Tidbits

Some of m' students. We have fun.


To be read like a harper's findings:

You can't transfer rmb to us dollars in China. One form of birth control is to give a pregnant woman an injection to kill the fetus. The government will do this if someone has had more than one child and is even 8 months pregnant. I've been told again and again that most organic food in China is really, not organic. The veggies and such still have lots of chemicals, and I should never eat anything raw, even if I wash it. There was a recent scandal about people soaking cardboard in meat juice and then putting that in dumplings.


I went through a serious bout of homesickness this week, cursing my entire existence for ever moving to this country. Apparently the 2-3month mark is the worst, and I hope it'll only get better from here on out.

China Day

Today was a day. One of those days. A China Day.


But as usual, it started yesterday. After teaching poetry and simon says to my students, (or I should say Professors, since they teach me as much Chinese as I teach them English,) I rushed across town in a taxi to watch the Beijing improv acting troupe. Somehow my girlfriends and I ended up sharing a table with some fellow who really had a parrot on his shoulder, and has played a pirate on T.V. I laughed so much my face hurt and I got a better understanding of how small the ex-pat circle in Beijing is. I mean, in a city of 17 million people, it's surprising how gossip, names, and networking spread like wildfire.



After the show I sort of considered going home since I was planning on Church this morning, but there were plans of a jazz club and it wasn't so late. Our group of about 20 people did not go to a jazz club, however, but ended up at what one might call a Chinese dive bar listening to a Mongolian throat singing band. It was packed to the brim with people shouting, drinking, and singing along with this completely indescribable music. Instruments I've never even dreamed of combined with irishfolk/nativeamerican type traditional melodies sung by the most beautiful men. I wish I had pictures. Alas. If you're really interested, email me... I will send you a song. Needless to say, I didn't get as much sleep that night as I have been and I think that greatly contributed to today being such a DAY.



First thing, church was great; as they usually are. It was refreshing to be surrounded with thoughts of something larger than self and I met many very interesting and kind people who run in the Ambassador circle.

On the way home, I walked. Beijing is famous for its spring dust/sand storms and after 5 days of blue skies and 2 days of hazy rain smog, the strong winds were welcome and warm. I didn't drink at all last night, but still felt hung-over just walking in the bright sunshine. I came back to the apartment (where we now have plants, hooray!) and crashed out for several hours.



In the evening I went to a workshop for Huadan, a non-profit theatre therapy group that works with female migrant workers in China. Tons of fun, good for my Chinese, (since there pretty much no English spoken,) and we ended the session with some drumming and dancing Open Sky party style. I did get lost on my way to the workshop and spent about an hour wandering the Hutong neighborhood in the setting sunlight.



It always seems to be that way for me. I get lost and end up finding something I didn't even know I was looking for. For instance, on the way home from the workshop, I took the wrong subway and while waiting for my correct train I saw a group of Chinese boys moving their fancy feet. Not wanting to let the chance go by again and emboldened by lack of sleep, I asked them if they were b-boys. Big smiles, exchange of phone numbers and the only English words spoken being "B-girl" and "locking" and I now have a place and people to practice dancing with. YESSS.



On the train I also had a nice conversation with a 78 year old Chinese diplomat. I bought milk-tea and bananas and now it's 1:15 in the morning. I'm trying to make it a routine to post on Sundays. I almost made it.

Other news and facts: I'm working on finding a family to stay with for a bit in Beijing so I can better understand parent-child dynamics in this country. Apparently the gov't is working to make a pipeline to bring water from the south of China to the city, since the reservoir BJ is built on is pretty much depleted. Many of these photos are from a camp scout in Maiyun, at the foot of one of the great walls.




(The making of embroidery soles for collecting sweat in shoes.)
(My boss in the doorway of the villagers where we might set up camp. Since it was snowing, they invited us to to have lunch on their Kang, a huge stone bed that sleeps up to 6 people and is heated from underneath by a fire. It was so nice and cozy!)
(The playground within Gemdale International Plaza, my apartment compound.)
(Lunch in Maiyun. So delicious; free range chicken, roasted trout, lots of fungi. They have solar panels on every street light there, which is how it's all powered.)
(Top photo: Maiyun hills north of Beijing covered with flowering trees and falling sleet. We are scouting areas for summer wilderness camp areas.)

Love!

