Travel, Tulous and Trains; Things I'm Into, in China

Trains
I'm really into trains. Right now, I'm into a lot of things, per usual. 

But trains... Trains are awesome. Trains go so many places, you can show up right before departure and you don't need to check any bags. In China, they're organized, clean and reasonably priced. Trains are pretty cool.

My Province
Me and a couple of my colleagues traveled, by train, to another famous spot in Fujian province- our province. We wanted to check out the houses of the Hakka people, called tulous. And we wanted to stay in one! We'd heard that you couldn't stay in them anymore, so we were pleasantly surprised that, actually, you can. These traditional houses are typically round with an open inner courtyard and most of them are really old. The open, inner courtyards reminded me of European flats, but the round shape is unique and the limited number of windows facing out, gives them a mysterious look. And the red lantern decorations and old-style tiled roofs are really pretty.







The above photos are of a rectangular tulou, that has been modernized and turned into a hostel. The hostel we stayed at!

Interestingly, because of their strange appearance, they were mistaken for missile silos during the Cold War!



Tulous are a popular thing for Chinese tourists, and not a few foreigners, to visit, but there isn't a lot of detailed information about how to get there and get around the area they are located in, online. At least not in English anyway. Thankfully, my amazing teachers assistant/ aka The Reason I'm Sane and Actually Happy teaching 25, 6 year old, ELL students, helped us set things up.







China knows how to turn everything into a money making and worthy tourist site. They lit up the tulous at night! Beautiful.



'They' also sneakily snapped everyone's photo, in the daytime, and sold nice key chains for less than $1.50. With how many tourist funnel through there, it might be a profitable venture. I definitely considered buying one. The amazing part was how fast they printed, cut, put together and hung up the finished product. I was almost shocked into buying one.




.
The area has an obsession with bamboo. It. Was. Everywhere. They made dishware out of it as well as many delicacies. I bought a bamboo cup for my travel souvenir. For starters, you could get bamboo dried, smoked bamboo and pickled bamboo at restaurants. We were served it pickled for breakfast and ordered bamboo shoots for dinner.



Bamboo drying in the sun.



Bamboo shoots are on the right and taro buns on the left. I liked the bamboo a lot. A taro is a tuber and they are purple. The buns were too chewy for us to enjoy. There is yummy ginger tea in the bowl.




Buying some tea.




So these are bridge alternatives. They were everywhere in this area, though I have not seen them anywhere else in China. People can cross them and the water can flow freely through, too. They are not as precarious to cross as they look.



To top off the tulous' unique attractiveness, they have tea and rice terraces, and mountains as their backdrop.



It was another great 3 day weekend getaway in China!

Other Things I'm into Right Now

Besides trains (and travel obviously), I'm also currently into biographies, tea, lotus root and running.

I've read all the biographies of missionaries who came to China, in the Christian Heroes Then and Now series done by YWAM, this year. After reading Bound for Burma (while in Burma!/Myanmar), in February, it seemed like the next logical step. There are 7. 
In fact, I've read 23 books, so far this year.

Tea. On this trip, I picked up some Fujian red tea and I can't get enough of it. I try to get ginger tea whenever I'm dining out, as well. It might be time for me to attempt making it myself. The spicier the better.

Lotus root. It's interesting looking and starchy, but less so than a potato. In fact it's kind of crunchy. And it's delicious.

Running. I'm not back to where I was a year ago, but I'm doing better than I was a month ago. I guess this is currently an 'I'm trying to get back into' thing more than an, 'I'm into' thing. I am happy I bought a treadmill, because I don't believe it's healthy to run outdoors with the pollution.

I feel like a trader ending my I-Love-China-Weekends post with the word pollution, so I'll end by linking a couple new additions to my 'To Visit in China' list: Xian, Harbin, Sanya.

The world is full of wonder full places.

Drum Roll Please

Jet Lag.

They say it takes a day to recover from jet lag for every hour you change into a different time zone. I think it did take me about 9 days to recover, after returning to Kuwait from Christmas break in Nebraska, and then a bit more to adjust to getting up at 4 am again. And now, just 26 days after arriving back in K-town, Q8 (Kw8) I have headed back to America. This time the time difference is only 8 hours, since I've landed in Boston.

The Athens of America.

I'm at a large international job fair, in Boston. As I not so subtly hinted in my previous post, I've been job hunting. I'm also planning a little sight seeing as this is my first time in the Athens of America. So, just performed a google search for nicknames of Boston and...

