Spring Festival Adventures

After a month of traveling over the Spring Festival, we are now home in Xi'an. We have been privileged to see some astonishing, lovely parts of this vast land of China, enjoyed wonderful associations along our way, and now, with the new semester pressing upon us, we find ourselves so happy to have come home to our happy hovel! Having had no access to blogger while we were away we had no chance to capture these details day to day or even week to week, so as difficult as it is to squeeze a month's adventures into one blog entry I am going to try. It is now or never--we begin our new semester this week and by tomorrow I will be under the gun to try to stay up on all my preparations.
Guangzhou

Guangzhou meant a couple of peaceful days with the Monsons. The city was such a contrast to Xi'an with its sparkling, clean skyscrapers and modern facade. I suppose it must have its funny little markets and dumpy areas, but we didn't see much of them. It was the city where the recent Asian Games were held and China is very big on face lifts for areas ready to be exposed to the world. Our visit included seeing friends (other CTP teachers) at Church and then joining them at lunch, exploring the pearl market (with its shops and shops and shops! and bags and bags of pearls. Our charming hosts at our shop, recommended to us by a friend, were a mother and son who strung the pearls we selected, while we waited).


We also enjoyed a ride on the Pearl River seeing the old colonial buildings from bygone eras when foreigners had control of Canton--now Guangzhou--and walked and talked (and ate raw sugar cane). One of our favorite views was of the kindergarteners all lined up waiting for their parents--or grandparents--to come collect them. It was a very nice beginning to the rest of the trip.


Shenzhen
Leaving Guangzhou, we traveled by train to Shenzhen where we joined our tour group at the Century Plaza Hotel before boarding our bus for a visit to Splendid China and the Chinese Cultural Center--China's version of the PCC in Hawaii.


Splendid China was a series of miniatures of China's most famous sites. Set in a beautiful park, the displays were really lovely. The Cultural Center consisted of "villages" of the different ethnic groups in China. In them they performed their native dances, songs, crafts, and costumes. It was all a delight to see--the Mongol attacks and the Tibetan dances were especially wonderful.


Hong Kong CTP Seminar
After seeing the Center we climbed on our bus and headed for the border to cross over into Hong Kong. It seemed so strange to have a major immigration check point to go from one economic zone to another. Arriving in Hong Kong we all checked into the Salisbury YMCA with its wonderful location, rooms, and swimming pools. It doesn't sound very posh but it was lovely. Over the next couple of days we enjoyed our seminar with the CTP teachers where we shared teaching ideas we'd found successful last term. We also had the thrill of attending the Hong Kong Temple. After the famine of five months with no temple visits, that was a treat!

Sunday we had our District Conference and John and Dave were set apart for their new callings in the branch presidency in Xi'an, as was another of the teachers, as part of Guangzhou's branch presidency. The meetings were wonderful including as they did the area presidency.

After our meetings we left on the bus for the airport and our flights to Guilin--and the beginning of our South West China trip.
Guilin and Yangshou
The evening we arrived we went out on boats and watched the cormorants catching fish for their owners.

The next day we took a cruise down the Li River, the connecting waterway between Guilin and Yangshuo. A thousand years ago a poet wrote of the scenery in this area: “The river forms a green gauze belt, the mountains are like blue jade hairpins.” Perhaps it is not exactly that but we saw extraordinary limestone peaks, sprays of bamboo along the riverbanks, cormorant fisherman in small boats, and picturesque villages. In Yangshuo we had fun scouting the street markets.


In Guilin we also visited Reed Flute Cave, 240 meters underground and filled with exotic rock formations and fantastic shapes lit by colored lights. The Crystal palace of the Dragon King, a grotto in the center of the cave, can hold more than a 1000 people.


We left Guilin for Kunming and there saw the Stone Forest, a massive collection of limestone pillars eroded by wind and rain to shape fanciful forms before leaving later in the day for Lijiang.

We loved our leisurely stroll around Black Dragon Pool Park before exploring Lijiang`s Old Town--a delightful maze of cobbled streets, rickety old wooden buildings, gushing canals, bustling street markets tended by merchants in traditional Naxi costumes.



Our next adventure was to travel to Dali by bus. This historic city is set against a stunning backdrop, Erhai Lake with the imposing Cangshan mountain range (part of the Himalayas) behind it. Upon arrival in Dali, we enjoyed the dancing and singing of the Bai Minority House. Dali's houses were painted and decorated in a very different manner than any we had seen. While in Dali we also visited the famous three-pagodas Temple and the city tour at the old town where we spent hours shopping.

