Monday, August 30, 2010
At the top of the roller coaster
It feels like we're at this point. Its Monday, late afternoon. I sit at my desk, at school, surrounded by other teacher desks. The entrance door is insistently revolving. There is a buzz, almost a hum of energy wafting through the whole building. That, mixed with a wave of cool air blasting from each air-conditioned office, and the warm swirl of musty, thick, grey air hanging in the hallways, it creates a pop of intensity and tussled motion. I wonder what they think. I wonder if they know what I am thinking. Can they tell? Can they see? Who's a teacher anyways? You? Me? The neighbor? The fruit stand lady? I know she DEFINITELY could teach me a lot! What's a first step? Where do we start? What tune, what note, what measure do we begin with? A bustle of questions and no answers till the question has past and the answer gone with it. I guess that's the best we get, no control, no power, no certainty. I hope we keep humble, loving, listening and creative. So at the top of the rickety rails we sit, waiting. That clear, crisp, long, dreaded yet intoxicating moment, risen to the highest heights, sitting, hushed quiet. Heart gallops. Hussssssssh. I know its coming. Husssssssh. It creeps closer. That single pause, the one where a billion thoughts are thinking through a mind, a million days are lived over, a thousand feelings felt. The hush before the tumble down. I think that's how I feel....for now:)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
First Full Saturday in China
Yesterday we continued our effort to settle in by stocking our freezer, adding to our fridge and finding a suitable used bike for Christina.
Christina rode side-saddle on the back of my bike, and we sped off for the vegetable market, and the nice vendor we had met a few days back. Being unable to lock up the bike it provided the perfect opportunity for Christina to practice more language acquisition on her own while I stood guard over our transportation. Armed with Chinese numbers from 1-10 and the phrase: "How much per 1 jin? (Chinese measure of weight)" Christina was ready for the task at hand. No more than 5 minutes later, she reappeared, vegetables in hand and a large smile on her face having successfully communicated, purchased, and received a fair price for three large tomatoes and two green peppers.
From the vegetable market we set off to the German Butcher Shop. The German butcher shop is more expensive than the local meat market, however in the comfortable confines of the air-conditioned shop, without the often nauseating smells of the local meat market, the elevated price is easily overlooked. With our ground beef, chicken breasts and rolls (which were a total up-sell by the butcher to Christina) we rode back to our flat to wash the vegetables, and to portion the meat for freezing.
After relaxing for a few hours in the mid-afternoon, we headed out to the neighboring town of Tanggu with some new friends. The first stop on the trip was to the local cloth market, which could be coined, 'Textiles Galore'. Stacked neatly and towering over the aisles, these textiles can be bought, and shaped into wonderful pieces of clothing, bedding or whatever your need might be. Our friends directed us to one tailor in particular who is an excellent jacket-maker. The winter months are bitterly cold, and a down-filled jacket does just the trick. In a weeks time, for a mere 40 dollars, and 10 minutes of conversation to get the style just right, Christina will be the proud owner of a custom-tailored down-filled jacket (pictures to follow in a weeks time). Although it seemed a bit absurd to be buying a down-filled jacket while it was 30+ degrees, Christina was reassured that come November she would be incredibly thankful. From here, we trekked a few blocks to the Foreign Warehouse. On this stifling afternoon, the air-conditioned confines of the Foreign Warehouse were a welcome relief, and after perusing the menu, Christina settle on some mustard so that we could attempt to make honey mustard chicken later this week!!
Braving the heat, the traffic and the crowds we headed for our last destination, the hallowed Junk Market. We have it on very good authority that some of our friends are able to spend 5+ hours here every Saturday, looking browsing and chatting, but we did not know what to expect. After arriving, the Junk Market is quite simply sensory overload. You name something and it can be found at the junk market. Our hunted item was a 'retro' bicycle for Christina complete with comfortable seat and a basket. We waded through tables upon tables of merchandise, following our experienced friends who were able to cut through the traffic with the greatest of ease, until at last we had arrived, the bike zone.
