Food updates

I am the major eater in the family so I had to weigh in on some of these food posts. It all started on Thursday night with our weekly potluck. I love potlucks for both their delicious variety and the opportunity to keep sneaking up for more when no one is watching.

Friday night we had yummy hotpot as you saw in Alan's previous post. I really enjoy finding my food in a vat of boiling oil, it is almost like a game. When you catch something in your chopsticks (and don't drop it) there is a sense of satisfaction. I also love the community built around a shared hotpot. Friends find food another wants and the careful game of passing the food via chopsticks ensues. After hotpot we had some good conversations at English corner ranging from the economy to entertainment. I am amazed at how much more some Chinese college students know about American TV than me!

Saturday was my favorite not only because Kate and I won Catan (taking advantage of our opponents' weak eyes during earth hour) but also because we had semi-legit Korean food on OUR STREET!!!! We ordered some yummy bulgogi, kimbap, and bi bim bap. We have to help keep this place open! Some places on our street have already changed hands in our short time here. While I protest to presence of dog on the menu, I will faithfully visit this place as much as I can.

Sunday we were blessed with a good message and Turkish food at The Sultan. I can't get enough of the naan and hummus! Afterwards we went to a big store to buy some things we needed and of course some extras. Our cart was hard to push as we headed for the check-out and I wondered how we would get it all home in the taxi. Thankfully some parents from school were there and gave us a ride home! Thanks guys, you are our favorite Canadians!

So now we are all stocked and ready to receive Liz and Eric on Friday. We are going to have a lot of fun being tourists in Chengdu and chilling with some wonderful friends. We will try to keep you all updated on what happens as we host for the time and hope to see others follow the Weddles to the magical land of Xipu.

-rachel

a weekend of food

On Friday, literally half the school was gone at a soccer tournament in Tianjin. So even though a lot of our colleagues are out of town, it doesn't mean we are staying at home this weekend!

Last night we went to try a new hotpot restaurant. Their specialty is strips of duck intestines, which I am proud to say we nearly finished a whole plate of. I'd still prefer the beef and shrimp dumplings, but there is certainly a time and place for being adventurous.

While I did not bring a camera, I "borrowed" some from our friend Jing, who put some pictures up this morning.


Tonight, we will go out to try a new Korean restaurant that just opened this week. The other "Korean" restaurant on our street is not Korean at all, so I am interested to see how authentic this place will be.

After that, a game of Settlers of Catan back at our home. Ahhhh memories of Saturday night Catan. I am looking forward to it.

I brought some candles home from school, so theoretically I am prepared to observe Earth hour. Only question is, will our guests go along with it?

-alan

new toys for teachers

They're here! Dozens of new Apple Macbooks (courtesy of a grant from the fine people at Intel) just arrived at school and were being unpacked today. When one will get in my hands, I don't know...but the fact that they are in the building is a good sign!

Although I must admit, I am a little scared. I've never had a Mac. I've been a slave to Windows and Microsoft Office all my life. So what will happen - will I be liberated, or tortured by making the switch?

-alan

Another sign of spring

It's been a week of good weather, with no sign of winter returning. WOOOOOHOOOO!!!

My confidence in this is buoyed by the sight of winter slippers that have been washed and left outside to dry. I'm going to trust the locals that it won't get cold again.

-alan

Thank you scooter man!

We've been to the scooter repair shop three times in the last week.

1) I needed a replacement side mirror, and Rachel's accelerator wasn't working properly.

2) Rachel needed a new battery.

3) I had a flat tire.

The most amazing one was the flat tire - 45 minutes of labor to find and patch the leak in the tube, and the bill came to a whopping 3 RMB, which works out to around 40 cents US. Not bad. Now that we are all patched up and the weather is nice, I've got big plans - scootering to Metro, to go bowling, to go to the IF on Sunday... our world is expanding again!

The fun of being out there waiting during the repairs came in watching their little boy - probably no more than 3 years old, he wielded a hammer with confidence. Granted he simply used to beat the already-cracked sidewalk, but with a little direction he'll be just like his Dad. When he wasn't "working" he was busy chasing around his girlfriend - the neighbor from next door who was clearly a regular playmate.

One of the nights we were there, we also heard what could only be described as a marching band from the housing complex across the street. There was definitely drums, cymbals, and brass, and it HAD to be live music. We asked, and the shopkeepers replied that the music was supplied for dancing. They didn't seem to think it was all that strange.

