Caroline's blog

funerals

2010-11-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

Last week near my house there was a very loud and ostentatious funeral. I asked some questions about funerals, and this is what I found:

A funeral for someone who has died in the area of Hunan, China where I live has many parts, all related to the folk religion beliefs that adherents hold. A passerby knows that a funeral is being held because the family of the dead person erects a tent for people to come and show their respect to the dead person’s family.

The first step of the commemoration process is called “song zhong”. This involves gathering the descendants of the dead person together to meet together. The dead person reveals his/her wishes to the descendants. If the descendants carry out the wishes of the dead person, they are insured a good fortune in the future. This step exemplifies a key aspect of Chinese culture- that of honoring the ancestors and “giving face” to the family.

The second step of the funeral process involves setting off fireworks to alert the neighbors and friends that someone has died. This is called “baosan”, or letting others know that they need to come to the funeral ceremony. During this stage, the family members of the dead person wear white, and wear an off-white piece of thick gauze around their head, in honor of the dead person. At this time family members are expected to cry, having not cried during the days leading up to their ancestor’s death. When visitors come by the tent to pay respects to the family, the family members bow and say “thank you” to the people for coming to honor the dead person.

Third, the body is put in a box to be buried. The dead person’s head is shaved, body washed, and “shou yi”, special clothing, adorned. The body is put in the box within 24 hours of dying, arranged for people to look at.

Fourth, family members begin the “geguan”, or discussion about the day they will go to the mountain to bury the box.

The fifth step in the process is “diao yan”, which is more of people showing their respect to the dead person.

The sixth step is the “jie san”. Three days after a person has died, his soul goes to the afterworld. Family members invite monks to come and read from the “Jing wen”, which is the Buddhists’ holy book. The words that are said are meant to comfort the soul and allow it to go to heaven instead of staying on the earth.

Finally, there is “chu bing”, when the box is taken to the mountain and put into the ground. There are more fireworks at this stage, alerting the people on the streets to what is taking place.

For the next three years, the family observes “ju sam”, which is a peaceful and respectful time acknowledging that someone has died. (In ancient times, the son would stay at home for three years to show his respect.) Thus concludes the funeral process for the dead person.

Interesting, huh?

Team Hengyang Scavenger Hunt

2010-09-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

This year, we have 2 new teachers and 5 returning teachers on our team. So far, the enthusiasm and cooperation levels on the team are high. Last week we did 5 days of team building, plus a morning of lesson planning, as an intro to our year in Hengyang. One of the days, we did a Scavenger Hunt of things around town. The old teachers enjoyed showing the new teachers around, and I think everyone learned a lot. Here are some pictures of our day together.

apology

2010-09-07T05:15:00.000-07:00

This post is meant to serve as an apology to my very sparce blog entries. As an explanation, when i finally have time to sit down and write an entry, i simply can't think of anything to write about! Part of my problem is that i don't know exactly who i'm writing to, and don't really know what types of things my reader would enjoy reading about. sometimes i read my friends' blogs and enjoy them immensely. This should encourage my writing, but somehow it doesn't. anyway, my apologies for not writing very much. Maybe that will change this year, and maybe it won't. Suggestions for topics would be welcome anytime, however. Please enjoy the pictures i just posted on Facebook of Team the Hengyang Scavenger Hunt.

late night ponderings

2010-06-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, I lay awake at night and think about the important people in my life. I wonder if my life seems worthwhile to them, and what they think about the choices i have made. Last night after one such quandry, i realized that my focus had shifted from how it should be. The only One worth pleasing is already pleased with me, i was relieved to remember. Then I remembered 1 Cor 9:24, and reflected, am I "running in such a way as to get the prize"? At the end of my life I want to hear my heavenly Father say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Am I making use of the resources He has given me in a way that makes Him proud? I sure hope so- His opinion of how I make choices is becoming increasingly important to me. That's why I need Your help in making them, Abba!

