Spring 2006 Diary

Spring 2006 Itinerary | Spring 2006 Diary

Ed. Note: Most recent entries are listed first. Postings are generally unedited to preserve the excitement, emotions, and time constraints of the moment. This page is updated whenever e-mails/photos are received from China. See the full itinerary.

Besides these entries, read Ms. Barrett's Journals in full, downloadable as PDF documents ...

Beijing Journal. Mar 9 - 12

Hangzhou Journal, Feb 22 - Mar 1

Travel Journal, Feb 3 - Feb 21

Also, don't miss the SLIDESHOWS!

Sunday, Mar 26 - Hangzhou

(Amy)

I have officially become China-ized. I have rapped in front of my host sister, Ella's, class in Chinese while hiphop dancing. Yes me, the blonde girl that has no game. I have embarrassed myself here in more ways than I could ever have imagined. I also text messaged some of Ella's classmates using her cell phone so now I can say that I have led the life of a Chinese teenager. Now I know all the most popular singers and TV shows here. I have bought so many CDs and DVDs that I don't know what to do with. In fact I had to buy another suitcase just for all the CDs and DVDs that I bought, oops.

Friday was Ella's (my host sister's) birthday so she, eleven of her friends, and I went to a really fancy KTV (kareoke place). We sang songs and I had a chance to talk to her friends. And of course, I had to rap the Chinese song that I learned for them.

The next day, Ella and I got our hair cuts! When we walked into the hair salon, all of the workers stood up to stare at me. They were in awe that I wanted them to cut my hair. It is different because here everyone gets their haircuts at night time, not in the morning or day time. They first wash your hair without using a sink, they just spray some water and massage your head with the shampoo. Then you go to the sink to wash the shampoo and conditoner off. Next, you sit in a chair and they massage your head, neck, back, and arms! Getting my hair cut turned out to be an intensive and complex process. I am incredibly ticklish so I kept laughing, but now I know the Chinese word for ticklish so I told the guys massaging me "Wo shi pa ying." Then they started to laugh because I said that I am ticklish in Chinese, why is it that whenever I speak in Chinese people laugh? Ella and I, with the help of the eight guys that w! orked there, flipped through some magazines to pick out a hair style for me. Then they fought over who got to cut my hair, it was so funny. A guy with a mohawk was the lucky winner so he cut my hair while the other workers hovered over to watch. He did a great job and then styled my hair with some gel. I was trying to take some pointers from him in styling my out of control curls, but when I tried it the next morning it didn't look exactly like the way he did it. It was so much fun though, I'm pretty sure they had never cut anyone with naturally thick, blonde, curly hair.

The school also took us out to the 1,000 Islands where each island centers around a certain topic. For example, we went to the monkey island where all these wild monkeys roam around. One monkey stole a bag of peanuts from a woman walking! We also got a chance to go up a chair lift to see the entire view of the islands which was gorgeous.

Of course, when I got back Ella took me shopping. Now she brings me to the guys clothing sections because she knows how much I like the boys clothing here, teehee. So much has happened and I have met so many amazing people it is hard to find the words to write because my mind is going a mile a minute. I am sad to be leaving, but know that I have made some friends for life.

Thursday, Mar 23 - Hangzhou

(Ms. Barrett)

BIG NEWS…. This just in… Three beautiful American women have taken the fashion world by storm in their debut modeling campaign in Hangzhou, China!

Yes… we have become models. A few weeks ago we took an afternoon to stroll down the silk market and choose brocade fabric to have dresses made for each of us. It took all of us quite a while to decide. We were in one of the larger shops that just sells fabric and there were dozens of colors and patterns to choose from. After we made our selection a tailor came to the school to take our measurements and to discuss the style of the dress we wanted. All three of us chose some variation of the traditional cheongsam dress made of our brocade silk. This is the typical dress you’ve probably seen with the mandarin color and pretty cloth button closures.

At the time she made our dresses she happened to be remodeling her shop in the commercial market across the street from the school in a large warehouse that houses shop upon shop of tailors that will make you anything you can think of. She wanted to use a photo of the three of us in our finished dresses in an advertisement for her business. How could we refuse! I guess having three Westerners in an advertisement for her work would draw a lot of attention here since we get stared at every time we are out anyway.

Yesterday was the big photo shoot. We hadn’t seen the dresses yet so we were excited just to try them on. Her new shop is very sleek and looks much more modern and clean than the shops around her. The counter had a nice large plaque behind it with her business name. They moved the counter and set up a chair for us to pose in front of the business name. This whole process was facilitated by our friend in the English office who decided to take the photos with her camera and to buy some round fans as props for the photo too.

A word about Chinese clothing shops; most of them don’t have dressing rooms, and this one was no exception. The dressing room consisted of a shop assistant holding up a curtain for each of us to change behind. It’s a good thing this part of the market is mostly women’s clothing. We made Amy try on hers first because she was the most uncomfortable about the whole thing. I guess she just isn’t a big fan of wearing dresses and having to try one on made specifically for her just made her cheeks red and we teased her about it. She was a little surprised by the skirt length. It was to her knees, but there were slits on either side. I guess for someone who doesn’t wear skirts or dresses this was surprising. She looks great and the whole ensemble was completed with her plaid Converse All Star sneakers too! Angelica and I are a little more comfortable in skirts and dresses. We just couldn’t wait to check ourselves out in the mirror. The tailor did a wonderful job. We are planning to wear them for our farewell banquet the night before we leave Hangzhou. I hope the girls wear theirs again too.

The girls look lovely. Check out the photo. Prom dates are wanted. They are accepting applications via email.


	Prom Dates Wanted!

The photo shoot was so funny. Our friend took pictures with her camera and of course we needed photos with our cameras too. We got lessons on how to pose with the fans to make the photo look authentic. We even got to keep the fans afterwards as a memento of the whole experience. Women from all over the market came to watch. We were quite the center of attention.

After we got changed back into our regular clothes we looked through the photos to choose the one we liked best for the advertisement. We still weren’t sure what type of advertisement the tailor was going to have made. She took us around the corner to the shop that makes banner-type signs. We are being made into a banner! That was a little bigger than we had envisioned. She is even having 3 extra copies of the banner made so that we can take them home with us. The banner is definitely bigger than a poster. She also showed us where she’s going to hang in it. It will be on display in the large corridor running of the street opposite the school that enters into the tailor’s market.

