I'm on the move.

Peace Corps Volunteer in China for the next two years!

[imonthemove]

Missing/Making Friends/Family

I know I haven’t posted in a long time and that is due to many excuses that I could list, but then it would just make this post longer and you all should know by now that I like to talk – or type – a lot.  So, let’s just get into it.

Being a Peace Corps volunteer is a strange thing at times.  One second you feel like you don’t belong, like a large gray elephant in a Where’s Waldo, and then you find yourself at another moment forgetting that you are not in America.  You just fit in so perfectly that you feel like Waldo; happy, smiling, and wearing a red and white shirt, hat, and glasses.  Okay, that’s enough Waldo for now.  (I’ve hidden another Where’s Waldo reference in here.  Try to find it!)

I have been lucky enough to make some truly great friends on my campus.  Many volunteers might keep their distance from the teachers or their campus and focus only on other aspects, such as students or local community, but not this one.  I have become quite close to some of the teachers here.  

Last semester, I had started up both a student reading group and a teachers’ book club (they demanded it), it has continued to this semester and I think it will keep chugging along for some while.  The attendance for it isn’t too grand, but the conversations are, so I really don’t mind. The teachers who attend have been phenomenal with keeping up on their readings and discussing their theories. This semester we have read Water for Elephants, The Glass Menagerie, “Monkey’s Paw,” Of Mice and Men, And then There were None, and there could have been more, I kind of forget at the moment. But one day it dawned on me.  These teachers put aside their time to take part in my activity.  They really don’t have to attend, they just want to and they have been excelling at it.  So, that led me to a question.

Why don’t I do the same for their activities?  Activities hosted by teachers aren’t too common, but there are a few.  Lately, I have been attending yoga classes – held by one of the teachers who is very active in the book club discussions – and I’ve actually been enjoying it much more than I had expected.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not excelling at yoga, I’m not even a little good.  On the rare occasion that I can do the pose correctly, I am instantly brought down five million pegs by looking at the instructor and seeing how her body is a perfect wheel and I’m still unable to touch my toes.

Anyways, my untoned body isn’t way I wanted to talk about today, I want to talk about friendships. So, with that little yoga class, I have been able to connect with the teachers more.  We started having inside jokes and all formalities have been left behind.  It was great to do yoga with them, but then the weather changed.  Now it is far too cold to comfortably wear work out clothes in the drafty office.  So, we needed something new to try, but what could a group of people with ages between 25-50 do together?

Knitting!  The answer to all of life’s questions.  One teacher asked if I would be able to teach her how to knit because she had always wanted to learn.  Now we meet up and knit on Tuesdays.  Well, they knit.  I just pick up my needles and set them right back down to help them out and then pick them up again and so on.  They have been very excited since the beginning and have learned that there is more to it than just pooping out a scarf.  But it has been simply amazing.

Last week, the four of us were sitting in the café knitting along when one of the teachers brought out popcorn.  After a few jokes, we somehow began throwing popcorn into the air for others to catch in their mouths.  We had popcorn everywhere (except for our mouths) and students/cafegoers were watching us as we were loudly laughing and trying to regain our composure.  

This is something that I love.  Just people being friends.  We are not required by the school or Peace Corps to learn how to knit.  (I am required to do a secondary activity, which are my two book clubs; but this is all me.)  We are just hanging out and having fun.

My waiban – my boss at the school – found out that I was hosting these knitting classes and quickly become curious, but not in a good way.  I must tell her if I am starting up any new projects on the campus or with the people of the school.  But I don’t see this a program.  I don’t see those teachers as teachers.  I just see them as my knit group.  

People who have done Peace Corps can tell you that it is rough being away from your friends and family for two years.  Some volunteers have a difficult time dealing with their feelings of isolation from the world they know back in the states.  I have been lucky with that feeling.  I didn’t feel homesick until about two months ago.  I’m already so close to finishing my service.  I’m beginning to miss all of my friends and family, even my old high school friends who I haven’t talked to in six years.

