Monday, January 30, 2012

Vietnam (part one of a three part blog)

There are so many interesting things which have occurred in the past weeks that I feel my blog is a bit over due.  Since my last blog I have traveled to Vietnam and Malaysia with Cory, experienced my first Chinese New Year, and improved my Chinese quite a bit.  The beginning of the tale veils a hidden secret and conflict in my heart which has escalated to an awakening in my soul.  Due to the increased length of the blog I decided to write it in three parts:  Vietnam, Malaysia, and Spring Festival.  I hope this will introduce more perspectives on some of the incredible things that I have witnessed, felt, and experienced in the past few weeks.    
               The trip to Vietnam started off ominously enough as Cory and I had recently amended a quarrel.  It was the first time that such a situation occurred which caused both of us some caution in the future.    Overall, it was a good chance for both of us to work on some things which do not come easy for people.  Actions are actions and words are words.  Only through positive mediation can people hope to proceed past further obstacles and move forward.  In the end, I believe that both of us are better for sharing in a difficult situation and learning from it.
               January 2nd was our scheduled day of departure which would signal an epic day of travel.  The overall travel time from Chongqing International Airport to Ho Chi Minh (HCMC) took eighteen hours.  When we finally arrived in Ho Chi Minh City it was already passed midnight Vietnam time.  The process for getting the Vietnamese visa was easy enough as we had both previously filled out all the proper documentation.  People often disregard thought to ponder things they have not experienced before.  After going through the time-consuming and sometimes frustrating visa process into China I can safely say that this was a much easier experience for me.  This was unfortunately not the case for a Canadian woman who failed to have the proper visa documentation.  The woman, obviously jet legged from her long journey continued to have problems getting her visa processed as Cory and I filled out some last clerical things.  Afterwards, we both headed down to the luggage carousel excited to have finally arrive in Vietnam and ready to start a new adventure. 
               Getting from the airport to our hostel was easy enough after we paid the nominal fee for the twenty-minute traffic free ride into HCMC.  I soon became nervous, as the un-marked taxi driver handed our luggage and motioned vaguely as to the direction of our hostel which looked no more than a back alley.  Walking with Cory at two a.m. through a maze of alleys in obviously lost would have been a nightmare for anyone.  Luckily, we were able to locate the hostel in only a couple minutes; however, the door was barred closed which left me wondering if traveling to Vietnam was a good idea after all.  Fortunately, Cory located a door bell hidden ominously inside the steal wired hostel gate which awoke two very old and tired employees.
               The next morning, I awoke eagerly awaiting my first glimpses of HCMC in day light.  The previous morning’s trip from the airport left a very blurred image of the city as I was trying my best to remain awake from the day’s travel.  From the car, I could still tell that HCMC was a place much less-developed than the booming Chinese cities I had visited this summer with my parents.  I believed quite quickly that it may be a lot less easy getting around here than I had previously hoped.
               I am glad that first impressions do not often tell a person the whole story because what I saw greatly astonished me.  I had entered an area which I soon realized was surrounded by the greatest number of foreigners I had seen at one time since being in the United States.  I was extremely shocked to hear most of the local people speaking English easily as they attempted to sell something to any foreigner who would listen.  I happened to be such a target as I became barraged from every possible corner. 
As I was without sun glasses in the mid-eighty degree weather, and engulfed with sunshine I realized that purchasing sunglasses was a pretty good idea.  I later would discover that I paid almost double for this first purchase than I could have bargained for if I knew the territory better.  I was a first mistake that I think a lot of foreigners will make when they enter a place with a very different culture.  I vowed that it would be a learning experience and the last time I got ripped-off buy local standards.  In reality, I was able to buy the sunglasses for about four dollars U.S.D which is something that no person can complain about I think.  At the same exact time I was asked by a flock of vendors if I wanted to hop on a motorcycle, take a rickshaw, tour of the city in a van, go to the Mekong Delta, or have message.  As I concluded my purchase, I left the vendors in the nick of time as a man started trying to use a toothbrush to clean my dirty shoes with before I could usher him away. 