If you are ever in Hangzhou head down to Fengqi Road to the commercial market and find the entrance to the tailor’s section. We’ll be there… smiling!

Tuesday, Mar 14 - from Hangzhou, after Beijing excursion

(Angelica)

I'm sorry it has taken me so long to write. I didn't go to any more internet cafes in Beijing and I've been settling in with my few host family since Sunday night. Everything is so wonderful right now! My host parents are both hydro-power engineers and have a beautiful home. It is two stories, modern, and has a balcony that overlooks a major river in Hangzhou (the name escapes me). Li Ying, my host sister, can speak English so well! She can pronounce words extremely well and her vocabulary exceeds the other students. She's supposedly "famous" as Amy's host sister describes haha. I any staying in the guest room downstairs and I have my own TV and heater! I don't watch much TV here unless I put in a DVD, but I'm taking full advantage of the heater. It has been cold the last two days, but it will become increasingly warmer and warmer. The trees are beginning to bloom and flowers are budding. It is sooo pretty. I officially love magnolias.

Beijing was one of my favorite cities to visit in China. I'm still a country girl, but I thought it was really cool to stand in historical landmarks such as the Great Wall, Tian'an Men Square, and the Forbidden City. I was overwhelmed with how cool it was that I had the opportunity to take pictures and walk through corridors, and almost die from walking up the Great Wall in the northern mountains. It began to snow ever so lightly when we were on the Great Wall. We cou! ldn't ask for more beautiful weather while looking out over mountains and mountains and never ending wall.

Joining my new class wasn't much of a change because the students are still extra happy and extra nice! However, Li Ying's class is very loud. The two boys behind me are two of Li Ying's best friends and though they're a little shy towards me, their some of the only boys who I've talked to at all who attended this high school. The boy behind me really likes Jay, a popular singer in China, so I was able to chat a little with him about the CD I have recently bought and the Live Concert DVD that my Chinese teacher has given me as a gift. I L-O-V-E Jay! He is my new favorite singer! . The only phrase I understand in his songs though is "Wo ai ni" (I love you). However, I'm planning on lengthening my phrase list soon haha. I just need to see the words written and then I can understand them better.

This is short, but I will write more later this week. I promise!

(Amy)

I can not believe that we have been in China for over a month. It feels like we have seen so much (because we have) yet it feels like I just arrived a few days ago. We just got back from Beijing which was an unbelievable experience. We saw all of the must see places like the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Tiannamen Square, and Temple of Heaven. I've read about these things since I was in Middle School, and now I can say that I've climbed up the steep steps of the Great Wall while it was snowing, I've walked through the gate that emperors walked through in the Forbidden City, I've seen small plum blossoms begin to bloom at the Summer Palace, I've stood in front of the huge picture of Mao in Tiannamen Square, and I've walked along the roads in the Temple of Heaven where many retired people come to sing, dance, exercise, and practice Tai Chi. We even took a pedicab aro! und Beijing and got to visit with one of the local families.

So much construction is underway in Beijing because of the 2008 Olympics. On our first day in Beijing we had a chance to check out a museum which mapped out what Beijing will look like when the construction is done. It looks like a lot of work, but in the end it will be a spectacle. We also had a chance to have dinner with two former Chinese exchange students, Yang and JingJing, who came to DS a few years ago. They were both very friendly and it was nice to get a chance to see what a typical Chinese college student is like.

Once we got back it was time to switch host families. My new host sister is named Ella (her Chinese name is Lu Ye). She loves Western music, style, and food so we have lots to talk about. Her dad who works at a University has also visited the U.S. as well as New Zealand and Austrailia. He is very fluent in English so we had a chance to talk and show each other pictures of our travels. Ella's mom doesn't know English that well, but she has also travelled alot because of her work. She works at a publishing store. Yesterday they took me to a 5 floor supermarket to pick out anything i wanted to eat! There was so much to choose from and many of the workers there would pull out cereal or ketchup or burgers for me because they knew I was from America hehe.

Ella's class is one of the top classes in her grade so all the really smart kids are in her class and work extremely hard. She has 48 kids in her class and 35 of them are guys! They are all really shy around me, but I'm sure once they get to know me everyone will be more outspoken. I played basketball again with some kids during gym class. They put me on the boys team who were so good, but I accidently ran into one of my teammates when he was trying to do a lay-up, ooops. This is why I don't play basketball at home. Then our kung fu/ tai chi teacher joined the girls team so I had a chance to play against him. He was unstoppable.

Today Ella is taking me to the movie theater, I'm really interested to compare the movie theater here to the one back home. Ella has a CD collection of over 200 CDs so everyday I have a chance to listen to a new band. The most popular singers here are Jay, David Tao, FIR, SHE (not pronounced "she" though, you just say the letters to spell it S-H-E), the Twins (who ironically aren't twins), and JJ. Some of the bands are really good so I'm definitely going to need to buy some and bring home. Oh so I went to Ella's music class yesterday and they were learning about Broadway plays! The teacher played a portion of the movie RENT and I got so excited because I love RENT and have seen it on Broadway! I wish we had a music class like that.

Ella is also going to take me to the barber shop later on so that I can get an authentic Chinese haircut woot woot. She has a coupon for a place she goes to alot and said that the barber will "be honored to cut my hair" haha I'm not too sure about that. Later this week we will also be able to pick up our silk dresses that we had made. The tailor wants us to do a photo shoot with the dresses on us so that she can put our pictures in her pamphlets for her customers!!! I never thought in a million years that I, the biggest tomboy ever, would be posing for a Chinese tailor company in a silk dress. Now I'm off to Ella's gym class. Hope everyone is well back in the states.

Wednesday, Mar 8 - from Hangzhou

MID-EXCHANGE REFLECTIONS

(Angelica)

This has been an incredible experience, and it's only the halfway mark of my trip. I never thought I'd visit so many cities in China, go to a Chinese school, and especially at such a young age. Not only have my eyes been opened to a completely difference culture, but it has given me perspective regarding my life back in American as well.

