"Father Christmas" Overwhelmed by Adoring Chinese Fans

Dateline: Northern China, Sunday, December 24, 2006

On Friday night, Mr. S. Claus, affectionately known as "Santa", made an unscheduled stop in Beijing, China on the first leg of his World Tour. At approximately 8:30pm, CN time, Old St. Nick appeared at the Nolita YMCA in Beijing's Chongwen district as the Y's Christmas party was concluding.

The Nolita Y holds its annual event with gusto and this year's was no exception. Over 200 children of all ages were enjoying the joyous singing, dancing and other merriment when a Y official, Candy, announced a surprise guest. The Y had received word only a day before that "The Jolly Guy" might drop by. After a short introduction, "The Bearded One" leaped onto the scene with Mrs. Claus following behind as is custom for women in Asia.


What happened next resembled near hysteria. It was clear that many of the "children" had never seen the Honorable Mr. Claus before as he generally arrives under the cover of night. After a couple of warm Ho Ho Hos, most of the crowd rushed "The Man in Red" to hug him and by chance receive one of the goodies from his big, red bag. Witnesses said that Mrs. Claus dashed for cover to avoid injury leaving her adoring spouse to fend for himself. As of press time, no one was hurt in the melee although Y officials had to be concerned.

"I'm getting 'a big long in the tooth' to receive this type of 'rock star' treatment" Mr. Claus wittingly said. "But you can't beat this type of excitement!", he went on, "I feel young again!".

Party attendees remarked that Santa looked trim and fit for a man who has traveled extensively over the last 50 odd years. Some astonished partiers said that, like the Rolling Stones, the way Santa looked he could go on forever.

Earlier in the day, tourists at The Great Wall reported a red blur in the area. Similar sightings were observed at other popular Beijing area spots like The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. This reporter confirmed in an exclusive backstage interview at the Y that "I thought I'd enjoy Beijing while visiting China" Mr. Claus said.

After the goodies were distributed, Santa spent a few moments having his picture taken with a few excited fans before dashing out the door onto his reindeer-piloted sleigh.

To bring the crowd back into control, YMCA staff distributed ice cream which cooled things down. As party guests enjoyed their ice cream, several heard a hearty "Merry Christmas and to All and to All a Good Night" across the Peking sky.

Anonymous Reporting by You Know Who

And the Fragrance Remains With You . . .

In English Corner, we discuss topics that are of interest to each individual group. The participants attend to increase their vocabulary and to practice their speaking and listening skills. We have discussed topics like Friends, The Environment, Travel, Education, Sports, Technology, Music, Religion and various others. My students are well-educated and interesting and I learn something from each of them every time we meet. Monday's group meets at the Beijing YMCA Metro office and has 10 - 14 participants of all ages from university students to a retired music teacher. Friday's group is pre-teens ranging in age from 11 to 13 and Saturday's group is comprised of 4 or 5 professional people several of whom work for financial institutions and a professor who teaches marketing. Most of the students have taken English names which were either assigned to them by their English teachers in school or which they picked themselves.

I saw something on TV the other day that said: "As a volunteer, you give roses to others . . . and the fragrance remains with you." Certainly the fragrance of this experience will remain with me forever!

MONDAY
Front:Mary, Carole, Parker, Emma, Annre
Back: Alice, Candy, Philip

FRIDAY
Piggy, Linda, Hoover, Cookie, William, Michael, Mike, Davy, Shirley, Tom (seated) P. C. and Uncas (back row)

SATURDAY
First Picture:Alan, Alexander, Richard.
Second Picture: Daisy, Alan and Richard

Yong He Gong (Lama Temple)