Here are just a few:
Beantown-- which refers to the regional dish of baked beans. I want to eat some Boston Baked Beans while I'm here.
America's Walking City-- it has the seventh-highest percentage of pedestrian commuters of any city in the United States, while neighboring Cambridge is the highest. (I'm actually staying in Cambridge.)
The Olde Towne-- which comes from the fact that Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. 

The Athens of America-- because of Boston's great cultural and intellectual influence.

The Real Reveal.

Drum roll please... I'm not sure, yet, if my new blog title will be A Nebraskan in China, but I will be a Nebraskan in China, next year. I have made a 2 year commitment to teaching elementary ESL (English as a Second Language) at an international school in Xiamen, China.






Xiamen, The City.

Xiamen is suppose to have clean air and lots of walking paths, parks and greenery. Part of the city is an island connected by large bridges. The population is over 3 million. It's been ranked as China's second (no idea what the first was) "most suitable city for living", as well as China's "most romantic leisure city" on some list, at some point. Lots of nationals go there for vacation because of its beauty and nice subtropical climate. July is usually the hottest month with a, 24-hour, average of 82°F, the coolest is typically February, averaging 54°F; the annual mean is 68°F. See, third graders you do need to know what mean, means. In one place it said that the per-capita GDP is 9,000 USD.

What others are saying:

"It is not Taipei or Hong Kong (which are the nearest big cities, an hour plane ride or so away), but compared to most other cities in the region, Xiamen is definitely a very vibrant, affluent and modern place."

"Xiamen has consistently been voted as one of the most livable cities in China..."

"Deemed as China’s “cleanest city,” Xiamen is an ancient island community in the Fujian province that continues to top vacation destination lists. It exudes the vibrancy of a major city while still maintaining the alluring charisma of a beach resort." 

(Life in Xiamen, from the school website.)

Notable

Other things I thought notable, though I may or may not have gotten everything right. (It's amusing to go back to my research of Kuwait before arrival):

-It's on a bullet train line which, I think, goes to Shanghai in 8 hours for 50 USD.
-It has an island, that I read, is home to 20,000 people but allows no vehicles.
-It's on China's list of National Scenic spots, says Wikipedia.
-It can be quite humid.
-They don't speak a lot of English.
-Seems like they have Wal-Mart and Starbucks, but I'm not sure what other western stores/ brands will be available.



The School in Xiamen- Notable.

Again, from what I understand at this point, here are a couple things that I feel are notable about the International school I'll be working at.

-The student body is comprised of students from 29 different countries.
-There are two classes of every grade, which makes it a third of the size of the American school in Kuwait, I'm currently working at.
-The school has the highly sought IB (International Baccalaureate) program accreditation I was hoping to get experience in.
-The teachers, at the school, are from the United States, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and China.
-Each elementary class has a, local, assistant teacher.
-There are not required school uniforms for students.

I'm ready to stretch my worldview even wider.

Back to the Grind Stone

All of vacation I don't feel like blogging and then, when things are getting really busy...

Back to the Grind Stone
I'm sure you are familiar with the 'carrying on'; the lighthearted banter that happens among colleagues of all occupations. I guess it's back to the grind stone. Back to real life. I'm not ready, I need a vacation from my vacation, It wasn't long enough. These statements are often accompanied by sighs, and groans.

I may have been participating in a bit of that, following, last week's, 10 day fall break.

But then,...  Saying goodbye, we each head to our individual classrooms. I turn the key and nob simultaneously, opening the door in the way only me and the maids know how to do, I flip on the lights and catch my breath.

Oh.

That's.
Right.

I like this organized, clutter of color. This is my place. Where I get to be silly, stern and sappy all within the matter of seconds. The place I get to choose what kind of a teacher, and human, I am going to be. Everyday. The place where I get to hang out with its tiny, adorable, annoying inhabitants for several hours each day. 

This is the place I'm loved and scowled at, hugged and, ever so often, given looks of defiance. I love this place! I get to love, in this place. We love in this place.

Niece and nephews, you are famous in 3A.

We each decorated a puzzle piece.
We fit together to make a complete classroom community.

We all love to dance in 3A.

Greece

Santorini has been a place I have wanted to see for a few years now. In fact, out of all the amazing places I've been to over the years, it may be one of the few I actually wanted to go to before the opportunity presented itself. That makes it sound like I stumbled into the 27 other countries I've been to and well, that's not completely inaccurate.

I planned this trip. I knew where I wanted to go, so I made the necessary plans to do it. I was willing to go alone. That would have made it my first solo vacation. But in hindsight, I'm thrilled that a friend inquired if I wouldn't mind an accomplice.

