A Lazy Sunday afternoon...continuing my entry on Yangjuan

I think I'm going to start writing my daily entry along with an entry for Yangjuan. Otherwise...I don't think I will ever catch up. I am already 2 weeks behind. So...I guess to start off with...I will write as much as I can about what has happened ever since I came back from Yangjuan. And then...after all this...I will continue writing about my experience in Yangjuan.

I came back to Chengdu on the third, taking an overnight train again from Xichang. As I arrived at the train station, I called Song Li Yun and arranged to meet her at the international dorms so we could head on over to an apartment she had been looking at. I was completely exhausted after the trip...but if I didn't work on getting an apartment...I would have to stay at the international dorms for another night...at a price of 160 RMB a night...that's $20. Although that may not seem much...it is a really high price for one night. Other students who are actually living in the dorms permanently on the other side of campus pay 40 RMB a night...or $5. See the difference? So...I met up with her and we headed on over to the copy and print shop to photo copy her student ID and my passport...necessary documents for our landlady. I still had my camping backpack with a week's worth of dirty clothes. Walking to the apartment was going to be quite a journey...but Song Li Yun had her bike. So...we did what the Chinese do often. She rode and I sat in the back where there's this flat area used to hold things. We made it on time...but...as the Chinese perpetually are...our landlady was about 30 mins late. We went up to our apartment and it was descent. My favorite part of the place is the large, spacious porch and the glass doors. The majority of the wall between our apartment and the porch is glass. So...during the day, our apartment really lights up. My room is the same deal. An entire wall is made up of glass. We signed an agreement contract with our landlady, paid 6 months worth of rent...then headed out to the local store to buy some of the basic necessities. We weren't able to leave our stuff there yet...mostly cause the landlady hired a girl to clean up the place.
The local place to buy most of the things you need is called Trustmart...or in Chinese 好有多 (hao you duo...good and much). We bought me a desk light, some hangers, etc. Afterwards...carrying many bags out of the store...we realized...what are we going to do for the next few hours? So, Song Li Yun called up her friend and we headed on over to her dorm. We chatted a bit and just hung out. Soon, our landlady called and told us that the furniture company was going to drop off our beds, bed stands, couch, and coffee table later that evening. We headed back to our apartment with our stuff and found the landlady's sister at our apartment. She had decided to let her sister take care of everything else regarding our apartment. We were highly disappointed...and rather frustrated. They did hire a girl to clean the apartment...and she spent the entire day in the apartment. But...what was odd was that nothing was clean. We later found out that the floor was still grimy, some of the cabinets still had mold growing, the bathroom was a wreck, and all of the windows were still hazy. We tried to tell her that honestly...the place was still a mess...but the landlady's sister kept telling us that the girl worked all day. I really dont know how things work around here in China...but I do have to say...things just dont get done. Either they are perpetually late...or...things just arent done. For example...our furniture. We came back to the apartment around 6...thinking they were going to arrive around then. We waited...and waited. We even decided to just give up and head on over to my friends place to pick up my luggage that I had left at her place during the week I was in Yangjuan. Then we came back...and still we waited. It wasnt until 11:30 that they finally showed up. We later learned that that night was only the beginning to a list of other things Chengdu was going to bring us.

Before I start again on our apartment business...let's talk about school. I had classes the following day after arriving back in Chengdu. Unlike my other UW classmates...I had a very difficult problem. That being that I can speak and understand Mandarin...but my reading and writing was really poor. It had been a while since I actually did any writing and reading...and when I did take Chinese classes...it was only once a week. Honestly...when you have no reward for studying...and classes were only once a week...you dont learn very much. In regards to speaking and understanding...I use those skills everyday talking to my parents. But...I never practiced reading and writing. Unlike at UW where heritage classes are offered...everything here is for beginners or for people whose reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills are on the same level. So...they had a hard time placing me. Or rather...they thought they placed me in the right class...but I honestly felt that I should have been in a lower class. The problem with only being able to speak and understand is that when I am taking those classes....classes for speaking and listening...our workbooks and our exercises still require you to be able to read Chinese. For example...they play a tape and ask you to answer A B C or D. Well...I understand the questions completely....but I couldnt read the answer choices. So it took me 3 full days to find the right class for me. And I had to do it pretty much by myself. Almost all of the teachers I talked to reassured me that I would be okay. None of them really helped much...sometimes...they even seemed a bit annoyed. Well...anyways...I have my Chinese classes figured out. It's really boring sometimes...mostly cause there's alot of "repeat after me." So...during those times, I practice my Chinese characters. Alright...enough about Chinese classes...lets talk about my elective classes. UW is different from other schools who send their students to SU. They either come here to strictly learn Chinese...or they send along a professor who will teach them elective classes. Well....UW allows us to take Chinese as well as elective classes. You have no idea how much time my friends and I spent on trying to figure out exactly what we could and couldnt take. Prior to leaving for Yangjuan...we were all given a list of about 20 different classes. We all thought that these were classes open to all international students and that all we had to do was register for it. Nope. It was a list of POTENTIAL classes. So...when we came back...we thought all of our elective classes would be easily resolved. All we had to do was tell the administrators which classes we wanted...and then that would be it. We spent DAYS trying to contact the administrators trying to understand what was going on. It ended up being that only a couple of the classes were open. And they were open because PLU students had arranged to take those classes. But the problem is...PLU students dont take the Chinese class load we do. We are all taking 20 hours of Chinese a week...but their's is a bit different and they dont take as many. It ended up being that all of the classes we wanted to take conflicted with the Chinese classes we were taking. So...it ended up that only one of the classes, since it was on Thursdays at 7:30 PM, was the only non-conflicting class. AGH. We were so disappointed! And when we headed on over to talk to the administrator...we felt as though we were brushed aside. We ended up calling up Andrea and she came down and chatted with us. In the end...after she made a visit to the administrator...3 classes were opened up to us. So...this is my schedule now: 20 hours of Chinese Mon-Friday, History before the Yuan dynasty on Monday afternoons, Chinese Archeology on Tuesdays, and Chinese Politics on Thursday nights. I have quite a handful of classes...but the 3 elective classes are only once a week. I still plan on doing more stuff once I get used to my schedule. There have been offers of me tutoring English...one to an 8 year old girl who currently speaks no English...and another college student who wants to learn. I am still unsure what I plan on doing...but those sound like fun. Also...I'm looking into doing some shadowing while I'm here. Those arent finalized yet though.

