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02.06.04: My time in LangZhong is drawing to a close; herein ends the sunrises and sunsets under the smog of this town and the dawn of new pollution nears. Within a day or two, I will be either flying across China or bussing it to my new school in Dongguan to meet all new things. The upside of this is that I will be having novel experiences again, but the downside is I am leaving such splendid friends and students behind. But as Richard II said, "patience is stale, and I am weary of it (R2 5.5.107). You'll have to forgive me; I've read all of my books and have been reading nothing but Shakespeare for the past 6 months. heh. I have a few things for you in this update. Firstly, there are two new galleries of pictures for you to peruse at your leisure. Looking back, it seems I could have been a little hard-handed in my captioning of the pictures of the "Lame Parade." I suppose my state of mind dictates the severity of my sarcasm when writing these things. The other gallery is our trip to Lao Guan to visit Bessie and her family, and therein ensues a slew of mountainous photos and green backgrounds. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for beautiful landscapes. Besides, I always remember the people that matter in my life, and I never need pictures to see those people in my mind. The pictures of Lao Guan also brought to my attention that my camera has problems in low light and high light conditions, which basically makes it worthless in China. You'll notice some of the edges in the pics are quite sharp; better than nothing. Time ran to short, so I was unable to update my FAQ or write much else of anything other than a detailed explanation on how to play LangZhong Majiang. The only thing we were able to accomplish was to learn how to play Majiang, and even I question what I have learned. The rules seem to change with each person we play with. We have had a little over a month for a holiday, but were unable to travel anywhere because there were no bus tickets to where we wanted to go; so we did what the locals do when they have nothing to do, play Majiang. Traveling is beyond annoying here for so many different aspects that I don't even feel like having to rehash them onto virtual paper at this time. The idea was Xi'an, but I guess I'm going to have to try for a excursion to there on a later date. Upon the morrow, we will steal away while the sun is still low in the sky and I am not sure when the next time I'll have steady internet access. The next update will be from the Guangdong province. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite quotes that I've stumbled upon again. The first one sums it all up for me, I think....
Listen. You listen to me. You see that city over there?
- Old News - 01.08.04: Another update on the startling revelation by my students along the topic of thinking that "Saddam Hussein is a good man" featured in the 12.30.03 entry. Apparently, they seem to like what happened in Pearl Harbor in WWII because American soldiers were killed there. Audacious enough is the fact that they think this, but the more disturbing aspect is they seem to conveniently overlook whole reason why American soldiers were stationed at Pearl Harbor to begin with. Logic again is disposed of; the whole point of the US being stationed at Pearl Harbor was to aid in fighting off the Japanese in their invasion of the Asian mainland, surrounding isles, and China. We were there helping China! Soon after, I taught the phrase to my students, "biting the hand that feeds you." In all seriousness, I hope I was able to right the ill viewpoints of some of my students, and we should always remember the tremendous loss of life in the battles of the South Pacific of Americans, Chinese, and Japanese. Any loss of life, even in times of war and hatred should be considered as an important loss; nationality discounted. This is a relatively large update. I have rearranged the "Visuals" section and added some maps so it doesn't seem so intangible when being forced to click on just a menu. I also was able to visit one of the two remaining scenic locales that I had not seen yet: The Big Buddha Temple. It was a rather lovely day, so we decided to try and spend some time in the countryside and take some pictures. The quest ended up being a five hour walk and a rather memorable afternoon. Having tea along side a garret upon a mountaintop like on this outing is how I will spend most of my holiday, now that my classes are completed. The temple is nearly completely obscured by trees and the city is not visible at all unless you actually look for it through the scenery. I could live there, and you'll see why in the pictures. I yearn for a serenity not found in the confines of the city. The next update will be text only, more than likely. I plan on adding more to the FAQ and trying to do something about the promised essay on the music that I've listened to and KTV (Karaoke) Bars. Stay tuned...
At the
end of days, at the end of time.
- Old News -
01.05.04: So, it's done: another year wasted or prospered from? At least for me, the year two thousand and three, my Chinese year, the year of the sheep, wasn't a total waste of time: I did graduate from University with degrees in English and Psychology, spent the beginning part in Glastonbury, celebrate my 24th birthday, and peregrinate to China for a teaching job and some truly novel experiences. Retrospectively, it seems that quite a few achievements occurred in this past 365 days, and I am thankful to those that aided and impeded in my course; I am indelibly stronger because of you, mine nameless friends and enemies. Nothing much new around Mydnight's old workshop. I have two new galleries ready for viewing and this time it's dedicated to some of my favorite foods and pictures around Langzhong Middle School. I'm currently working on some clickable image maps that you can actually get a feel of where in the country I am, instead of it just being an intangible mass of Chinese names and geography on the Visuals page. I'm not sure exactly of what the layout will be yet, but it should be ready in the upcoming days considering I am finished teaching classes. The students will have exams next week, and afterwards they are free until around FEB 5 or so. With that said, the inkwell being dry and all, here's my current political viewpoint:
If you're frightened of dying and holding on, - Old News -
