TheBanyanTree: Christmas in Pingguo -Part 1

[Pat M]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn0POO5wIGE  - Women from the church making
jiaozi (small meat dumplings) for the children for a Christmas treat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otWUaNImDf4 - At the Toyota Christmas party.
Carols in Chinese. The Chinese man singing is a Canadian from Richmond who
has lived in China for the past 14 years. He is Managing Director of Toyota
in Nanning.



Christmas in Pingguo - Part 1

It is December 26th and I am sitting at my computer dressed in the
full-length goose down coat I purchased in Xian last year. Before leaving
for China in November, I managed to cram it into my already over-stuffed
suitcase and am so glad I did. This $50 coat is the best investment I ever
made. Until a few days ago, the temperatures in Pingguo were mild and
spring-like but the weather changed overnight, literally, and this coat is
once again a lifesaver.

I've been sick for the past twelve days with a terrible cough that I picked
up from the children. One little girl is currently in hospital with it and
another worker went to the doctor yesterday and was given two antibiotic
injections. I believe it is a virus and have chosen not to see the doctor or
take any medicine. I have little confidence in village doctors especially
when Peter doesn't trust them either. It's frustrating because I seldom get
sick at home in Canada but I've been sick twice since arriving at the
orphanage five weeks ago. I hope my body will soon build up immunity to the
different germs here.

Speaking of germs, a few days ago, Alex arrived at my open door.

"Auntie, we must leave," she said, gesturing to me. "We do something."

Puzzled, I asked, "How long do we have to leave?"

"Maybe 50 minutes," she said.

Not knowing what was going on, I stepped out into the girls' dorm and was
about to shut my bedroom door.

"No, no, leave it open," she exclaimed. "We must go."

Just then Jessica wheeled in a small machine.

"What is it?" I asked as I studied it carefully. I watched Jessica unfold
two 3-foot florescent bulbs.

"It is... I don't know how to say it. Because there are many people sick in
here," Alex said.

Several children arrived and opened the doors to all the lockers and spread
out their quilts. I left along with everyone else, still wondering about the
mystery machine. When I saw Peter I asked him about it.

"It kills germs. It's like the sun. Many hospitals use them," he said.

"Hmm, I've never seen one before," I said.

I was sceptical but kept my thoughts to myself. A later Google search showed
that UV light does kill germs and there are various machines one can
purchase for that purpose. Regardless, I doubted that one machine in a fixed
position was going to kill the germs in an entire dormitory as well as my
bedroom.

In spite of not feeling well, I managed to participate in all four of the
Christmas events. The first occurred on the Saturday before Christmas.  Charky,
the younger man who visited the orphanage with the radio announcer recently
is part of a group called the Guangxi Caring Union (GCU) and they organized
a special day for the children that included a trip to the park (the
children had never been there before), gifts, fun activities and a special
meal.

The park is a 50 minute walk from the orphanage and the GCU people were to
meet us there at 10:30 am. Peter had us leave the orphanage at 8:15 am, too
early by my reckoning, but I have chosen not to take a leadership role in
the running of the orphanage to date and didn't comment.

The smallest children were driven to the park. Because I wasn't feeling
well, I also went in the van.  The children and I were dropped off and
wouldn't you know it, a man with a microphone was interviewing people in the
park. As soon as he spotted me, he headed in my direction.

"What do you think of Pingguo?" he asked in slow, heavily-accented English,
thrusting the microphone in front of me.

"I can't talk now," I said. My eyes were trained on 16 little ones who were
scattering in all directions, and I felt a moment of panic as I didn't have
the language skills to call them back to me. There were several pools a
child could easily fall in and drown. "I have to watch the children. Maybe
later."   (The reporter waited until others from the orphanage arrived and
then approached me again. I gave short answers to his questions and was soon
'set free'.)

It was my first time to the park as well as the childrens, and it really is
quite lovely with ponds of koi, sweet-scented flowering trees, up-to-date
playground equipment and carnival rides (for those with enough money to pay
for them--not our group). I was surprised to see blooming 20 foot high
poinsettia trees. I hadn't known poinsettias grew into trees.

As I suspected would happen, long before the organizers arrived the children
were thirsty, hungry and tired. It was hot and many children were flushed.
By 10:15, most of them waited listlessly for our hosts to arrive.

Charky, an entourage of eight women and a TV cameraman arrived at 11:00, a
half hour late. They quickly divided the children into teams. The
orphanage's workers were also divided between the teams. I was put with a
vivacious young woman who spoke a few words of English.

The children were given goody bags, lined up, photographed and videotaped.
Peter arrived with a large bottle of purified water and a single glass was
doled out to every child. They munched on the snacks in their goody bags.

The GCU people wanted to play with the children but the kids were exhausted.
They needed food, more water and some rest out of the hot sun. I told the
woman I was with how long we'd already been at the park and explained the
children's lack of enthusiasm. Based on that, we found a shady spot, ate
lunch and rested. Afterwards we played games.

Later in the afternoon, we returned to the orphanage and the people from the
Guangxi Caring Union gifted a box of sports equipment—ping pong balls,
badminton racquets and basketballs to the orphanage. They also provided the
children with a special meal that included one chicken drumstick per child.
It was the first time in their lives the children had a whole piece of
chicken to themselves.

I had told Peter I planned to buy chicken legs for the children on Christmas
day with money sent by some of my family members but when Charky asked Peter
what to buy the children for supper that was the first thing that came to
Peter's mind. I'd have to come up with another plan for Christmas day.

 After the children ate, Charky and friends put on a delicious hot pot
dinner for the workers. We cooked chicken, a variety of mushrooms and greens
in the hot pot and enjoyed cold roast duck. What a treat!

The entire day was carefully orchestrated by Charky and filmed by a TV
camera man. I suspected the event was as much for gaining good publicity as
it was for the benefit of the children, especially when the woman I was
teamed up with wasn't allowed to email me copies of the photos she'd taken.
(I wasn't alone in thinking publicity was a factor as Peter said the same
thing to me.)

Regardless, the day was a huge success; the children had a lot of fun
and enjoyed their supper very much. And I... yes I, had a delicious meal,
the first in a very long time.

*****

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