Matilda International Hospital

Our last trip to Hong Kong proved to be an eventful one.  Craig has been struggling with a hernia for about three weeks.  He first experienced pain while we were in Taiwan.  I turned around on the subway and saw a gray stark grimace on his face and knew that something was wrong.  He limped along that weekend hoping the pain would disappear, but it intensified instead.  When we returned to Guangzhou we contacted SOS, the international health organization that supports TriCare, our health insurance.  We were scheduled to see a doctor at the United Health Care Clinic in downtown Guangzhou.  After an examination and an ultrasound Craig was told he did have a hernia.  He really had two choices he could have the surgery done here or manage the pain and wait to have it done when we returned to SLC.   The first impulse was to manage the pain. 

We left the next week during the Chinese Tomb Sweeping Holiday for the Three Gorges Dam trip with the BYU teachers. It was mostly a calm trip no hiking or climbing stairs but the pain continued to escalate.  When we returned back to Guangzhou we decided that it wouldn’t be wise to wait for the surgery.  We called the Doctor back to schedule the surgery; we elected to have the surgery done in Hong Kong.  The surgeon in HK required a CT scan before he would schedule the surgery so we were off the closest hospital in Guangzhou to get a CT scan.   It is a very intimidating experience to be a mute in a medical situation.  We could not understand anything we were told, barely understand where to stand and what to do.  Good thing we have great pantomime skills, we must have been very entertaining to the hospital staff.  We knew for sure after that we needed to have surgery in HK where at least we could understand the directions.

The surgery was ultimately scheduled for Tuesday, April 22 and none-to-soon I might add.  The pain seemed to intensify the longer we waited.  The Matilda International Hospital was the location with Dr. YP Tai as the surgeon based on the recommendation of the doctors we had seen in Guangzhou.  We bought tickets for the early train from the East Railway Station arrived in HK around 11.00AM.  Met with Dr. Tai then proceeded with surgery prep for 2:15 PM.  It would be fairly routine to repair and place a screen in the area.  All would be done laparoscopic. Two hours later Craig was in recovery and beginning to rally.  He ordered a hamburger with French Fries for dinner, that was a good sign.  Everything was falling into place. After a peaceful night’s rest we were ready to tackle the next hurdle.  That would be crossing the border back into China one day after surgery.  

Matilda International was located on Victoria Peak, so there was transportation down to the subway then crossing the water to Hom Hong and catch the train.  We decided earlier not to purchase return train tickets to Guangzhou in case there were any complications or if Craig was unable to walk to get to the train.  What time would be really be able to get to the train? Too many unresolved questions to commit to a bullet train ticket.

After the final examination from Dr.Tai, medication to take back with us then of course in China you must pay for all of your medical services before you leave the hospital then file your own insurance papers.  (Our credit card has really racked up the frequent flyer miles this last three weeks.) Matilda International provided a shuttle bus to the subway so we were on our way around 2:30 Wednesday afternoon.  We snagged seats on the subway so all was going well for us, only two subway changes to get to the train station.  When we arrived at the train station a large sign indicating that all tickets on all trains to Guangzhou were sold out for the rest of the day greeted us!  Not good news. What to do now?

One last resource was to get back on the subway and go to Shenzhen, cross the border there and hope to get a train out of Shenzhen back to Guangzhou.  That meant that we would need to walk the whole distance instead of take a train across the border.  I wasn’t sure Craig would be up for that, but we decided to do the best we could.  If we needed to stop and rest we would take whatever time we needed to do to get across the border.  We were not prepared for this little adventure so we didn’t have the immigration paperwork filled out to depart HK and arrive in mainland China so that was yet another add on the to do list.  I was beginning to wonder how we could pull this off.

We were blessed, the paperwork went smoothly, we managed to stand in the right line for an immigration officer that allowed us to complete some blanks as we stood there and not resubmit and go to the end of the line. China immigration officers are known for rigidity, if you don’t have the correct paperwork filled out completely correct they send you back to try again and again. They rarely make exceptions, we got an exception!  Walaa we made it through the border.   Craig was beginning to fade on me so I went directly to get a train ticket.  Thank goodness for charades at the ticket counter, I managed to communicate I needed the first train available to Guangzhou.  We got on the train leaving in four minutes, I took second-class instead of first-class and hoped I wouldn’t regret it.