Santorini was even more beautiful than I anticipated it to be.

Photo Dump

My signature shot.

I flew through I-STAN-bul. (My dad lives in TriniDAD and his name is prominent in ISTANbul.) 

A Little More about E break

Someone asked me recently if all I do is travel. The answer is no, though, I did return from summer break, turn around and have fall break. The reason our fall break was so early is because our holidays, at school, correlate with holidays on the Islamic calendar. We took our break during Eid Al-Adha. We (teachers and maybe others) sometimes refer to this as E break. The photo below is from last year. Last year the break fell a little later in our school calendar. This year we got 10 days off though.

This Time Around

Where I'm Meant to be

I'm suppose to be here. At least here, in this place where I am pouring out the moments of my days into the complicated, beautiful lives of others. In this case the complex lives of my precious Kuwaiti, Algerian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Saudi, German, American students. #thisislove

Was wonderful to see my students from last year, too. They were my first class, but I can't imagine how I can care this much every year... and keep it together.

Not allowed to post pictures of students, thus the blur, but that is a student made cup of last year's class.

I Wish

My students keep telling me how kind I am. And I keep telling them, "Just wait, it is only the beginning of the school year." And then they hug me. I wish I was kidding.

The Downside

Today at noon recess duty, it was 102 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 57%, making the heat index 133 degrees. That is the hottest I've ever experienced here, or anywhere. And my students have PE outside. (I'm glad I don't teach PE.)

Focus on the Positives

In an attempt to nurture and cultivate thanksgiving, because I want to bloom where I am planted, I have been intentionally thinking about the good and lovely things about this gulf nation. 

The following link is to a convicting and spot on post: Expat Hate Culture 

Narrated by a Kuwaiti, this is a thoughtfully honest yet, hopeful video about this nation:

 

Easy Street

Everything is so easy this year. Teaching still requires a great deal of energy (and it's still worth it), but everything about my Kuwait life and workplace is pretty stress-free and effortless this time around. Which, I know, is why many people do end up staying. Work will have its occasional frustrations and you will miss home, but life in Kuwait is pretty comfortable for the Western expat. 

Changes

Now I remember why I got into the habit of laying on the couch for hours every workday evening. This is not the habit, I want to call my life. But, after a long day I don't feel up to making plans and then I sit down and I have the fleeting thought... Must. Change. Some... thing... but my apartment is so cozy and my couch so comfortable...and... that is how it happens. Relaxation and isolation are sometimes only separated by a thin line, though. So, I am making plans when I do have energy. Zumba etc. with workout buddies, new bible study(or two), Arabic lessons and game night have been added to the mix. I'm also hosting the first book club of the year, again. And I'm thinking about a membership to the Hilton resort and tutoring. "I'm thinking about it, but I'm not sure how seriously." That is my new catch phrase. It is quite the useful sentence. In this birth of busyness, I'm investigating if sleep really is overrated. The verdict is still out.

We're not in Kansas Anymore Toto

Went solo via my trustee taxi driver to grab a few groceries last week. Every woman in the quaint mall was in a chador.


No lie. Except for the clerks who were all Filipino. Okay, I saw one other blonde, so in hindsight she must not have had on a head covering, but total Kuwaiti complete with huge sunglasses on, inside the store. And there I was (without sunglasses on inside the mall), being all me, showing calves hair and elbows. People asked me this summer, "Do you get stared at?" and I'd reply... idk, shoulder shrug... "I think I'm used to it now."... but on this mall day, I can confidently say "Yes.", double takes and all. 

My Other Job as an Ethnographic Researcher
Some things stand out afresh after being out of a culture for a while. Like, for example, having the Islamic call to prayer soundtrack coming from dueling mosques during your, Friday morning, sermon. The one you listen to with 15 other people in the unmarked basement of someone's home. 

The moments after I arrived back in Kuwait I tried to muster up all my ethnography skills, but, again... jet lag. Here is all I got.

Observations recorded from my flight from Frankfurt to Kuwait and while I was waiting by the baggage carousel in Kuwait:

After a prolonged absence, it seems good to take note of obvious cultural observations again.

-That's right. Not everyone speak English. 

-It's hot in Kuwait.

-Taxis are expensive.
- Oh yeah, Kuwait is on the gulf. Sweet.Water.Pretty.

-Teachers are so friendly. Reconnected with some in the airports.

-People here are kinda chubby.

-And kinda pushy.

-There is, very often, a strong woody smell of Arab cologne.