Arriving in Hong Kong was nice because it gave me a gradual introduction to the Chinese lifestyle. There is a huge western influence in that area. We got to Hong Kong at night and I was immediately shocked to see so many fluorescent lights all along the streets. The city never rests! I was surprised how many people spoke English and all signs were written in both Cantonese and English. It wasn't until Guangzhou that we were able to use the Mandarin we studied before our trip. I've never seen so many McDonalds and KFC restaurants in my life! Everyone in China is crazy about these places.

The food in China has been an experience all in itself. I haven't encountered many problems with peanuts (important because of my allergy) thankfully. However, I have had the challenge of becoming accustomed to a variety of exotic food including meat with eyes still intact as well as parts of animals I would never have thought could be eaten. Flexibility with trying new food is a definite must when traveling to China; otherwise you might have to resort to only eating rice.

I won't go into too much details about all of the cities that we traveled too because that would take ages, but I must say that two places have left an intense impact on me. Lijiang was beyond our expectations. The old city, though filled with tourists, was relaxing and quaint. The small coffee shops were the perfect spots for resting and enjoying each other's company, the shops had handmade Naxi minority products, and the scenery was magnificent. We climbed up a large hill and could see over the old city. Americans could most definitely learn from Chinese Architecture. Everything has the utmost detail and care. The city is high in elevation, so the warm sun made our trip that much better.

Seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an was another major attraction to me. Since elementary school I have learned about China, its' history, and culture. I had only seen pictures in text books about these clay soldiers. Years later as I entered the museum I couldn't stop thinking, “Wow! This is it…” I never imagined standing within a few feet of these life size figures that resembled actual people from many years ago. It gave me a sense of how large the world is and how long China's history is. I felt so small, yet a part of something so big!

Internet cafes were exciting for Amy and me. Sitting in a room filled with many computers, Asian teenagers, music, and cigarette smoke, we felt rather out of place. However, we got the hang of how the internet café crowd rolls and soon spent many hours emailing and updating our family and friends about our trip. Toilets in China are extremely different than in America. It has become second nature now to carry around my own toilet paper and yes, squat rather than sit.

After our 24hr. train ride to Hangzhou from Xi'an (no train ride should have to be that long) we were greeted with bouquets of flowers and many smiling faces of teachers and our host sisters. Though we have already been at Hangzhou High School for more than two weeks, the warm welcome hasn't ended. There are so many people here to help us whenever we need assistance or questions, and students love to say Hello and practice their English by asking us an innumerable amount of questions about our lives in the United States. I love our teachers. All of them are so kind and have clever senses of humor. Many are shy and apologize for their broken English, but when they let their guard down we can tell they know more than they let on. I was also shy in the beginning with using the little Chinese that I know, but I've become more comfortable trying to practice different words and phrases.

My first host sister Jiang Xiaocen teaches me new words each day, we've been concentrating on fruit names, and then tests me on my new vocabulary when we walk to and from school. I've gotten along really well with Xiaocen. Her English name is Caddie. We enjoyed sharing stories and different facts about ourselves. We also liked watching movies together while eating chocolate (her favorite), chips, and oreos. It was while watching Hitch that I taught her that Americans call dried grapes “raisins.”

The schooling system in China may have some similarities with American schools, but when learning about all the details about how things work and the rules I've noticed there is a tremendous difference. There is little room for students to be creative and voice their opinions. They believe whatever the teachers tell them and that is the final say. There are no group projects or free learning. Everything is run by textbooks, curriculums are already set, and students need to keep on track with studying to get high marks on their final examination at the end of high school which will determine what university they attend. I could never survive under such pressure. I'm too much of a socialite to enjoy sitting at a desk for 10hrs a day and be able to focus on school work.

Exercise and sports aren't as big a priority as they are in America. I've only seen one fitness gym. Girls are expected to do as much as the boys do in gym class. They are split by gender. I have enjoyed our own special gym classes where we have learned Kung Fu, Tai Chi, and a Tae Bo/aerobic type exercise. Our teachers are experts and make us look like fools when we try to imitate their moves, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the fun. I've always wanted to learn Tai Chi, even though our teacher told us we should teach it to the “old people” when we go back home.

I've made a group of friends already, but that hasn't stopped me from wanting to keep meeting new people. The boys are too shy to approach us American girls, so Amy and I plan to pretend we're lost and ask them for directions. I'll do anything for more friends!

I can't believe I have been here for one month already. We have done so much, yet the time goes by so quickly. I hope that March can be just as explosive as February. The learning never ends. I find out something new each day. This trip will be an experience I will remember for a lifetime. I write in a journal every night so years from now I can come back and refresh my memory of the sweet trip I took to China!

(Ms. Barrett)

I realized that our exchange with Hangzhou High School is great honor to the Dover-Sherborn Schools on my second day as a guest here. Hangzhou High School also regards this exchange as an honor because of the way that we are treated like family members by so many of the faculty and students and students' families. The generosity and hospitality that we have been shown since our arrival is overwhelming.

For our welcome banquet we are taken to really fancy restaurant. We have our own private room. The principal asked me to sit close to her. We had red wine with dinner so I knew this must be a special occasion. The wine is good and we toasted once we are all served. There is so much food I can't believe it. We discuss what things I would like to see in their city: West Lake of course, the tea museum, silk museum, and Chinese medicine museum are all famous here. I say I would also like to learn how to cook some traditional Chinese food and that I can't wait to try beggar's chicken since Becky Vizulis has talked about it so much. The principal asks about Chris and says that someday I will have to bring him back here and she says he will be welcomed by the school. She toasts me at least 4 more times before the meal is over. We really are treated like honored guests.

