What is it with the travel gods that they have deemed my destinations for extended stays should be on the NE axis: Gray, Haute-Saone, France for a year, 1993-4 as French assistante in my first degree French/Psychology (year 3 of 4); Fortaleza, Brazil living and later traveling with Alex; Harbin, China six months in 3rd year of 4-year integrated Masters in Chinese Medicine.
The NE has been rather culturally by-passed and not a lot of foreigners go there so the upside is that I end up being a bit of a novelty and I get to make friends and learn to communicate in alien tongue.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Fast train from China
On a eurostar Chinese styley speeding to Beijing - well two stuck together as there are that many people in China. A few moments of tears welling over the last few farewell days. Now looking forward to Beijing transition to prepare me for re-entry to life as I knew it - BC or before China.
China is modernizing at a formidable rate and I'm not sure its culture can cope. We shall see whether the next generation, the fulfulment of the one child policy, has thrown out the baby with the bathwater or whether some of its rich culture survives. Modernization is not all bad and showers would be a welcome development (no hot water as promised on my penultimate day, in fact no water at all in the eve! and there are no showers at all in the Chinese student accommodation!! They have a separate shared shower area - C is for cimmunism and communal!) and I heard there's a 100 yuan fine for spitting in Tiananmin Sq.
I had barely time to boil my kettle for my thermos after returning frim my last 4.30-6.15am park session before A knock at the door. It was Sinyong, Malaysian student who had booked her taxi man for me. Then Xiao Qing arrived to take to the train station.
Thankfully. As she got me onto the business waiting room where we chatted the 1.5hrs wait wait away. Shame I'm leaving as my Chinese could get quite good :-(
Everyone from the park sweeper to the taiji teacher asks whether I'm coming back. I have developed a stock phrase - I have to go back, study for a year and then work to make money to return. I would like to study Chinese herbs and come back to study them.
There are a few little white imaginings in this scenario. I'm not sure i want to do another degree or leave my London life I'm returning to establish and finally, if I did go back to study herbs I would probably return to Guangzhou where my family is and to the hospital that Ah Tao took me to.
There are times when my Chinese-ness fails me and one such is on train fayre. It's a case of once eaten twice shy with the self-repeating pot noodle and I just had to pass on the famed Harbin sausage or vacuum-packed chicken foot!
China is modernizing at a formidable rate and I'm not sure its culture can cope. We shall see whether the next generation, the fulfulment of the one child policy, has thrown out the baby with the bathwater or whether some of its rich culture survives. Modernization is not all bad and showers would be a welcome development (no hot water as promised on my penultimate day, in fact no water at all in the eve! and there are no showers at all in the Chinese student accommodation!! They have a separate shared shower area - C is for cimmunism and communal!) and I heard there's a 100 yuan fine for spitting in Tiananmin Sq.
I had barely time to boil my kettle for my thermos after returning frim my last 4.30-6.15am park session before A knock at the door. It was Sinyong, Malaysian student who had booked her taxi man for me. Then Xiao Qing arrived to take to the train station.
Thankfully. As she got me onto the business waiting room where we chatted the 1.5hrs wait wait away. Shame I'm leaving as my Chinese could get quite good :-(
Everyone from the park sweeper to the taiji teacher asks whether I'm coming back. I have developed a stock phrase - I have to go back, study for a year and then work to make money to return. I would like to study Chinese herbs and come back to study them.
There are a few little white imaginings in this scenario. I'm not sure i want to do another degree or leave my London life I'm returning to establish and finally, if I did go back to study herbs I would probably return to Guangzhou where my family is and to the hospital that Ah Tao took me to.
There are times when my Chinese-ness fails me and one such is on train fayre. It's a case of once eaten twice shy with the self-repeating pot noodle and I just had to pass on the famed Harbin sausage or vacuum-packed chicken foot!
23.9kg heading home: last day in taiji paradise
Don't worry, I havn't lost that much weight being in China. Unfortunately nor has my excess baggage! - even after sending 19kg home!
And the latest addition was a date - well many, from Lilly this am.
I'm all packed up and ready to go after a series of lasts, clinic, dumplings for breakfast - I was treated by Mrs Liu a Malaysian student's wife and source of 2nd batch of curry pastes.
Clinic was a little slow and I nipped out to get some chocs and biscuits to thank my classmates and doctor. I also left my last London postcard for the Dr on his return from Anhui.
I had the final flat lung mien fried with egg, vinegar, special sauce and coriander before braving the bags.
