The Year that Was

When I think back over the year, personal happenings are intertwined with collective events . Here is my personal list of things that went on in 2008, listed in the order I think of them, which is not to be confused with the order of their importance:

Joe and I became grandparents (see previous entry).

I turned 60 and celebrated with my 87 year old great aunt in New Jersey (below) and later with my son Michael in Philadelphia.

Barack Obama was elected president.

I received tenure.

I was promoted to associate professor.

There was a horrific earthquake in China.

Ben received his Master's degree

ETSU had lots of budget cuts.

I returned to China where Joe and I helped with Olympic training.

Joe turned 65, and we had a big party.

We celebrated Autumn Festival with Chinese International Students at ETSU

The economy tanked.

The war continued.

I finally wrote and submitted my article on how the Chinese teach reading.

I had Chinese software installed on both my computers.

It's nearly 2009. Happy New Year to all!

She's here!

Our granddaughter, Lillian Pauline, was born December 28, 2008, two days before my 60th birthday.

I'm told she doesn't sleep very much-- Emily and Steve are very busy!

Symbolic attire

Ceremonial attire is very specific. At Ben's graduation from George Washington University's School of Political Management, they did not wear caps and gowns. Rather, the requisite attire was described as "business dress." When you think about it, the rules for this type of apparel are equally strange. Why wear stiff-collared shirts with jackets on a warm summer's day and knot dull strips of silk 'round the neck?

My husband Joe likes to dresses in what he picks up at the church thrift store. That way, he has more to give to charity. But for this occasion, he purchased a brand new blazer and Oxford cloth shirt. He even wore a tie for the first time in the past six months.

Ben (below) has always cleaned up well.

A Welcome Development

On earlier trips, I saw no signs of the disabled in China; but now there are changes. With its inlaid stone sidewalks and high thresholds, China is notoriously inaccessible, but now ramps and alternative courses abound many places. Perhaps it's the influence of the Olympics. One sees wheelchairs many places, though not the motorized type which afford people more independence. It's a start.

For the first time, I encountered the Chinese deaf (below). They use sign, but I have no information as to their system.

Markers of Status

Cultures have practical markers of status, which seem silly to an outsider. The Chinese know the importance of where guests sit at a banquet. In universities here, we establish status with titles, parking spots, and access to space.

I am now an associate professor-- a new title. and yesterday, I learned I was being accorded an important marker of status. Two weeks from now, I move to a different office-- one with an outside window. My present office has no window, though it has panels of frosted glass; the office I had at first had once been a closet and was next to the men's room.

Matters of Faith

I was once asked by Chinese colleague in Weihai how I could possibly go to a country where I knew no one at first and without a grasp of the language. I told her I prayed. She said "I do not understand this word-- prayer."

I said it was conversation with God. She responded, "God is not real. Do you mean you get strength when you speak to yourself? How can this be?"

China is secular. Many Chinese cannot relate to religion at all and regard the faith of a Christian as charming superstition at best. This attitude arises partly from Marxism, where religion is viewed as a method of pacifying the masses.

But anthropologist Mayfair Yang suggests that part of the fault is the church's. She argues that missionary Christians taught the Chinese to despise their own robust spirituality. Here is the link to an interview she gave on Speaking of Faith. Credit to Michael Cody for finding this excellent broadcast: http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/chinese_religiosities/

Above: Image of the ancient sage Confucius

Below: Buddhist Temple in Nanjing

Let Us Praise Famous Women and Men

In school Chinese children learn a song, "How I Love Tiananmen Square." The name means "Gate of heavenly peace." The plaza is China's National Mall, flanked by The Great Hall of the People and China's National Museum. Snacks and trinkets are sold here. Children run and fly kites.

Between April and June of 1989, Tiananmen Square was the epicenter of protest against the authoritarian regime, a nonviolent movement of China's youth. On June 4, 1989, the government moved in with tanks, killing thousands of people. Footage of this massacre is readily available here in the West, but the Chinese government maintains that no mass carnage occurred. This YouTube video is a short and powerful documentary. I hope you'll watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6inWKFKv9UA

Someday there may be a monument on the square to those who lost their lives seeking freedom. For now, memory of this bloodbath warns against dissent. There will be change, however, though one cannot predict how soon. Oceans, earthquakes, and the desire of people for freedom cannot be indefinitely held back.

During the Olympics, the world will be watching China. The government is taking measures to deal with potential dissent before the games start while laying down a smokescreen of openness.