Blue Sky Easter Sunday

I love Sundays. The days of rest. And though I do not identify myself as Christian, I have always liked Easter. As a child I got to work a puzzle (finding the eggs), eat chocolate, visit the family of friends where we feasted on the best food possible, and usually go on a long walk. And I like the story of easter. Last year, living in Colorado, I read The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, which is also about the power of love, and then attended a Methodist service with my 80 year old roommate where I cried like a baby. I spent the rest of the afternoon dressed up and playing in the mountains. What more could one ask for in a day?




I had pretty much forgotten that today was Easter until I found myself at the Yong He Gong Llama temple. It is the largest and most important Tibetan temple in Beijing. Though I've been hearing much about unrest around the world concerning Tibet and China, I have seen nothing personally in the city. XG, who has been to the temple many times before, said that usually there are many monks, though today, we saw only two. When I remembered that today was Easter, I had a sudden desire to go to Church and found it ironic that I was instead in a temple, surrounded by multitudes of golden figures. Peace peace peace.



Yesterday I taught my first English class for Go Beyond, my/the start up company. I spent three hours with 11 and 12 year olds at a large and well respected school on the city's middle-upper west side. From our middle-lower east side apartment, it takes about an hour by taxi with moderate traffic to get there. We played games and read a summary about the Magic School Bus, which we will use as text books for the class, and tried to provide subtle emotional intelligence training. The kids are very diverse, and wonderful. It was so nice to be around children again, and now that I'm teaching, I'm also working, which is quite nice.




Today I played around with a zither. (These aren't my hands.) A dream come true.





(Hi Mom, Dad, Gilberts, Margaret, friends!)

Lonely

Last weekend was an adventure. I spent Friday night in bed with the boyfriend, I mean, computer, and Saturday I tried to let the Universe do what it would by getting lost in the city and then visiting various establishments and meeting strangers.

Some memories are still too painful to recount. (All you can eat/drink Sushi dinner with 15 20-something year old American computer-programming males only interested in playing "Would you rather" and "I've never" and I bet you can guess what the central topic was.) Though that was an interesting psychological/therapeutic research experience, as an old China hand I went to university with once said, "Half the battle is figuring out what you don't want." Check.

So recently, my biggest challenge has been the realization that good friends are not always easy to find. I am, again, extremely grateful for this computer and internet and skype, all of which allow me to talk to old friends oceans away.

And I try and have patience, remembering the words of Moab's own sagacious Kelly Green who once told me it takes about two years in a city before one has really good friends. Whew. Breathe in, breathe out.

Thanks to the people who've sent me info on the recent news, especially the goings on concerning land *west of here. (Thanks Danny.)

It is supposed to rain today. I can't wait.

More Daily Life and News

Not too much is new here in the Capitol. I am going to fly to HK or a nearby country soon so my visa remains valid. (I am currently on a tourist visa and must leave the country every three months. This is quite common for foreigners in China; take a couple days and go see HK, appreciate the huge international city and come home with a new Visa status.)

Yesterday was a blue sky, sun shining, soft breeze day and I took advantage of it by going for a two hour walk through the streets. This was much appreciated after two days of skies so murky I couldn't see buildings at the end of my street and feeling like I had to swim just to get to the subway. China's State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has a pollution rating that measures up to 500. While 25 is apparently safe, 200 is a bad day for Beijing. I am not totally clear on what's being mesausred and am a bit skeptical about the accuracy of these ratings, but SEPA's site does put the last six days all above 100 and last Monday at 238. Yuck.

While still trying to practicing awareness around sustainability, conservation, and anti-consummerism, I've realized that to enjoy living here, I have to just let some of that go for now. I was quite homesick for a few days and very upset with myself for coming to this city. Sometimes, I have a hard time differentiating between bravery and stupidity.

Some recent sites: blind erhu musician walking around the bus stops simultaneously playing the stringed instrument, the bones, and singing. Many many split pant babies, or crotchless panted babies and therefore many babies' bums. A group of older Chinese men and women in the park singing opera songs from scores they held up in the sunlight. Kites. Street food including my favorite folded up crepe with crunchy and egg and hot sauce inside. I'll try and get some more photos of common sites for y'all to enjoy.

I am working right now to design an English course to be taught at one of the premier schools in Beijing. This is quite exciting and fun. After years of frustration with the education system in America, I'm quite amazed I'm getting the opportunity to take my own shot at organizing group learning and teaching. After researching different ESL methods and techniques, I've been incorporating them into my philosophy on learning through teaching, personal connections deepening understand, and of course, discovery and creation being fun. So I get to make my own creative writing course. Wheee! I expect to learn a lot and hope to get better insight into the younger generation of Beijingers. The course is only on the weekends for about 2 months, which is great since I'll have the experience and be able to revise. My company is presenting a slideshow to the school and parents this weekend so I've been trying to outline clear business jargon and then translate it into Chinese. Classes start the following weekend and I'm rather jazzed to be around kids again. Woot!