I taught my first English classes last week. The teacher, Helen, who came to DS 2 years ago, said that her students were really looking forward to the class. I showed the class a map of Massachusetts and pointed out the city of Boston and where Dover and Sherborn are to the southwest of the city in what they would consider countryside. Then I asked if they wanted to see pictures; this got a unanimous “yeah!” I talked about Chris and showed my house and my parents' house. I showed them pictures of snowfall and how our weather was different, colder, in the winter in Boston. I showed them pictures of my students at DS and what my classroom looks like. Then I talked about my family and Chris's family and my parents' dog, Bear. They really liked the photos of Bear because he is a big Bernese mountain dog and dogs as pets are not that popular here yet, certainly not dogs that large. Then I talked about American weddings and wedding customs. They are learning about holidays and festivals in English speaking countries so I tied this discussion in with that and compared our springtime as a popular time for weddings to the custom of getting married here in China during the New Year/ Spring Festival time. After all this there was only about 10 minutes for questions. They asked simple things, like where and how I get my Christmas tree, how long do we keep it up, do I know some Chinese language, how are my classes, and how are my students similar or different from those here in China. And they asked some more serious questions, politically-charged questions, about how I see the future of US and China relations, do I like President Bush, and (my favorite) do I think Taiwan is a country? This one got a huge gasp from the class; they all knew how political this question and issue is between the US and China. I took a minute and responded, without giving my opinion, that I thought this was something that the US and China (and Taiwan) need to agree on in the near future if we are to continue to have a mutually prosperous relationship. I also added that I thought it was important for the US and China to have a good relationship; it is positive for the people of both countries. It is moments like this that make me realize how important our exchange program is. There are many cultural misunderstandings between the US and China that the girls and I have uncovered since we arrived. It is the purpose of the exchange to turn these misunderstandings into understandings.

My favorite moment so far was when we celebrated International Women's Day on March 3rd. After lunch the female faculty boarded 2 buses at the school and we all went to a new scenic park west of Hangzhou called Xixi Wetlands. Xixi stands for “west stream”. This park is a maze of waterways and ponds that make up the wetlands. The highlight of the afternoon was the Plum Blossom Grove. Since it is winter's end and spring's beginning here the pink and white plum blossoms are blooming. There is an entire grove of blooming plums that we walked through. The afternoon sun was so warm that we didn't need our coats for the first time and we could smell the blossoms before we could see the grove. It was so much fun to be with a fun group of women. Many of the teachers brought their young daughters, or their mothers, or mother-in-laws along as well. Everyone had a camera and it was like a photoshoot. We took so many pictures in the plum blossom grove alone; every combination of people with everyone's camera. I was asked to be in so many pictures I felt like I had been teaching with these women for years.

A few times during the afternoon a teacher who didn't speak English would ask Helen questions about me and, to my surprise, I could understand most of the questions and responses that were said. That doesn't mean I can produce and speak Chinese myself yet, but this small progress is encouraging.

On Saturday, the girls and I noticed how much our experience here is like that of celebrity rock stars or tour, or perhaps, more like that of lost children. We have 5 male faculty members escorting us around like bodyguards. It is so sweet; when we cross the street they fan out and surround us to protect us from the traffic. If one of us slips and falls at least 2 of them rushed to help us up. (And 2 of us did slip and fall.) We have our own `tour bus' with reclining seats and a TV. And, the most important feature of our rock star/ lost children day… we get stared at everywhere… our guides think this is so funny, but we are surprisingly used to it now. I am enjoying the fact that it is so sunny because I can wear my sunglasses and stare right back, but no one knows where I am looking. I even had a young woman come up to me on the street and start talking to me, asking me questions about how long I have been here and what I've seen and done in Hangzhou and to wish me a safe trip. I like being a rock star.

On my second day here I was shown the library building, which is one of the oldest on the campus. On the top floor is the school's museum that was made for their centennial a few years ago. It's an impressive museum with photos and memorabilia from all the history and the famous graduates and teachers and principles this school has had. DS is very fortunate that this high school wanted to have an exchange with us. They are the cream of the crop here in China. They have gone to great lengths to make our stay enjoyable. The school administration has set aside time in some teacher's schedules to be our teachers for our special classes. They have made arrangements for weekly field trips on Saturdays. They have given us our own table in the teacher's lunchroom with special meals prepared just for us so that we don't have to worry about food allergies. They have given me a furnished apartment and a bicycle. I was really touched by their generosity when the principal and the office manager discovered that I did not have the English language channel on my TV and had the school facility manager buy me a cable box and install it the next day. Their pride in this program is evidenced by how much thought and care they take in making arrangements for us.

It's funny; many people have asked me if I am homesick. To which I reply, “No”. I do miss my husband, so I tell them I am `husband-sick', but I do not miss America at all. Everyone has been so welcoming and generous here. The girls and I are so popular because it seems like everyday we are invited to go somewhere because there are more places and people for us to see and meet. We really know that we are welcomed here when our teachers invite us to meet their friends and family members outside of the school community.

Like many other people who love to travel, I have a list of places that I would like to see before it's too late. Before I left on this adventure I thought that I would check China off as `done'. But after experiencing this country that in land is the size of the US, but in population is 4 times larger, I am sure that I will come back to China again. I must share the city of Hangzhou with Chris. It is my favorite city that we have visited. It is like Boston, not too big; with so much history, lovely parks and natural areas, delicious food,

…and really good shopping.

(Amy)

I still have to pinch myself everyday when I get up to convince myself that yes, I am actually across the world in China. It is hard to imagine that although I am thousands of miles from home, the people here have welcomed me with open arms. I was surprised to see so much Western influence in the Chinese pop culture. So many kids have asked me questions and talked to me about new American movies like "Braveheart," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and "Brokeback Mountain." When Angelica and I went into some classes to talk to the students about America, many boys sung us songs from America like Backstreet Boys.

Although the students have gotten their fair share of Western-ness, much of China is still quite conservative. No one is allowed to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, dye their hair, wear jewelery (including earrings), or curl their hair until you are well out of highschool. During the morning ceremony Monday mornings, monitors go up and down the aisle checking to make sure you are following the rules. Some boys were pulled out of line and given a talk because their hair was too spikey! So many students are so curious about what it is like to date someone, that it is usually the first question that people ask us. It is extremely difficult for most kids to have a social life here with all the work and studying they do to pass the examination at the end of high school. School is from 7:30am-5pm. Freshmen through Juniors go home right after school and immediately start their work. Seniors usually go get some dinner or play some sports until 6pm where they have to go back to school until 9:30pm! I'm so glad that I at least have time to do what I want to do and I get to choose what subjects I want to study, not what the government tells me to study.

It is interesting to see how huge parts of China are modernizing yet huge parts of China are not. In almost every city we have visited, there has been massive construction projects underway building bigger rodes, buildings, more houses, and underground subway systems to industrialize China more. Yet although most kids like Western music and movies better than Chinese ones, they still aren't getting a better social life.

China has been such an amazing experience and a big culture shock for me. I love learning about new cultures and seeing that although we live so far away and are so different, we share many similarities.