               However, captivating my first sale’s vendor experience was it did not distract my attention away from the streets of HCMC.  From the moment a person stepped into plan site of the streets a mass of buzzing motorcycles came to greet them.  Only the brave travelers are able to muster up the courage to cross an intersection as they try to acclimate themselves to a world without cars.  I have been to Rome before which is infamous for having the most motorcycles in Europe.  Even with this experience in Europe and living China I realized that I too felt nervous around the bikers, scooters, and motorcycles racing through the city.  I soon learned that HCMC has over five million motorcycles in the city with roughly ten million inhabitants or about one bike for every two people.
               The first day in HCMC was spent visiting different sites which Cory and I had previously researched as being cannot miss landmarks.  The first stop on the list was the Ben Than market.  It was incredibly crowded and filled with all sorts of cheap goods for sale.  Believe me, if a person wanted to get some type of cheap knock-off product in Vietnam this was the best place to do it.  Crowds of foreign tourists walked through a maze of tightly enclosed selling stalls encouraging a feeling of claustrophobia for the unaccustomed onlooker.  The market itself is canvassed by a roof which is a godsend as the sun in Vietnam is penetrating even during the winter months.  Cory and I would pass through these stalls several days buying little trinkets for friends, family, and gifts and personal mementos.
               Next we visited the perspective opening “War Remnants” museum which included weapons, armaments, and exhibits depicting the toil of the Vietnam War on the people.  I left feeling a little woozy in my stomach after seeing the effects of Agent Orange and other devastating weapons of destruction.  The size and mass of weapons used during the war by the United States troops rendered an image of incredible destruction as entire villages are still left with the physical scars of war.  The country will take much longer I believe to heal from some of the mental scars as people still in their lifetimes can easily recount the terror of seeing the damage of Agent Orange, napalm, and other weapons.
I have come to realize that war is the province of men who wish to gain something in order to improve their lot in life.  It may start from an ideal, a problem, a hate, or fear; however, in the end there is usually also an extrinsic reward that pushes men to believe that their efforts are worth risking their life.  May it be glory, power, or wealth victors easily fall victim to the spoils of war.  I have purposefully left out a female comparison as to the fact that I do not know of many female leaders who have taken to war in such an extreme manners as males have.
The difference between the magnanimous victor and the man looking for revenge is merely one personality trait; nevertheless, that characteristic may lead to drastically different results as a nation looks to rebuild in the aftermath of war.  The United States was very lucky in deed to have such incredibly moral leaders during its national infancy.  George Washington was one such man would have liked nothing better than to have retired in peace at Mount Vernon never again to rest in the spotlight.   Nonetheless, he could not refuse the nation’s call for him to lead as the first President of the United States.  His leadership helped the dream of democracy come true in earnest as a young U.S. worked hard to develop into a model nation.
 In war can a person blame one another more for their crimes?  Certainly everyone recognizes the war crimes after the fact; however, in the heat of battle those things are not at the forefront of a soldier’s mind as they try to save all that they can.  War is the ultimate gamble in morality as a person’s simple aim is destroy all life in the way.  War has echoed these effects throughout time as every nation and people have at some time felt the sting of loss as its youth going to fight and die during war.  That is why it is so important for people to learn from experience who have never experienced the devastating results of war.
After visiting harrowing reminders from the past Cory and I solemnly discussed the museum together on our way back to our hostel.  Hungry from a day’s worth of traveling Cory and I decided to eat at the first restaurant we could find that would serve us some western food.  It was surprisingly easy for us to find one such place near our hostel.  It remains interesting that Vietnam’s communist regime which tried to remove South Vietnam from western culture has opened up to as much as they have in only a few decades.   Any tourist could eat any style of meal wanted as an assortment of western, eastern, and international cuisine restaurants existed.  Cory and I relished in the fact that we were able to eat any type of food that was not Chinese as we had both been without much variety for many months.  Over the next three days in HCMC, I discovered that my favorite traditional Vietnamese food was the spring rolls.  The taste of this dish was complemented by a hot sauce which combined to make a wonderful and flavorful appetizer.