What I haven't been telling you

China is not simply a land of exotic tradition and burgeoning economic development. The country is still a military dictatorship. There is only one party, and the media are an arm of the state. The ghost of Chairman Mao and the legacy of the Tiananmen Square massacre cast a pall across this great nation. Dissent is stifled; many leave if they can. Though the Chinese keep saying "things are much better," China is still a place of repression, corruption and fear.

There was much I could not say while I was over there. But now that I'm back in the States I shall be saying it. China is opening to the world. But we must not be confused about what we see. Nor should we copy the bad points of this brave and varied nation.

What ever your political bent, celebrate liberty.Here is a link to our Bill of Rights. Take a moment to read it. Read it often. Determine to defend it. And be thankful.

Above: Images from what is now Fragrant Hill Park, home of the Chairman's villa.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

The Chairman

Chairman Mao

Intense or unrestrained excitement.

In a recent entry, I mentioned a soft-spoken female student whose T-shirt displayed the word 'orgasm' several times. I imagined she was using English for unbridled self-expression.

Wrong, said Leo, a former student of mine from Weihai in a comment on this blog. He pointed out that 'orgasm' can mean 'intense or unrestrained excitement.' That's the definition given on the electronic dictionaries. Probably that was the young lady's understanding of the word. He doubted she was aware of the sexual overtones. Studious Chinese young ladies are restrained about such things.

I dislike the electronic dictionaries English Language Learners carry because the definintions are very abbreviated. In China, most students have them. People become over-reliant on these devices and make all kinds of context mistakes. It's like using a thesaurus. I sometimes joke that students can improve their English by throwing these gadgets out the window.

Studying a foreign language is tricky, though, and we do like our crutches. Just now, when I was looking for a picture of this device, I started looking for one that gave English, pinyin (Romanized Chinese) and Chinese characters. Maybe I'll find one in my stocking this Christmas...

Hallelujah!

At age 48, I began my doctoral studies in literacy and linguistics. Not everyone on the UC faculty thought graduate studies could be effectively completed part-time. It was suggested I was occupying space better given to a student attending full time. People told me I'd never finish and that even if I did, I wouldn't get an academic job, and certainly never get tenure.

I came home to the news that the allegedly impossible had occurred. For weeks, I'd been checking out the Tennessee Board of Regents website, but nothing was posted there. Then today, Joe brought home our church newsletter which congratulated me and several other people on achieving this milestone. At first, I wouldn't believe the news was official. Academics learn to cross check everything and to document very precisely. It becomes a habit.

To university faculty, tenure is unbelievably important. Not that it changes your duties any, but it alters your possibilities. You have academic freedom. No longer does it matter whether people like you or not.

So jet lagged as I am, I dragged myself into the office seeking the official letter. There was none. Perhaps it had gone out late.

Suddenly, I thought of checking the ETSU website, where the announcement was listed under personnel news. It wasn't exactly buried, but you had to know where to look. It's been posted since July 8th; odd that I didn't look there 'til now. Weird I found out from my church's newsletter. As if God wanted to tell me first.

I'm too tired from jet lag and years of hard work to fully experience joy. It's a good time to listen to Handel's Hallelujah chorus. Here's a version I found on the web:

http://www.biblestudycharts.com/RH_Hallelujah_Chorus.html

Contexts of English

Earlier I said one rarely sees graffiti here, and it's generally true. But I saw a couple of examples this morning when we went for a walk. One was painted over --paint is one way to deal with grafitti. But a second occurrence was more puzzling. Opposite a university gate, a place of high visibility, was some work in colorful spray paint. It was done artistically, and probably by more than one person on more than one day. I thought it was a mural at first. Then, I noted that carefully embedded in its center was the English word SHIT. The artists would have known what it meant. But did they understand its connotation? Given the prudery of Chinese society, I wondered why no one removed it-- to evidence China's new openness, perhaps? Or was the anti-graffiti crew on vacation?

English is often displayed in curious ways here. The other day, a very polite young lady came to her Olympic training in a shirt with this statement:

What makes me special...?

Orgasm

Orgasm

Orgasm

I would be very surprised if that same student wore a shirt with that slogan in Chinese. English is viewed as different and exotic here, and using our language, the young people say things they cannot say in their own.

Markers

Graffiti is virtually absent from Chinese cities. I assume it is severely punished. I have seen only one instance of grafitti-- on a wall of the Tibetan monastery in Fragrant Hill park. Situated on a hill overlooking Beijing, the park contains many ancient monuments along with Chairman Mao's Villa. Among these, the monastery is the only building which has not been restored, and a piece of graffiti remains on one wall.

