Wednesday, Nov. 2
Waking up at 5:30 am; when it’s cold and dark outside, and you’re cozily bundled up inside not one, but two, warm sleeping bags; is no easy thing. What makes it a little bit easier though is knowing you’re about to see the sunrise from on top of one of the seven wonders of the world As I stepped out of the tent I was overcome by the stillness and beauty of the early morning. The clouds had almost entirely vanished overnight leaving sparkling stars behind in the sky.
Rather than venture too far away from the tent site I decided to climb back on top of the guard tower and watch the sunrise from there. Having seen the sun set the night before I had a good idea where it would rise again, and scoped out the landscape before setting up my tripod. Around me the shadows retreated back into the valley as the mountainside and wall were cast in a soft orange glow. The sun had not yet come out, but still it breathed life and color back into the world around me.
There was no way for me to capture the exact moment. I tried, but failed miserably. Low lighting is not something I’ve really studied and I was frustrated with my ineptitude, vowing to take some course or at least read about how to best shoot a rising sun. If someone were watching me they no doubt would have had some questions, unsure what direction to look in I kept moving back and forth, twisting my head around while taking a picture, then dropping the camera by my side to stare open mouthed at the full expanse of the wall disappearing far off along the ridgeline in the distance. 
After taking dozens of photos… ok… closer to a hundred… I stopped and simply sat, enjoying the beauty of the moment. As the sun rose its rays warmed my cold hands and body. Birds fluttered about, chasing each other in an early morning game of cat and mouse, and around me more distant sections of the wall became visible. Any tiredness I had felt melted away with the mist, and I sat on top of the guard tower for close to an hour before I heard Wan Bin wake up and begin filling his pack.
Lisa and Simon woke up not long after, and it was time for us to put everything together, eat a little breakfast and get on with the day. Wan Bin warmed up some instant coffee and laid out cookies and knock of Pringles, which we picked at, then devoured. It didn’t take long to put everything together, and despite our insistence that he let us carry our fair share of the load, Wan Bin took the majority of equipment. As we began to walk back up the guard tower stairs we could hear voices below, other travelers making their way to the Great Wall.
Once we were all on top of the wall we took a moment to gaze at it once more before Wan Bin led us in the opposite direction we had gone the day before. He paused as he approached a small passageway, and remarked that the fallen in wall we had to side step around had been intact a few weeks before, when he was last there. Wondering what had caused it to cave in we continued forward.
The climbing was more difficult than what we had encountered the day before. Not only were we wearing packs, but the wall itself was greatly inclined. Luckily the steps were all solidly in place, making the climb do able. If those stones ever come lose though, I doubt anyone will be able to make their way up and over the wall in that section. As it was there was already a side trail along the base of the wall for people to follow. We weren’t exactly sure how far we were climbing, and Lisa, Simon, and I kept looking up at the unbelievably steep staircase that was just a rise and drop away. When we stopped to take a group photo we pointed, asking Wan Bin if that was something we would have to conquer. He looked, and with eyes wide turned shaking his head vigorously. Obviously he shared our opinion that that climbing up such a staircase was unthinkable.
Making our way up the steep staircase I started to realize just how much it would have sucked to have been a guard in those towers. Sure, it would have been a beautiful view and the time alone could be nice. But wearing full armor and climbing up those stairs day in and day out would have been toilsome at best. Especially if you consider that no one in their right minds would ever attack such a place.
Wan Bin veered off the wall just before another steep rise, cutting down a side trail that weaved through the trees and back down into the valley. As we followed I couldn’t help but look up every so often to see the wall towering above us tauntingly. I can only imagine how foreboding it would have been back in its full grandeur, with many of the trees cleared away. I wanted to try and capture what the wall looks like from below so kept stopping to take pictures and had to keep jogging forward to catch up with the other three from time to time.
When we made it to the village I was surprised how few people were out and about It was still chilly, and the growing season had definitely passed, but there were fewer people out today than there were yesterday. Wan Bin led us back to the house we had eaten at the day before, and after putting our bags in the car, we followed him inside and sat at a table in the middle courtyard. Almost 
immediately the hosts brought out green tea, followed by plates of delicious homemade delicacies; bacon in green beans, chicken, tofu, a salad of sorts, and the most incredible eggplant, slightly caramelized and full of flavor. We ate to our hearts content and had a good time talking about language and testing our skills with Wan Bin. He seemed pleasantly amused at our efforts and was kind enough not to reproach us too often.
It was a little clearer to see the village, and subsequent villages, and we made our way back down to the main road. I still found the mix of village life and tourist retreat facilities strange and distasteful, but figured that if it brings in added income to these people that it can’t be all bad. Many of the buildings, while attractive and well maintained, were eyesores to me because they detracted from the rustic beauty of the area.
Further down the road we crossed paths with buses and numerous cars, all making their way up towards the wall. Silently I gave thanks for the weather we had, the rain the day before had no doubt kept many people away from the wall, while the clear blue skies in the morning allowed us to glimpse it in its full glory. We really couldn’t have asked for more.
The closer we got to Beijing the more congested the traffic became and the more irritable my mood. We were early, and with no hotel room for me to rest in I knew I would have little choice but put in a little bit of time at work before heading to the train station for Nanjing. Shortly after we entered the city Wan Bin pulled over and let me out near a subway stop. I said goodbye to Simon and Lisa, not sure if I’d see them again here in China before seeing them in Vermont, then made my way to the subway stop with my plastic bag full of clothing and camera equipment.