The next day started early as we prepared for our trip to visit the Chu Chi tunnel network nearby HCMC.  Our four dollar tickets included entrance to the tunnel exhibit, bus ride, English tour guide, and a taste of the local food.  I can say it was safely the best four dollars I have ever spent in my life.  Towards the end of the tour I took the opportunity to fire a real M16 assault rifle which was pretty intense.  The noise around me was so loud that I could barely hear for a while after leaving the public firing range.  Cory and I also decided to climb through the tunnels which were so small that any person needed to literally walk squatting to use them.
I was extremely impressed with the tour and believe that I learned quite a lot about the ingenuity of the Vietcong.  I can honestly say that no number of soldiers, bombs, or technology could have destroyed the Vietcong.  The will to defeat the enemy was extreme as the tunnel network was over ninety miles long.  These tunnels were built over several decades as the Vietcong first fought for liberation from French colonialism.  The Chu Chi network had entrances in HCMC, an American military base, and the Mekong River.  If anyone thinks that the United States did not try hard enough to beat the Vietcong than I would ask them to come to the tunnels and see the thousands of bomb craters remaining in the jungle. 
The Vietcong built three levels of tunnels which they lived, organized, and planned in.  The B-52 bombers were able to drop bombs large enough that would destroy the first level of the underground tunnels.  Nevertheless, the second and third levels easily remained intact as some tunnels would reach depths nearly sixty ft. below the surface of the ground.  The Vietcong were also cautious and would not leave their tunnels for months at times in order to not be discovered by U.S. patrols.  They developed an air filtration system which confused the U.S. patrols by placing their entrances near inconspicuous ant and snake holes.  After a few years, the U.S. tried to flood the tunnels with water which did nothing as the downward sloping angle flowed the water harmlessly into rivers and streams.
I definitely felt strange in a place where so many of the local people held differing levels of resentment towards Americans.  It was an unassuming feeling of contempt which I could feel directed towards me.  Contempt was only shown through mostly non-verbal actions which I believe to be special in many Asian cultures.  Much of the people’s grief from the past has been stored away deep in their hearts and left to be legacies of grief.  I felt some of their contempt, sadness, and grief mostly in the way some people stared at me.  It is a little different feeling than I get when people stare at me in China.  Knowing that Americans caused so much pain for many people affected me in different ways while in Vietnam.  I know that I am not responsible for what happened to them but I too believe that as an American I hold a higher moral code for in order to spread good values throughout the world.  Unfortunately, mostly negative values were spread to the Vietnamese people during the war.
The next day, Cory and I were up and excited to experience the Mekong River delta guided tour package costing seven U.S. dollars.  The tour started off well as we meet up with other tour groups and headed off to the delta.  When going to the Mekong River delta it is important to plan ahead by bringing necessary supplies, medication, and lots of water. Cory and I both came prepared with proper medication to prevent the contraction of malaria.  Still, I was glad that my mom had sent me with some extra-strong mosquito repellent which would hopefully scare away any extra bugs.
When our tour bus finally arrived at our final destination I was happy to be able to be able to relieve myself in the restroom.  Before going to the delta I discovered that it was going to extremely hot that day and I did not want to take any chances with heat exhaustion.  Consequently, I drank a lot of water and came well hydrated in order to try and prevent heat exhaustion.  After suffering a couple spells of heat exhaustion last summer I was especially careful the entire trip to make sure I was drinking enough water.  Due to the unhealthy sanitary conditions I used mostly bottled drinking water throughout the trip.
Our tour would begin with a boat ride across the delta to an island village.  I was struck by the fact that this was the first time that I had been on a boat ride since the summer of 2010 in Minnesota.  Being in Chongqing last summer did not allow for me to enjoy a nice cool summer on the shores of Big Trout Lake.  With this knowledge in the back of my head I used the experience to really help me remember the beauty of a slow boat ride across an open expanse of water. 
Our first island stopping point enabled people to watch a local industry produce hand-made candies.  Cory and I both enjoyed the fresh delicacies and purchased some of the local flavor as our tour guide explained the inner workings of the candy processing.  The processing and distribution center resembled a shack with a roof were people worked under in order to escape the sun.     
