A Visit to the Christian Wood Carving Shop

Last Tuesday, I met LaDeana and Mary - two women from the branch - for a little outing.  Mary has lived here a couple of years and also filled a mission in Taiwan, so she does all the talking for us.  She also is the Relief Society president.  She volunteered to take us to the Christian Wood Carving shop, but we decided to do lunch and a little wandering first.  Behind the two women is the Qianmen Gate which is just south of Tian'anmen Square and was the main entrance into Beijing in ancient times.

We walked south through another gate to enter an area of the city that was built specifically as a tourist spot for the Olympics.  It is meant to look old, but is very new.  There are many nice shops and restaurants.  Those of you who went to China with me last year will remember it as the street with the Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Store where an ice cream cone cost $7 and KFC.

I needed to take a picture with the little Chinese man.  By the way, I usually don't wear a skirt when I go sightseeing, but I met my friends on my way home from work.  

We decided we would eat at the California Noodle Shop because it was on the way to the wood carving place.  The man who owns it lived California many years, and then he came back to China to start a restaurant here - thus the name California Noodle Shop.  Nothing like a big bowl of noodles and eggplant.  It was very tasty.  And I did manage to eat it with chopsticks.

When we walked out of the noodle shop, we could see a little dirt street directly across from us.  That is the street to the wood carving shop.  Almost everything on it is under construction.  We decided they are trying to make their little street match the main shopping area.  I was very glad I wasn't trying to find this place on my own.

Could not resist taking a picture of a door.  The round pieces of wood was once used to let people know the status of the family in the community.  Four was the most anyone could have. So in ancient times, the people in this home would have had the highest status.

There were still many little shops and homes amidst all of the construction.

After walking about a half a mile, we came to a fork in the road, and we turned to the right and took the one less traveled by, and that made all the difference.  (Maybe that is what I should call my blog - The Road Less Traveled - because it certainly has made all the difference.)  A few feet more, and there was the Christian Carving Shop in front of us.  After climbing  some stairs to the second floor, we arrived at our destination.

The woodcarver has many different sizes of Nativity scenes.  My favorite was the one below because the people are Chinese.  He also does carvings of Noah and the ark, except the ark is a Chinese boat.  (I am sorry, but I didn't take a picture of one to show you - maybe next time.

So imagine our surprise when we saw the next wood carving on a back street in China.  Look closely, and I think you will be surprised too.  When we asked the shopkeeper what it was called, she said it was "The Tree of Life."  She didn't know anything else about it.  Somebody did a very good job of explaining Lehi's Dream to the wood carver.  

Ladeana made some purchases, and then we headed for the subway.  It was a lovely afternoon, and I am sure I will make my way back to the wood carving shop again.

A Visit to the Silk Market

Last Friday on my way home from work, I decided to stop at the Silk Market to see if I could find a summer (fall) blanket.  The Silk Market is six floors of little shops of almost anything you could imagine.  I am not sure how they make any money because there are about 10 to 15 shops, right together, who sell the very same thing, such as sunglasses, clothes, toys, suitcases, small electrical appliances, shoes, jewelry, etc.   As I passed each store, the shopkeeper would call out, "Hey Lady, would you like to buy.  I give you very good price - only for today.  Come in and look at my beautiful things."  I found the most interesting shops were the ones selling sunglasses because I had a pair of sunglasses on my head.  I would point to them, and they would say, "You need another pair?  I give you very good price."  

In China it is appropriate to bargain for the things you want to purchase at the market places.  I asked someone what I should end up paying.  He told me to go to 10% of the asking price and then work your way up to no more than 30%.  I asked another person who has lived here for about four years, how she bargains.  She says she decides in her head what she thinks is an appropriate amount, and then works up to that.  I liked the advice from both of them.  I tried it for the blanket and got it from 600 Yuan down to 200 Yuan which is about $30 - I thought was a pretty good price for a silk blanket.  

For those of you who have been to the Silk Market before, you probably do not recognize it.  Instead of just open stalls, most of tim now have glass-inclosed rooms.  It makes it look much nicer, but the people who have lived here for a while say it has taken the prices up.  

 Looking down a long corridor with the little businesses on the right, and a tailor business on the left.  The tailor had some beautiful material to make coats, suits, jacket, dresses - anything you would want.

 Sorry this photo is so dark.  It was one of the few places where the girls were okay about having their pictures taken.  This store sold sheets and bed coverings.

