Chinese girls are tough.

I'm back on the blogosphere after a brief hiatus including a trip home over the winter holiday and the start of spring semester.  My time in the states was wonderful and solidified my decision to repatriate this summer.  China has been good to me and I will be back.

With the end in sight, I plan on making the most of these last couple months.  I want to leave with no regrets.

Goal #1: Play soccer with students during lunch.

Word on the street was that a lunchtime soccer crew had formed and I wanted in.  I was never able to find my basketball groove, so in an effort to connect with more students outside the classroom, I figured why not give soccer a try.

I walked down to the field and noticed three girls watching on the sidelines.  They told me they desperately wanted to play, but the boys said no because the girls were not good enough.  While gender inequality in sports is not a new phenomenon, especially among Chinese schoolchildren, I was peeved nonetheless.  I was also intimidated.

I caught fellow foreign teacher Shane's attention for backup and he waved us onto the field.  The girls took this encouragement and ran with it, literally, right into the heat of the action.

Right off the bat one girl got hit in the face with the soccer ball (just the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time).  While the boys kept on playing unperturbed, the rest of the female representation and I rushed to our injured teammate.  We checked for blood and popped her glasses' lens back into place.  The girl took a moment to collect herself and then immediately resumed her self-appointed offensive position.  Another girl later scored an epic goal.  The third proved she could outrun almost anyone on the field.  I won't speak to my abysmal performance as I was completely out of my league.

I know Amnesty International won't be knocking on my door with this post, but in our little countryside community, despite being unwanted, these girls stood up against gender norms and totally kicked ass.  I'm humbled and inspired by their attitudes.  I was ready to flip the boys the bird, and these girls just wanted to have fun.  Later in the game two more girls joined.  In the end, we all had a blast.

Future goals include pwning at ping pong (my true calling in the sports world), a Shanghai visit to see my old host family, and (if timing permits) a half marathon in Inner Mongolia.

Country vs. City

Every week Shane, Shobana and I meet with a group of Chinese English teachers to help them practice their English.  We usually have an informal conversation, lasting around 45 minutes, about anything ranging from teaching methods to hobbies to the Hukou (household registration) system.  What's really great about these meetings is they are mutually beneficial- we help the teachers practice their spoken English, they teach us about China.

One meeting we discussed China's countryside and the many changes it has undergone within the past decade.  You hear so much about migrant workers leaving the countryside to find work in cities.  Prior to moving to Hunan, I had the naive notion that everyone dreams of someday moving to the big city for a better life.  Hearing the perspective of families making a decent living in the countryside has, in many ways, rocked my world.  Most of the teachers are middle-aged women who are married and have children.  Among this segment of the population the feeling seems universal, at least at OYY: people prefer to live in the countryside.

They say life in the countryside has more freedom, physical and otherwise.  There is more space for families to build their own homes.  The greater space also means less restrictions, particularly with fireworks, which play a large role in life in China.  We hear fireworks on a semi-daily basis.  The teachers told us people set off fireworks for everything- happy things, sad things, mundane things.  Nothing is too trite for fireworks.  Perhaps when I finish this blog post that has remained unfinished for several months now, I will set off a few fireworks of my own.

The pace of life here is also special.  The pace is slower, so there is more time for deep and meaningful conversations.  This is something the women specifically mentioned.  In the city, you are busy, always on the go.  When people come home after work, they enter their apartments and are in for the night.  Here interactions extend beyond the work hours.  People often dance or sing karaoke together late into the evening.  During holidays everyone remains near or at the school, because all their families live here too.  Relationships are different, everything is shared.  I love how all the teachers call each other sisters.

Apparently even the laws have changed to accommodate people living in the countryside so they can enjoy more rights such as medical insurance.  This is something I will research more on my own.

I loved living in Beijing, but I'm also enjoying country living.  The biggest difference I have experience so far is greeting.  Here, I greet people.  They greet me.  We greet each other.  The greeting of random strangers you pass on the street would not happen in Beijing.  As a result I feel welcomed here, even loved.  I need to give the countryside more credit.  People are happy here, as am I.

New Year's Day dinner with a student and her family

Christmas in Hunan

Christmas this year was everything an expat could want... stressful and exciting work that served as an excellent distraction from home and family, and relaxation time spent with good friends.

The evening of Christmas Eve was OYY's 2012 Christmas Talent Show Extravaganza.  A show Shobana, Shane and I had been planning for weeks.  It is one of OYY's biggest events of the year and is traditionally planned, coordinated and run entirely by the foreign teachers.  As a lover of planning, I was in hog heaven.

