October 30: Fog and Dog

The fog cleared in time for Saturday's Halloween Ball

Two unique happenings from the last week:

On Thursday and Friday Langfang was thick with fog from morning until night. You couldn’t see very far in any direction. Brad’s bus took twice as long to get to the Western Campus. Flights were canceled out of Beijing. And old people and children were warned not to leave their homes. This last thing had us puzzled. Until we were informed that this unusually thick fog was not part of nature, but the result of strong winds blowing thick pollution from Beijing through our city.

On Sunday, Shannon, Peter, Brad, and I went out for dinner. Peter is studying the Chinese language in Beijing, so we value his abilities in both speaking and reading the language. We did not think it unusual when he stopped to read the signs on the outside of the restaurant we chose. We’d eaten there twice before, so we ordered our favorites and ate our meal. Toward the end of our meal, Peter remarked about one of the dishes, wondering what was in it. He said that he was wondering, because the sign on the door of the restaurant read (in Chinese): “This restaurant serves dog meat.”

And on that note…have a great week!

Love,
Brad & Jess

October 29: Kindness, Clubs, and Costumes

Brad and I with the kids after filming of the "fake" English Corner

Dear Friends,

This week has been marked by the cold winds, “Happy Halloween’s,” and warm friends. Monday began with an adventure. I decided that I would go to Walmart on my own to save us a trip together later in the week. I bravely boarded the bus alone, paid my 1 yuan, and rode across town. I successfully made it to Walmart and made my purchases, but only had 3 yuan leftover. I wasn’t worried, because I’d ridden the bus. I walked out to the bus stop, and thought it unusual that there were no people waiting. It was after dark, and I absent-mindedly studied the Chinese lettering on the sign. That’s when I saw it…and remembered. The bus only runs until 6:30 pm. I checked my watch, only to see that it was 6:45 pm. With no cell phone, and not enough money for a cab, I began the long walk across town.

I wasn’t too worried. I had on good shoes, and my bags weren’t too heavy. I was about half way home when an older woman with a bike taxi pulled over and tried to offer me a ride. I declined, but instead of leaving, she pulled over again about a block ahead of me, and waited. When I reached her, she again urged me to get in her taxi. I took out my wallet and showed her that I didn’t have enough money. I politely refused and started to walk away, but she called me back. I finally climbed in, and she shut the door behind me, gesturing that she didn’t want me to be cold. She drove me the rest of the way home, right up to our doorstep. When I got out, I tried to give her my measly 3 yuan, but she wouldn’t take it! Eventually I had to shove it into her gloved hands. I couldn’t believe her generosity in picking up a total stranger on a dark night and driving her across town for free. The kind hearts of the Chinese people continue to astound me as they daily go out of their way to help us.

The rest of the week went by quickly. Brad bought a hat for himself and one for me as a gift. Vicki and I took his hat to the seamstress to be mended (he’d gotten it for a discount since it was damaged). I invited Vicki out to lunch, and Forrest Gump and Marian joined us for dinner.

The end of the week was very eventful! On Friday night, Brad ran the first “English Club” on the Western Campus. These freshmen don’t have the community and conveniences of living on the main campus in the city. There is very little to do, buses to the city are difficult to arrange, and foreigners are a rare sight. So when three “Laowai” (foreigners) showed up to sing songs, play games, and answer questions, it was to a packed house. The room was electric with enthusiasm as Brad and Shannon led “Peace Like a River” and “Dum Dum Didee.” We also brought Shannon’s friend Maple along, and she did a fantastic job of leading the motions. When we left to catch our bus, kids followed us out, shaking our hands and asking us as many questions as they could.

On Saturday morning, Brad and I were up early to meet three students (Marian, May, and James Bond) with a basket of fruit at our door. They asked us to come to a videotaping on Sunday. We would be representing the foreign language department of our school for their yearly evaluation, and possibly appear on local television. All they needed was for us to show up and lead a “fake” English Corner. We agreed to it, and then the kids left. On their heels were two of my students (Maria and Sally), who had sewn some of our clothes that needed repairing. They also brought me a “surprise”, a light pink scarf that they had knit themselves. I continue to be amazed at the resourcefulness, creativity, and generosity of my students here.