In the morning we flew back to Kunming where The Monsons, Dahls, and we stayed for a night before leaving Monday morning, use to Shenzhen, the rest to Guangzhou.
Sunday in Kunming was very special since we were able to tune in through Skype to the Beijing virtual branch's meetings before having our own little sacrament service. Erin Gillie, a young student studying in Kunming joined us for it. She had visited in our branch in Xi'an earlier in the month and was thrilled to be able to partake of the Sacrament again. She is the only ex-pat member in Kunming so has only rare opportunity to do so. Afterwards we went to lunch and then walked in a park. A fun day--until the last hour when we discovered that my camera had been stolen. It was a shame since I had not been downloading my pictures each day. So not only was the camera gone but also the pictures of the whole trip. Fortunately we were able to retrieve a few from fellow travelers. But it was a disappointment.


Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau
Monday morning took us back to the airport for our flight to Shenzhen. We were now on our own since the tour was over and we were heading back to Hong Kong for a week's visit with old friends of John's from Long Beach--Cheryl and Tony Ferguson.

John and Cheryl's dads had both served as bishops one after another in the Long Beach ward. The Fergusons had been living in Hong Kong for some 10 years and had invited us to come stay with them on our way to China but we were unable to do so. We were delighted to have the opportunity to go see them. Getting there, however, was a bit of a challenge.

We didn't realize that our flight had a touch down at a tiny little village called Ling Ling so when we landed we disembarked and waited with the other passengers for our luggage. It never came. We were a bit concerned about how in the world we were going to get to Hong Kong since we assumed we had landed at an old Shenzhen airport--there was nothing there. It was the most dilapidated excuse for an airport we'd ever seen. Something that looked as if a flight would only come in once a month! Finally I asked someone who looked like he might be in charge how we get to Hong Kong. He looked startled and said "Shenzhen?" to which we nodded. He radioed out to the plane to hold up and rushed us through a quick security check and then a forced march out to the plane, where we found the door already closed. Fortunately they opened it for us and re reboarded for the flight to Shenzhen. We were very grateful not to be stuck in Ling Ling. We may still be there. It looked as if there was no chance of a hotel of any kind. It was a very close call!

What a delightful warm welcome we had in Hong Kong. It was just like being with family. Our first stop the next morning was for Cheryl to take us to where we could buy a new camera. We bought an Olympus and hoped it would fare better for us! We stayed at Ferguson's mid-levels apartment on Robinson Road and during the day took a BIG BUS tour of Hong Kong with Brannock and LaVonne Riggs, two teachers from Hangzhou who were also back to Hong Kong for a week, staying with LaVonne's brother, Elder Carlos Pratt. We had a great time with them. We also got to attend the temple again.


The trip to Macau was quite an adventure. Tony Ferguson was leading the way and reminded both me and John so much of my dad's enthusiasm and interest in everything. We went to the museum and to lunch on the revolving tower, while bungy jumpers flew off the roof before our eyes. Pretty amazing!



Xiamen and Gulangyu
After a delightful week with the Fergusons, including a fun visit by hydrofoil to Macau we flew to Xiamen, took an airport bus to the ferry and headed for our final stop before going home--four peaceful days in Gulangyu--Piano Island. We were ready for a leisurely time. It had been a fun but tiring trip, especially for John. Both of us were very tired of all our luggage. In fact we were just very tired period!


The island is dubbed Piano Island because it has had several notable Chinese pianists who lived there and boasts a wonderful piano museum. We went to the museum and walked the old town's streets that were fun to putter around in.
The museum was an amazing setting, perched as it was on the side of a mountain. The buildings were lovely and we loved browsing through seeing all the old pianos--even an early Steinway or two.


One of my students from Xiamen told me the best thing to do in Gulangya was to wander the streets and get lost in them. That was good advice and I did just that several times. We had wonderful weather until the morning we headed home when it was chilly again but we enjoyed our days.


Return to Xi'an
Friday, February 11, we caught the ferry to Xiamen then took a taxi back to the airport for our homeward bound flight. We were both excited to be going "home"! Even though home for now is grey ole Xi'an. It is still home. It is always fun to travel, but going home is the best.

Moves in Xi'an

For the last month we have been traveling on the Spring Festival break and simultaneously Blogger stopped working on our end even through our VPN. I don't know if it was the Chinese firewall or a glitch with Blogspot, but we were told that our site was no longer available but had been moved permanently!--yet another MOVE! So the following entry is catchup from just as we left on our trip.