Next our tour group had the opportunity to hold a python snake.  I balked at this chance as I have always had a visceral dislike of snakes.  Instead, I snapped some pictures of Cory holding the snake seemingly indifferent and enjoying the experience.  The snake itself was quite mild as it allowed his handler to put its face in the man’s mouth even.  In reality, I am sure that everything would have been fine.  In my mind, I had not come prepared to do this thing and had not yet overcome my fear of snakes at this time.  Little did I know that I would soon have another opportunity to hold a live snake in only a couple of days.
Our tour next took us on a horse drawn cart ride to a next village down the road.  It was the first time that I had been on a horse for many years and enjoyed the ride immensely.  At the end of the town we boarded a next boat that took us to our lunch destination for the day.  At this island we enjoyed some of the local food and watched Vietnamese children on vacation tease alligators in a fenced in enclosure.  The children seemed very curious of the foreign tour groups but did not stop to interrupt their daily natural teasing and antics.  Some groups walked nearby starring at people but overall they were less enamored with us than the Chinese children I have encountered in Rongchang.
After lunch we boarded our boat and moved on to a new island were we tasted some local honey and rice wine.  Afterwards, we took a scenic hand-rowed water raft ride through a small jungle inlet in the island.  This was one of my favorite parts of the whole trip as we rowed silently through the jungle surrounded by palm trees and elephant grass.  I was struck by how quite it could be in the jungle even with some many people very nearby. 
We disembarked our raft and headed towards another small village where special traditional Vietnamese performances were held for tourists.  Local women and men dressed in formal traditional attire performed beautiful Vietnamese music.  The high shrilled voices and multi tonal Vietnamese language created a sound that was both mystical and foreign for me.  I enjoyed the couple performances and felt that it was extremely interesting even though I would not enjoy listening to that type of music all day long.
The performances were the last part of the delta tour package which left Cory and I extremely pleased with the day’s adventure.  That night we would get back and enjoy some of the HCMC nightlife.  Cory and I were both surprised at the extreme amount of foreign catering that HCMC had to offer.  Beer from all around the world was available at cheap HCMC prices as well as liquor.  If the alcohol had variety so did the people because Cory and I would drink with people from Sweden, Australia, Russia, Ireland, New Zealand, Holland, and England.  It was certainly this most eclectic group of foreigners I had even met in such a short period of time in my life.
The next day Cory and I would spend making some last minute purchases in order to get some nice and cheap gifts for friends and family.  Saying goodbye to HCMC was going to be tough for me as it definitely was one of the most interesting places I had ever been in my lifetime.  Cory felt similarly as we both wondered how Malaysia would compare to our first portion of the trip.
Walking around HCMC, I was surprised to see that certain places in the city seemed eerily similar to China’s modernized cities.  I cannot help to wonder what is happening to the poor of these modernizing places of the world.  Driving along the road to the Chu Chi tunnels and the Mekong River delta illustrates pictures of extreme poverty as most people make a living as day laborers harvesting rice.  I was surprised to learn on the trip that Vietnam was the world’s second largest producer of rice in the world.  Likewise, an agrarian lifestyle has been a staple of Vietnamese society for centuries making farmers and integral part of their society.  With this knowledge in mind, I felt a little out of place walking down streets with fashion designer apparel from across the Europe and the United States.  HCMC is a city in great change as it becomes more and more modernized in a western fashion.
The next morning Cory and I packed up our luggage and boarded a plane headed for Malaysia.  Both excited and a little sad to leave Vietnam, I looked forward to the next leg in an incredible journey.  I was unfortunately noticing the tell tale signs of a cold catching up to me.  Two nights in a row of drinking was catching up to me as my body was struggling to try and adjust to the incredible change of weather from Chongqing in the winter.  The fifty degree weather change and stop-until you drop trip planning was starting to take a little toil on my body.  It also was not going to help that I was going to be in an airplane which is like a germ-incubation factory.
End Part One      
   


Saturday, January 14, 2012

Ending of fall semester, Christmas, and more!