The Lama Temple was originally built in 1694 as the the private residence of Prince Yong. It was turned into a monastery after its owner became Emperor in 1723. It soon became a center of Lamaist religion and art. This temple is the most elaborately restored sacred building in Beijing. It belongs to the Yellow Hat sect, whose spiritual leader is the Dalai Lama. It has five halls and three gates laid out in a north-south axis. The design is symetrical. In each successive hall, the central Buddha is more imposing. In front of each hall, are incense burners. The burners are outside the hall as incense is not permitted to be burned inside the buildings. Also no picture taking is allowed inside the buildings so unfortunately I was unable to get any good images of the Buddhas. In the Pavilion of Ten Tousand Happinesses the Buddha is 23 meters high carved from a single piece of sandalwood. To see the head of the Buddha, you need to stand very close and rock back on your heels. Today about 70 monks live at the monastery. As you walk around the complex, you see many worshippers offering incense to the Buddhas and bowing in reverence. They are simple gestures which seem profound in their actions. In the pictures, you can see that the season has definitely changed from autumn to winter.

The Middle Kingdom

Middle Kingdom or Middle Country, Mandarin Zhongguo, is the Chinese name for China. It dates from c.1000 B.C., when it designated the Chou empire situated on the North China Plain. The Chou people, unaware of high civilizations in the West, believed their empire occupied the middle of the earth, surrounded by barbarians. Since 1949, when the Communists took power, the official name for China has been Zhonghua renmin gongheguo [middle glorious people’s republican country] or, in English, the People’s Republic of China. -- The Columbia Encyclopedia.

Have you ever had the experience or feeling of being alone in the world, like a dream? You're dropped off by a taxi in an anonymous strip mall and silently signaled to go in a particular direction. You slowly walk down a long, barren street where there are no cars or people to be seen. Barriers direct the way. Identity papers must be presented. The only guidance is from uniformed guards who are more likely to gesture than to speak. Noise seems to fade into the background. Walls are topped with barbed wire. Finally, across the street from the Bulgarian Embassy, you find your destination -- The American Citizen Services section of the American Embassy.

It is difficult to explain the bizarre feeling of isolation when all one is doing is trying to find the embassy. No longer are you, or America, the center of the world. You are now in the Middle Kingdom. There are no signs or flags heralding the embassy of the most powerful nation on earth. Of course, this is for obvious reasons but a little disconcerting when trying to find the comfort and security of your own country.

The purpose of my visit was to renew my passport. When I recived my visa for China, I didn't realize that my passport needed to be valid for at least six months after my re-entry to the U.S. I don't know the reason for this but I wanted to get my passport up to date so that I don't have any problems.

You never know what to expect when venturing out into the world and my visit to the embassy was no exception. While waiting to get called for my passport, there was a Chinese woman who was apparently trying to get a visa or a valid passport to the U.S. She had been there before and was trying to go back. However, she could provide no contacts in the U.S. When asked what she did there, she said she was a teacher and her students had funded her previous stay. The embassy representative kept telling her she had to provide 3 names of people she knew in the U.S. but she didn't have any names or phone numbers of students, friends, or colleagues. However, she insisted she wanted to go to the U. S. and had her airline tickets. Not only that, but she insisted she wanted to go to San Francisco, not to Houston where she had been previously. When asked where she was staying in China, she said she had been staying at her father's in a different province but now she would stay in the airport until her visa came through. She said she had $200 and could use it for taxi fare to get back from the airport to the embassy the next day.

This drama was going on intermittently while my passport renewal application was being processed (and I thought I had troubles!). Unfortunately, it's not for us to know the outcome of this story, although I was tempted to stay and see it play out for the rest of the day. Somehow, I got the feeling that there would be no satisfactory resolution for this issue and it was better left to the imagination.

For me, the whole process went very smoothly and in a week or so I should have my new passport. So don't worry, I'll be home in April.