My 4pm date was the bicycle hand-over to Guo Qiang. I jokingly said I'd give it to him for 10 kuai (RMB) a week ago when I asked if he wanted my bike but said I didn't want any money. Then in his deep very earnest way said 'we agreed on a price' and handed over the money which is equivalent to £1 :-)
My final eve I had four bookings and luckily the first was the one I really wanted and stuck to with Xiao Qing and Hai Jun - masters students Nd friends of Guye's. The last deep fried aubergines chips and pork and tofu and cucumber sesame salad with fat tranparent potato noodles. The Guo bao rou's sister (sweet n sour pork) was an sweet potato padded out disappointment.
After the photos we went back to my room and they went home armed with my (anal-retentatively organized boxes and buckets of unwanted belongings; lamp, kettle, shampoo, bucket and mop, stationery....
On the way to the restaurant I popped the cat that my very Thelma and Louise girlfriend shot (and popped 10 balloons in a row) for and as hoped ex-Mimi's mother was at her fruit stall and was so touched by my offering that on my return she had prepared a bag of fruit for me. Unfortunately most of then were not to my fussy taste and I had to pass on the stinky melon before going to the park for evening taiji before it intoxicated my room.
So armed with that and the lovely twisted bamboo that Alex gave me I knocked on Ayi's (=aunty, in this case chambermaid) door and tried to palm off my wares. Can you believe it she refused the fruit and gladly accepted he plant for her window sill along with the cactii that Alex left behind.
I ran up to the 7th floor and gave it to Sinyong, managing to avoid the weirdo tall Mslaysian boyfriend who I redirected to a different hostel in Beijing (I was so NOT going to spend my last night in a mixed dorm with him!) but hada last chance in Asia to speak Thai to the new pharmacist arrival.
On the subject of weirdo boyfriends, i bumped into the lurking Chinese student who I hadn't seen since the first months. He would stand awkwardly at our dinner table and say nothing yet wanting to practice his English. He told me proudly he was a monitor for his english class.
The last eve taiji was a lesson in four parts. The park became more obscure in the approaching autumnal nights but I found the old man teacher at the original spot by the bike rack turned bone, muscle and tendon stretching apparatus. I joined my two favorite veterans, the old grey haired rambler and the dinner lady for primordial chaos chansigong and three rounds of 24 Hunyuan taiji form).
Then I returned to my favourite spot under the trees where thankfully the cooler air had driven away the wenzi (mosquitos). Here the breakaway group were part way through the same taiji form so i joined in for a few making it up to 10 rounds that am and pm.
Next came dao jia (tango, bang bang) pounding and half way through Juan from Yunnan appeared as a moving form in the distant obscurity.
Next came the pushing hands with a surprise new character in the play - Sinyong. A zhanzhuang (standing qigong) commercial break ensued whereby I slipped into teacher mode in preparation for Morley College, correcting their postures.
Once Sinyong and the Dao Jia couple disappeared the magic spell of Tui shou (push hands) resumed for the last time. Then i admitted exhaustion and we walked back, pausing at the crossroads for farewell chat punctuated by passing dust-reeking lorries.
This eve she explained that her name Zhong Xian Juan means centre universe/matter pretty. In her childhood she didn't like the name and called herself Mai Hua = winter purple/pink/red flower that grows in the snow - any ideas?). She failed to deliver a speech in English which she tried to remember or translate the gave me a hug and left. I didn't realize she was quite si small.
And the latest addition was a date - well many, from Lilly this am.
I'm all packed up and ready to go after a series of lasts, clinic, dumplings for breakfast - I was treated by Mrs Liu a Malaysian student's wife and source of 2nd batch of curry pastes.
Clinic was a little slow and I nipped out to get some chocs and biscuits to thank my classmates and doctor. I also left my last London postcard for the Dr on his return from Anhui.
I had the final flat lung mien fried with egg, vinegar, special sauce and coriander before braving the bags.
My 4pm date was the bicycle hand-over to Guo Qiang. I jokingly said I'd give it to him for 10 kuai (RMB) a week ago when I asked if he wanted my bike but said I didn't want any money. Then in his deep very earnest way said 'we agreed on a price' and handed over the money which is equivalent to £1 :-)
My final eve I had four bookings and luckily the first was the one I really wanted and stuck to with Xiao Qing and Hai Jun - masters students Nd friends of Guye's. The last deep fried aubergines chips and pork and tofu and cucumber sesame salad with fat tranparent potato noodles. The Guo bao rou's sister (sweet n sour pork) was an sweet potato padded out disappointment.