6 weeks left

2010-05-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

I am notorious for counting down till major, or minor, events. Now we have 6 more weeks till exams are over, and i've already begun reflecting on the semester. Part of the reason the semester has gone by so fast is the fact that Mom, Jim, and McDowell came for a visit a few weeks ago. It was a good visit: We packed in Hong Kong, Hengyang, Yangshuo, and Macau all into 8 days. We took planes, trains, automobiles, and even boats. I THINK my family liked China, for the most part, but you'd have to ask them for their genuine response. I planned for them to be in Hengyang only 1 day, which turned out to be enough because of the lack of English spoken in the shops. Jim expressed his frustration at not even being able to communicate with the shopkeeper enough to be able to buy a drink. I suppose not being able to communicate does present its problems, which is why we quickly moved on to Yangshuo and Hong Kong, where most everyone can speak at least a little English. Yangshuo was beautiful, and we enjoyed a delightful bike ride in the countryside with mountain terrain views. We also took the boat ride down the Li River, which was gorgeous, too. Our last day together was in Macau, where we hiked to the highest point in the city, went to the (fascinating) History Museum, and yes we did stroll through the Lisboa and Wynn casinos. Good trip.
So now our students are watching The Blind Side and putting together skits for class this week. Among others, I know that one of the highlights of these final few weeks of the semester will be spending time with Tina, one of my more outspoken freshmen, and another sister, who is very enthusiastic about influencing Tina. The three of us have studied together once so far, and will continue to do so weekly. I just love our time together.
I hope I can put less energy into counting down and more energy into making the most of these final weeks!

Don't sing when it's that time of the month.

2010-04-11T08:50:00.001-07:00

I got a funny email from my friend Brooke, who lives in Beijing, the other day. She wrote the following story about a conversation she had with her Chinese friend:

"I made tacos and it was the first time she'd eaten anything like that. When she realized we weren't going to cook the lettuce and vegetables, she told me she was having her period, so she couldn't eat cold food. I hadn't heard of that before, so thus began a discussion about our cultures' period dos and don'ts. We microwaved her taco, so she wouldn't mess up her body's balance with cold food. She also needed hot water, which is common for most Chinese people. I told her my mother always puts ice in her water and she said, "Even during her period?" and I said yes. "Really? And she's okay?" Yes again! (you're okay, right, Mom? : ) ). My friend brought some jiaozi (like potstickers) for us to eat too and we each ate a whole, raw clove of garlic with it for our women's health.

Later, we were reading the Book and she showed me that she brought her Chinese fellowship song book. I couldn't read the Chinese, and I asked her to sing one for me. She furrowed her brows and whispered, "Do you think I'll be okay?" "What?" , I asked. "Women are never supposed to sing when they have their period.", she said, "That's not the same in America either?" "Nope!," I said, "I sing all the time!" Apparently, it's really bad for your throat to sing while on your period. Her teachers all throughout school always told her that. After we discussed other things (mostly involving staying warm during your period), she said, "So, American women just do whatever they want during that time of the month?" "Basically", I said. I wasn't sure whether to be proud of our freedoms or ashamed that we apparently take such poor care of our fragile bodies. All this is to say, we didn't sing tonight. : )

As she got ready to leave, I told her I'd make spaghetti for her next week. Then I remembered she once told me she doesn't like tomatoes. So, I said I wouldn't make it after all. She said, "Oh! I like to-may-toes. I don't like to-mah-toes." Seriously, ladies, I had the humorous privilege of saying...."To-may-to, to-mah-to. They're the same thing." (like the song...let's call the whole thing off!)."

As my mother pointed out, Brooke's friend is probably telling all of her Chinese friends how weird we are, too!

Tomb Sweeping Festival

2010-04-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Tomb Sweeping Festival in China. That means that families go to their ancestors' graves and honor them by giving food, burning candles, and burning paper money. My students also say that they pray to the ancestors for good luck and good grades. It's a little like the Day of the Dead in Mexico, according to my mother, except in Mexico there's also music and dancing. Isn't it ironic that while Mainlanders celebrate Tomb Sweeping Festival today (we get Monday off), people in Hong Kong get a 5 day holiday for Easter! Two TOTALLY different faiths, operating in the same country next to each other. Oh, that more people in all places would know the resurrection power of Jesus...

different culture norms

2010-03-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

I knew it. I had always observed that Chinese men were different from American men in several ways, but yesterday's class confirmed my thoughts completely: Chinese men are generally more effeminate by Western standards than American men. Put another way, Chinese men value different things than American men.
We started class with a friendly discussion of students' hometown, school, and family life. Then we started talking about the differences between Chinese men and women. This came up because of some exerpts in their textbook from the pop psych book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, by Dr. John Gray. The students were asked to comment on whether they identified with the descriptions of life on Venus or Mars. According to this book, life for men on Mars involves doing things to prove themselves and develop their power and skills. Life for women on Venus, on the other hand, involves valuing love, communication, beauty, and developing harmony in relationships. Despite the fact that all of my Oral English classes are 94% female, the males in the class are a very vocal minority. Interestingly, the men in my class strongly identified with life on Venus (the women planet) along with all the women. Many of the students, males and females both, objected to the value of attaining power on any level for any human, and strongly related to developing harmony in relationships for both men and women. I knew this to be a cultural value for my Chinese students, and wasn't particularly surprised when Marvin, the most vocal of the students, finally concluded that "American men must be different from Chinese men" because of the ideas expressed in the article about men being preoccupied with things that can help them achieve power and results. Granted, Dr. Gray's ideas are highly controversial even on an American college campus. But I would have been hard-pressed to find anyone to have an inkling of agreement with Dr. Gray on his opinions about life on Mars for men. Once again, I felt like I was on a different planet than all of them anyway.