The train ride was great and Craig slept the entire trip.  We put the key in the door of our apartment around 8:30 PM and were so thankful to be back in our apartment with the hernia surgery behind us.  It is onward and upward from here.  A few pills and lots of knock off DVDs will keep Craig entertained and healed I am sure.

This is China

Although the list could go on and on, here are just a few of the biggest/startling/favorite things I have learned about the people of China. Warning: this is strictly my observation and opinion, I am in no way trying to be prejudice against the Chinese people.

1-You know how when we were young our mothers taught us not to chew with our mouth open or not to slurp our soup? In China, throw those rules out of the window. Everyone chomps, slurps, and chomps some more here. In fact, if you don't it's almost rude.

2-If you want water here, expect it to be hot. It doesn't matter where you are, what you are eating, or what season it is. Water is served hot here and nothing else unless asked.

3-Traffic rules? What are those again? Here, if there is a red light and you don't want to wait at it, don't. There are pedestrians coming? Drive around them. Right turns mean you always turn right no matter who is in the way. Crosswalk is red? That doesn't mean anything! As long as you lay on your horn wherever you go, you just go. And somehow, it kind of actually works. But yet again I see things like this almost on a daily basis:

4-Man, you've got that nasty flem all stuck in your throat and your nose? It just wants to come out doesn't it? So why not just cough and hauk and spit that loogie right out next to someone's feet. It's totally cool to do it here. It doesn't still gross me out at all.....ever...

5-There is no such thing as clean air here. You either have polluted air, or cigarette smoke in your face. Generally, both is happening. My lungs really love me here. 

6-There are many...smells...here in China. I feel that I have gotten used to most of them. But there is one smell that I will never nor do I ever want to get used to. And that is stinky tofu. It's name is actually stinky tofu. Apparently the stinkier it is, the better it is. 

7-There are a TON of people here in China. So the concept of "every man for himself" is something to kind of live by here. If you want to get on a metro, bus, or any type of line for that matter, prepare to throw elbows up and push your way through crowds even if  you think they are too tight and no one else can fit. There is no such thing as personal space when it comes to these situations. There have been countless times where I find these interactions both insanely frustrating and hilarious. 

8-Fireworks are a daily occurrence here. Especially late at night or early in the morning. To put it best, let me quote my friend Chelsea: "Have you ever wondered what World War II sounds like? Just move to China." Haha she was spot on. 

9-Old people here are the best! Especially the old ladies! Every evening groups of them get together and do aerobics together; not in a class, but out on the streets. Sometimes they dance inside malls, on the outside of parks, or right in front of businesses. It's the best and joining them is my favorite. 

10-For the Chinese who can speak English, their favorite words are "maybe" and "take a rest." Anytime I ask a Chinese person a question they always respond with "maybe you can do this" or "maybe you can do that." Also, between every one of my classes all the teachers will say "go take a rest now." Those phrases crack me up every time. 

11-Squatters. Oh Squatters. This is a picture of what squatters look like. This one would actually be considered pretty clean. You don't ever flush your TP, you always put it in the wastebasket next to it, and you always bring your own TP or you are SOL (pun intended). But I'm about to get personal with this one, so if you are grossed out easy, move on to the next point. But I have had quite the "adventure" with squatters. Between learning a month after arriving to China that I had been facing the wrong way,  to having urine bounce of the squatter and hit me in the face (yes, the FACE), to getting my hair dipped in urine, and to having...well...bad aim, it's safe to say that I have gained the reputation in my city for best squatter stories. I have threatened to write a book about rating the toilets in China from 5 star to negative 5.  Still waiting to see the 5 star toilet accommodations. I think it has potential to be a best seller. I don't know if it's something to be proud of, but it's sure something! On a positive note I have  since learned to take 2nd position, then my best plie'. It is very good leg strengthening practice and has enhanced my ballet skills tremendously.

12-Speaking of bodily functions, children here don't have diapers. Instead all of their pants have a slit down the backside and they just squat wherever and do their thing. But really, anywhere. I've seen on a metro, off a curb, and over a garbage. 

13- Even though these people do some things that I can't stand at times or I find just straight up weird, they  have shown me more genuine kindness than I have ever before witnessed. I love the people of China and even though my time here is running out, I have learned to love this culture, quirks and all. 

