Jillibean

Well guys…summer is upon us with a vengeance!  It has been unbearably hot for the past couple of weeks with daytime temps between 32° and 40° celsius. The saving grace is that we do have AC in the classrooms and at home, but just having to walk around outside is too much!

Summer is also the time of year that we say goodbye to many of our foreign friends here in the Dong.  Most teachers only stay for a short time in each place..one year usually, and then either go back home or move on to another city.  A few (like myself) choose to stay put in one place and settle for awhile.  One long term teacher was Ashley Martin from Toronto area.  She has been here for a couple of years but decided to go home last week.  She will be missed by many.  My new colleague, Mark, that joined the college last November is also going home to Ireland at the end of the month; we are really going to miss him here.  One lady I am truly sad to see go is Vera Olah. She and her husband Alex are from Australia and have been here for about a year.  Unfortunately we didn’t meet them until January, but we made up for lost time and have been fast friends since.  By September there will be a whole crop of new faces to get to know, new phone numbers to exchange and information about the best places to eat and where to shop will be shared.

As for me, I am getting very, very excited to be going home in a couple of weeks.  It has been two years since I saw the family, although it doesn’t feel like that long.  I am really looking forward to seeing all the changes in everyone and seeing what’s new around town.  There have been a few babies added to the family since I left as well!!  Can’t wait to meet them!  Before coming back to China (yes…I’ve signed on again!) I will travel to England to see my other family there.  I can hardly wait!

Well, I must be off.  I have had a particularly busy week and I have a full day of Judging an English speaking competition tomorrow and I need to clear up dishes and organize my things for morning.

I hope you are all well and happy and enjoying life to the fullest (or at least as best you can!).  Take care everyone…love you all.

Life is good.

Jilly?

Hey everyone..

Well, it’s the middle of April and I still don’t have any classes here.  Now I am told May for sure.  In the meantime, I have baked my way through 5 kilos of flour and given the proceeds to my foreign friends so I don’t eat all those goodies!  On the upside, I have finally mastered the art of baking in a toaster oven without burning everything to a lump of black charcoal!

While you folks back home were celebrating Easter, here in China it was the Qing Ming Festival.  This translates loosely to “tomb sweeping festival”.  A three day holiday for the whole country so people  may pay their respects to their dead ancestors.  Graves are swept, cleaned and decorated.  Imitation money is burned and food is left by the grave.  Some relaxation for the family is also in order for most people.  Mark and I spent the Saturday with my friend Joy and her son Leo and her niece Katie.  We began the afternoon with a picnic lunch from KFC at a small man-made lake in East City.  We then took a taxi out to a place called Swan Lake.  I’m sure I’ve mentioned this place before; it’s a huge reservoir on the outskirts of the city.  The size of it is, in itself, unbelievable to me…60 square kilometers…but even more unbelievable is the fact that it was all dug by hand!  All that ground was dug and moved by thousands of workers.  Remember, labour is cheap here; if you don’t want the job..someone else does.

Now the name Swan Lake is a bit deceiving I think.  I have been here half a dozen times and except for seeing a few swans in the distance one time, the only swans you see are in the very small zoo on the man-made island.  It is said that this place is on the migration route, but I think it’s wishful thinking on the part of the tourist bureau here.  There really isn’t anything pretty about the place, mostly concrete and kitchy stuff for kids to spend their parents money on.  The children did enjoy it though, and that’s what’s important.

This past weekend was more fun.  I went with Chris to visit his young Chinese mate, Michael in his home village on the shores of the Yellow River.  We took a city bus to the edge of Dongying and waited, without success, for one of the small local buses that serve the countryside villages.  They are usually quite regular, but on that particular day, after waiting about 20 minutes, one came by that was so full we couldn’t get on!  There is always a long line of mini taxis (those little three wheeled cars) for those people that don’t want to take a bus or live where the buses don’t go.  We had our doubts that one of them could actually move if we both got in, so we opted for a proper (though still small) car.  The lady driver had to call for directions to the village, and half way there Chris had to call Michael to direct her the rest of the way.  What an adventure!

