I'M BACK!

So, it seems that all this time all I had to do was go to my local SPR (Starbucks imitator) Coffee house and use their Wi-Fi to get to my blog! Doh! I just logged onto the Internet a few minutes ago and my blog site popped up. What a surprise! I'll be writing a few updates today and come back later this week to write some more. I'm ecstatic! :) Next time I will be more patient with the Chinese firewall and just be critical of my school's firewall...haha. (Well, I should say that my patience will kick in when they unblock Facebook!) It's great to be connected again.

Mama Called the Doctor and the Doctor Said....

...don't get swine flu! I figure since my blog is still blocked, I have more freedom to write, don't you think?? I assume that one reason China is getting so concerned about swine flu is because of the huge SARS drama in 2003. (The same drama that, by the way, got my study abroad program in Hangzhou canceled and forced all of us students to be quarantined to our homes for a week!) Looks like they REALLY don't want a repeat of that. One of the main things I've seen lately are signs...everywhere...with warnings about swine flu. The taxis in Beijing are suggesting that all customers get a receipt and then if they come down with swine flu, they should call all the taxis they took and report it. What good does that do? Don't know... Also, my friend, Kathy, sent me an e-mail with a story from a friend of hers about how he flew into China and they made all 300 passengers stay on board until they took their temperatures and confirmed that they'd been nowhere near pigs. I wonder if all the flights into China are doing this... I know it's good to take precautions but there is a line and as soon as it's crossed it becomes paranoia!

On another hospital/sickness note...during the past 2 months or so, I had a terrible cough. Don't worry...it's all better now thanks to my antibiotics! For a while there I was taking Chinese medicine to try to cure it and the dosages are frighteningly different...for example, I would take 8 of a pill at once and then take 8 more a few hours later! I seriously thought I was overdosing. Anyways, I digress.... I ended up going to see a doctor and I want to tell you a little about the hospital experience!

When you go to the hospital, you have to run all over the place; from one window to the next, up and down the stairs...thank goodness I had a Chinese friend there or I would still be searching for the right room. Once you get to the room with the doctor, you just go on in. Yes, there are chairs outside of the room to wait in but no one actually sits there. Everyone just walks into the examining room, no matter if there is a patient in there already or if there is a patient PLUS 10 other people waiting. I was so thankful that my examination was very simple and that all clothes could remain intact... I heard of another guy's story who had a somewhat embarrassing health situation and he had to explain it all to the doctor with 20 other people standing there and listening - horrible!!! I don't understand this...and probably won't ever but that's just the way it is in Chinese hospitals.

Another hospital story...my friend's dad recently had to undergo a heart operation and a few days after the surgery I went there with some others to visit him. In Chinese hospitals there are nurses but the nurses do very little to help out the patients (aside from the necessary medical needs.) For example, the nurses do not help a patient to the bathroom, or to take a shower or even bring them any food. So, when someone goes into the hospital it is absolutely necessary to have a friend or family member staying there with them to help with the everyday needs of the patient. A patient who has no family or friends staying with them is considered to be the poorest of all people because they are alone, and not only that but they will probably starve because no one is there to prepare food for them! My friend's mom stayed there with her husband for the entire week, never leaving his side as she was his personal nurse. So different from the States, huh??

So, now my goal...don't get sick! Although, I am not worried...I would have lots of people to take care of me! :)

On a side note, I still am not able to load pictures onto my blog which is really bumming me out! I have some proxys to try but if anyone knows any others that can help, please let me know!

Confusion

Why is it that my brain cannot hold more than one language, aside from English? I mean, why is it that I learned Spanish in high school and college and became fairly fluent but now I can't remember a word when it's actually needed! But even more confusing is this...in my Chinese lessons, anytime I can't think of the Chinese word, the Spanish word pops out of my mouth. So, apparently the Spanish is still in there somewhere, right? So please explain to me...when I meet with the new Colombian guy on campus because rumor is that "Shannon knows Spanish!" my language is a befuddled mess! I can hear and understand his Spanish but anytime I open my mouth to respond, the Chinese comes skipping happily out. Not only this, but I lose all ability to speak English, too! Now, I hope you can see my predicament - when I want to speak Chinese, I get Spanish or English. When I want to speak Spanish, I only get Chinese! AHHHHH! HELP!

