The Fourth of July Post

If the band opens with “Fortunate Son,” you know it’s gonna be a good set.

Well that’s my opener for this Beijing update, folks…not sure whether to be cheery or gloomy but both seem appropriate after a month away from home.

So, AJ & I were really really wishing for some honest-to-goodness American food tonight…nothing fancy, like you’d find at “Grandma’s Kitchen”, but just a burger or fries or a chicken Caesar salad. I got the salad & he got the wrap.

At Lush (honest, it’s the real name of the bar/restaurant near our office) there was a new band for “live band night”—pretty sure that's the name--a bunch of young-ish guys who turned out to be AMAZING! We enjoyed it so much. It was a lot like Lark St without Aunt Dorie & Uncle Dave (which, if you think too much, is actually rather pathetic). Whatever. The band was good, the food was good, the relaxation went very well. Lush has several awards on the wall—Beijing’s best weekly happy hour specials, best student hangout, best bar food….guess that sums it up. We were, hands down, the oldest people in the place—and possibly the only ones who knew all of the lyrics, including the lead singer ;0)

For a little hint at the income disparity that exists here--migrant workers, who are a large part of the Chinese labor force, were featured on the business news a couple of nights ago--because China has just raised the minimum wage to 900 yuan (about $133 US) per month. Our food alone (not including any drinks but water) cost 90 yuan at Lush. We would only get to eat ten times a month if we made minimum wage. Every now & then, in class, I'm reminded of where my students have come from by some little thing...Thursday we had a dialog where one woman said she was "doing taxes". Nobody understood taxes, so I told them they are money paid to the government to help maintain society. Blank stares all around...it is very possible that neither they, nor anyone they have ever lived with, has been fortunate enough to make an income that requires the payment of taxes. And after reviewing my first paycheck, I'm pretty sure that the rates begin at 2,000 yuan monthly.

Anyway...just before diner, I braved the back alleys & upper rooms, and got my first Chinese manicure& pedicure. We found a little shop off of a hair salon & I sat down for what they said was a one-hour session…about two hours before i left! AJ had plenty of time to go home, change clothes, come back, go shopping…

The girl who did my nails was very good, and spoke some English as well. She told me that she likes studying English but doesn’t have time for it now. She was very excited to learn that I’m an English teacher—so much that she asked me to “write English name” for her. I couldn’t figure out what she wanted for a while..then realized that she wanted me to NAME her! Her Chinese name was something like Seia Sho, so I though…Samantha! She couldn’t say Samantha, but “very liked” Sammie. Long story short—I now have a nail technician named Sammie. All of the other girls in the shop laughed, but she assured me that she very liked the new English name, and made me write it down & say it several times. At least that solves the mystery of how all of those Chinese students who come to New York get American names---some random lady in a nail salon arbitrarily picks one and—viola! You have an English name!

We are missing home a lot these days—I heard someone learning to play saxophone outside of the office yesterday, working on a rendition of “America the Beautiful” throughout the day. Over and over and over. Sure made me homesick, especially when the Nadeaus are gathering in Ticonderoga for “The Best Fourth in the North” and the Hallenbecks are gathering at Verona Beach for who-knows-what Reunion insanity. The band guys gave us the name of the club where they’ll be playing on the 4th & the pastor from the Beijing International Christian Fellowship called today—who knows if they may have a cookout going too. It could go either way. Oh, and some guy from DC named Chris is throwing a pool party at a swanky hotel in the Central Business District…150 yuan gets us transportation, LOTS of drinks, swimming, and, if the flier is accurate, an after-party with Eva Longoria. Hmmm. Better throw Chris off the short list.

It’s a bit of a toss-up…when I work I know the kids benefit from me being there, even if I do feel like it‘s a cross between The Twilight Zone & Let’s Make a Deal (because there are too many bizarre things to describe, although AJ has definitely tried, and you really need to have EVERYTHING in your purse, in case you’re called on to define something like “Charge it” or “Sewing”). The kids are, have been, and will be rewarding, and remind me daily of why I’m here. But then there are the very long sessions in the office doing weekly paperwork, writing lesson plans (not to mention inventing curriculum) and the times at or en route to home when I get the impression that there is NOTHING dust-free in Beijing. And by the way, there are NO women in my office, unless we count three twenty-something part-time Mandarin teachers who I’m going to be teaching conversational English to beginning next week. Also, of course, I miss my kids & grandbabies incredibly. I am honestly not sure how people do this for years & years at a time. If you ask me, I will say that I am certain this is where we belong—there were too many “coincidences” that led us here for me to think otherwise. And when I see a sentence in the homework that says “We loving the teach very much”, it doesn’t hurt. When the kid who doesn’t really care if he stays or goes lights up for AJ’s tutoring sessions, that’s pretty awesome, too. I've heard a cheesy preacher saying that rings true at times like these...the will of God won't take you where the grace of God can't keep you. I am finding this to be quite true.

I heard a rumor today that the school closes over Christmas for a week or so. Not sure how the guy came to this conclusion, seeing how we've only been open since March, but…wouldn’t that be amazing, to be able to come home instead of wallowing in limbo between Narnia and Nirvana? One can only hope. And by the way, yesterday we finally found ground coffee—AJ had bought me a VERY expensive, VERY tiny coffee maker, only to discover that the stores that sell the pots don’t really understand about the coffee….Starbucks carried some for around $50 a pound…not happening…then, finally, there was a small brick of French coffee at a market where they have some imported goods. It tasted AMAZING this morning. Now all I need are some authentic Italian herbs…basil oregano, parsley, maybe some Parmesan cheese…and I will be in business. Italian night, here we come!

Whatever happens, I’ll let you know how the concert goes…or how the pastor’s barbecue tastes. Eva will have to wait for another time. Don’t you wish every day was the Fourth of July?