Some highlights from the show:

• We started off with several rounds of auditions to decide the performers and hosts for the show.  The student talent was amazing!
• Against some of their wills, we mandated an English teacher group performance of Jingle Bells to be performed at the show.  I think that number received the most applause.
• Shobana, Shane and I practiced and memorized our own song performance in Chinese.  We came in second for applause.
• We rented excellent quality light and sound equipment from a local business to up the ante in performance quality.  The men were incredible to work with- easygoing and interactive with the students.  Without prompting, they started a Gangnam Style dance party after the show with blasting music and flashing lights.  Major points for them.
• Our wonderful team of student helpers assisted us with decorations, performer prizes, raffle prizes and gifts for judges.  They also helped run crowd control the day of the show- probably the hardest job of all.
• We ran a dress rehearsal a couple nights before the show to work out any kinks- some things went wonderfully, some things went terribly.  Thank goodness for practice.
• The biggest challenge of all was ticket distribution.  We had a limited amount of tickets to distribute and an unlimited amount of interest.  During the weeks leading up to the show, students would approach us and beg for a ticket to the show.  We tried to make student selection as fair as possible, but broken hearts were unavoidable.  I made my classes extra fun the week of the show to keep my students feeling loved and happy.
• I must admit during the show I was on a major power trip.  It was awesome having complete control over such a big event.  Even more than the power trip, what I really enjoyed were the student transformations.  Before performances, students would be terrified.  Afterward, they would walk off stage with the biggest smiles.  Now that was awesome.

Here are some pictures from the show:

The light and sound equipment we rented for the show

We had a full house

Some of the performes

My excited Junior 1 students

My Junior 1 boys- they got second place!

The greatest helpers in the world

Christmas Day:

Shobana, Shane and I slept in until lunch, when we met the school administration for a big meal at the school cafeteria.  The admin men were pounding back the Chinese alcohol and we held our own with beer.  The three of us then ventured to Xintang's very own sauna.  Yes, a sauna.  It is new and has two rooms, complete with heated walls and floor.  We brought snacks and cards and camped out in a room for a couple hours, enjoying the peace and heat.  Afterward we made it back to campus in time to have a Christmas dinner with my wonderful Chinese tutor and her family.  They made special local dishes for us, dishes we had never tried before.  The school principal joined us as well.  To conclude our day of eating and relaxing, we watched a Christmas classic, Home Alone 2.

Merry Christmas family and friends!

A Temple Hike

Last weekend our school had an unannounced five day holiday.  Before returning home, a group of senior students planned to hike a local mountain together, Shane and I joined.

We took a bus across the bridge that connects Xintang to the neighboring town of Hengshan.  In Hengshan we ate lunch together at a restaurant that somehow managed to accommodate all of us.  What was so touching was that the students insisted on paying for everything, they wouldn't let Shane and I pay a cent.  The hike up the mountain was short and not too strenuous, especially since we kept stopping to take group pictures.  The students were happy and silly because it was their first day of break and they were responsibility-free.  As we walked, one student sang songs for me, another held my hand.

At the top of the mountain was a huge 3-storey temple.  We explored the temple, and at the top floor met the caretaker of the temple.  She gave us all incense to light, and many students prayed.  The woman then took about 50 kumquats, which had been offered to the Buddha, and gave them to all of us.  The students said eating this fruit will bring good luck for life.  The woman was so kind to the students, and the students were so respectful.  It was beautiful to watch their interactions.  The woman then took all the apple offerings and gave them to Shane and I.  While saying goodbye, I held hands with her and promised to return.  She promised to teach me more about Buddhism.

Walking back down the temple, I talked with a girl who is beginning to feel more like a friend than a student.  I think we both felt the temple visit was very special.  She decided she is going to visit that temple over every break to remind her to de-stress, slow down and find peace.  At only 16 and with limited English, this girl was able to summarize why I find myself drawn to temples in China- to slow down and find peace.

Thanksgiving

We had a homemade feast for Thanksgiving here in Hunan, complete with a broccoli casserole, stuffed mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans and Chinese-style chicken.  We had two chickens slaughtered for our meal- my first time buying live poultry in China.  Another teacher and her son, and two of my senior students joined Shane, Shobana and I for the meal.

I took a few minutes to reflect on what I am thankful for this year...

My students
What a fun couple months it has been, full of exploration and discovery, for both the students and myself.  Class is truly a collaborative experience.  We learn together, my students and I, what activities work and what activities totally flop.  They accept me, no matter the outcome, and they do what is asked with energy and curiosity.  Class is full of funny moments, but my favorites are when my students and I both find something amusing and we share a good laugh.

Halloween!

The pace of life
Last June the NY Times featured an excellent piece on America's 'Busy' Trap.  The message resonated with me and I'm now more conscious of how often I tell people I'm busy.  The pace of life here in Xintang is slower and relaxed, and I'm learning to adjust.  I get my work done, but it doesn't consume my whole day and brain.  I have time for long walks into town, blogging and reading.  I'm relatively caught up on emails and sleep.  Playing with students never gets old.  It feels great to take time to enjoy.

Beautiful scenery
The people here, adults and students alike, enjoying spending time exploring the great outdoors.  This has been a wonderful discovery.  A couple weeks ago I joined the local bike group on a 100km group ride through Hunan's countryside.  It was just like long rides I've been on in the US, with water and food stops, the only difference was this group had smoking stops too.  I knew it was going to be a good ride when one of the men rode up beside me playing Gangnam Syle on his bike speaker.