After only 10 minutes of looking Christina had spotted 'THE ONE', a Japanese crafted, sky blue masterpiece. After negotiating a new set of handlebars, as per Christina's request, and re-aligning the spokes, all done in a mere 30 minutes, the bike was ready. We settled on a very fair price of 60 dollars (good for an imported used bike), and after accessorizing with a distinctive red bell, we set off for home, with Christina side-saddle and me riding.
On the ride home Christina made friends with some road-construction workers, smiling and waving to each other, while I peddled, avoiding cars, trucks, scooters and the like. We arrived home, happily parked the new purchase and hiked up the six floors to our flat. Vegetables, Meat, Tailored Jacket, Mustard and a new bike, all in one day!!
Christina rode side-saddle on the back of my bike, and we sped off for the vegetable market, and the nice vendor we had met a few days back. Being unable to lock up the bike it provided the perfect opportunity for Christina to practice more language acquisition on her own while I stood guard over our transportation. Armed with Chinese numbers from 1-10 and the phrase: "How much per 1 jin? (Chinese measure of weight)" Christina was ready for the task at hand. No more than 5 minutes later, she reappeared, vegetables in hand and a large smile on her face having successfully communicated, purchased, and received a fair price for three large tomatoes and two green peppers.
From the vegetable market we set off to the German Butcher Shop. The German butcher shop is more expensive than the local meat market, however in the comfortable confines of the air-conditioned shop, without the often nauseating smells of the local meat market, the elevated price is easily overlooked. With our ground beef, chicken breasts and rolls (which were a total up-sell by the butcher to Christina) we rode back to our flat to wash the vegetables, and to portion the meat for freezing.
After relaxing for a few hours in the mid-afternoon, we headed out to the neighboring town of Tanggu with some new friends. The first stop on the trip was to the local cloth market, which could be coined, 'Textiles Galore'. Stacked neatly and towering over the aisles, these textiles can be bought, and shaped into wonderful pieces of clothing, bedding or whatever your need might be. Our friends directed us to one tailor in particular who is an excellent jacket-maker. The winter months are bitterly cold, and a down-filled jacket does just the trick. In a weeks time, for a mere 40 dollars, and 10 minutes of conversation to get the style just right, Christina will be the proud owner of a custom-tailored down-filled jacket (pictures to follow in a weeks time). Although it seemed a bit absurd to be buying a down-filled jacket while it was 30+ degrees, Christina was reassured that come November she would be incredibly thankful. From here, we trekked a few blocks to the Foreign Warehouse. On this stifling afternoon, the air-conditioned confines of the Foreign Warehouse were a welcome relief, and after perusing the menu, Christina settle on some mustard so that we could attempt to make honey mustard chicken later this week!!
Braving the heat, the traffic and the crowds we headed for our last destination, the hallowed Junk Market. We have it on very good authority that some of our friends are able to spend 5+ hours here every Saturday, looking browsing and chatting, but we did not know what to expect. After arriving, the Junk Market is quite simply sensory overload. You name something and it can be found at the junk market. Our hunted item was a 'retro' bicycle for Christina complete with comfortable seat and a basket. We waded through tables upon tables of merchandise, following our experienced friends who were able to cut through the traffic with the greatest of ease, until at last we had arrived, the bike zone.
After only 10 minutes of looking Christina had spotted 'THE ONE', a Japanese crafted, sky blue masterpiece. After negotiating a new set of handlebars, as per Christina's request, and re-aligning the spokes, all done in a mere 30 minutes, the bike was ready. We settled on a very fair price of 60 dollars (good for an imported used bike), and after accessorizing with a distinctive red bell, we set off for home, with Christina side-saddle and me riding.
On the ride home Christina made friends with some road-construction workers, smiling and waving to each other, while I peddled, avoiding cars, trucks, scooters and the like. We arrived home, happily parked the new purchase and hiked up the six floors to our flat. Vegetables, Meat, Tailored Jacket, Mustard and a new bike, all in one day!!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
To Town and Back On A Bike
Ok, so I think we are STARTING to get some of this technology sorted out. Phew, amazing our dependence on it, but at the moment, it means closeness and connection to people far away and that is very special and comforting to us.
