a mural or a perfect rock climbing wall. We're just happy to have it finished and to have our most direct path to everywhere open again.

And one more interesting thing. Have you seen a leaf like this? It appears to have worms crawling on it, but they are not worms at all. Instead, they are a configuration of the leaf. Do you think it is some sort of protective adaptation?