Alright...back to the apartment business. When we moved in....and after the furniture arrived...we still had a few things lacking that the landlady promised to provide us with. One was a washing machine...which we have now. Another was a fridge...which we also have now...but you have got to see the size of it. It's no bigger than a small cooler. It's rather ridiculous. Oh...but it's not the landlady we were having problems with. It's the guy downstairs. He manages the buildings water, electricity, and gas. See...in China...you usually go through a middleman to get anything done. Song Li Yun didnt want to have to deal with them...mostly cause you usually have to give them 1/2 a month's rent for their services. So instead...she went and tried to find apartments herself. She found one...the one we are staying at now. But when she found it...it was via a flyer that was posted downstairs in the main lobby. Because it was lacking a contact number...she went to the front desk to that guy and asked if he knew the number. He made a call for her and the landlady came and talked with her. This is where the problem started. After that day....he consistently comes and seeks us out and demands that we pay him a middleman fee. How much you ask? 800 RMB...or $100. $100 for one measly phone call!!! And it gets worse. Besides pouncing on us everytime asking us for the money...he stooped as low as to turn off our electricity because we wouldnt pay him that amount. So, yes...we went a day without electricity. But that didnt just happen once...nope. Twice. The second time was when electricity was crucial. I came home *my friend was out with her friend cause it was her friend's birthday* and sat in the dark for a few hours. The entire time I was venting...not believing that this would happen AGAIN. When my friend came back...we called the landlady and told her about this situation. We went down to the garage *that's where he lives with his wife and child* and argued with him over over 30 mins about the payment and electricity. We made two phone calls to the landlady and had her talk to him. What was upsetting was that every time he talked to her...he was very polite. But right when he hung up the phone....he was really rude to us. After awhile...we got the payment down to 300 RMB and told him we would pay him the next day. Only after that did we get electricity. The truth is....after all of this passed and I saw his son sitting in the garage at the table studying Chinese characters, I started to think. What made people here in China value money so much that they would do things like this? Song Li Yun and I talked about this for a bit. Maybe the economic structure of China made society the way it is now. Honestly...everywhere you go...people are trying to take advantage of the fact that you are a foreigner. But then again...I wouldnt blame them. Being here makes me think about how wasteful America can be sometimes. If you walk into a department store...there are so many employees there...you feel like you get bombarded by them. Is it that way though because there's so many people here that supply beats demand? I really dont know how to feel anymore about the way things are here. Everything is just so different...but the thing is...you have to look at everything here from a different perspective. The traffic here is awful...theres no such thing as pedistrians have the right of way. Why is that? In the meantime...though...I guess I'm just waiting to learn more about everything here...and maybe understand what is actually going on. Song Li Yun's perspective is that the economic reforms from Deng Xiao Peng's era shifted peoples priorities. It seems as though people would throw away anything...culture, history, relationships for money. From what I have seen so far...I feel that that is true. But...I dont think I can really make my own opinion just yet...I have only been here for what? 3 weeks? There are still many MANY things for me to learn.