Oh, and by the way, the powers that be in China decided that blogspot.com is not a worthy website to allow people to see so it's been blocked. I found a temporary way around it but if you don't hear from me as much, please know that I'm here but am trapped behind a...great...fire...wall...

Photo Gallery

Between Emily, Matt and Kathy almost 2,000 photos were taken during their 10 day visit! Here is a just a brief look into some of them - a photo extravaganza!

Flowers in bloom on my street. Yay, Spring is here! (And has pretty much already gone...)

Matt and I are thinking about the good ole' days. My students were shocked to find out that the four of us have known each other for so long - nearly 22 years!

This is the line that stretched around the "MAOsoleum" as I call it - the building at Tian 'an men Square where Mao's body lies. Thousands of people were waiting for just a brief glance.

Outside the Forbidden City.

At the city wall in Xi'an.

Matt and I on a bicycle built for two! We had some issues at first...mostly with me not being able to control the bike! Our lives nearly ended as we went up a ramp, wobbling like crazy! In the end... Ramp 1, Us 0.

Sorry Matt and Em...just had to include this one - it's one of my favorites!

The Drum and Bell Tower in Xi'an at night.

Visiting the Queen's bathhouse - a huge park with hot springs. Not too shabby!

I heart them. :)

Matt and I feeling contemplative.

I had to take some horrid medicine for my SARS...I mean, cough... Making this face was the only way it would go down!

The best massage ever...

Emily wanted to see a Peking Opera show so off we went! It was the first one I've been to and I'm going to be confident here and say, the last! We didn't understand anything, OBVIOUSLY, so we made up stories about the plot. Emily's involved something about stolen chopsticks and a magical, talking tree...right, Em...

An amazing shot at the Great Wall.

Qin Shi Huang: A Great Emperor or a Paranoid One?

The first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, could probably be placed near the top of a list of "men with greatest life achievements." Not only did he initiate the construction of the Great Wall of China, but he orchestrated the making of one of the world's most mysterious armies - the Terracotta Warriors. While my Marshalltown friends were here visiting last week we visited Xi'an, as Matt mentioned, the old capital city of China and a city full of history. I became intrigued with this Emperor and his life full of achievements but I began to question his motives...was he really trying to protect China or was he simply too paranoid about his own life to have any sense of defending his own people?

One of our stops in Xi'an was QSH's tomb. We climbed a whole lot of stairs only to reach the top and find...nothing. My friend, Zoe, told us that QSH always wanted the best so he chose this beautiful location as his burial place. After doing some further research, I found out that he was planning his burial site while he was still alive and was taking extreme measures to be sure that he would be protected, even in death. Archeaologists have probed into this massive hill (at the top of the stairs) and believe that his tomb may still be intact....amazing! They also believe that at one point it was protected by crossbows triggered to shoot anyone who came close. All of the men who built his tomb were eventually killed so that QSH's secrets would never get out. When QSH was near to death, he ordered his closest relatives and several concubines to be buried alive with him...hmmm, I'd say his character is being questioned!!! :)


When we finally reached the Terracotta Warriors, I felt a rush of excitement! These warriors have been called an Eighth Wonder of the World (along with the Great Wall) and I had been waiting to see them for a long time! Just over 35 years ago this army was found by a farmer who was digging to see why his well went dry. Since then, what is believed to be more than 8,000 soldiers have been found - each of them with unique, distinct features. Each soldier was also built with weapons and there are models of each rank - generals, archers, even horses! I tell you, it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. There are 4 pits in all but only 3 that we were able to view. The largest pit was breathtaking and I think we were all captivated by the differences in the soldiers appearances. It also led me to think more about QSH and his legacy. He started the building of the army when he was only 13 years old...all in an effort to protect him in his next life. The number of lives that were lost during the building of the army surely must be massive. I was amazed at how this army has stayed intact during all of these years...many of them were broken but the ones remaining are...wow...