12.30.03: Before delving into the angst and ranting that this webpage has become, HAPPY HOLIDAYS: This includes a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It's been too long since I've added new material, so I hope this update will suffice for those that actually visit the site and read. Here we go.... Oh, happy day, we've managed to dig Saddam out of the hole he was hiding in...literally. Personally, I'd be more worried about Bin Laden, you know, the guy with the airplane fetish; not worried about an out of work, hated, probably would be killed on sight dictator that spends his time in a subterranean bat cave with a few handfuls of 100 dollar bills. Besides this, a startling and ignorant revelation on the part of some of my students has prompted me to lash out at their poor points of view on my website, even though hardly anyone will read this. heh Out of fun, I decided to ask the question of one of my classes "what do you think of Saddam's capture" and see if they had any anti-American or other sentiments harbored away; their reply was bothersome on many fronts. "Saddam is a good man." I didn't quarrel out of respect of opinion, but I desired the genesis of this odd thought so onward I quested: "Why do you think Saddam is a good man." Firstly, silence ensued as per usual in my classes after I ask for any sort of interaction other than "Gan Wo Du" (repeat after me), after the break it was uttered somewhere "he's very clever." "Oooookay," I murmured in reply, "and why is he a clever man?" Then the revelation, "because he kills American soldiers, we like him." I didn't feel totally dumbfounded or surprised because of the prior lack of logic shown to me by people twice their age, so I persisted into asking "do you think killing American soldiers is a good thing?" Yes! "So you think killing people is good?" *murmur, murmur* Yes! "So, if I killed your mother and father [pointing to someone in class] would that be a good thing?" *murmur...silence....murmur* NO, NO! Killing people is bad. "For someone so clever and great of a person, I find it slightly odd that nearly everyone in his country wants to kill him and that his family, fled to Jordan for fear of retribution, is trying to get an international trial so he won't be butchered on Iraqi national television for the appeasement of it's people," I uttered in so many words in my slow teaching voice. It's no surprise that they hate Bush, I don't have a high of regard for him either, but to possess the viewpoint that killing the people under a certain leader's rule because of discontent of that ruler is asinine and arcane. Where could this idea had possibly been disseminated? No doubt: Their elders. Chock another hash mark up to irrational, irresponsible, and incomprehensible logic. It takes great children to continue the prosperity of a country, but it only takes lingering, foolish, adults to taint the children, the unripened fruit of the country, and lay waste to said prosperity. Alright, with that said, this slight update is to advertise an addition in the poetry section and the near completion of my slight FAQ type of writing. I will be adding more information to it as I learn more things, though this is not all of the customs that I have learned about. As you live here longer, you being to not to notice the differences in the cultures as you attenuate to your environment. As for new picture additions, I had to walk around town and commemorate the few things that I enjoy about living here. A few particular oddities that you may find of interest are the dog meat restaurant and pictures of a Chinese Herbal Medicine shop, where you can find everything from monkey bones to starfish to cure ailments. Schizophrenia (brain madness, they say), Arthritis, AIDS, and the common cold can all be cured as long as you have the correct arcane ingredients. There are also pictures of the flat that I'm living in as well as some of our lovely 3 foot Christmas tree among other random things I could think of.
Look Mom, Rover's on the table!
I rather would have lost my life betimes - Old News - 12.01.03: So, it's a slight white lie; it's still NOV 30, but it will be DEC 1 here before it reaches American soil so it's only a slight mistruth. I planned on having a larger update on DEC 1, so I could scale back the opening page a bit. You can now access the old news via the link at the bottom on the page that I have cleverly canonized "Old News". Speaking of vaguely religious things, Happy Thanksgiving you lucky bastards. We celebrated the holiday slightly by inviting some students over to try some mashed potatoes, ham, sweet potato casserole, and green bean/mushroom casserole. Cooking those items without an oven and only a stovetop and a microwave proved to be challenging enough. Though the meal was delectable, there are no turkeys in China for some reason. They bootleg everything else here, why not turkeys? Then they could export them to America with a little stamp on it's foot: Made in China. China, China everywhere, but none to drink. This evening was spent at dinner with some teachers and a "leader" in our school, though the term "leader" is often used tersely. A "leader" could be anyone from the unfortunate soul that's in charge of cleaning the WC (bathroom...for some reason they call it the WC, a little too post WWII Europe for my tastes) to the headmaster of the school. If you didn't know, or I failed to mention in the past, dinner in China is much different than in the West. Firstly, depending on how many participants of the warfare that's about to ensue, dishes are ordered and placed in the center of the table. You have your choice of what dishes you wish to eat, and with chopsticks firmly in hand and rice bowl at your front, everyone begins the demolition of the food. In some smaller restaurants, if you're not quick, you can totally lose the opportunity to try a dish. If you're a germ freak, eating in China may become a baneful experience because dips into the same dishes with their chopsticks. For an example of a meal, check out these older pics of some student teacher friends of ours when we treated them to dinner. Congratulations to the student teachers is in order, by the way: They have all found jobs teaching!! Not much else is in the works. Here are some pics of a Kung Fu school I visited in a small town nearby. Well, firstly there are pics of a sight called "Bai Ta" (white tower) in Langzhong, then Kung Fu, then some pictures of "Jing Ping Shan" (JP Park). Visiting the school, though, was too classic of an experience to not take pictures of: It was simply amazing and every martial artist's fantasy realized. We had to walk a long path through some mountainous terrain, serene pines and forestland on either side of the road before even getting a glimpse of the school. Upon reaching the top of the path, we came upon students practicing. They are taught to do some truly fantastic feats of acrobatic amplitude that requires great physical prowess. Front flips and back flips are part of the daily regimen of training. It's unfortunate: I was taught to beat people...I want to learn to dance too! The most fascinating aspect was the five and six year old students that could do all of the movements and could actually remember the strikes and stances. When I taught Tae Kwon Do, you were lucky if you could get a five year old to stand still long enough for you to yell at them. I'm composing a FAQ for people that wish to TESL so be looking for that as well as the promised essay on the music here. But, enough of this prattle. I'll mention one last oddity, show you some Kung Fu, and repair to the unconsciousness that I deserve being that it's 2 AM. I ate bugs yesterday. Steamed and toasted Stinkbugs to be exact. The novel nuances never seem to be stifled. And newcomers, welcome...this is The Mydnight Hour.
see more of these pics
- Old News -
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