Dancing in the Park

Chinese people are shy or so they would have you believe. A Chinese friend and I were walking in the park when we happened on a group of women doing a form of line dancing. It was so cute to see the synchronized kicking and shimmying and sliding. If it weren't for the distinctly Chinese music I could have mistaken it for some variation of the Electric Slide. After gawking for a few seconds I reasoned that this would be a good way for me to try fit in so I jumped in and started flapping around.

My friend said that it isn't like Western culture where people get really into their dancing. But I explained that it isn't common for people to dance and/or sing in groups in the park in the parts of America that I'm familiar with. Maybe I just don't know enough about Western culture to be dispensing that kind of information. Maybe things have changed in the five months since I've been here and people are actually like the characters in Sound of Music or High School Musical.

Hair Story

My sister asked me about my hair in China. So I'll just write a little regarding that 话题。

Hair styling can be quite an experience. While the prices are very reasonable there are, of course, limits. Many women and men in China have straight jet black hair so the hairstylists, used to working on the hair of their countrymen, are perhaps not familiar or comfortable working with other shades and/or textures of hair. A friend from Italy went into a salon to dye her naturally brown hair blond and after three attempts left the salon with GREEN hair. Another friend who is of mixed race (Black and Hispanic) was turned away at the door of the salon because the stylists knew they weren't up to the challenge. What about me?

I am black and my hair is not chemically processed so my hair is in its' natural state. That is my hair can be described as nappy or curly or kinky or whatever adjective ending in "-y" you think would fit here. Due to my hair's natural state and due to my overall cheapness I didn't frequent beauty salons back in America. It's good that I learned to "care" for my hair myself because their is no way that I would be able to walk into a salon here in China and have someone competently work something out with my hair. People gasp at my skin color how much more so my hair's texture.

In the winter I did two strand twists on my hair. Now in the summer I often wear my hair in an afro or in a bob and from time to time in twist outs. The twists are a "favorite" of the locals as I have had students ask to touch my hair and perfect strangers molest my hair while out in public with this hairstyle. Also, as mentioned in a previous post, a taxi driver also mentioned that my twisted hairstyle looked as if it belonged in an art museum.

Being here is actually kind of liberating hair wise because my hair can be what I will so poetically refer to as a "hot mess" by Black American/Jamaican standards while being regarding as a work of art here in China. It's all still a learning process though as I try to balance my desire to express my individuality with my desire to assimilate as much as possible into this, a new culture. While all things are lawful not all things are advantageous and I find that certain hairstyles might be more shocking to the locals than it would be in the States. It's important for me to not let a silly thing like choice of hairstyle further separate me from this people and culture when I'm striving to be all things to all people.

Pledge Perspective

Last post was rubbish! I was just miserable and my shoes weren't comfortable.

The girls here dress so cute and I thought that I needed to fit in and wear cute shoes but I now realize that no matter how I dress I'm never going to fit in so I might as well be comfortable in my strangeness.

Today I bought some Pledge and a mop to clean the wood-ish floors. Now the floor is shiny and new looking just like my perspective on life.

Had guests from another city this past weekend. It was an international affair. I met a Trinidadian-Swede. A real beauty she is-inside and out. Played soccer and basketball with Africans, Mexicans, French, British, Chinese, etc. Got hit in the face with a basketball. Lovely, lovely times.

I had a job interview last week also for a university teaching position. It's teaching Math (my forte) in English. The interviewer said he would let me know his decision this Monday. On Monday I got an e-mail saying that he couldn't let me know the official decision due to unforeseen circumstances but he would let me know ASAP. I'm not too anxious about whether or not I get it. If I don't get it I'll just keep on begging. If I get it then that's one less stress but I'm sure a lot more will take it's place.

I will take pictures of this place someday.

I am going to post later about my hair and about music lessons. I want to start back playing the saxophone...

ina da lates!

-Me.

Frustration and Bursts of Optimism

This is neither a forum for me to rant nor to share any extremely personal stories. I just wanted to share stories with those of you back home who were willing to read my take on what it's like to live in China. Because I've wanted to keep it all positive I don't post when I'm feeling frustrated. That's going to change.

It's only been 3 1/2 months but already I'm finding that life here can be hard. Maybe I don't have to worry about some things like a car note and insurance but there are still pressures from without and from within. It can be extremely hard to find balance.

Many of the foreigners I have met have come here to China in order to improve their Chinese language skills. Most, however, find that they work so much that they never have time to study Chinese or they study Chinese and have to struggle to pay their bills. I'm in the latter group. I have yet to find anyone who has been able to balance both. Add to that the injustices of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow and you would have to have superhuman strength not to succumb to the occasional bouts of discouragement and/or frustration.

After facing rejections, inconveniences, slights, prejudices, etc. I stay content and more than happy with the decision to move here by finding reasons to smile. This week my reasons are:

1. the older Chinese man I met in the park who wrote me a note telling me that because I said "早上好" to him and his friends that meant that I was Chinese just like them;
2. the fact that I could read the note that the older Chinese man I met in the park wrote to me;
3. my 6 year old student telling me he loves me and giving me a hug;
4. making new friends;
5. my classes;
   
6. my teachers;
7. setting and reaching new goals;
8. supportive family and friends;
9. HOPE

等等等

There is so much to be happy about.