So, along with the tomb and the army, we also went to the Great Wall - it was a QSH filled week! I've now been to the wall 7 times and each time I think about the projected 2-3 million people who lost their lives, again, in an attempt at protection. Maybe it is the psychology major in me coming out but if I could go back thousands of years and interview QSH, I would love to know what was going on in that man's head! Brilliance...with a side of extreme paranoia would be my diagnosis!

Guest Blogger: Matt Erion

What an amazing couple of weeks it has been here in China with Shannon. The 4 of us along with some students of Shannon have been trooping around this beautiful country and have seen so many amazing sites. Our first couple of days were in Beijing and we saw acrobatics, the Forbidden City, Tian 'anmen Square, and did shopping galore. We meet Zoe, a former student of Shannon's and caught a sleeper train to Xi 'an, the capital of the the Ancient Chinese civilization. We arrived in the morning and strolled on over to the city wall which surrounded the entire old city and rented some bicycles to ride around the 9 miles of wall, it was a blast. The following day we traveled to the terracotta warriors. On the way we saw the burial mound of the first Chinese Emperor and also a gorgeous bath and summer home of one of the empresses of China. The warriors were simply amazing, each of the 6,000 statues were hand sculpted and unique to each soldier. Horses, weaponry, and anything thing else the emperor would need in his afterlife were either buried or sculpted to be ready for his return. It was truly one of the greatest monuments to a person we had ever seen.


Another train ride and 18 hours later we arrived in Tian Jin. The whole city seemed new and the entire skyline was filled with construction cranes and gleaming new buildings. The city was a world away from the older more industrial Xi'an. The next few days we got to experience the day to day activities and also got to visit one of Shannon's oral English classes. She was a great teacher and it was fun being interviewed along with getting to talk to her students later that evening during supper. They were so excited to practice their speaking with us along with sharing our cultures with each other. For me visiting with people, though usually very difficult without our wonderful tour guide, was one of the most endearing parts of the whole experience. The generosity, curiosity, and genuine kindness that was shown to us during our visit was heartwarming and unforgettable. Our last full day was a spectacular visit to a remote part of the Great Wall of China. The hills and valleys that the wall meandered around were gorgeous as we hiked up and down each step of the wall. It was a great way to end our wonderful journey. We had such a great time and thank Shannon so much for all her hard work to help make this trip so memorable for us. Thank you for keeping our tummies full with great food, your wonderful insight into this wonderful country and for the wonderful company you provided throughout this trip.


Love
Emily Kathy Matthew

Her Laughter Lit the Cafeteria

Several weeks ago my friend and former student, July, interviewed me for one of her classes. She just sent me the article that she wrote after the interview, so I thought I'd share it with you! At the end of the article is a picture of July standing in front of her house in Hangzhou...I had lunch with her family when I was there visiting over winter holiday!

A cafeteria. Dim light. Soft music. People’s quiet talk.

“Hello. Your Spaghetti.” A young waiter broke my conversation with my interviewee.

“We didn’t order that.” I responded in English immediately and then I saw a confused look wore on the waiter’s face.

“Ahaha……”before I realized the mistake I had made, my American interviewee Shannon Ingleby ——an English teacher in TJFSU.(Tianjin Foreign Studies University) ——had burst into laughter. “Ha-ha. So cute!……funny……because you’ve just been talking to me, you speak English unconsciously to that Chinese waiter!……Ha-ha!” The blonde beauty couldn’t help laughing, though she had bended her body until her head was almost close to the table trying to control the laughter. Her hearty laughter, obviously, was totally out of tune with that quietness, but it lighted the dusky cafeteria. People looked at her with smiles. And I laughed, too. It seems that Shannon Ingleby, the kind, helpful, spontaneous cutie who always looking for fun, has the magic power which can gain people happiness.

“She is so kind. Or maybe the kindest foreign teacher I’ve ever met.” Said ShenYang, a junior student majored in international media in TJFSU.