This week Julie and Dave Monson got to pack up in order to move to a new apartment on their campus so I hopped a bus across the city to go help get all their stuff ready for the moving crew their school had promised to send the next day. We don’t envy them their new apartment even though it has been renovated and has considerably more space. They have been on the 20th floor—with an elevator—and will now be on the 5th floor, with none! (I am grateful for our second floor apartment!) Finding empty boxes to pack in is next to impossible so we loaded clothes into suitcases and garbage bags for the move. Julie (on the right above) with Ruth Ann Prather in our branch and I had a fun outing to the West Market after the pack up. Nice area where the Silk Road officially began. Xi'an has built this stunning West Market to honor that beginning.

A couple of days before, Julie, while out shopping, had fallen when she tripped on a big roll of recycled newspapers a Chinese lady had dropped right in front of her and she was hobbling around with two very bruised knees. Just what she needed with her five floors of steps she has to now climb several times a day!

Tuesday was our first adventure to home teach. We go and come by bus, of course, and John has to hold on with both hands en route. The newest members of our branch are Patrick and Xiaoyu Belnap, who had just moved back to Xi’an with their little son, Lucas. Xiaoyu is from Xi’an and has been a member for about six years; hers is a remarkable story of a mainland Chinese girl finding and joining the Church.
We are delighted to welcome them here. It is fun to have them living at Brittons’ former apartment. It feels very at home to go visit, even climbing those long six floors of stairs to get to the apartment. They have a wonderful little family with Lucas being the only child in our branch!

Julie’s move earlier in the week was just a warm up because on Friday the foster home began its move to its new quarters out in the country and the branch was there to help out. What an experience that was! Because of our scheduled departure on Saturday, Friday was our only day we could participate so John went, with all the men in the branch, to dismantle the kitchen cabinets Amanda had had installed but for which her landlord refused to reimburse her so she opted to take them along.

The women showed up about 1:00 to help out however we could and to be on task to help hold babies during the actual move. Amanda was calmly at the helm of this remarkable move. At present, Starfish has 42 babies and their nannies. Each nanny is generally responsible for three babies. But for the move that meant that for every nanny there needed to be two volunteers to get all the little people cared for.

Before that could happen, cribs by the dozen and all the other paraphernalia necessary to the care for the children had to be transported. We have never seen such big trucks as what we saw that day. These are not spiffy enclosed moving trucks, but open cattle-car type vehicles with furniture literally dumped in every which way. It was a sight to behold.

By 3:30 babies were assigned and we all headed out to the touring bus for the move. What a job. The TV cameras were there on the bus taking pictures of this remarkable event.

The new place, which I have yet to see, since we helped out only on the front end of the journey, is in the country and is big and spacious and surrounded by a large complex of retiree apartments.

This little guy is named James and is the sweetest child I've ever encountered. Wonderful to learn that on Valentines Day this year he is being adopted to an American family. They will be blessed as he will be.

I understand that the grandmas and grandpas residing next door to the new foster home were just waiting in grand anticipation for all these little ones to move in next door. What a wonderful thought that they would be on hand to love and hug these little children.

After waving off the bus I headed for Wenyi Lu to pick up John’s suit we had had made and headed home in the worst traffic and on the most crowded buses I had seen in a long time. While running for the bus I was talking with John on the cell and heard a crash. His legs had given way and he fell, ending up hurting a shoulder that we have been working on daily ever since. Poor dear!

Saturday morning we left for the airport shortly after 6:00 am, first by taxi to the Bell Tower, then by airport bus. At the airport we checked in our luggage, went through security, and settled in for an hour’s wait for our flight to Guangzhou, which was scheduled to leave at 9:50. About 9:00 an announcement came across that our flight had been delayed “due to mechanical failure” for an undetermined amount of time. Mechanical failure didn’t sound very fun to us so we ended up switching our tickets to a 3:30 pm flight. It was a long wait at the airport but at least we had a seat and a time! It turned out that our original flight actually arrived within minutes after the one we took. John looks like we all felt!

Because Xi’an was so cold when we left, we had worn our down coats and long johns, sure we would quickly shed them in tropical Guangzhou. But we arrived to find our heavy coats almost insufficient for the unusually cold temperatures in this southern part of China.

We were warmly greeted at the airport by a student from Southern China University of Technology whom friends of the Monsons had arranged to meet us. He came with a driver in a large van to pick us up and take us to the university apartments we are staying in for the few days we are here before going on to Shenzhen and Hong Kong. After a quick dinner we were grateful to crash for the night and looked forward to the next day.

Sunday morning we got ready to leave by 9:00 am to try to find a taxi to deliver us in close proximity to where the Guangzhou branch meets, some thirty minutes away. We were grateful to have received emailed instructions to get us there. We found a huge branch (by comparison with our little Xi’an group) and we were delighted to join with them. Their meetings began at 10:00 am; they meet in two large adjoining apartments.