Back at the office everyone was still in desperation mode. Danny had left, and deadlines had passed, but there was still a lot that needed to be done. I had about an hour and a half before needed to leave to catch my train so I sat down at my desk and burned through another essay. Then I packed up my things and headed to the station.
I fell asleep pretty quickly on the train, and besides waking up a few times when it stopped, slept soundly all the way to Nanjing. Lars had emailed me a few days before to let me know that he was going to pick me up at the station and then we would go to Blue Sky. I was pretty tired, but the thought of seeing friendly faces and having a good meal was too much to say no to, and I was grateful to see him at the exit when I arrived.
Back at Blue Sky we had some dinner and I lost at pool, and I felt as home as I’ve felt since being in China.
Tuesday, Nov. 1
The plan was a little chaotic for that early in the morning, at least for me… I am far from being a morning person. First I had to drag all my of my stuff over to the office and leave it there. Then I had to take the subway all the way across town, switch lines, and then go to a large transfer station and meet the guide underneath a McDonald’s sign. Mind you there are about five McDonald’s per city block in Beijing so which McDonald’s they meant was more or less a crap shoot. Once there I’d just have to hope that Simon and Lisa would be able to find it so that we could be on our merry way.
It worked out fairly well, I didn’t get too lost and was actually on time for one of the few times in my life. After standing beneath a McDonald’s sign for five minutes I made eye contact with a guy standing on the opposite side of the stairs. He looked at my quizzically and I at him, then I walked over and introduced myself and asked if he was our guide. He smiled, nodded and introduced himself as Wan Bing. His English wasn’t great, but we chatted a little bit. I then called Lisa and Simon, tracked them down across the street at a different McDonald’s and before long we were in the car and headed towards the Great Wall.
The Jiankou part of the wall that I had decided I wanted to go to is one of the more remote sections near Beijing, about 73 km from the city. It was built in 1368 during the Ming dynasty and connects two other more popular sections of the wall. There are a number of “restored” sections which attract more tourists because they look pretty and are full size, but first off these have crowds, and second the restoration wasn’t done well – with little to no care for historical accuracy. This of course is not unique to the Great Wall restoration efforts but is rather prevalent throughout China. Rather than restore they create, rather than fact they put forth an image – either the one they want people to believe, or what they think people want to see.
Driving there took a little longer than expected, but Wan Bin was patient and I was grateful that the ride was more or less smooth… with limited honking. Eventually Wan Bin cut away from the highway and entered some smaller windy roads that made their way up and around a rocky hillside. This opened up into a tourist town, with large buildings for spas, manmade rivers, fountains, and the like. What surprised me was that after this little village there was a true rural community, followed by another tourist place, then another rural village, all the way up the road until we reached our destination.
Entering into the town we had to stop and pay an entrance fee. Wan Bin covered this, and we rolled into the farming community in our little white four door. The roads were dirt or busted up pavement, there were a few street lights, some rundown buildings that reminded me a lot of doublewides. Wan Bin parked and we hopped out and followed him into the building we had stopped at. Inside a couple greeted us warmly and then guided us into a small room where there were beds, and small table and chairs. Without thinking Lisa, Simon, and I just walked in and sat down… then we noticed the mess we had made. With a steady drizzle coming down we had tracked in mud onto the neatly cleaned tile floor, where as Wan Bin had politely removed his shoes and put on the slippers the hosts had placed by the door.
Our feelings of guilt were short lived as the hosts began to serve food. First eggs with tomato, then chicken and greens, plates and bowls filled the small space and we were left to pluck at the delicious homemade dishes with our chopsticks to our hearts’ content.
There was no way for us to finish the food and we left the vast majority of it behind, although a large part of me half considered packing it up and taking it with us. Back at the car we put on our layers, filled our packs, and headed out through the town following Wan Bin’s lead. It wasn’t long before the houses stopped and we entered a terraced crop land. Most of what we could see were corn stalks, recently cut and piled to be torched. I’m not sure if they grew other crops as well, but the workmanship of the plots was something to see. Each one was roughly the same size and surrounded by stone walls blocking it off from the others. The earth had been cut into squares and raised walkways wound around. In a sense they had created cornfields on a rice paddy grid.
In the distance we could barely see the outline of the mountains and the shadow of what looked like the wall. Further up the path the shadow became more pronounced and sitting above us was a guard tower dominating the hillside. The closer we got, the steeper the trail became. Up above I could hear a few voices but couldn’t distinguish what language I was hearing. The feeling was somewhat 
eerie… clearly I was no Mongol… but for a moment I felt as though we were creeping up on an unsuspecting foe and hearing the voices of guards waiting to pounce on us once we emerged from the tree line. As my mind began to work out the historical scenario Wan Bin lead us to the side of the wall and I saw that the voices we heard were just two foreign tourists like ourselves, snapping photos, and talking using their outside voices. I stifled my momentary disappointment and put away my imaginary sword to hold my camera and take a few pictures, then put my pack down with the rest and climbed up the side walkway of the tower, and on to the Great Wall of China.
