A Week in the Life... Sunday Edition

So, for this entire week, barring some horrible act of nature I intend on giving an account of my average day here because I feel like I'm overlooking things and my other posts are less thrilling than a Jane Austen novel (a sad state of being for certain.) So, today I embark on a week of doldrums... Here goes.

This morning, which started at about noon for me, was the final day of a week long vacation from work. In China, National Day (Oct. 1) is celebrated by most people having the entire week off. I was one such lucky soul. I spent the holiday doing the only two things one can do in Dalian, shopping and drinking. Today, however, was the end of the blissful seven days. Two of my closest friends here (two other teachers from America) Ryan and Kailey, were out of Dalian for the week so I wandered about the city like a bear in a cage, hanging about with nothing to do. At about 10 o'clock this morning I got a text from Kailey letting me know that she was back in town!

I had plans to meet Winston and Patrick (two other teachers) downtown, at a place called Zhongshan Square (see picture above) for an event that happens every week. On Sunday, from about 2-5 o' clock in Zhongshan Square is something called English Corner, in which native English speakers come to talk with Chinese people wishing to flaunt and improve their English skills. Pat and Winston go every week and always have a lot of fun, and I have felt the need to know more than 12 people in this city, so I decided to go.

After I got off the phone with Kailey I got ready and met Winston and Patrick at English Corner. Within about five minutes I had a little crowd of people around me asking me all sorts of questions like where I was from? what I thought of Dalian? what do I do for a living, etc. That was all fun and good because I got to talk to some natives, which happens all too rarely. Then after about a half hour there were about 20 people standing around me as I sat on a bench. One guy, who was mainly listening started asking me all sorts of good questions about American politics, economic crisis, etc. It was nice to not be instructing on the language for once, but more concerned with communicating the ideas behind it. After about an hour, a very old man who had been standing in the back of the crowd and one I assumed spoke no English, but was more interested in just seeing a foreigner (not uncommon here for those who lived in China during Mao's xenophobic reign) made his way up close to me. After I finished answering one of the questions posed, the old man asked me, 'Seeing as how America had a Great Depression in which people were forced to live in tents in public parks and people lost their entire life's work in the stock market collapse and have since often criticised the government's unwillingness to act as a key factor, do you feel that the American people will allow their government to pass this simple bailout as the only measure to fix the growing recession?' (Or something very near that only more comprehensive) I was totally taken aback but from then on, he and I began a dialogue.

Many people carry little stools here, to open and sit if they feel it necessary. This old man, set down his cane, opened his little stool and sat face to face with me for the next three hours asking me questions about American culture past and present. Topics included women's rights, changes to culture brought about by war, slavery, discrimination, Shakespeare, health care, taxes, art (primarily neo-classical and art deco, both of which he found fascinating), governmental authority, the Constitution, American paradoxes (e.g. why does America say they promote freedom but involve itself in the internal workings of other countries? why does America pretend to be impartial while in all but name choosing sides?- the last of which brought to mind the Jefferson quote 'Impartiality is always partial.') as well as an amazing amount of other topics. Thankfully, he also allowed me to ask him a series of questions, which he answered with frank candidness, about Mao's years in power, China's loss of cultural identity, the gradual transition from communist to free market, governmental fear of an intelligent general public, etc.

Some of the stories he told me were heart breaking, such as when he was younger and was not allowed to educate himself by going to college because the government decided he should be a sentry at some nearly abandoned post in some small neighborhood. Luckily, since he had little to do but sit in a lonely box, he surrounded himself with books, taught himself English and from then on studied anything he could get his hands on. At the same time, he bounced from his agonizing past to his hope and optimism for a China free from governmental regulation. I feel that nothing will ever supplant my patriotism and libertarian ideals after hearing his personal history. The only other person around us who felt capable of chiming in was an attractive Chinese girl who often offered a perspective on how the younger generation of China sees their future and relationship with the West. I can honestly say, I finally found some of what I came to China looking for; a fact I didn't realize until I typed this. At about 5:30 Kailey came and met me to get some coffee and dinner.

I did make plans to go back next Sunday to meet the old man and talk more about life. He collects art and antique books from flea markets and said he would take me to find good deals on art while I'm here. I think I've made a friend after my own heart finally. Plus, the attractive 20 something girl said she would be back and, if I wanted, she would help me study Chinese. Some things translate just fine from one language to another, that offer was one of them.

Luckily, Kailey came when she did because I was freezing and we got coffee then found a little out of the way restaurant to get some Japanese food. Kailey is from Texas but studied abroad in China last year where she got a solid basis in the language. She recently graduated with a degree in international relations. Ethnically, she is half Chinese and half Irish, though both of her parents are American. She serves as my tongue in restaurants and my accomplice the rest of the time. However, at this time I renew my objection to talking about those around me on the public world wide Internets. If you want to know more, just send me an IM or Facebook message.

After dinner, which it was more than refreshing to be around her snideness again, I returned home to lesson plan. The past few Sunday evenings I've been going to Pub Quiz in a bar on the other side of town, but tonight I had to lesson plan for the upcoming week since I did none of it over break. This week I have to cover Christmas and Thanksgiving in my 6th grade classes. Honestly, nothing made me more homesick than thinking about how to explain and impart our holiday customs with our families and the things we do (e.g. sing Christmas carols, bake cookies, eat Turkey, watch Football/fall asleep on the couch) quite like reflecting on how I spend my holidays. I mean of course beyond the McFall Christmas tradition of Silence of the Lambs and Chianti. More to the point of studying for finals in the SGA office with a small group of people also plagued with chronic procrastination (i.e. Brian and Levi) as well as snow ball fights, midnight trips to the Dog for a night cap and going to Molly's for a pint and a shepherd's pie in the middle of a blizzard. Hopefully, I got it all out of me tonight and I won't have a breakdown in the middle of drawing my hand turkey in front of the class, I guess we'll see...

As for now, I'm packing my briefcase and listening to Joni Mitchell before bed. Nothing raises the spirits quite like Both Sides Now, eh? Cheers!