Once in the village, we met up with Michael and were introduced to his father who was busy in their shop.  It’s kind of a combination food store and farm supply shop.  We went for a walk to the home of Michaels’ aunt and met his grandma and “little brother”. Little brother or little sister is what they call their cousins.  I think it’s a way to help an only child feel like they have a bigger family. I took a few photos in the house with grandma; she was a little concerned that they should pay me for taking them! She was apparently 80 something years old, but no one knew for sure.  She was very sweet, and I couldn’t help but notice her tiny little feet that would have been bound when she was a girl.

We left auntie’s house with the little guy in tow to go for a walk down to the Yellow River.  Normally it is quite wide and fairly fast running but because of the lack of rain in the west of China where it originates, the level in it and many of the other rivers and lakes in China are terribly low.  In fact, in the south west, an entire lake has completely dried up, leaving 20 million residents around it’s shores without water.  The government is trucking in water and drilling wells to help with the problem.

The boys played their own version of “pooh sticks”.  No bridge to drop them off, and they were standing on a 10ft high bank with the low water about 50 meters away…so the little guy would pull up a dead corn stalk from last year, hand it to Chris, and he would throw it as far as he could towards the water.  A couple actually made it!  The stalks also proved to be good “swords” for mock sword fights. Needless to say, Chris is the little guys’  hero.  He follows him around like a puppy.

Back from the yellow river, we were given a lovely lunch of local Black fish, in the back room of the shop.  It was really tasty with fresh steamed bread to sop up the broth with.  After lunch we walked around the village meeting and talking with the locals.  The village is very small, with the main road about 500 meters from end to end.  The small lanes the intersect all along this road are perhaps 100 meters in length, so everyone knows you if you live there.  We visited an older couple who were known for welcoming the locals, especially the children, into their humble home.  When we arrived, there were five or six children all up on the “kang” which is an elevated bed, about six feet wide, watching TV.  The open space beneath the bed is heated in winter to keep you warm at night.

It was an interesting and very enjoyable day out of the city.  Although the day was quite cold and windy, it didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the adventure.  The people were very friendly and welcoming and Michael has a smile that could warm anyone’s heart.

I guess that’s it for now. Oh…while I have been writing this, my boss phoned and told me that I have a class starting next Monday!! Yippeee!! I can’t wait to meet them!

Take care everyone and keep smilin’.  Love you all?

Jilly

Hello world!

Well, not much to write about lately.  I am still not teaching yet since our break before Spring Festival because the workers are apparently very busy catching up from the lowered production during the holiday.  I am told that the shit will hit the fan in April when the new BFT class arrives, the English Touring Competition arrives and another small group will also arrive.  I can’t wait to get busy!!

I have met some new foreigners recently, which is always nice!  A lovely couple from Australia, Vera and Alex, are teaching at the other college campus of China Petroleum University.  Alex is teaching the Uni students and Vera is at the Primary school located on the Uni campus.  Both are enjoying their  time here, I think, especially now as they have joined our Wednesday night dinner group!  They have been in Dongying since last August, but hadn’t been introduced to many foreigners outside their campus.  One of my former Chinese students, who lived in Canada for some years, introduced them to me.  I’m glad she did, for their sake and ours!!

The weather here in the Dong is up and down daily still.  Some afternoons up in the high teens and then down to 2° – 5° overnight and the next day only maybe 7° or so.  It’s difficult to know what to put on when you go out!!  Still, the sun does shine nearly every day here, so whatever the temperature, it’s still OK.   That is, it’s OK if you are outside….when you are inside, and your combination air conditioner/heater won’t work…well, it is more than a little chilly.  Over most of the winter, we have central heating supplied, but that gets turned off on March 17th., when people then switch to the portable units in their homes to take the chill off.  Mine died last Friday night, and is yet to have it’s new compressor installed…..soooo….I am a little chilly in the morning!!  I won’t complain too much though, because one day, very soon, it will shoot up to 30° and stay there until July when (according to my Chinese friends) it will begin to get hot!!  lol.   But it’s OK.  A little hot weather for a couple of months is easy to endure compared to the aggravation, lack of respect and a measly 2 weeks vacation I used put up with at my old job!!   Bring on the heat!!! 