Down In the Alley

There are about 360 named hutong (alleys) in Beijing. They first appeared during the Yuan Dynasty about 700 years ago. The siheyuan (courtyard house) is a traditional dwelling of four single-story rectangular buildings arranged around a courtyard. The gateways are beautifully shaped and the entrance door with stone carvings indicated who lived within the siheyuan. The one pictured was the entrance to the home of a warrior. The hutong buildings are a dark grey color, offseting the splendid reds and golds of the Forbidden City. Originally, they housed a single family but now each one houses up to five or six families. For many westerners, the idea of an alley conjures up in the imagination a shadowy place with sinister figures lurking in the background but the hutong are quite safe. It is very pleasant to stroll around the maze of alleys without the traffic and noise of the main streets of Beijing and observe the comings and goings of the people who live there -- laundry drying in the courtyards, bird cages hanging from the eaves, men delivering coal to the various residences, grandparents caring for toddlers. Many hutong are being razed to give way to high-rise apartment buildings. There are some efforts to preserve and keep safe some of the hutong. However, due to the rapid growth taking place in Beijing, it is uncertain as to how many hutong will survive. And while foreign tourists may romanticize the hutong life-style, relocating may not be entirely unwelcome by many of the hutong residents as, while the residences do have electricity, they do not have the convenience of indoor plumbing and central heating. Toilet facilities are in a separate building and are shared by the community and the siheyuan are heated by coal stoves.
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Ladies Who Lunch

Shu Junyi (Daisy) is a participant of my Saturday night English Corner program. Last week she invited me to lunch at her apartment. She very thoughtfully picked me up at my building and we went by taxi to her apartment. Shu Junyi has a beautiful apartment on the 18th floor of her building. It is light-filled and spacious with beautiful hardwood floors. It has two bedrooms and an office. She is married and has one daughter. Recently she took a trip to Europe with her daughter and we looked at the pictures of the trip. She has a girl helper from the countryside who prepared a wonderful homemade lunch. In the picture you can see three kinds of dumplings, broccoli, tofu, a kind of healthy bean soup with peanuts and in the middle of the soup was a plum. Also with lunch was a fruit salad with apples, pears, bananas and citrus fruit. After lunch, we looked at more pictures which Shu Junyi had on her computer. It was a wonderful day and I'm glad I have a new Chinese friend!

It's The Courtesies, Ma'am!

As Beijing prepares for the 2008 Summer Olympics, common courtesies are the focus of attention. For example, spitting. One cannot walk down the street without hearing a raucous hawking from the throat, then a well-aimed projectile of spit which goes, hopefully, away from any moving object, like me. Now spitting and its aftermath are not unknown to me. I remember signs all over New York warning against the consequences of spitting, like fines. Ha! These prohibitions probably started at the beginning of the twentieth century and to my knowledge the habits were never really eradicated. Yes, we eliminated the use of spittoons and few people are in the habit of openly chewing tobacco. Nevertheless, I remember seeing spittle almost everywhere I looked on the streets of New York when I worked there. It was particularly evident in the winter when one would see dripping spittle frozen in place on the steps as one ascended from the subway. Also, you don't always see the spittle, but you definitely see the spitting, if you are tuned into watching an American baseball game. Invariably, the camera will pan to the dugout and at that moment a beloved player will let go and spit right in front of the viewer. I've often wondered who has the unenviable job of cleaning up the dugout of all that spittle after the game.

Anyway, back to China. It seems the government is having a campaign to get people (I've only observed men engaging in this disgusting habit) to be more subtle in their spitting. For example, Zhang Huigang, director of the Capital Ethics Development Office, has at her disposable $2.5 million which she will use to distribute spit-bags and to hire 1,500 bus-riding supervisors to enforce good behavior.

Oh yeah, did I mention the rudeness of people riding the buses and subways? They force their way into a crowded subway car or bus without giving way to those about to exit. Of course, I've never seen this happen in any other mass transit metropolis, except San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New York, Los Angeles and London.

Here, they don't offer their seats to "old" people, in fact, they pretend not to see them. I've found this ploy does not work with me. I just stare them down until guilt takes over and they offer their seat not only to a "foreigner" but an "old" one at that! Courtesy may be taking hold right here in Beijing and I'm on a one woman campaign to make it happen. I have to admit that I had two exemplary role models, my mother, Kay Kromer and Bob's mother, Sue Emrich!

