Semester Break

Final exams administered-check, final grades weighted and calculated according to university standards-check, final grades submitted in electronic and hard copy format-check.  Semester breaks begins on December 21 for the English teachers, students however still have two weeks to go one dead week and one week of final exams in their major area of study.

We didn’t waste a minute getting out of town to learn everything we could about Asia and enjoy the holiday.  We took the high-speed train to Honk Kong to begin our adventure.  Hong Kong was a Christmas dream; the malls and streets were all decked out in Christmas decorations with Christmas music playing in the streets and the malls.  People were carrying packages and gift-wrapping stations were ablaze with paper and ribbons. It was “eye candy” for two people who had been in China not knowing what we were missing until we got off the train in Hong Kong. It was like some one had switched the giant Christmas switch and instantly we felt like it must be Christmas. It was such a feeling of warmth and happiness but immediately I missed my family.  We didn’t feel sad or homesick in Guangzhou because it really didn’t seem like we were missing Christmas but as soon as we felt the joy and happiness of all the shoppers and the holiday spirit my thoughts turned to my kids and grandkids.  This would be a lonesome Christmas, but one to be remembered because it was lonesome.  We attended Church in the Hong Kong 1^st branch in the new Gloucester Road location, just one block from the ferry stop on Hong Kong.  It felt good to be able to attend church in the International Branch and enjoy the Christmas messages delivered the Sunday before Christmas.  The wealth of experience that an international branch brings to discussion and perspective exhilarates me to be a better person in the efforts to sustain a global approach to my life. 

We boarded the Holland America Cruise line for an Asia adventure. First stop was Halong Bay, Vietnam and a UNESCO World Heritage site of 300 limestone islands and a fishing village.

 Fishing Village School House

It was a bit nostalgic the day after Christmas to wake up docked in the Gulf of Tonkin, just outside DaNang, Vietnam.  It was forty some years ago the day after Christmas that Richard Nixon announced that last big push of bombing called “Linebacker II” in Vietnam.  Craig was stationed in Okinawa flying a KC-135 refueling aircraft regularly over this Gulf of Tonkin.  Kaci was barely three months old; she and I had left Witcha, KS (McConnell AFB) to return to UT for Christmas with my parents and brother Tracy.  The risk and danger was already high but the increase of bomb runs in the last big push increased the anxiety for me.  President Nixon’s announcement sent our country into yet another phase of hysteria and forced me to take inventory of the likelihood of being a single parent.  Craig was flying long daily missions from Okinawa to the Gulf of Tonkin to set up a track to refuel B52s, F105s and F4s as they flew their missions over Vietnam and came out to the Gulf of Tonkin to be refueled   There were ten B52s that went down that week, Craig was in the air and listened to the cockpit conversations as they monitored the air refueling operations.  We drove by DaNang AB, hangers and bunkers are still intact. So thankful to be a family of twenty and have an opportunity to revisit this area with Craig.

 Next stop was NhaTrang to visit a fishing village and Po Nagar Cham Tower where Buddhists come to pray and visit the Long Son Pagoda.

Craig needed appropriate temple clothing before he could go in, shorts didn't work!

Saigon was yet another trip down memory lane for both Craig and I.  I remembered hearing about the Rex Hotel and I have to say I always think of Robin Williams in Good Morning Vietnam as the morning broadcasts were always generated from the Rex Hotel.  The French influence is easy to see in the architecture of the buildings that are still standing.  We visited the Reunification Palace, the Town Hall, the Post office, the Notre Dame Cathedral and spent most of our time in the War Memorial Museum.  It was a difficult place to visit.  History is turned upside down and taught completely from a Vietnamese perspective of American aggression.  The prison torture stories and the bombing raid stories were difficulty to read without looking around to watch the expression of Vietnamese faces that were also visiting with us.  Not a very comfortable place to be.

Sihanoukville, Cambodia was an interesting little beach city, yet another Buddhist temple and pagoda.