 There are still some little shops set up along the stairways which sell knick-knacks and souvenirs.

 This little shop had all kinds of chopsticks.  It had other things too, but had two walls of different kinds of chopsticks.  

 There were many shops with jade pieces and other things to decorate the home.  

Of course there were pearl shops.  You decide what necklace you want, and they string while you wait.

In all it was a fun afternoon!  

Two-month Reflection

Today is August 28, and I have been in China a little over two months.  I thought it might be a good idea to report what I have learned, but I don’t think I can even begin to tell you everything, and you probably would be bored if I did.  I certainly did turn my world upside down when I stepped on the plane for China.  I don’t think I have felt so vulnerable for years - and maybe for my whole life.  I am not sure if it was courageous or stupid to set out on such an adventure by myself, but I did, and I am still alive.  That is a very good thing.  I have felt all along that this was something I was supposed to do, and have felt protected and guided all the time I have been here.  I only have one major obstacle to get through, and that is getting a work visa.  I found out yesterday the music school will help me get it.  

I miss my family and friends very much, but I am learning to love the people and culture of China more every day.  I think that is one of the reasons I like to go to a country to live for a while.  If I take a one or two week trip to a country, I can see some of the beautiful places.  However, if I spend some time there, I learn to know the hearts of the people, and their dreams and hopes.  I know my students probably don’t represent all of the Chinese people because every group of people has good and bad.  But the students are outstanding examples of the Chinese people.  They are fun, dedicated and lively.  They have a positive outlook on life and are very excited about going to Poland to study music.  (Although they do not like speaking Polish because it is so hard to learn.  I feel the same way about speaking Chinese, so we commiserate with each other.)  I am sure my life will be richly blessed by the people I meet here and the things I will learn from them.

There is one thing that has helped me get through the last two months. I decided that I should have scripture study time each morning.  I usually wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 each morning and spend until 7:00 in personal study and prayer.  Especially when things were so difficult at first, that hour or more calmed my heart and gave me the courage to face the new things I was experiencing.  I have felt the calming guidance and sweet comfort of the Spirit each day.  I quit being surprised when people arrived to help me, or I was given instructions on how to complete something or find a place.  The last example of that is having the music school help me with my visa.

I have had some interesting experiences in one area of my life, and that has to do with the commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  In China, Sunday is no different that any other day.  Actually businesses and schools are only from Monday to Friday, but all of the stores are open.  It is interesting how many times I have had to tell people that I don’t work on Sunday - especially my business partner.  I finally decided I should speak to him and explain how I feel about the Sabbath Day.  I explained that keeping the Sabbath Day holy is an expression of love to God for all he has given me.  In fact it is a covenant I make with him.  I also explained that I believed our business will do better if we don’t teach students or hold meetings on Sundays.  (By the way he is a naturalized American citizen, so it is all right to talk to him about religion.)  He was very understanding, and thanked me for talking to him about it.  He asked me what I could do on Sunday.  I explained that I can go to church and other meetings, if I were home I would see family, in China can I spend time with friends, and basically I can do anything that will draw me closer to the Lord.  I didn’t mention that it also is a great day to take a nap to refresh to body.  I was glad that I took the opportunity to talk to Kyle about it.  He hasn't asked to hold a meeting on Sunday since our discussion.  

The Fruit Called Mangosteen

 

We were discussing fruits and vegetables in class one day, and they students asked me if I had every eaten a mangosteen.  I said I had never heard of them before, so they pulled up a picture to show me.  I told them I had never seen one before and didn't know there was such a fruit.  One of the students brought me some the next day.  The outside is very hard, but the inside has segments just like an orange that you pull apart to eat.  They are sweet and juicy and very delicious.

Chinese Valentine's Day

Thursday, August 23 was the traditional Valentine's day for China.  I probably wouldn't have known about it if they hadn't been handing out roses at the subway station.  I took it to class and asked the students about it.  It used to be a much bigger holiday called Qixi Festival which focused on young women.  Over the years it has evolved into their Valentine's Day; although the younger generation seems to prefer February 14.  For those who do celebrate it in the fall, they give flowers, chocolate and jewelry. The students explained the story behind the holiday, but I looked it up on line to make sure I had it right.  There are actually two stories, and I have posted them both.

There are two legends surrounding the origins of Chinese Valentine's Day. Both involve the position of the stars on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese lunar calendar (August 23rd in 2012).