In an effort to "overhaul their etiquette in time for the 2008 Olympics, the Beijing Spiritual Civilization Construction office's "A General Textbook on Civility and Propriety" was put together by a team of experts on 'civility and propriety.' It has been delivered to more than 4.3 million families in Beijing."

(Quoted from City Weekend Beijing Entertainment Guide, In China, by Adam Skuse.)

Should make for some good bedtime reading!

I have not yet seen any campaign against smoking in public places. Being from California, I am shocked, I tell you shocked, at the amount of smoking that goes on in restaurants, offices and other public areas of Beijing. (Again, I rarely see women smoking). Something must be done. I'm thinking of launching a campaign to make this a bell weather city of China. No more spitting, smoking or being rude to "old" people. Who knows, it could set a trend for the rest of the country, like California did for the U.S.A.

A Day in the Life . . .

It's been getting colder here but so far not unbearable. Today was sunny and in the forties. We've had some beautiful weather in October and November. I understand Beijing doesn't get much precipitation. The last time we had a heavy rain was a week or so after I came here. There's been some drizzle but not much else. Friends have asked if I've been lonely at all. Truth be told, I haven't. There always seems to be something to do. Either teaching or going sightseeing or shopping. If I'm bored I can always go for a nice foot massage!

One of the things I love about living in a city is that there is always something to do and usually within walking distance (or as you're probably learning by now -- a short taxi ride). Most people who know me also know I love to read and, as television in English is non-existent, I read a lot. I've also purchased some DVDs to keep me entertained. I talk to Bob at least once a day, sometimes twice, thanks to Skype. Then, of course, there are always the mundane tasks like laundry, cleaning and cooking.

In many ways, it has been like a vacation here. I've taken a lot of tours in and around Beijing with the Chinese Culture Club which is a private club that caters to ex-pats and tourists, most of which you've probably read about on my blog (the tours I mean, not the tourists). I've seen all five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Beijing area - The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Peking Man site.

Bob will be visiting for 11 days at Christmas time. We will take a trip on the Yangtze River for 4 days and will visit Xien (terracotta warriors) for 2 days. Bob will also have 4 days of sightseeing in Beijing. He leaves Jan 1 and that will be just about my half-way mark in Beijing. I have a friend who's thinking of visiting me in January or February for a couple of weeks. I also will probably take one or two weekend trips before I leave China.

The Chinese have a great respect for their elders. Almost too much so. It's nice when you're offered a seat on the subway. However, I've also had some remarks made which have given me pause. One was from a young man in my English Corner class who was impressed that I was wearing earrings and dressed fashionably (for China). He said most "old" people in China don't dress that way and aren't active like I am. The other comment was from the community group leaders who were overly concerned that I would become "fatigued" if I stood up for more than five minutes. Now, I've tried to get away with this act with Bob but it's never been a go.

People in China are required to retire at a certain age. Women are encouraged to retire at about 55 and men at about 60. The older people I observe mostly dress in conservative clothing. Many of the grandparents are taking care of the grandchildren while the parents work. There seems to be some effort in getting retired people interested and involved in programs that they didn't have time for when they were younger, like art and calligraphy. I often see older people on group tours. Also, I'm told, many will go to the park early in the morning to exercise. As I am not a morning person, I cannot testify to this but when Bob is here I will send him out to get verification.

It is a nation of young people and in Beijing many of them have disposable income. I see them in the shopping malls and walking around the various neighborhoods. Many are very fashionably dressed and the young women, in particular, wear the cutest clothes. Now that winter is almost here, boots, coats, hats and scarves are being worn all to great effect. A growing concern in China, is the disparity between the growing affluent population in the cities and the poorer rural areas. How this problem will be played out remains to be seen.

