5--Exams

Tuesday, June 22/04, about 1:10 pm on a rainy day

Ni Hao out there:

Today is a very big festival in China--it's duan wu jie, or dragon boat festival. There are specific things we are supposed to eat; zong zi (they are sticky rice either plain, or mixed with beans, meat, sesame, etc., patted into kind of triangle shapes then wrapped in banana tree leaves. They are very delicious. Another thing to eat is baozi (steamed bun with or without the same sorts of fillings--also very delicious), and tea eggs. These are eggs hard boiled in tea and salt and they are super delicious! I have not had the baozi or the tea egg yet today, but we are going out for dinner with "the group" tonight, so hope springs eternal. I will ask someone to help me buy some of the eggs. We just had lunch at Xiao Ting's sister-in-law's restaurant--it is a day for big family dinners. They say it is one of the most important festivals in China--after Spring Festival, National Day. The river is too low for dragon boats, but they used to have dragon boat races here, until about 5 years ago. As with everything in China there is a story attached to the zong zi that we are supposed to eat. According to legend, back when China was 7 different countries, there was a lot of war (what a surprise!!). One famous poet didn't want the war, he knew that some enemies were coming and went to warn the king. The king didn't believe him (I think I have this part right, but if I don't I'm sorry). The man really didn't want any war, so he jumped into the Mei River and drowned. The people on this day, throw zong zi into the river (not really) so the fish will eat the zong zi and not eat the man.

A few days ago we visited the temple in the town of Ningdu--not the one with the tower, but right in the centre of town. It's called the Hai Liang Temple. We wanted to buy some little things in their shop. Anyway, one of the nuns invited us to stay for dinner. About 3 students were with us to help in the translations. It turned out it was the nuns birthday! We said our sheng ri kuai le (happy birthday) to her and "toasted" with our small cartons of milk. I noticed she kept looking at me, and right into my eyes and beyond. She finally asked Li Mei Qun to tell me that she recognized me from another lifetime! Goosebumps galore on my arms, in spite of the heat!

Another night this week, I received a call from LiLing--one of the favourite students from class 1)--inviting me to meet him in Centre Square--there was singing and dancing going on in a performance. It turned out to be advertising for real estate--the singing, dancing and plays were not very creative--but they did get the people there! He invited me to go to the river for something cool--there were a couple of his friends, a cousin, and cousin's wife also. Ashley was feeling under the weather so she didn't go. Down to the river on the back of his motorcycle we go. Some cool fruit juice. I kept hearing, when they spoke Chinese, the words KTV. LiLing was very good to tell me most of what the Chinese was about, in English. KTV is where people go to sing, dance--like Karaoke--only better. Well, Liling was in a double bind. He had received a phone call from a man from his hometown, who is an English teacher near Ningdu. The man really wants to spend time with us, but here is the rub--he give me a little bit of the creeps. He does not keep his distance, and he doesn't take no for an answer. Of course Liling knew nothing of how I felt about all this--he just knew the man spoke English, so he invited him to join us. When I found out the man was joining us, I told Liling I was glad he was here, because I would not go out with this man alone, or even with Ashley and I together. First I made sure that he wasn't one of Liling's best friends. When I told Liling that I just didn't feel comfortable with the man, he started apologizing profusely. I could tell he felt really bad, but I didn't know why yet. It turns out that the man was going to take us all to KTV--Liling told him that I wanted to go (true!), but Liling was short of cash at the moment--he told me this later. Of course the foreigner shouldn't pay, so they talked this other man into paying. (I didn't know any of this yet). When the man showed up where we were sitting drinking juice, and everyone got up to go to KTV, and Liling and I were on his motorbike on the way to KTV, Liling told me some of this, as well as he could. Well, the man was beside himself to be spending the evening with a foreigner. When we all got to KTV the man told me what an excellent dancer he was--he told me he was a much better dancer than Liling. He is the type of person who doesn't keep his distance when he is talking--he stands right inside your personal space. I kept moving away and he kept moving closer. When we get to the KTV room, the first thing he does is tell me I am going to sing "My Heart Will Go On" (Titanic--people in China love this song!). I told him I would not sing it. I sit on the sofa. Liling (fortunately) sits right beside me, and the other man sits on the other side. He hands me a piece of watermelon, which I do not want, and insists that I must eat it--it would make him very happy. Finally, when I thought he was going to put it right in my mouth, I take it from him. Next, he asks me to dance. I politely refuse. He insists. I refuse. He insists. I look at Liling who gets up and asks the man to show him some dance steps. Thank God! Next, I hear the dreaded song on the TV and see a microphone in my face! I again refused...and refused...and refused a 3rd time. I could see Liling watching us, so I just looked at Liling and said "I'm sorry--I don't even like this song". He said 'it doesn't matter -- mei quang xi, and took the microphone out of the man's hand. Liling kept leaning in to speak in my ear to aploogize for bringing me to this place. I explained to him, that the music was great--Liling's voice is really good, as well as some other people who were singing. I loved that part, it was just the one man I took a dislike to for some reason. Ashley felt the same way about him when she met him. Anyway, finally this story is over. We all went home after about an hour or 2. Everything is a matter of balance--the bad must come with the good--fortunately the good was also understanding and an extra special friend with whom I can share my feelings!