Bangkok, Thailand was a very modern upscale city.  We were two hours from the boat dock to the city but worth the time and road trip to see this bustling city.  We had a news update on the protests that were threatening to shut down the city, we decided to take advantage of the time a see what there was that could be seen in Bangkok.  We were a two hour bus ride from the dock the city center of Bangkok but well worth the time and effort.  We took the sky train to the river and traded the sky train for a riverboat. I would like to say the water was clean and beautiful but the floating garbage was discouraging to watch.  We arrived at the Grand Palace where the King actually spends part of his time.  He recently spent his 86^th birthday entertaining guests for a birthday bash.  It is indeed a Grand Palace Thailand style.  Lots of jewels, mirrors, and gold equal lots of glitz and bling.  It was a very late night trip back to the boat but one that was well worth the time spent.  This begs a return trip!

The last leg of our trip was Singapore.  This amazing place was like New York City, Hong Kong and London all rolled up in one location with lots of sunshine and great food.  I would have to say my favorite spot was the Botanical Gardens.  They have actually named orchids after important world dignitaries in the VIP Orchid Garden.  I did not know that ginger and turmeric were part of the Orchid family.  This is a very sweet spot to visit. 

When we left to come to Guangzhou last fall we had hoped to be able to see lots of Asia, this has been a great experience to see things outside of China. We have been pampered, someone else has made our bed, cleaned our room and prepared our food.  We have eaten amazingly well, this has been the only time we have consumed meat consistently since we arrived in Guangzhou.  I have not been able to come to terms with the meat market in Guangzhou.  Most of the meat selections are very fresh, still hanging from the hoof fresh, except for chicken then you just pick out the one you want from a pen and it is killed, cleaned and handed to you warm.  Needless to say I have yet to purchase any meat to prepare.  Craig spent the cruise eating beef like it was a "meat holiday." The food on the ship was especially delicious, we are not sure if that is because we have been in China or if it really was, but we felt like our dinning room food was extravagant and wonderful everyday. "At Sea days" we sat at the pool and read, three new books have been completed.  This ship clientele was an international crowd, many Australians, Italians, Germans, British, Norwegians, Danish, Canadians with only a few people from the U.S.  Many languages were heard on board. There were only two Chinese families onboard, we had hoped we could improve our Chinese skills as we packed our "Chinese for Dummies" and flashcards but that didn't happen.  We have met and mingled with new friends and learned interesting things about the way people live around the world.  Every shore day we traveled with a different group of friends to visit cities and sites. We have made new international friends, visited amazing places both historical for Craig and I and new cities we only hoped to visit, eaten delicious food, read good books and indulged ourselves.  I have to admit it is difficult to return to Guangzhou after seeing how the neighbors in Asia live. I hope second semester will start soon.

SCUT Mail Delivery-NOT

Mail delivery at South China University  of Technology is worth noting.  We were told when we arrived not to ever expect to receive mail. That seemed like an unusual statement. However we dutifully informed our children and any family members we thought might want to send mail to us that we were unable to receive mail, not really understanding but trusting the information we were given.

Outside our building and all other residence buildings on campus is a bank of 70-100 shiny new stainless steel very secure mailboxes.  We have lived here three months but never once observed anyone standing by, opening, delivering, or any semblance of use. There is no mailing address for our building and there was never a key or code given to us to use the shiny new stainless steel very secure 

mailbox.

It has all become clear recently as we watched mail delivery on campus.  There is a parking lot near the center of campus where a campus store is located along with the campus hotel, bakery and canteen.  Most students would pass by there during the course of a school day.  I am not at all sure what the scheduled day is for delivery or the time of day that delivery is made but I do know how it happens. All of that information is written in Chinese and we are unable to read that scheduled information.   The tubs of mail are dumped out in the parking lot and spread around for all to see the names on the packages or envelopes.  Today however was a rain day so they made piles of mail for students to pick up their mail and packages.  There doesn't seem to be anyone in charge or responsible to check the mail address with the person picking up the mail.  Everyone shuffles through the piles and stacks, takes what they like and continues on their way. Seems to work for the Chinese students.

Now at least I understand why we were told not to expect to receive mail.