After the photos we went back to my room and they went home armed with my (anal-retentatively organized boxes and buckets of unwanted belongings; lamp, kettle, shampoo, bucket and mop, stationery....
On the way to the restaurant I popped the cat that my very Thelma and Louise girlfriend shot (and popped 10 balloons in a row) for and as hoped ex-Mimi's mother was at her fruit stall and was so touched by my offering that on my return she had prepared a bag of fruit for me. Unfortunately most of then were not to my fussy taste and I had to pass on the stinky melon before going to the park for evening taiji before it intoxicated my room.
So armed with that and the lovely twisted bamboo that Alex gave me I knocked on Ayi's (=aunty, in this case chambermaid) door and tried to palm off my wares. Can you believe it she refused the fruit and gladly accepted he plant for her window sill along with the cactii that Alex left behind.
I ran up to the 7th floor and gave it to Sinyong, managing to avoid the weirdo tall Mslaysian boyfriend who I redirected to a different hostel in Beijing (I was so NOT going to spend my last night in a mixed dorm with him!) but hada last chance in Asia to speak Thai to the new pharmacist arrival.
On the subject of weirdo boyfriends, i bumped into the lurking Chinese student who I hadn't seen since the first months. He would stand awkwardly at our dinner table and say nothing yet wanting to practice his English. He told me proudly he was a monitor for his english class.
The last eve taiji was a lesson in four parts. The park became more obscure in the approaching autumnal nights but I found the old man teacher at the original spot by the bike rack turned bone, muscle and tendon stretching apparatus. I joined my two favorite veterans, the old grey haired rambler and the dinner lady for primordial chaos chansigong and three rounds of 24 Hunyuan taiji form).
Then I returned to my favourite spot under the trees where thankfully the cooler air had driven away the wenzi (mosquitos). Here the breakaway group were part way through the same taiji form so i joined in for a few making it up to 10 rounds that am and pm.
Next came dao jia (tango, bang bang) pounding and half way through Juan from Yunnan appeared as a moving form in the distant obscurity.
Next came the pushing hands with a surprise new character in the play - Sinyong. A zhanzhuang (standing qigong) commercial break ensued whereby I slipped into teacher mode in preparation for Morley College, correcting their postures.
Once Sinyong and the Dao Jia couple disappeared the magic spell of Tui shou (push hands) resumed for the last time. Then i admitted exhaustion and we walked back, pausing at the crossroads for farewell chat punctuated by passing dust-reeking lorries.
This eve she explained that her name Zhong Xian Juan means centre universe/matter pretty. In her childhood she didn't like the name and called herself Mai Hua = winter purple/pink/red flower that grows in the snow - any ideas?). She failed to deliver a speech in English which she tried to remember or translate the gave me a hug and left. I didn't realize she was quite si small.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Foot bath and farewells
Had to indulge myself after a morning of pre-packing. My gallbladder must be much improved as the decision-making was less gruelling. Also as I have about 1/40th of the amount of stuff here as I do in sunny Tottenham it's just a question of bin, bag, Yang Yang (scholarship student) or Xiao Qing (local masters student).
My old mumbling bundle of qi man with cap is back in park and 5am seems an ok time to start. True to primordial chaos the retired taiji group that I've become a part of - halving the average age, as Guye pointed out - spontaneously meets and moves around the various spots around the campus to avoid the wenzi or each other as some prefer to be more primordial than others with the 'bang bang' dao jia (daoist tango).
I just shed my first farewell tear running up to the 7th floor with my 'guo bao rou' = sweet & sour pork doggy bag - luckily it wasn't 'gao' = dog especially as the guest of honor was laoshi's dog!
There were farewell speeches from everyone starting with Cao Laoshi, then Qiao Yu my teacher and Chinese buddy from London (we used to meet in my break between taiji and qigong classes at Morley to practice our languages), Guo Qiang (the only male in the party and our first taiji teacher who will inherit not the earth but by ziqingche = bicycle named heiselee), Lilly the only natural light-haired Chinese girl who would call out Xining and give me a wave and a smile around campus), then two teachers, a Dr and a nurse student who taught me the first class I came on my own once my classmates and Yang Yang left) and finally Xiao Qing my youngest 18-year old teacher who doesn't eat as she wants to lose weight! Then it was my turn by which time most of the company except my weight-losing friend and fellow tea-drinking teacher were rather ruddy faced and able to understand and appreciate my Mandarin speech which went something like:
I am very lucky to have an even bigger taiji family extended to China. Before I started I didn't know where Harbin was or even that it was in China. Then I looked on the Internet and saw the ice sculptures and thought I'll never be able to cope with the cold. Then when I came it was fine as the Harbin people are so warm and I'm lucky to have net you all and to have so many good teachers. I was impressed with the level of martial arts here which is a reflection of the excellent teacher....
