China Exchange Group Blog

Due to lack of blogging, I'll direct you all to the group's blog:

http://brooklinechex.wordpress.com/

Driver's Ed

Welcome Ceremony: Super Girl

Welcome Ceremony: We're All in this Together

Swearing

On Friday, we gave our introductions, in Chinese, to the 300 or so students present at our welcome ceremony. Thus, 300 or so students also heard me cuss in Chinese. Supposedly hearing foreigners swear is funny, because I had to take a long pause for the laughter to cease.

I said "gou tui", which supposedly is a derogatory synonym for "follower". This is also the name of one of my dogs.

When my Chinese family introduced their dogs, they told me that they had named Gou Tui after the literal meaning, "dog leg". My other dog, Coffee, had lost her leg due to an accident at the hospital. To repay my family, the hospital purchased them a new dog. Supposedly, a lost leg equals a new dog; thus, "gou tui" came to be. 

The next time I call out my dog's name, I'll take a peek at my family's expressions. My dogs sleep in my bathroom and have claimed it as their home; in the mornings, I struggle to usher them out, so I can shower in privacy. It must be pretty hilarious to see a frazzled American sixteen year-old unknowingly call out cuss words at 6:30 am. 

Passing Notes

There is no question that I am labeled as “the American” in my immersion classes. This distinction makes it hard to reach out to people; it doesn't help that I sit in the back of the room. My view consists of a sea of white and blue uniforms with indistinguishable ponytails and crew cuts. At the end of the first week, I had just started to associate faces with seating arrangements. When I got to school the next morning, the transferring of papers and water bottles confirmed my fear: they were changing seats. Now the smart girl next to the window, and the basketball star sitting in front of me disappeared back into the ocean of uniforms. Yet again, I was the sailor who had lost her bearings at sea.

In the US, I am usually first to initiate social interactions. However in China, I am clueless as to finding common interests with my classmates. Thus, I was planning on using my deskmate, Samuel, as a harbor. 

Everyday I heard stories from my American classmates about the various Chinese kids passing notes to them, and asking for their contact information. My friends would leave class bearing gifts that ranged from keychains, to globe-sized pillows. But still, everyday, my only social pride came from my interactions with Samuel. I started to question the reasons why my American friends were socially progressing so much faster than I was. Were the kids in my class particularly shy, or was I giving off an intimidating vibe? I could be content without presents, as long as I achieved my secret goal: to get a note passed to me in class.

Then slowly, my classmates started approaching me. It started one day, when an eager boy came up to me, asking if I watched some American wrestling TV show. Desperate for interaction, I started fabricating an incredible fascination with watching sweaty bodies get pummeled to the ground. Just as I was getting into it, the bell rung for class to start. Then physics class brought an hour's worth of incomprehensible Chinese lecture, that served as background noise for me to reflect upon my insincerity.

The next day, I had my second interaction with a student. A girl came up to me, and asked if I liked Jesse McCartney. This was the only time that I have ever been relieved to be versed in girly, American music. After class, the students started leaking into the corridors, and with her by my side, I navigated the stream of bodies with ease; we belted out “Beautiful Soul” all the way to morning exercises.

Then today, the Jesse McCartney girl passed me my first note. I was contemplating keeping it for my sentimental box, when I decided that would be too creepy, and I regretfully sent my reply on the reverse-side. However, I was able to mentally check off my secret goal, and in doing so, have set another one for myself: to hang out with my classmates. 

Bathroom Difficulties

The public bathrooms here are pretty much holes in the ground that can flush. With a flushing mechanism, one would think that these might be pleasant: the liberty to squat without having to worry about splash. However, in China, I never half to ask where these bathrooms are because I can smell the feces from a mile away.

I was happy to find a regular toilet at my new home: this lead me to believe my bathroom experience might be relatively easy here. On the contrary. About a week in, I was in my bathroom getting ready for bed when I saw a silhouette pass the frosted glass part of my bathroom door. (My bathroom door is wooden, with a fairly large oval of frosted glass in the center, and there is a mirrored design intersecting this glass.) After spitting out my mouthwash, I went to check the reverse side of the door to make sure that nobody could see inside my bathroom. To my surprise, I discovered that the "mirrored design" on my door is actually a one-way mirror: so that passerby's can see perfectly clearly into my bathroom, while from the inside, it just looks like a mirror.

To clarify what I mean by "perfectly clear": from the outside of the bathroom, I could see the bristles on my toothbrush at the sink. To add to my uneasiness, I do not have a shower curtain in my bathroom, so for the week-or-so that I had been there, I had been showering openly for anybody curious enough to take a peek. 

