For starters, I should explain that next semester, in addition to teaching more hours than the paid teachers at my university, I also am now absolutely commuting once per week into Guiyang to teach at a middle school (the middle school where I hosted the Olympic event). As mentioned before, this is complete guanxi, but to "seal the deal" and "celebrate the foreign girl's Christmas" the middle school had an official banquet with me, my dean, and one other Chinese teacher from my university in attendance. It was the strangest (emphasis on strangest, because let's be honest, I've encountered many strange things in my travels) event I've ever partaken in. About ten people were in attendance aside from us three from my university, almost all of who were prominent party members/officials. The banquet was at a very fancy restaurant in a private room. The entire thing was like a staged dance. The moment we walked into the room, the bantering of seating took place (because seating is apparently very important). I was unaware of this custom, and a bit annoyed that no one was sitting. I had already claimed my chair by standing behind it, grasping the back like a fool. Low and behold, it was the "most important" seat because it was facing the door. So as this bantering was taking place I started to get the impression that there was more to "no you sit here" "no, no, YOU sit here!" than I was picking up on and nonchalantly slid back from my claimed chair (and was praised later by my fellow teacher who was worried that I would offend the leader/host of the banquet by sitting in his chair). FINALLY after about ten minutes of standing and going over the standard language used over chair-bantering, we took our seats and the food was ordered by our party official/host man/person. Of course then it turned into "can the foreign monkey understand us?" and me having to uphold a professional conversation in Chinese while still playing the "flatter those higher than you" game. Once the food was brought out, so was the printed guanxi-contract which laid out the agreement of what was expected of my university (AKA: me) and, in turn, what my university would get from the middle school. Blah blah blah official business in local dialect that I didn't understand blah blah blah. Then the Maotai was brought out. I'm not sure if I've mentioned Maotai before, but it's the official liquor of China (and just happens to be made in Guizhou…). They call it "white wine" but that really annoys me and probably every other foreigner in China who actually likes wine because Maotai is not wine. Maotai looks and tastes like vodka or Everclear but is so high in alcohol content that I'm told it's not legal to sell in the US. Of course the host had purchased three bottles (I couldn't even afford one bottle if I was a paid employee living off US dollars…) and insisted it would be finished before the end of the night. Three bottles for twelve people at a professional banquet = dangerous… especially for me, the foreign monkey. As with everything at this event, it was a planned dance of sorts and I had to follow the motions. Every five minutes someone, usually a man, would stand up and toast one person at the table in a very official manner. Then the person being toasted would stand and drink with the person who made the toast (but even how you touch shot glasses is a game…if the brim of your glass is above theirs, that means you are more important, so only the officials can have their glasses up high and everyone else, me included, must clank their shot glass at the bottom). Five minutes later, the toasted individual is expected to return the favor and toast the former back. Guess who was toasted the most? And had to, of course, prove my manners by toasting back? Of course: our very own foreign monkey. Mind you, I have drunk almost no alcohol in China. Three bottles of Maotai were finished by the end of the meeting, yours truly being the biggest drinker, and needless to say, I was drunk. Not a fun drunk, like when you're relaxing with friends. An awkward drunk with official people I didn't know and had to earn the respect of. So I played it cool to the best of my ability, was given a taxi ride home (since no one else lives in Longdongbao…), and think I now am, consequently, a more important and slightly-more-respected-than-before foreign monkey.
After the banquet spectacle, I celebrated Christmas in a series of ways. The week prior was my final week of classes, so every class had their own Christmas party, which was always fun. Following the banquet, I had a big Christmas meal and prayer service on Sunday for all expatriates living in the Guiyang area at a hotel in town. That was lovely. They had olives. Green olives.
