Archive for April, 2009

Visiting Happiness

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Finally I am  getting back to my trip to Xichang to visit Jo Charles and see what she has been doing with her foundation. On Saturday (the 20th) our little group rose early to travel to Happiness Village (yes, it’s called Haha in the Yi language). In case I haven’t told you, this was the real purpose of our trip to Xichang — to attend the dedication of a new school built by Charles Foundation funds in cooperation with the local government. In addition to being rundown, the old school had been built in a flood plain beyond the edge of town,  a downright dangerous spot for the children.

Over a two-hour period  the road got steadily worse, and for the last forty-five minutes we snaked through hard-scrabble fields where the farmers had cleared away stones and deposited them on the road.

the road we came in on

the road we came in on

By the time our bus was completely stopped while waiting for a cart to move, we were itching to just get out and walk, as Happiness Village was in clear view ahead.

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But we were patient and drove on, in my case, glad to have had a moment to get out and settle my carsick stomach. In a few minutes, the new school was obvious — large, fresh-painted, and festooned with red decorations. And then we noticed: Look, they’re all lined up to greet us!hap3

Indeed, when we parked the van at the old school, along with cars of the various government officials and media types who were also attending, we were greeted by four ladies (who turned out to be teachers) in Yi dress who solemnly led us along the path to the town.hap4

Suddenly, I got a little nervous, and our group grew quiet. In the distance, kids began chanting something in unison and waving, then stopped when we paused in our approach to get Jo out front and center for the cameras. But when we began moving again, they resumed, calling out Huanying! (Welcome! and waving fronds as we passed through the gauntlet.hap5

Before the ceremony began, we had a few minutes to take a look at the school. It’s bright and airy, consisting of eight classrooms on two levels. I was more than a little proud to see the following plaque outside a top-floor room:hap61And here are Wendy Shum and me sitting in the very classroom –hap7You give a woman a pair of needles and a ball of yarn and slowly she will begin to change the world. Nothing short of miraculous. Way to go, ladies of the Shanghai Knitting Guild! My hat’s off to you!

Back outside, we took our VIP seats and watched the kids and village spectators finish filing into the courtyard. hap7aThere was a little trouble with the national anthem; the loudspeaker kept jolting from one military song to another and the child charged with hoisting the flag began to worry.hap8

Finally, the headmaster took control and had the children sing the national anthem, which they did enthusiastically.

His shirt, like those worn by many others, is a hand-me-down from a child attending Dulwich School in Shanghai.

His shirt, like those worn by many others, is a hand-me-down from a child attending Dulwich School in Shanghai.

There were a number of speeches, most of which I didn’t understand. Jo Charles’ talk reminded us that “education is power” and pointedly urged the villagers to send all their girls as well as boys to the new school. We bet that that soundbyte didn’t make the local TV news. There was more singing and dancing. The kids were really working hard, and some appeared quite hot in all that clothing. We could only imagine that they had been waiting for us for hours, as well.hap10

Afterward, we were led back to the old school for a feast.

inside an old classroom

inside an old classroom

Confirming our suspicions, the villagers had killed both a cow and a pig and roasted them, along with potatoes, corn and buckwheat cakes, which they served to us and the officials.hap12

honored with the ceremonial cutting of the pig's head

honored with the ceremonial cutting of the pig's head

And, of course, there was the infamous bai jiu (white lightning). Technically, you are supposed to toast each host/guest three times, each time downing a shot. I had three shots and felt my head spin.

Cindy shares a toast with the headmaster

Cindy shares a toast with the headmaster

All this while, the villagers waited outside. They would eat only when we were finished.

In the heat of the afternoon, with the effects of the bai jiu still being felt, we went on a short tour of the village. We were shown several houses which ranged from rudimentary to extremely rudimentary.
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cooking facilities inside a home

cooking facilities inside a home

meat hanging from the rafters

meat hanging from the rafters

more meat on the way -- these guys are owned by a "rich" family

more meat on the way -- these guys are owned by a "rich" family

storage loft inside a home

storage loft inside a home

We finally said goodbye and left Happiness Village, pondering , during the long ride home, what we had seen and what we had not seen. Running water, for example. Or books — proud as we are of the accomplishment, it’s hard to imagine a school with no books at all. Maybe getting books to the kids is next on the list. Ideas, anyone?