I do not want to know why my family installed a one-way mirror in the first place. Perhaps to explain, I will share another uncomfortable story: one day, I was waiting in line for a public restroom, when one of the stall doors swung open. The woman inside was still urinating, and made no effort whatsoever to re-close the door. Then we made eye-contact.... I started blushing, however her face remained calm and unembarrassed. She finished her business, wiped, and walked past me to the sinks to wash her hands. I cannot generalize this experience to claim that all Chinese people are open with their bodies, however, I would imagine that this woman I made eye-contact with wouldn't mind having a transparent bathroom door in her home. 

After my discovery about the door, I waited until everybody had gone to sleep, then stole back to the bathroom to tape up a cloth I found in my room. For the whole next week, I was anticipating questions about the cloth, so I prepared my Chinese phrase, "ni ke yi kan zai wo de ce suo", meaning "you can see in my bathroom". I was so excited to use this phrase, for which I never got the chance to say. Instead, I came home tonight to find my cloth replaced by a pitiful newspaper covering. Obviously, the person doing the taping didn't realize that the border of the oval was the most transparent part. Because nobody was home, I took the liberty to finish covering the glass with scrap wrapping paper. I am proud to say that my job of it would satisfy a person with OCD; my family members probably think I'm crazy, but my privacy is worth their silent judgements. 

The First Day of School

Yesterday, we toured the school and took our Chinese placement exams. We were also issued our uniforms: incredibly stylish, white, polyester jump suits. Although my uniform is already dirt-streaked, I feel more valid wearing it. Now, I'm not merely that white-girl-walking-down-the-street, rather that white-girl-walking-down-the-street-who-also-attends-school-here-and-therefore-belongs. 

Today was our first real day of school. My immersion classes at the beginning of the day flew right over my head. In English class, I was asked to stand up, in a room full of 60 Chinese sophomores, and tell them about The Monkees. Seeing as my only link to that band is from a song that was played in Shrek, I didn't have much to talk about. Thankfully, I only have two of these classes per day, and I am graded in neither of them.

Everyone seemed very excited to say hello to us. My desk mate, Samuel, frankly resembles a puff-pastry, both in disposition and physique: we became fast friends. 

After morning exercises, the rest of my school day was spent with the American students: Chinese classes, English, History, then culture classes.

Our culture class today was in calligraphy. We started with the basics. Let's just say that drawing straight lines wasn't basic enough…

It is weird getting back into the school groove after a month of touring China. Hopefully, the concept of work will come back to me. 

Moving

In Xi'an, they eat birthday cake before their dinner. I guess they take "eat dessert first" literally. Yesterday was my host brother's 7th birthday. It was also the day that I met and moved in with my permanent host family (they were in Nepal). 

Immediately upon entering my new home, Alex, the birthday boy, grabbed my hand and brought me to my new room. Out of the family, he knows the least English, and also seems the most comfortable with having a stranger living in his home. His room has the best internet too, so we will get to know each other quite well. 

I've been welcomed very generously into my new home. At the birthday dinner, my new father announced from across the table, "Mattie, don't wait for us to start. From today, you are our family. Help yourself to anything!" Nonetheless, it will be difficult to go through the getting-to-know-you process again.

Yuan Village

                                                left to right: aunt, angel, dad, uncle, mom

Yuan Village

Yesterday, my host family took me to Yuan Village. We ate lunch, then they shuffled me from shop to shop, tasting a nibble of homemade food at each stop.

At lunch, I met a Canadian. As I walked by his table, we made eye contact, and we both singled each other out as the only other white person in a 50 mile radius. He immediately engaged me in conversation; his eagerness to talk was palpable. In the US, he would have never given me a second glance, but because we were of the same minority, my presence fascinated him.

All of the shops at Yuan were dedicated to selling one item: honey, vinegar, yogurt, etc. Bizarrely enough, there were two shops which each merely sold dead scorpions: supposedly scorpions, when eaten, help treat colds. (Personally, I would rather wait out the cold.) We all squealed when my host father ate one, carefully avoiding the stinger.

As we were walking back from the shops, I noticed a man poking about ten different skewers into someone's ear. Upon inquisition, I learned that he was a professional earwax-getter-outer. What a job!

I thought I had gotten the gist of China, but I keep getting surprised!