It was difficult to make out the full extent of the wall. With intermittent rain and the clouds covering the valley spilling out over the mountains and the wall itself, one could only catch a glimpse of the stone giant. I shuddered again staring off towards the east; the damaged wall was more than just a foreboding piece of human engineering. Shrouded in mist it was an ancient relic and I was again momentarily transported back in time and could feel the eyes of guards watching me from the towers dotting the dark line of the wall.
The caw of crows broke my trance, and my skin prickled at the sound. Lisa and Simon joined me on the wall, and we were told by Wan Bin to explore while he set up the campsite down where the tower base extended from the wall. We nodded and agreed as he explained the dangers of the wall and that if “…it rains, come right back. If there is thunder and lightning, just hide where you can.”
As we began to walk east of the tower the landscape changed as clouds moved, revealing new sections and towers, while hiding others. It didn’t take long for us to reach what I would consider a “dangerous” part of the wall. What had obviously been a steep staircase to begin with had crumbled and fallen aside, leaving behind footholds and lose bricks. The three of us exchanged looks and the question was asked “Do we go on?” Of course we go on! I slung the camera around my shoulder and neck and began to make my way down. It was easier than I had expected, but I admit my heart was pounding. There were moments when I could feel the stones shudder beneath my weight, and more than once the brick I grabbed shifted in place, sending dirt and crushed stone tumbling down below my feet.
Safely standing on deeply embedded blocks of stone I watched as Lisa and Simon made their way down, following a similar path to the one I had taken. When all three of us had reached the ground we turned and walked on, only to come to another steep and heavily damaged staircase. Wondering if the whole wall was going to be like this I again slung my camera over my shoulder and began to clamber up the loose bricks. The view on top was well worth the exerted effort. More clouds had cleared to the right giving us glimpses of previously hidden towers and branches of the wall. While on the left, remnants of the wall dropped into sheer nothingness; a fact that was accentuated by the sheet of white barring views of both neighboring and distant hills.
In awe we continued. The drizzle of rain returned and as we meandered further along the wall each of us began to look back questioningly, wondering if we out to turn around and head back to the campsite. Another turn, and a few climbs later, we were all in agreement that we should heed Wan Bin’s advice and return to camp.
Walking back seemed just as new and surreal as our ascent had been. A new landscape spread before us, changing once again with the rise and fall of clouds and mist. Lisa and Simon pushed on ahead of me as I intentionally lagged behind to take more pictures. Ahead of us I could see a small group of Chinese hikers, slowly making their way in our direction. As I caught up with Lisa and Simon I could hear them chatting with the couple and their guide, and as I approached I asked Lisa what they had said. She turned and nonchalantly stated that the woman had explained how “this is the most difficult and most dangerous part of the Great Wall.”
She wasn’t joking. The way back down the corroding staircase, then back up the nonexistent one was more treacherous than it had been the time before. A combination of the rain, cold fingers, and having chosen a poor route on my part. Looking off to the sides I was thankful that these particular sections had a gentler sloop than the ones further back, which… if you fell… would mean almost certain death.
Wan Bin seemed glad to see us, even though he was tucked inside his (and my) tent, wrapped in a sleeping blanket trying to stay warm. Lisa and Simon followed suit, bunkering down into theirs for an early evening nap while I picked up my tripod and headed up to the guard tower. The combination of rain drizzle, high altitude, and a soft but steady breeze was chilling. I was grateful for my winter hat, but regretted not having bought gloves as I fumbled with my camera and the locks on the tripods’ legs on top of the guard tower’s broken walls.
The sun was sinking quickly in the sky, even if I couldn’t see it, casting grey shadows across the mountainsides and plains below. I wasn’t very hopeful for any remarkable sunset shots, the clouds were too thick and not enough light was left in the sky. Turning around though I did like the contrast between the white clouds and dark surroundings I saw, with a rather neutral wall running between. While Wan Bin, Lisa, and Simon rested I stayed on top of the tower looking out over the bits of the wall I could see and marveling at the sheer scale and ambition of the project. I again tried to understand how and why they would build such a thing, in such a place, and what possible threat they might have faced to justify such a cost and effort. Surely there would have been a more reasonable solution.
Below me I could hear steps and the sound of Wan Bin hocking up a loogie and spitting. Climbing down from the tower I saw that he was collecting some brush and woods to burn so that we could have a fire while we ate. Taking my camera I went down to rouse Lisa and Simon for dinner. The fire was more or less a complete failure, which I tried to revive while Wan Bin cooked and served us spaghetti Bolognese and some red wine. The meal was warm and pretty good, and I ate it between sniffles. When the food and wine were gone we sat around the fire a bit longer, Wan Bin collected the stove he had set up and the dishes and headed back towards the tent while Lisa, Simon, and I stayed at the tower.
We decided to climb up to the top, and could see that the clouds were starting to fade and that the moon had risen over some of the steepest nearby peaks. Stars weren’t visible but the moon cast a soft glow over the landscape, barely making the wall visible. As we stood up there Simon began to explain to me a style of photography I had never heard of. I can’t remember what he called it, but you set the timer in a dark setting and have people wave lights around. The lights and long exposure create designs that stand out against a dark background. Intrigued by the notion I set my camera up on the tripod and we experimented for a good half hour before we were too cold and my card too full to take anymore pictures. Before heading back to the tents I flipped through the shots and was pleased by them, it definitely could create a neat affect and will be something to fool around with again.
Back at the tents I packed up my camera, set my alarm for 5:30 am (in time for sunrise) and drifted off to sleep within my multiple layers of clothes and double sleeping bag.
