Three clear days in a row?

An amazing thing has happened--Changsha has experienced not one, not two, but three clear, blue days in a row! Which means I've had the pleasure of seeing not one, not two, but three gorgeous sunsets over the Yali campus.

Sunset over the construction site of Yali's soon-t0-be main teaching building.

On an unrelated note:

Easter egg hunt (courtesy of Chacey Bryan).

The Almost Puppy and Easter Eggs

While walking down a pedestrian street, I came across a puppy for sale. I could try to describe it with words, but I don't think I could do this little guy justice. So, a picture:

Cue the awwws

SOO cute, right?? Gahhh! The puppy was on sale for only 320rmb (less than $50)! I wanted to buy it, but a local friend stopped me, saying that puppies being sold on the street are not treated well by their owners, usually have diseases, and will probably not live past two weeks. A real bummer... Tear*

On a happier note, today, some Yali students and I decorated Easter Eggs in preparation for the first Yali Middle School Easter Egg Hunt. None of them had done this before, and some of them didn't even know of the holiday. Nevertheless, they weren't afraid to get their hands dirty. Great fun was had by all, and the final products look pretty good (if not particularly strange).

This one is a little risque... >.<Happy Easter to everyone!

Reach OUT!

It's been too long since my last post. The delay could be attributed to many things--my hectic schedule, China's ceaseless efforts at blocking anything and everything actually useful on the internet, and frankly, my own laziness. Actually, there are no excuses, really. Anyway, rather than give an exhausting summary of everything that happened the last two months, I will just write about the recent Yali Reach Out trip, a week-long service trip I took with twelve students and another fellow from Yali.

This was the third year the fellows have had the opportunity to take Yali students on a service trip. Each year, we partner with Yale students on their Spring Break as well as a third school. This time, we worked with Xiamen Foreign Language School (a prestigious high school in the Fujian province). This year, the delegations from the three schools went to Shanghang, a rural town three hours away from Xiamen City in Fujian.

The mission of the trip for the last couple of years have focused on education, specifically going into the classrooms and teaching basic English. In Shanghang, we went to the Baisha Middle School, where the entire school--students, teachers, and administration--greeted our arrival. After the obligatory opening ceremony (Ohh, China...) with its long-winded speeches, the "teachers" descended upon the students in their classrooms.

The welcoming ceremony, complete with bass drums, snare drums, valve-less trumpets, and a color guard!

Greeting the Baisha students

Each classroom had a teacher from all three visiting schools. Due to scheduling difficulties, the visiting teachers had only three days with the students, seriously constraining the scope of their lessons and goals.

Nevertheless, I do think all parties benefited greatly. The Yale students--many of whom had not been to China--was exposed to a part of China that is usually hidden from the rest of the world. Rather than shiny new airports and awe-inspiring skyscrapers, they were living amidst houses made of mud and "left-behind children" (children who see their parents once a year, if that, because their parents are migrant workers in a faraway city).

Working together to plan their lessons

The trip's impact on the Yali students was just as significant. Interacting with the Yale students not only improved their English tremendously, but for some, it introduced the possibility of going abroad for college. For others, it confirmed this goal. Furthermore, the students met other children who were of the same age but lead very, very different lives.

Most importantly, I think, this trip was an eye-opener for the Yali students as to what service can be. They are no stranger to "institutionalized" service, or service co-opted by their school and/or by the city government. For example, they would be required to stay on city buses all day, making sure the young give up their seats to the elderly. More often than not though, the students are told just to seat down and mind their own businesses for the day.

At Baisha, the Yali students realized that they can have a very real impact on their own society, and that being in a privileged position relative to most of the Chinese population, they have an obligation to do so. Even if they make a difference in only one other person's life, the latter can go on and do great things. The rippling effect can be explosive. I think this epiphany has really excited the students, and many of them are already searching for ways to improve their country.

The lesson, in action.

Personally, this trip was a very unique experience for me both in the challenges it presented and also the benefits it allowed. Along with my co-leader, we were in charge a 45-person group where ages ranged from 14 to 21 (you can imagine the problems and difficulties that come with such a group). I had to give an impromptu speech in front of an audience of hundreds. I didn't find out about one of my classes until ten minutes before the class was to start. Events and activities were planned and canceled on the fly. Sweat beads rolled.

In the end, these challenges are really nothing when compared to the benefit: the opportunity to become close the Yali students, to know them as more than just students and for them to know me as more than just a teacher. At Yali, I am the waijiao, the foreign teacher. While I do some activities out of class here and there--library hour, a English musical, a Christmas program--I am always seen as the waijiao. For that week in rural Fujian, I could put English lessons on the side and focus on larger issues with the students. What do they like to do for fun? What are their passions and ambitions? What are their fears? What are mine?

For the two years I am in China, I, too, can be more than just a teacher.

(The kids kept a blog throughout the trip. There are posts in English as well, so feel free to check it out!)

George Town, Malaysia

I didn't really have an opportunity to familiarize myself with Malaysian culture or history before coming, and while that may have been somewhat irresponsible of me as a tourist, it has been enjoyable getting to know the place starting from a completely blank slate.

Kek Lok Si - The largest Buddhist temple in SE Asia

The first thing that took me by surprise was seeing the headscarves worn by most Malay women. Who knew Malaysia was predominantly Muslim? Not me. I've never even been to a country that was predominantly Muslim. There are mosques in every neighborhood, calling the worshipers to prayer from their minarets. While some of the headscarves were absolutely stunning, I didn't really know what to think about the burqas. I feel like Western society views burqas rather unfavorably, and I almost instinctively pullback after seeing it, but I don't know enough about Islam or Malaysian society to really be comfortable enough to criticize the practice.

Buddhism and Hinduism are the second and third largest religions in Malaysia, respectively. The few Buddhist temples I visited actually appeared to function as spaces for worship. The paint on the temples' walls are refreshingly settled and soft, their rooms filled with the smell of incense and the whispers of prayers nearby. This is in stark contrast to temples in China, where I often get the feeling that the walls were just painted and instead of prayers, loudspeakers blaring from the hips of tour guides.

Food. Surprisingly, it is very difficult to find Malay food in Malaysia. Some may even argue there isn't such a thing. In its place, Indian, Thai, and Chinese cuisines abound. Even when I go to a "Malay" restaurant, the dishes seem oddly familiar. For most meals, I find my way to my favorite discovery thus far in Malaysia: hawker centers, outdoor food courts where countless food-carts set up to serve the masses. The options are plenty, cheap, and most important of all, delicious.

Yesterday, I rented a motorcycle to explore Penang Island a little more extensively. Besides the Kek Lok Si Temple, I discovered many other gems--gorgeous dams, paths where the lush green forest spilled over, and hidden scenic views. See below!

A panoramic view of George Town

Air Itam Dam