Bell/Drum Towers and Street Shopping

An Insight into Real Chinese Food

It was clear that my host family was disappointed when I said that I was a vegetarian. However, I redeemed myself when I told them I liked spicy food. They gave me a little packet of spicy tofu to try just to make sure that I could handle Xi'an's level of spiciness. A quick "hen hao", and I regained their approval.

They've accommodated my "peculiar" diet very well. When we went out for lunch the first day, they  ordered completely vegetarian. Since then, if there is a meat dish on the table, it is a small one.

The biggest difference here meal-wise is that Chinese people like everything to be warmed up: water, milk, etc. The first morning, my host dad tried to heat up my cereal milk for me. I politely declined, and since then, they've caught on that I enjoy my beverages "leng" instead of "re".

Besides warm milk, the food here puts American Chinese food to shame. Everything is made right before it's served. Yesterday, I bought pomegranate juice off the street that tasted exactly like a liquified pomegranate: the street venders were squeezing the pomegranates before our eyes, and the result was delicious.

I thought it would hard to adjust to a Chinese diet, but now, I'm thinking it might be harder to adjust back to an American one.

Tang Paradise Park at Night

Xi'an: The Final Destination

As I got off the sleeper train this morning, I was anticipating an awkward day with my host family*. I had no idea what we would do for a whole day together, so I decided I would most likely go with the, "I'm so tired from traveling. I might take a nap the whole day." However, I never had to use that line, and our day was far from awkward; I feel close to them already.

I was greeted by Angel, a spunky 13 year old girl in snazzy yellow boots, her mother and her father. They handed me a huge bouquet of orange tulips (which represent friendship). When we got home, a little brown ball of cotton candy welcomed me at the door: Chocolate. He is a ferocious, watermelon sized dog, but I've thrown his ball to him enough times today to gain his trust; he is snuggled up to me on the couch as I write this. 

I quickly learned that Angel is as outgoing as her yellow boots are stylish. She has no reservations what-so-ever about talking to strangers. She even invited a stranger inside to move the car, when her parents had left briefly and it was blocking the street. 

Angel is very confident with her English, but her parents don't speak any. This provides a good balance between practicing my Chinese and knowing what's going on. 

I couldn't have asked for a more hospitable or generous family.

Mattie

*This family is my host family's cousin's family. My permanent host family is currently in Nepal, and I will move in with them on the 20th. 

Suzhou

Suzhou

Yesterday we arrived in Su Zhou, often called "the Venice of China". Since then, we've been exploring gardens, rivers, market places, and silk and embroidery work places. 

Lots of Chinese people have a weird fascination with Americans. We've been the subject of may different strangers' photos. Often times, they try to inconspicuously get us in the background of their photos; when this happens, I wave them over to be in the photos with us. Some times they ask right out to take pictures of us. Other times, they blatantly take photos, without asking and without embarrassment. 

When we agree to be in a photo, it attracts attention to other passerby's who will sometimes gather round to take their own photos. This attention is flattering; I don't know what it will be like to return to the East Coast and receive scowls from Bostonians again.  

I've had some remarkable connections with strangers. Today, an elderly woman was dancing down the street to her music. The rest of the CHEX group jokingly encouraged me to go dance with her. I danced up to her, we took each others hands, and spiraled together for a few minutes, with out any words, until she waved goodbye and continued down the street. 

Another example from today: we came across a group of people snacking on something intriguing. When I asked what they were eating, they offered us each a stalk of sugar cane, handing out the rest of their bag. It was surprising how generous they were with us, see in that we were perfect strangers.

China has been a delight thus far! Can't wait for tomorrow. 

Mattie

Shanghai Continued

Exploring Shanghai

I thought that when I got off the plane, I would feel drastically changed: like on your birthday, when you think that turning 13 will make you an adult. However, there was no extreme burst of realization, just as there was no immediate increase of maturity on my 13th birthday. 

This morning, I woke up in my bed at home, and tonight, I will be going to bed in a hotel room in Shanghai. Should I be worried that my brain has clocked this in as an every-day transition? 

The first thing I noticed on arrival at the airport was that everyone is more rushed in China. At the water fountain, I took a long  time trying to figure out the Chinese characters on the various buttons. When a line started to build up behind me, a cluster of Chinese women gathered around, pressing buttons at random until one woman found the right button. Then they all shuffled back to their spots in the line, as if their short moment of bonding was insignificant. 

We spent our evening in Shanghai exploring the snow frosted city. After a brisk walk, we settled down at a restaurant for hot-pot. Before going to sleep, a few low-hanging fireworks went off, a small preview for the New Year celebration to come. 

Maturity comes with time, and so does realization.

Mattie

Exploring Shanghai