Today we got right into our introductions to the rest of the Chinese staff at the school. Approximately 200 of us in total for the 900 or so students to be here this coming year. There are 50 or so of us in the BC School department and the remaining chunk are, for the most part, native to China. The afternoon has started out with department meetings, though our teaching assignments are always changing so it is hard to know where to be....in fact our assignments may even change through September and even beyond. Flexible, must stay flexible:)
Yesterday afternoon, after Ben and I joined our separate gender groups for lunch at various locations, we met up and went in search of the ideal toaster oven, an essential item here in China since most houses don't have ovens, sometimes they have stoves.....mostly its hotplates, microwaves and toaster ovens, so we're livin' it up Asian style. Once we made our lovely new purchase of a brand new toaster oven we walked it home and found our legs quite tired after the traipse downtown and back....so we bought a beautiful, barely used, mountain bike! Bikes are essential here and they carry everything! Including little Asian girls on the back rat trap, so for the evening I did as they do and rode side saddle while Ben peddled down the busy city street. Smoke Alley is an area downtown with food markets, little sidewalk shops (more like garage doors opened to concrete roomsnfilled and overflowing with anything and everything for a home), streetside restaurants, vendors selling dogs, cats, grasshoppers, goldfish, turtles, etc. Aromas sting and warm and puncture our noses as we meander and tiptoe through and over whatever lies in our way. We plunked ourselves down for dinner, our bike precariously leaned with new baking bowls perched on top, next to an old cart. A Chinese man with a white Muslim cap served us fantastic fresh fat noodles with meat and vegetables interspersed, oozing with a plethora of flavors ready to burst in our mouths. After wiping our lips and politely throwing our napkins on the floor, we hopped on our bike for one last stop before heading home. Around a corner, along a side street and up to a shop displaying infant clothing....still open and lit at 8pm on a Wednesday night. I walked in and past the dust covered display of used children's clothing gaily hung on the walls, and turned left into an enclosed room filled with rack after rack of a little piece of home. Cinematic pretties in my mother tongue, printed, wrapped, and sealed with love. Oh joy, it was great to find something I could finally understand! Some days I concentrate so hard on understanding the chitter chatter of Chinese, but sadly it never magically transforms into clarity. So I grabbed a few of interest, paid the mere pennies for my findings and jumped back on the bike for our ride home through the cool evening air that had begun to rush between the city walls.
Finally, we settled back into home, with what, before, I would have seen as meager items on a shopping list, but here, they were lovely joys that seemed to brighten our day even more. Small pleasures, small, life, big city, can't wait for tomorrow:)
Today we got right into our introductions to the rest of the Chinese staff at the school. Approximately 200 of us in total for the 900 or so students to be here this coming year. There are 50 or so of us in the BC School department and the remaining chunk are, for the most part, native to China. The afternoon has started out with department meetings, though our teaching assignments are always changing so it is hard to know where to be....in fact our assignments may even change through September and even beyond. Flexible, must stay flexible:)
Yesterday afternoon, after Ben and I joined our separate gender groups for lunch at various locations, we met up and went in search of the ideal toaster oven, an essential item here in China since most houses don't have ovens, sometimes they have stoves.....mostly its hotplates, microwaves and toaster ovens, so we're livin' it up Asian style. Once we made our lovely new purchase of a brand new toaster oven we walked it home and found our legs quite tired after the traipse downtown and back....so we bought a beautiful, barely used, mountain bike! Bikes are essential here and they carry everything! Including little Asian girls on the back rat trap, so for the evening I did as they do and rode side saddle while Ben peddled down the busy city street. Smoke Alley is an area downtown with food markets, little sidewalk shops (more like garage doors opened to concrete roomsnfilled and overflowing with anything and everything for a home), streetside restaurants, vendors selling dogs, cats, grasshoppers, goldfish, turtles, etc. Aromas sting and warm and puncture our noses as we meander and tiptoe through and over whatever lies in our way. We plunked ourselves down for dinner, our bike precariously leaned with new baking bowls perched on top, next to an old cart. A Chinese man with a white Muslim cap served us fantastic fresh fat noodles with meat and vegetables interspersed, oozing with a plethora of flavors ready to burst in our mouths. After wiping our lips and politely throwing our napkins on the floor, we hopped on our bike for one last stop before heading home. Around a corner, along a side street and up to a shop displaying infant clothing....still open and lit at 8pm on a Wednesday night. I walked in and past the dust covered display of used children's clothing gaily hung on the walls, and turned left into an enclosed room filled with rack after rack of a little piece of home. Cinematic pretties in my mother tongue, printed, wrapped, and sealed with love. Oh joy, it was great to find something I could finally understand! Some days I concentrate so hard on understanding the chitter chatter of Chinese, but sadly it never magically transforms into clarity. So I grabbed a few of interest, paid the mere pennies for my findings and jumped back on the bike for our ride home through the cool evening air that had begun to rush between the city walls.