Saturday night was the fabled “Halloween Ball.” We all dressed in costumes, Brad as a bucktoothed hillbilly, Shannon as a cowgirl, Peter as “The Shadow,” and I dressed as “Super Woman.” Maple and Vivian showed up to escort us to the ball. We were escorted to the side stage, where the students formed a tunnel for us to enter the area in front of the stage. After resounding applause, students in pairs entered to dance around us. We judged the costumes and ballroom dancing to the best of our ability. Some kids wore masks, some had rabbit ears, some wore bows, gauzy skirts, and colorful ribbons. Then the winning couples were given awards. Following this, all the kids danced to the “Bunny Hop,” “Macarena,” “Electric Slide,” “Chinese Cha Cha,” and “Achey Breaky Heart.” Shannon has been teaching them these dances over the past few weeks, and then they would teach one another. It was so cool to see so many kids having such a great time dancing together! Afterward, the dormitories brought forward their Jack O’Lanterns and we judged those as well. The emcees asked us (the foreign teachers) to do something special, so Shannon sang “So this is love,” Peter sang “Take me to your heart” with James Bond, and Brad and I swing danced to a Chinese song. We danced all night with the kids and had a great time.

On Sunday, I led our morning meeting with only a little bit of nervousness. After a “Double date” lunch, the four of us headed over to a nearby lecture hall for our “video.” This was actually the third video for which I was requested. Shannon was asked to teach a “fake” class, I sat in a “fake” faculty meeting, and I stood in the courtyard “faking” interactions with students. So now we were “faking” an English corner. It was fun talking to the kids anyway, so we just tried our best to ignore the video cameras following us around. Brad taught the kids “Free Falling,” “Country Roads,” and “Dum Dum Didee.” Afterward, the director told me that he’d been to the U.S. making films, and that he might want me to be an actress in a film one day. The kids got a kick out of this, and I laughed and thanked him. It is common knowledge here that foreigners (especially Caucasians) are considered very beautiful and well-spoken, and are often asked to be in radio and television. Peter has actually been doing some voice-overs himself recently. So I appreciated the compliment, and the idea of foreign fame, but am not planning on a career in the Chinese film industry! After the filming, Marian and James Bond escorted us home. Brad exchanged music and photos with James Bond and Marian and I socialized. On their way out, Maple showed up with D.H. Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers” in hand. She and I spent the next two hours wading through cockney English as we tried to decipher the more complex concepts of the book. By the time she left, I had just enough time to lesson plan before falling into bed!

It was an exhausting weekend, but we had a great time. As Brad says, “There’s no place I would rather be.” Thank you for thinking of us and supporting us! We love hearing from each of you. Take care, and have a Happy Halloween!

Love,
Brad & Jess

2007 Beijing Marathon

So there I was with 23,000 of my closest friends, and by “closest,” I mean shoulder-to-shoulder! It was about 8am Sunday morning in Beijing. We were standing just outside the new Olympic complex preparing for the Beijing Marathon. The weather was perfect for running, and the course was flat.

There were four different races all starting in the same place an following the same route for the first 4 Km. More then 7000 runners were participating in the full marathon, which meant I was running though a sea of people for 26.2 miles. It was amazing trying to fight through a crowd of more then 23,000 runners at the beginning of the race. If I had fallen, I’m sure I would have been trampled. It wasn’t until about 5Km into the race when I felt like I could run freely without bumping somebody.

I finished in 4:36:53, not my best time, but my hamstrings and quads locked up about 10 miles in because of a track-n-field day that Langfang Teachers College wanted me to run in just two days before the marathon. I over did it, pushed to hard at the track-n-field event, and it hurt me in the marathon! Needless to say, I still haven’t reached my goal of completing a marathon in less than 4 hours. After all of my training and with the perfect conditions, I should have been able to do it. Oh well, maybe next time. I’m hoping to run the Great Wall Marathon in May.

The funniest thing that happened was that they marked the course by Km, and I didn’t realize that 26.2 miles = 42Km. I thought I was running 44 Km, until I heard someone say we only had 2Km to go at the 40km marker; it was like an early Christmas gift at that point because I thought I had 4Km to go.

We finished inside one of the Olympic stadiums, and it was awesome! It was the closet I will ever come to competing in the Olympics. The music was playing, the crowd was cheering, and we all felt like we had just won the gold medal. I was so overcome when I finished that I started crying. Of course, I could have been crying because of the pain in my legs, I guess we’ll never know. Or, maybe I wasn’t crying at all, and it was just the wet sponges that they gave us. I don’t remember; the point is, I was delirious!

All in all, it was a great day. I ran with Peter Lucas-Roberts for the first kilometer, and he finished in 3:07. Jess and Shannon met us along the way, and they provided the few English words of encouragement that we heard. Afterwards, we took the train back to Langfang, and I slept well!

Brad

October 23: Travel Vignettes

Jess, Brad, Tony, Newt, and Shannon before the 100 meter dash.

Hello Everyone!