I was rather dismayed by the fact that with Guo Qiang's help I had ordered about 12 dishes for 8 people and we hardly touched the sides of most plates. I was very touched when the teacher paid and relieved (maybe I was a war baby in a previos life) that takeaway containers appeared in force.
I got a hug from the teacher, farewell waves from three students and then walked to the front door of my accommodation by the two old faithfuls Guo Qiang (the only man in the company who was entrusted to escort Qiao Yu to the front gate to call a cab)
and Xiao Qing. Guo Qiang then presented me with a beautifully wrapped present - a bamboo pen holder with chinese writings from a daoist sage.
My old mumbling bundle of qi man with cap is back in park and 5am seems an ok time to start. True to primordial chaos the retired taiji group that I've become a part of - halving the average age, as Guye pointed out - spontaneously meets and moves around the various spots around the campus to avoid the wenzi or each other as some prefer to be more primordial than others with the 'bang bang' dao jia (daoist tango).
I just shed my first farewell tear running up to the 7th floor with my 'guo bao rou' = sweet & sour pork doggy bag - luckily it wasn't 'gao' = dog especially as the guest of honor was laoshi's dog!
There were farewell speeches from everyone starting with Cao Laoshi, then Qiao Yu my teacher and Chinese buddy from London (we used to meet in my break between taiji and qigong classes at Morley to practice our languages), Guo Qiang (the only male in the party and our first taiji teacher who will inherit not the earth but by ziqingche = bicycle named heiselee), Lilly the only natural light-haired Chinese girl who would call out Xining and give me a wave and a smile around campus), then two teachers, a Dr and a nurse student who taught me the first class I came on my own once my classmates and Yang Yang left) and finally Xiao Qing my youngest 18-year old teacher who doesn't eat as she wants to lose weight! Then it was my turn by which time most of the company except my weight-losing friend and fellow tea-drinking teacher were rather ruddy faced and able to understand and appreciate my Mandarin speech which went something like:
I am very lucky to have an even bigger taiji family extended to China. Before I started I didn't know where Harbin was or even that it was in China. Then I looked on the Internet and saw the ice sculptures and thought I'll never be able to cope with the cold. Then when I came it was fine as the Harbin people are so warm and I'm lucky to have net you all and to have so many good teachers. I was impressed with the level of martial arts here which is a reflection of the excellent teacher....
I was rather dismayed by the fact that with Guo Qiang's help I had ordered about 12 dishes for 8 people and we hardly touched the sides of most plates. I was very touched when the teacher paid and relieved (maybe I was a war baby in a previos life) that takeaway containers appeared in force.
I got a hug from the teacher, farewell waves from three students and then walked to the front door of my accommodation by the two old faithfuls Guo Qiang (the only man in the company who was entrusted to escort Qiao Yu to the front gate to call a cab)
and Xiao Qing. Guo Qiang then presented me with a beautifully wrapped present - a bamboo pen holder with chinese writings from a daoist sage.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Blissed out in tuina
Ahhhhh! Finally had a nice relaxing 45min face massage with my tall boy with big warm hands!
The big boss is away and it's been a relaxing week in tuina and I even cracked a joke in Chinese!!! And the students laughed!!
(note for Debs the detractor: see I am funny!!)
The joke? - English people get massages lying down listening to nice calming relaxing music; the Chinese have massages and make their own music of groans, scream and shrieks. This was yesterday at 8 in the morning when I was working my 'gun fa' tuina technique on the leg of a 40-50 something woman whilst Hua Mai was pummeling into her back with an elbow to the sound of persistent grunts reminiscent of my noisy fat b****** neighbours having sex!!! That was the night after I'd prematurely counted my chickens under the false translation that they were leaving that day :-(
So back to tuina, the burly big softy who is 2nd Dr has been chatting in chinglish with me and correcting or improving some of my massage techniques and today in the busy clinic I was pretty hands on with the TENS and the cupping, tho they still won't let me loose on a whole patient of my own. Just random body parts. No worries, plenty of bodies waiting when I get home no doubt!
And the first will be Sarah who I'll be accompanying to her fourth chemo session the day after I get back.
Pic of my room, 2nd from left, 4th floor (in China ground floor is 1st floor).
The big boss is away and it's been a relaxing week in tuina and I even cracked a joke in Chinese!!! And the students laughed!!