Jo Charles and the Happiness Village headmaster

Jo Charles and the Happiness Village headmaster

schoolteacher

schoolteacher

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Jo’s Girls

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

It’s a lot easier to write about food than about kids who touch your heart.

Today we visited the Lou Gu Po School, what we in the US would call an elementary school, about 45 minutes up from Xichang. (Jo — that’s Jo Charles, the founder of the Charles Foundation for those of you who don’t know — says that the roads are new and much has changed in the last few years here.) The kids at this school all belong to the Yi minority group. It’s a dormitory school, which means that many kids come down from the hills and have to stay at school.

Jo found a wonderful headmaster at this school, who was open to receiving help for the kids. The Foundation, with the help of the Shanghai American Women’s Club and other supporters, has built showers, a library, and some other facilities. But the most important work is the 49 children that the Foundation sponsors. Almost all are girls, and almost all are orphans or otherwise abandoned by their families.

Jo and Headmaster Wang

Jo and Headmaster Wang

The kids were all turned out in our honor today, wearing their traditional costumeslou2

and their new sneakers

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They sang us beautiful songs, and then, I’m afraid, we fell back on The Wheels on the Bus. They danced some beautiful dances and then, I’m afraid, we joined them in dancing. (Please, let there be no videos of the latter.)lou4

They showed us their pristine dorm roomslou51

and some of the blankets we’ve providedlou61lou71

and we met their caretakers.

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We played with them

hooray for Wendy for bringing the boys toys

hooray for Wendy for bringing the boys toys

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Of course, we visited classrooms.lou16

The thing is, though, that each of these children has a unique and very difficult story. This young girl, who you can see laughing later, was nearly beaten to death by her stepmother and her father is in prison for drugs.lou9

I watched tears fill the eyes of this child as Jo examined cigarette burns on the arm of another girl.

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The other thing about these girls is that they are amazingly warm and eager to hold hands and be hugged. Some people, like my friend Cindy,  just naturally make any child want a hug.

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But I’m not quite like that. And so when these two girls caught me by surprise and grabbed me by the hands, or put an arm around me — well, let’s just say I was really moved. It’s just impossible to conceive of them as throwaways.lou12

It’s very late tonight and the bus leaves for Happiness Village in 6 hours, so I am just going to sign off now with some of our goodbye shots.

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Some Like It Hot

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Before I dive in to today’s events, I have just got to say a word about the food here in Xichang.

I packed peanut butter and crackers, toted along trail mix. And I figured this trip was going to be worth going a little hungry.

Talk about exceeding expectations! Last night we were treated to a feast in a local restaurant that was the best meal I’ve had since, well, 2005, when I last dined in Sichuan. Here’s the rundown, at least what I remember:

We sipped buckwheat tea to unwind and then dipped into a hot stew of beef chunks and very fresh tomatoes and peas.

The next dish was a plate of small pieces of spicy, almost caramelized, fried pork.

Then came stir-fried cabbage and pork slices with red pepper.

The vegetarians in the group cheered up at the arrival of subtly fermented tofu accompanied by sliced peppers and greens.

Next a big bowl of stewed chicken and local mushrooms in a rich broth with seaweed (actually from a nearby lake).

All supplemented with a basket of steamed potatoes, corn on the cob, and taro.

Stir-fried greens  sailed in — maybe morning glory?

My favorite dish of the night was a combo of diced pork and various veggies scooped up and dropped into little buckwheat cups.

Then corn kernels just sliced off the cob and pine nuts….

A dish of a white vegetable translated as “yam,” but which did not resemble any yam I know.

All accented by little bowls of chopped cilantro, red pepper flakes, and salt.

And, finally….. steamed pumpkin served up on a bed of sticky rice with tapioca beads.

We waddled home.

Today we ate lunch  in a very small village up in the mountains.  Suffice it to say that along with the spring mountain shoots, we were served platter after platter of the tiniest, most tender little pork chops I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. And as the only meat-eater on my side of the table, I had a heavy burden to save face, but somebody had to do it!  I heard that in Sichuan there are three levels of honor:  for your friends, you slaughter a chicken (yesterday the group had chicken for lunch); for more esteemed guests, you slaughter a pig;  for the most honored guests, a cow must be sacrificed. We’ll see about tomorrow; I’m getting the impression that they’re pulling out all the stops for us here.

