Shell in China

Last week turned out to be kind of crazy. On Monday we had the normal English Corner with our students in the evening, and then we went out to dinner with Rachel and Tomas. Tuesday was just classes as normal and then Wednesday we were told that there would be no more classes for the week. The students had to take some type of written English test on Thursday and I don’t really know why Friday was cancelled. Wishing we had known ahead of time that classes were going to be cancelled so we could maybe take weekend leave and go somewhere, we decided to make the best of our long weekend here in Chengxian. Well, either make the best of it our try to kill ourselves…one or the other!

On Thursday, after having a nice lazy morning around the house, we met Rachel and Tomas to go for a bike ride/hike. We rode through town and got to see some parts that we haven’t seen before. That was pretty neat. About 15 minutes from the school, by bike, we got to the base of a mountain. We parked the bikes at the bottom and headed up. The hike up was about half an hour and not too tiring, looking back now. I was a bit tired at the time, but now it seems like nothing! About ¾ of the way up the mountain is a small temple that we stopped and rested at and looked around. We also met up with some second-year English students, so after coming back down the mountain, we decided to take them to dinner with us. We all (I think there were probably ten of us) went to a countryside restaurant and sat in the sun while we waited for our dinner. It is incredible to think that it was so warm on an early November afternoon. I had just a light jacket on and was comfortable. (The hike up and down the mountain may have played into that as well.)

While we waited for our food, basking in the sun, the girls told us a bit about their living situation. They are all roommates. Six girls to a room! (I did that for a year and a half at BYU and I know how tough it can be with six girls in one apartment, let alone a single room!!) The roommates that they start with as freshman are the ones that they stay with for all three years of school. They were telling us that for the most part they get along fine, although sometimes they have “different ideas” about things. I think that is the nice way of saying sometimes they argue!

Friday morning we got a phone call saying there would be an English department dinner that evening and that we were to be at the school gate at 5PM. Dinner was okay. It was nice to have so many English teachers in one room, but there was surprisingly little English spoken! Most of the teachers seem to be really wary of using their English with the foreign teachers. The food itself was just average. I have been to banquets with better food, but at least I didn’t have to spend too much time pushing food around my plate, pretending like I was eating it! (That is a talent I perfected in the States that has carried over to China quite well. Now, I just push food around with a chopstick instead of a fork.)

Saturday was the big planned hike. With the help of Ren Laoshi (a teacher in the Chinese department who speaks pretty good English) we headed up the highest mountain around Chengxian.

The hike started at the base of the mountain at 10AM and concluded at the same spot at 5PM. The in-between seven hours were filled with a lot of steep paths, muddy walkways and constant heart palpitations on my part! Going up was pretty tough in some spots. Ren Laoshi was really worried that we would get sick,

so when not too far up the moutain, all of the foreign teachers were down to just t-shirts, he was really worried that we were going to get the flu. He also didn’t like that we all found the shady spots during the rests. He told us it is Chinese custom to rest in the sun. We said that we appreciated his concern, but we were sticking to the shade!!

At the top of the mountain (something like 1500 meters) there was a series of temples that we were able to explore and we took lots of pictures. The view of the valley below was just amazing from that height. When we started off on the hike in the morning, it was a bit over

cast, but by the time we got to the top, just after 1PM, the clouds had burnt off and we could see forever! It was really amazing.

The hike back down the moun

tain was less painful, but still a bit tricky in places since parts of the pathway were muddy and slick. I ended up on my butt 1 ½ times coming down. (One full butt-slide and one where I caught myself…Don’t worry Mom, I wasn’t hurt either time!) Once we were at the bottom, we saw the cab waiting for us! That was a nice sight, as we were all pretty tired. Ren Laoshi had arranged for the cab to come back at 4:30, but I guess he decided to wait, even though we didn’t get back until 5PM. (Not too bad of an estimate for such a long hike.)

After coming back into town, we went to dinner with Tomas and Rachel and then dragged ourselves home. My six flights of stairs, to which I am pretty used to now, looked awfully daunting, but we hauled ourselves up and just kind of crashed on the couches for awhile.

Overall, that hike was really interesting and amazing, but on Sunday, my legs and knees didn’t think is was so great! Thad and I were both feeling the day-after affects of the hike!

That was our exciting weekend. Within three days I did more hiking that I have ever done in my life. I can’t really say I enjoy the hiking, but the views were spectacular.

Beautiful scenery!! Please do eat not just food around (just like I always admonish you here at home); we want you healthy! Your pictures are great. I think that plant would like nice at your apartment!!!

Okay my other comment was missing stuff. Please do eat, not just push your food around!! is what I meant and that the plant would look nice in your apartment!! Okay this makes more sense.......

The pictures are great; also you two look wonderful to eyes that miss seeing you in person!!!!

love, mom

Yeah- that is a great plant, isn't it! I guess when it is not illegal to grow, you don't have to worry about keeping them small and hidden! :)

I just push food around my plate at home too when I don't want to eat it. That is nothing new! That is how I get by most of the time when I eat at other people's houses. No worries!