Our adventures in China have been leading us to many new places in the past few weeks. It has been delightful spending time with kids, and getting to know the Chinese culture at the same time. What follows is a collection of short stories from our past two weeks:

Brad had James Bond and Bruno over to our place, and taught them Settlers (his favorite strategy board game). They had a good time, so Brad is hoping to recruit more boys to play in the future.

Vicki took me to a seamstress to have a pair of dress pants mended. After sewing on a button and repairing the hem on one leg, she charged me 2 yuan (less than 25 cents) for the two things.

For Peter’s birthday we went to the ever-popular “KTV.” Karaoke is serious business in China! For one hour and 54 yuan (about $8), we were given a private room with soundproof walls, cushioned seating, microphones, and wall-size television to sing our favorite American songs at the top of our lungs. It was Peter’s request, and we had a blast goofing off and dancing around, while our Chinese hosts peeked into the little window on the door.

A student named Faye rode her bicycle from the capital of the province to Beijing for National Day. This ride took her 2.5 days. When she returned, she gave me an Olympic card that had been given to her at the conclusion of her travels. Afterward, she and Felicia took me out to lunch in the school cafeteria for a real student lunch!

We found out that the kids have “Dancing” every Monday and Wednesday night at 8:00 pm in the English Department courtyard. It is so fun to see over a hundred kids forming a giant circle around a couple of students who teach them American dances!

I admired Morgan’s headband at dinner one night, so a week later she showed up in class with one for me. It is brown with bronze gemstones.

Diane, Morgan, Jody, Polaris, Nichole, and Grace insisted on taking me out to lunch on two different occasions. I tried Chinese “Hot Pot” for the first time, discovering that it is one of the few Chinese dishes that I don’t really care for. I also had the experience of being shown a live fish in a bag, before it was served to me! This is a Chinese tradition, and proves that the fish I will eat is fresh!

A student Shannon invited to dinner brought us both beautiful scarves! It is Chinese tradition to bring a gift when you are invited to a meal.

Classes were cancelled on Thursday and Friday last week for the “Sports Meeting.” The meeting began with field performances (marching bands, dance groups, tai chi, releasing of doves, etc) that would have easily been equal with any university in the U.S. They were AMAZING. The crowd was HUGE, with students filling the stadium, and surrounding the track and grounds. Shannon, Brad, and I were asked by the students to compete in the 100-meter dash. Shannon and I competed with the women (30 and under), where Shannon received 2nd and I received 7th out of 8 runners. Brad laughed because they put him in the “31 and older” category for men. He also received 7th out of 8 runners. We were excited to participate, and the kids had a great time encouraging and cheering for us.

For the weekend, Shannon, Brad, and I went to Beijing alone! It was our first time traveling such a distance without a Chinese escort. We made it safely, with the girls staying with Lily, and Brad staying with Peter. On Saturday we ate a late breakfast, and then relaxed at Peter’s. We watched movies, played Phase 10, and met Peter’s friends Dan, Ben, and Michael.

Sunday morning was the Beijing Marathon. We met at Peter’s place just after 6 am and headed to the Olympic stadium. Over 23,000 runners competed in the various races, with over 7,000 registered in the full-marathon alone. Needless to say, it was crowded! The boys fought their way through the crowds, and ran well. Peter finished in 3 hours and 7 minutes, 3 minutes faster than his goal time. Brad finished in 4 hours and 36 minutes, just 6 minutes shy of his goal time. The weather was fantastic, the course had few hills, the crowds were enthusiastic and cheerful, and the start and finish took place in the Olympic stadium. The boys just savored the atmosphere; It was Peter’s first marathon ever, and Brad’s first marathon outside of the Maryland/Pennsylvania region. Shannon and I met the boys at four points along the way to add our shouts to the crowds yelling, “Jai Oh!” (Come On!) It was a great time, and a wonderful memory for the four of us.

There are a few things that you can keep in mind for the future. Brad has arranged transportation to the Western Campus for an “English Corner” once a month. Our first one will be this Friday, led by Brad, Shannon, and me. We will probably grab some of our English majors as well for the trip. Second, “English Week” is currently taking place in Qinhuangdao. You can be thinking of those Americans as they help lead evening events, help teach classes, and travel to Beijing and the beach for sightseeing.

We love hearing from you, and appreciate all of your thoughtfulness. Take care!
Love,
Jess and Brad

October 7th, 2007

Hello from Langfang!