Monday, Feb 27 - from Hangzhou

(Angelica)

Today marks our first week in Hangzhou. This week has passed by extremely quickly, but I think that is becoming a pattern with every week here in China. I am getting along with my host sister. Her first name is Xiao Cen and her english name is Caddie. She is 16 years old and in grade 1 (there are three grades in the senior high school 1-3). Her English is very very good and her mother speaks some too. Her father, who I met only yesterday because he has been away on business, doesn't speak much English other than "Hello." The family is very kind and is too generous. They want me to feel right at home. I have my own room, a hot water pillow at night for under the covers, an orange and tea every evening after dinner, and a computer and tv in the main room that I am always welcome to use. The first day we got here, Caddie and Shi Yi (Amy's host sister) brought us to a CD/DVD shop. They bought us some Chinese music and American movies that we picked out. All was very cheap in American dollars so Amy and I plan on going several more times before we leave.

My host mother is an excellent cook, as well as the chefs that cook our lunches. Every day I look forward to the meals I will feast upon! There is a Starbucks here that Mrs. Barrett, Amy, Shi Yi, Caddie and I all went to after a night of shopping. Amy and I got travel mugs that have Chinese decorations on the outside along with the word "Hangzhou" so now we have a useful souvenir! With the purchases we got free coffee. Hey, not a bad night. I've been satisfied with all of my purchases so far. I also bought a long puffy jacket that is in fashion here. It is very warm and I plan to wear it in Beijing where it is supposedly freezing and windy, especially on the Great Wall.

This morning there were morning exercises. The whole student body (around 2000 students) stands in straight lines across the soccer field. China's flag is raised as their national anthem plays. Then teachers speak. I didn't understand what they were saying, but one teacher was reading off a paper that said why he had wanted to become a teacher. The ceremony was very militant. Amy and I went to the post office during our lunch break and sent our postcards. We were able to find our way around the city by ourselves! On Wednesday we are going to buy the silk fabric for our dresses. I'm excited for that.

This past weekend was full of activities. On Saturday we went to West Lake with our host sisters and some teachers. We walked around the huge lake (that might as well be called a small sea) and took a boat ride. Unfortunately it was raining, but I hope to go back many times when it is sunny. On Sunday Amy and I went shopping with our host sisters. We had steak for lunch at a western restaurant. However, it had a Chinese twist to it of course, just like our Chinese food in America isn't really Chinese food. For dinner we went to a small pizza place. The pizzas are small individual sized and don't have tomato sauce. We tried explaining what tomato sauce was and Caddie asked if it was like Ketchup. I guess no one eats it here... That'll be one of the first things I need to eat when I come back to the States!

There is so much to say, yet when I come to write it all I don't know what to write first. I will start writing more often so that it is less overwhelming. I am having a great time here. I've gotten used to having no heat. That doesn't mean i'm not freezing sometimes, but it's getting easier to handle.

Sunday, Feb 26 - from Hangzhou

(Amy)

I have officially explored in depth all the various kinds of Chinese bathrooms (not by choice haha). I've squatted, I've sat, I've gone in a mud pit while our van was stuck on our way to Pang Liu school, I've gone in the school bathroom at Hangzhou with seven girls peeping over to see my foreign face, I've gone in a trough on the side of a mountain with wild monkeys, I've even squatted in a crowded Internet cafe when the worker didn't understand me when I asked "where is the bathroom? toilet? lavoratory? washroom?" You have not seen China until you have experienced their bathrooms.

With that note, I'll update you on what has been happening here in China. After Xi'an we got to go to Pang Liu village, which I have been most excited for. On the way to the village, our van got stuck in a huge mud pit because a lot of the roads weren't paved. So many walkers and bikers stopped to laugh at us. Our driver tried to get us out, but with no luck. We were stuck for awhile and let's just say that I had drunk a lot of coffee that morning. After waiting as long as I could, I had to get out of the van to jump behind a hill and go to the bathroom, unfortunately my coordination wasn't all that great and I fell in the mud. My shoes had a inch of mud stuck to them, but when you got to go, you got to go. We then had to wait for a truck from the school to pull us out, what an experience! Once in Pang Liu we got to take a tour around the school, give the school the books we bought that morning for their library, meet the teachers and principal, eat a delicious lunch from a local villager's home, and then meet the kids. They were so friendly and enthusiastic. We taught a class how to sing the Banana dance and passed out tons of candy and stickers which they devoured. It was so much fun.

Afterwards we went to the Giant Duck Pagoda and then shopped at a Muslim market in Xi'an; I'm getting pretty good at my bargaining skills. The next day we were off on a twenty four hour train ride to Hangzhou!

To give you a good idea of what the train station was like, think of an ant farm that a little kid picked up and shook: absolute complete and utter chaos. Fortunately, Richard and the driver saved us from getting lost and trampled. Our bunk mate on the train was a friendly young Chinese woman who spoke very good English and who actually lived in Hangzhou. She was so hospitable and helpful. We mostly just ate, slept, and read on the train, but it was nice to see the scenery outside. Once we got to Hangzhou we were greeted with three massive (and I mean massive) bouquets of flowers from our host sisters and teachers. I can't believe we are finally here! We went out for a Western lunch and then Angelica and I went home with our host sisters while Mrs. Barrett was shown her apartment. My host sister is named Shi Yi. She lives in an apartment on the sixteenth floor with her mom and dad who speak no English but are hard-working business people. Her grandma comes to her house everday to clean and cook their meals! They are Buddhist so they are a very traditional Chinese family. For our first dinner in Hangzhou, my host grandmother made fish head soup! Yup I said fish head. Haha, that was an experience. Then Shi Yi's parents had to go back to work. They work at night time (even on the weekends) so it was a special treat for them to come have dinner with us. Shi Yi and her family are so accomodating and kind.

The next day we got to go to school! Unlike at DS, our class of 56 students don't move classrooms, the teachers move. All the kids were so interested about my life and what it is like to come to China. So many kids stopped me in the hall to say hi or wait outside the bathroom to talk to me. The only class I understood was English class, where I got to talk about Martin Luther Jr. King Day. To my surprise, last period my class gave me a welcome party. Some boys sang me some songs from the popular pop star in China, Jay. We then played games and I talked to them about my life and school. They wanted me to sing them a song and the first thing that came to mind was the Banana dance, so I taught them that. Everyone here is so friendly! That night all the host sisters and teachers took us out for welcome dinner. It was alot of fun. My second host sister, Ella, told me that I probably wouldn't! like a certain dish on the table. I asked what it was and she said duck tongue!

