Lan qiu! (basketball tournament update)

Well, this past Monday was the last game for the English department. This was not true for all other teams, as there was (or still is) a playoff for the best teams from the round robin portion of the tournament. Needless to say that didn't include us. As of the last update we were 1-2. Well, I played much better in the next game, scored a lot of points, and had by far the most rebounds for our team. But the other team was very fast, and had three good scorers. We were without Clark and lost by maybe 10 or so. In our final game we looked to be well matched against the other team. Clark had another obligation, but showed up early before the game to wish us luck. We played pretty well (although we could've used his rebounding) and the game was very close. But then, early in the fourth quarter, Chen, our best player, fouled out. So, I was now supposed to be the point guard and power forward (to rebound). Well, these two positions are pretty much mutually exclusive (Magic Johnson is one of few able to master both positions). I did my best, and in the end had most of our rebounds and over half of our 38 points. The problem is the other team scored 39. It was a tough loss, but then again we weren't making the playoffs either way. Once again, it was great playing with the other teachers. They gave a lot of heart and were always trying to come up with the right English words to explain some part of the game to me. Even better was the banquet which followed the game. It was a delicious feast in one of the banquet rooms at the hotel. In case you're wondering, I have not yet acquired the taste for 'baijou' (a liquor made of rice) and the first 'ganbei' (bottoms up/cheers) I took was quite rough. Luckily after two glasses I was able to switch to wine. As I was the only native English speaker at the table, I didn't understand most of the conversation, but occasionally one or two of the teachers would explain a joke to me, when I asked about all the laughter. But the food was amazing, and there was even a sort of Chinese taco; which was beef, peppers, and onions which we rolled into flour sheets (not quite thick enough to call taco shells). Additionally we were treated to a delicious fish soup, chilled salmon, shrimp, and the delicious roasted eggplant. The two pictures included are of the team from our last game (missing 3 players) and then with our fans (other English teachers and one of the player's daughters). They were at every game and the banquet.

Mysterious Adventure

So, last Sunday I stepped into a car, without knowing where it was headed. Well, I kind of had a clue, but not really. This story traces back to a teacher stopping by my classes a few times the past weeks and asking me if I wanted to meet with one of his friend's daughters and practice my English. At first it sounded like an easy way to be kidnapped. But he kept pestering, said he would also go along, and we could see some neat sites around Changzhou. I decided that I should stay true to the no gain comes without risk motto and told him yes. So I got into the car and met Serena (pictured below), a junior at the university, her father, Mr. Yan, who is the old friend of the teacher, Mr. Li. There was also a driver, the car was pretty nice, so it looked like we were riding in style. We first visited Tianmuhu, one of the more famous lakes in the area. We took the fancy boat ride, walked around the trails on one of the islands. It was very nice, the weather was great, the air fresh. There were a lot of resorts or hotels along the lake, but from the looks of it, speedboating and water sports haven't yet risen in popularity in Jiangsu province.

After this we had lunch at a five star hotel by the lake. The lunch was absolutely delicious. And, I presume, incredibly expensive. I had shark fin soup for the first time in my life, as well as my initial steamed bamboo shoots. We also ate the same catfish soup which President Hu Jintao has come to the same restaurant to eat. It was extravagant to say the least. All of this so I could practice English with the guys daughter. I was able to find out from Mr. Li and Serena that Serena's dad (Mr. Yan) is part of the government; he works in the education bureau for Changzhou. This information made me understand the extravagance. Mr. Li quietly informed me that no one paid for this amazing meal, but because Mr. Yan, and another one of his friends who joined us for lunch, is part of the government and the Party, he doesn't have to pay. In a one Party government it's best to keep anyone in the government happy, even if it means serving up a free meal with wine and beer.