There is something very human about the wish to post what we write. Blogging is one such expression. Another is the monolith in the monastary courtyard, which gives the same message in four ancient languages of Asia. According to our guide, it welcomes all who seek God.

Preparing for Reentry

We leave for the States tomorrow. I don't know how much I'll blog when I get back-- in the past I have found there is less to blog about when I'm in the US, though I like to write about contacts with foreigners on campus in this blog which focuses on my contacts with China.

Though China is not noted for the freedom of its press, I have felt pretty free to write whatever I liked, if I did it tactfully. Being an outsider affords us a certain freedom. When I arrive home, things are different. I am not an outsider in the US, especially not at the university where I teach. I may write freely about my society and government, but about the inane bureacracy of my own institution, its silly committee meetings, its tempests in teapots, I have to be circumspect. And those are the things I like to write about, which is why I am often silent when in America.

I anticipate reentry, the inverted culture shock one experiences on re-encountering home. Things change in our absence, and we ourselves change through contact with a foreign language, people and culture. I will miss the contact with Chinese students in these very hopeful times. I will miss my friends. I will miss CHINESE, this elusive, difficult language which I am beginning to learn.

In a few minutes, we will have our final "field trip"-- a look at the Olympic stadium. There will be lunch with friends tomorrow, packing, and the surreptitious discarding of presents which will not fit in our luggage. There may be time for another entry or two before our departure.

Thanks for reading. Keep in touch.

American cooking?

It was a hot day. After a morning of viewing monuments, our guide asked if we would like lunch. I was exhausted and overheated. "Do you ever serve cold food, here?" I asked. Chinese food is normally piping hot.

Cold food?

The Chinese don't eat it. They think it's bad for a person. Our guide suggested we eat American food. So we found an "American" restaurant where the food was excellent and featured such delights as vegetables wrapped in seaweed and pizza topped with seafood and corn. Not my idea of American cooking, but American Chinese restaurants must look strange to Chinese guests visiting us.

Finding Building 5 AKA 第五教学楼

On the phone, Zhan Fangmei told us her class would be held in Building 5. Anyone on campus could tell us where it was if we said it in Chinese; however, my Chinese is not always unreliable. Joe, who is studying, doesn't trust himself to speak yet.

Via the Internet, Fangmei sent me the Pinyin-- the Romanized version of the Chinese: di wu jiao xue lou. Problem is, I don't always get the tones right, so I may not be understood. So I also asked Fangmei to send me the characters so I could show the address to people on campus:

第五教学楼

Had I been at home, I would simply have printed out the message, and anyone who read Chinese could have helped me. But I don't have a printer here. So I had to copy the address by hand. An artistic person would have no trouble. I, however, am not artistic. My Chinese instruction has stressed oral communication; but I know a bit about writing characters. There's a particular in which one must make the marks in order to get the right shape.

So... I copied. My Chinese writing is large, painful, and childlike. But it WAS understood, and we got where we needed to go.

Above: Joe in front of Building 5.

One World, One Dream

While visiting The North China University of Technology, I learned that my former student and colleague, Mrs. Zhan Fengmei, was helping to conduct oral English training for Olympic Volunteers. These volunteers-- hundreds of them-- are being taught how to utilize English in communication with foreigners.

Joe and I got involved. We attended Mrs. Zhan's class, organized role plays, and discussed American culture. It was heartening to talk with these idealistic young people who dream of a better China, a better world. Not all these students enjoy speaking English, but their enthusiasm for the Olympics carried a long way. We ourselves will be back in the States when the games open, but it was wonderful to make even a small contribution.

Practically speaking, English is functioning as the world's international language, though some would prefer Esperanto. Even so, I do not think English speakers like me are excused from learning the languages of others, and I continue to work away at Chinese.

Filial Piety

Filial piety-- the duty to care for one's elders-- is a very strong value in China. Confucius considered it one of the highest moral values. Support of aging parents is mandated by law here. There are no governmental programs to assist the elderly. The expectation that one must care for aging parents is drummed into young people's heads here from the time they are small.

At first, I imagined the young people here actually WANTED to build their lives around their aging parents. Perhaps it was a cultural difference, I reasoned; in contrast to America where our children want to lead their own lives. People will say things to an outsider they won't admit to other Chinese. Many of the young people I talk to find care of their elders burdensome-- especially so in one child families where there are no siblings to share the load. Some young people smolder with resentment over the expectation that they care for their aging parents. But in today's China, there is no way out.

Elderly Chinese do not have the option of working and are thus very dependent on their children. Men must retire at 55 and women at 50, though exceptions are made in some fields, and some aging people find opportunities to work. Once, when I taught at a Chinese university, an official questioned whether a person of such advanced age as myself could possibly handle the workload

Above: An aging subsistence farmer.