Danic, fellow English teacher and friend who introduced me to the bike group.

VIA blog post

Along with keeping this personal blog, I'm also writing for VIA's blog.  Here's the link to my most recent post for VIA:

http://www.viaprograms.org/blog/2012/11/13/ouyang-yu%E2%80%99s-beloved-community/

Buddhist mystique

Buddhism has really captured my interest this year.  Living in Beijing, most of my exposure to Buddhism was through grandiose temples like the Lama Temple, one of the largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the world.  That temple is beautiful and awe-inspiring, but also, touristy.  Being out in the countryside, my interaction with Buddhism has become more intimate, as many of the temples I've visited are smaller, more modest, and in some ways, more real.

Some of my recent travels have given me a closer look at the role of Buddhism in Chinese life...

(1) Nanyue mountain

China has many sacred mountains.  There is a group of five mountains in China known as the Five Great Mountains or the Five Sacred Mountains.  These mountains are significant in terms of Chinese history; emperors throughout the ages would make spiritual pilgrimages to the top of each mountain.  Buddhism and Taoism have a strong presence on the mountains as demonstrated by the many temples you come across along the hikes.  Nowadays, people make their own spiritual pilgrimages to the mountains.  In fact, there is a phrase in Chinese that actually means "pilgrimage to a holy mountain", 朝拜圣山.

I currently live about 20km from the southern sacred mountain, known as Hengshan or Nanyue, or the "balancing mountain".  A couple weeks ago, Shane and I made our own pilgrimage to the top of Nanyue.  It took us about 4 hours to reach the highest point, but much of that time was spent exploring all the temples we passed along the way- some big, some small, some crowded, some empty.  In one temple a monk took us around and explained the significance of the Buddhas and Guanyins.  That has inspired me to learn some Buddhist terminology in Chinese because I understood about 25% of what he said.

I fully realized the concept of 朝拜圣 at the very top of the mountain.  People come from all over China to climb this mountain, and specifically to reach Zhurong Feng, or Wishing Harmony Peak.  This final temple on the top of the mountain was one of the least impressive, yet it was packed with people.  It was dark inside, paint was peeling, it felt very worn.  Yet, I still felt something, as if I was standing in the presence of something powerful.  People were kneeling and praying, and burning incense.  Outside you would hear sudden bursts of firecrackers.

As my tutor Nancy says, people practice Buddhism to pray to the gods, to find peace and to "store things in their hearts".  I currently have an infant understanding of Buddhism, but that is something I can connect with.

(2) Xintang temple

Nestled at the base of some mountains lies Xintang's own temple (Xintang is the town where I live.  Outside of Xintang, no one has heard of it, it is that small).  The temple is relatively new- just constructed about 5 years ago with donations from local people who wanted a temple in the area.  It is said that Nanyue mountain has a total of 72 peaks and one of the peaks is in Xintang.  The temple is near that mountain.

I took a walk to visit this temple, on a day when it was foggy and rainy.  The temple is about a 30 minute walk from our school, on the outskirts of town.  I think the ultimate goal is for it to bring more tourists and revenue into Xintang, but right now it is just a place of worship for the locals.  I think I passed what is going to be the ticket office- the small booth seemed mid-construction, but I did notice what looked like a ticket window.

I heard the temple before I saw it.  As I approached the temple, I saw people inside, men and women, wearing robes and circling the main deity (I think it was a Buddha?) and doing a kind of singsong chant.  The woman at the front was ringing a bell.  I wondered how long they had been doing that before I showed up.  I stood outside and listened, and as the line passed in front of me, each person would smile and make a slight bow in my direction.  I felt welcomed.  The scent of incense was in the air and the chanting was actually being played over loudspeakers, which is why you could hear it a distance away.  It was a completely captivating experience.  I'm planning on making a weekly visit in the hopes of building relationships with and learning from the people who practice (and live?) at that temple.

(3) Shao Feng

My final recent experience with Buddhism was when I visited Shao Shan, the birthplace of Mao Zedong.  This is another place where people make a pilgrimage, but this time to pay homage to the Great Helmsman.  At Shao Shan you can visit Mao's childhood home, school, and 1966 retreat (complete with quake and air raid-proof rooms).

There is also a mountain, Shao Feng, where you can take a chairlift to the top.  Shao Feng is another one of Nanyue's 72 peaks, so I was expecting more temples at the top.  I was right, there were temples, except instead of Buddhas inside, there were statues of Chairman Mao.  The routine was the same as in other temples- offerings, incense, kowtowing, but this time it was in front of Mao Zedong.  I overheard one woman explain that people come here to ask Mao for happiness, good fortune and success.  Fascinating.  A whole new spin on the concept of a "scared mountain".  Under Mao's rule, tens of millions of people died, and yet he is still honored and glorified for his dedication in uniting China.