Saturday, August 1

Today we’re supposed to go see the pandas with some students (even though yesterday was the last day of class for the first session), but both Kacie and I would rather laze around. Don’t know if we’ll be able to do so, though. We realized last night that this Saturday at the Beijing zoo would be like last weekend at the Summer Palace and Great Wall--filled with vacationing families. It might be so crowded we won’t be able to get close enough to the Pandas to make a differences in their lives. We’ll see what happens.

As I said, yesterday was the last day of the first session of school, and like any good American teachers, we had a party. First we showed a movie, “Fa Mulan,” the Disney cartoon about the ancient Chinese heroine Mulan, who takes her father’s place in the army and saves China from Mongol invasion. We wanted to see how the Chinese reacted to this Americanization of one of their favorite legends.

Watching movies in class is not part of Chinese education (incidentally, we have learned that most high school students are in school six days a week, from 7:30 AM-9:30 PM! After regular classes end around 4:00, they have study and special classes, like exam preparation!) but all the students, both the professors and young adults, seemed to appreciate the film. They laughed and laughed at some of the obvious Disney gags, appreciated the Eddy Murphy character, Mooshu, even though they might not have gotten the American jokes and puns. Afterwards we had a discussion about the movie, and every one of them thought it was well done and a fair representation to show American kids.

The inaccuracies of the movie that students pointed out were interesting: there would not be a dragon guarding the house, but rather a lion; the Emperor at that time would not wear yellow, but rather black; Chinese dragons do not have legs. They appreciated the imaginations involved in fleshing out the Fa Mulan legend, which basically says a woman who took her father’s place in the army saved China from Mongol invasion. Disney made the Mongols bridge the Great Wall, which did not happen until later, and also made the Emperor live in the Forbidden City, an anachronism since it wasn’t built until the Ming Dynasty (1000 years after the story took place.) Every one of us, Americans and Chinese alike, gasped when Mulan gave the Emperor a hug: one would never hug an Emperor, for goodness’ sake, even if one is a convention-defying Disney heroine.

After the movie, we had another American tradition: a pizza party. Pizza Hut delivered a dozen pizzas, many of the toppings familiar to us--mushrooms, veggies, sausage. The veggie one included corn, which was unusual, and then there were some I’ve never seen before: a bamboo-shoot pizza, for instance. There were also dozens of small ketchup packets with the order: the Chinese like to spread it on top. The crust was sweeter than we have, but other than that, it was good.

Then the fun began: dancing. Kacie, bless her heart, is a confident extravert and was our leader. We told the students that most Americans love to dance and that there are many dances that we do at gatherings like Red Sox games and weddings. So we started out with “YMCA” by the Village People. Everybody danced--we were in the school corridor because the classrooms ar crowded with computer tables, and there is no air-conditioning there and sporadic lighting. But what a great time! Everyone loved making the Y-M-C-A’s and singing along with the chorus.

After that we all learned the Chicken Dance. Yes, the Chicken Dance. Seeing all the sophisticated professors and shy adolescents flapping their arms and wiggling on down was fabulous! More laughter, more fun. Then, the Electric Slide, which everyone learned as easily as the first two. Finally, we had a Promenade--a chance for couples to strut their stuff as they dance down the aisle made by two lines of dancers facing each other. I had found Zhi jian, our shyest pupil (12 years old) in the classroom, the only one who had chosen not to dance. Not knowing that the Promenade was going to be next, I persuaded him to come into the hall and dance one dance with me--”No one will have to see you,” I said, “you can just stand next to me.” Hah! When we came out the door, there we were at the head of the line, our turn to sashay down the aisle. He did it, and everyone applauded and cheered!

Kacie and I were overwhelmed with gifts. Amazingly thoughtful presents like Chinese paper cut-outs, chopsticks, earrings, bookmarks, even books and DVDs. How generous and thoughtful everyone was.

We went outside for a group picture--the President of the Business College joined us--and Kongli announced that Boston Ivy Education (that’s the name of this venture) would return next year, and that Kacie and I have been invited back to teach again. Many students said they would return and bring friends. There were lots and lots of tears and hugs. Amazing how close you can get in just two weeks. I realized it was more like summer camp than a school session, for we did so much together.
(I, incidentally, was grateful for Kongli’s remark but have told Ying and Kongli that I cannot return for seven weeks again! I will be well launched on my new career in nursing by next summer, and I find it difficult being away from family for so long! It would be great if I could figure a way to return for a couple of weeks...maybe with some family in tow...)

After the final good-byes, we came back to the apartment where we were going to shower and get ready for our evening out with Amelia, (my niece-in-law Jeanie Mah’s first cousin.) We both fell asleep for a couple of hours! Dancing in 90° humid weather takes the starch out, as they say...

As we were talking to catch a cab downtown, we met quite a few grandparents and babies in our parking lot/courtyard. We stopped to speak with them, saying mostly “Ke ai” (cute baby!) until one of the young English-speaking mothers came up and our conversation became more involved. Everyone is so friendly and pleasant: they wanted to know how long we will be living here and seemed glad to hear that we’ll be around all summer!

We met Amelia in front of the Beijing Art Museum, near Wangfujing (the main shopping street/site of the night food market, some global upscale stores & a million tourist shops.) We went down a couple of side streets and alleys and landed at Liu’s, an incredible small restaurant specializing in Beijing food. While we were waiting for our Peking Duck (mm-mm), Amelia ordered delightful dishes. The salad had lotus root, there were scrambled eggs with chives, little light pancakes with garlic sauce, and fungus with chrysanthemum petals. We got to see the duck roasted on the open fire near us, and the pancakes that came with it were the lightest we’ve had yet.

After dinner, we walked to Wangfujing and the night market. I’d been there ten years ago--the intersection is almost unrecognizable for the buildings around have either been knocked down and replaced or given entirely new facades--glamorous, thoroughly Western--but the food carts remain the same. They all sell fast food of one kind or another--drinks in hollowed-out coconuts (which are reused), kabobs of incredible variety. Besides the usual lamb, fruit, and veggie ones, there are carts that specialize in things most of us would consider inedible and truly revolting. Centipedes, beetles, snakes, mountain oysters, and yes, sheep’s penis (looks like a pig’s penis, those of you who have been hog farmers will note--twisted like a screw...)

We’re supposed to go to the Zoo today--a trip I’ve been looking forward to because of all the pandas. But Kacie and I were talking last night and wondering if it’s going to be a repeat of last weekend--thousands and thousands and thousands of tourists (it is Chinese school vacation and parents do take their kids to the Famous Sites). We’re wondering if maybe we could defer the trip to a week day, but we have students coming...guess we’ll have to see. I’m actually hoping for rain--it’s very cloudy now--for that would decide the matter.

With much love and gratitude that you’re reading--
Chris