I just found out that tomorrow is the last day of actual classes. Thursday and Friday the classrooms are being used for some other exams. Saturday, 20 of the teacher/students are going to Ganzhou to write qualification exams for teaching in Middle Schools. Their written English exam is on Sunday morning. Their oral exams are Sunday afternnoon and Monday. Tuesday everything will be marked and averaged out--Wednesday, which was supposed to be the last day of classes, there will probably be a big part. I felt really sad when I found out that tomorrow was the last day of classes. 4 months has gone by so quickly! There are some special people who will be in my heart forever (are you surprised to hear this??) I'm going to have a tough time not tearing up and spilling over! Fortunately I will be here next semester and will be able to see some of these kids quite a lot, but it won't be the same. They have come such a long way in 4 months. These days are review. I made up 55 questions, based on the types of things we covered in the text--and put all the questions in a box. I put each student number on a piece of paper and put them in a hat. The student answering the question picks the next student's number out of the hat, then that student answers picks a question out of the box, and so on. So no student ever knows when his number is coming up, or what the question will be. Some are easy, some are hard, some are fun. But they are all cheaters. I have said about 100 times--"remember, your classmate will not be in the exam with you--please ask me if you have a question". They still find ways to talk to each other in Chinese and tell each other the answers. I took a roll of packing tape into the class with me and threatened to use it over their mouths. Today, I was standing right beside one man after he picked a question from the box. His classmate started to tell him the question in Chinese. I butt in and said 'I'm right here--please ask me'. The classmate still told him the word in Chinese. I caught his eye, laughed and motioned tape over my mouth. He said 'no,no'. I got the tape, 4 other men held him down while I put a tiny piece of tape over his mouth. It got the whole class rolling--but they still cheated!!! And they are teachers!! Anyway, we had a lot of fun with most of the questions.
We were afraid they would find a way to cheat on the oral exam, so we made up 5 different exams--so no one will know which exam they get, even if they find a way to tell each other what is on it.

It will be interesting to see which 10 students are going to Yangshuo for 7 days around July 6. Ashley and I will be going with them. I can leave everything in my apartment and just take enough with me for July and August. I hope this doesn't change, as things have a way of changing in a big way at the last minute.
Lately, when the sky has been clear, the stars have been unbelievable! The Big Dipper is making itself known--now that I know where to look for it, and what it will look like.

I will send photos today, if I have time--I have been going to the evening classes, and this will be the last one. I won't be able to send them from Yangshuo, I don't think, so I'll send as many as I can before I go to Yangshuo.

I hope you all had a great Summer Solstice!

Love and hugs...Judy/Mom

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