This week I got to check out all of the classes. Angelica, Mrs. Barrett, and I have calligraphy, paper cutting, Chinese, Kung Fu, gym, and painting classes which are just for us three. Usually we have two classes in the morning from 7:30am to 11:50am, then lunch and free time, then we go with our host sisters to their classes until 5:30pm when school gets out. The classes are really interesting, Kung Fu is so hard. I also got to go to a dance class which was so funny, all the girls were embarrassed when we did a dance move that involved swaying our hips. It was a mix of kickboxing and aerobics. I also got to read what they are taught in their English books and English newspaper and see how they view America. It was filled with a lot about fast food places, table manners, superbowl parties, and dieting. They have SO MUCH homework here. It seems that their lives revolve around passing the big examination to go to a University.

When I got home, Shi Yi's grandmother showed me a plastic bag full of live fish and crabs! She wanted me to pick one that I wanted to have for dinner! Culture shock!

We started an English Corner on Thursday during the two hour lunch period at school. To our surprise, so many kids came full of questions, mostly about what it was like to have a boyfriend. We showed them pictures from home, and then I gave them candy and let them listen to some of my music.

Shi Yi's Chinese teacher is so energetic and full of life. During class he was reading a passage and got into the character. He then told his class in Chinese that Chinese language is a more beautiful language than English. Everyone laughed and turned to hear my response, but I had no idea what he said so everyone had to interpret for me, oh well. We also had shop class where we spent the entire 45 minute period hand sawing iron to make a hammer, do not ask me why haha. O okay so randomly in the middle of class someone came on the loud speaker and everyone stopped what they were doing to do eye exercises for their tired eyes. So strange. A boy in my class gave me an origami basket, so sweet.

This weekend I got to see my second host sister's (Ella's) house. She has over 200 CDs and loves Western music, food, and lifestyles. Her dad speaks English and has been to the U.S. so he showed me all of his pictures. We also got to go see West Lake, which is absolutely amazing. We then got to shop shop shop! Phew we have done so much. Hope everyone had a relaxing vacation. Zai jian (goodbye)!

Thursday, Feb 16 - from Xi'an (the center of Chinese culture)

(Angelica)

I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Xi'an that is across from our hotel. We've been in China for 2 weeks now. The time has gone by so quickly! I'm glad I have been writing a journal because the many cities we have visited are already starting to blend together. Surprisingly people have been able to understand our minimal Chinese. Every city we go to has less and less westerners. I haven't gotten used to the stares yet. Venders are astonished when we try our Mandarin. It's hilarious. I have become addicted to rice and my chop sticks skills have improved. I was thinking I would lose weight coming to Chinese because of my peanut allergies, but I can't stop eating all the food. It is all so good! I'm definitely joining the gym again when I get home. We have been walking a lot for transportation and my joints have gotten rather tired, especially my back because I carry around my backpack everywhere. However, we got foot massages tonight and all my ailments have been cured! It was intense. I've never gotten a professional massage before. These young Chinese guys did some crazy stuff. They pampered our whole bodies, but especially the feet. We spoke to them in Mandarin about how old we were and that Amy and I are students. They couldn't believe we are only 17 and wouldn't accept the fact that Mrs. Barrett is 28 years old. One guy kept saying, "Er shi si! Er shi si!" meaning 24.

This trip has been quite an experience and i'm glad its only been two weeks because I am NOT ready to leave yet. There is so much to learn and experience. Amy and I are fans of discos: "Wan ba zai na li?" meaning where is the disco bar? haha we're loving it here. Amy and I really enjoy Chinese pop music. If we hear a beat coming from a shop or a disco bar at night we start dancing on the street. We hope all is well at home and thank our friends for emailing us plenty. We miss everyone and wish you all could be here with us!

PS happy valentines day!

(Amy)

Okay, so I have fully accepted and embraced the fact that no matter how hard I try, I will never be able to not stand out here in China. I can't even begin to tell you how many times random Chinese people pulled us aside to snap a picture with us in Lijiang. Our tour guide Su Han (Susan) jokingly told the people snapping our pictures that it would cost them 5 yuan (less than a dollar) to take a picture with us. We should seriously start a business with all the attention and stares we are getting. Lijiang is gorgeous, it is so hot here, I already got some color. The Na Xi people, a minority nationality, live here in Lijiang and it is so much fun seeing their costumes. Lijiang is so warm and welcoming, everyone here breaks into song and dance in the middle of the street. I love the old city with lots of tiny streets to get lost in and find neat little shops to buy thi! ngs in. Su Han took us to see a dance show about all the minorities in China which was quite elaborate. We also climbed up a high hill in Lijiang to see the entire city and we visited a very serene and peaceful park. Lijiang is definitely up there on my favorite places we have visited so far, there is just so much to see. Here, I also found my new passion for CHINESE MEN'S CLOTHES!!! I already bought two guy shirts for myself (I'm as big if not bigger than the majority of the guys here so they actually fit quite nicely). One shirt as a pagoda on it and the other has some Chinglish (Chinese English) writing on it, basically writing in English that makes no coherent sense and some words are spelling wrong or foreign words are mixed in, but it is SO me. Afer Lijiang we took a plane to Chengdu. At the airport I was listening to music and reading a book when I noticed Angelica staring at me. I looked up to find about a dozen Chinese businessmen hovering over me trying to understand the English writing in my book. When they saw me looking up at them they pointed at my book and said, "English" hehe. Once in Chengdu we went to the Panda breeding reserve to see pandas! They were so cute. We also saw red pandas which are a mix between a cat, dog, fox, and raccoon. Trust me, just look at the pictures of them and you will understand where I'm coming from. I walked around Chengdu by myself and managed to buy some posters and DVDs all by myself, although the vendor decided to call all her friends over to watch me mmm more like laugh at me, oh well. We then took a boat to Emeishan to see the Giant Buddha who looked like he was looking down and laughing at us. Then we took a cable car up Mt. Emei and walked down to see wild monkeys! I was up ahead with our tour guide John when I spotted a brown furry thing up in the trees and I yelled, "look is that a cat?" Nope, it was a monkey. They came within inches of us looking for food. I passed one tourist who was crying because I monkey was on her while her friend took a picture of her!!! This adventure was definitely one of my favorite things we have done so far. After Chengdu, we took a plane ride to Xi'an where we met the one and only Richard. He rode in the back next to Angelica and I which was very kind and refreshing. We saw the terra cotta warriors which were incredible. I couldn't believe I was here, looking at these clay figures I had spent so long learning about in my social studies classes. Then we visited a temple. After sending Mr. Barrett off, Richard took us to a foot massage. I'm very ticklish so it was quite interesting not being able to explain to the guy why I was laughing so much. The massage was great, they definitely use their entire bodies and get really into it, let's just say they use some very interesting techniques.... Tomorrow we go to Pang Liu village to teach an elementary school class. I'm so excited and have tons of stickers!!! I can't believe that by the beginning of next week I'm going to finally meet my first host sister that I have been e-mailing to for so long!!! I can't wait! My second host sister told me that they besides banana toffee balls (ba si) that I love so much, they have apple, pear, and potato ones!! Can't wait. Hope everyone back home has a great February vacation!

