TheBanyanTree: Return to China - Part 11

[Pat M]

Dec 1

Life is simple here at the orphanage; we rise early and walk laps around the
compound before breakfast which runs from about 6:30 am until 7:15. The
older children (there are 21 of them) eat first because they must leave for
middle school before 7:00 in order to be on time. School starts at 7:30 am
and they have a half hour walk to get there. There are a few bicycles here
that the middle school students take turns riding to and from school. The
younger children (there are 40 children in grades 1 – 4) need only cross the
courtyard to go to school.

The school buzzer goes at 11:00 and lunch is served as soon as the students
are dismissed. The middle school students must walk back to the orphanage to
eat and arrive a half hour later.  Then they return to school by foot. That
means they walk a total of 2 hours a day, which is significant, especially
since the road to school (and town) is dangerous.  There are fewer drivers
here than in the city but their driving habits are extremely poor.  Drivers
of large freight trucks lay on the horn and step on the gas making everyone
on the narrow road scatter out of the way. Also, the time spent walking
takes precious time away from the students' studies.

The Chinese education system demands so much from its youngsters both in
time at school and studying at home that students have little time for fun
and, I suspect, independent thought.  I feel genuinely sorry for the
teenagers in China as there is so much pressure on them.

Between 12:45 and 2:00 many of the children rest. Classes resume at 2:30 pm
and end at 5:00 pm. Supper is ready and waiting for them and yes, it's rice
and cooked cabbage with the odd bit of carrot, tomato or tofu.

My English classes are scheduled for 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm as all of the
students go to class to work on their homework between 7:00 and 8:00 pm.

Bedtime is 9:00 pm, and although I don't do much, I am always tired and
ready to go to bed, too. I make my dorm rounds between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm
giving hugs to the children who want them. Some of the girls don't want to
let go.

To be in Pingguo is like stepping back in time; much of the city is ancient,
dusty and run down. This is the dry season and there has been no rain since
I arrived. Pingguo is the China most tourists don't see.  The majority of
people here are farmers who are in 'survival mode'. They work hard but are
barely scraping a living from selling their crops. They do not have
irrigation pipes but must dip buckets into the irrigation ditches near their
fields and hand water their vegetable patches. At this time, the rice
paddies are dry and only the dry stalks remain.

The city has an interesting variety of vehicles—there are a few regular cars
but they are the minority and most are taxis.  In contrast, the streets are
teeming with three-wheeled tuk-tuks similar to those I saw in Guatemala
(built around a motorcycle), and most of them sit next to the curb
unoccupied. Every time I've been to town I've wondered how their drivers
make a living.

Most interesting are the miniature pick-up trucks, which are also common.  In
all of my world travels, I have never seen vehicles of this type. They are
painted a deep olive (army) green and appear to be modified tractors.
They're everywhere. I plan to take photos of them when I am in town sometime
but so far find myself lacking in courage. Wherever I go, I am watched and
as the only Caucasian for who knows how many miles, it's impossible to be
inconspicuous.

The children here at the orphanage continue to amaze me. They all take turns
washing the dishes, even children as young as six wash the rice pans,
chopsticks and bowls for 70 people in the ditch, and they do so without
complaint. This place runs like a smooth-oiled machine.  It is like a
family, but a family unlike any I've seen, a family where everyone
cooperates and there is little or no sibling rivalry. The big children are
kind to the little ones and I often see the larger children packing others
only slightly smaller than themselves.

These children have so little, yet they are generous with what they have.
They always think of their 'brothers and sisters' and share with them. Each
child has two or three outfits at the most. The children are responsible for
washing their own clothes in the ditch, hanging them on the line and
bringing them in when they're dry. They do this without grumbling.

When I look at my closet full of dressy, color-coordinated outfits, I can't
help but wonder what I was thinking when I packed. I have been wearing the
same two or three comfortable outfits over and over again since my arrival,
and my stylish clothes remain hanging in the closet.  Dressing up would only
further emphasize the differences between the locals and me.

My only excuse for bringing such unsuitable attire is that the last place I
lived was touristy Sanya where the people enjoy a much higher standard of
living than here in Pingguo. In Sanya, I lived in the city on the bus route
and only minutes from shopping.  There, I didn't feel out of place in nice
clothes.

In Pingguo, I live in a fenced compound (a schoolyard) and there really is
nowhere for me to go except for a walk along the river. The village is a
half hour walk away and there are no buses.  This area is isolated and I
don't plan to walk anywhere alone.  Sometime I hope that Jessica and Alex
will be able to walk to town with me.

Today I was surprised when half a dozen very officious women and one man
dressed in gray uniforms entered the dorm. Initially, I thought they were
social workers or associated with the police because of their attire. I
greeted them warmly. They were very friendly in return although we couldn't
communicate past basic greetings. Peter arrived a few minutes later and told
me they were highway toll-gate workers and had brought a lot of fruit for
the children.  They visited and played with the children for a long
time.  Later
everyone at the orphanage enjoyed grapes and tiny, sweet mandarin oranges.

In the afternoon, I went to town with Peter. I needed his help to find and
buy soya milk since I've decided not to use the Coffee Mate I'd recently
bought because it was identified as one of the products containing melamine.
Because I am unable to read the Chinese labels on packages, I sometimes need
help when looking for specific products.  It turns out the supermarket sells
only powdered soya milk and later I was pleased to discover that it is
delicious. Since I'd decided I was going to buy a microwave, I bought some
rolled oats so I'll soon be able to have porridge for breakfast. Things are
looking up.

Peter left me at the supermarket to do errands. He went to the market to buy
some vegetables for the orphanage and find out the price of kidney beans,
black beans and bulk dates at my request. As he was unfamiliar with
different types of beans, I'd emailed him some pictures so he was clear on
what I wanted. He also went to price microwaves on my behalf.  Having me
along would only ensure that the price was jacked up so I thought it best
not to accompany him.

When Peter and Grandpa came to fetch me (Peter doesn't drive) Peter told me
that he was only able to price microwaves at one place and the cost was
1,000 yuan or about $185.00—far too expensive.  I asked him to call Wal-Mart
in Nanning to find out the price of the cheapest microwave they sell, and he
said he would call one of his 'sisters' in the church who would find out the
information for him.  He said he knows people all over the country who
belong to the same church as him, and they help one other.

He'd also found out the price of kidney beans which are priced in half
kilogram units called 'jian'. Kidney beans are 3.5 yuan or about .60 for
half a kilo, black beans cost 4 yuan or about .68. I'm looking for
inexpensive ways to improve the food here and beans are very nutritious.
However, tofu is only 1.2 yuan or about .20 per jean (very cheap) and is a
great source of protein.  I plan to buy a feed of tofu for everyone at the
orphanage soon so that each person can have a good-sized portion. I'll also
purchase a small number of beans to cook in the pressure cooker for some
added variety.

In the evening I taught English. At 7:00 pm, I went into one of the
classrooms to supervise the grade 5s and 6s while they did their homework
but felt that it wasn't practical since I was unable to communicate with
them. I was able to read facial expressions, though, and could determine
when the students were having problems. Peter was in the office next door,
so he was available to help them.

For meals today, I ate steamed potato and steamed carrots for breakfast,
lunch and dinner. Rice and boiled cabbage continue to top my list of least
favourite foods.

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