After lunch I figured we were headed back to campus. Of course, in classic Chinese style I was just informed of each activity as it arose. Next we went to Nanshan Juhai, which is a sort of state park, the name actually means 'bamboo ocean'. It was absolutely gorgeous and I even rode the cable car up to the top of the highest point in all of Jiangsu province, with Mr. Li and Serena. Now at this point it was about four thirty or five by the time we came out of the park (and Mr. Yan bought me a big bag of roasted chestnuts). So we loaded in the cars and drove on the highway for awhile (I again think we are headed home). But no, we stop at a hotel along the way and have another lavish meal. Once again the food was outrageous, plenty of fish, lamb, pork, beef, even crabs at the end of the meal. The beer and wine likewise flowed without any concern for cost. We were also joined at dinner by Mr. Yan's friend and his friend's driver. Many toasts went around the table (remember when they toast here they say ganbei, which means finish your drink). After dinner we did indeed go back to campus, arriving at about 9:30. So my English "conversation" lasted for over 12 hours. It was incredibly enjoyable, I only felt a little guilty eating the "corrupted" food, if you will. Although my constant state of wonder really exhibited the Chinese way of only giving information on a need to know basis (or sometimes not even all that one needs to know). I could never imagine an entire day trip with a stranger in America without all the details and schedule given out beforehand. But, cultures are different and although I felt a bit like being kidnapped, I kept that in mind throughout the day. Oh, I forgot to mention they also gave me eight containers of what appears to be very expensive tea as we parted. I haven't tried it yet, but maybe will do so when it gets cooler here and I actually feel like some tea.

Opening Ceremony

Well, I have now marched in the opening ceremonies of...something. To be more specific, the 13th Changzhou Sports Meeting. Which is some sort of a sports competition, that really is about all I know. Changzhou is hosting some sort of big sports competition in two years, so a gorgeous stadium and a few other things have been built. This, along with the fervor of the recent Olympic Games, encouraged the local government to make this sports competition into a big deal. So, as a foreigner I got to attend. I thought we were just going to watch, but as soon as we arrived and received a sheet with marching instructions, I knew it was for real.

This was the most "whiteys" I had seen since the Shanghai airport. They seemed to have rounded up all the foreigners in Changzhou to march in together. Teddy (my advisor) said it was to make in more 'international' or internationally friendly. So we all were given a min-flag from our country (which helped sort out all the similar looking Europeans) and marched into the stadium together. The stadium was packed full of all the school teams participating in the games, who were all enthusiastically using the noise makers provided in each seat. It was awesome, odd, exciting, and a bit surreal walking into the cheers merely due to my status as a foreigner. One drastic cultural difference I noticed was during our marching and while we stood centerfield during a speech. All of the Chinese groups marched perfectly and often had chants, and during the speech were in line, rigid, and quiet. As polar opposites, us in the foreign group moved along as a mob during our lap of the track, and moved about during the speech, took pictures or video, talked with each other, some of the French and Italian young teens were playfully stealing hats and purses from friends. There really is no way that a bunch of Americans, Europeans, and Australians are going to stand at attention during a fifteen minute speech unless we are in the military. I am not saying one or the other is right, but it was just interesting to see.

After making it to our seats, we watched the ceremony, which was pretty spectacular. Daniel aka 'Danthemanstan' another teacher from Washington D.C. and I were convinced that all the elementary schools in Changzhou have had group dancing and formation creation as the two sole subjects for the last two months. There were just so many kids moving in so many ways with so many costumes. Honestly, I can easily say that it's something I will probably never see again.

Basketball!

