Ni hao! Warm wishes to all family and friends reading my blog! I realize that Thanksgiving was yesterday (both here in the future and there in the past), but I got caught up grading my student's final examinations (part one!) and didn't update... Shame on me. But, lucky you, I've got pictures this time. Wahoo!

Ni hao!

Time for an update from the sporadically-posting Erica. Yesterday (Friday) my students invited me for a picnic/barbecue. They informed me that they were going to be cooking traditional Chinese meals. Now, I've never been one to pass up free food (who in their right mind does?), so I decided to go along with them. I want to know how to cook Chinese food so I can wow the lot of you when I get home from China. My freshmen were the ones who invited me. In China, students with the same majors spend an awful lot of time with one another. They have all the same classes. To promote their sense of unity, they also have scheduled activities. This was one of those activities. Most college students in my classes have no idea how to cook, for their parents did it for them at home, and there are plenty of fast-food joints around for them to eat at (far less expensive than in the U.S.). Coin, Jeff's co-teacher and the advisor to the freshmen, organized a jaunt out to a small farm near the main campus of Xiangtan University.

I accepted their invitation, and hopped on the bus when it arrived Friday morning. Jeff had classes, so he had resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn't be able to go. The students were divided up into four different groups. Each student was responsible for making at least one dish. I went around as they were preparing their meals, offering help and saying a few things in English to amuse them. It was all very traditional--which means they were cooking much like people cook when camping. They lit fires using bamboo as fuel, and cooked everything in large cast-iron woks. Woks are pretty much awesome. Vegetables were peeled by hand. They did have knives and cutting boards, but it still wasn't entirely sanitary. The water they cooked with came by sluice.

Though most had no cooking experience, their dishes were absolutely amazing! I watched, in awe, as they cut up vegetables. I'm too much of a scaredy-cat to cut the way they do. They seemed to instinctively know how much seasoning and salt to put in their food (though some were a bit on the salty side), and did a fantastic job with their rice, too. One group was a bit zealous in their love of fire, though. This is a picture of them holding their burned rice.

It took them two hours to prepare all their dishes. During that time, whenever they would finish something, they would give me some with chopsticks to try. It was good. But I don't recommend eating some things when they're fresh from the wok--very hot. By the time they were finishing most of their meals, Jeff was done teaching, so he came by taxi. My students then worked very hard to wow us with their dishes. And they did a good job. We went from group to group tasting their dishes. I was absolutely stuffed by the end, though they kept trying to feed me more. When you are in China, you will never go hungry if the Chinese have anything to say about it.

I loved seeing my students outside of the classroom. I only get to teach my freshmen on Mondays, so I don't see them as often as I do my sophomores. They're a fun bunch of students. They love to laugh and are very friendly toward one another (whereas my sophomores sometimes are having fights within the group). I rather inconspicuously took a video of them as they went about their preparations. Sadly, I wasn't able to record their reactions to discovering their burned rice...but still, it'll give you a glimpse into my life here in China.

Ni hao! This is Erica, finally updating my blog. I know, I know...I seem to have a terribly interesting life to the people what read this particular space on the web. After all, I'm in China! There aren't many people who can say that. Actually, there are about 1.3 billion who can...but I'm the only Erica from Magna what's in China at the moment. At least, I'm fairly sure I am...-glances around suspiciously- Anyway, for those of you in the United States, I bet you think my life here in China is full of exciting Kung Fu action and tons of rice. It's not. Generally. Sometimes it's quite exciting and full of rice, but the past few weeks it's been a bit dull save for some frustrations planning an excursion to Beijing and showing a movie for Halloween. But as both events are past, I don't see the point in dwelling on them. Things in China are different than things in the US. That about sums up the frustration.

Before I start on a rant about frustrations, I'd better move on to my trip. On Halloween, David, Mark, Rebecca, Jeff, and I boarded a train headed to Beijingxizhou (the west Beijing train station). We bought our tickets a bit too late...so we ended up in what are called hard seats for the 16 hour trip by train. It's not as bad as it sounds--the hard seats have cushions. Just not as much padding as the soft seats. And there's more people in a hard seat cabin than there are in the soft seat ones. Or the sleeper cabins. That's what we really wanted to get. We left Xiangtan at 6:50 after hopping on the train all crazy-like. The train waited here in Xiangtan for a total of about two minutes--so people in China get on and get off trains ASAP. Kinda daunting when you've never traveled by train, but now I can't make that claim anymore. Anyway, it was a very looong 16 hours. The five of us were split up. I was next to Jeff, so we listened to music, but it wasn't entirely comfortable. And while there is no smoking or spitting in the cabin, there are smoking areas right next to the cabins. Bleh. I think I might be addicted to nicotine by the time I get back. The bathrooms were...well, lovely. Squatter toilets. Smelly. But they got the job done. Sleeping was difficult 'cause I was nervous and excited about the Beijing trip.