"Are you sure my dishes are clean?" Flatwear in a local restaurant.

I keep asking people at restaurants where our food comes from, and no one has answered me yet. (But they do comment on how delicious it is.) I do plan on researching this and have to acknowledge how grateful I am for farmers / the agricultural industry that allows me to spend time devising lesson plans and going to cultural events. Thanks.

I will try and get more photos of the food, and hopefully learn how to cook. I never knew there were so many ways to prepare tofu, or meat, or vegetables. And the rice! Oh, it's so good. Plus bakeries and all these pastries that are all full of beans but all taste so different. And bubble tea! Hooray! Enclosed please see my favorite lunch, homemade dumplings with vinegar.



I made a new Chinese friend who works over in Sanlitun (the embassy neighborhood) and last night we spent a good couple hours walking around, giggling, and talking about boys. I do love how girls in China often walk down the street arm in arm or holding hands. Mom's virtual hugs are great, but it's nice to have actual human contact. Seemingly in line with many youth across China (and the world,) my friend left her home in Henan province when she was 17 to come to the city. Her hometown is very poor and undeveloped. Now she works an average of about 14 hours a day, 6 days a week in two different bars.

In other news, China banned any excursions up Mt. Everest until May 10 (tied to wanting to take the Olympic torch to the tallest spot on earth and wanting no complications.) I went to the new Olympic center and realized how difficult it's going to be for athletes from any other country to compete in this environment, and how China might just win every gold medal possible, even with so many American celebrities pulling support of the games. I think there is a lot of international news I don't really hear about over here, so if any of you out there find some interesting online stories, it'd be great if you sent them my way. marthagilbert at gmail.com

Video coming soon. Love you all and enjoy the spring!

Frames of Mind

I once read that as a writer, you should follow what's interesting. What do I find interesting? People. When I see another waiguoren on the subway, I feel comfortable asking, "Where are you from?" Because we are both (probably) away from home, we already have something in common. I've met many interesting folk this way, and always enjoy hearing and sharing stories. Actually, a lot of the people I meet do not like Beijing and the most common reason given is that they don't like Chinese people. They are sick of them, and as one Italian boy I met said, thinks they are "always trying to **** you." I suppose I can empathize with this point of view, (see Beijingren post,) especially when one doesn't speak the language and/or has no interest in understanding the language. But I like hearing about the coal importing business, meeting the French/Hong Kong business man who started his company at 15, and learning what it's like to be an Austrian journalist in Beijing.

And I really like speaking with the locals, talking with individuals about what they are doing here, where they are from, and so on. Many come from other parts of China and are in the capitol to work. At silk street the other day, one friendly girl fooled me into thinking she was Beijingren, (though I'm getting better at telling who's from where) then admitted the truth that she was from Anhui and taking me by the arm asserted that we would go there right now. Almost everyone I speak to has children who go to school from 7 am to 4pm, and they themselves work long hours and many days. The Anhui girl works 12 hrs per day, 7 days a week selling goods to tourists.

A lot of people from home have asked me how my Chinese is, so I'll tell you. I have little problem getting around and communicating on a somewhat simple level. I can usually say what I want, and understand what others say to me if they don't use words I've never heard before. Accents can be difficult for me, and I haven't really been studying, which I would have to do intensely to really improve.

I started working today, visiting a school where I'll be running our English progam. I observed classes and assessed the student's comprehension level, had a long meeting where I didn't understand a lot of what was said.



This is an updated pic of the new CCTV building. Let's see how fast it develops, huh?
Thanks again for all the comments; especially the ones that share information!

Free Bird

Oh geology translations. This is from the Mountain behind Dali and is awesome.



Both my bosses are now here. We all live together and are sort of like a family... mom, dad, me. Since we're just a-starting this thing, I don't really have much to do, which is fine, as I get to do whatever I want still. That's mostly been playing guitar, wandering around the city, and working on me website. I occasionally spend time studying Chinese and kicking myself for not getting the number of the Chinese break-dancers I met the other day.

I realized recently that I've always had a lot of pride because I am from the country and a very cool organic sustainable community in you know, like, the best nation on earth. But now I wonder if my global impact is less living in the city and not driving a car. Does eating organic make me better, smarter,
faster, stronger, than others, or just more privileged?

