In only 18 days, I myself will be the next one en vogue.
Ha, I enjoy how excited I am about a suit. Like me, this suit will be one of a kind.
Later days,
Rick
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Soon to join the ranks of the perfectly-tailored
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Glory be, Spring arrived
Having just taught my students the word "dramatic" I will admit both this week and I are dramatic. I'm so content in this moment on the new, chik patio that just opened only 2 blocks from my home. Admittedly, this is not the best place since the prices are so high. My real Chinese favorite are the crowded sidewalks filled with squatter chairs--stools about 8 in. tall. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is lively, the prices are ridiculously cheap, and it's all in the open air. I think I'll go there next.
Enjoy your spring.
Later days,
Rick
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Monotony, Depression, and a Departure. What a splendid day.
Although China is 10,000 Km from the life I grew up with, is foreign in food, culture, language, and mentality, it's surprising how dull it can become. I've settled so much into this lifestyle that every day is so similar. The content I teach, study, and practice may be different, but everyday is piano practice, coffee, teaching, and Chinese study. This country is so chaotic and unpredictable, but, ironically, I need some change.
This are likely the words of seasonal depression. Zhengzhou is painfully trudging through the cold rainy spell before spring is forecasted. This weekend should be upper-60's with sun, but right now it's mid-30's and rainy. Thanks to it being late March, the piano center where I practice turned off all their heating. After 45 min I gave up practicing as my hands were losing feeling and nothing was sounding as it should.
Next, my favorite student left the school today. He's transferring to a school in his hometown and is gone for good. He was the one ray of hope in my lower level class. His name, accurately, is Ray.
Right now, I need this venting forum. I can't complain to my coworker, Kellen, because he has it worse. His electric bike was stolen last night.
In such ridiculously unpleasant circumstances, I usually laugh inappropriately figuring it's better than frustration. Thanks to such, I had a fit of uncontrollable laughter in class when a student asked who would take Ray's place on their team now that he's gone. I suggested Donger, a student absent from more classes than his low math ability allows him to calculate, a student who has never brought a notebook or anything to class, a student who is so apathetic he refuses to do anything other than sleep instead of being bothered to learn 5 vocabulary words. The thought that my class is one polite, bright student less and instead is left with Donger, well my students wondered what was wrong with me as I laughed ridiculously for 5 minutes. Oh, China.
We need spring. Bad.
Later Days,
Rick
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Truly the other side of the world
I’m increasingly convinced that China is another planet, not simply another country. I’ll admit to being the opposite side of the globe. From Minnesota, China is literally the other side of the globe (it’s not perfectly antipodal—crossing through the center of the earth—but is opposite. The exact opposite seems to lie on the border between Mongolia and Xinjiang province.
I conclude this because I repeatedly encounter situations that would never happen to me in MN. Back in Minnesota, most people can ice skate. Playing piano is a common hobby that parents encourage their children to learn. In my region in China it is only for the wealthiest. Therefore, doing these activities puts me in contact with incredibly rich people.
My usual piano practice on Monday led me to meet the wife and daughter of Henan Province #2 construction company’s chairman. They then took me to dinner at a newly opened Novotel hotel where the General Manager personally introduced himself to me and urged that I call him the second I come back.
After the General Manager left our table, I clarified to my new friend that the man is the General Manager. In a comically passing comment, the 7-year-old girl said, “Oh, my dad is a general manager.” I’m a lowly English teacher here, but apparently Blue eyes are the ticket.
In other, horrifying news, look what the Chinese copycat of Teletubbies looks likes. Yikes!
Later Days,
Rick
A Chinese New Year Celebration, but a Different Day
Chinese new year is the most important holiday in the entire calendar. With a full 15 days of celebration, it almost makes Christmas seem like as important as a coworkers farewell coffee and cake in the kitchen.
