One busy Saturday

We climbed into the van today and I was thrilled to hear on the radio traditional Chinese music on authentic instruments. Then I recognized the tune: Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head...

First stop was a "pottery bar" - no alcohol or legal briefs but potters wheels and a chance to get messy. My "creation" was mercifully recycled.

Then the "just a few words" at the local junior high - number 13. (Here the number 4 means death but 13 is OK.) The power point slide overhead: Warm Welcoming to Foreign Teachers for English Lecture-Giving. The title was longer than the speech. Then 45 minutes outside (the AC was not working so in theory it would be cooler in the 102 degrees outdoors) with the kids. Today they all had pens and paper and wanted autographs. Watch for them to be sold on e-bay next week.

Best question: When do children in America learn to speak English?

A 28 dish lunch with 6 different kinds of noodles.

After an evening trip to Walmart and KFC we end our last Saturday in Jingdezhan - next week at this time we will be in Shanghai and heded home.

histories

My topics this week were geography and history. We talked about the US first and then they taught me about China - in English to improve their skills.

It is a little like listening to the British version of the American Revolution to be in on their discussion of the Opium Wars and the building of the American transcontential railroad using Chinese slave labor. But it is part of history on both sides. Their kingdoms and dynasties rise and fall with the triumph of the 2nd son over the elder who is due to inherit. Very much like Esau and Jacob. Only in all cases in China the older son has to die - sometime the father and the younger sons too to be on the safe side. The idea that Jacob could come back to the land and be forgiven by Esau was completely startling to them. It made me grateful to be part of a legacy of forgiving. That is as close to the Bible as we can get is references to stories. Then if someone asks...

Hot time on the Old Baseball Field

http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/CHXX0457_f.html

Hot there? Check out the heat index! So of course it was the day for our Championship Baseball game. Today we actually inforced rules so we needed a umpire and since I have no other athletic skills and an honest face, I claimed that coveted position. It was even too hot to wear a hat but I needed heat protection. Might be a first for the Umpire to Carry a Parasol...another Baseball Fashion Breakthrough.

Game highlight was a runner headed for 2nd and being chased by some kind of fielder with the ball. To get back to first without being tagged she raced into the "stands" around the pitcher and zigzagged the infield with the ball carrier in hot pursuit. (Both, of course, in high heels.) I called it Safe at First just for ingenuity!

Coorelation?

Ah-ha! Tonight we had a banquet before our "very informal English Corner." There were 24 dishes on the table for us to share - several area speciaites. Usually at big dinners we only get 18 or so.

We arrived at No 2 school (there are 30 in town - we have been to #1, #5 and Saturday is #16) and found a formal lecture set up. Not even a surprise anymore. After 45 minutes they ended that and we figured we got of easy. No - we were led in total darkness to a large square lit only by the lights playing on fountains for 45 more minutes of Close Up English questioning by 200 SH students. I now know the answer to the "favorite animal" question is "panda," but I was stumped by "Which Back Street Boy is your favorite?" No one asked about Luther or Bach at all!

What does this mean?

Deep Culture

Take me out to the ball game! We are teaching baseball to our classes this week. Monday was rained out so yesterday we took the field. Chinese teachers - in fact women in general - always wear 1.5-2.5 in heels on their shoes. Very cute. That is the professional look. They wear them with dresses, pants, shorts, short shorts. The shoes are the same. So when we started to pay ball yesterday I suggested to them they run barefoot. They were scandalized. Take off their shoes in public? Never. So our running and stealing bases was called on account of fashion and my team lost.

In the hotel now is a contest for JH students who play musical instruments, sing or play piano. The place is filled with music - and very enthusiastic parents making sure they are getting their money's worth for the lessons.

The hotel staff worked on "clean glass" and "dirty glass" last night which I hope improves our dining experience greatly.

Recycling - we mean it!

Because recycled materials are worth money here, the market for empty water bottles is high. One of our group had a woman follow her for 2 blocks yesterday and finally tap her on the shoulder and give the universal "finish drinking" signal, then sntach the empty bottle from her hand. Gotta admire her commitment to the Green Team!

Usher duties

We were at the same church this morning and the street is still under constructin so we had to walk a ways and were late. It was worth it to observe Chinese Usher Duties. They wear a red arm band with words realting to the authority and seniority vested in them. All were elderly but formitable ladies.

We tried to sneak in and 3 out of the 4 of us had actually made it to various seats, but then we were spotted. The Head Usher poked each of us and would not take no for an answer to being relocated in the front row of the back section under a fan. However there were already people sitting there - 5 even older ladies, 2 with canes. Usher team members grabbed their arms and moved them out so we could have the honored seats. We finally got settled to their satisfaction - the original 4 on a bench did not work since she determined we were too close and would get too hot so she cleared the elderly off the next bench and spread us out. Then she graciously brought us each a bottle of water.

Keep in mind what looked like the sermon was going on the whole time. Having gotten the visitors organized teh Ushers returned to the task at hand. Every 5 minutes they patroled the aisles to wake up anyone who is sleeping. Even if people are just resting, they make them sit up straight to listen. No one argues with the Red Band Band.

But they met their match a few minutes later. July 20 is one of the Auspicious Dates for new beginnings - according to the local Bride's Magazines - and the Cell Phone store across the street celebrated its grand opening with a firecraker blast that went on for a good 5 minutes in various bursts - none of them could be preached through with the windows open. Not to say the preacher did not try! But she finally gave up and smiled. Usher Team was beside themselves figuring out what the noise was and how to get it to stop but it did cut out the sleeping problem.

However I think nothing says Grand Opeing of the New Entrance like fireworks! Somebody write that down.