Song Li Yun's parents came up to visit us. They brought us so many things...including a water dispenser, rice cooker, pots and pans, dishes, fruit, meat, the list goes on. We cleaned our apartment last night because we knew they were coming...but her mom went ahead and cleaned the entire apartment for us anyways. We were feeling pretty bad about that. She also made us some pork soup with mung beans and seaweed....one of my favorite soups. I do have to say, though, that everything looks alot homier. We will shortly fall into a routine...and not have to deal with so many unexpected, frustrating surprises.
I think thats just about it. Oh...I forgot to mention in previous entries...something about the first day I got here. I really dont want to write much about it...but when I arrived in Chengdu at 12 AM...there was no one at the airport to pick me up and no toll phone booths to make any phone calls. I eventually asked an internet cafe to borrow their phone, called Song Li Yun (who thankfully didnt turn off her phone...which she usually does everynight...her mom says its yuan fun...or fate) and she and her friend Irene picked me up via a taxi. It was really quite frustrating...but yeah. :) Enough about that.

So you can see...there have been good times...and equally, bad times. At the moment...everything is going pretty good. I have an exam this coming Tuesday...but...yeah...thats about it. Today has been a rather rainy day. I will take pictures of my apartment as soon as the weather gets better and post them.

And now, back to Yangjuan.
August 27, 2006
After visiting the first bimo, Steve wanted to head on over to 猪 场 (zhu chang). It's another village thats nearby Yangjuan...but not as close as 偏 水 was. It's about a 30-40 minute walk from the elementary school. There are 2 bimos in 猪 场, a father and son. However, when we got there...neither of them were there. So...we walked around the village a bit more, trying to find people to talk to. None of the men in the village were home...mostly cause they were out herding sheep...or, although illegal, making charcoal up in the mountains. We found one lady in her 20s with several children. She married into the family...so she didnt know much about the economics in that area. On our way back the Yangjuan...we met another lady, more elderly, and we talked to her for a bit about hua jiao and the sunflowers. Everyone was surprised at how quickly the villagers switched to sunflowers. Supposedly, compared to hybrid corn, sunflowers are alot easier to manage. They dont require yearly purchases of seeds to grow the next year...and require alot less water irrigation ad such. We headed back to the school and just kinda hung out for a bit until 7. That night....Steve was going to hand out scholarships to the some of the graduated students so that they can go on to middle school.
This is where I would love to have you guys help me out. All of the scholarship money that these kids get come from calendar sales that UW students sell every year. Basicly...its $15 for each calendar. The calendar's pictures are all taken by UW students who have gone to Yangjuan and are compiled by the students once they return. All of the money from sales are then collected and given to Steve. With this calendar money...as well as some private donations...he creates scholarships so that the kids here could go to the middle schools they test into. From my discussion with Steve, each year, the kids are testing higher and higher. However...because of finances...some of the kids may not be able to afford getting an education higher than elementary school. So...if you guys would like...please buy a calendar to support these kids. They are really bright and deserve the opportunity to go to school. The person you would contact would be: Katherine Liang. As of right now...I dont know her email...but every year...I get an email from her regarding these calendars. I have gotten them the past 2 years...and they are really, really nice calendars. Thank you so much! And ask if any of your friends would like to get one too. It would mean alot to me...but even more to these kids here.
There were actually two ceremonies...one on the night of the 27th...and one on the 28th. The one of the 27th was for the students who were going to be attending their 2nd year in middle school or 8th grade and the one on the 28th was for those who just graduated and was going to head on into 7th grade. Those who tested high and got into really competitive middle schools, and thus the ones with higher tuitions, got 1200 RMB, the 2nd group of students 800 RMB and the last group of students 200 RMB. I was the camera person...so I took alot of photos from both ceremonies. For me...it was a rather emotional scene. Some of the parents and the students had tears in their eyes. For someone who came from America...where education up through high school was free...it was really something different. I have been over to one of the girl's homes and studied English with her for a bit here in Yangjuan. They have a single lightbulb and a small fire in their one-roomed homes. That is all they have to light their study space. Not only that...but prior to having the elementary school in Yangjuan...they had to walk to another village called Bai Wu for school...which is about a 40 minute walk. When they have night classes...some of these kids dont get home until after 9. They then have to do their homework...chores...and then go to bed to wake up early so they can go to school the next day. Not only for kids in the villages...but I have been to Song Li Yun's dorm. Here at SU...some dorms may have up to 8 students living in a single room. All of the floor is concrete...and their desk is no larger than a desk we would see in a 1st grade class. They have curfews as to when they have to return back to their dorms...and lights turn off at 11. The washrooms are separate from the dorms...and the have designated times as to when they open and close. I feel ashamed sometimes. With the wide availability of resources and living conditions in the US...I still dont study and test as well as these kids here. Anyways...back to Yangjuan. The picture above is one I took right before the evening scholarship ceremony. On the left is Li Xin Xin...he is a professor in Chengdu and one of Song Li Yun's mentors, the person in the middle is Steve, and the elderly man on the right is Ax Pu. These pictures are of the family...and Steve handing out the scholarships. The pictures to follow are those who just graduated from elementary school...some with their parents. The women in Nuosu culture traditionally wear those colorful skirts and have these headdresses. I'm actually going to start a new blog...and I'll have those pictures in there. I feel like I have to drag the picture all the way down here.