Speaking of my old job, I was reading the Examiner on line the other day and saw that an old friend/customer from the track had passed away.  Eddie Silverman was a regular visitor, not so much to gamble, but to socialize with the other older guys who were also regulars.  He had a very dry sense of humour, which some of my co-workers didn’t get and we shared many little inside jokes.  R.I.P. Eddie…I know you will be sadly missed.  My sincerest condolences to those who loved him.

Well, it’s nearly 7:30am and I’m not dressed so I had better sign off and get cleaned up in case my compressor arrives at 8:00am!  I hope all is well with you folks out there in cyberspace.  Take care…and be happy.  Love to you all til next time.

Jilly?  Life is Good.

Hi folks!

Well….Spring Festival is drawing to a close and things are beginning to get back to normal here in China.  As I have told you before Dongying is a fairly young city.  With oil having been discovered here about 40 years ago it has grown from a small village of a few hundred to a small city of about 1.5 million.  So it becomes a pretty quiet place during the holiday season for about 10 days, as nearly everyone here has come from somewhere else in China.  The street behind our college is made up of small, family owned restaurants that serve not only our staff and students but also those of the three public schools and their communities in the area.  For nearly two weeks they have been closed and shuttered while their owners make their yearly pilgrimage back to their hometowns to visit parents, grandparents and other family members.  But life is finally coming back to the little street.

My new colleague, Mark, went down to Changsha to visit Brooke.  Mark taught here at the college about 4 years ago, and he and Brooke got to know each other then.  Changsha is in the south of China, in Hunan Province, and so is usually quite a bit milder in climate than here in the north.  Unfortunately for Mark (and Brooke) this winter has been unseasonably cold, with temperatures down to zero c.  That wouldn’t be too difficult except that because of the usually mild climate…no one has central heating.  Keep in mind that the buildings are solid concrete so it can feel colder inside than outside at times!  Needless to say…it wasn’t too pleasant and Mark came home with a terrible cold.  But cold and damp aside…he and Brooke had a great reunion, and Mark had the opportunity to eats lots of western type food…especially cheese!!

As for work…well new classes are beginning to get organized here.  Our first order will be the Shengli Oilfield English Touring Competition beginning on March 16th.  This takes place four times each year, with nice cash prizes available to be won for those that have the best total score in English for speaking and writing.  Mark and I, along with three Chinese English teachers will be the judges for the speaking part of the competition.  After we are finished with the competition, a new BFT class will begin before the end of March.  They will live here on campus for five months and have nothing but English classes for 5 1/2 days a week, including evenings.  Very intense!

All in all it has been a lovely relaxing holiday.  A little of everything for me….quiet times, exciting times, time spent with good friends and some time spent alone.   This Sunday is Lantern Festival.  This is the fifteenth day of the Spring Festival Holiday and officially marks the end of the celebrations.  Red lanterns are hung all over the city; across and along streets, in  the square from trees and in doorways of homes and businesses.  It’s a beautiful sight to see!  Hopefully the weather will cooperate on Sunday evening so we can also enjoy the biggest full moon of the year here in China to show off the lovely Lanterns.  As New Year’s day is for eating “jiaozi” (meat or vegetable filled dumplings), Lantern Festival day is for eating “yuanxiao” (glutinous rice dumplings with a sweet filling).  I will certainly do my part in keeping up the tradition!!  Besides…it’s apparently good luck!

OK everyone, I guess that’s all for now.  I hope this finds you all well and happy and enjoying life any way you can.  Take care….love you all. x0x

Jilly……Life is Good

Hi everyone…

I am just letting you all know that I can no longer access my facebook account here in China.  That, as well as other sites like youtube and twitter, are no longer available here.  This is very upsetting to me as I used facebook as a connection to all my family and friends at home.  It allowed me to keep up to date with children and grandchildren and other friends and family mambers; to see in pictures posted how they are growing and what activities they are involved in.  It was also the best way for me to share my life and experiences here in China;  to show everyone at home what an amazing  place I am living in.  So it is regrettable to me that this wonderful tool is no longer available.  For those of us away from home, life is a little more lonely without all those little messages and notices delivered each day from those people we miss the most.