I find marching band music to be strange no matter where I'm at. Well, other than a football game.

-alan

Science Olympiad

It's over!! Hooray!

On Friday, we all had a wonderful, science-filled day at CDIS. Science Olympiad went off splendidly, as long as you overlook the minor snafu here or there. (leaving some room for improvement, that's all!) Each student completed in 4 different events. Here were some of the more exciting ones:

"Storm the Castle" required the students to build a catapult that used a 10lb counterweight as the only means of flinging a marble as far and as accurate as possible.


Perhaps the most controversial event was Bridge Building, which required the students to design and build a structure to span a 35cm gap, and hold a very heavy bucket of sand. The controversy came because EVERY bridge violated some rule - not wide enough, not long enough, not make of the correct materials, etc. I'm glad I didn't judge this event - there were some upset kids!

This picture is our multipurpose room, where the bridges were judged. Here the middle school kids are huddled around, watching the bridges being tested.

This video shows a high school group being tested. Not only did it break, it was also not wide enough!

Rachel judged egg drop, which is probably the most popular event of the day. The students are given a bag of materials, and have to assemble a protective container for their raw egg, which was dropped 2 stories. The winner kept their egg safe AND were closest to the target below.

The final fun event I have video from was Bottle Rockets. In this event, the students converted 2 liter plastic bottles into rockets that were shot into the air using air pressure. The one that stayed in the air longest was the winner.

I enjoyed the day, and I heard a lot of good comments from my homeroom. They definitely enjoyed the day more than a normal school day.

Then again, that's probably because they got more basketball time than they normally do!

-alan

The trees got a haircut?

We came home from school on Thursday and got the funny feeling that something was different. There was lots of disturbed soil on the ground, and some stray branches. Ahhh yes, the landscapers had come through.

Take a look at the trees outside our building back in September:


And now, how things are different:

There's a noticeable difference. I'm just always amazed with the speed that things happen here. This took a matter of a work day to trim ALL the trees of the area.

-alan

sand, sand, SAND!!!

Unexpected results in my 6th grade science today.

We were doing what I thought was a rather mundane activity - measuring the temperature change of water, ice, and sand every minute while shining a light directly on them. The temperature was measured using electronic thermometers and displayed on the LCD projector, while the students watched and kept time.

They had predicted which one they thought would change the most - so about 15 minutes into this, the students started chanting in unison for the temperature of their chosen substance to change. So, there were shouts of "SAND, SAND, SAND" and "UP, UP, UP" emanating from my classroom. All the excitement over a change of only a few degrees! It is amazing how a little competition can motivate.

-alan

PS - Sand won.

it's about time

I never EVER thought I would wear long underwear so much. I thought only Canadians were subjected to that kind of lifestyle.

But after countless weeks of wearing that extra layer, methinks it is time to retire it. We've had three days of warm, and forecasts look good. We even had three straight days of what I call "Chengdu sun." [Chengdu sun is a condition where there are not really clouds, so you can see the outline of the sun and elements of blue in the sky. Anywhere else, it would be called "hazy." But here, I consider it a sunny day.]


The weather here has actually had strange affects on my teaching. Today I was questioning my 6th graders about what causes blue skies - when I realized, many of them don't REALLY know what a blue sky looks like! And studying the weather in Chengdu is pretty boring, because the forecast is the same for 5 months straight - 10 degrees C and gray!



The mornings are light now - the streets are naturally lit when we leave for school, and the old folks are out on the adult playground, doing their exercises. It really helps to start the day off right!

Can it stay spring forever? I could get used to this.

-alan

a biology project to aid the "exercise revival"

I'm having my biology class begin a new project tomorrow. I'm excited about it, because it is something that has real world applications, and I hope they will enjoy. They will be making custom-made energy bars for the members of the school staff who are training for a half-marathon this spring. I hope they do not turn out to be too gross...

Though I have personal issues with running, they are hoping to use this event as a way to raise money for a local orphanage. So for that, I have reason to support their efforts. And I hope my class will get excited about it and encourage them throughout the spring as a result.

In the last month or two, interest in general has grown for exercise. The ladies are also participating in aerobics at least twice per week, in addition to training for the race.

Since I hate running and am not invited to aerobics, I have to find other ways to get my lazy muscles in motion. So, I have joined the local gym in Xipu. I've been a half dozen times, and find it an interesting culturally study.