Here's a link to an excellent article on this subject Bo Howell posted on his blog. http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/family/articles/the_aging_of_china.html

橙子 (chengzi): Otherwise Known as Orange Juice

We were eating breakfast at the NCUT canteen. We had obtained our vegetable filled buns at the hot food counter and were looking around for something to drink. It was a hot day. The drink locker was open, but the attendant was gone. Fine, I thought. We can pay him when he comes back. I took out two juices. A canteen worker appeared, looking decidedly unfriendly. I did not understand her words, but it was clear she thought I was stealing juice. I held out my wallet. But no, because the juice attendant was not around, it appeared we could not have juice, though it was clearly available.

Now, I accept cultural differences. But this seemed like nonsense, not culture. The juice was there, the locker was open, we had money, and the day was hot. I said so--in English of course, the language I speak best. Naturally, the attendant did not understand me. A university student came along, explaining mildly this was how things were done. "When in Rome, you should do as the Romans do." True enough. But might we buy something to drink? She suggested a supermarket not far away. She was walking that way. Fair enough. I went with her, leaving Joe at the canteen. When we arrived, it was closed. The girl said "sorry" and disappeared.

So I went back to the canteen and sought out the attendant. I took some money from my wallet, and gesticulated toward the juice case. I presume I was difficult to ignore, for my voice was well above Chinese conversational tone. Some English speaking students came along. I explained I had not been allowed to buy orange juice, though it was clearly available, that I'd been taken to the supermarket by a student, and it was closed. "Wait here!" said one.

In China, rules are fluid, and everything is subject to negotiation. This kid went to the HOT FOOD counter, and said something there. Then, she asked me to present the orange juice at the HOT FOOD counter, and that was where I paid. The incident incurred a lot of unnecessary commotion, but everyone was satisfied, except perhaps for the first attendant, who had said we could not buy juice.

Back home, it would have been different; we would have simply walked out of the place. Joe would have been embarrassed if I had made a fuss. But there was nowhere else around to get breakfast, and this is China. Sometimes, it makes sense not to accept the first answer.

No ordinary fire drill

I have learned that the "fire drill" we witnessed July 10 was no simple exersise in fire fighting. It was an anti-terrorism drill.

The government here is determined to be ready in case of security problems during the Olympics whether these emerge from foreign terrorism or domestic disaffection. The latter is of particular concern, for dissenters may view the Olympics as an opportunity to dramatize their concerns while the whole world watches.

A Matter of Interest

When I visited Rocky Mountain National Park at age 12, I was chiefly interested in feeding the chipmunks. This irritated my father, who wished me to derive greater educational benefit from the excursion. The two children I photographed at the Temple of Heaven were more interested in hiding under the kiosks than viewing the monument.

The Temple of Heaven was where ancient emperors went to pray for good harvests and offer sacrifices.

Other Duties As Assigned

In every job I've held, there have been what the contract calls "other duties as assigned"-- extra tasks which, while not part of the regular job, are from time to time required. When these become too onerous, employees call for more staff. American workers cannot be pushed beyond what they see as the limits of fairness, and our employers know this.

This is not true in every society. At the University of Shandong at Weihai, an experimental summer session was recently instituted. Faculty were required to teach in a full-time program lasting a month with no additional pay. No formal protest occurred, for this is not permitted. Universitie are agencies of government, and the professors' acquiescence, along with the attendance of students, were simply demanded. Morale is low for both teachers and students, but life goes on.

It is difficult for an Americans to understand how this situation is possible. The explanation lies in both politics and culture. Despite its economic growth, China is still an authoritarian society where one party rules. In addition, Confucian ideas stressing obedience to authority have influenced this culture for 2500 years.

Above: View of Shandong University at Weihai

Reunion Banquet

Last evening, there was a reunion banquet for Joe, me, and the teachers who participated in last year's NCUT project at ETSU. Wonderful to see everyone.

There were plans to repeat the project this year with another group of teachers. But the government has asked that any "nonessential" travel by university faculty be tabled for now so that resources can be directed to earthquake relief, which will take billions.

Lift Every Voice and Sing















Though I understood just a few of the words, I knew it was patriotic music. There were lots of horns and rousing choruses, and those assembled sang with gusto. Some of the tunes came from the early Communist era, and most of those singing were old. Our guide told us that many retirees come here to sing every day.