Now, please don’t get me wrong, I have other friends.  I didn’t just get my first China-friends yesterday.  If you’re reading this then you should know that I’m likable and can make friends…okay, I’m at least tolerable…sometimes.  But this group is special to me because knit groups aren’t formal for me.  A knit group isn’t even just a group of friends for me.  I see it as a family.  This idea was first gifted to me by the people who taught me to knit, my original knit group. I miss them almost as much as I miss Beans (my very old, mean Boston terrier) and Empress Wu Zetian (the house cat, not the only female emperor of China) and that’s saying something.  

I’m missing my friends left and right.  All the weddings I will never be able to see outside of photographs, the children being born that I won’t meet until they’re potty-trained (okay, I might have dodged a bullet there), and everything else happening.  I won’t be able to spend my time with all of you.  But I’m at least able to feel like I have some of you here with me with my new knit group.

 Oh!  Did you find Waldo?

[imonthemove]

Sick of being Sick in China

I know, it's been a really long time since I've posted. I could have posted about my Philippine trip, MST (Mid-Service Training), book clubs, or any of my adventures. Sorry. But now I'm here to talk about being sick of China; well, sick in China. It's actually a mixture of the two. Let's start at the beginning, before getting sick. Two weeks ago, I was approached by one of the heads of the media department to give a radio interview, fully in Chinese, which I told him that I wouldn't mind so. Then the next day he said that he wanted me to read some traditional Chinese poems as well. I put my foot down on that, saying that my Chinese isn't good enough for that, but I can still do the interview. The interview was scheduled to take place on September 15th, but it was later pushed back to the following week. That didn't sit too well for me, because I was completely free for the 15th, it was a good time for me. The 22nd on the other hand is absolutely horrible. I have my own class, a class for teachers, and two book club meetings that day. I attempted to object to the time change, telling him that I have class at that time, but instead of finding a new time slot for the interview, he moved my classes around to fit his schedule. I wasn't too pleased about this, but what's done is done, so I agreed still. This past Monday, he met up with me in the cafeteria and informed me that I was no longer doing a radio interview but a live talk in the auditorium. At this point, I was quite ticked off. Nothing from the original plan remained. This wasn't what I agreed to at all. I attempted to back out of the task, but the other teacher at the table was a bit mortified at what I was saying and encouraged me to continue on with his plan. So I just said screw it and agreed. This is where the illness comes in. I was a little sick on Monday, but nothing major; I was still able to maintain my daily routine. Tuesday, I was knocking on death's door. It was bad. Wednesday, today, still bad. My voice is distorted from my sore throat and clogged nose. My head is spinning at all hours of the day. All I want to do is sleep, take my meds, and get better. I managed to get through my four hours of classes by drinking water and having my students do most of the talking (which is hard to do on the first day). The department head guy, once again, found me at lunch (I seriously need to get a bell for that guy because he's very good at sneaking up on me) and was reminding me of the activity. I tried to tell him nicely that I am very sick and don't know if I can continue on as planned. This guy speaks way too fast for me to catch everything, so I had my friend help with some things and to make sure he fully understood what I was trying to say. I was wanting to tell him that I have to back out, but if I'm feeling better tomorrow or Friday, then I'd be more than happy to join. But before I could say that he tells me that it doesn't matter if I'm sick, I still have to go, it's the Chinese way. Done. I was prepared to be nice about it, but there was absolutely nothing nice coming from this man, so I'm finished with him. I rolled with all of his changes and smiled politely the entire time, but when he completely ignored what I was saying and told me I had to do it, that's when I gave up being nice. I told him that I'm sick and won't be attending. He asked if I will do it after I feel better and I told him that I would have to see if it works with my schedule. I hate saying no to people, especially when it's something related to my job/service. But I haven't received any form of consideration from this event and I have had enough. Honestly, I will probably be better by Friday and if he had given me one "I understand" or "let me know when you're feeling better" then I would have gone through with it. Well, that's the end of my rant, and it does feel better to get it off my chest. Just remember the moral of the story...you can push me as much as you like, but just be considerate. Okay, not the best moral, but meh, I'm sick.

[imonthemove]

Gifts

Recently, I have been given some amazing gifts.  I'm not going to talk about every present I have received; I'm sure you all don't want to hear about my new shoes or pineapple light.  There are two gifts that were not just given, but entrusted to me.