back from vacation

2010-02-14T04:20:00.000-08:00

Back from vacation. In January, my mom and I took a tour through Vietnam, which was incredible. This picture is of me in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Looks kind of like Guilin, doesn't it?
My next stop was in Chiangmai, where ELIC holds a conference for its teachers every year. Again, it was an incredible week.
After that, I went to Phuket with 5 other ELIC teachers. We did some snorkeling, swimming, sunning, and took a boat trip to Phi Phi Island, where The Beach (Leonardo Dicaprio) was filmed. (See other picture.) I definitely hope to go back to Phuket.
Now I am back in Hengyang, waiting for the semester to start at the beginning of March. So thankful for a good vacation, and happy to be safely at home now.

a good joke

2009-09-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

This week I gave my students an opportunity to ask me any question they wanted. Most of them asked questions like, How do i improve my oral english? Or, What is your hometown like? But today I found a true jokester. Or maybe it was a riddle, I thought. She asked, what is the difference between a man jumping out of the third floor and a man jumping out of the thirtieth floor? (hmm, interesting question.) I told her I didn't know, and she said the answer is, one man yells AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! and the other man yells AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Apparently there's a whole slew of Chinese jokes like this one. I laughed so hard at her joke that the class had to ask me if I was alright. This job only gets better.

second week teaching

2009-09-16T01:28:00.000-07:00

This is my second week teaching, and the students are delightful. The monitors are giving me the class lists of names, which are delightful in themselves. For some reason, Chinese students pick very strange English names. The most memorable one so far was chosen by a female student who wanted to be called "Dracula". I told her she couldn't be called Dracula, so she chose the name Cherry for herself. Other student names include Echo, Jarry, Yosmine, Anky, Luna, and Chitty. And those are all from one class. The delimma: do I make ALL of them change their names? Sure, Dracula definitely needed to change her name. But I hate taking away their identity so quickly. I just need to find a way to be able to call role with a straight face somehow....
Another delightful part of teaching these precious students is the comments they wrote about themselves on a notecard I assigned them to fill out. For example, Diana writes, "People will remember me easily, even though we are the first time to meet. Why? Because of my short stature: I smile everyday. I have a motto: my stature is short, but my power is endless. If you have unhappy, call me, my telephone is right here waiting for you. If you have something delicious, please! Don't forget me. That's me, I just do myself."
Sarah writes, "I'm a sensitive girl. A girl like the winter. I like the sentence that from Sandra Cisneros: Until then, I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor. I think it's like me."
Phoebe says, "I'm an optimistic and outgoing girl. I like to making friends. I wish everybody is happy."
I could go on, but I won't. Let's just say that I consider myself very fortunate to have this job.

first week in Hengyang

2009-09-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

Now I am settled into my apartment in Hengyang, Hunan, in southern China. Though this city is only the second largest city in the province, it is HUGE, especially when we go downtown. Our campus is a bit southward of the center, but it sits just west of the Xiang River. The other day my new team went and had a picnic on the island in the river, which was nice. Night before last the girls on my team went to get a massage. In Hengyang you can get the best hour-long massage ever from a blind man for 35 RMB, about $5.
Today I am getting ready to go to Hong Kong for a couple of days, but I had an interesting lunch experience. I went to the "joint" and asked for them to fry together some carrots, beans, and lotus root. I love lotus root; it's a shame you can't readily find it in the states. The lady served me the cooked dish and a few minutes later came back and said, "it's terrible, isn't it?" "NO!" I protested, "It's delicious!" I finished and paid 5 RMB (less than a dollar for a filling, delicious, and healthy lunch!) to the lady who said, "I'm so embarrassed!" "Why are you embarrassed?" I asked. "Because I cooked so terribly!" the cook said. "You're so modest- It was wonderful, and I'll come again!" I said. And I will. This Hengyang cook was tai qianxu- too modest.

Finally in Beijing!

2009-08-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

This is a post I wrote a few weeks ago but just now am having success in publishing it. Enjoy, even though it is dated!