Last year for the festival, I was on a train to Lijiang and watched a passing village’s fireworks out a train window. This year I resolved it would be different. The difficulty is that everyone returns to their hometowns for the holiday, meaning all my friends are gone. We solved that by moving the date. Yes, it’s like celebrating Christmas on December 29th, but it’s still celebrating.
The first tradition is making dumplings by hand. Kellen and I were nearly clueless, so we relied on our Chinese counterparts for everything. This was the first time anyone had made dumplings without the guidance of an elder family member telling what he or she is doing wrong. Don’t worry, there were many phone calls to family members to check how to do every step.
Zheng Ting, Jason, Kellen, Della, and I all gathered at school to make hundreds of dumplings to welcome the new year.
As is tradition, a coin is placed in the filling; the person who chooses the dumpling with the coin will be fortunate in the new year.
Being it’s not my tradition, I had fun choosing the coin and selected one that said “Bathroom Token: Valid for one Visit.” (Probably from some airport automated bathroom service in whatever country. Don’t worry, they made us wash, scrub, and boil the coin first to sanitize it.)
Most importantly, there were fireworks. The night always ends with fireworks. As written previously, it’s a war-zone around this time. We gladly contributed.
Here, Kellen and I explore the storage area of a distant (somewhat rural) grocery store where the owner sells fireworks year-round. This large circle of firecrackers totaled $19. Next, you see Kellen’s excitement to light a firework usually illegal in any other country. We bought it for 50 cents.
Finally came time to light the fireworks. We had things that glow, spin, pop, bang, and crack. Everyone dives in and makes a ruckus. That’s actually the goal; the fireworks scare away the “Nian” monster. I conclude that he’s well terrified. I was.
\
Happy spring festival, but on a different day!
Later Days,
Rick
Friday, March 2, 2012
I registered; Am I advanced?
HSK--an abbreviation of the Chinese pronunciation for Chinese proficiency exam. Notice in the bottom right, this is level 5, advanced Chinese, an ability capable of reading a newspaper, discussing any topic, and giving a speech in Chinese. I hope with this proof and motivator my Chinese is at a level that can benefit my business career. At least in the immediate I'm finally able to communicate with my coworkers.
This is in part the explanation for recent blog silence--studying. What is there to report when most days are filled with homework, flashcards, and reading exercises?
Now for a practice test...
Later days,
Rick
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Good Fortune has Arrived! So have the Fireworks of a Chinese New Year.
The Chinese new year (阴历的新年) arrives in approximately 2 hours and all around China one can expect to see the character for good luck "福" (fu2, as in the first picture), either upright or upside down. When rotated, it is said to resemble "到" (dao4, meaning "arrived".) Thus, it is a time to "receive good luck". Common practice is to visit all relatives over the next 15 days (until lantern festival, the official end of spring festival) and wish each of them good luck. As is common in Chinese culture, the wish is never as simple as one sentence. Usually it involves multiple (easily 5 or more) wishes of good luck, happiness, success, riches, contentment, fortune, joy, peace, etc. Logically, with so many people wishing one recipient good luck, it's almost likely to come true!
While there are good thoughts being sent all around China (usually in the form of text messages―something for which the Chinese cell phone companies must be incredibly thankful), there's also a perpetual thunder. As it's my first year in a city for Chinese New Year, I've enjoyed/feared the constant drone of fireworks. While jogging this afternoon, the firecrackers sounded like gunshots; being the ONLY person on the street I increased my pace home. (Call it a gut reaction.) While walking to the grocery store, I was startled by the large fireworks across the road; this time I could enjoy, and not run from, the bright spectacle.
Now, as I watch the Chinese equivalent of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" (yet, here it's a 4-hour program of diverse acts from China's biggest celebrities) I enjoy the comedy, sights, and sounds from the television with a constant rumble, not unlike a city bombing, in the background.