     According to the first legend, the seven daughters of the Goddess of Heaven caught the eye of a Cowherd during one of their visits to earth. The daughters were bathing in a river and the Cowherd, Niu Lang, decided to have a bit of fun by running off with their clothing. It fell upon the prettiest daughter (who happened to be the seventh born), to ask him to return their clothes.

  Of course, since Niu Lang had seen the daughter, Zhi Nu, naked, they had to be married. The couple lived happily for several years. Eventually however, the Goddess of Heaven became fed up with her daughter's absence, and ordered her to return to heaven. However, the mother took pity on the couple and allowed them to be reunited once a year. Legend has it that on the seventh night of the seventh moon, magpies form a bridge with their wings for Zhi Nu to cross to meet her husband.

   In the second story, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu were fairies living on opposite sides of the Milky Way. Feeling sorry for the two lonely sprites, the Jade Emperor of Heaven actively tried to bring them together. Unfortunately, he succeeded too well - Niu Lang and Zhi Nu became so enraptured with each other that they neglected their work. Annoyed, the Jade Emperor decreed that from that point on, the couple could only meet once a year - on the seventh night of the seventh moon.

Today, star gazers celebrate Qi Qiao Jie by gazing up at the star Vega, east of the Milky Way which represents Zhi Nu, and at the constellation Aquila, on the west side of the Milky Way, where Niu Lang waits for his lover to join him.

Other common names for the festival are the Seven Sisters Festival or the Festival of the Double Sevens.

 

Valentine's Day in China, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, falls on August 15 this year.

That is, on Thursday evening, Niu Lang and Zhi Nu will meet on a bridge of magpies across the Milky Way. Chinese grannies will remind children that they would not be able to see any magpies on that evening because all the magpies have left to form a bridge in the heavens with their wings.

Another  Version of the Romantic Legend

The legend has been handed down for nearly 2 millennia. The story has been recorded as far back as the Jin Dynasty (256-420 AD). Poets composed hundreds of verses on the love story and many types of Chinese opera tell the story.

The Chinese people believe that the star Vega, east of the Milky Way, is Zhi Nu and, at the constellation of Aquila, on the western side of the Milky Way, Niu Lang waits for his wife.  Zhi Nu was said to be the youngest of seven daughters of the Queen of Heaven. With her sisters, she worked hard to weave beautiful clouds in the sky, while Niu Lang was a poor orphan cowherd, driven out of his home by his elder brother and his cruel wife.

Niu Lang lamented over his lonely and poor life with an old cow, his only friend and companion. The magical cow kindly told him of a way to find a beautiful and nice woman as his life companion. Under the direction of the cow, Niu Lang went to the riverside on an evening, where the seven fairies slipped out of their heavenly palace to bathe. He took one of the beautiful silk dresses the fairies had left on the bank. When the fairies left the water, the youngest couldn't find her clothes and had to see her sisters fly back to heaven without her. Then Niu Lang came out with the dress and asked the youngest fairy, Zhi Nu, to stay with him.

Several years passed on Earth, which were only a few days in heaven. Niu Lang and Zhi Nu lived happily together and had two children before the Queen of Heaven discovered Zhi Nu's absence. She was so annoyed she had Zhi Nu brought back to heaven. Seeing his beloved wife flying in the sky, Niu Lang was terrified. He caught sight of the cowhide hanging on a wall. The magical cow had told him before dying of old age: "Keep the cowhide for emergency use. Putting the cowhide on, he went after his wife with his two children.

With the help of the cowhide, Niu Lang was able to follow Zhi Nu into heaven. He was about to reach his wife when the Queen showed up and pulled off her hairpin to draw a line between the two. The line became the Silver River in heaven, or the Milky Way. Zhi Nu went back to the heavenly workshop, going on weaving the clouds. But she was so sad, and missed her husband across the Silver River so much that the clouds she weaved seemed sad. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River.

Well-known Poem

One of the most famous poems about the legend was written by Qin Guan of in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Fairy Of The Magpie Bridge

Among the beautiful clouds,

Over the heavenly river,

Crosses the weaving maiden.

A night of rendezvous,

Across the autumn sky,

Surpasses joy on earth.

Moments of tender love and dream,

So sad to leave the magpie bridge.