We have been here less than a week and already so much has happened! Our first full day here we were divided into smaller groups and sent out on a scavenger hunt in Beijing. To earn more points, my team decided to go to the snack shop to order fried scorpions. We all ate one- it was crunchy and salty, but really not too bad if you didn't think about what you were eating!
The next day classes started. We have been focusing on learning about Chinese culture norms, unspoken rules, and language differences. The differences between Chinese and American cultures are almost overwhelming. Whereas Americans value directness, Chinese people value indirectness in communication. This is just one example of a stark difference.
Night before last I witnessed the Chinese innovative spirit. Brooke and I passed a resteraunt where a man was barbequeing some lamb kebobs. Unfortunately it was raining, and his shelter was inadequate. So, the embers of the open barbeque were getting wet. The cook was using a hair dryer to fan the flames of the embers. I said a prayer that he wouldn't get electricuted. Amazing.
My posts may be scant because it is hard to cross the Great Firewall of China. Please bear with me. I think of yall and hope all is well!

training in Colorado

2009-07-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

Even though it's rather exhausting, training is going well. Meeting this group of new people is a lot more enjoyable than I had expected. Though we come from very different places across North America, we all have a common purpose and similar priorities. One person I have particularly enjoyed meeting is my new teammate Jenn from NY! I can tell we are going to get along great.
Classes are very interesting; we are learning a lot about our organization, and a lot about the Chinese culture and church. While we are taking a lot in, we are also looking forward to getting on the plane to Beijing, which leaves Tuesday. Today we learned a way to overcome jetlag, which involves using 2 fingers to tap on the eyebrows, checks, underarm, and sternum. Sounds cooky to me, but the person who taught us has been using that technique for 3 years and says it really works! hmm, maybe i'll just try tylenol pm.

Goodbye, Michael Jackson

2009-07-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Michael has died, and he left quite a legacy. As I said on Facebook, I liked him as much as the next guy, but this is hysterical:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZVqsSfC-0I

I hope I'm not the only one with a silly sense of humor; I laughed until I cried on that one! Enjoy.

26 days till July 20!

2009-06-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

Only 26 more days till I leave for training in Colorado, and boy am i excited. Last week I visited some friends in Atlanta, including my mentor from last year. She happens to be from Taiwan, so she gave me a new Chinese name. Although I really like my old Chinese name, LuoLan, it is time to ring in a new adventure with a new name: Gu (which means 'valley') RuoLan (which means 'like an orchid'). Chinese names often are attached to great symbolism, and mine is no different. The beginning of my eight year "break" from China, most of 2001, was a dark period, a spiritual "valley", for me-- one that I am very thankful to have distance from now. And, according to a website on flower symbolism, orchids are exotic and graceful, and "represent love, luxury, beauty, and strength." I hope I live up to what my name represents.
This summer I have read a lot of books about Chinese culture and society. The one I'm reading now is called Jesus in Beijing, and it is amazing to think about what my heavenly Father is doing in that country these days. It is a movement like no other, and I am honored to be a part of it. Faith in the one true life-giver is spreading like wildfire in the rural areas-- tens of millions have the same Hope I have, and yet their lives are so different from mine. I look forward to befriending another part of China's population- the urban educated- and seeing them come to life spiritually. Oh, what an experience is ahead of us!
I also have questions of a more practical nature- will the Chinese I used to know come back to me? Will I be able to eat Hunan's spicy food? What will the teaching conditions be like? Fortunately, I have been in contact with my new American teammates, who are GREAT. They also have extensive China experience, and I expect that we will be able to encourage each other during our time serving together. So much to look forward to!
I have a tendency to 'live in the future', so my goal for the next 26 days is to enjoy them as they come. My friend Summer and I are going to L.A. for a few days next week for a 'last-trip-together-for-a-while' trip, so my mind will be off of China for a bit. When I get back, it will be all about preparing and packing!

going to China

2009-06-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hi! Thanks for reading this! I hope this blog will be an effective communication tool for my upcoming journey to China, where I will be living for the next, hmm, phase of my life. I'd like to keep you updated on my thoughts, impressions, and observations while living abroad, and hear your reactions to said entries. So feel free to "comment", anytime. This journey will begin in 6 weeks, beginning with a week-long orientation in Ft. Collins, Colorado, followed by 4 weeks of training in Beijing. Then I will move to Hengyang, Hunan, in the southern part of China, where it is hot and rainy. All this will begin July 20.
My time this summer is being spent preparing for the journey. I am reading several books on Chinese culture and how to teach English. Because I lived in China from 1998-2001, I am somewhat familiar with the basics of Chinese culture, but a lot has changed since then, and I still need to learn a lot more Chinese than I've learned already. Hopefully you will learn a lot about China through this blog, too!