"We have joy, inner peace, and contentment that is rare." - my peeps

Tomb Sweepers Day (清明节）

我每个星期一到星期五都上汉语课。但是今天因为清明节我们没有课。很多中国人的看法是清明节是非常重要的节日。

Every weekday I go to Chinese class but today I went to the park. I wasn't "sculling" school. Class was canceled due to it being a major Chinese holiday. It's Tomb Sweepers Day a.k.a Qing Ming Jie (清明节). Let me 给你们介绍介绍清明节。

清明节had its origins around 600 BCE and was originally started to honor both the return of the Spring season and the dead ancestors of the Chinese people. In ancient times, people celebrated Qing Ming Jie with dancing, singing, picnics, and kite flying. In addition, colored boiled eggs would be broken to symbolize the opening of life. Sound familiar?
The following information is taken from http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/festival/qingming/qingming.html:

"With the passing of time, this celebration of life became a day to the honor past ancestors. Following folk religion, the Chinese believed that the spirits of deceased ancestors looked after the family. Sacrifices of food and spirit money could keep them happy, and the family would prosper through good harvests and more children.

Today, Chinese visit their family graves to tend to any underbrush that has grown. Weeds are pulled, and dirt swept away, and the family will set out offerings of food and spirit money. Unlike the sacrifices at a family's home altar, the offerings at the tomb usually consist of dry, bland food. One theory is that since any number of ghosts rome [sic] around a grave area, the less appealing food will be consumed by the ancestors, and not be plundered by strangers."

I spoke to a Chinese 朋友 to get his views on the festival. He told me that after 春节 （Spring Festival) this is the most important festival to the Chinese people. I asked him why he thought it was so important. His answer was that Chinese people love and dearly miss their dead ancestors and this day makes them feel a little bit better about their death. It helps them keep the hope of maybe seeing their dead loved ones again alive in their hearts.

People here maybe more than many others have a yearning...

Marcy Marce Loves the Kids

My title, it's a Martin reference...

Anyways, it can be a little hard here getting work. Harder than I expected. As far as I know, in China, as my fellow bloggers have noted, there is nothing resembling an Equal Employment Opportunity Commision (EEOC). So obtaining employment at a local company might have more to do with looking the part than anything else. As Frank said in his post, Cody Joins the Darkside, some of us don't look like "typical" westerners so it's a little harder for us to find suitable employment. It's not impossible to find. It's just harder. You just need to have patience, persistence and most importantly Providence (or guanxi, 关系) and as I've said before － my very big family has got a lot of 关系.

With the help of others I was able to find a job as soon as I arrived. I work 4 - 5 hours a week and make enough to cover all of my living expenses while here. My work is great! I still teach English, American English, to children. It really isn't hard work. My students range in age from 2 - 13. The younger ones are the cutest things in the world and their parents are so great - so far. They have a lot of energy and can be a handful in class but they look cute while terrorizing me and that more than makes up for it.

Please meet some of my kids. We went to the park to fly kites and play games. These are the kinds of things they pay me for.

My First Ride on a Motorcycle (摩托车) !

Here in China there are many different modes of public transportation - public bus, taxi (legitimate and bootleg), tricycle, and motorcycle. I've tried all of them.

Buses actually run more efficiently here than in any other city I've ever lived and are much cheaper. In my home city of Miami it was a little difficult and time consuming to take public transportation. The same went for Tallahassee and Atlanta.

Here in China buses run every 5 minutes (for some reason though they are still always crowded) and to travel from one end of the city to the other will only cost 2 Yuan ($0.2927 US) if one doesn't have a bus card. I do have a bus card though so it only costs me half of that, about $0.15 US, for the trip.

When I first moved here, 3 1/2 weeks ago I took taxis everywhere because I didn't know my way around. Nowadays, I'll take a taxi only out of necessity because it can cost more than 5 times the bus fare. I'm trying to save as much money as possible and actually like the bus riding experience so I've weaned myself off of taxis. I'm learning to maneuver my way around the city using the bus. It's understandable if I make mistakes from time to time as I sort it all out.

One of my many mistakes happened last week. I was running late for work (as usual) and had completely missed my stop on the bus. I therefore found myself late and lost. I was desperate for a taxi but there seemed to be none passing. A man pulls up on a motorcycle and offers to take me to my destination for a small fee. I didn't want to ride on his motorcycle so I tried to sike him out and tell him that I didn't understand - 听不懂! (ting bu dong) He looked at me and said 你听懂! ("You do understand me!") How did he know I was faking it?!?!?! I looked down, shrugged and said 对我听懂。多少钱? ("Yes, you're right, I understand you. How much?") as I hopped on the back of his 摩托车.

I can be such a dork. :-) I can't pretend to be ignorant when I should and I am ignorant when I shouldn't be. No matter. I'm alive still and only out 10 元。