Modes of Transportation

People have asked how I get around Beijing. Well, my main mode of transportation is taxi or feet. Feet are a lot cheaper. But cheap is relative. Most trips in a taxi cost between 10 and 20 yuan, $1.25 to $2.50 per trip. Most Beijingers wouldn't even consider a taxi trip. They travel by bicycle ($.00), bus (1 yuan) ($.12), subway (3 yuan)($.37)or feet ($.00). With taxis, I use the map which has English or Chinese characters for the destinations. I also have cards with specific destinations like the Y, my home, or nearby shopping districts written in Chinese characters. Often the taxi drivers don't understand where I wish to go. I have now developed to where I can direct them to a certain extent. Left, Right, Straight Ahead, Stop. If I want to venture beyond familiar territory, it's every woman (or man) to herself (himself). We do a lot of gesturing and nodding. Then I cross my fingers and hope we get near to my destination. The taxi drivers seem to like when I use my terribly bad Chinese pronounciation to give directions. They laugh and correct my Chinese. You can pretty much get by if you can say hello (Nee How), thank you (Xie, Xie) and okay (Okay). Smiles help! They seem to like "Bye-Bye" which can be a relief to both of us. As long as I get to where I want to go, I'll play the fool! So far I have managed to naviagate the city pretty well. With about 67,000 taxis, I don't imagine I'll have the same driver twice. I've only been here for 7 weeks and I'm still getting my bearings. In the last two days, I've learned of some places that are within walking distance of my apartment, like Tiananmen Square (a very long walk) and some shopping districts. Of course, now the weather is getting colder so who knows how much walking I'll be doing in the name of research!

I much prefer the subway. It's cheap but doesn't always get you near to your destination. Then it's subway and taxi which can be a challenge. But hey, I'm always up to a challenge. Buses are very crowded and not my primary choice. In fact, I avoid them as much as possible.

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Here you can see papa moving mama and lunch on their bicycle apparatus.
Of course, in the country you see more simple forms of transportation.

Welcome to Alexander Charles

A real highlight has been the arrival of my seventh grandchild, Alexander Charles, on November 18th weighing in at 7 lbs and 19 inches. I'm sorry I wasn't there in person but Alexander has a lot of sleeping to catch up on so I think he'll understand. This is Cheryl and Glenn's second child and a joyful birth it is! Although Cheryl did all the work, for my part I was able to be in touch with the joyful happenings through the miracles of technology. We have e-mail and Skype to keep up to date with what's current. Aiden is the proud big brother. I'm looking forward to their sibling bonding in the future!!

FaYuan Temple

This temple was originally built more than 1300 years ago during the Tang Dynasty. It was built by Emperor Taizong as a memorial for soldiers in a war. The incense burners pictured are at the entrance to the first temple. Incense is used to purify the mind before going into the temple. Our guide was a practicing Buddhist and he explained many of the symbols in a quiet and peaceful manner. For example, a knot symbolizes endlessness and also that the Buddha can help us untie the knot within us; the wheel symbolizes getting rid of suffering through Dharma; the conch shell, which can be blown like a horn, spreads Buddha's teaching far away; the lotus flower symbolizes purification; and the vase contains the dew of widom -- to drink of it means you learn; fish symbolize life -- when it mets with water it becomes alive. He explained, the Chinese culture and values are built on Confuscianism, Taoism, Buddhism and materialism. In Buddhism, there are four all-embracing virtues -- giving, kind words, kind doings, equality. Also there are four noble truths -- suffering, arising of suffering, cessation of suffering, the way to cessation of suffering. And there is the Noble Eightfold Path -- right view, right thinking, right mindfulness, right speech, right action, right diligence, right concentration, right livelihood.

The temple also is a monastery and religous school. It is a complex of many buildings with smaller temples leading to the main temple of the reclining Buddha. There are study halls, a dining room, a Zen room for meditation, etc. About 100 monks and students live in the complex.