1) Backpack A month ago I had received a message from some of my China 21 friends, they were finishing their service and going back home.  I say they are friends, but actually, they are my cousins.  Their host mom and my host family are good friends and, long story short, we made ourselves a little family.  I remembered meeting them for the first time and just thinking that they were possibly the coolest people I had ever met.  They were the first same-sex married couple in Peace Corps history and I felt honor in just knowing them, not to mention being fake related to them.  Anyways, as I was saying, they had messaged me telling me that they had left me something in my Peace Corps mailbox.  Honestly, I had completely forgotten about that mailbox, as I know many before me have.

How do I know they have?  Well, when I went to my surprise mail, I found the chest x-rays of the volunteer before me in my slot.  Those x-rays are typically taken care of at the very beginning of one's service.  So, yeah.  Nobody ever checks them.

Other than the x-ray sheets, there was a dirty old backpack rolled up in my slot.  I pulled it and recalled seeing one of them using it.  A bit confused as to why they had given me their old backpack and I mean it is old.  The soft portion of the Velcro patch was coming off, dark stains covered the majority of the bottom, the straps had deep grooves where the length had been adjusted a couple of times, and the Spiderman patch on the top flap appeared to be crudely sewn on.  I wasn't being hateful of the bag, it just seemed to have seen better days.  While examining the bag I found a note, which read:

Dearest Logan, We leave to you the coveted Spider-Man backpack.  You are the 6th generation to receive the pack.  This pack has traveled around the world and our hope is that it will treat you well on your journeys.  Keep your eyes open for the next deserving volunteer to pass this along when you depart China. Love, Your PC cousins

Now, the bag was something different.  All of those negative things I had thought instantly turned positive.  Stories could be found all over this bag.  Mysterious tales are echoed through the stains, straps, and patch.  The Velcro still bothers me, but that can be easily fixed.  Receiving this pack brought new light to my service.  I felt like I could do anything with Peace Corps.

I left the Peace Corps office with a bounce in my step, a positive outlook, and a new old pack on my back.

2) Bracelet After Mid-Service Training (MST) I was able to spend a few days with my host family and their new trainee.  It was good seeing my Chengdu host family again and nice to meet one of the China 23s.  My host mother decided to take us on a little outing to her master's temple.  She is a practicing Buddhist - meditation, rosary beads, vegetarian, the whole nine-yards - and she wanted to visit her master again.

I had met her master once before at his parents' home, but this was the first time I was to visit the temple of which he resides.  It wasn't a large place whatsoever, but it was still very beautiful.  A garden was just left of the entrance, a large tower placed in the back, and a pond in the center of the grounds.  He is the only monk at that temple and is overseeing the development of the new extensions.  In about two years the temple will be roughly four times larger.

We sat inside drinking tea as everybody talked to Master and I spoke to the trainee about Peace Corps.  All of the sudden I overheard my host mom talking about me.  She had told him that I was interested in learning about Buddhism and that - as she has said many times - I am like a monk.  I can't really argue with her when she says that because I am vegetarian and work as a volunteer.  He was intrigued and told me that I can ask any question about Buddhism.  So, I thought for a moment and asked all of the questions that I had gathered over the years and he explained them one after another.  After showing me his ghost whip (a small doorknob-like tool which apparently fights back ghosts), he walked into the back room and quickly came back out.  He was holding a rosary bracelet which consisted of thirteen large, wooden beads. I figured he was just wanting to show me another part of the religion, but he stuck it around my arm and told me that my path is sure to meet up with Buddha once again.  I was a bit confused until my host mom told me that he was giving it to me and then I was in shock.  

I didn't know what to say.  For the first time ever, I was honestly speechless.  I just stared at the rosary around my arm.  I never expected to receive anything from our encounter and I NEVER thought that I would be given something like this.

My host mom explained to me that it is made from "golden wood" and is very expensive.  How expensive?  Well, let's just say I would never be able to afford it on my living stipend.  The wood is light and dark brown, but when the light hits it then the beads give off a golden glow.

After some time I was finally able to process words and thanked him more than what I probably should have.