Brad and I have returned from our escapades around the Chinese country to our little apartment in Langfang. It is hard to believe that it has only been a week since we left! Here is the summary of our adventures in traveling:

Saturday
Newt, Shannon, and I taught classes on Saturday morning to make up for the National Holiday. We took a taxi to the bus station, where we found our bus was a half hour late. After boarding our bus, we waited another half hour to leave the bus station. The bus was terrible: trash covered the floors, Brad could not fit his knees into our seat, all of the upholstery was filthy, and the overhead spaces were too narrow for any bags, so the aisle was full of our baggage. It was 4.5 hours of claustrophobia at its worst. On the way our bus driver made extra money by picking up 7 additional passengers who sat in the aisle on stools, including one hitchhiker. Along the way we drove by a truck packed with dogs (including one german shepherd) ready to be menu items for a Korean restaurant. We arrived in Qinhuangdao (Ching-wan-dow) in time for a late dinner before Brad and I headed over to our cushy hotel across the street. We were thrilled to have TV and working lights. Our bathroom had a toilet with water, toilet paper, soap, and a bathtub. It was the first TV, toilet with water, and bathtub we’d seen in a month!

Sunday
After a good night’s sleep, we tried the hotel breakfast, where we only found the Chinese “mantou” (fried bread) to be appealing. So we joined the others for french toast and eggs. We spent the morning meeting with Newt’s five other teachers (Ian, Megan, Mark, Andy, and Shana), and the many other ELT Edge teachers from Qinhuangdao. It was a wonderful time of sharing and laughing and loving on one another. It felt so good to be with so many other Americans after so long! After a large Chinese lunch out together, we came back to the school for the afternoon. Brad played basketball with the boys, Megan made granola, and Shannon and I went out for a stroll around the campus. In the evening, we went to a European-style coffee shop for chocolate ice cream, where we watched the Women’s World Cup Game (Germany vs. Brazil) on television.

Monday
For breakfast we ate Mueslix and Megan’s granola, then bummed around for the morning. We boarded a bus, and halfway across town, we were in our first traffic accident in China. I directed Brad’s attention to a motorcylcist who rode right in front of the bus without even looking up at it. The bus hit the motorcyclist, and luckily our group was all seated. Everyone in the aisle flew forward onto the floor, and I received a goose egg on the back of my head from someone else’s head hitting mine as they fell. One girl got up gripping her ribs. She and her friend got off the bus, and with the motorcylcist, they walked to the nearest hospital. Eventually we got moving again and made it to our destination. For lunch we went to a pizza restaurant for our first pizza in a month! Brad and I shared a Hawaiian pizza, and also had malted tea drinks. Then we walked around the outdoor markets, stopping in the Adidas stores to look for running shoes for Brad. Dinner was late, but the Qinhuangdao group made us a delicious dinner of chicken parmesan, spaghetti, and watermelon. Afterward we again gathered to share thanks and requests. It was a great time of bonding, and it was sad to see it come to an end.

Tuesday
Tuesday was another travel day. We were up early in the morning, boarding a bus to Beijing. This bus was much nicer, with ample room for legs, clean upholstery, and no trash. They even showed Chinese movies during the trip! In Beijing we were awed by all of the skyscrapers and many American venues. We dropped off our bags at Tony and Lily’s apartment, and then headed for Tiananmen Square. We got to see the brand new National Theatre (a giant egg in a man-made lake), the entrance to the Forbidden City, and thousands of people in the capital for the holiday. The Square was beautiful, and covered with flower sculptures celebrating National Day. After taking a lot of photos, we went to dinner in an authentic tea house, complete with live music and shadow puppets! George Bush Sr. actually ate there during his presidency!


Wednesday
The boys (Newt, Brad) slept at Peter’s apartment, and the girls (Shannon, me) slept at Tony and Lily’s apartment. Lily cooked eggs for breakfast, and then we headed out to the Temple of Heaven. It was beautiful! The inner temple is surrounded by vast gardens (lots of roses!), perfectly designed forests, and pavilions. Brad and I went into the inner temple area alone (the others had already seen it), and loved the architecture, painting, history, temples, walls, and altars. I grew dehydrated and fatigued from the sun, so I drank lots of water and orange juice with lunch at a lovely little bakery. After lunch we went to the Pearl Market, where Brad and I purchased 2 winter coats (Colombia $40 and North Face $26), 2 pairs of shoes (Puma $20), and 2 intermal frame hiking backpacks ($13 each). The Pearl Market is INSANE to say the least. Everywhere you go you are pursued by aggressive sellers calling “Lady, Lady, Lady!” Then you have to barter for EVERYTHING. The sellers start very high, and the buyers start very low. And the sellers DO NOT want you to walk away. I had to peel one lady’s fingers from my arm repeatedly because she would not let me leave her booth. The Pearl Market is not for the faint of heart, but you can get things for dirt cheap if you’re willing to argue for them. Afterward we went to dinner at a Chinese place near Tony and Lily’s. After dinner, the boys left for Peter’s, and the girls stayed up late sharing our love stories and encouraging one another in our relationships with our men.