I got to go climbing today at Ritan park. With this warm weather (highs in the 50s) the wall was open and staffed. I was so excited I had to do breathing exercises to contain myself. There was a large crowd and people taking photos and this time it really didn't bother me. In fact, it felt good to give something back after spending so much time gawking myself.

*Ten points to the person who posted the info on perfect pitch. Thanks for sharing the wealth!

Rambling

Techology has changed us. Is changing us.

In researching for this new job endeavor, I've been reading a lot of interesting facts and studies about Chinese teens and the newest generation of the most populous nation on earth. But with all these 'answers' I seem to be only coming up with more questions.

How do generations reconcile cultural differences? Those crazy kids! are always up to something new that parents usually have no introduction to or understanding of. This is not a new phenomenon. I like to think I have always had respect for older folk and the knowledge they have acquired and then taught me; where would I be without my teachers?

But I also learn so many things from the internet, this collection of free and easy knowledge. And I understand why more and more young people turn to computers and the internet in their free time and work time and study time. Since coming to China, I probably talk more to my friends who have skype than to my parents. Not because I love them more or less, but because it is easier to connect and communicate this way.

How to bridge the gap between teens and begetters when the basis of their lives is so different? When their experiences are so disparate and alien?

I've been reading about internet and computer addiction, the newly introduced NDD -Nature Deficiency Disorder-, and of course the age old drug and alcohol problems that afflict at risk youth. In wilderness training I learned how these things are often symptoms of a much deeper ailment, usually the dearth of love. But what and how and why to solve this problem?

Talking about global warming and the sickly situation of the world's oceans, a man in Lijiang brought up the problem that afflicted cities in the US at the turn of the 20th century: What to do with the MOUNTAINS of horse droppings on the streets?

We are changing, the world is changing, always. Is there anything that stands still?



(Looking west over the Yangzi river at Tiger Leaping Gorge.)

Reality Show

My friend Daniel recently wrote that reading the blog is better than a reality T.V. show. I'm not really sure what I think about that, but I still feel sort of flattered nonetheless.

I had my first cry yesterday, where I really really really just wanted to go home. I can feel spring in the air even in this massive city, where the desert winds come whipping between skyscrapers and kick up dust like a burning man storm. I thought about planting seeds in the ground, drinking maple sap, walking barefoot and I just lost it.

But, I've heard that the universe conspires and shortly after, I got to talk online to college co-op mate Shya in Hawaii and she re-assured me. And then I went to meet G at the Rickshaw, a Wisconsin-y bar with free pool and lots of computer lovin' ex-pats who are always nice to girls, and there I ended up sitting at a table kitty corner to a boy who ran cross-country with my freshman year roommate. It's a small world after all.

Thanks for the encouragement from you all. I am so very grateful for these blessings. :)

Peregrination

Vacation is nice. I try to have that mentality all the time, that I am on vacation but sometimes it's good to actually go and get a reminder.




Subscribing to the opinion that traveling is much more enjoyable when you don't have a lot of stuff, and thinking that most things ought to be done in moderation, (even moderation,) I didn't bring the computer with me. My biggest addiction left at home brought great perspective... I miss the wilderness. This city is amazing and fun and the country is where I feel most full and real.

O.K. then. Now that that's out of the way, might as well jump in with the story telling.




I was feeling a bit cranky one day and suddenly realized I had but a week before it would be Beijing full time. I rather freaked out and booked tickets (with the help of XG) to Yunnan. Literally translated as "Cloud South," Yunnan is in the lower left corner of China and borders on Tibet (Xizang), Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. It's beautiful.



Getting the plane tickets was interesting. I met XG and his travel agent friend at a fast food restraunt where we ordered one milk tea between the three of us, sat down at a table in the back, and I slid $1600 cash across the table for the e-ticket. This is apparently how it's done in China.



First stop, Kunming, the capitol city. Sort of tropical, with lots of pretty flowers and clean smelling air, I'd heard Kunming (Elder-brother bright) is a hot spot for foreigners. I stayed in a hostel and had my first introduction to the people who might join the "Homeless, unemployed, and wandering the Globe" group on facebook. Interesting people from interesting places, travelers are definitly a sundry lot who always give me lots to think about. I met a British woman teaching English in Nanjing who passed on the number for a Taichi teacher in Daili, a man studying flash animation as he traveled about, and bead salesman/juggler/guitar player who'd been on the road for 30 years. Wonderous.



