Daily tid-bits

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You can't accurately describe China in words. Things start to happen so subtle and naturally around you, that assimilation becomes like walking in quicksand .
Driving is just insane. Left turning lane goes straight all the time, especially taxis. My morning taxi and most cars take these sketchy left hand turns where they beat the traffic going straight which also has a green, then dodge a pedestrian and bicyclist to make a simple left hand turn. They might as well not have lines painted on the street, nobody obeys them. All they obey and do is 'honk their horns', all day. They honk their horns to let other drivers know they're there. Many times you are nonchalantly traveling in the wrong lane and direction. Occasionally I mention Obama in my cab rides and it always puts a smile and creates a discussion with the driver.
Security guards are pretty priceless out here. Last Monday, one of the three security guards I see everyday, was getting his haircut in the lobby of our building, next to both elevators on first floor. But it was one of those things you pass-by in China and don't think twice. His barber, or friend, had a gray bowl around his head giving him a nice trim. I feel like we bonded because I passed-by him while he was getting a haircut.
A teacher at a Pinyin training school in City Building A ( I am in B) died two weeks ago because of a gas leak in the that building. Weird thing is is I walked through the funeral/demonstration by victims family members outside building B, which we walk through everyday to get lunch half-mile from our office/school. One guy was yelling, while another was crying (looked like he was crying 'bloody murder') on the other side of the stairs, a black blanket or sweater was burning in front of stairs, with 30-40 people and a police officer standing patiently and listening attentively. It wasn't until last week when they added more 'pretty worthless' but worthy security guards on each floor (2) of our school. I asked our East City School Manager and friend Maggie why the added security, as the observant person I am, and she said a teacher in neighboring building had died because of a gas leak. So as I look at it and my colleague Bob said, if you see a security guard slouched over asleep on their student desk they sit at next to elevators, run and exit, there's a gas leak! One of the guards has been really weird with some of us teachers lately, video recording us with his phone, walking into our classrooms and office sometimes. Maybe he's just showing off latest technology or trying to be friendly, but that's not going to fly anymore.
I manually turn my gas on and off in kitchen. The TA's forgot to turn it off when they cooked dinner for some friends and I on Tuesday. When I returned home from a soccer match (Shandong vs. Osaka, Japan) and could smell a small scent of gas/propane, I quickly turned it off. At my Muslim (as a popular local rice and noodle cuisine is known as) place near my house, the gas inside forces me from eating inside, so I'll get it to go or eat it on the steps outside. I am close with the family who runs it and the standard walk in, find the picture of the dish I want, point at it, and get confirmation head nod from son who acts as waiter/cashier. I love BBQ food here, which s pretty common. Chicken wings, spicy, cooked from raw over fire. As well, lamb/sheep, bread, potatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, sausages, goat (which I just found out I have been eating some of), and more. The spice powder that lathers BBQ food is delicious.
I just received my first package from my Dad yesterday! I was so excited when my colleague Bob told me there was something in the third floor office for me, so I ran up the stairs to check it out. It was awesome to get the package! The Mac n Cheese that night for dinner was so delicious!
After a long weekend of work, us teachers did nothing out of the ordinary, and went to the BBQ next to school. I cleverly named it "Cheers", 'Where everybody knows your face, and there always glad you came' because they love our business, and we see some of the same people in their often, but usually try and stick to ourselves until a Chinese guy comes over and to gan bei (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100303161718AAP2ViI). We play some poker, drink some Laoshans, and the boys start to talk about going to So Ho, a club in West City. It's Sunday night, and I am tired from the long work weekend, so I am coming up with every reason not to take the 30 minute cab ride down the road to the West. I bail and tell them to have a good night. I take a cab to my local Muslim place to get fried rice, some for dinner and some for breakfast the next day. I sit down, wait for food to go (as I do not eat there because of gas smell inside) and talk to three tables of people eating there. There is a baby so I am saying hello to her. Babies, and many people here, stare at the simple white color of skin. As I am returning home, my Chinese Family signal me to come eat inside and meet their friends. I come in and sit-down with two guys; one across in like a Bono and Phil Jackson combo Chinese man, smoking a cigarette with a plastic holder and filter, and a bigger Chinese man with the Porn/Hitler style mustache, which is somewhat common out here. They throw me a beer and want me to ganbei with them. So we drink for a while, and the Bono looking guy and I talk NBA, by just shouting team and player names. After about an hour, he receives a call, and then he passes to mustache guy. Then they turn to me and tell me by acting out charades that someone close to them had gotten into a car accident. So they split soon, which is great because I can now get home. The one thing about joining a normal discussion with Chinese males out here is that it always leads to them throwing cigs and gan-bei's at you, and it's hard to walk away as well because they feel disrespected. But sometimes you have to watch out for yourself of course.
Yesterday on my day off, my buddy Farmer (Martin, from Plymouth England) and I had some breakfast, then decided to drink some beers on the steps of my favorite local BBQ, which my 'Chinese family' runs (wife and husband). Farmer's Chinese is pretty good as he has lived her for 1.5 yrs., and dated a handful of Chinese ladies. As we enjoyed ourselves on this sunny day, every five to ten minutes someone would approach us and want to talk. Farmer would talk to them as I listened, and he'd teach me some Chinese too. I met a handful of people from my neighborhood including a guy that wants to trade English for Chinese lessons, a pimp (which I have no use for but just crazy), and some older gentleman. Meanwhile, the man (my Chinese Family) whose BBQ steps we are sitting on comes in and out, almost to show us off to people passing by, but moreover to let them know we are his foreigner friends. After about an hour and a half, the guy I met the night at the BBQ I was actually at shouts over to us to come over. He ends up sitting us down with four of his close friends and he treats us to a delicious lunch. They are drinking the clear Chinese liquor. It is common for business guys and guys in suits to be drinking at lunch. The funny thing was how my buddy knew we were there was his friend had pulled up in his White BMW (which the guy drove us to Farmers house afterward in) and saw two foreigners sitting on steps, so he must have said something. Then my buddy figured, it's got to be Pete, because there are no other white foreigners in our friendly confines.
I wake up every morning in my spacious three bedroom apartment, appreciating my nice bed, hot shower, view outside, and maybe some leftover fried-rice I can fry an egg with in my wok. I feel like a Benihanas cook making new Wok creations all the time.
Life is becoming pretty busy here, with five days on, and two days off, just like at home. We celebrated a teachers birthday yesterday and Maggie's birthday is tomorrow at Qingfeng Lake, where the Lantern Festival took place. So the plan is to fly kites, play games, and have fun on the lakeside, then all Karaoking at KTV in the evening.
All my best from the tiny oil-town of Dongying, with 1.8 million and growing steadily. Babies, kids, and pregnant ladies are all over the place. Way too many, no wonder they have one-child law!

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Photos

New buddies
...yet another free meal

AJ's birthday
Office cake Party

East City Teachers and TA's
outside Arab place we had Woman's Day lunch at

My drying room
Laundry is not like Washer then dryer here...

Cherry-Pie and I
teach him 3x/week

Common transport
don't even think about asking about helmets, nobody wears them

Comments

[Jim McArthur]

March 18 blog
Pete, Just read your March 19 blog; very informative; thanks for sharing. Going to Ventura tomorrow for Easter with Jamie and his new family. Yesterday we had the first Spring BBQ at 1638 and we celebrated Jill, Kim and Cole's birthdays all of which were last week. Tentative plans call for me taking train and playing golf with Max in San Diego area next weekend. When you get a moment give me your health update; trust your feeling much better and out of hospital; any ideas for your next Care package? Love, Dad