In and Around the Campus

Gentle Reader,

 

Before I begin to fill you in about where we are actually living and teaching, I want to remind you that I do not have access to my own  blog while here in China.  The blogs are blocked by the Chinese government, so my daughter Alicia is receiving text and photos from me and then loading them onto the blog from Chicago.  Thanks so much , Alicia!!!  You've made this communication of the journey possible!

 

I want to share some additional info about where we are staying...

 

We are in a very isolated gated compound quite a ways from downtown Guiyang.  We have a 6th floor flat, which was assigned to Scott and me because we are the younger of the two couples teaching here this summer.  There are no elevators here, so the hefty climb is accomplished several times each day.  Building up those strong leg muscles that continue to be advantageous when using the squat toilets.

 

Scott and I have dubbed this place the Penthouse Flat.  The other couple, Deanna and Clarence, are from Warren, Michigan. This is their third time teaching in China.  Their apartment, which is on the 4th floor, has lots of issues with mosquitos and other critters.  Clarence woke up the other nights with welts all over his arms.  Some kind of bug bite.  He is now taking bath soaks every morning to relieve the swelling and itching.  We've seen a few isolated mosquitos in our flat, but nothing too troublesome.  As a preventative, we have plugged up some of the huge round holes in the walls with old shower curtains and towels.  Clarence and Deanna plugged theirs up with paper taped to the wall.  Both work just fine. 

 We have the typical showering system here at the flat.  There is a hot water heating tank above the shower, which needs to be turned on about 15 minutes before showering.  The hot water flows well and the water pressure is even quite good.  This is a far different set-up than I had the last time I was here.  The squat toilet also served as the shower drain, so one took a shower right in the toilet facility.  Because the electricity and water often went out for 5-6 days at a time, the squat couldn't be flushed.  Instead, I developed a system of saving water in as many containers as I could find when the water actually worked, and then I could at least flush some water down the squat.

 

The flat here has a Western toilet... surprise!!!  This is a delightful convenience.  The toilets on the rest of campus and in and around town are all squats.  The ones here on campus by our classes are really quite clean.  The public ones in town and at restaurants are pretty nauseating, as they don't seem to be cleaned out very often.  I am remembering to always carry tissue in my pant pocket or backpack, as toilet paper is not anywhere.  The squats at outdoor facilities are especially gruesome.  We discovered this at the Chinese BBQ picnic on the weekend.  There was a man collecting 1 yuan (about 18 cents) for use of the two squats he was guarding.  These squats made outhouses and portapotties look like luxury facilities.  Upon exiting the squat, one needed to grab a plastic pan out of a big tub of water and toss the water into the squat to give it a sort-of flush.  Highly ineffective.  Although the visuals in the squats are unappealing, it is the smell that really nauseates.  It is amazing to see women in elegant dresses and bling-bling shoes enter and exit the squats without so much as batting an eye or scrunching up their noses.  I have much to learn.

We are situated very close to our classes.  Our day goes something like this...  Alarm goes off at 6am.  Scott has a delicious cup of instant coffee.  For those of you who know Scott, you know that coffee is lifeblood to him.  He never drinks instant coffee.  However, here in China, coffee is not readily available.  We tried to find a coffee maker, with no luck whatsoever.  We did find some coffee grounds at a little supermarket area downtown, but the price was exorbitant.  Oh, we did find a French press for coffee, but it was hidden away behind a glass case and cost about $300 US.  So, using bottled water and a water heating pot, Scott prepares enough boiling water for his instant coffee and my Chinese green tea.  The tea in this area has a very smoky smell and taste; however, with the knowledge learned at a Tea Ceremony in Guilin, we now rinse the tea leaves with hot water first, then drain the water, then pour fresh water over the leaves.  The improvement in taste is astounding.   Scott then goes out to do his Tai Chi.  He's found a circular space with a pathway almost directly below our 6th story window.  He was hoping to have a cohort in town to share the Tai Chi with, but with our being this far out of the city, he is going solo. 

 

For breakfast, they have provided us with bread, chunky peanut butter, apples, and a liquidy sort of yogurt.  I don't partake of the yogurt because it clogs up my throat.  I spend some small moments in class teaching song and dance, so I need my voice to be as clear as possible. 

 

Classes begin at 8:30.  Prior to class, we meet with the class monitors to discuss any needs we might have for the lessons that day.  The monitors are hand-selected by the Chinese Ministry of Education.  They are excellent English speakers, usually, and are selected for their scholarship, teaching ability, and responsibile nature. 

 

We then teach from 8:30 to 11:30.  Then we receive our noon meal, which is delivered to Clarence and Deanna's flat.  This usually consists of 4 or 5 dishes, many of which are vegetarian.  We've had some wonderful eggplant dishes.  This area, too, is known for its phenomenal variety of potato dishes.  We have had several pork and fish dishes, but they are often so heavily laden with bones that the eating becomes too laborious... or I just worry about cracking my teeth apart.  Scott and I picked up a jar of spicy chile sauce with soy beans, which is something Tian and Li used to eat when they lived with Scott.  We've already gone through almost half a jar of the spicy sauce, as it really adds a kick of hotness to many of the dishes. Although this area is known for its spicy cuisine, Clarence and Deanna prefer their food mild.  So, Scott and I have found a way to inject the food with the spicyness of Guiyang!

On Tuesday, Wed, and Thurs afternoons, we have small group lessons.  We meet with 1/3 of our students each day.  These are essentially conversation groups.  Today, we took our students out and simply walked around the campus... walking and talking.  We explored everything from recycling policies to environmental protection to historical sculptures.  The campus is beautifully landscaped, so we had several discussions of plants and flowers indigenous to the area.  We also remarked about how the campus is filled with many forms of art:  sculptures, bas-reliefs, etc...   In addition, the campus features numerous billboards and placards honoring outstanding teachers and students.  There is a special section dedicated to students who scored very well on exams their senior year... and these boards serve as inspiration to the incoming students. 

 

We then have dinner at 6, again delivered to Clarence and Deanna's flat.  We've been escaping the lockdown compound about 7:30 each evening, doing a great deal of walking around the area.  We discovered a small canteen on campus, which tends to have some basic supplies we might need.  After walking, we return to the flat and process the day.  Scott and I discuss what we did in class that day, what worked, what didn't.  He is teaching the high school teachers, while I am teaching the middle school teachers.  There is a great deal of pressure on the high school teachers to make sure their students perform well on the exit exams.  For the middle school teachers, the focus is much more on language aquisition.  So, we plan our lessons with our teachers' needs in mind. 

 

Each day is truly an adventure... and I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to be on this journey.  Sharing this adventure with Scott is beautiful, too.

 

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing..."               -Helen Kellr