little side streets

Xian is full of little side streets that contain little restaurants and shops.  These are off of the main streets.  You can find many cheap meals here and meet interesting people.  The food is good here.

Not only is thing bowl of Jaio Zi, dumplings, very good to eat, it is about 80 cents to buy.  Do you realize how difficult is going to be to return home and go out to eat.  Everything is so cheap when you are use to paying USA dollars.  I guess I will adjust some how.  I probably need to return to the Green Molly Pub and buy some expensive Irish beers to help me adjust.

Friends in China

I have made some good friends here, in a very short time.  Not just people you see and work with, but people that you will always remember, and people that you hope to continue to keep in touch with, and maybe see again. The international faculty here are a very nice group of people.  Some of them have been here 7 or 8 years and some have only been here a year to two.  We all get together on the Rugby field, or drink a few beers, or go out to eat some nights. Besides teaching the one thing we all have in common is that we like it here.  This is one of the most exciting times of my life. I have been fortunate to do somethings that people don't usually do, work on a fishing boat in the Keys, sit in the press box, as a member of the press, at the St. Louis Blues game, be in the opera, but this is really something special, and I love every minute of it.

Paul is from Canada and has been here 7 or 8 years and Katie, my mentor, is from England and has been here almost 2 years.  Very nice people and fun to be around. Paul will probably stay here until his health tells him it is time to return to Canada.  Katie will probably be here until she figures out what she wants to do with the rest of her life.  China is a good place to visit if you need time to think about things.

Qing Long Si temple today

On Saturday, during our make-up class for the holiday, one of my students said I should go to the Qing Long Si Temple because the ornamental cherry trees would be in bloom and the place is very beautiful.  She also said I could take the 400 bus to get there.  I have been telling my students that when they become teachers, they need to make sure their students get out and do things and have to communicate with Chinese people.  I decided to visit the Qing Long Si as a way to tell the students why it is important to do what I have been talking about.  I had my basic information written down on paper, a 1 yuan dollar in my pocket, some basic instructs, and the feeling of adventure in my heart.  I headed off to find the 400 bus and the Qing Long Si temple. I was told it would take about 40 minutes to get there and that was all I knew.  After about 30 minutes I started to ask some younger people, on the bus, where this place was.  I got some more information from them.  Some older people, older like my age, also told me that I had 4 more stops and then I get off the bus.  I was able to tell him in Mandarin, that my students told me the place was very beautiful.  He was able to understand.  As we got closer to the stop some students told me to follow them because they were going to the temple.  I followed them and they told me they were Xian International University students and I showed them my Faculty ID.  I always carry my faculty ID because that way I can leave my passport at the hotel and I get the student discount and only pay half price.  I am also old enough that students will insist that I sit down on the bus when they give me their seat.  Today I got up and gave my seat to a lady with a baby.   Once I got  my ticket and got in the temple, what I saw was people taking pictures, relaxing, and just enjoying the day.  There was a lot of families and many students there.  Lots of people getting their pictures taken with the flowers.

The people were coming in like this all day.  The place in not that big but I imagine when you live in apartments it is nice to go to some place green and a nice spring day.  This is not a tourist place that a bus would take you to but it was nice to see what people do that live here. It made me think of the ICC field trip to the Southwest when we were at Zion.  At the one lodge they had ice cream and big oak tree with green grass.  The place was packed full of people eating ice cream and sitting on the grass under the shade of the oak tree.  Why, because it was a nice place to be.  Not as exciting as climbing to Angels Landing but a very nice place to be.  I had a nice day.  Spent some time with some students that have seen me walking around the campus.  I ate some type of snack food that tasted like candied smoke.  I did not ask them to tell me what it was but I had heard one girl say it was dragon snack.  Now I have to ask my class to try and explain what this is to me, because I am going to bring some home.  It was not that good, and it was not that bad, it was a favor that I had never tasted before.  I also ate a Bing Tang Hu Lu, a candied fruit on a stick and bought some Jing Gao, a sticky rice dessert.  The reason I did that was because students had talked about it in class.

Bing Tang Hu Lu, a candied fruit, and very good.

He runs, he scores

• Rugby practice today and I scored a, what ever they call it.  Intercepted a pass, handed it off before I got touched, followed the play to receive the ball, and crossed the goal line.  Oh, yeah.  Today we picked up the pace of the game.  It was moving a little faster.  During today's practice it was more important to get back the 5 meters so you were not offsides and basically out of the play and useless to your team.  Today's game was more fun.  Many of the players are learning the rules better.  I really do like the touch rugby and think it is good game for fitness and it is fun.  We had four teams of six so the students like it also.  In a couple of weeks we will have the demonstration at the big sports competition. 
• Today in my Chinese class, the one I am taking, the Lao Shi had some of her Chinese English Major students come to class to work with the American students.  There was a knock on the door, and when she opened it there were 6 of my students in the hallway.  They were smiling and waving at me.  Oh that is so much fun to see, and something I will miss, and miss a lot when I return home.  I was trying to find out the best way to ask if it is ok to take a persons picture or a picture of someone doing something.  We had little communication problem.  I would say, "No, I don't want a picture of me with someone, I want to take a picture of someone."  I then explained about my haircut and that I want to take pictures of my hair cut.  She was confused as to why I would want a picture of me getting my haircut.  I can see her point.  She also asked me if I like Chinese woman and I said, "Wo dou xihuan, bu gaosu wo de airen." At least I know JoAnne will never figure that one out, because she can't read pin yin and Ava would never tell her. So far everything is still new and exciting here.  I have not had the feeling that I want to return or that I miss things.  I do miss my wife but I still wake up to a new day and look forward to seeing new things, even the simple things.  We will see if I still feel that way after working Saturday and having it rain on Sunday and get colder.  I am not sure if my spell check is working now.  Oh well.

How long have you lived in China, Ma?

On Saturdays we get to take the campus bus to the Metro International Market and shop for food that is foreign to China.  It is not such a big deal but still we look forward to it.  It is one of the perks.  Since we have the holiday, Tomb Sweeping Day, the faculty has to work on Saturday, so we can have Monday and Tuesday off.  I just heard the bus to the Metro will be on Sunday this week.  I called Tim and told him and he said, " I would think that is something they would have told us."  I said, "how long have you lived in China."  We seem to get all our information at the last minute.  I had my TA ask me today if I needed a class roster.  That would help since it is week 6 now.

Have you eaten noodles or rice?

I had a student ask me if I had eaten noodles or rice since I have been in China.  I asked her if she had.  Do you realize how difficult it would be to not eat noodles or rice while you are in China, especially if you are living here, on campus.  Just last week I had noodles with my cows stomach and it was quite good, I must say.  At least here you can watch them make fresh noodles and drop them in the boiling water.  I had a student talk about shredded pork and garlic in class and I have the recipe now.  Something to try once I get home.  I have a lot of foods that I want to try and make once I get home.
The students are fascinated with the idea of April Fools day.  I think they believe it is a bigger event that it actually is. I told them it was more important to smaller children but did explain about the  WCBU  fake news broadcast about the high speed river barges that would start traveling between Peoria and Chicago.

Mrs. Freshley's in China

I was asked if they have anything in China that is like the Mrs. Freshley's  Buddy Bars that we can get at Kroger's.   This is about is close as I have seen.  They also have a pretty good Moon Pie here.

I am off to the English Corner where I get to talk to young Chinese students and maybe see some of my students.  I have class on Thursday and then on Friday I get my haircut.