“I think she is more a friend than a teacher.” Dingyuan majored in British and American literature who had taken Shannon’s lesson in the second year of college said.

Shannon Ingleby, 27, went to Tianjin and became a writing teacher in TJFSU in 2007. She used to be manager of a children’s organization in America. When mentioned what kind of teacher she wanted to be, she said “helpful, can be trusted, and as a good friend of my students.”

That is not only empty talk. She does what she says.

Wang Yahong, another media major student said Shannon had helped her friend. Her friend’s boyfriend get a cancer, so her friend would leave for Beijing and be absent at Shannon’s class. Wang helped her to ask a day leave. “I told Shannon the truth. She cared about my friend. ‘if there is anything I can help, just tell me, like money, the place to live in Beijing, everything!’ that’s what Shannon said.”

“If there is anything I can help, just tell me.” That’s what Shannon always says to her friend. But if you are one of her friends, you will possibly hear these words very often——“have fun.”

Shannon Ingleby had an unforgettable childhood, during which she had a lot of fun.

She was born and grown up in Iowa. She has 3 sisters and 1 brother. (Including 1 stepsister and a stepbrother.) They used to go to Michigan every summer. “We have a lot of traveling and those trips were sticking in my mind, to rent a boat, swimming, boating, and spending all day at lake. We had so much fun.”

She also used “have fun” to explain the reason for selling insects to neighbors with a friend living in the same street.

“We went and searched for bugs, like worms, insects, and we walked door to door trying to sell insects to our neighbors. One girl, she bought. She gave us 4 pennies which was like 1 Fen. You know, it was so little!” Her pure laughter haunted in the cafeteria again when she talked about this funny experience. In the dim light, her eyes glowed with excitement. “And somewhere we lost 1 of the penny. So we only had 3 pennies, but there’re 2 of us, how can we share this? So we went back to that girl ask her for another penny.…… I thought we were just bored. I think I just wanted to have fun.”

When Shannon got older, the willing to look for fun was never changed. She sold lemonade made on her own. She wanted to be a Librarian only because she could have fun with the card machine in library. She joined the business club in high school so that she could travel to a lot of different cities. And finally, she came to china by an exchange project in her college (central college) in 2002.

Firstly, she went to the Ningxia Second minority university. And the next year, she came to Zhejiang University.

“The life was difficult when I first came to china, for everything is different. But after I left, I just missed the people the lifestyle and the food in china. So I came again.”

“In 2007, you came to Tianjin and became a teacher. You said you dreamed to be a teacher when you were a child. But have you ever planed to be a teacher in college?” I asked.

“No way! I had no desire to be a teacher in college.”

“But you are a teacher now.”

“Yes! You know, I’m a spontaneous person. If someone asks me to skip everything that we have tomorrow and Tuesday, Wednesday, and take a trip to Qingdao for 3 days, they could probably convince me.”

“How do you think about the relationship between dream and life?”

“It’s good to have dreams and it’s necessary. I will make plans, but just be flexible when plan changes. Don’t hold on too tightly to plans, otherwise you’ll be hurt at end.” She nodded. “Just be spontaneous.”

“Now that you didn’t want to be a teacher when in college, what was your dream that time?”

“I wanted to get married at 25, but now I’m already 27. You can understand why I say life is spontaneous.” She spoke a little louder but in a slower way with a naughty and innocent face expression as if she had just proved something.

Yes. With naughty and innocent face, Shannon Ingelby sometimes is like a cute child.

“That’s all? Oh, I talked so much!” Shannon seemed to blame herself.

Both of us hadn’t noticed the pass-by of the time, not to mention the 60 m’ tape might have stopped half an hour ago.

“The tape has finished 30 minutes ago? But it was a 60 m’ tape. I talked so much! ”

“Aha, I don’t think so. Maybe there is something wrong with the tape!”

“Yep. There is something wrong with the tape!” she nodded and repeated my words very seriously, which aroused her laughter the next second.

The same cafeteria. Dim light. Soft music. People’s quiet talk. Shannon Ingleby was laughing. Clearly, lovely, her laughter had lighted the cafeteria that night.