Chinese second family

---

"What we do for ourselves dies with us; What we do for others remains and is immortal."
Albert Pike
I came across this quote on a volunteer website



I think it’s time to introduce you to some of my Chinese second family who are making me feel at home here and keeping me entertained. Some of you have asked me what I do at the weekend and in the evenings but to be honest there always seems to be something going on and sometimes I am actually glad to find I have a day to myself.

Guozhi is the Director of VSO China but spent 3 years studying in San Francisco. His wife Jian Wen is a dance teacher - would you believe it! They took me to see a contemporary dance workshop at the wonderful national performing arts centre and invited me to their home for lunch. Best of all they let me join their Tai ji sessions in the park. Qinghua and Sifan are in charge of my programme ‘national volunteering’ at VSO so we work together but are also becoming friends and I have been to both their apartments for lunch - (even though I was told that it is unusual for Chinese people to entertain at home here). I thought that was because their kitchen facilities were limited and their food requires so many different dishes - also it is incredibly cheap to eat out and lots of working people do just that - every night - there are millions of restaurants and all busy. But Sifan’s parents overwhelmed me with home cooked food, especially prepared, not too spicy for me. She has a one year old boy Yuan Yuan which means sunshine and he had the nature to match his name. Qinghua has a little girl aged 7 - both families comply with the one child policy. This is interesting because each child is the centre of at least 6 adults’ attention and it is quite common for grandparents to live with their children and take care of the grandchildren so the parents can work the long hours demanded of them (no European working directives here!) There is no ‘supernanny’ either, children rule and I wonder what will happen to this generation when they grow up and find they are not actually the centre of the universe.

Karen who prefers her English name is responsible for the project I am working on at BVF and is something of a lifeline as she translates for me and sorts out things like Visas and apartments. She is a Beijinger but very Westernised having taken her Masters at Surrey University (same as Olivia - small world!) and worked at the Canadian Embassy - and now has a Canadian boyfriend.

I met Thomas, Jie and Fei at the VSO conference in Xi’an but they all live in Beijing and have been great at inviting me to join in outings - to search for the perfect T set, to take a boat on Houhai lake, to explore the markets, to make dumplings ………
Thomas is a business man and entrepreneur who helps out with VSO recruitment occasionally. He has never left China but has excellent English. Jie is the first ever Chinese International VSO volunteer being sent overseas to Kenya, to work in the AIDS / HIV field. Fie spent 8 years studying and working with her husband in Canada and now works in the finance industry. She introduced me to her friends Jessica and Joan (everyone has an English name and in business many prefer to use them) and they practice English language conversation skills with me. This will help them get on in their careers with Acer, which is a Taiwanese firm with an office almost next to my apartment - I didn’t know that when I bought my little Acer netbook at Currys before I came! Joan and a whole bunch of her friends took me watermelon picking last weekend.

So, as I said, there always seems to be some invitation on offer and sometimes I am happy to just do a bit of exploring at my own pace. There are still many parts of the city I have not seen yet, all those temples to discover, all those alleys to wander in - all those markets to shop at!

---

Photos

Guozhi & Jian Wen
tai ji in the park

Sifan
her favourite pastime is eating

little ray of sunshine
I brought the teddy from London for his birthday

watermelon smile
Joan Fu

Comments

[Jane]

Well, what can we say?
Well Aunty Gill, It is good to hear you are filling your time up and being well entertained. How I would love to be with you and taking it all in. I am sure the girls are missing you and also a little worried. BUT they can stop as you sound to be so settled and taking everything in your stride. Nothing changed here, hit and miss with the weather and looking forward to going away for three weeks for SUN, SEA, DRINK and relax.... Work is good and busy, learning lots myself and getting totally involved in new role. Busy, busy busy. You keep enjoying yourself and we'll all be here when you have had enough. That is if you ever come back? XXXX Jane, Pat, Siobhan and Ryan