Monday, Oct. 31
For lunch I convinced Allen to go to the newly discovered food street next to the office building and to have fried rice. They also had some dumplings, so we ordered some of them as well…. Definitely didn’t need to as the rice was plenty of food. I’m not sure what kind of oil or sauce they put in it, but it has a very delicious subtle taste that accentuates the rest of the flavors. Feeling quite full and happy we returned to work and I ended up staying late for the eighth day in a row, leaving at about 8:30.
Back at the hotel I started to pack up for both the hike and to go back to Nanjing. I realized that I really didn’t have enough warm clothing so ventured off to the Carefour store to try and find a hat and maybe some long underwear. North of Beijing and in the mountains its supposed to get quite cold and I didn’t want to freeze on the Great Wall, although… if you’re going to go why not there? At least it would be a good story.
Thinking I had plenty of time before the store closed I was surprised to see the entrance I was used to closed up. Knowing that most large stores stay open longer I walked around and eventually found the entrance. With ten minutes til ten the store was about to close and the store manager yelled at me as I walked in looking for a hat and some long underwear. I blew him off and kept looking around, he yelled at me a little louder but didn’t follow… so I figured I’d be ok. Only problem was I didn’t know where the long underwear was or the hats. Eventually I found the hats and picked out one I liked, but then became very confused trying to figure out the sizing once I came across the long underwear.
By this time the store manager was losing his patience, but I had already lost mine trying to find the damn entrance so when he yelled at me, I yelled back. Then when I was trying to leave and find a cash register he gestured in another direction, which I returned with a pretty nasty glare… with little signage I somehow found the rear corner entrance to the upstairs grocery part of the store, then to the only open cash register up there, then had to wait while the girl went back downstairs to get the clothing tag remover so that I can purchase the winter hat. For something that cost so little and that I probably didn’t even really need it was an incredibly stressful process.
Back at the hotel I was still fuming but packed up and felt pretty ready to go. I set two alarms not wanting to be late in the morning for the rendezvous with our guide, read a little, and went to bed.
Sunday, Oct. 30
Work on Sunday was even more of a drag than the rest of the week. I still hadn’t heard from the hiking guys, and thinking that I was leaving on Monday my stress level was pretty extreme. My emails were getting nowhere and the one guy I did hear from didn’t know anything. Trying to contact Lisa and Simon was equally as frustrating since they were out of range.
Meanwhile there were more essays and a couple of students in the office that I was helping. I did however find time during the day to chat with Danny a little bit about taking some time off and what circumstances might be like once my contract is up. We didn’t get into any details about the contract, but they did say that I could take some time off when Nick visits. Oh, right, during the week I chatted with Nick and he booked tickets to come out to see me! I was pretty stoked to hear that… I was debating when would make the most sense, but the way it turned out is pretty ideal. He’ll come out towards the tail end of my stay in China and will be in Beijing. I have more flexibility at work in Beijing, and honestly there’s just more of the “touristy” things to see there (Great Wall, Tiananmen, Forbidden City, etc.).
We were actually able to make some good progress on a number of the essays, so when I left Sunday night I was feeling pretty good… even though it was 7:30 again. Part of my pep was due to my realization that I had completely screwed up the days and dates so my fears about not going on my hike were put to rest as I received confirmation that we would be going on Tuesday.
When I got out I had a text from Rainy. She had wanted to hang out again before I headed down to Nanjing, so I told her I was just off work and going back to my hotel to eat the Starbucks food the Elaine had given me before I left and to rest a bit. Rainy happened to be in the area so a half hour later I got another text that she was downstairs. I wandered down and we headed out. I didn’t really have a preference where we went but she mentioned a bar out in an area I had never been to, so I agreed to that and we took a cab there.
The place was near the zoo… the area didn’t look very impressive really, but it was new and that was exciting. Rainy led the way to a building that was all done up in Halloween decorations, and even had two staff dressed up like ghouls outside to lead us in. Inside was pretty empty, there were a few tables with people sitting at them, and a couple of people on stage performing music that to me sounded worse than any karaoke I’ve ever heard. Everyone there was Chinese except for me.
A waiter led us up to the balcony and at a central seat. We ordered some beer and they brought out some sunflower seeds to pick at. Below us the performers continued, there was one guitar player, a guy playing the bongos, a girl that sang ever now and again, and the lead singer/host who kept things going at a pretty steady rate. Intermixed with the music they occasionally had some dancing.
One of the performances was particularly impressive. There was a guy clothed (fully) in traditional clothing with a mask of sorts on his face. In time with the music he would make some poses around the stage, not really dancing, just moving, then snap his arm back and replace the mask with another one. It took me a while to figure out that he was actually changing the masks it happened that quickly. During the course of the show he must have put on about twenty different ones. Studying it further it became pretty clear that it wasn’t a gadget in the headgear, he was just drawing them out from his robe and switching them fast enough that it couldn’t be detected by the human eye. Pretty phenomenal really.
After that performance, an intermission, and one other the owner of the bar came back in and put on his accordion. When I saw that I noticed that all of the walls had old accordions and that the tvs were showing accordion competitions, pretty bizarre, but interesting.