Anyway, we arrived in Beijing at about 11:30 the next morning, on November 1. And we promptly were lost. The directions the hostel gave on what bus to take to get to the hostel were less than helpful...the bus they listed doesn't exist anymore. So we were confused, wondering if we should get a taxi or something. A Chinese woman saw the confused looks on our faces and called the hostel for us, but she started arranging for them to pick us up and...well, fortunately, there was a man who spoke English who showed up. He was born in Taiwan and raised in Canada. And he was a real Christian. He found out what bus we needed to take and escorted us there, going so far as to tell the bus attendant to tell us when to get off in order to get to the right stop. I didn't catch his name, but I'm extremely grateful he was such a good Samaritan. I love how kind people seem to be around here. We took the bus and got to the hostel without any problems. Then we checked in and got to relax for a moment before heading off.

Using the Lonely Planet as a guide, we walked to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. They're both very interesting. I wished I could remember more of my Chinese history when we entered the Forbidden City. Anyway, we milled around both places for a while, not paying for an entrance ticket to go in and see the Imperial Palace (which, in retrospect, would've been cool), but definitely enjoying the sights. The pictures above this paragraph are of the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. After exploring, we opted to go back to the hotel--we walked back, stopping at a few malls on the way. At the mall at Oriental Plaza, we had some Italian ice cream. It was yummy! I got raspberry, and it tasted like freshly-picked raspberries. Though, we didn't stay there for long. We were all tired from the train ride. And smelly. The showers at the hostel were pretty nice. It was windy our first night in Beijing, hence my crazy hair in front of the imperial palace at the Forbidden Kingdom.

We awoke early the next morning (my alarm went off at 6!) to head off to the Great Wall. We arranged a really neat tour through the hostel. It was 390 RMB per person...which is roughly $57 per person. We had transportation to the wall from the hostel...which made it worth every penny. We also had a personal tour guide who spoke English named Lisa. She was quite knowledgable, and since we left early in the morning, the crowds were pretty thin. We paid for a cable car up to the wall, which was good--the part we chose to visit had a lot of stairs. A lot. Some of them were about the height of one of my toes...but others were the height of my knee. Climbing it was fun! The section of the wall we visited was built in the 1500s, I believe. The first sections of the Great Wall were constructed in 261 B.C. or something like that. The Great Wall is not continuous--and it didn't always work. The Chinese were conquered by the Mongols and Manchus, different ethnic groups, at various times in their history. Still, it's quite impressive! Lisa took us to part of the wall that wasn't preserved by the government. It's slowly decaying...but here's a picture of it. Jeff has better ones. I was feeling too acrophobic to stand up on top of the ruined tower pictured here. I'm generally not afraid of heights...but my knees were like jello after climbing all of those stairs. If the military were to use those babies to train, we would really have something to be worried about, believe you me. Fortunately, it's all just for tourists anymore. Though, I suppose the wall would still be effective in keeping people out as long as they don't have planes...

Anyway, the view from the top was amazing! I think my favorite picture is the one I took from one of the towers at the edge of the restored wall. You can literally see the wall stretching on for miles and miles... A lot of work went into them. And you can tell. I would have had a hard time being a soldier, though. They had to live on the wall and everything, and had to always be ready to light the fire to warn the rest of China. One side of the wall goes up higher than it does to the other--the higher side was where the Mongols approached China. Going down the Great Wall was awesome! Our cable car ticket also gave us a ticket for a toboggan! It was so fun! Jeff says I went too slow, though...he almost ran into me. But it was still awesome. After reaching the bottom, we had a traditional Chinese meal. The food in Beijing is a lot less spicy than in Xiangtan. Which was very happy. I like milder foods, generally. Below the Great Wall, there are tons of vendors selling stuff to tourists. They're rather pushy. Which is okay--they can make pretty decent wages from tourism to help feed their families.

After another 2 hour car ride, we found ourselves in Beijing once more. We started walking to find the Temple of Heaven. It wasn't too hard to find--though, I think I've reached my quota of walking for the month already. The emperor used to come to the Temple of Heaven and pray for good harvests. It's quite beautiful. The archetecture is stunning. The museum about it isn't entirely helpful, though. Some of the signs are in English and Chinese, but mostly it talks about the history only in Chinese. Ah well. The pictures were worth it. After the Temple of Heaven, we went to the pearl market, which is just across the street. This is haggling-central, man! Practically anything you want is in the building. You haggle with the attendants to get a good price, and bang...you've got yourself a pretty hair clip. Or bam! You've got yourself a cashmere sweater. I would tell you what Jeff and I bought, but that's top secret, 'cause some of you readers are going to get what was purchased. Actually, most of you will...unless I have readers I don't actually know. Which might be a possibility. I am quite charismatic...in prose.