Monday, Christmas Eve, was great. When I was still working with the orphanage, I had recruited books, toys and clothes from home, and my mom had sent a HUGE box filled. Because I can no longer go to the orphanage, I decided I would remove all of those things from sitting in my study worthlessly and instead "play Santa." I baked a bunch of cookies, put them in individual baggies with pieces of chocolate, and then gathered all the toys, clothes and treats into four large Aldi Grocery bags (also provided by my mom) and headed into town. Everyone else had to work so I had to go alone, which was a little bit less fun, but "playing Santa" was one of my favorite moments in China. I gave all the cookies to the beggars perched outside of Wal-Mart, and then took all the clothes and toys to a really poor community on the outskirts of Guiyang and gave them out to parents carrying babies and any children I saw. It was nice. I wished them all a very merry Christmas in Chinese, which was exciting because most of them didn't even know it was Christmas.
Christmas Eve night was really relaxing. A girl who works with an NGO in Guiyang (she's about 26 or so) invited me, Miah and Stephanie (two foreign teachers at my school) to join her and two of her other friends for a girls' night/sleepover at her place. It was so nice and relaxing! She made us Western food, we shared favorite Christmas stories, chilled by a Christmas tree and candles, made cookies, and just pretended like life was normal.
The next morning, Christmas Day, we woke up early and returned to Guiyang University for a brunch with all of the other foreign teachers at Stephanie's house. I was so grateful for the invite; all other foreigners at my school are a "team" and come from the same organization, but they do a good job of keeping me in their family. Brunch was exceptional. We had crapes, pancakes, muffins, bacon, gingerbread, egg casserole (made by yours truly!!), and so many other delicious foods (mostly provided by loved ones back home). Afterwards, just like a real family, we all exchanged gifts in Christmas fashion (one person distributed his/her gifts and then the rest opened one-at-a-time), sang Christmas songs, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was wonderful. Afterwards, I gave a final exam, and then headed over to Jonny's house in Guiyang for Christmas dinner with the other Guiyang Peace Corps volunteers. It was nice. :)
I finished giving my final exams on Friday, and left for Zunyi immediately after. In Zunyi, I was met by almost all of the other Peace Corps volunteers from Guizhou and Southern Sichuan for a huge Christmas/New Years party. It was amazing and refreshing (although between fun I graded exams and edited textbook articles…) and much needed.
Monday morning I returned to Guiyang and spent the last day of 2007 exploring Huaxi (a beautiful, wealthy, touristy, mountainous subdivision of Guiyang) with Ricky. Because no one cares about New Year's Eve in China (they care about Spring Festival—Chinese New Year), I watched a movie and was in bed by 9:30 pm. It was definitely a…different…New Year's experience.
Today, after spending all yesterday diligently *thinking* about grading my exams, I decided to give myself a break and went with Miah and Marilyn (two amzing teachers at my school...Marilyn has a daughter my age and so she's like my adopted "mom", and Miah is 24 and one of the most beautiful people I've ever met, in spite of the fact that she's a Texan...) to the fabric market. We bought a ton of fabric (soo cheap!!) and then went to a tailor and had skirts made. Whether or not it's possible to really deserve anything, let alone material things, we decided this semester deserved skirts. ;-)
Most exciting news: Next Monday, Jonny (the boy I always get lost with), Sarah (lives in Southern Sichuan) and I are taking a two day train ride to Hainan, an island between China and Vietnam, to spend a week on a beach. We have no plans, don't care what we see (if we see anything at all), other than to simply check into our beach-side, caters-to-foreigners, speaks-English hostel, change into our bathing suits, and enjoy the sun, ocean, and tropical beverages (if they even exist in Hainan…they don't exist in Southern China so who knows…). It should be lovely. Honestly, I don't care if I see anything in Hainan other than that beach. I just cannot wait to escape and pretend life is normal for one week.
New Year's Resolution: Improve my health (physical, mental, spiritual) and do a better job of keeping in touch with friends back home (because my mental health needs them!). :-)
It's weird to think this entire year will be spent in China. Beijing 2008, here we come. . . ;-)
Happy New Year! May all of you and your families have a blessed, happy year!
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