Although we arrived in good time, before joining them we made use of the unoccupied apartment (later to be used for Primary) for a prearranged conference call between our district President, Steve Toronto, in Beijing; our branch in Xi’an; and us and Monsons in Guangzhou, while President Toronto conducted a very unique sustaining of our new branch presidency with John as the new branch president and Dave Monson as the 1st counselor, to serve in the Xi’an Branch in the Beijing China International District. John is the second branch president to so serve here in this branch since it was organized less than six years ago. Another adventure ahead for us in China, but he is willing to do all he is called upon to do to the best of his ability. I am grateful for his faithful willingness to serve wherever he is in the world.

Another Week in Xi'an

Well we are finished!!!! Over the last few days we have read and graded John's 320 summaries and argument essays. Because I was already done with my finals and had my grades turned in and because I had far fewer students, I helped him by reading a million essays arguing about whether or not Xi'an ought to implement heavy fines for both vehicle operators and pedestrians in order to curb the escalating traffic problems.


In this ancient city with its mostly narrow streets--certainly not designed to handle the growing numbers of private cars that have come into vogue in just the last five years--Xi'an is facing a serious problem that no one seems to know how to solve. The kids did their level best to think it through and get their thoughts on paper, not an easy task in English when you are Chinese. I guess reading all those arguments made me even more cognizant of just what being on the roads in Xi'an is all about.


Because we were up late getting the last class's grades logged in we got going slowly this morning so took a taxi to church, hauling with us our contributions to our monthly, after-church potluck. En route our driver went down a wrong lane of traffic, before--seeing cars headed his way--realizing that wasn't going to work, then made a U-turn where it was clearly marked that such a maneuverer was illegal, before safely delivering us to our hotel chapel. Usually I don't look out the window but the fluid dynamics of this morning's trip to church was really quite remarkable in that we got there without mishap! I began to think HEAVY fines for taxi drivers might be a really good idea after all!


But for now, the grades are in, the papers are stacked up high, John and Margy's book is written and edited for next semester and their power points are ready to go. Lucky them. I, on the other hand, have done nothing towards next term so still have that to face but we are dancing in the alley for right now to have a six-week break ahead.

Our biggest jobs this week are to get packed for our trip--we leave on Saturday--help Monsons pack for their required move to a new apartment, and help out on Friday at the foster home to move Amanda and her 42 babies and 21 nannies to their new facility. John and others of the men go to the new place Friday morning to receive and set up the cribs coming in by the movers. Our job, as the women in the branch, is to show up at noon to hold babies for the long van journey to their new home. Because we can fit about seven of us adults in the van--each of us holding one, maybe two babies per trip--we figure in seven trips we can ferry all the babies. Amanda says that there is no book on how to move a household of 42 babies, 21 nannies and all their stuff, but maybe she will write one when it is all done. John and I have just said repeatedly how grateful we are that there are no baby-seat requirements in China right now. We'd never get all the kids moved if there were!


Today was a banner day for us. For the first time in nearly five months we rode in a car for our trip home from church. Amanda has been given a really nice big van by some organization that has greatly blessed the foster home and made her life much easier, albeit that it has over 200,000 miles on it. Today she, with the help of her driver, whom she calls "Apple"--his Chinese name being impossible to say, even with her command of the language--brought us and the Monsons home though we live on opposite sides of the city. It was such luxury! En route she told us that she had hired "Apple" part time as a driver three months earlier for 1000 RMB/month. After two months though, he had told her she didn't need to pay him any more. He just wanted to help out. He owns a taxi and hires two men to drive for him so he is free during the day and he has plenty of money! We were really shocked to hear about his kindness because it is so rare for the Chinese to be philanthropic and so unusual for them not to put their top priority on acquiring as much money as possible. Yet here was this wonderful man who just wanted to serve. What a great example to us all.

In our branch meetings today we welcomed a new young couple--Patrick and Xiaoyu Belnap--who had truly been prayed here! The Brittons officially moved and the Belnaps arrived all on Wednesday after we enjoyed a last-supper with them at Monsons'.


Xiaoyu is from Xi'an, was converted five years ago in Hong Kong and later married Patrick, from Salt Lake City. (John used to work with his father, Kerry Belnap, at LDS Foundation. What a small world it is in the Church!) They have a little son, Lucas, plus Xiaoyu's mom lives a block from where they are now living--in the Brittons' former apartment. What a blessing they will be to have in the branch. Someone who can carry on in the branch and help out Amanda in the foster care home, when all of us BYU teachers leave for our next adventures when this school year is over. The Lord is so good to answer our prayers and bless the lives of His children, even those in Xi'an.