I didn’t really know what to expect from an accordion show, but was eager to hear it. Ever since I as a kid and listened to my grandmother play the accordion I’ve enjoyed and been fascinated by the instrument. The owner started off slowly. He had the host play the keyboard and let him lead, coming in with some simple rhythms and scales. Suddenly the stage was his and he moved about the stage, up the stairs, down the stairs, pausing half way, fully immersed in the music as his fingers raced on the accordion and moved the bellows back and forth. The intensity that he played at was unreal, I really have never seen anyone ever enjoy their music as much as he enjoyed his. His whole body would tense as the notes got higher and his face would contort during difficult parts, his brows rising and falling with each note. The crowd loved it and cheered him on again and again, urging him to keep playing. After five or six songs he had finished and stepped off the stage with a curt bow.
When he was finished the other acts paled in comparison and both Rainy and I were ready to head off. With my hike on Tuesday I had to work Monday and needed some rest.
Saturday, Oct. 29
Work was more of the same. Going on my sixth day in a row I was less than happy but trying to keep the two day trip on the Great Wall in sight. Unfortunately for me I was starting to work myself in to a bit of a panic planning for the two day trip. Coordinating with Lisa and Simon was proving difficult and to make matters worse I had lost track of what day it was and thought that we were leaving sooner than we actually were. As such I was stressing out and began to email the hike coordinators to try and get an itinerary, when really we still had three days before we were even scheduled to leave.
This actually consumed more of my time than it should have. I was actually somewhat thankful to have a lot of work though as it kept me from really going over the edge with worry.
Instead of heading out like I usually do for lunch Elaine and Danny wanted to keep me in the editing grove. There were students in the office and I was going back and forth between them with questions and new suggestions for changes. Once again it felt like I was doing more writing then editing, but I guess that’s the nature of the business. To keep me working they headed out to buy some food and came back with McDonalds. I tried to hide my disappointment… McD’s has never been my favorite and when you’re sitting at a computer all day it doesn’t make you feel very good. Besides, I was hoping to get out and at least stretch my legs.
I worked late again but managed to get out around 7:30. I had received an email earlier in the day from an American girl that had just arrived in Beijing. Still trying to find people to do things with in the city I emailed back and we arranged to meet up for dinner. I didn’t have enough time to head back to the hotel but instead headed out back all the way across downtown to meet up with her near her subway stop, which was pretty close to where Lisa lives.
The subway ride was interesting. Since Halloween was coming up the Saturday was the “going out night” so many of the westerners were in costume while the Chinese looked on either with jaw dropping interest or complete disdain. I felt a little homesick knowing that if I were stateside I would likely be out with all my friends, but just kept reminding myself that I would be on the Great Wall in a matter of days and that would make up for it.
Stepping out of the subway it was pretty easy to spot Bridget. We said hello and then started walking without a clear place in mind. She had just arrived a day and a half before so didn’t know the area, nor did I, so figured we’d just spot a place and go to it if it suited our fancy. It was pretty interesting chatting with her. She was a Veterinarian back in the states but had gotten fed up with her job and decided to apply for an internship here in China. The internship is more by name than reality… really she figures to be a vet and to help train Chinese vets, but the intern name means that she can sidestep the licensure requirement.
I asked quite a few questions about the vet industry in China and she explained that since the Chinese have only recently begun to own pets the small animal veterinary market is in dire need of more vets. Cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, etc. really don’t have vets to take care of them all. It made sense, and Bridget went on to explain that right now there is a particular need for knowledge about rabbits since this is the year of the rabbit and that’s when people either buy rabbits, or take their rabbits in for a check-up.
After some wandering we came to an area that I was familiar with; the giant flat screen. Luckily the screen was on this time so we watched for a bit as screen saver images spread across the football field size screen. Bus loads of Chinese tourists were snapping photos and taking videos. Personally I still don’t see what the big deal is. It’s neat, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just a series of screens and what it shows is pretty boring. Now, if they had a racing movie or some battle scene on there… that would be something entirely different. Or something that messed with your mind like a video of a thunderstorm filmed looking up, so when you were underneath the screen you felt like you were in the middle of the storm.
A few blocks later there was an alleyway that looked promising so we walked down that and then into a restaurant that said something about home cooking. There were a few people here, all foreigners, but the food looked good and the staff were very friendly. The menu was huge, it came on a scroll of sorts and took ten minutes just to look through. We eventually decided on a few dishes but were told to choose less by the waiter who indicated with his hands that what we had ordered would be plenty.
Ten minutes later the food came out and he was definitely right to have stopped us. The bowl of house fried rice that I had ordered was huge. Inside it had some peas, egg, shoots of something, and some homemade sausage that was really exceptional. It took awhile to eat as I wanted to try all of the dishes and even when my stomach was telling me no, kept picking away at the rice. Like me Bridget came here somewhat on a whim. She found the gig rather randomly, but had had time to prepare far in advance. It helped some that her boyfriend is Chinese and can speak the language, although he’s back in MA still, it seemed like it was a comfort at least to break down the social barriers. We weren’t able to finish it all so I sent the leftovers back with Bridget since I don’t have a fridge or any cooking facilities in my hotel.
It was getting pretty late and I had to work again in the morning so I walked Bridget part way back towards her apartment and hailed a cab back to my hotel, ready to wake up and work for the seventh straight day.