Graven images
When I get to the top of a pagoda, I want to pray. These structures are designed to make you feel this way. But for me, this is not entirely comfortable, as many pagodas have shrines to the Buddha at the top. It's not the different religion I object to-- it's the presence of what I've been taught to view as "graven images." I am Jewish by birth and background, and in Judaism, the taboo on statues in a house of worship is strong. As I meditated, I stood at some distance from the statues and looked at the view.


















Shrine to the Buddha














Wall of 10,000 Buddhas. I don't know if the number "10,000" is meant to be taken literally, but there were a lot of them.

Ascent to Heaven
Climbing a pagoda symbolizes the journey from earth to heaven. There is considerable effort involved. Though it was a hot day, I felt compelled to climb the pagoda at Beijing's Summer Palace. Joe never cares one way or another how high we climb, but he always humors me and does it as well, and with much more ease.

Chinese Fire Drill
There is an electric excitement in Beijing as China prepares to receive the world. At all the parks and tourist spots, English-speaking volunteers abound. There is a great emphasis on emergency preparedness, perhaps intensified by the recent earthquake.














The Summer Palace, China's largest and best preserved imperial garden features an artificial lake which one may cross in a dragon boat, motor boat, or pedal boat.















To insure the safety of the boat area, a fire drill was held this morning.
















Not everything floats. This marble vessel, commissioned by China's last empress, could be used for parties only.

Fruits
Beijing is abuzz with preparations for the Olympics. Here on the campus of NCUT where we are staying, the flurry of activity is especially evident, for the campus is in the heart of Beijing.
Hundreds of volunteers have been recruited, and they are given a rigorous training in English language and foreign customs. Teachers with foreign experience are being pressed into service to assist. Several of these are the NCUT faculty trained at ETSU last summer. Very gratifying.

Do Not Ask What Is It















The US is full of Chinese restaurants which do not serve Chinese food. Real Chinese food is alien and more varied. The Chinese serve animal parts we don't normally eat-- claws, faces, male genitalia. They eat all manner of sea food-- for example sea cucumber (above). Joe and I are fairly adventurous eaters, and much of the strange food is delicious. But poorly prepared food, strange or not, can cause problems. Here in Weihai, our friends made sure we went to safe places. But I sometimes made mistakes in Nanjing and suffered the consequences.

Toys and Reasons

Girls the world over like to jump rope, but in urban one child families, the game must be arranged differently, for there are no siblings to participate by turning ropes. Dianyu Zhang's daughter plays jump rope in her parents' apartment by leaping over strings tied to heavy chairs.
She enjoys working with playdough, like many of our own children, but of course the objects she creates reflect her culture.

Following Chinese custom, Joe and I are called "grandpa" and "grandma"by our Chinese friends' children. These titles are markers of intimacy and closeness. This was disconcerting at first, for in America, calling an unrelated woman "grandma" is not exactly a sign of respect. But it's different here. When Dianyu told his daughter I was "grandma," she immediately invited me to play with her. Between her primary school English and my emergent Chinese, we understood each other.















Dianyu's daughter playing solitaire jump rope





















Play reflects culture:
Using playdough, we created a complete dinner plate: Several varieties of Chinese dumplings, rice, rice bowls, chopsticks, and shouzi (Chinese soup spoons).

The Russians are coming!


















The seaside community of Weihai where we are now staying is on the Yellow Sea, just across from the Korean Pennisula (see map). Russia is to the North, and many Russian families vacation here. The areas by the beach are multi-lingual, with many signs in Russian and Korean, as well as in Chinese and English.

Russian tourists often speak to me in Russian. Upon reflection, I realized why this is so-- my ancestry is East European, and I look like them!




















bi-lingual sign in Chinese and Russian.
















Common genotype: The reader will note a decided resemblance between these Russian ladies and yours truly

Two Chinas, two childhoods.
China is enjoying a new prosperity, but this does not affect everyone. Especially in rural communities, poverty persists. The schools in the affluent urban areas are better. Those in rural communities lag behind. No country I have visited (including my own) has solved the problem of offering equal opportunity to all of its children.
In some areas, children attend excellently equipped public schools; in others, there is a lack of basic schools supplies. The Chinese government is aware of the difficulty, but like the US government, it has difficulty addressing it.















Children at the Confucius Elementary School in Nanjing.

















At a visit to He Feang, a rural community outside Nanjing, we presented school supplies to a girl who attained top grades this year. She is twelve, but is the size of an American seven year old.
Nutrition is probably an issue The parents are dead, and she lives with her grandfather, a subsistence farmer.

















For affluent children, the Nanjing Kentucky Fried Chicken is a celebration spot, especially for birthdays.