(Ms. Barrett)

As far as the Chinese cities go that we have visited Xi'an feels the most cosmopolitan and Chinese at the same time. The government has spent much time and money in restoring the huge city wall from the Ming dynasty that surrounds the city center. It's a large rectangle with gates in the middle on each side, one N, S, E, and W. Where they converge in the center is the Bell Tower; I would really call it a Bell Building. It is in the Ming style with lots of brightly colored ornamentation at the tops of the red posts/ columns. Nearby is the slightly small Drum Tower. To tell the citizens the time the Bell Tower is rung in the morning to open the city gates and the Drum Tower is sounded at night to close them. The walls never had to function in any real defensive capacity from the time they were built in the Ming Dynasty up until the 1930's when a local warlord used cannons to attack the city. The depressions in the brick face can still be seen on the outside of the North Gate tower.

We saw Chris off at the train station tonight. He is bound for Beijing for some sightseeing and then off back home on Sunday. The train station here was the largest I've seen yet and it was packed with people. I was so glad that Richard was able to persuade the guards everywhere that he needed to see Chris onto the train to show him where his "soft sleeper car" was, this is a compartment with 4 bunks to a room. Chris will arrive tomorrow morning in Beijing. The guards wouldn't let me go any further than the waiting hall so I forced some extra tears to try to play on their sympathies, but that didn't work.

Today we saw the Terracotta Warriors Museum outide the East Gate of city. This attraction is probably what Xi'an is most known for. The first emperor of the Qin dynasty in the 3rd century BC had about 8,000 life size warriors and horses constructed out of pottery and buried in pits around his tomb to guard him in the afterlife. They were discovered in the 1970's by farmers digging a well in a field. A peasant uprising shortly after the emperor's burial burned and smashed many of the soldiers, but all the pieces remain and have been buried for centuries. Archeaologists have been able to put many of them back together, but it is an ongoing process and much of the pits have yet to be completely excavated. They were painted bright colors before they were buried and when they were unearthed some of the color remained, however. after a short exposure time to the air the color disappears.

We had to see this spot today because it was Chris's only day here in Xi'an and he really wanted to see it. Tomorrow we are going to Pangliu village to give them books for their library and to teach something to the primary school students there. The girls and I still have not decided what we are going to do, we have some ideas, we just have to pick one. I am sure our experiences at Pangliu will be highlighted in an upcoming journal entry. Stay tuned...

signing out from China. -Mrs. B

Wednesday, Feb 15 - Wildlife of China

(Ms. Barrett)

We have had quite a few experiences with wildlife here in China, perhaps I take so much notice because I'm a biologist.

So far my favorite moment of the trip was riding a yak. Yes. I said yak. In Lijiang yaks are used for pack animals and transportation by the local people, but they are also used for food, leather, and the bones and horns are made into useful objects as well. I have great respect for a culture of people, like the Naxi minority in Lijiang, who makes use of every part of animal if it is to be killed. So as I was saying, I rode a yak. We had our picture taken riding yaks on the White Water River which is clear and cold glacier water coming of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. They are surprisingly comfortable to ride with their shaggy white and black hair and broad shoulders and backs. Chris, Angelica, and I also tried yak meat. We liked it, it was very soft and tender. My new nickname now is the "yakgirl" (a play on cowgirl), because not only have I ridden a yak, eaten yak meat, I also bought a yak bone comb (supposedly rids hair of static electricity), and I have purchased a yak leather purse. I guess I am the "yakgirl".

As far as other wildlife here we have noticed that chickens here are pretty calm compared to our chickens. They don't mind be carried upside-down by their feet from a market while they are still alive. I was a little taken aback today by a truck we passed on the highway back to Chengdu carrying live pigs. There were so many pigs in the truck bed they were literally a "pig pile".

Yesterday we went to the Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu. It was amazing to see giant pandas so close. The Chinese call them "da xiong miao", or big bear cat. The facility also has Red Pandas, called xia xiong miao", or little bear cat. They have solitary pens for the adults because they are solitary animals, they are really adorable and seem so cuddy, probably because they are vegetarians. They pretty much just eat bamboo all day and then sleep to break up the boredom. They breed only 1 time per year when the female is heat for only 2-3 days. The breeding facility is so successful that they are expanding the facility by over 100% because they are planning for all of the space they will need for future litters. They do not want to release these pandas back into the wild. There are also several forest reserves, mostly in Sichuan Province, where pandas live in the wild. Our guide said he went to one, but all he saw was panda poop! The last census of the wild panda population taken by the Chinese government had the number at 1590, up from about 1000 about 30 years ago. I am glad the Chinese government sees the value of protecting an endangered species that only lives within its borders.

Today we went to Mt. Emei, a sacred Buddhist mountain with about 30 temples and 500 monks. We went far up a mountain stream in a gorge to see the Tibetan golden macaques, the golden monkeys, that live there. They are pretty aggressive because they are used to being fed by tourists and they have people hired by the park to watch them and swat them away with sticks if they get to pushy. They say not to approach them with your hands in your pockets or they'll think you have food. Also, do not scream or you might incite them to do something. They are pretty cute, golden in color with no tail and mostly bald faces that are very expressive. I have to say I am not a huge fan of monkeys as animals. Most encounters I have read lead me to believe they are just as smart as people but not trustworthy. Luckily no monkeys attack us, they have been known to jump on people.