I think I'll keep my day job. ;)

A Day in the Life of this Expat Teacher: A Typical Friday
Lunch, after church.



And (grocery) shopping.

You know, just pushing my own grocery cart in front of a Jimmy Choo.


Our Friday morning taxi driver.

Coming Soon

Athens and Santorini, with friend from Hungary.

#cancrosssantorinioffbucketlist

Spontaneously decided to take a short trip to Jordan, with travel buddies, over Islamic New Year.

#wearesospontaneous

Budapest. Now. Oh, And I Went to Rome.

Budapest is amazing. Of course everyone loves it. Now

It is easy to maneuver, manicured and renovated. I love the things that have evolved and I love that more people are realizing what a jewel this place is.

Don't get me wrong. It has always been breathtakingly beautiful. 

But... As I've said so many times this week, I loved Budapest even before it was so lovable. I lived in Budapest for 4 years, a few years back. 

I loved Budapest when you were met in the shops by grumpy grandmas who did not value customer service and no one spoke English.

I loved Budapest when things were not as clean as they are now and when you had to have a ticket before you got on public transportation though there were few places to buy them. 

I loved the city when there were less cafes, less visible creativity and less tourists. Even with despair, more evident then, etched it more faces. Though it is still evident in many and apparent in some areas more than others.

10 years ago, I came to Budapest, an idealist. A very ordinary person, but full of hope, desiring to share it in some small way. And as it so often goes when you purpose to give, I received more than I ever expected or even knew to want. I met local and international people who helped me form a more complete picture of the world. I forged friendships that helped form me; aligning my perspective more closely to reality.

I have many reasons to think fondly of this beautiful place, and the memories I created here I will always treasure, but besides those I can still feel like a kind of unnatural love for this city. It feels almost like someone planted it deep within me. It is something I cannot explain. 

Things I noticed coming back from the desert. And arriving in Hungary.

Cold Water

I love washing my hands in cold water. The choice of water temperature feels luxurious. When I left Kuwait hot water was my only choice. Hot water to wash clothes. Hot water after working out. Hot water in the toilet. 

Less is Not Always More

There are some things where less is not more. For example, when it comes to clothing. I am revelling in the freedom to wear sleeveless tops and shorts. But. I have been a bit shocked. To say women dress more modestly in Kuwait than in Hungary, is an understatement. A few years back, Europeans didn't wear shorts (or only with tights underneath them). My how things have changed. 

Less is not always more.

What a Sweet Sound

The Hungarian language sounds so sweet. It seems like everyone is talking to a small child. (Edes, nyugi, nagyon jo). It contrasts with the way some other languages are spoken. Where they seem like everyone is always yelling at each other.

I Will Miss You When You're Gone

They are slowly renovating the only metro lines. There is a bit of a gloomy, sad feeling in parts of the city, especially on Metro 3(blue). They still use the same Russian cars that were installed during communism. I will actually miss them when they are gone though. Even the way the doors slam. shut. I will always have the panic of them slamming shut, on me, to remember them by though. And the memory of how I had to call out for help because evidently it wasn't apparent I wanted any. (I am stuck in between the doors people!)

But I Like Paper Towels!

Recycle, reduce and reuse are back in my vocabulary.

I should be congratulating the environmental consciousness of Hungarians, but I miss paper towels.

Don't forget to weigh and sticker your produce, but do it yourself, unlike in Kuwait.

Oh yeah. AND I went to ROME!

Observations of Rome.

-The city is easy to get around. 

-The metro is crazy packed. Crazy.

-Smelly bathrooms and toilets without toilet seats abound. There is garbage everywhere, too.

-Air conditioning is rare. 

-There are cafes and flowers everywhere though. And also people. everywhere.

-The buildings are colorful. 

-There are no Starbucks or chain coffee shops in Rome. But they do coffee, and food pretty well.

I went with my good friend Misha to visit the capital city of Italia! I did enjoy experiencing this famous place, but perhaps you can see when pairing Rome with Budapest which one remains in the foreground. Both of us agreed the Colosseum was our highlight (overwhelming when thinking of all the history, but we also went to Vatican City (my 27th country) and other places. Italy was the 26th country I traversed to.  

SO MUCH HISTORY. 

In summary, Rome is a one of a kind experience.

**I didn't take any pictures, but, in Budapest, I also went to two ICFB gatherings, IBCB, Golgota and Rezkigyo(twice). I enjoyed reconnecting and catching up with many good friends and I made some more special memories.

And now it is time to say goodbye to Europe. I will miss you. America, looking forward to seeing you soon.