The recent happenings in my life have reaffirmed my belief that it is important to remain true to your moral values even when times get tough in life.  Often times, I believe that it is not a single event which can elicit a response which goes against your moral fiber.  I also believe that in most situations people would decide not to react in a morally objectionable way if they were given the chance to think their action’s through.  Rather, I feel that the daily grind of life corrosively wears away a person’s beliefs at which point they become weak to any number of moral depravities.  As I have come to understand the way my mind functions I believe that sometimes I over analyze a situation to my own demise.  The danger lies in putting a value statement on morals in comparison to other factors which ultimately decide an outcome.  A+B does not always = C, and in this case because morals are not something which should ever be calculated into a situation’s outcome.  The morals of a person should dictate the situation more than the other variables and remain resolute even when times get tough.  From thinking about my own moral dilemmas I stumbled upon the idea of a world based off of a moral code.
I often wonder about how a world based off of morality would look like.  If a person were to be judged based off of their moral fabric would the world be a better place to live in?   Problems would certainly arise as is the case with anything designed by humans.  If morality was to be the judge of a person’s position in society than a whole new list of issues would develop.  Someone or something of course would need to be the judge of this morality system.  Would the judge be a single person or an institution?  Would an appointment of religious leaders or presidents decide what was morally acceptable?   I believe that a “morality scale” would need to be created for people to be able to judge their own morality.  Thus, people would soon create a new hierarchy to measure the most successful or in this case, moral people.  Of course, some people would take advantage of the new system and others would argue that morality was too ambiguous of a manner to govern society itself.  If everyone went around doing things that their conscience told them was right than the entire foundation of society would change.  Governments, prisons, and business as they exist today might operate completely different which would anger those already in power in the current system.  In my heart I would like to think that the world would be a better place even if my head tells me that it might not be.  I think people would find a much more equalitarian world to live in; however, I too know that not everyone values moral intentions like I do.     
My frugality with spending money has caused my conscience to be quite flustered lately.  I am perpetually afraid of anything to do with money since I am really living off of a limited salary here in China.  The increased tension from not knowing how the future will work with limited funding has negatively altered my personality at times recently.  My heightened fears were exacerbated by China’s lassiez-faire manner of handling deadlines.  By not knowing that I would be going to Vietnam and Malaysia until a week and a half ago I truly had my anxiety meter on high lately.
Fortunately, an important realization came to me yesterday and some of my fears have receded since.  I can choose to be fearful of the unknown or to simply let it come at me in stride.  I want to choose the latter since I know that in either case I cannot control my fate.  No person on earth is clairvoyant, and I would never ask to have the foresight to know my own life destiny if I could.  Life is a great mystery which delivers life lessons daily.  Only after being hit by the same lesson several (or in my case) many times can we truly learn from the experiences of life itself.  If I consider all of the troubles that develop in life I will merely find myself always coming up with compelling reasons not to do anything at all.  The only true way to have worthwhile experiences is to try new things in life even if you think you “might” be making a mistake at times.   
From taking this approach at times in life I have found many things appealing to me which I never imagined before.  I know that I will never regret coming to China and experiencing all of the things which I have here.  If I merely decided to “play it safe” like I usually have in life I would have missed out in some of the greatest moments in my life.  The only piece of advice for restraint comes from my deep moral fiber.  I truly believe that all new novel experiences are wonderful except those which cause you to sacrifice your personal morals. 
I wanted to approach the question of “fear” besides the fact that it plays a great role in my own decision-making process.   The subject was brought to the forefront through a conversation I had with another American while staying in Chongqing for Christmas last weekend.  This person came from a pro peace background by citing herself as both a Vietnam and Iraq War protestor.  She also discussed the idea that “fear” in the lives of everyday Americans reached a whole new level during the presidency of George W. Bush.  Besides her clearly liberal and equalitarian background I reflected that she had some interesting points regarding the rising fear in the lives of Americans today.  Questions from; “will I have my job tomorrow”, and “where is the money to pay my bills going to come from”, to “how can I pay for my son’s/daughter’s tuition”, and “is my savings money at risk of being lost from another market meltdown” are all valued concerns today.