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Danzhai, Guizhou, China  中国贵州丹寨

Picture post 1

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Danzhai, Guizhou, China  中国贵州丹寨

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[imonthemove]

Summer Project Master Post

Summer Project has been talked up by Peace Corps staff and China 21 volunteers for the past year, so much so that all of the 22s had developed strong expectations for it, way before it had even begun.  For those of you who don't know, Summer Project is another form of teaching we do when we don't actually have our usual classes in session.  Volunteers go to cities/town (the locals call them "villages," but they are still cities or towns by American standards) which are known for being poor or having low marks on examinations.  I'm not certain if that is true for all situations, but that appears to be the case for Guizhou volunteers.  What is true for all of PC China volunteers is that we are conducting teacher training at the sites.

Even though the English levels of the teachers and their students are incredibly low, past volunteers have exclaimed that it is a wonderful experience to learn more about the minority groups in China and to feel an impact your service has on the people in your province.  It has been said that this is the most meaningful experience for PC China volunteers.  I had heard numerous things about Summer Project and most of them seemed positive.  

Now I am going to share my own journey.  Below are my entries for my two weeks in the "village" called Danzhai 丹寨.  I wrote an entry for each day.  The reason I am posting them all together like this is that I want you to read them in order and because I didn't know if I'd keep to a daily posting schedule.

You can click this link and read all two weeks:

Summer Project: The Full Story

Or you can just click on one day at a time:

BEFORE THE BEGINNING

DAY 0: ARRIVAL

DAY 1: CLASS IS IN SESSION

DAY 2: THE VISIT

DAY 3: THE OL' SWITCH-A-ROO

DAY 4: THE TALE OF WOGAN DWATMAN LIVES ON

DAY 5: GAME DAY

DAY 6: CLIMBING IN THE CLOUDS

DAY 7: AN AFTERNOON OUTING

DAY 8: THE WELCOME WATERFALL

DAY 9: WONDERFUL PUNISHMENTS

DAY 10: WHEN WILL WE LEARN?

DAY 11: DRINKING

DAY 12: A FINAL GOODBYE

REFLECTION: Logan.

I know it’s a lot of reading.  Over 12,000 words.  But it was a great experience and I don’t want to forget a single second of it.

[imonthemove]

How I Have Been Spending the Past Two Semesters

I have been at Guizhou Education University 贵州师范学院 for one whole school year now and in this time I have found a few ways to keep busy.  Below are the different activities I have filling my time with.  The other volunteer and I work on English Corner together and he also takes part in the Teachers' Book Club.  Typically, when there are activities that I spearhead I make sure they about equality with race, gender, or identity.  The other volunteer and I are both male, so I want to make sure the girls are getting strong "girl power" message across, so I believe it is invaluable to show women in charge and changing the world. I'm going to stop this forward right now and just let you see what I'm talking about. 

English Corner     |     Every Thursday     |     5:30 - 7:00     |     Average Attendance: 16 Students

English Corner is held weekly in the school's English library cafe.  The other volunteer and I host games such as Pictionary, charades, Clue, Taboo, and too many to list.  The students seem to enjoy the different activities.  We do hold a rather lengthy EC, but I feel that it for the best.  It allows us to plan for longer more complicated games and the students can practice their speaking, listening, creative thinking, and every other skill for an extra hour and a half every week.  Not every activity is a hit, but students seems to enjoy all our efforts.

Student Book Club     |     Every Wednesday     |     2:30 - 3:30     |     Average Attendance: 5 Students

Not many students attend, mainly due to the horrible timeslot, but the ones who do attend can learn about Western cultures in a whole new way.  I give the students fairy tales, myths, poetry, short stories, and other readings that aid in painting a more accurate view of Western societies.  We all read the selection together, identify any unknown words, and then share our ideas about the reading.

Grimm Brother fairy tales show aspects from different cultures and show the origins of many oral English phrases.  Works by Maya Angelou and Emily Dickinson are used to build their confidence and highlight their strengths.  American lore, such as Paul Bunyan and John Henry, are used to depict how America has its own culture, independent from other countries.

The story of John Henry has been voted a student favorite. Sure, the vocabulary was a bit tough at times, but they as pushed through and found it to be a rather inspirational story.  It is also my favorite reading so far.  This story paved way for us to talk about many different topics: diligence, man-vs-machine, and slavery; just to name a few.  It was an interesting reading that allowed the kids to learn about how America transitioned from being a country built by slaves to blacks and whites working towards equality.

