TheBanyanTree: Return to China - Part 7

[Pat M]

 November 26

In China, you learn to relax, you have to or you won't survive.  After
living here for ten months on my first trip, I know how things work, and if
people aren't punctual or things don't start on time, you just go with the
flow.  It's been so much easier this time to not fret or feel frustrated
when things don't work out according to plan.

When I was in town on Monday, Grandpa and Peter dropped me off at the
supermarket. Peter asked me how long I needed and I said half an hour.  Exactly
thirty minutes later, I was out on the street (a busy four-way intersection)
with two large grocery bags in hand, standing like a lost sheep amongst all
the Asians.  Thirty minutes later I was still waiting.

In Canada, I'd be frustrated or fuming but here in China I take things in
stride. Yet, as the only Caucasian in this village, I must admit to feeling
a little intimidated by the many curious stares.  As the minutes passed, I
began to worry that something had happened to Grandpa and Peter—perhaps a
car accident—and I felt a moment of panic. I had no cell phone and I didn't
know how to say the address of the orphanage in Chinese. What would I do if
they didn't show up?
Relief washed over me as I recalled my preparations for China. I'd typed up
a business card sized piece of paper and laminated it. On one side I'd
listed my name, passport number, blood type, contact phone numbers in Canada
and other important information.  On the other, I'd typed the orphanage's
address in English and Chinese (copied and pasted from an email) along with
Peter's phone number.
After pulling out my wallet and confirming that I had it; I breathed a sigh
of relief. What a valuable piece of paper! With it, I could communicate with
a taxi driver and get back to the orphanage. Without it, I hate to imagine
how long it could take to find anyone who spoke enough English to help me.
The experience made me realize just how vulnerable I am.  Yet, when my ride
showed up, I didn't growl or complain about their tardiness.  When in China,
do as in China.  Flexibility is the order of the day.

Last night I was supposed to start teaching English but at suppertime Peter
approached me to say he hadn't told the children yet so I cancelled classes.
In Canada, that would irk me, but here. Ah well... So what?  I'll start a
day later.

Today Peter came home with a puppy. It looked like one of the three I'd seen
crammed into a tiny cage in the market.  He said he paid 35 yuan (about $5)
for it and had bought it for the children.  My first thought was, what's it
going to eat?  It needs meat and it won't get any here. The only thing
similar to meat I've had here is a couple of pieces of pork fat that
occasionally appears in with the boiled cabbage.
Peter named the pup Google. It's cute as all puppies are, but I worry about
the children picking up parasites because of my experience in Guatemala in
2004.  I told him my story and suggested he tell the children to wash their
hands after they play with it. That's all I can do.  Whether or not this
message will get passed on to the children, I don't know, but I know one
thing, even if it does, most likely the children won't bother. They are,
after all, children and there are 61 of them.
Our staff is comprised of Peter, who runs the place, Grandpa who does
maintenance work and drives the van, Jacob (who is in Sichuan province
setting up a new orphanage), his wife, the cook (a young man of about 20),
and two Chinese women, my new friends Alex and Jessica. (I helped them
choose English names because it's too difficult to remember Chinese names.)
Jessica is 20 and lives in the dorm next to my room with the girls. We're on
the second floor.  Alex, 25 years old, lives directly underneath us in the
dorm with the little boys. We are very short-staffed for the number of
children. In fact, when I asked Peter what the orphanage needed (as some
people have expressed a desire to send donations), he said what he needs
most is workers as it is very difficult to find people to work here because
the pay is low. Staff usually leave as soon as they find something better.
He told me that at first his parents were very angry with him for taking the
job but he prayed and God answered his prayers. His parents now accept his
decision and it is okay with them for him to stay at the orphanage as long
as he wants.

The orphanage is run by a Christian organization called Agape. See
http://www.new.china-mission.com/index.html for detailed information.  (I'm
volunteering at Wesley's House in Pingguo.) I thought the children would
have to go to church or there would be some focus on religion here at the
orphanage, but to my surprise, the children don't attend church and I'm not
aware of any religious teaching. They don't pray before their meals like the
children I worked with in Mexico and Central America in 2004 and 2005.

Peter, however, is devoutly religious and attends church on Saturday
evenings and Sunday mornings. He invited me to go with him, and I was able
to politely decline because the services are in Chinese. My beliefs differ
from traditional religion so I'm glad I'm not required to participate in
church services.
Tonight at suppertime, I had just finished my bowl of white rice and boiled
cabbage and was watching Google wolf down its bowl of white rice and boiled
cabbage. Poor Google, I thought. Rice and cabbage?  A dog needs meat.
Suddenly it occurred to me that Google was eating the same food as I was,
and then I really felt sorry for myself.

*** Updated Pingguo China 2008 photos can be viewed at
http://picasaweb.google.com/Ms.Pat.Martin/Pingguo#