Some of the parallel effects of fear are that many people are unable to find time to think on their own creatively.  I find this reality a devastating blow to the ingenuity which has allowed so many cultures to admire Americans.  As many Americans seek a brief release from their endless fears the desire to be entertained increases.  People find themselves using a higher ratio of their free time watching television, movies, and surfing the internet.  I fear a society which does not spend some of their time thinking about people outside of their everyday lives.  Since people will not change in their love of entertainment and media agencies will not change in the mindless content they promote I fear a decline in America may be inevitable if the current situation is not remedied soon.
I have found that by living in China I have enjoyed more time to think on my own creatively.  This is partially a systematic difference between China and the United States due to the fact that people take afternoon naps, play cards, or often drink tea together while on the job.  The daily “xiuxi” or “rest” period lasts two and a half hours causing traffic and daily life to almost come to a standstill at times as people enjoy their free time.  The other factor lies in the working situation I have found myself in with Southwest University.   My lax schedule and teaching responsibilities allow me the ability to spend a lot of time pursuing the questions that I have pondered much of my life.  The result is that I truly have a much better idea of who I am as a person.  This reflects my longing to allow other people to have an opportunity to experience some of the groundbreaking discoveries I have had in my own life.  I know that many people do not seek this sort of reflective experience.  I can only comment on the joy which has come from my own personal journey.  That is not to say that everything has been rosy.  A lot of times people deflect many thoughts in order to help justify things in life at which they cannot control.  Other times people keep parts of them locked as far inside as they can in the hope that they will never again come back to their conscious mind.  The journey into the mind can be sometimes grim even if it is redeeming.
 The last few weeks of teaching this winter helped me to appreciate having fellow foreign English teachers in Rongchang.  The attendance level of many of my students dropped to only a few students a day.  Ali and Cory suffered from the same attendance lulls which made the decision to teach as a team an easy one.  The combined three classes’ worth of students and teachers helped everyone by reinvigorating the teachers and introducing new viewpoints for the students.  The students who continued to come enjoyed the last classes as we altogether discussed American Christmas traditions.  It helped to have three different teachers telling students about their own personal holiday traditions.  Chinese students were surprised to hear that not everyone celebrates the holidays in a similar fashion or are Christian in the United States.  Ali’s wonderful powerpoint presentation which included an unbelievable amount of information on Christmas was a big hit for our students.  Cory and I helped to add in points of interest at appropriate times as we concluded our last class.  Afterwards, students listened to a couple of Christmas songs on the computer which they found interesting and exciting for a time.
At the end of the week student were invited to a formal American Christmas celebration held by the foreign teachers.  Each teacher made sure to tell their students to come and attend the party.  In preparation for the party, Ali, Cory, and I, went to the most modern super market to buy food, drinks, supplies, and Christmas decorations.  Interestingly, Christmas is one of the only western holidays to be recognized in China.  Therefore, an ample amount of Christmas ornaments, Santa hats, and decorations were available for purchase.  Beforehand, we had permission from Mr. Tian to book two classrooms marked for studying to use as a place for hosting the party.  One room would feature a quick summary of Christmas culture in America, Christmas music, games, and refreshments.  The other room would feature the humorous movie, “Christmas Vacation” starring Chevy Chase.
The night of the party I was getting messages from unknown students looking forward to attend the event which seemed like a good sign.  At least thirty students showed up early to help in the arranging of desks, preparing of supplies, and provide general help in setting up the Christmas party.  It was a strong show of support from the student body to take time out of their busy schedules to help us prepare. 
By seven o’clock over one-hundred students were already in attendance.  Due to some technical difficulties with the computer in one room many students first started out watching the movie in the next door classroom.  Finally, the other computer was operating again which allowed us to introduce the powerpoint.  Next, we played Christmas music which the students seemed to enjoy.  The highlight of the entire night for both students and teachers was the performance of “Frosty the Snowman” by the foreign teachers.  Cory and Ali sang the lyrics to the song while I performed an “interpretive dance” as accompaniment to the singing.  Overall, it was a very entertaining experience for all involved as Ali and Cory stopped singing to laugh several times.