Eternal love between us two,

Shall withstand the time apart. (Translated by Kylie Hsu)

Chinese Ceremonies

The seventh day of the seventh lunar month is the only Chinese festival devoted to love in the Lunar calendar. Unlike St. Valentine's Day in Western countries, Chinese girls prepare fruits, melons and incense as offerings to Zhi Nu, the weaving maiden, praying to acquire high skills in needlecraft, as well as hoping to find satisfactory husbands. In the evening, people sit outdoors to observe the stars. Chinese grannies would say that, if you stand under a grapevine, you can probably overhear what Zhi Nu and Niu Lang are talking about.

( Shanghai Star August 19, 2002)

Shouldn't Take Pictures in Buddhist Temples

It was brought to my attention that you are not supposed to take pictures inside Buddhist temples.  I guess that totally slipped past me.  Thank goodness I wasn't using a flash, and I was trying to be discrete.  Anyway - do not follow my bad example.  If you visit a Buddhist Temple, do not take pictures.

Lunch with Some Co-workers

 

Wednesday I went to lunch with some co-workers at the music school.  We went to a noodle restaurant, and the food was delicious - much better than what I get at the little market.  I may have to find one near my apartment.  I think it kind of spoiled me to have some good food.  The company was great too.  The man sitting next to me translates documents for the school from Chinese to German.  He lived in Vienna, Austria for ten years studying classical saxophone.  I was able to practice my German with him, but he also speaks English.  The woman by the window studied composition and piano at a music school in St. Petersburg for four years.  She translates documents from Chinese to Russian.  She speaks English quite well too.  The other woman is a registrar for the school and doesn't speak any English.

None of the three are from Beijing; they came here from the north-east part of China - close to Mongolia and Russia.    They say that the area where they come from will one day be the largest city in the world because there are so many people moving there.  Right now there are many little villages, but the they are blending and combining quickly.

Great food!  Great company!  What more can you ask for?

A Discussion on High School

Here is a picture of my students right now.  All of them are wonderful and fun to teach.  Peter is "the thinker" in the middle on the front row.  He does not speak English very well, but he has a dry sense of humor that keeps us all laughing.  

We spent some time in class today talking about the difference between Chinese and US high schools.  After listening to the description of their time in high school, I can see why our students may eventually fall behind.  They had varying schedules in school but here is what they told me.

1.  About half of them started school at 7:30 a.m. and went until 6:00 or 6:30 p.m.  They had 10 or 11 classes each day.  After dinner they worked on homework until about midnight.

2.  Many of them started high school at 6:05 or 6:30 a.m. and went until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m.  They would attend 11 to 13 classes each day.   When they arrived home, they ate dinner and then did homework until 12:00 or 1:00 a.m.

3.  A few of the students lived at the school and only went home two days every month.  They went to school from 6:05 a.m. until 10:20 p.m.  They had 5 classes before lunch, 6 after lunch and 4 in the evening.

All of them had a 2 hour lunch in which they studied or slept. Many had some classes on Saturday, and then would spend the day rest of the day doing homework.  I asked them if they relaxed on Sunday, but most of them studied that day too.  They had small tests throughout the courses, and big tests each month.  Every year they took an end-of-year exam.  They said it is a very stressful time.  They did have some music, p.e., art classes in grade school and middle school up to 11th grade, but not in 12th grade.  They do not have any sports programs as part of the school - or driver's education.  They usually had 60 students in their classes.  That is why it is hard for them to speak English because they weren't given much opportunity to talk in the class - which is understandable with 60 students.

I am not sure if their description would be the same for all high school students in China. I had the impression that most students go to school at least from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  I also know that my students are very diligent and want to do well.  I tried to find out what happens to the students who aren't successful.  They said some of them go home to help on the family farm or business; some of them go to a trade school.  Apparently there is an adult education system so that people can go back to school at a later time to get training or education.

I must admit I was very shocked to hear how much time they spent in classes and doing homework.  I do know that China has as many students in their gifted and talented programs as we have students in the US school system.  Shear numbers make competition very lopsided.  I don't think I would want to change our education program for theirs, but I do wish we could help US students take their education more seriously.  I am not sure how we do that.  In the meantime, just tell your children and grandchildren they can be grateful they only have to go to high school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and tell them to study and learn all they can.  (If they give you a hard time, tell them you will move to China and enroll them in school.)

The First Guests in My Home

I have been a little slow posting any blogs this week.  I am not sure why; I have done some fun things.  The first thing I did was on Sunday when I invited two Philippino sisters over for dinner after church. 