The clientele range from wide-shouldered men in serious workout gear, to people who have clearly come to the gym straight from work. The curious part, though, is that they do not change their clothes - they just get on the treadmill in their jeans or their slacks. Yesterday, I watched one young woman run for 10+ minutes on a treadmill - while wearing her poofy down coat. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I can't even imagine how hot she was by the end of it.

So hopefully, this gym can become more of a habit and I can get in better shape!

-alan

PS - Last I heard, Rachel has not yet been successfully convinced by her friends to run the half-marathon, which is fine with me. But, she DOES want to run with them more often - so you can "check up" on her to make sure she is doing it!

another week gone by

Sorry it's been a week since I wrote last!

Here's a story from the past week:

Tuesday I was out eating in the night market with my friend Zack. We go often to the night market, which is easier for us Chinese-impaired guys because pointing is as equally useful as language in ordering what you want. It is usually a fairly peaceful time out (considering you are sitting on tiny stools surrounded by lots of Chinese people!) and we have privacy to talk.

So I was taken aback this Tuesday when we were approached by an older couple mid-meal. The man was wearing a green uniform jacket, the type that is not unusual for older men around here. The lady, who I can only assume was his wife, had a guitar around her neck. She quickly asserted herself as the leader of the operation, and stepped forward.

Without speaking a word (probably because she figured we wouldn't understand) she pointed to her guitar and held her hand out. I immediately cringed, wondering what was going to happen next. Zack, being a music lover and a kind-hearted soul, reached into his pocket and laid a couple kuai in her hand.

With a smile on her face, she expressed her gratitude. My mood lightened, as I realized that we were going to be treated to some Chinese folk music. What would it be like?

Then suddenly, they made a move to leave. Zack reached out, and pointed to her guitar. He had paid to hear a song, after all! She paused for a moment, then plucked the E string on her guitar two times. With a hearty laugh, she moved off to the next table with Zack's kuai in her pocket.

Feeling surprised and taken advantage of, we continued to watch the couple work their way through the crowd. We heard them play a short song a few tables away - the woman half-heartedly strummed no chord in particular, while singing a mumbled, off-key diddy.

Then, at the table behind us, we caught on to what was happening. They approached a lone woman, who was innocently munching on pickled animal parts while reading a magazine. The lady held out her hand, as she had done with us. The diner motioned her away with her hand. The woman the began to play. The sound was not pleasant. The diner buried herself further in her magazine and attempted to ignore the couple. The song stopped, and the lady plowed forward in a long spiel that I can only assume was a further attempt to extricate some money from this woman. Still getting no response, they resumed the music. I cheered silently when they finally moved on once they recognized that this diner was resolute.

That's when I realized the strategy: they were not asking for people to make donations in order to hear a song...they were asking you to pay them to KEEP them from subjecting you to their music. Personally, I think it is genius.

And I'm really glad Zack was willing to pay so quickly.

-alan

Construction and environmentalism

First, a note on nearby construction.

When you crane your necks outside our office window, you can see a large empty lot, that is fenced on all sides. A couple weeks back, we saw a lone man digging a trench across the lot. It seemed strange, because construction projects around here happen fast. Usually, an army of men and machines descend on the building site and work around the clock....until it is finished or the developer runs out of money (leaving a half-finished shell behind forever). There are tons of projects going on along the outskirts of Chengdu, so construction is not unusual for us to see.

However, a couple days ago we heard a strange sound.

A single bulldozer came and levelled out the empty lot, filling in the trench that had been dug. Now, there is a little but of equipment parked but no real sign of what will happen next. New neighbors? We'll see...

Now, a note on environmentalism.

In the US, I had been working to become more of a environmentally-responsible citizen (the worms, recycling, using less electricity, less gas, etc.) But here, it has been hard to consider how I can make better choices regarding my environmental impact.

For one, we eat more meat. In the US, I had meat every couple of days. Here, 2 out of 3 meals at least. Meat is a big part of Chinese upper-class culture. It is a major status symbol, so of course our house helper cooks us lots of meat.

On the plus side, we don't have a car or central heat, which cuts WAY down on energy use. (it also helps financially, when it comes time to pay the bills!) And, I am pretty sure most of our produce is local - and NOT flown in from Chile.

But when it comes to making purchases, how do you choose what product to buy if you don't know Chinese very well?

Which brings me to my mystery:

For those of you too lazy to click and zoom in, the English on this package of eggs reads. "Non-environmental Pollution Native Egg." You could interpret this many ways. I give the manufacturer the benefit of the doubt, that they are NOT promoting eggs that are "non-environmental" but rather that these eggs are from nearby chickens that live in such a way that causes LESS damage to the environment. Here's hoping.