Well, about two weeks ago one of the assistants in the English department asked if any of the foreign teachers would be willing to play in a basketball tournament. I was of course game, and so was one of the other teachers, Clark. For a quick intro: Clark's from Montana, has been here a year and helped me out a lot my first week here. So last Tuesday we met up with some of the other members of the team, who are all English teachers. We received jerseys, shorts, and basketball shoes. We even get to keep the shoes! They are all of course yellow and red or white and red, the colors of China or of the Houston Rockets (aka Yao Ming). We then went out for a quick practice. Clark is pretty good, Chen, one of the young teachers, is quite good, and let's just say I have a bit of rust to dust off from TU intramurals last winter. At practice I was able to witness another first: the combined smoke and water break. Yes, when it's usually time to grab some water and catch one's breath in the States, the Chinese add in a quick cigarette or two. I shared the irony with Clark, but didn't try to address it with any of my teammates. Our first game in the inter-faculty tournament was last Friday. We played alright for our first time, and lost by about 10 or 12. I think I played pretty well, probably had 1/3 of our points, lots of rebounds and no turnovers. Chen was great, and the rest of the guys were mostly 'role' players...and considering many look to be well into their forties, they were doing their best. I missed the game on Monday because I had class, and the team won. But, apparently they wanted me back today. We were playing last year's champions and the heavy favorite. We barely lost, 44-38. I played some of my worst basketball ever and although I had a bunch of rebounds, think that all my turnovers clearly neutralized any contribution I made to the team. Chen and Clark had a good give and go play which the other team apparently couldn't recognize and had a worse time defending. So far it has been a great experience, although all my attempts to complain to the refs have been fruitless. More reason to learn Chinese, right? I am looking forward to our next game and hopefully my aversion to making baskets will not spill over to it.

Vacation: Saturday

Last night, we walked the streets, avoided stray dogs, and enjoyed some delightful tea on the roof of our family hotel. David and I, an occasionally one of the brothers/cousins running the hotel, enjoyed the cool night, watched the stars, drank a lot of tea, which was grown just across the river (within sight). We got up this morning, well rested, to fireworks. As promised by the hotel guys last night, the morning started with fireworks and loud musics, due to a wedding. So I followed the parade around town and to the house next to the hotel. There sure were a lot of fireworks and loud drums for such a small town! The old man lighting many of the fireworks was about as fearless with them as a normal 10 year old American is with his first pack of Black Cats. Dave and I were able to see the preparation for the the ceremony (more fireworks, some incense lighting) as well as the ceremony table full of lavishly displayed meats. But then our van into Wuyuan was leaving and it was our only ride, so we left. The van was driven by one of the buddies/relatives of the family hotel owner, so if you're wondering about the not so firm schedule, that's why. From Wuyuan we grabbed a bus into Jingdezhen, where I currently write. We will take the train overnight to Nanjing (this time with seats). From there we will try to make our way back to Changzhou, which is close and well connected, so I don't foresee any problems.

Vacation: Friday

We awoke early to meet our motorcycle driving friends, who were to take us to a scenic mountain nearby. Well, it was a beautiful, if almost surreal trip through the 'Wuyuan' countryside, in Northern Jiangxi province. We soon arrived at an entrance building. We soon realized all the sights in the area were collectively run by the tourist bureau; so we bought the cheapest "3 spot" ticket. It was still expensive. So we roamed through a gorgeous park, which followed a stream up the mountain. Then we did some spelunking in a pretty cool cave and even rode a small motorboat out of the bottom of the cave. Dave and I both thought the required life vests were a little much for the barely idling boats...but then again, barely any Chinese know how to swim, so maybe not too egregious of a safety feature. We then headed back to Qinghua and checked out its historic 800 year old bridge, a small Buddhist temple and the surrounding scenery. This was our third "spot", so we grabbed our bags and hit the motorcycle path to Likeng. Likeng (理坑) was advertised in the guidebook as a gorgeous, authentic village of 300 households. But, it's placement in the guidebook has also made it a bit touristy. Because it is so small, it seems like every other person in town is a tourist. Of course maybe it's just Likeng custom to carry a camera around at all times, or sit by the river and draw sketches of your neighbor's house...but I doubt it. Nonetheless, it was still a fairly primitive, simple, tiny, worn down village and provided a first hand look at historic (and current) village life in China.