After just a night in Kunming, I took a bus to Dali. I don't remember much from this trip, except it was wonderful and I slept a lot. Getting off in the wrong town, I eventually took a city bus to the "old town" in Dali, a beautiful and increasingly touristy village. I spent two days here, drinking lots of coffee and getting myself lost on a rented bike. I also went up the nearby mountain which was a much needed does of nature and brought lots of joy once I got over feeling like an asshole for riding a horse. Of the people I met in Dali, the most note worthy included a family of 8 Christians from Wisconsin who live there full time and a fluent in English, Chinese man named Li who moved there with his grandma from inner mongolia. He told me about the charcoal heating brick things I've seen everywhere and and let me take his happy golden retriever Dumbo for a walk. More people stared at the dog than at me, which was really nice.


In my experience so far, travelers tend to be a pretty open bunch, and in Dali I met a German woman named S. Through her wanderings, I was met locals R. and M. R. was born in Tibet. His parents died shortly after and a Canadian couple sponsored him to go to school in India, where he lived until 8 years old. Then he traveled overland illegally and somehow made it back to Tibet. This in itself is staggering. I'm not sure what happened, but he ran into some trouble with the Chinese for a "Free Tibet" banner and now lives in relative poverty in Dali. He cannot legally work, so he and M. run a bar/restaurant from their two room home. M. is from Xianggang and left her home and family to be with R; not particularly easy in Chinese culture. They are 26 years old. (Home and peace lamp at the Tiger Leaping Gorge.)
The walls of their small place were covered with homemade banners, Bob Marley posters, and sketches. I asked R. what "Om mani padme hom " means, which is something I've always wondered. He told me that a very spiritual man, maybe the first man ever, spoke these words and they are everything and every language. Between M. speaking Chinese to me, and R. speaking English to everyone else, they told us many things about Tibet. Despite the struggles in their lives, the two of them were very kind and R. spoke of his homeland with a passion and a reverence that were truly beautiful. I am so grateful to have spent an evening with them and to be further inspired towards someday living in such a way: on love and little else.




Sometimes, however, traveling sucks. I get tired of never having my bearings, tired of sitting on planes and buses, tired of feeling lonely. In my week long vacation, I was ill to the point of throwing up five times in one day and also sunburned my neck so badly it bleeds if I don't put ointment on it. But it does makes me more grateful for the cushiness of Beijing. As per common Chinese wealthy practice, we now have a maid that comes every day who cleans the apartment, washes, and cooks delicious food. I love my Ayi.



And traveling is also a hell of a lot of fun. Every day is an adventure, a puzzle with a very steep learning curve. For instance, you bet your booty I'm not about to ride a horse up a mountain in bright sunshine and forget to put sunscreen on the area above my shoulders again. On the other hand, I already forgot the Frenchman's advice of checking the toilets of an establishment first and wound up staying two days in a family run guest house with faucet pipe showers and canal toilets. It was really quite lovely.


From Dali via another bus I landed in Lijiang. Dominantly inhabited by the Naxi people, Lijiang is another town in Yunnan that is attracting a lot of tourist attention these days. The ancient city is beautiful, with old wooden buildings. cobblestone streets and flowing canals that are skimmed daily and some even have fish.



A matriarchial society, I really liked being surrounded by the Naxi minority! (China has 56 governmentally recognized nationalities: the Han majority and 55 minorities.) I stayed for several days in a hostel called "Mama's Guesthouse." When I got sick Mama came into my room, pummeled my spine via my tummy and fed me 5 unidentified pills 4 times per day. She also ran the establishment with lots of yelling and a winter coat/shoulder purse outfit that never came off. She's great.




The last stop on my trip was Tiger Leaping Gorge, a couple hours by minibus outside of Lijiang. Apparently, TLG is the world's deepest canyon. Set at an altitude of 2500m, (~8,202 ft) the gorge is so narrow that legend has it a tiger escaped pursuit by leaping across. Measuring from the mountain tops that compose the southern rim, the gorge is 3000m (~9,842 ft) deep. I'm not sure if it's true, but I heard that it's set to be dammed this coming summer, or next. Faye, John, I wished so badly the two of you were here with a boat and gear and skill to raft that thing. Madness!





My friend P, whom I met at Burning Man's math camp joined me for the trek and we had a great adventure hiking the upper and lower trails. On the way home we were asked by some folk to stop and drink some beer, which got mixed with some Baijiu, which resulted in some lots of laughing and P driving some Chinese man's pickup truck. In a tipsy haze we wandered around the mountain trying to find where we had left our coats at the beginning of the hike and looking at the bright bright stars.


I start working officially tomorrow.

Hope you all are well and enjoy the snow!