Happy New Year from Xi'an

We have welcomed in 2011 with an unusual event for us--we actually stayed up until past midnight! I don't remember that having happened for some 25 years. But it wasn't because we were out celebrating. We did have a New Year's Eve party at the Monsons' in our branch but after a challenging bus ride, once again balancing our contribution to the dinner on my head to keep from having it crushed by the very crowded New Year's Eve celebrants, we arrived at about 7:30--only about 45 minutes late. But no one minded. It is just a fact in Xi'an. You get there when the bus gets you there, no matter what time you start out!

We had a great time eating burritos (Cafe Rio style), while enjoying being together. It was a delightful evening. We left about 9:30 in order to try to make our way home before the buses quit running. We have found a new route to the other side of town, where everybody in the branch but us lives but it necessitates a transfer at the south gate of JiaoDa. Sometimes we are really lucky and hop off bus 700 and right onto 313, which brings us neatly in two stops to Rainbow Bridge and a short walk home. We had no problem getting a spot on 700 but didn't arrive in time to take the last 313 home so instead had a brisk walk through campus, walking off our dinner and getting John a little much-needed exercise. He has stayed in all week working on getting his grades caught up and his plans for next semester organized.

Earlier in the week, I gave my last final, this one for my writing students. These kids come to finals with fear and trepidation. I guess all students feel a little like that, but Chinese students really feel the pressure to perform. (The statistics are that every two minutes a Chinese student commits suicide--pretty sad.) I had spent the last day of class prepping them for my exam and hoped it would help. I graded the exams the following day, met with the assistant dean to have her help me put everything together. (It is tricky when you have to fill out all their forms, which are printed in Chinese. Everything has to be filled out accurately and submitted in the proper order)I turned everything in on New Years Eve, happy to have closed fall semester so quickly. John's final isn't until January 4. Then he, with my help, will grade his 320 papers and get grades submitted before we leave for our break.

On New Years Eve I began receiving emails from my cute students, wishing me a happy and prosperous New Year. They set great stock by being able to send wishes to those they care about. This is a sample: Dear Professor, Happy New Year~ I am happy that this is the first e-mail of this year. I love you very much. It is your encouragement that makes me want to write more and fall in love with English writing. You have encouraged me to feel more about my life. I really really appreciate your appearance in this semester, in my life. I hope you can keep healthy and energetic in the following years. Look forward to meeting you in the next semester. I love you! Tian Ning (Wendy).

As other teachers wrapped up their last classes some were more industrious than we were. Dave Monson, for example, made some 250 oatmeal cookies (their toaster oven is much bigger than ours) to give out in his classes. I thought that was pretty neat until hearing from Julie that she had come home from school and sampled the raw dough, left sitting out on the counter for hours waiting for the last batches to be baked. Shortly thereafter she becane deathly sick with food poisoning. I brewed up colloidal silver (which kills salmonella), grabbed some lecithin (which purges toxins) and headed out on a rescue trip to succor the sick. Not only is Julie our RS president, but I'm her visiting teacher (and furthermore she was heading up the New Year's dinner!)The remedies had her back on her feet by the next morning. Boy I'm glad we have our colloidal silver maker with us.

New Year's Day was a luxuriant day of doing next to nothing at home. I don't think either of us ever went out our front door, but to bring in the milk. I stayed in bed being cozy and warm reading a novel, something I rarely allow myself the time to do, and John puttered at his computer. We enjoyed our breather enormously.

A highlight of our New Year's week was to have our first video Skype connection with Adam and Kimmy's family. They bought a new home computer for Christmas and by New Year's Adam had gotten it hooked up with the webcam working so we were able to see them and the kids. That was a treat for us. Now to have both Chi and David's family and Adam and Kimmy's in regular contact with us is a joy. Wish we also had the chance to be in touch with Patrick's gang but we are grateful they are busy in their lives, doing good things. Kimmy had just picked up their Christmas package from the post office, which was still being held for them. We were glad it was, and not sent back to us here:) The kids modeled their Chinese robes and we coached them about how to work the Chinese musical spinning top we had sent along with their other things. What a fun visit for us.

Sunday morning brought big-time snow to Xi'an, which made for an interesting, very slow, trip to Church. We took a taxi for a change and were impressed with how carefully our guy drove. No one was speeding through the streets. We were crawling. We finally arrived for John's branch council meeting and then our fast meeting, Sunday school, and RS/priesthood meetings. It was a wonderful uplifting time together, though cold since the "heaters" in the room seemed to want to put out air conditioning instead of heat, but still the warmth of the Spirit was there in abundance for which we are most grateful.