Chinese Folk Music Concert

As the end of the fall semester approaches each department prepares for Final Exams or presentations.  The Foreign Teachers were invited to attend the Chinese Folk Music end of the semester concert. The only instrument we recognized as a regularly used instrument was the piano. The most interesting instrument was a round collection of what looked like recorders in a brass base with a brass mouthpiece.  The young man playing the instrument was both blowing and sucking air in and out of the mouthpiece and he played notes with his fingers on the different recorders.  Not sure what it was called, the program was written in Chinese.  It was a very impressive concert about an hour long with a variety of both vocal and instrumental music. 

In parallel with the Chinese way of doing things, these students have studied and played their instruments from the time they were very young.  They were identified early as musicians and trained by the best professional musicians and teachers. They will become professional musicians when they have completed their education.

We spend our time with master’s candidates who are engineers, chemists, architects and bridge builders.  This was as aspect of South China University of Technology we have not had a chance to experience.    I loved the concert!

Guangzhou Branch Christmas Party 2013

Our Branch President is from the UK with a great English accent.  He announced that there would be a Christmas Party for all the expats in the branch prior to the mass exodus for parts unknown during the Christmas holiday.  Saturday, December 7  from 4-7 at the FG Bistro we gathered to celebrate the Birth of our Savior, I must say it was the most international Christmas celebration I remember attending.  It is such a great experience to absorb the international perspective of people who live here including all the U.S. Consulate contingent who have lived all over the world. All adoptions for China are handled through the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou so that brings many western couples here to take up temporary residence while they wait for the paperwork and other requirements to be completed.   It is safe to say that six continents were represented, what a great blessing to actually participate in the global spread of the gospel and listen to the great stories of each individual.

It is a great blessing in our lives to participate with such great people, some who have taken long routes to the Gospel, some who were born in to the Gospel and others who have been the strength of the Gospel wherever they lived.  Each person is a "Child of God" with purposes undefined in Guangzhou.  The adventure continues to unfold every week as we attend our meetings at the Ramada Inn third floor by special permission from the Chinese government. The highest level of living life in the Gospel is when your example is the only spoken piece that can be uttered. People receive the message by your actions and behavior; a very humbling thought.

We enjoyed a very traditional dinner, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, coleslaw, pumpkin pie and creme brûlée.  Indeed a treat for the taste buds.  Much to the surprise of all the children Santa Claus found our international gathering

West High School Skype- Round 2

My Chinese students enjoyed the opportunity to follow up their SKYPE experience with the AP Chinese 3 students at West High School.  This time they were much more comfortable; they volunteered themselves to ask and answer questions.  They were able to laugh with the West High School students. 

Our topic for discussion this week was “Prosperity vs. Poverty.” It provided a very interesting conversation between students and was reflective of how they each see their own country and city.  West High School students explained “homeless population,” volunteers and donations to those who live below the poverty level in SLC.  I was happy to hear from the West High students, their volunteer experiences along with their charitable giving campaigns at the school.  One WHS student related his experience of volunteering at the homeless shelter and providing food for those living there.  It was a discussion that begs to be extended in depth.  My Chinese students had difficulty relating to students participating in the area of community involvement or supporting the needy both financially and as volunteers.  That is a concept that was new and confusing to Chinese students.  They could not relate to students actually having time away from their studies to participate in community events. 

Most Chinese students think that Americans have unlimited amounts of money to purchase anything they want whenever they want it. They asked questions of the West High School students about “pocket money or disposable income” where do students get money to purchase an iPhone 5. Interestingly enough not one of the students from West High owned an iPhone 5 and indicated that if they wanted one they would need to save their money to purchase one.  Birthday money, gifts and part time jobs were the source of income from which that savings would be generated.

I am handicapped to report on the conversations my students answered in Chinese.  The West High Students asked questions in Chinese and my students answered in Chinese so the Utah students could practice their Chinese.  I was able to feel the ease and comfort students felt as they stood and volunteered information during their conversations.

The set up this time was simple for this round.  I must have acquired some creditability with the Chinese academic system.  I requested the day of December 5 for an international video conference.  The camera showed up, the Internet was opened and when I handed my department chair the questions, one quick glance and they were back to me.   I have made some headway!  It really can be all about the students.