Tony’s Eighteenth Revelation While in China: Education is at the Heart of Freedom
Let me begin by saying that the “revelation” I’m about to say is not something I’m entirely comfortable with, nor can I take full credit. It was something that was said during my discussion with two Chinese teenagers and my forty year old Chinese boss on individual rights. As we sat arguing what rights the government had to restrict individual freedoms for the good of the society, my boss said something that I found very interesting. He stated that the reason why the government needs to have so much control over information is that the general populous isn’t educated enough to distinguish between what is good and what is bad, and make rational decisions.
I thought about this for a moment and my first reaction was that it was absurd and indirectly labeled anyone without an education too stupid to figure out good information from bad information. The more I thought about it though, the more it seemed to make sense to me. The better educated the general populous, the more individual control they are given. Now I won’t surmise whether or not those without quality formal education are capable of having more individual freedom… that’s not the point I’m trying to make…. What stands out is the correlation between the two.
What’s the point? As the world falls apart (a bit dramatic I know) I think governments… no matter what kind they are… need to show some humanity in how they treat their citizens. But the criticism over censorship, and what and how much information citizens are given seems to be a bit trickier than I had first thought.
One of the students pointed out that the inability of Middle Eastern countries to control social media during the Arab Spring directly led to the dissolution of governments, and subsequently to the disarray the region is currently in. It was a point that I couldn’t argue against. Sure I could have said that the people are better off now than they were, but I’m not entirely sure I believe that. I do think that there is hope for the future, but at this point and time everything I read suggests otherwise. Hope is not peace, it is not security. I’m not a scholar on the issue, and I know there was good reason for the uprising, but looking at where these countries are today I’m not convinced the revolutions were as positive an outcome as I had initially hoped.
Historically, I thought about the founding of the United States and the way our society and government have grown since. Initially there was very little freedom of speech. The ruling powers targeted pro-British newspapers and publishing houses. Even after the Bill of Rights was signed, it wasn’t long before it was rescinded by the Alien and Sedition Acts, which made it illegal to criticize the government, particularly concerning the decision not to support the French against the British. Throughout history there are examples of governments withholding information “for the good of the people” and to ensure peace and tranquility. Which begs the question – Is it wrong to do so?
Clearly it is impossible to say yes or no with certainty. Situations are different and we do not live in a perfect world. But if you compare the list of countries that have the highest literacy rates with the countries that have the most stable governments, and then compare both to a list of countries ranked by the amount of “personal freedom” enjoyed by its citizens, I think you’ll find some striking similarities. Education = Stability = Freedom.
This is why I believe the founding fathers were so adamant about establishing a system of public education. As time has worn on our personal freedoms have been expanded in many respects. In essence the government trusts us more as citizens to make the “right choice,” which in a democratic society means that we as citizens trust one another to make those choices and act in a way that is beneficial to society, not just the individual.
China is still developing. While I read every day about its economic power, the reality is that this country has only known modern government for barely one hundred years. It has only known its current form of government for just over sixty. As we look at it with scrutiny it’s important to keep this in mind. Where was the US sixty years after it was established? What about a hundred? Maybe its not a fair comparison… but I still think it’s an important point to make.
The students and my boss continued the conversation and explained up China is throwing money and resources into its educational system, and correspondingly citizens have enjoyed more and more personal freedom.
I suppose the big question though is this… which should come first – education or freedom? Or is this just another one of those chicken or the egg deals? Or perhaps something that is best examined on an individual basis.
Friday, Oct. 28
Like Thursday I was pretty busy throughout the day. Not only was I working on essays and application letters, but I now have two students that I am “tutoring” in English literature. I’m definitely not qualified for it, but I convinced one of the girls to read the Iliad, so at least that one is on my terms. I also was trying to get a few things put in order, like my departure back to Nanjing, my job status, the Great Wall trip I was planning, and putting together a rough itinerary with Lars.
With everything that was going on the day seemed to pass by pretty quickly. Around five o’clock three students showed up, followed by another an hour later. They were all frantically trying to finish their essays before the deadline and the weekend. Elaine and Danny had already asked me to work the weekend, which I had agreed to…. They also asked me to stay late and help with the students, which I again agreed to. I didn’t know though that I would be staying at the office until 10 pm.
Around 8:30 pm Elaine went out and bought a smorgasbord of Taiwanese food and brought it back to the office. Tom had already left, but the remainder of the students, Danny, Elaine, and I huddled around the small table and filled our plates. Conversation was pretty mute at first, I know I personally was far too busy trying the different dishes to engage in anything other than with a series of grunts and head nods. Eventually though the conversation turned to government, a subject I have been very curious about but too afraid to discuss.
As it turns out Danny was a student in Beijing during the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests. With a little bit of careful prodding he began to tell his story, about how he was one of the few students then that could speak good English, and as such was interviewed a number of times by foreign media. Without getting too much into the politics of the issues he did describe some of the things that the students did including laying down on train tracks to prevent military and supplies coming into the area. He also said that he was a part of the student group that helped negotiate to get a fire truck brought to the square so that protesters could have water since the government had shut off water to the area. They still didn’t have food, but the water was badly needed.
What I found most moving was in recounting of the day the protest turned bloody. Danny and his friend were off opposite the violence so were unharmed but they could hear the gas canisters being fired and see chaos far off into the distance. Unsure what was going on and unable to get through to the square they veered off and headed separate ways. Later Danny received word somehow that another friend had been badly hurt during the clashes and lay dead in a hospital. The staff there told him that if he wanted the body he had better take it; the military didn’t plan on identifying bodies, or informing families, instead they were just going to dispose of them themselves so they could hide the full nature of the events that had taken place.