The night ended with Chinese students performing for a couple gifts here and there supplied by the foreign teachers.  Due the shame based culture which perpetuates Chinese culture we were unable to get any students to perform voluntarily.  Instead, a hat was passed around while listening to music until I stopped the song.  The person with the hat in their possession as the song ended was destined to perform our bow out gracefully.  The game’s aim was not based on drawing shame to students; rather, the rules were simply that a person could do as much or as little as they wanted in their performance.  Even the word performance was very loosely construed as to allow for even a magic show demonstration.  Most of the students chose to sing a few lines from an English song they knew.  The highlight for me was one of the magic performances a group of three male students performed using me as a prop. 
After the performances we decided that it was time to call it a night.  The always willing to help Chinese students assisted in all forms of cleaning up which saved us a lot of time.  Overall, the Christmas party was a great success.  The only aggravating thing was that I was asked to take so many pictures with students that my face muscles actually become sore by the end of the night. 
From discussing Christmas with some of the Chinese students I learned that many people enjoy giving apples to each other on Christmas.  The word for apple is “ping guo” which is very similar to the word for health “ping an”.  People in China have been giving apples to friends and family during the Christmas season to wish those around them good health in the upcoming year.  Otherwise, many people in China know very little about what the exact meaning of Christmas is in our culture.  I would later find that out during my Christmas trip to Chongqing that next week.
The next week was a momentous one for Cory and I as we finally got our tickets for our trip to Vietnam and Malaysia arranged and paid for.  It would take me until this week to finally pay-off my balance as I was awaiting my December pay from Southwest.  By knowing that things would finally be coming true we really spent some time hammering out the details of the trip together.  After looking up some of the things which we wanted to do together we decided on a rough itinerary.  We are planning to spend four days in Vietnam and seven days in Malaysia.  Looking at the two locations also alluded to the need to get some extra medications in order to protect ourselves from malaria.  With the help of Mr. Tian I was able to get my last Hepatitis A vaccination along with a prescription of doxycycline to prevent malaria.
A trip into Chongqing would be needed in order to get these necessary pieces of medical protection for myself.  Due to the fact that both Ali and Cory were also running low on western food and supplies they decided to accompany me into Chongqing on a day trip which would include a stop at our favorite place in China, Metro.  The Metro chain stores are similar to that of Costco or Sam’s Club in the United States.  They allowed all three of us to have a little bit of home as we were about to experience a Christmas without family and friends. 
During this trip we also accompanied Mr. Tian to help him look at several cars as he is now in the market to buy his first car since Brian, his son, is now a licensed driver.  As foreigners in the store we experienced great fanfare from the staff.  The best English speaking employee was asked to take care of us and offered us a variety of refreshments.  Afterwards, Mr. Tian invited us to a delicious feast at our favorite restaurant in Rongchang.  The trip began at one p.m. in the afternoon and lasted until we arrived home from dinner at 8:30 p.m. in the evening.  Overall, it was the first time that Cory or I had driven in a car for more than ten minutes since September; therefore, we did not mind the day’s protracted nature even as I secretly lamented missing exercising this day.
Friday the 23rd of December, Cory and I embarked on a planned Christmas trip to Chongqing.  This trip was going to be special for several reasons.  First, it was going to be our first trip back to Chongqing on our own since September.  Second, it was going to be an opportunity for us to see our great friends, Jack and Lance.  Fortunately, Cory and I were going to be in time to say goodbye to Lance as he would soon embark on his great adventure studying abroad in California.  The last reason for me was that I really needed a change in scenery.  I still enjoy my time in Rongchang immensely; however, the lack of other foreign friends and items is disheartening at times even with my close friends here in Rongchang.
