usadeepsouth.com
by William S. Boswell, Jr.
Part III
The Students
The boys and girls were great. Don’t misunderstand. They were full of life and mischievous. But they were serious about their class work and you could depend on their having their homework. I don’t think the Chinese students are quite as creative as western students, but that is probably a result of having lived in a closed society. I was a novelty to the students. I don’t think most of them had ever seen a westerner face to face. I made some wonderful friends among the students and still correspond by e-mail with about eight of them.
The People of Shiyan
The people of Shiyan, like the students, were not accustomed to seeing westerners on their streets or in their stores. Therefore, I turned heads whenever I walked down the street. Often, when I sat on a bench in the square, old men would come and just stare at me or small children would come over and try to talk to me. Soon most of the children in that part of town knew me by name and would call out to me from across the square or down the street. “Hi Bill”, “Hello, Bill,” which was about the extent of their English.
Two of my students’ mothers especially enjoyed visiting with me to practice their English. This resulted in my getting frequent invitations to supper, along with Wendy and Joe. Helen, a dentist, was an especially good cook. Her sweet and sour pork ribs were a favorite of mine and I brought the recipe home with me. Violet, an English teacher, admitted that cooking wasn’t her forte. She loved country and western music, and we had some great sing-a-longs. Everyone I met in China was extremely hospitable and went out of their way to make me comfortable.
Politics and Government
I didn’t know what to expect in a communist country. I had the impression that the people were oppressed and denied normal rights. I found that the people didn’t consider themselves oppressed. As a matter of fact, they seemed convinced that their government was the best in the world. I heard not one word of criticism about the national government while I was there.
The People’s Congress was held in March and it was covered for the first time on television.There was no criticism by the talking heads on TV. There are non-communist political parties, but they can only exist under the supervision of the Communist Party. There is no opposition as such.
Government in China is bureaucratic, just as it is here. But there, if you want something done by a government agency at the local level, you take some of the officials out to dinner, lubricate them well, and usually you can get what you want.
Food
There weren’t a lot of options when you sat down to eat. There was Chinese and if you were tired of that, there was Chinese.
There were no ethnic restaurants in Shiyan except for Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonald’s. They had just opened and stayed packed all day long. There were plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits sold from carts up and down the streets. There were noodle shops that sold a big bowl of homemade noodles in a fiery hot chili sauce for about a quarter. Most of our home cooked meals were a stir-fry of vegetables combined with a little meat or tofu and served over either white or fried rice. I ate rice for both lunch and supper on all but a few days.
Food was cheap. A whole pineapple, peeled and eyes cut out, was only about forty cents. Joe and I each paid Hui Ling, Wendy’s cousin, the equivalent of seventy-five dollars a month to buy and cook lunch and supper, clean the apartment and wash our clothes. She didn’t make a big profit in that job.
Other experiences
When the weather was nice we would take short trips if Mr. Nei was there with his automobile. We drove up to the Han River on one occasion and to Wutang Mountain on another. Wutang Mountain is a holy place for the Buddhists. There are several Temples there, and the history of the area dates back for over one thousand years. On these trips we would stop at “Farm Restaurants” to rest and eat. There would be a private room with a TV, card table and couch and comfortable chairs. They served green tea and peanuts and sunflower seed for a snack
On Sunday before I left on Monday, Wendy and Joe took me out to eat and then suggested we have a Chinese foot massage. The foot massage lasted for an hour. We stretched out on couches. The attendant took off our shoes and socks and put our feet in a basin of very hot water. After they soaked for about five minutes they gave us a pedicure, cutting our nails with a small knife and cleaning dead skin from between our toes and off the bottom of our feet. Then the massage started. Our feet were pounded and pummeled for at least fifteen minutes. Then our calves and thighs were massaged. When they finished I felt like I was walking on air. I told Wendy and Joe that if they had told me about “Chinese Foot Massage” when I first arrived, I would have availed myself of one at least weekly.
In conclusion, I have to admit that I enjoyed China very much. I would have liked a little variety in food, although I enjoyed almost everything I was served. I can’t express how much I liked the Chinese people, both students and adults. I may very well return for another assignment there this fall.
To go back to Page 1, click Part I.
To go back to Page 2, click Part II.
To go back to USADS home page, click Index page.
_____________________
Bill Boswell is a retired CPA. He’s a graduate of Delta State University and lives (when he’s not traveling) in Amory, Mississippi. He and his wife Nancy are the parents of 4 and the grandparents of 2. He’s been active in the Rotary Club for many years, and has hosted exchange students from all over the world.
Please visit our Message Board
or write Ye Editor at bethjacks@hotmail.com.
Thanks!
Back to USADEEPSOUTH index page