I hope she said yes

I was startled from sleep this morning by a series of very LOUD bangs - sounded like they were just outside the wall of the apartment (quite a feat since I'm 19 floors up). Believe me, it was intense! I looked outside and saw a bunch of men dressed up in suits standing below a window in the building opposite mine. It was apparently the groom's method of proposing. It also created a huge volume of smoke - guess when you're getting married adding to the air pollution is not a big concern!  So then the group of men traipsed inside the building and I heard nothing until 20 minutes later when the series of explosions repeated - it was their exit and I suppose symbolized a successful mission...

We have had a terrible week of pollution, but it did clear up for Christmas. Unfortunately, we are back to heavy pollution today... I don't recall having so much of this last year...

So I went to see Han Hong in concert on Christmas night. She is a Chinese singer of Tibetan origin who has a beautiful voice and large fan following in China. I reckon I was the only foreigner in the audience. The hall she sang in was huge and cavernous - the seats we had were the 2nd row from the very back. The had a couple large screens up front to show close-ups and there was a large screen behind the stage. So the venue basically sucked (the chairs were like plastic patio chairs), but the sound was ok and I thought the screen graphics were impressive.  About halfway through the concert they turned the heat off and it was as cold inside as it was outside by the end of the show (and it was cold outside!). I couldn't understand any of the music, but it sounded nice and it was enjoyable! I heard 6 English words the entire show - "One, two, three, four" and "If you". She apparently also sang a song in Korean, Tibetan, and in Shaanxi dialect.

Then the day after Christmas, I went to see a movie. Very American thing to do, right?? It was at the new mall - they just opened up some cinemas. Only Chinese movies were showing. We saw "Mr. Six" - I don't know the Chinese name but I can tell you it doesn't translate to Mr. Six. It was in Chinese with Chinese subtitles and English subtitles. Interestingly enough, they have Chinese subtitles for most Chinese movies here - even the Chinese have trouble understanding themselves sometimes! I really enjoyed the movie - I heard it has been released in the US - I recommend it if you see it showing near you. It gives a nice portrayal of changing times and cultures in China told with a good plot...

Speaking of the mall, I just returned from their with a Starbucks latte in hand. It's dangerous having one so close now! As I was sitting there sipping on the coffee, I was looking out a window at the mall entrance. Lo and behold, there was a young boy (2-3 yrs. old) doing his business right in front of the entrance doors - ably assisted by his father. They wear these pants with a split in the rear-end (no underwear) that makes it really easy for them. People just walking by paying no attention... Some say this practice is going away but I have seen it often...

This week we have an unprecedented 2nd 4 day week in a row! Friday is New Years Day and we are being given it off as well! Supposedly it is a national holiday and everyone gets it off - but they always seem to have ways around that it seems. No plans at this time - a few teachers are flying off to a spot not too far away for a quick 3 day weekend (a place that resembles the land in the movie Avatar) but I guess I'm getting too old for that because pulling that off is just too hectic!

I want to say for my final words in this blog for 2015 how fortunate I am to have the family and friends who have helped me during these times so far away. I have met many people over here who do not have anything to help hold them up, and frankly I don't know how they do it. Thank you, to those at home in the US, and to those I have met here in China, for helping me stumble along.

To a great 2016!!

Ggg

Sheng dan kuai le (Merry Christmas)!!

Top picture - The Christmas tree out in front of the new mall.

The next 2 pictures - Christmas displays inside the mall.

Tomorrow or Tuesday (depending on your location) is Dong zhi - Winter Solstice. It's been dark in the morning when I walk to school and gets dark shortly after I get home, so it'll be nice to see the days getting longer again. If there was precipitation in the air, they would get a lot of snow in Xi'an. It's regularly in the 20's at night and will get into the upper 30's or low 40's in the day, but sometimes not making it above freezing. The air has been particularly stagnant so the air pollution has been bad - sometimes getting into the heavily polluted range. Beijing seems to get it really bad, and fortunately we haven't reached their level (yet).