Non-Easter Easter

It is embarrassing to say but Easter could very easily slip by and no one would notice in China if you weren’t willing to make it happen.  It once again impresses me that without all the commercial trapping that goes with holidays in the U.S. the religious holidays are exactly what you make them or more importantly whatever you want them to be.  I have become accustomed to having the commercial aspects guide and mold my responses to Easter.  So being completely on my own in a country where religion is not regarded I began to contemplate what Easter 2014 will bring to me.

I love the photos that my children post of my grandchildren and I am saddened that there will be dinners and gatherings of my children and grandchildren and I will not be able to enjoy their company.  I am experiencing Easter without Easter celebrations but I could not imagine Easter without my children and grandchildren.  I will celebrate vicariously through the experiences of my family posted and related in my little 350 square feet of living space in China.

I just read that a week long social media effort by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to share the Easter story and to give hope through Jesus Christ is getting worldwide attention. The initiative, titled “Because of Him,” includes a YouTube video released in 20 languages that has been viewed more than 2 million times since it was posted on Palm Sunday, 13 April 2014. I must confess that at least 50 of those hits were mine.  It has been such a treat to watch this video and reflect what that means to me and the blessings in my life that have been afforded by sacrifice.

We are planning a very simple and basic day on Easter Sunday.  We will take a cab to attend church in a rented room at the Ramada Inn on the Pearl River.  Our congregation is small but large in quality; such great strong expatriates live in China. We will look forward to talking to our grandchildren on Monday morning, a little belated Easter blessing for us.  That will be our simple but utilitarian Easter 2014 that covers the most important things in our life.

Left Behind Children

Itinerary: April 11, Friday  
http://www2.scut.edu.cn/s/56/t/131/4c/92/info85138.htm

	Pick up on the University Town Campus at C16 Building
	Pick up on the Wushan Campus at West Lake Hotel
	Departure to Heyuan County
	Arrival at Heyuan County
	Local lunch
	Arrival at Qunlian Primary School
	Donation by the International Office, Group photo
	English classes by foreign teachers, Group photo
	A tour of Qunlian village
	Departure back to SCUT
	Dinner on the drive back
	Arrival SCUT Wushan Campus Arrival SCUT University Town Campus

We hope through this trek, we could bring a window of the world to them by inviting our foreign scholars to give an introductory English class to them.

Foreign Teachers at South China University of Technology were invited to participate in the University Outreach Service Project.  The Itinerary was an ambitious one leaving our campus at 7:50 AM and returning back to campus after 9:00PM.  We enthusiastically replied we wanted to participate and arrived at the pick up location Friday morning.

Each foreign teacher was assigned foreign students to work in the classroom.  This little village school had never seen foreigners or had formal English instruction. I was assigned three foreign student girls to assist in our classroom, one from Indonesia, one from Kyrgyzstan and one from Pakistan all English speakers and Chinese students at SCUT.  It always makes me feel embarrassed to be monolingual around people who speak three or four languages when I listen to them shift in and out of several languages based on whom the conversation might be with. The girls spoke English to me, Chinese to the students, and Urdu to each other, there were others shifts with Russian students, but I didn’t recognize which other languages they were shifting back and forth.  I was particularly interested in learning about life in Pakistan since Garrett and Cindi will be in Pakistan next August. My foreign student just happened to also be from Islamabad and was very proud of her country.  She told me all about the beautiful scenery and delicious food that could be enjoyed in Islamabad.  I hope I can go there!

The bus ride was long but provided us a glimpse of the countryside out side of the 15 million people city of Guangzhou.  Lots of rolling hills and forest areas with lumber mills located along the way. Rice paddies were prolific along the way. 

We arrived at the village just in time for lunch at a famous little restaurant that had actually made the big times on CCTV recognized for their delicious food.  Most of the faculty members loved the food because the food was direct from the farmers, very fresh and no GMO! I was so thankful that I took my crackers along to eat on the bus later.

When I read the title of this project “Left Behind Children” I immediately had all those horrible thoughts rush back from the George Bush era of “No Child Left Behind!” All the testing we implemented in our schools left a negative connotation of that phrase.  My first impulse was “lucky children they escaped the TESTS and were left behind.”  The Chinese explanation of “Left Behind Children” has nothing to do with testing.  These families live in remote primitive poverty conditions.  The village cannot support the needs of the families to live so the adults in the village leave to go to Guangzhou to find work, mostly domestic, food service, manual labor pretty much anything without an education that might be available for a very low salary.  They live in large groups in an low rent apartment in Guangzhou, send what money they can to their families and return to the village maybe once or twice a year to see their children and parents. Therefore the children are “Left Behind” by their parents and raised by their grandparents. Grandparents and children populate the whole village.