In reality, I am thankful. For all these people lighting fireworks, they benefit me by scaring off the human-eating "year" monster. This is the origin of lighting fireworks and decorating with red. Every year a monster by the name of 年 (nian2), awakes and pillages villages, destroying homes and eating humans. This monster arrives only once a year, and thus the character for his name actually is the current word used for "year." Further, one year an old man discovered that this monster despises the color red and is scared by the booming sound of fireworks/firecrackers. Thus, at this time today, each home is adorned with red decorations, citizens wear red clothing, and each family celebrates the new year by setting off fireworks. Chinese population density is so high that there's enough booming going on to scare anything away without me needing to do anything!
With that, I return to the television performance and prepare for a midnight excursion to marvel in the barrage of 12:00 a.m. fireworks. Happy new year, everyone! 祝你们新年快乐，万事如意，恭喜发财，每天快乐，越来越开心，笑口常开，工作顺利，事业有成。。。
Later Days,
Rick
If interested, this performance is available here: http://www.iqiyi.com/zongyi/2012cctvzb.html (only 1/3 of the acts need Chinese; the rest are enjoyable without language comprehension.)
Friday, January 20, 2012
Prepare that Repertoire
A nearby mall that boasts the only ice skating rink in the whole province apparently offers more than I knew. Recently my coworker showed me a full movie theatre and arcade inside (including bumper cars!) When I finally paid more attention to the advertisements everywhere, I realized there is also a piano center! It’s been a goal for the past few years to resume lessons in an effort to broaden my repertoire. I scheduled a time to meet a teacher—one who at least has her masters in piano performance—and met with her today. She’s friendly and experienced; she’s been solely focused on piano since the age of 12. Today, I signed up, planning six months of lessons.
More importantly, this teacher—Ms. Li—did her entire undergrad and masters in Austria. That means I can use both German and Chinese to communicate with her! If there’s a problem with someone’s understanding or a word flows more smoothly in one language, we just switch. Similarly, with European training, she is unlike most Chinese teachers. She doesn’t overemphasize technique, rather preferring musicality. Plus, she uses the 5-lined staff instead of solfege (seriously, some Chinese teachers will refer to notes in their relative solfege position, such as “fa”, or “la”, instead of “F” or “A”, for example.)
Without wasting time pondering the decision, I’m planned for 6 months of lessons. I’m going back to the piano and that fact couldn’t make me happier.
(P.S. Don’t remind me of how hard it is to practice 2 hours every day, for now I’ll focus on the fun part.)
Later Days,
Rick
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Metropolis is for Me
The original idea to come to Shanghai was to see a UofM friend, Sijie. She's on her senior year winter break and, like me, flying back today the 12th. Playing on her idea, I stretched the visit to a 3 day trip--a relaxing end to a stressful semester and a pleasant start to a month holiday filled solely with study.
What a city. I don't need to see tourist sights, instead I dine. These past days were Mexican, Irish, Italian, German. While inflated in price, I think of it as what I would have spent on admission tickets. Better yet, each one is in an ever-more interesting place like the French Concession, XinTian Di, the Bund, or PuDong.
Now to make it even better, as I fly home to Zhengzhou, I somehow managed to get a first class ticket. Like I said, I love this city.
Later days,
Rick
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year! Boom!
However, my own plans with friends made the night. One friend enjoys the flavor of beer, but has only drank Chinese beers. Another few friends had never had a cocktail before, being these were foreign to China until recently. Therefore, we held an international beer and cocktail tasting night. I introduced the flights of beers, describing each and explaining for what to look. Then I taught about mixing cocktails, covering techniques and guidelines. It was great fun to have the chance to introduce friends to something completely new.
The most fun, however, was when the new year arrived and we went out to set off firecrackers. I especially enjoyed it having never set off firecrackers in China before. Firecrackers are such a key part of Chinese celebrations. Birthdays, holidays, weddings, and more are all times that the Chinese will set off fireworks. Having lived here already 1 1/2 years and experiencing many times where I think the city is being bombed because of fireworks rumbling in the distance, I was thrilled that I could take part. Happy new year! Boom.
Later days,
Rick
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