All of this was built around the bigger question of government control. One of the students spoke up and said that the Chinese government got a bad rep, and that certain censorship and force was necessary. Furthermore, she said, it was unfair to judge the past with the biases of the present. It was a fair point, but a large part of me disagreed with her to my very core.
We dropped the question of force and instead focused on censorship. Mention was made to the Arab Spring, and I was sure to voice those periods in US history when the freedom of speech has been thrown aside by the government (Alien and Sedition Acts, Civil War, ‘60s, Patriot Act). A suggestion was then made that censorship is needed if the general populous is largely uneducated. As the theory goes, uneducated are more likely to follow people who are not acting in the best interest of society, while educated individuals will be able to assess the situation and make the right choice.
While the majority of the conversation focused around censorship, we also discussed the roles that population size and competition have played in shaping China. One of the girls pointed out that while China is developing rapidly and is perhaps the greatest economic power in the world today, that the economic disparity within the country is extraordinary. Ironically her father owns a mining company. Another problem they face is that China still relies on exports, and the rest of the world ain’t buying, especially in this economy… at least not to the level that will sustain China’s growth. As such the country has upped wages and has taken other measures to increase the middle class as a group that will purchase Chinese products, thus becoming self-sufficient economically.
After some steady debate the girls reminded us that we were there to work on essays, not chat politics, so it was back to work. At least I had a full stomach and new ideas and questions floating around inside my head to keep me occupied in my subconscious.
Thursday, Oct. 27
Most of the day was spent with Tom. He came in late morning and stayed after hours working with me on his essays. At times it felt like we were getting nowhere, then when I felt like we had finally achieved something Danny checked it and told us to try again. It’s a tenuous process because I feel like it’s a constant balancing act to keep it Tom’s, while still making the changes necessary to fit the question and make it sound good in English.
For lunch Allen and I headed back to the dumpling place. Since it was a bit chilly that day I decided that I wanted to try a soup as well. I didn’t know what any of them were, but chose one that I saw a bunch of people eating. It turned out to be red bean soup… and was ok, a bit sweet for a soup, but tasty nonetheless. Allen also got a soup, something that looked similar but had some whitish things floating around in it. He urged me to try it. I asked what it was, but he said he didn’t know. I went ahead and dipped my spoon in and came out with one of the whitish things. I ate it, chewing a few times and swallowing quickly, not liking the taste or texture.
We kept eating and I could tell that Allen started to get a little uncomfortable. He kept eating his soup, then looking back at the menu, then looked down stunned. He prodded me with his elbow and said in a horrified voice “I’m so sorry, those were pig innards.” I looked at him with a blank stare, innards (aka intestines) are just about the one thing that I really have no interest in trying. He was genuinely apologetic and kept apologizing throughout the day and into the next. I told him it really wasn’t a big deal, that I survived, and at least now I know not to order that soup.
Time passed slowly in the afternoon and I was happy to leave half an hour after I normally do. Back at the hotel room I rested for a few minutes then headed out to trivia at Kro’s Nest. We didn’t do very well, but the food was once again delicious and I was pretty ecstatic when the answer to one of the last questions was Vermont.
Wednesday, Oct. 26
Work was pretty quiet. It’s the “busy season” getting ready for the early decision/early action deadline so I have quite a bit to do and have just been plugging away at my own pace. I feel like I’m going slow, but I’ve received nothing but praise so far and the tasks that I can do in five minutes take everyone else upwards of an hour to figure out… as they have to translate, then research, and translate the research, etc. Elaine is still “rewarding” me with food, a practice I find both delicious and belittling at times.
After work I decided that it was time to buy some shoes that were not hiking boots or dress shoes. There is a shopping mall just ten minutes away with a Carefour store, basically a French version of Wal-Mart. It’s the same place I bought my razor, so I thought I’d check it out. Finding the shoe section I was disappointed to see that they did not separate the men’s from the women’s shoes. I poked around and compared prices but didn’t see anything that I liked. After fifteen or twenty minutes of staring at shoes I was just about maxed out and left the store.
Feeling my stomach grumbling I checked out a restaurant that boasted “international cuisine.” Really it was just Chinese variations of western food, and none of it looked very good. I kept walking and stumbled across a Thai restaurant. Having been craving curry I stepped in and pawed through their menu. It seemed overpriced, but I thought what the hell… it wasn’t like I had anything else going on that night, and took the elevator up.
Immediately I regretted the decision. The place was fancy, with a variety of staff, cozy tables, well dressed patrons, and couples, couples, and more couples. Sucking up pride I followed the hostess to a table and took a seat. Anxious to leave I ordered as quickly as I could and then sat, waiting impatiently for the food to arrive. Looking around it seemed like a nice enough place, albeit a little overdone with the decorations. In the middle they had a replica boat with booths, which faced a large golden Buddha, some palm trees, chandeliers; the whole shebang really.
To my horror I heard some guitar strings being plucked and turned to my right to see a Filipino group start performing around a table in the far corner. I looked around the room and analyzed what the chances were that I could escape without being thoroughly embarrassed by the group in front of everyone. Thankfully my meal came shortly after. As I began spooning the green curry chicken over my rice I glanced and saw that they group was making a steady pace; one song per table then onwards to the next. It became a race, and while close, I felt as though I was winning. It helped that they took a short break and I thought I might be saved as they ventured to the far side of the model boat.