The trail mix is back in my suitcase.

Yi woman grilling baby pork chops

Yi woman grilling baby pork chops

making buckwheat cakes

making buckwheat cakes

the heat goes on: Sichuan pepper and salt on every dish

the heat goes on: Sichuan pepper and salt on every dish

it's the real thing: tonight's Sichuan hot pot

it's the real thing: tonight's Sichuan hot pot

how those Sichuan flavors begin: scallions on their way to market

how those Sichuan flavors begin: scallions on their way to market

mushrooms drying

mushrooms drying

dried everything at a sidewalk market

dried everything at a sidewalk market

and, in the end, Sichuan's most famous food ingredient

and, in the end, Sichuan's most famous food ingredient

A City to Spring Stays Forever

Friday, April 17th, 2009

It’s a short hop across beautiful mountains from Chengdu to Xichang. liang1As we came down from the clouds, we marveled at all the terracing — people work hard to grow crops. liang2

At the Xichang airport, we totally missed baggage claim, got outside and found check-in. A kind man directed us back to the tarmac, where the bags were all on a cart.liang3

We drove in through piles of onions bagged up for market. Downtown Liangshan, a city of about 1 million, is a busy place.liang4

The roosters began to crow at 5:30 a.m here in the valley.liang62

My friend Cindy, who is visiting from New Jersey, and I just finished a breakfast of steamed pumpkin bread, spicy stir-fried zucchini, cabbage, and hard-boiled eggs.liang7

Today we are about to hop on a bus and drive a couple of hours to the Lou Gu Po  School. Check out the adorable shot of the kids in the traditional dress on the Charles Foundation website, charlesfoundation.org.

Why today’s title? It’s from the sign that greeted us at the Xichang Airport.

liang8

Knitting on Thursdays

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

I really can’t believe that I haven’t written about my knitting group before — probably because I didn’t know where to start.  I’ve been knitting on Thursdays for almost four years now. Not that I am particularly good at knitting; a friend wisely advised me, “Be careful with those needles. You could poke somebody’s eyes out!”

I summoned my courage to join Sue Ferry’s knitting group about a year after I read about it in the Shanghai Daily. An international group of women gather to knit to benefit charities. Yarn and needles provided, no skill required. Sounded good to me. And once I’d attended, it became the highlight of my week. Even when I was practicing law — nobody dared argue when I picked up my bag at 12:30 on Thursdays and left for the afternoon. I needed that quiet time — doing something tangible in a welcoming home, chatting with other women. Not to mention Sue’s chocolate chip cookies!

A year ago, I inherited the knitting group and there has been a lot of turnover. But despite the different faces, the group’s still here, every Thursday 1:00 – 4:00, open to all nationalities. knitting1Sometimes only 5-6 people come (when the weather is bad), but sometimes there have been as many as 30. Most of the conversation is in English, but sometimes I can manage in the Chinese-speaking corner — I just have to remind them to speak standard Mandarin, please, not Shanghainese! (And when the conversation slides into German, I’m lost.) Now I provide the needles and the yarn — and the chocolate chip cookies!

We had help with our knitting at Sue's house.

We had help with our knitting at Sue's house.

We donate our stuff to all sorts of places: an orphanage, an old folks’ home, migrant workers’ kids at Chinese New Year. Or we sell it and donate the proceeds.

fall 2008 sale

fall 2008 sale

The knitting group has taken me to all sorts of interesting places and introduced me to friends now spread around the world.

winners of a government-sponsored knitting contest (Sue in the back row)

winners of a government-sponsored knitting contest (Sue in the back row)

summer enrichment Shanghai-style: 50 kids in a classroom singing and playing games to practice English

summer enrichment Shanghai-style: 50 kids in a classroom singing and playing games to practice English

visiting a retirement home where we gave scarves and listened to songs, Chinese and western

visiting a retirement home where we gave scarves and listened to songs, Chinese and western

Tomorrow, knitting is taking me to Xichang, a town in western Sichuan province. The occasion is the upcoming dedication of the Happiness Village School on Saturday. Our group sold enough stuff last fall to furnish a classroom — fifty desks and chairs, a teacher’s desk, blackboard, etc. The school was built by the Charles Foundation, a remarkable small group that is educating minority girls who otherwise would have no opportunity to go to school. (For more about the Charles Foundation,  and the work of its founder, Jo Charles, visit charlesfoundation.org.) I’m thrilled to be able to visit, and you better believe I’m taking my camera!