Thursday
Thursday was our final travel day. We met up with the boys, and Lily made us a spaghetti breakfast. We spent the morning looking into Cellphones and visiting a bookstore. We’ve decided to hold off on a cellphone for now, because the prices in Beijing were too expensive. We ate lunch at a bakery, and then took the train home to Langfang. The train was about as insane as the first bus! We took the cheapest “hard seat” train, and it was obvious when we got on. There was trash everywhere, and we had to ask people to get out of our seats. Apparently there is no limit to the number of tickets sold for hard seat cars. The aisles were jam-packed with people standing for the entire one hour trip home. They kept bumping and pushing, and no one respects personal space or stands in a line of any sort. We were told that a girl from Qinhuangdao rode to Shanghai in this manner, standing on one foot for the entire 13 hour journey. I was glad we had seats! It really makes me miss American transportation systems. I slept the whole way though, so I barely noticed the passage of time.

So now it’s the weekend, and we have been recovering. We’re back to washing clothes, mopping the floor, checking the Internet, eating with kids, playing games with kids, and grocery shopping. Things should be pretty routine for the next couple of months. I hope you are all doing well. We think of you often, and love hearing from each of you.

Love,
Jess and Brad

September 28: A Slower Pace

Abby and Ricky

Hi everyone!

I hope you are doing well in the United States! Brad and I have had a fun and tiring week in Langfang. Next week we will be off from our classes for the National Break. We were surprised to find out that we had to "make up" the classes that our students will miss during their "break." Such a concept would be unheard of in the U.S! So some classes doubled in size, and in other places we had to add extra classes. Shannon, Newt, and I will all be teaching classes on Saturday morning, while Brad had to teach classes of 70 students for four hours straight on Thursday and Friday. When it's all over though, we will leave on Saturday for a week long vacation in Qingwandou and Beijing.

Brad and I went out on a double date Wednesday night with Abby and Ricky, a young couple from one of my classes. Although I had invited them to dinner, Abby played the part of host, ordering 7 large dishes for the 4 of us! This is Chinese custom. Needless to say, there were lots of leftovers! Also in typical Chinese fashion, Ricky paid the bill before Brad and I ever saw it, despite our insistence that we pay for the meal. After dinner, we walked outside and across the street. Just as we reached the other side of the road, we heard a car peel out behind us, and then a large bang. As we later figured out, a car of four drunk men sped up in an area full of pedestrians, hit another car (which kept going), swerved and went over a hedge, hitting a streetlight and knocking it over onto the bike lane and pedestrian sidewalk. The car was totaled. It's amazing that no one was hurt! We ran over to check it out since we were so close, but were quickly shooed away. The Chinese find car accidents very embarrassing, and discourage onlookers. It's too bad their embarrassment doesn't lead to better driving, since most drive like maniacs.

The rest of our lives are falling into a more predictable routine. Brad runs every day but Sunday, I run about four mornings per week, and Shannon runs in the afternoons. We have "family dinner" with just the four of us on Tuesday nights, and "student dinner" with kids on Thursday nights. We touch base with one another and regroup on Wednesdays and Sundays. Our lunches and other dinners are spent with our students, or enjoying simple American fare in our apartment. Brad usually spends at least one evening a week playing sports with "the guys." He is currently warming them up to the idea of playing board games with him (Settlers, Puerto Rico, etc). He is also working on convincing the Western campus to allow him to run an English Club or Square Dance Night there. Around the apartment Brad washes and hangs the laundry, and I do the trash and dishes. I mop the whole apartment once a week, and Brad picks up the daily supply of bottled water and yogurt. We are enjoying the slower pace of life, and all the new discoveries we are making each day. We miss you and think of you every day!

Love,
Jess and Brad

Upcoming October 21: Beijing Marathon!

Good News!

Peter (Lucas-Roberts) was able to get Brad registered for the Beijing Marathon on October 21! It begins at Tienanmen Square, in front of the Imperial Palace, and ends at the National Olympics Sports Center. You can look it up on-line at www.beijing-marathon.com. There are currently 5,000 runners registered for the full marathon. 6, 163 people ran the full marathon last year. As an International Marathon, it draws people from all over the world. The top ten runners last year were all from Kenya, Japan, or China. Brad and Peter will both be running, and we hope to be there to cheer for them!

Love,
Jess