-alan

The fun of having names with meanings

Our school has two Chinese P.E. teachers. One of them is a muscular, 6 foot tall man. His surname is Xiao, which means "small."

The second teacher is around 5 and half feet tall, and is a diminutive (though strong) martial arts expert. His surname is Gao, which means "tall."

What an ironic twist of fate - to be such close coworkers with such mismatched names!

But such is life in a culture where names have much more specific meanings that they do in English-speaking lands. Whereas I cannot look my name up in the dictionary (other than books that try to decipher their often obscure entymologies), the Chinese can.

I appreciate that names have such meaning - it gives parents an opportunity to inspire and influence their children in a way that lasts a lifetime!

Recently, a list was circulated around school of the meaning of all of our Chinese staff's given names. The meaning of some are fairly broad and straighforward: "strong," "humble," and "ocean," for example. Others, however, show a little more creativity on the part of their parents: "studious young woman," "universal intelligence," "constitutional government," and "loyal masses."

Think about that the next time you hear about celebrities in America giving their children strange names...At least they are not being named using political terms!

-alan

Oh the places you'll go

There's been talk 'round these parts about travel in the future. Much of the talk has centered around international travel, but the thought sprang to mind, "What about China? Where in China do I want to visit?"

So Rachel and I brainstormed, and came up with a short list (in no particular order)...

1) Xian - thousands of ancient terra-cotta warriors, an intact city wall, and an ancient capital with a 6,000 year history.

2) Jiuzaigou - a mountain valley in northern Sichuan with a series of crystal-clear lakes with water that spans the entire color spectrum. Supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in Sichuan and perhaps all of China, akin to Yellowstone in the US. Also featured in the March issue of National Geographic.

3) Lhasa - I want to go as much for the experience of getting there - the world's highest train just opened a few years ago, and it takes you up through the Himilayas to enter Tibet. Definitely a summer trip!

4) Chongqing - a HUGE city a few hours east of here, that was featured in a weeklong special by Ted Koppel just prior to our moving here. It would be a jumping off point for #5.

5) Three Gorges Dam - the Yangtze River and the world's largest dam (and largest potential environmental catastrophe? We shall see...) Would be fun to take one of the boat cruises along the river.

6) Lijiang - a small city in the mountains in Yunnan province, just to the southwest of here. Lots of ethnic minorities, beautiful mountains, and opportunities to hike through some big gorges.

7) Guilin - probably less likely, but all the pictures of this place are crazy. Rivers and lakes cut through tall (and very green) limestone formations. Another one of China's more beautiful places.

Not appearing on the list are Qingdao and Beijing, because we will definitely be making trips to those cities in the next year.

-alan

A few random shots

Though the cold has been back for a couple weeks, anticipation of spring has grown. I've taken the scooter out more, which is nice after keeping it in the garage all winter. I'm looking forward to doing more exploring - both in Chengdu and in our neighborhood - this spring and summer.

With spring comes the resumption of English corner, the weekly gathering of foreigners and Chinese at a teahouse near our housing complex. The gathering is dominated by Chinese college students from a nearby language university, and for much of January and February, they were away on holiday. Now, the fun begins again! This Friday was the first real meeting we attended since the Christmas celebration in December.

Weather dependent, we meet in this courtyard, which is surrounded by a half-dozen teahouses.

During the weekdays, this place is filled with people sitting around the tables, playing cards and sipping piping glasses of Chengdu's famous teas. Immediately behind Rachel is an apartment building that brings back memories of Chicago:

This building is a dead ringer for a large Federal prison located on the south end of downtown - tall, thin, and tiny windows offering no hope of escape.

On the opposite end of the teahouses is another small square, which is taken over at night by older Chinese women who dance to music blared over portable speakers. These trees just went through an early spring bloom of pretty pink flowers. We took a few pictures!
But, we were not the only ones interested in seeing the flowers. There were plenty of families out - mothers and fathers bringing their padded toddlers out to see the trees.
But one more unusual group of visitors to the trees was a pair of waitresses from a restaurant across the street. We walked up to the sight of one of them standing on a large stone, having her picture taken using a camera phone. She got down and traded places with her friend - who, after climbing onto the stone, proceeded to climb UP INTO the tree.

I suppose for a city-dwelling Chinese person, that is as close to nature as you are going to get!

-alan