We went and had Papa John's for dinner! Yay for pizza! It was very yummy--Papa John's was a deluxe restaurant like Pizza Hut. Expensive, too...but yummy. Jeff and I stopped by Dairy Queen for a Blizzard (they actually tip it upside-down before they give it to you). It was pretty good--not as good as American DQ, though. And then we watched a movie 'til I fell asleep. Our final morning there, Monday, we went back to the pearl market and then went to have duck. It was pretty good. I think I still prefer chicken, though. Sadly, we had to find the bus and get back to the station before we could do anything else, like visit with the branch president and his wife. Then it was another 16 hour train ride back to Xiangtan. We swapped seats so we could face each other and played card games and talked. Since I was so exhausted from the walking, I actually got quite a bit of sleep on the train.

Hope you enjoyed hearing of my travels! I probably won't visit anywhere else until after I've finished teaching, though. Apparently we're not supposed to move our classes around all willy-nilly... Oh well.

I took a picture of some of the examples of Qi Baishi's artwork. He had a very simple technique, which many artists today still appreciate. And he never had any formal training in art--he was originally going to be a carpenter. His parents were quite poor, and he still managed to make a big impact on Chinese art. He was a very good role model. Below is a picture of Jeff and I with my students. We feel very tall in China. I frequently hit my head on the hand-rails on the buses. But that's okay. I love being here.

My classes are going pretty well. My students seem to enjoy my lessons, for the most part. Yesterday, I showed them some American money. They then had to convince me to invest in their ideas for tourism companies--I gave the winning team members dimes, which they thought was really quite nifty. They were amazed at how small dimes are. Of course, they are ridiculously small when you think about it. My students were also very curious about what presidents were on the various coins and bills in America. I personally have always been curious about money in other countries. I'm definitely going to bring some examples of Chinese money home. So, for those of you who see me on a regular basis when I'm not in China, make sure you ask to see my Chinese coin collection. I'll love to show it off, I'm sure. And I'll probably also have something to give you. Jeff and I have started our souvenir shopping.

Well, I should probably get started on my lesson for Monday. If you wanna see a few more pictures, I've put some online here. Enjoy the quiet video I took of the fish!

I've been tagged by Liz (my sister-in-law) to post seven random facts about myself. They will likely be quite random--I'm tired right now. I put off doing my lesson plan until about 5:45 this morning...so...yeah... My lesson went well, though. No worries. Here it goes:

1. I love Joss Whedon's work. For those of you who don't know, Whedon created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. I love all three series. He combines drama, science fiction, fantasy, humor, and reality so well... I wish I could write something as witty as Joss Whedon or with as much emotional impact, actually. He seems to be able to do anything he wants to, and does everything he wants to do well. The premise and thought behind Firefly is astounding. Sadly, Fox cancelled the show (I'm still bitter about that) and all that was created was one season, but it's amazing. He clearly understands the way that language evolves over time, and the way he integrated Chinese into the show is really neat. Watching Firefly is really interesting now that I'm in China. I actually understand a few of the things that they say. Neat, eh? Anyway, if you haven't seen any of his shows and you like well-written television, I recommend you check him out. He has a new series premiering on Fox this January called Dollhouse. As a warning, though, sometimes his shows can be dark and full of adult content.

2. I'm a total sucker for romance. Which is really embarrassing to admit, but it's the truth. I'm easily manipulated by chick flicks into thinking that a story that is entirely impossible is plausible. I used to love reading romance when I was a teenager. And, sadly, I must admit I've even written some of it. Bleh. I mean, there's nothing wrong with the genre...but a lot of what I used to read didn't have much depth to it at all. Which is a problem with a lot of books, really. But kudos to the writers anyway for trying! Woo! I'll keep reading and watching romances, I'm sure, even if I hate to admit they get to me. I like to keep my emotions separate from what I see on screen...

3. I'm afraid of animatronics. Seriously. They wig me out. When I went to Disneyland, I couldn't stand the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It scared me. There's just something about the way that they move--it's so cold and mechanical. If robots were to ever take over the world, I'd probably end up in a loony bin because I couldn't cope with them and their looking humanness when they're not even human. I think most of it stems from when I was a child. We visited Mt. St. Helens once, and there was this mannequin of a park ranger with no face. When you walked past her, a face was projected onto her...very creepy. Aliens scare me too. And spiders. But only when they're near me when I'm trying to sleep or shower or something. Earwigs creep me out too.