This trip was an opportunity to really experience Christmas with some interesting Chinese twists to it.  Our afternoon on the 23rd was uneventful as Cory was still working through a bad sinus infection.  Therefore, we basically went to grab some dinner and came back to enjoy the finale to the Harry Potter saga movies.  For both of us this was a treat as my parents sent them to me with my Christmas package a few weeks ago.  Gearing up for a fun night with our friends Jack and Lance the next morning was on our minds as we slept well at the Yangtze River hostel.
Walking around the Jiefengbai area on Christmas Eve was an incredible experience for me.  The large quantity of lights and Christmas ornaments decorations throughout the district contributed to the aesthetic quality of the area nicely.  It was an extremely entertaining afternoon watching the people preparing to celebrate Christmas Eve.  I was about to learn that Chinese culture really has very little understanding of what the western meaning of Christmas is.  Many shop owners were selling large inflatable bats, devil ears, Santa hats, and an assortment of carnival snacks.  I even saw a small child carrying around cotton-candy, something which I did not believe existed in China before that time.
               While walking around together, Cory and I ran into two English teachers in Beibei we had met at the Chongqing reception in September.  It was great to be accompanied by two other Americans who both had studied at Saint John’s University.  As we talked together a sensation to be teaching and living in Beibei entered my thoughts as I pondered the incredible opportunities for me to learn Chinese there with other foreigners.  Certainly, I have been considering many alternatives in my future as has Cory.  I am impressed with my ability to learn Chinese quickly and on my own; however, I really would like to experience learning Chinese with other foreigners.  In my past, I have found that I am very good in a classroom environment and feel that I could flourish in a classroom full of enthusiastic learners.
               The evening of the 24th of December included an interesting celebration at the stroke of midnight.  People crowded around the Jiefengbai clock tower in anticipation of the strike of the bell.  The greatest amount of angry looking riot police I have ever seen in China awaited the crowd of eager and a little inebriated large crowd of people.  Once the bell stroke midnight people went at each other with their large inflated bats.  It was an incredible sight to see so many people excited in this physical sort of manner since Chinese culture does not promote this type of contact.  With the riot police being on hand to break apart larger groups of people the night ended uneventfully for most people.
  Unfortunately, one of our Beibei colleagues was not as lucky as he reacted on a push from an unseen policeman.  This would place him at odds with the Chinese police which proceeded to escort the unlucky assailant to jail.  I am sure that this Christmas Eve will be one in which an unbelievable story will continue on the annual recalling of the event in mention!  The next morning he was released on bail and personally okay.  He even received a text message of, “Merry Christmas” from one of his police cell-guards on Christmas afternoon.
               The rest of the night went down as one of great merry-making between our group of four friends; I, Cory, Jack, and Lance.  After dinner, we went to a Chinese barbecue located very near some late night entertainment.  All in all, it was a great way to celebrate the season together and say goodbye to our great friend, Lance.
               Christmas morning was one of slow convalescence as many people in the hostel were looking to recover from the past evening’s excitement.  Christmas afternoon included recounting our adventures with other foreigners in the hostel together.  That evening Cory and I made a stop to our favorite western-style restaurant for dinner.  Cory and I always enjoy our stops at “Suzie’s Pizza”, which is one of the most sought after eateries for foreigners in Chongqing.  Suzie is always very welcoming to me whenever I come and visit her restaurant.  As a single wage-earner she embarked on a mission to start her small restaurant from within her own apartment.  Only a few years ago she would use her bed as a dinner table for guests.  As business has since flourished, she is now able to move into a second apartment to live in addition to remodeling her apartment-restaurant.     
               The crowd always includes a healthy amount of foreigners looking to spend some time together and enjoy the amazing food.  Upon entering the small restaurant, Cory and I were offered some eggnog from an American foreign teacher named Jeff.  On several occasions before I have spoken to Jeff regarding a variety of topics.  During the evening we were introduced to some of Jeff’s foreign and Chinese friends.  The restaurant featured soft background music as accompaniment to our conversations.  Overall, it was an extremely satisfying way to celebrate Christmas Day even though we were both missing family and friends back in America.  The rest of the evening was spent walking around Shapingba district together as we enjoyed our first Dairy Queen since last summer.


P.S.  Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and New Years back home in the United States!

Best,

E.K.