I can’t remember ever having a complaint about my life here before.  And although I understand the concerns connected with these sites, it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with the loss of my connection to home.

I am ever hopeful it is a temporary situation, but until a solution is found, I will have to rely on e-mails or messages left here.

Love to all x0x

Jilly    Life is good.

Hello world!

Well, holiday time in China is upon us and you can feel the excitement in the air.  Spring Festival is just around the corner, this year falling on “Lover’s Day” (Valentine’s Day).  This is the Chinese equivalent of our Christmas holiday season.  A new year will begin according to the Lunar calendar and beginning this weekend, half of the people in this great nation will find a way to get home to be with their family.  That means that every bus, train, plane and ship in the country will be called into service and filled to capacity in order to accomplish that feat.  If you haven’t got your ticket now…well…you may not get home before the big day.

As I said, it’s kind of like Christmas at home.  The children are excited because they get gifts and new clothes.  Traditionally, adult relatives will give the children in their family a “red envelope” containing money.  In most families this is immediately handed over to their parents to use or save as they see fit.  And, like Christmas, there is lots of food!  Special treats are either made or bought in order to ensure the big day is special in every way. In many parts of China, “jiaozi” (dumplings) are eaten at some point in the day, just as most of us eat turkey in Canada and the USA, or goose in Britain and parts of Europe.  Food always plays a big part in any festival, no matter where in the world it is.  I have also been told of a tradition of setting a place at the table for any family member that may be far away and not able to get home for the meal.  Rather a nice gesture, I think.

The highlight of the celebrations is of course the fireworks on New Year’s Eve.  As I have said in earlier posts, this is not so much about beautiful displays, but more about making all the noise you can possibly make so as to wake the sleeping dragons for good luck in the coming year. This is the part I really don’t understand; if I were a hibernating dragon, and was rudely awakened from my deep sleep by what sounds like the beginnings of a war…..I don’t think I would be at all happy! I would probably be thinking, “  Again with the fireworks!! I’ll teach those beggars to wake me up!!”  But being a loving Chinese dragon…that never happens.  Like a doting parent, the dragon just smiles and says, “ahhh…bless ‘em”.

It’s a time of sharing with friends and family and bonuses from employers.  Along with the usual cash bonus, many companies give debit cards for supermarkets to each employee, or give boxes of food itself.  The college did both.  Large (10kg) bags of flour, boxes of traditional mixed veggies, frozen fish, steamed buns by the case…etc..etc.  Making sure everyone has enough to eat as well as share with their own families.  Max and Julia are my family here so of course I shared with them as it was way too much food for myself.  Unfortunately, Max has been posted once again to Mexico and so cannot share the festival with Julia.  Very upsetting, but a fact of life for many who work in the oil (and other) industry that must continue regardless of holidays.

It’s a strange time of year for me.  It feels like Christmas, but without the carols and the tinsel.  It’s a time for family and close friends to get together and celebrate and be thankful for what they have and share their hopes and dreams for the future.  Everyone is always concerned for me because they don’t want me to be alone.  I get many invitations to people’s homes to share the festivities with them, just as we at home hate to think of someone spending Christmas alone and away from their family. They needn’t worry; I am never alone, and if I am…it’s OK!

Just a note to say that the pics posted here were taken last year at the home of Julia’s grandmother, where I was lucky enough to spend the entire day and evening with them.

So to all my Chinese friends, I wish you much joy and happiness for the coming Spring Festival and good health and prosperity for the coming year  of the Tiger!

For my family and friends at home, apparently those darned groundhogs are going to keep you bundled up for a while longer.  Perhaps you should do as the Chinese do….make some noise….wake them up!!  Why should they get to sleep in??!  Maybe they will be more obliging in future!! 

Take care everyone…this is me signing off from the other side  of the world.

Love to all x0x

Jilly : Life is good.