Chip's Chewable: "CHINESE PROFESSOR WRITES OPEN LETTER TO COMMUNIST GOV’T FOLLOWING CHURCH CRACKDOWN"

Chew on this:  "Professor He Guanghu of Beijing‘s People’s University is a well-known professor of religious studies who has a deep interest in the inner workings of faith..."  (Please click on the title to read the entire story)

XiShuaShua Music Video

I made this video of all six of my classes as a memory of a great year in Qufu.

NOTE: My classes were usually more serious than this.

Stateside

After a fast 2-hr bullet train ride from Qufu to Beijing, getting lost finding our hostel, then finding our hostel and despite making a reservation, there was no room available, then finding another hostel while dragging around 150lbs of suitcase, then flying from Beijing to Chicago, then Chicago to Lexington, WE ARE FINALLY HOME!

Thanks to Joe and Stefanie for making us this cool welcome home sign that greeted us at the airport. (Chip's eyes are closed, I know, but it is the only photo we have of the occasion).

It is so good to be back in the states eating foods we've missed, feeling clean, and most of all enjoying time with friends and family.

Here's our summer schedule. Let us know if you would like to get together.

Lexington, Kentucky: July 4-10, July 25-August 1 (except July 27-30 at Lake Cumberland), August 5-18

Pine Bluff or Heber Springs, Arkansas: July 11-24

Spring Arbor, Michigan: August 2-5th

We fly back to China on August 18th.

Wrapping Things Up

Sophomore schedule of remaining exams

The semester is quickly wrapping up. We will take a train to Beijing on Saturday and fly to Lexington on Sunday. We are excited to get home and a little tired from all of the year-end activities. Here are some shots of what has kept us busy in our final weeks in Qufu.

Dinner at a local student's home. . .13 dishes for four people, oh my.


Lots and lots and lots of exam grading


Cleaning out the library


Last dinners out with students


Getting my shoes fixed (for only 5 mao, basically pennies)


Hanging out with students from the local fellowship


Dinner with our Foreign Affairs Officers and their families


Foot massages with teacher friends


Goodbyes and grades at the office


Shipping winter clothes, kitchen stuff, bedding,
and books to Changchun for next year


Wading through the madhouse post office when we went to ship


Red Song Patriotic Singing Contest to celebrate the
90th anniversary of the Communist Party


Going away party for the foreign teachers


And because they make everyone smile, some student quotes from goodbye notes:

"I still remember the first time you came to our class. It was beyond my imagination. Because in my mind the culture teacher might be very serious and wear a pair of glasses, but you look very beautiful and sweet. We like to listen to your class and play with you."

"Your apartment is very beautiful and has many nice decorations. I really want to have such a softly fragrant home."

"Mallary and Chip are the most sweetie couple I have ever seen."

"You are always like the sunshine. I do like your smiling because it's so warm. I really want to know what kind of magic do you have that keep you be happy everyday."

"You are like a bubble full of candies, never depressed."

"You are the very special star in my Milky Way."

"You know what, I am always having a dream about you--that is to invite you to my home and my middle school because I have shown my parents and schoolmates your picture and told them how interesting you are and that you cooked delicious food for us. They are hoping to see you someday. I hope I still have a chance to achieve my dream."

"My first impression of you is that you are lovely just like a little girl. You always wear some decorations on your head. It's so cute."

"I never feel bored in your class even if the contents is a little dull in some degree."

"Chip, you are quiet, humorous, patient, kindhearted, and the most important thing may be that you can cook a lot of delicious food."

"I remembered the time you stayed in our dormitory in Lynn's bed. At first, we were afraid that you might be disliking our conditions. But when you came, I think you really enjoyed it. Did we snore? Or did you hear strange words? The next morning, we looked at your bed, but you had gone early. I believe that will be a good memory for both of us."

"I still remember when a freshman boy suicided himself, you told us that we can call on you if we have some life problems which we can hardly handle. To be honest, at these words I am almost moved to tears. (Believe me, I am not that sentimental). It's because no teacher in my life care about my psychological problems like you. It's because you always let me feel that you are my elder sister who can back me up when I am depressed."

And a few of these. . .

"I hope one day I can meet you in America, and I think at that time I can see the cute baby of you and Chip. Chip is a handsome, nice, and gentle guy."

"We are waiting for the birth of your cute baby."

"I do hope you can send us the photos of you and Chip's future baby."

Chip's Chewable: Must See Photos of Beijing Underwater

Click on the link to view the streets of Beijing underwater, water pouring down stairs to one of Beijing's subway stations, and a lake that has now formed around the the Forbidden City.  Incredible.

Foreign Face

Yesterday I was a superstar. One of my supervisors/colleague asked me to go promote an English training school in Yanzhou--a neighboring town. I knew I wasn't interested, but "no" isn't easy to say in China. In fact, he changed the time thrice to work around my schedule. So two hours after he asked me, we were on the road.

I didn't want to go for two main reasons: One, I knew it would take a big chunk of time, and I had to cancel some plans that I had been excited about. Two, it all felt a little slimy--it appeared that if you chose to attend this "English training school," I would be your teacher, which of course, was not the case. My face was simply good advertising.

We went to a school for miner's children. According to the translator (and student reaction), I was the first foreigner the students had ever seen. As I went classroom to classroom promoting English study, the students roared with excitement.




I hadn't prepared anything in advance, so I mostly asked questions to investigate their interests: surfing the internet, watching basketball, playing badminton, and listening to Justin Bieber.


Students peering in the classroom window to see the foreigner.

It was really fun. . .until someone asked for my signature. I hesitated. I really shouldn't have said yes, but my supervisor nodded that I should. Then there was a stampede. It was my first time to be mobbed. I was nearly knocked down, I couldn't see to sign my name and children kept forcing their papers over others to ensure that they got my, well, completely worthless scribble of "Mal."

Can you see me? I'm in there.

When we got to the car, students pounded on the windows. My colleague said I should do a few more signatures so with the window rolled down and the car surrounded, I signed many a Hello Kitty notebook.

I was the guest of honor at a dinner as a thank you for coming to the school. I didn't want to be honored. I just wanted to go home. Two hours of stares and physical bombardment had worn me out. It was a rough night at the dinner. I knew it would be when I saw the boxes of alcohol carried in. Only my colleague could speak English (and one other guy, but his English was poor and worthless once he was drunk). There was lots of drinking, toasting, vegetables dishes in my honor (and confusion about why I wouldn't eat meat), and loud Chinese that I didn't understand. Me and my colleague gave rides home to the others who were all red in the face and high in spirits from an evening of too much rice wine.

We left Qufu at 2pm yesterday. We got home about 10pm. Not exactly how I would have chosen to spend my day. It's not easy being a star.

Chip's Chewable: China: Beyond Borders

NPR has been doing a series of articles about China called, "China:  Beyond Borders." According to their website, the series of articles "examines the many ways China is expanding its reach in the world — through investments, infrastructure, military power and more."

Click the title to check out the different stories or check out the web address below to view a map of China's current global investments.  Shouldn't go ignored. 

http://www.npr.org/2011/06/10/136930746/explore-chinas-global-reach