Marissa is on the left and Edith on the right.  Marissa left on Wednesday to work in Canada.  She has worked in Hong Kong or Beijing all of her adult life.  She met and married her husband 12 years ago and moved back to the Philippines where she had a son.  She stayed there until her son was 5 years old and then returned to China to work.  She has only seen her husband and eleven-year-old boy about two or three weeks every year.  She is hoping that after she has worked in Canada for two years, she will be able to bring the family there, and they will be able to be together.  She is a very positive person, and full of faith.  She has been trying to help me overcome my fear of riding the bus.  Her favorite saying is, "Don't be afraid of getting lost.  Eventually you will find your way home, and you will be stronger for the experience."  Edith has just moved to Beijing, and so I don't know her as well yet.  I do know she is teacher in her country, but can make a lot more money cleaning houses in China.

They were the first to eat a meal at my house.  We had modified spaghetti.  Modified in that I used penne paste instead of spaghetti noodles and bacon instead of hamburger.  We had a little problem because I forgot to buy a can opener when I went shopping, and we couldn't open the sauce can.  We tried a few different things; finally, Marissa went from door to door until someone opened the can for her.  We added the sauce, some fresh beans and tomatoes - and we had a tasty meal.  I also had a fresh fruit salad and ice cream bars for dessert.  It wasn't bad for my first meal - and the company was wonderful.

Do You Think You Could Eat Just One Potato Chip

Yes!  They have potato chips in China.  I thought maybe I could entice you to try a few of the flavors:

Hot Sour Fish Soup 

Fried Prawn 

Mexican Tomato Chicken 

Italian Red Meat 

Cheese Lobster 

Fried Chicken 

Nope, I haven't tried any of them.  In all fairness they do have Classic, BBQ and Lime as well.  I think I will stick with the Salt and Vinegar Chips as long as the corner market sells them.  I may have to try one of the flavors some day.  Which one do you think it should be?  I'm leaning toward the Hot Sour Fish Soup.

A Visit to the Yonghegong Lama Temple

I had to go to the visa office again today, and the Buddhist temple is right by the subway station where I needed to go, so I decided I should take time to visit it.  It is the largest Buddhist monastery in China outside of Tibet.  It was originally built in 1694 by the Qing Dynasty and used as an imperial palace.  In 1722 part of it became a monastery for Tibetan monks.  It made it through the Cultural Revolution without being destroyed, and was opened to the public again in 1981.  It is an actual monastery, and monks come to train and serve here.

This is the entrance into the temple grounds.

This is the pathway to five main halls.

This is a picture of the Bell Tower, and the one below is of the Drum Tower.  Both os them are used to call people together for special occasions.

There are two lions outside of the first hall.  They were put there when the by the emperors and are a symbol of royalty.

The lions are at the entrance to the Hall of Heavenly Kings which was the original entrance to the grounds.  Inside is the Maetreya Buddha - who also is known as the smiling or laughing Buddha.  On each side of the room are two Heavenly Kings.  They all hold different objects in their hands, but I wasn't able to find out what they symbolize.  They hold a snake and treasure, an umbrella and silver mouse, a sword, and a pipa or a musical instrument.  On the wall is also a picture of a person with a thousand hands and eyes.

Between the first and second hall is a large copper cooking vessel that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. It is one of the three rarest objects in Beijing.  I have also added a picture of people lighting incense to use to pray outside or inside the buildings.  I tried to not take very many pictures of them praying because I didn't want to take away from their worship.

Next is the Hall of Harmony.  It has statues of Buddha at three ages of his life.  The one on the right is the Buddha of the Past, the middle on is Buddha of the Present, and on the left is Buddha of the Future when he returns.  (Sorry.  I didn't take the Buddhas of Past and Future.) There also are nine people on each side wall who have different faces and skin color to represent all people of the earth.

The fourth building is the Hall of the Wheel of Low.  It is still used by the monks each morning from five to seven to study and conduct religious ceremonies until they let other people come into the hall.  The statue in this hall is of Je Trongkhapa, the founder of the Geluk School.

The final hall is the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses.  It has a statue of Buddha in it that is 26 meters high - or about four stories.  It is carved from a single piece of sandlewood.  It is hard to see his face because of the lighting and how far up it was, but you can see it if you look closely.

I could not leave without just snapping some random pictures to show the intricate and colorful details on the buildings.

For those of you who have traveled with me, you have to know I would take a picture of a door.

As I was leaving the temple area, I came upon a monk standing by one of the buildings.  I suspect he was sent to stand there so people like me could take his picture.  I was happy to oblige.  I hope you enjoyed the tour.  It is a very interesting place.