A trick! No sooner had I leaned back, pleased with my victory, they turned the corner of the boat and headed straight down the line towards my table. I dropped the chopsticks and picked up the spoon; time to get serious. Chomping away, while trying to maintain some composure, they skipped a table and came right to me. The race was over, I had lost.
In a kind voice, they asked where I was from and I told them. One of the musicians then asked in a mocking tone whether or not I was eating by myself, something which was blatantly obvious. With my face fully blushed I said that I was, and they all made “aawww” noises before starting a rendition of a Madonna song. It was awful. Not the music so much, although it definitely wasn’t something I’d pay to hear, but the experience. As if the music wasn’t enough the coaxed me to stand up and had me do a little pathetic dance with one of the musicians. I was grateful when they cut the song short and let me return to my seat to wither in my seat and pick at the food in front of me, the once fierce appetite I had had replaced by a burning desire to leave.
The bill came rather quickly and I escaped the purgatory to return to my hotel room. On the way I veered down the side street behind my hotel again, just to see what was back there. Just some shops and a few restaurants, I wasn’t in much of a mood to be social, let alone congenial, so I went back through and up to my room.
Tuesday, Oct. 25
For lunch on Tuesday Allen and I headed to a dumpling place near the office building. It’s located on a food street with tables and chairs set up outside for people to sit at. The street seems to have one restaurant for each type of food. There is a noodle place, a bbq place, fried rice, dumplings, and even an Islamic noodle restaurant.
The dumpling place we opted for was really quite good. I don’t know if they were the best dumplings I have had in China, but close to it. What I really liked about it is that you could look in and see four or five people crowded around a table making the dumplings right then and there.
After dumplings Allen took me across the main road to a bakery. I had eyed it before but hadn’t gone in, trying to resist the inviting smell. I couldn’t very well say no to Allen though, so followed his lead into the store. He pointed out a few things and I glanced over to watch the bakers in their glass enclosures working on cakes and other delicacies. The smell was intoxicating and I was happy to leave before I broke down and bought a box of cookies.
I tried to get out of work a little bit early, but ended up leaving a bit late. I ran across the street and changed then headed back out to the eastern side of the city to meet up with an expat gathering. One of the groups I signed up for (I can’t even tell you which one… there have been many), was having their monthly get together and extended the open invitation to me.
I was a little bit late and missed happy hour, but still had a little time to socialize before dinner was served. There were quite a few interesting people there; a Danish girl, American couple the husband of which is a pilot, Italian guy, lady from New Zealand, and a wide variety of others. I had some pretty good conversations with people there, many of whom arrived in China to teach but at found other gigs to sustain them. They asked how I liked what I do and I spoke to them about it pretty frankly, to my surprise most agreed… particularly those who had taught before.
One of the more interesting conversations was with a guy name Carl. Carl was a pilot back in the states that lost his job due to the downsizing of the airline industry and then came out to China. I pressed him a bit longer than I probably should have to describe the industry differences between the two countries. As he explained it the airline industry here in China is still skyrocketing. Four years ago his company had five planes, now they have over twenty. The flights he flies are for business men, but he said the trend is pretty much the same for regional and national airlines. With the economy as strong as it is and the middle class expanding, more and more people are finding the income to travel within China… no longer opting for the twenty-four hour train rides that I’ve heard about.
The meal itself was quite delicious…. It was a German restaurant and we were served some pork dish with potatoes, some kind of veggie, a starter salad, and a custard dessert. I was the last one to finish my meal because I was so busy chatting with the people around me; Carl and his wife, a Chinese American lady working for a pharmaceutical company who shared my longing for good pizza, and the organizer of the event – a Texan who edits and taught at a local college.
Once the meal was over we all said our goodbyes and I made my way across the river, deeper into expat territory. I had received a message from a guy I had been trying to get together with that he and a friend were playing trivia at a nearby bar. I of course had no idea how to get there, so using my poor printout map wandered around aimlessly. The diversity in this section of town was really remarkable; plenty of local Chinese, lots of Koreans, Americans, British, Africans, Middle East… you name the country there was probably someone from there.
After wandering for 20 minutes down the same road I figured I had missed a turn somewhere so turned and started walking back towards the mini outdoor shopping mall that I had seen. A guy on a trike bike pedaled up to me. At first I said no, and started walking, but he followed and held out his hand to view my map. Since I was already late to meet up with Ben I thought what the hell and jumped in. I had my doubts that he knew where he was going when he veered left and dumped me out in front of Hooters. Unfortunately I didn’t realize this until I had stepped off the bike and he had already pedaled a few dozen yards with my cash in his hand.
Frustrated and out of place I walked back to the street I had been on. A few black guys stopped and asked I they could help me, so I turned and told them where I was trying to go. They gave me some pretty solid directions, and even in spite of my complete inability to follow them… I eventually found the place.
By the time I got there the trivia was just ending. Ben and his friend Paul stuck around for a bit longer so I got to chat with them a bit and hear how they ended up in China. I don’t recall all of the details, and I haven’t seen them since… but it was at least nice to get out and see that part of the city. I likely wouldn’t have gone there otherwise, and doubt I will go there again.
After twenty minutes at the bar we headed out and parted ways.