I'll keep a lookout for more wildlife encounters here in China.

-Mrs. B

Saturday, Feb 11 - from Lijiang

(Ms. Barrett)

We are here in Lijiang and LOVE IT. We all agree it is so beautiful. The weather was lovely today, about 60 degrees and sunny, very comfortable.

The old town here is wonderful; we are all sitting in a small cafe by one of the canals. Our booth has the only computer. We will all send more. The girls are waiting to use the computer after me.

We fly to Chengdu tomorrow night and already wish we were here longer.

Thursday, Feb 9 - from Yangshuo

(Amy)

I never thought that I would be saying this but I'M IN CHINA!!! Yes me, buggy eyed blonde girl is in CHINA!!! WOOT!! CHINA! Sorry we haven't been able to write much but we have been so busy. China is absolutely INCREDIBLE. We've already been to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Guilin, and Yangshuo. Hong Kong is sooo modern and as Vincent told us, there is so much shopping. I was surprised how many skyscrapers there were. The city was also a lot cleaner then I thought it would be. We went to Stanley market to shop around and we also took the tram up to the peak although we couldn't see much because of the tall buildings. It didn't really feel like we were in China yet because there is a lot of British influence and a lot of English under the Chinese characters. Then we went to Guangzhou where our tour guide, Ellen, who took us to a couple of temples and a park. The park was so tropical and peaceful. W! e went to some authentic Chinese restaurnants where we were ridiculously spoiled. They do actually eat snake and cat there! Some Chinese women at the temple wanted to take a picture with us and kept arguing with each other over who got to stand next to which American. I definitely feel like such a tourist. Ellen was so sweet and her English was very good although she would get very embarrassed whenever she made a mistake. Here I also learned (only after 3 days in China) that I had left all my travellers cheques in Hong Kong (OOPS)! Hopefully I'll be able to get a refund with the reciepts that I have and not lose anything else.

We then took a train to Guangzhou. I'm really glad we took a train so that we could pass all the rice paddies and little villages. When we got off, I dropped all my massive luggage everywhere and these Chinese guards rushed over to help me. Yeah this whole idea of "trying to blend in with the natives" isn't working out too well for me. In Guilin we met our tour guide Guannie who is such a character. He took us to a few caves which were really interesting. They named a lot of areas in the cave according to what they look like, for instance there was a "vegetable garden" where a lot of the stones looked like veggies. We also went to Elephant Trunk Hill which was really really pretty. We climbed up to the top of another hill and saw the beautiful mountains in the background. The people in Guilin aren't allowed to build tall buildings so that you can see the mountains. I feel so spoiled here because whenever they take us out to eat we get our own private room and tons of food.

We then took a crusie down the Li River to Yangshuo. The mountains and landscape seemed like they were right out of a picture. It was misty out which gave the mountains a mysterious feel. On the boat, a Chinese tour guide tried to pick me up! He gave me his address and phone number and invited me back to his place so that he could "watch me." Yup, I think I'm going to stay near Guannie more often, hehe. Once in Yangshuo, which is my favorite place so far, Guannie had us ride bikes along the countryside. Now it really feels like I'm in China because there aren't a lot of Westerners out here. It is so strange because the people live in huts in the middle of no where yet they will be talking on cell phones. It was so scary riding bikes on the main road because there really doesn't seem to be traffic laws. Most people don't even stay in there lane, they just bonk there horns if you are in there way. We then too! k a bamboo raft down the Li River and got to see water buffalo (which make the weirdest sound) and this bird the minority people here use for fishing. There were Chinese men on small rafts with the birds attached to the rafts. They hooted and hollered and jumped up and down until the birds got scared and dove down in the water to get fish. There was a rubber thing on the birds neck, preventing them from swallowing the fish. Once the birds retrieved a fish, the men would grab the bird and force the fish out. Talk about efficient fishing! And while we were looking at all these things a lot of Chinese people would yell to us "hallo" and throw things at us to buy and then proceed to point and giggle at us. Yeah we definitely stand out.

I can't believe that I'm actually here, it is such an incredible experience. Oh and I also found my favorite Chinese food. It is called "ba si" and is a hot mini ball with mushy bananas inside surrounded by a crunchy, hard toffee-like shell. It is sooo good. We also tried Mrs. Viz's dried persimmons which Mrs. Barret thoroughly enjoyed. It is getting colder as we travel deeper into China. In Hong Kong it felt like 70 degrees, but here in Yangshuo it feels like 40s and rainy. Tonight Angelica and I are going to a disco Guannie showed us to do some pop culture research. Tomorrow we head back to Guilin to take a plane to Lijiang. It is so amazing here, I can't even describe it in words. We'll try to write more frequently, it is just hard because there is so much to take in and see. Hope all is well in the States.

(Ms. Barrett)

Ni hao!

We tried the dried persimmons last night, our guide tried to talk us out of them, he said that the people that make them do so in unsanitary conditions... you didn't tell us that!?! We ate them anyway, Angelica and I liked them, Chris and Amy were indifferent.

I feel bad that we haven't had time to send journal entries, the internet access has not been free at all so now we are at an internet cafe in Yangshuo and the journal stuff I had already written and put on my pen drive I am not able to download onto their computers here, they won't let us. What internet you can pay for (a lot more than in the cafes) is very slow. Here in Yangshuo the Paradise Hotel has modem dialup; Chris refuses to use it on principle! Haha.

They have a version of American Idol the TV show here, called Super Girls. As the name suggests it is only girls competing to be the next pop star in China. Amy and Angelica said it was fun to watch because the songs have many English words mixed in with the Chinese.

We are driving back to Guilin tomorrow and then taking 2 short flights via Kunming to get to Lijiang. We are all really looking forward to it. The weather has been wet and very cold, but we are enjoying it anyway. The hills from Guilin to Yangshuo on the Li River Cruise were misty so they looked like a Chinese landscape painting. Chris and I took 100 pictures on this cruise alone!

Click here for pictures Chris has been posting on our server at the house.

Zai jian!