Finally, we settled back into home, with what, before, I would have seen as meager items on a shopping list, but here, they were lovely joys that seemed to brighten our day even more. Small pleasures, small, life, big city, can't wait for tomorrow:)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Flew forwards to a little bit backwards
So, we arrived, safe and sound, and no one has heard much of us at all, apologies to those of you who have been waiting and wondering. Technology, though it seems to hatch forth from this side of the big blue ball, actually manages to feel a bit backwards when living in the heart of the originator. Thus, internet is slow and finicky and phones are a bit of a hassle to get, though CHEAP as air once you get them (including air time, cheap cheap CHEAP! I am paying a total of 8 dollars for this months phone plan....actually 4 since she gave us half off since the month is almost over, and the phone plan is way better than anything I could get in Canada!)
It is far too difficult to even try to START to explain the last few days, but backwards, as previously mentioned, seems to do it up best, for now. Ben and I have been spending time each day trying to find ways to help us settle into our somewhat palatial two bedroom apartment. The building we are in is brand new.....brand new is a relative term, so that leaves you to imagine a little. But our space is nice, lovely in fact, better than we imagined it would be!
The rest of our time has been taken up with waiting in lines, filling out forms, waiting in chairs, following our chinese organizers towards more line-ups and waits, etc. We have been into Tianjin city (sine we live on the outskirts, TEDA, the developing area, closer to the east coast) and into some other surrounding areas. This morning we spent a couple hours in a doctors office getting final checks that for some strange reason, needed to be done. As we waited, a doctor had a smoke while he talked to a patient, men came frequently to a counter next to where we were sitting to drop off little plastic tubs of yellow liquid, other men and women clamored in line with each other chatting, squabbling, and joking around. Our trip consisted of very little but took quite a while, this has been most of our activities so far here in the lovely Tianjin, China:)
It is far too difficult to even try to START to explain the last few days, but backwards, as previously mentioned, seems to do it up best, for now. Ben and I have been spending time each day trying to find ways to help us settle into our somewhat palatial two bedroom apartment. The building we are in is brand new.....brand new is a relative term, so that leaves you to imagine a little. But our space is nice, lovely in fact, better than we imagined it would be!
The rest of our time has been taken up with waiting in lines, filling out forms, waiting in chairs, following our chinese organizers towards more line-ups and waits, etc. We have been into Tianjin city (sine we live on the outskirts, TEDA, the developing area, closer to the east coast) and into some other surrounding areas. This morning we spent a couple hours in a doctors office getting final checks that for some strange reason, needed to be done. As we waited, a doctor had a smoke while he talked to a patient, men came frequently to a counter next to where we were sitting to drop off little plastic tubs of yellow liquid, other men and women clamored in line with each other chatting, squabbling, and joking around. Our trip consisted of very little but took quite a while, this has been most of our activities so far here in the lovely Tianjin, China:)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Night Before
Its the night before we depart on our great adventure. I suppose it is becoming this, and not exclusively for the two of us, but it seems for many others as well. Some of you have expressed your excitement, joy, intrigue and thrill for and with us. So we hope you enjoy vicariously traveling with us, coming along, seeing the sights, experiencing the tales and stories, and perhaps absorbing some of the magic and fun as we go, from whatever distance you may be.
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