Vacation: Thursday

After waking up with every arriving train all night (due to the blaring horn) I got up for good and we loaded our 8:30 train. For the record, I don't recommend spending the night in a train station, regardless of country. It wasn't enjoyable, I will move on. We were unsure of whether we were going to have seats. But, luck have it, we were able to secure seats and sat next to some college students from the town to which we were headed. David taught them the card game hearts, which turned into a major spectator sport in our car. After arriving we took two us trips (and had to adamantly refuse the overpriced taxi rides) to arrive in Qinghua (清华). Qinghua is a small riverside town in Jiangxi Province, a little further south than Huang Shan. Immediately after leaving the bus we were met by two men who promised a cheap stay in a family hotel. Because this was exactly what we were looking for, we went along. They took us by motorcycle through alleys and back streets until we arrived. The place is a family hotel indeed, and awesome. The room is clean, the staff is friendly, a very beleaguered grandpa also limps around and fills our tea whenever our glasses were anything but full. They even gave us a few shots of the good/evil baijou during dinner. It was a long day of travel, and because we had glorious beds in front of us, we decided to retire early, after dinner.

Vacation: Wednesday

After heading to bed fairly tired last night, we decided seeing the sunrise for a second time wasn't worth the early wake up. We arose around 7:00, packed our bags and tent, grabbed some apples and water from a vendor, and hit the trail. We had decided on a fairly arduous trail for the descent. We also planned to walk all the way to the bottom and skip the bus.

The trail choice was clearly the best one. We witnessed spectacular view after another as the path wound its way down the side of ridges and over the top of some peaks. Some of the best views came as we walked above a huge canyon. After about two hours of hiking along the route, we noticed a large sign in front of a pivotal turn in our route. Some helpful English speaking Chinese told us it was "closed" and "entry forbidden." I guess this is one of those 'curves' which life throws us. So we went up to rest and met a very congenial group who confirmed that the route was closed for construction. They were also heading down, and offered to show us an alternative route. We joined them and it was a great decision. They were awesome, enjoyed singing or humming on the trails, (we all joined together for the Backstreet Boys classic "I Want it That Way"). One of them, Ricky, spoke great English. This was due to his job in export sales for a machinery company. He has made a few trips to the Middle East and Africa-needless to say much more traveling than the average Chinese.
Move to 12:00, we hit an impassable line of people; the only way down this side of the mountain (due to the aforementioned closure). As we enter the line, Ricky jokes "You want to know where 1.3 billion people are...? Here." Move on to 14:00, I think sardines in a can might have more wiggle room than me as I continue in line around a mountain ridge. So this is what a tourist destination looks like on one of the two biggest holidays in China. As we break free from the inch by inch line at 16:00 (yes four hours), I begin to think Ricky was right. But, almost everyone in the line was good spirited and didn't push too much, so I really respect the way the Chinese deal with absolute craziness.

We make it to the bottom and take the bus back to Tangkou (the base town) with the group of five. The four hour line made the full descent impossible by sundown. So we go with three from the group; which was really two groups. Ricky and his cousin were there alone, but met and got along well with a group of three from Shanghai. Ricky and his cousin will drive back to Hangzhou, although Ricky is unsure whether he has enough energy to push the gas pedal (the line really took a toll on all of us). David and I get into a taxi with Constantine (an electrical engineer, as well as the owner of a sweet English name), Serena (a high school chemistry teacher) and their friend who speaks no English and slept most of the taxi ride (preventing much conversation). The ride goes well until we hit a line of cars. (Lines are common in a country still working to get its infrastructure to match its population.) We find out there was an accident and the road is under repair. Initially our driver thinks it will be a short wait. He later says he doesn't know how long. I checked it out. The repair crew included a dump truck with asphalt, a work crew with rubber boots, and a road paver. My estimate is that it might be awhile. So we turn around and take a new route. We arrive at the train station, successfully read the schedule and Dave successfully gets tickets to our next stop early the next morning. We see plenty of people sleeping in the waiting room, decide its the most efficient/economical/still available lodging facility, grab dinner, and come back for bed. I am writing this in the lit part of the waiting room of the lounge and will soon join David (already asleep) in the dark corner.