(note for Debs the detractor: see I am funny!!)
The joke? - English people get massages lying down listening to nice calming relaxing music; the Chinese have massages and make their own music of groans, scream and shrieks. This was yesterday at 8 in the morning when I was working my 'gun fa' tuina technique on the leg of a 40-50 something woman whilst Hua Mai was pummeling into her back with an elbow to the sound of persistent grunts reminiscent of my noisy fat b****** neighbours having sex!!! That was the night after I'd prematurely counted my chickens under the false translation that they were leaving that day :-(
So back to tuina, the burly big softy who is 2nd Dr has been chatting in chinglish with me and correcting or improving some of my massage techniques and today in the busy clinic I was pretty hands on with the TENS and the cupping, tho they still won't let me loose on a whole patient of my own. Just random body parts. No worries, plenty of bodies waiting when I get home no doubt!
And the first will be Sarah who I'll be accompanying to her fourth chemo session the day after I get back.
Pic of my room, 2nd from left, 4th floor (in China ground floor is 1st floor).
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
My new best friend's wedding
At 7.30am I was standing outside the clinic explaining to all the students i'd met from different clinics that I was waiting for my date! The wife was late as the doctor came late and ahead done her wifely duty that morning and left her husband in clinic with needles from top to toe. She then linked my arm in hers and we walked off campus who knows where.
We chatted all the way to the roundabout by carrefour and rode on the 75 bus for about 30 mins, past her house and then got off, popped in to say hi to her mum and dad (mum is same age as mine but hasn't had the travelling to keep her youthful). She squeezed my arm and asked me a heap of questions when I sat next to her on her bed where she and her husband were watching tele. At some stage she turned the volume up and soon after we left.
We picked up a bao mian = corn on the cob at a street corner and then marched on to a big building with a few groups of men or women standing around. Horror! Speed daring Chinese styley??? After a gaggle if gruff or Beijing opera screechy schoolfriends gathered we entered the building and queued for the list. By this stage there were enough visual cues to ascertain that I was attending a wedding...
...not mine I hope!!!
It was a loud drama that lasted just over an hour comprising a KTV - karaoke-singing groom walking back down the aisle singing 'wo ai ni' = I love you to his beautiful bride waiting under a heart-shaped pink paper flower arch. Only in China. How did Confucianism convert to kitch?
The mistress of ceremonies lined up the respective parents and poured red champagne into a cascade of flutes before a hug-the-in-law ceremony. Dinner of local delicacies and beer for about 50 large round tables of noisy guest lasted long enough for the wedding couple to make a toast at each table with lethal local bai jiu (white liquor).
I was lagging by this stage and relieved I had the excuse to return (for my afternoon nap and) of translating for the student hoping to go to America and also a trip with Guye's friend to get an ear model and ear seeds.
We chatted all the way to the roundabout by carrefour and rode on the 75 bus for about 30 mins, past her house and then got off, popped in to say hi to her mum and dad (mum is same age as mine but hasn't had the travelling to keep her youthful). She squeezed my arm and asked me a heap of questions when I sat next to her on her bed where she and her husband were watching tele. At some stage she turned the volume up and soon after we left.
We picked up a bao mian = corn on the cob at a street corner and then marched on to a big building with a few groups of men or women standing around. Horror! Speed daring Chinese styley??? After a gaggle if gruff or Beijing opera screechy schoolfriends gathered we entered the building and queued for the list. By this stage there were enough visual cues to ascertain that I was attending a wedding...
...not mine I hope!!!
It was a loud drama that lasted just over an hour comprising a KTV - karaoke-singing groom walking back down the aisle singing 'wo ai ni' = I love you to his beautiful bride waiting under a heart-shaped pink paper flower arch. Only in China. How did Confucianism convert to kitch?
The mistress of ceremonies lined up the respective parents and poured red champagne into a cascade of flutes before a hug-the-in-law ceremony. Dinner of local delicacies and beer for about 50 large round tables of noisy guest lasted long enough for the wedding couple to make a toast at each table with lethal local bai jiu (white liquor).
I was lagging by this stage and relieved I had the excuse to return (for my afternoon nap and) of translating for the student hoping to go to America and also a trip with Guye's friend to get an ear model and ear seeds.
A wenzi wake-up
A persistent wenzi (mosquito) whizzpered in my ear at 4am that dawn was about to appear and I should get out of bed and greet the day in the park.
Beautiful sunny day in dao paradise!
Beautiful sunny day in dao paradise!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)