When Two or Three Are Gathered

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

How to spend Easter in Shanghai? For a couple of years, we have attended mass in Chinese at the old Jesuit Cathedral. We recognize bits of the liturgy and enjoy the moment when the whole congregation jumps up and rushes the altar to receive the eucharist, kind of like rush hour on the subway.

But this year, we opted to attend mass in English at St. Francis Xavier Church. Although I can’t find much information about the building, a local architectural historian told me that it’s probably the oldest building in Shanghai.  It’s a Spanish-style church, hidden inside a walled courtyard easter1

in an old Chinese neighborhood that’s slowly being demolished.easter7(This Sunday morning it was hopping.)

easter91easter10

My family is Episcopalian, but there aren’t any such churches here. Besides, the Chinese Catholic Church doesn’t exactly report to Rome. In any event, it was great to be able to participate in the liturgy, to sing some familiar hymns, and to exchange the peace with such a truly international congregation.easter3

After the service, we were pleasantly surprised to discover an international food fair in the courtyard. We joined in, sampling nasi goreng at Singapore’s booth, and had a drink at the Malaysian stall.easter8easter5By far the longest line was for Filipino adobo and lumpia!

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Which got us to thinking: maybe next year Easter in Manila? If we’re in Shanghai, though, I suspect we’ll be back at St. Francis Xavier.

easter2

Thanks be to God!

ISO a Mantel

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

There’s another little story I’d like to add about getting ready for our move. The new house, with its beautiful glass doorway, graceful staircase, and elegant picture rail, had a dumpy little wren of a fireplace. Obviously, it was missing its original mantel.

mantel1

I figured the least we could do for this house was find one to replace it. I called the big antique dealer from whom I’ve purchased a number of chests, a gong, and other pieces of furniture. Mantels are hard to find, I was told. But we’ll let you know when we get any in.

When’s that likely to be? I wondered.

I don’t know. We haven’t had any old mantels in at least a year.

Hmm, maybe this was going to be a little harder than I anticipated. I started asking around. I emailed an expat friend who has written a book on Shanghai architecture. I searched the internet and drove out to a factory that would make me shiny new marble fireplaces if I would order several. When a friend who has a nose for interesting shopping in Shanghai (and a shopping business to prove it) said that she had heard of a market that sells architectural remnants, we set off.

When we found the market, on the south side of Shanghai, it was none too promising.

mantel2

When you go on these expeditions in Shanghai, you never know what you’ll find. Sometimes you get really lucky, but this time, I just got rained out.

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Back at home, I told Wang ayi, our housekeeper, that I was looking for a mantel, a bilu.

I saw a mantel just up the street on my way home the other day, she replied. I was pretty sure that I had mixed up the vocabulary. But she stopped off again on her way  home and reported the next morning that the mantel she had seen was too big, but that the owner had another, smaller mantel in his storage area right here on Yan Qing Lu.

So off we went, hot on the trail. Her man led us down an alley I had never visited, just across the street from mine.

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Inside, an unlit, unrestored lane house was stuffed to the gills with antique furniture. And yes, in the back, I thought I saw a mantel. With much difficulty, the owner and a friend dragged it out. We struck a price for the mantel and a pair of deco nesting tables, on condition that I could return the mantel if it didn’t look good in the new house. And off we went.

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You know where this is going. The mantel is a perfect fit. Its fluted columns look like they were made for the Jianguo Lu house.

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Now that it’s mounted and finished, isn’t it a honey? Looks like it was born in this house.

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I’m not sure what to make of this story. You can go and search and search, but what you are looking for is probably in your back yard…. If you wait, what you seek will come to you….  If it’s meant to be, it will be….I don’t know that Chinese people are fatalists, but I think that living in China is turning me into something like that.