Vacation: Tuesday

Got up at 5:30 to see a beautiful, misty, cloudy, sunrise through a ridge of the mountain. Had some noodles for breakfast and we both decided to take a quick nap in the newfound warmth of the rising sun. Well, although last night was much better than the train, tent city was loud at times (maybe because we went to bed at 19:00) and my sheets weren't exactly adequate warmth. I will fully admit not taking the altitude chill into effect when packing. We slept for another three hours and awoke very refreshed. We then spent the rest of the day weaving around the trails around the summit. It is quite gorgeous, although frequent clouds surround the area with mystery and mist; they also tend to restrict the views. Now, it is called Mt. Huangshan, but it is not like the few peaks which I have climbed in Colorado or New Mexico. It is really a series of many ridges and peaks, which are mostly connected by trails. There are more like 10 or 15 summits than a definitive one.

Vacation: Monday

**Note: I kept a journal during my week long vacation and am now transcribing it onto this blog. Please forgive any sudden verb tense switches.

00:46 Board the train, which is loaded by the railroad employee using a forearm push to the back of a yelping man old man until all of us cram onto the car. Not being 100% specific if we were assigned to a specific car, David and I were some of the last to board (we weren't, for the record). This indecision would define the next five hours of our lives.

~04:00 Now completely aware of the scent, size, favorite body positions, confined area sleeping abilities, dental hygiene practices, elbow shape and pointedness, and anything else ascertained non-verbally of about 20 complete strangers. I was told the ticket was standing room only, but even that may be a misnomer; as I see standing as the ability to support oneself. This is more of a mutual lean. We are still at the edge of the car, an area maybe 3.5 feet by 12 feet. There are probably 20-22 of us in the area. Each time the door has to be opened, a few shrieks, screams, and I assume cuss words, enter the air as the squeeze gets tighter. Remember, we are not in the main area of the car, but the area at the end where the doors and the control closets are located.

05:45 Mass exodus provides me with great hope (we still have 4-5 hours to go). I work my way into the car and secure an open seat. I am pretty excited about my upward shift in Chinese train society.

05:48 One of the new passengers has the ticket for "my" seat and the one next to me. I get up and head back to the end of the car. David took the advice of one of our close companions and didn't try to get a seat. Either way, it's like The Hamptons in our car now, only me, David, an a friendly young couple who we've been next to all ride. Now I can sit, stretch, and live the high life. My new mobility allows me to get out my pen and paper to record the journey.

10:49 At the second to last stop, seats are finally ours.

11:02 We arrive in Huang Shan Shi, we accompany the nice young couple from the car to the taxi, as they are also headed to the bus station.

After managing our way to Tangkou, (the city at the base of Mt. Huang Shan, in the Anhui province) a women hollered at us "have a eat." So we did. Filled up on fried rice, bought some sausage, crackers, and water from the shop next door and headed up the mountain. As time was an issue (we wanted to get to the summit before sunset) we decided to take the bus to the main starting place. Although a trail does exist, most people (or at least the tourists) take a bus up to this spot. My good old ISIC (international student id. card) saved me 50% on the hefty 200Y entry fee. We started up the stairs. And more stairs. And more. We made it to the summit in just under two hours; beating the Lonely Planet guidebook estimate of 2.5 hours! One of the best parts was the porters. Carrying all sorts of materials, using what is essentially a bamboo scale with goods on each side. This 'scale' rests across the back of the neck and one shoulder. We did our best to say "ni hao" (hello) to each one of them and generally received a response and a hearty smile. At the top we were greeted by plenty of cool winds and mist. We tried to find a place to pitch our tent, the girls at the snack shop were quite helpful, but apparently when they asked their boss, he sent us to another area. Well, when we arrived, we saw a large tent city spread across the basketball court below the hotel, with a few shops nearby. So we set up, got some noodles and hit they hay: looking to make up for some of the lost sleep on the train.