4. I've had my cat since sixth grade. Her name is Simba. I used to sneak food to her on the way to school, for she lived underneath a trailer next to the gate leading to Lakeridge. I didn't ask Mom if I could have a cat when the owner of the trailer said that we could take her. We just brought her home. I remember I faked being sick the next day so that I could stay with Simba, who was absolutely terrified by the change in venue. Thankfully, Mom didn't make me get rid of her. I love my kitty. She's been with us for nine and a half years. I miss her. I'm tempted to find a cat here and bring it home, but Jeff says that would be bad. He won't let me get a turtle or a bunny, either. Which is sad. They sell baby bunnies all over the place. And turtles. Some of the turtles are really small and cute. I like having a pet. When I was little, I couldn't have one. Devin and I used to catch snakes and stuff and keep them as pets for a while, but...they're not as nice as having something warm and fluffy to curl up with. Simba is a good cat. She likes to sleep next to me on my bed, and even climbs under the covers with me when its cold.

5. I used to want to grow up and be a cub scout. Mom was a Scout leader at the time I told her that. I was really jealous because they got to do all sorts of fun things, like crafts and races. I didn't have anything like that to do because I was a girl. I got over that desire pretty quickly. Shortly after I said that, I went back to wanting to be a baker.

6. I plan to live in Katie's basement in a cardboard box someday. It's a running joke between us that I'm going to end up there in a refrigerator box 'cause she's going to get married first and will have a basement in which I can live. I'm also okay with living in a box under a bridge. That's about all my degree is good for. Kidding. I want to write and actually get something published. But first I have to finish something. Being successful is hard work. Yeeesh. I have been writing since I was a sophomore in high school, actually. Nothing that can get published, mind you. And it isn't all that good, in my opinion. But, if you're really bored and happen to marginally like Pirates of the Caribbean, I'm "working" on a fanfic (a piece of fiction written by a fan) exploring the illustrious career of Captain Jack Sparrow. You can read it here.

7. I detest tomatoes, yet like ketchup. Tomatoes have the wrong texture. I can't stand them. I'm not generally a picky eater (I've tried chicken feet, after all), but I always pick tomatoes out of my food if I can. I just can't stand the way they feel in my mouth. I like the taste of tomatoes, though. I drink V8, I like pizza sauce, and I enjoy ketchup on my fries. I just can't stand tomatoes.

Righto. Seven rather random facts about me. I hope you weren't too bored. And for fun, I'm tagging Katie and Tasha to write seven random facts about themselves. Ciao!

Labels: Angel, animatronics, Buffy, cat, Jack Sparrow, Joss Whedon, pet, tomatoes

Time for an update! I guess. It has been a while since my last update, so I figured I might as well keep y'all posted. October 1 is National Day in China, which is on par with the 4th of July back in the States. Except not. They go all out for this in China. At our school, they gave students an entire week off, which is pretty common. In order to make it so they had enough school days, though, they made us teach on Saturday and Sunday. Bleh. My week is all messed up, now. And most of my students didn't come to class on Sunday. Jeff was actually shooed from the building by a custodian before he could teach his second class on Sunday afternoon. Of course, he wasn't about to complain.

Everyone and their dog travels back home or somewhere else during this peak travel time. Which means that train tickets are a hot commodity. Jeff and I figured we could travel to Shanghai and see the sights. After all, there are a few trains that travel from Xiangtan to Shanghai that leave every day. Unfortunately, we didn't take into account the massive amounts of people traveling. With 1.3 billion people, China needs to move a lot in a very little amount of time. Like an unknowing American, I booked our hostel first... When we got to the train station, the line actually came out of the building. Before standing in line, we had my helpful Chinese student ask if the trains were all booked--and they were. We wouldn't have even been able to get standing room only tickets to Shanghai. We ought to have bought our tickets in advance. But the problem with doing that is, depending on the train, you can buy them only a few days in advance.

But that's okay. Instead of going to Shanghai, Jeff and I will stay here and visit more of Xiangtan. We've only seen a limited area of downtown, after all. Plus it's cheaper staying here, and we don't run the risk of not getting back--you can't buy return tickets at the station you leave from. Though, Jeff and I now know how to find tickets to go to Hong Kong at the end of our stay here, which is a definite bonus.

Anywho, I decided to capture a video of my walk from my classroom back to my apartment. If you visit China, you need to keep in mind that appearances on the outside are very deceiving, as you'll see in the video.

Yar! Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day in China. I realize it not be so in the United States, yet, but it nearly be. I decided t' teach me students how t' speak like pirates. 'Twas quite amusing, 'twas. They looked at me as though I be three sheets t' the wind! Nay, I had naught t' drink.

I wanted t' teach them a bit about the culture o' English-speakers, so me lesson included me impersonatin' Aussies, Brits, Canadians, the Irish, Valley Girls, and ye old pirates! 'Twas an interestin' lesson, to be certain. O' course, me internet was down whilst I was preparin' me lesson--I could not take the pictures I wanted t', as I couldn't print them. Yar.

Here be one of the segments o' me lesson. It were longer, but I cut it down fer time's sake.