The children were all lined up out front of the school when we arrived; they were very shy and hesitant to look at the foreigners. The dirt path to the school explained the condition of the children; they were in desperate need of attention both physical and emotional. We were assigned the first grade classroom.  The students were beautiful; those big dark eyes sparkled as they sat at attention in straight rows on their tiny stools.  The classroom was stark, white painted walls and a few examples of student work on the back wall.  Some organization had donated backpacks for each student that were neatly hanging on the side of each desk. 

I was happy to have access to a THE ALPHA DOG ABC ALPHABET online ebook written by my niece Mimi Brimhall on my iPad.  Thank you Brimhalls, you are now an international favorite! I opened my iPad, which was pretty dazzling for those first grade students and began teaching the English alphabet.  We were able to sing the alphabet song along with Mimi’s book after a few times through the book.  It was exhilarating to be part of the joy on their faces.  

With that success they were ready to stand up so I moved to “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” just can’t lose with that kind of entertainment.  The first graders all followed and learned very quickly.  They loved going fast, then faster, then fastest of all.  I loved hearing them laugh and giggle as they poked their body parts.  

Onward and upward, next we tried the Hokey Pokey.  It was hilarious; each of the foreign student teaching assistants took a row of Chinese first grade students and helped each student with right, left, front, back, shake, shake, shake!  They all loved the Hokey Pokey. 

I finished up with calming the students then back to their stools for vocabulary.  Again the foreign students teaching assistants were able to write the English with the Chinese translation on the board. So we finished with counting to five, hello, goodbye, teacher, girls and boys. I took an American Flag key chain for each student to hang on their backpack to remember America. The first grade class was excited to have an American flag. I was exhausted; what a great experience. 

Three Gorges Yangtze River Trip

April 4-7, 2014 marked the observance of the Chinese holiday “Tomb Sweeping Day.”  It is parallel with the US holiday, Memorial Day in May.  Chinese families honor their ancestors during the first weekend in April.  Many travel to clean or sweep the tombs of ancestors and some perform the Chinese ritual in other ways.  Generally it consists a food contribution at the tomb, incense, burning of rice paper money, and decoration of the tomb site with a number of varieties of bright colors, flags, foil and streamers. The location of the tombs seems to be determined with the location of the death.  In the countryside they can be seen out in the middle or around the edges of rice fields, in the city the ashes may be found in a temple or church or even in a private residence. 

Schools are closed but retail is open and the entire country travels to make their visits appropriate.  BYU teachers traveled to the Three Gorges Project in the south central part of China.  We boarded the MV President 8 ship at Chonqquing Port and sailed through the three gorges the Qutang George, Wu George and the Sandouping then through the locks at the Three George Dam Project.  

The gorges were steep and beautiful, we were able to go ashore near each gorge.  The Shibaozbai Temple looks like an aircraft carrier in the middle of the water.  It was an ancient temple that the Chinese government preserved by building a wall around it to keep the water from destroying the ancient “no nail” construction.  

The Shennog Stream is a tributary to the Yangtze River that again houses indigenous people high up in the mountaintops as was preserved by the waters when the dam began to fill up.  We boarded small Sampan boats pulled and oared by men and women from those villages to see the tributary and its contribution.

We arrived at the locks late at night but it was beautiful and exciting to be aboard the ship as we descended down the five locks to the reservoir.  The huge doors that swung closed as the ship moved through each of the five locks screeched as they moved from the sidewalls to close off the water flow.  We dropped 25 meters each lock, it took about four hours to complete the traverse through the locks.  

 The last stop was at the Sandouping Dock to actually visit the Dam.  The dam site for the TGP is the best site for hydraulic power plant in the world.  There are 38 valleys at the lower reaches of the river.  They pumped and poured concrete for three years 24/7 to put TGP on the map. This project began in 1994 and will be completely filled in 2015, a twenty year span of time to build and fill the dam.  It was put to use in 1996.  It is hoped that the power generated from this plant will support the modernization of China and reduce the 5000 Tons of raw coal combustion annually, which is a major contributor to the air and water pollution in China.