The students who attend have told me that this is their favorite activity we hold.  I believe their words to be true, because since starting these meeting, the students have begun referring to these texts in their other courses and are seeing many different sides to Western culture.

Teacher Book Club     |     Every Tuesday     |     12:15 - 1:00     |     Average Attendance: 5 Teachers

The teachers' version of the book club is closer to the conventional concept, where people read independently and gather to discuss the chapter.  Many English teachers have received the book, but only a few actually attend the meetings.  From what I have gathered from all of the teachers, who have made a dent in the book, everybody is enjoying the reading.

For our first book, I selected my personal favorite, Kindred by Octavia Butler.  Her writing style easily holds anybody's interest and the vocabulary she used is at the perfect level for all of the teachers.  This story deals heavily with American slave culture.  Which allows the teachers to not only gain some understanding of American history, but also have a glimpse of the horrors that slaves had to endure.  Butler wrote this book in a way that has all the teachers feeling deeply connected to the characters and made them beg for more.

We are going to read Kathryn Stockett's The Help this summer and Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants next semester.  Showing different aspects of America.  The teachers voted for these two books from a list of thirteen titles. I'm hoping their meeting will continue once I leave the university next year.

Office Hours     |     Every Monday and Wednesday     |     4:00 - 5:00     |     Average Attendance: 7 Students

Office hours are held in -- wait for it -- my office, which is a used as a safe space for the kids to freely speak about any topics without having to fear unwanted students or cafe customers overhearing their ideas. Students are given the power to decide the topic for each meeting.  Somedays the topics are light and whimsical, such as technology, holidays, college life, and poop (okay, maybe not "whimsical").  Other days they will ask questions about hate groups, cults, teenage pregnancies, and homosexuality; and that's where the students really get to shine with their English-speaking abilities.  Students have been able to tell some heart-wrenching stories about some truly horrible things that have happened to them and their loved ones.

Oral English Class     |     7 Different Classes     |     1.5 Hours/Week     |     Average Class Size: 31 Students

This is the only truly mandatory thing I have to do on this campus.  I have a total of 215 students and I know most of their English names and maybe one or two Chinese names.  Luckily, my students are advanced enough that I can hold the course entirely in English.

My first semester was held much like a typical course.  The teacher teaches and the students studes (I know it's not a real word, but it's catchy so leave it alone).  I would teach the lessons in the book and have the students do a couple presentations.  The activities and content were basic and I feel that I could do everything the course required in Chinese.  Sure, the students could do it quicker in English than I could in Chinese, but I could still do it or have done it in college.

The spring semester was a bit different.  I could not take this course if it were held in Chinese.  I asked the students to really step it up a level. There were three presentations, eight homework assignments, and two final exams.  Students worked in groups to present the information from their assigned chapter.  They had to teach the book's dialogue, 10-20 new words from the unit, and assign homework. It was actually pretty simple, however, they decided to go above and beyond the call of duty by teaching the class through games and activates.  They had used my own teaching style to teach their lessons; I apparently taught them methodology my first semester without know it.

Their other presentations were about interviewing outside of China, which they found to be boring, and English speaking countries.  They found the latter to be difficult and extremely fun. I assigned partners and gave them a list of countries they could choose from.  There was a total of 36 countries, most of which are from Africa and Asia; they were all nations that list English as an official language.  They had never heard of some the countries before and they had to tell the class about the culture, food, and traditions.  Many students have informed me that they wish the time limit would have been much longer for that assignment, because they were generally interested in the other groups' topics.

Sorry for the very long post.  I honestly intended on just writing a paragraph or two.

[imonthemove]

Zunyi - Catholic Church Post Stratman side of the family: Tell Great Father Ray that I went to a Catholic Church in China! Taylor side of the family: Don't you dare even think about telling Mammaw. Everybody: I thought this was an extremely fascinating site in Zunyi. It was a regular Catholic Church with Chinese influence. The tips on the roof curve upward, just as the traditional Chinese architecture does. There's actually a lot I want to say here, but my finger is getting tired of typing on my phone, so just see for yourself.

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Zunyi - Other Stuff Post Here's some other stuff from the trip. Too tired to write anymore.