Tomorrow night, after school,  the foreign staff is being treated to a Christmas dinner by our company. I received the (un)fortunate task of arranging it... so I decided on going to a German restaurant that recently opened up that has a nice atmosphere. While Chinese don't celebrate Christmas, they do put up some decorations in some stores and restaurants. Some nice restaurants will serve a Christmas Eve buffet style dinner, but they double or triple their prices making you wonder if it's worth it. I wanted to make it a Xmas Eve dinner, but the prices were too much! The school is giving us foreign teachers Christmas Day (Friday) off, although the school will still be in session. The Chinese teachers will cover our classes for us...

The latest I've heard is that we will be getting Friday, Jan.1 off also, making for another 3-day weekend! It has not been confirmed yet, though, so in typical Chinese fashion you cannot make plans ahead of time because you never know what they may decide on (for instance, they may say we will have to work on Sunday to make up for the Friday we get off...). It has been confirmed when the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) starts, however - that will be February 1 through the 22nd.

On Christmas Day I got tickets to see a well-known Chinese singer who is starting a tour of China in Xi'an. Her name is Han Hong but other than that I know little about her. Just thought it'd be something different and unique for Xmas.

I actually have a few Xmas decorations up in the apartment this year. I never got around to it last year. There's a little 1 ft. Xmas tree, a plastic wreath, some lights taped on the wall, a couple of little snowmen, and a couple glass containers for candy (the candy won't last long). It is nice to have up some decorations, but I was thinking that maybe it makes me a bit more melancholy...

Played a little mahjong last night - haven't done that much this year. It's a good social game requiring 4 players - I need to do that more often!

Well, I'll be thinking of everyone back home over the holidays and wishing you all the best!

As Linus aptly says, "Peace on Earth and good will to men"

Guns, Guns, Guns

It's a song released in 1972 by a band called Guess Who. It speaks to the violence done against nature by guns. The violence we're experiencing now is a bit different - it's against ourselves. But if we can't respect nature, perhaps it goes hand in hand that we won't respect each other...

Guns, Guns, Guns by Guess Who

What is it like to hear of a mass shooting back home in the US while in China? It is heart-breaking.
It is difficult because you want details, and you want them now, and you want them from a reliable source. On the other hand, perhaps it's a relief, because you're not barraged with 24/7 coverage on the TV that you are glued to for no good reason - because things unfold slowly.
What do the Chinese think about it? It scares them to death. Students are questioning their decision to go to school in the US. I tell them how it is a rare occurrence, and the chances of something like that happening to them is infinitesimally small. And then it happens again... and again... and again. Some may say that fewer Chinese coming to the US is a good thing, so big deal! But you know what? One thing I've discovered over here is that Chinese teenagers are no different from their counterparts in the US. There's a lot of good kids here that want to go to school in the US because they like Western ideas and the way of living. Giving them a chance to study in the US allows them to come back to China and spread our 'revolutionary' ideas. We are in a global economy with no turning back. One of the best ways to insure our safety in this new world is through education. I hope we don't lose sight of that. It seems we could use a bit of education in our own country as well...
So I hear about this latest shooting in California, and the previous one in Oregon (has there been another one between these two? I can't even remember) and it literally brings tears to my eyes. What is happening to our country? I get covered with a deep sadness...
Most Chinese students will likely get over this and continue on, just as most Americans will. But it forms a lasting impression on them that Americans are a violent people. I don't know about your impression of China, but I have yet to see a gun here (even on policemen although I assume they must carry them somewhere). I certainly haven't seen any assault rifles. When I first got here, I would sometimes hear loud explosions outside my apartment window and imagined them to be guns or bombs. I quickly learned it was just fireworks (and let me tell you they blow off some LOUD ones!).
If you heard them in the US, you'd be running for cover! Here, they may signify the passing of a loved one or the opening of a new store to attract attention. But no one even flinches.

As the NYT so aptly put it, God will not fix this...


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