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Zunyi - Animal Post Animals weren't a major component to this trip, but I love animals so they get their own post. All animals are important.

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Zunyi - Food Post Breakfast - 油条 (yoútiaó) are commonly found all over China, but I love them and they deserve to be on any post about food. They taste like funnel cakes and you dip them in your warm milk. Lunch - We went up this mountain to a Buddhist temple where we were able to have a wonderful lunch. Didn't take pictures of the food there, but there's the scenery. Snack Foods - Zunyi has many specialties, but one that was mentioned to me by many teachers and students was the potato cake. Just find a deep fryer on the sidewalk and other some up and you won't regret it!

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Zunyi - Vineyard Post Explored Zunyi, Guizhou with my site-mate and counterpart! Had a great time celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival at a vineyard complete with barbecue and children setting things on fire. Travel Tip: If you have standing tickets for a train, go to the food car to sit and eat. Just make sure you eat VERY slowly.

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Went to a wedding last weekend. It was neat to witness a Chinese wedding first hand. A large group, myself included, followed the groom to the bride's home where we all tried to get the groom into the bride's room. People were banging on the door and window trying to convince the bride to let him in. This was followed by a dinner, a lot of waiting, and a tea ceremony. The next day the couple had a western-style wedding; you know, with the white dress, flowers, and cheesy gameshow host. It was a bit different. The role of the flower girl was played by two grown men who pelted the couple with the petals. But it was fun and interesting.

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Received a package this week. I was very confused as to what could be inside because I didn't order anything. I opened up the box and found this blue, hand-painted, one of a kind water bottle, along with the glass "Supreme" bottle, a drink cozy, and a Starbucks coaster. The only thing that was missing was an invoice. I had absolutely no idea who sent me these things or why. I was afraid that somebody sent me these things by mistake or that they had some elaborate plan that involved me receiving this package; I was really not wanting it to be a mistake, because I really like the blue-wood bottle. The next day it hit me that my LCF (Chinese language teacher from the Peace Corps) had asked me for my address last month. I called her up and she told me that she wanted to thank me for being a good friend to her and that she felt honored that I told her about my boyfriend. She must know me very well, because this is an amazing gift. I might even say, it's "S'well."

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Annoyance.

Have you ever seen a TV program where the first season (or first couple of seasons) were nothing but sunshine and rainbows, but then out of nowhere the show turns to be hard and cold? Okay, I can only think of one series that has ever done that. However, that seems to be the mood for most of the volunteers now; so queue the rebellious-teen, punk rock music.

Scrolling through social media I find blog entries and status updates from other PCChina 22s about how they are bringing down the hammer on their students and school this semester. No more accepting late work. Kiss those days of unexpected outings goodbye. So long, poor attendance. The kind and lenient volunteers you once knew are long gone.

I haven’t gone completely cold hearted to my students…yet. However, I have grown tired of one certain behavior everybody here seems to display. Rudeness. Complete and utter rudeness.

Last semester I would remain polite when people would run up and take pictures or videos of me doing normal, everyday tasks. I’m still kind to those who ask for permission, but for those who sneak a shot, that’s another story.

I feel like china is making a documentary about my life here. “And now you can see the rare foreign teacher sitting on a bench. We approach with caution, because, as we all know, every American could be dangerous.” No matter what we do here, there’s always somebody documenting our lives without consent. It never really bothered me until recently.

I understand the pictures when I’m traveling to somer small cities and places without any foreigners, but I don’t understand this behavior from the students. My site mate and I have been here for well over half a year. We walk around and eat on the campus daily. We are pretty easy to spot, even in a crowd. You know what we look like. You’ve taken our pictures before. You can just come up and talk to us. We’re honestly not that exciting.

Additional Annoyance:

Them: “Can you use chopsticks?” Me: “Uhhhh…yeah.” Them: “Really? I don’t think you can. It’s too difficult for you.” Me: “Can you use a spoon?” Them: “Of course.” Me: “No, I think it’s too hard for you.” *eating* Them: “Oh my! Hahahaha! You can use chopsticks!” Me: “Seriously? We had dinner together just last week! You’ve seen me use them before!”

I’m not even remotely polite when it comes to this question.

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Miao Village (post 2)

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Miao Village (post 1)