Here you can see an inner courtyard with the round opening leading to the main temple. The people are looking at literature for a special holiday which will take place soon.






The late afternoon autumn sunshine lit up the temple and the trees. Flowers were in place for the special holiday. Our guide had us become aware of the flowers as symbolizing the cycle of life, from seed to full bloom to dying off and then returning to the earth. This is the kind of thing a Buddhist would meditate on to lose himself in the contemplation of the flower.



As we were finishing our tour, a young man went about the complex pounding a wooden plaque, calling the monks to prayer. We quietly stood in the courtyard as we listened to the monks chanting their mantras and sutras.

You Are What You Eat?

If it's true, "You Are What You Eat", I am probably part donkey, part shrimp and part pig with a little bit of hot pepper thrown in! I'm not the biggest fan of Chinese food but I must admit that in Beijing, I've had some of the best Chinese food ever. The other night I went out with some tourists and I have to say it's embarrassing. They wanted wanton soup and food with no spices. Now in Beijing, it's not hard to get bland food. Noodles and dumplings are a mainstay here. But in the restaurant we were at, the food tended to be a little more exotic. There were duck tongues, duck bills, webbed feet and some kind of stomach of something. I passed on these. However, we had some very interesting dishes also. There was a sparerib dish with the ribs cut very small and served in a savory sauce inside a steamed pumpkin. Delicious! We also had shrimp with peppers and mushrooms, dumplings and a delicious soup. I didn't take pictures of these dishes as we were with "tourists" and I didn't want to look like a tourist. Oh well, I'm sorry I missed out on the opportunity to do so. On Monday, Chinese friends, Laura and Hunter, took me to a famous noodle restuarant and it was very nice. We had spareribs and noodles. As you can see, I enjoyed them very much!


What do I eat at home? Well, for breakfast I have eggs, Post raisin bran or oatmeal. If I'm here for lunch, I have a ham or turkey sandwich or peanut butter and jelly. I finally found a super market with western style meats. I purchased chicken breast and steak and I have cooked them at home. I've also made soup which I enjoy for supper. Occasionally I have pasta but usually I have enough leftovers from restaurants to heat up so I don't have to cook very often. Fresh vegetables are somewhat limited here. I don't have an oven, so everything I make has to made on the stove top. There is a nice restaurant on the YMCA premises where I eat about once a week. Usually, I have noodles and vegetables in soup but this week I had beef with peppers which was very nicely prepared. I've been able to get chocolate bars and imported cookies in the foreign section of the supermarket. They even have skim milk and a low fat cheese which I enjoy once in a while. There's a 7 - 11 nearby which has Chips Ahoy. I don't buy these because if I did I would probably eat the whole bag at one sitting. They also have the best wine buy. Wine is very expensive and not very good. I've found a Chilean wine which is passable and costs about $8 per bottle. But still, compared to California the quality is not as good and the cost is pretty high. Where's Trader Joe's when you need it!
There are some other eateries you might recognize but I haven't resorted to them yet. However, there's a walk up window at McDonalds and I always see the locals lining up on the sidewalk for their Big Mac's!

Field Trip

On Tuesday, November 7th, I was invited by Mr. Cai, the General Secretary, to take a trip to the countryside to visit some YMCA sponsored programs. We were accompanied by Mr. Song and Zhu Qi, the Executive Secretary. Zhu Qi arranges many international visits for the YMCA. The first place we visited was called Sunshine Village in Pingu located about 150 kilometers east of Beijing. Sunshine Village was founded by a retired woman who saw a need for the children of convicted criminals to have a home. Many of these parents are sent away for about 15 years, so it is the whole time a child is growing up. When they are released, this organization provides some rehabilitation and counseling to the parents before they are reunited with their children. Without this village, these children would be homeless or worse. The village is supported by many groups and countries. I saw a sign for the Rotary and one dormitory is supported by a German group, another by the Hong Kong YMCA. They serve about 80 children. During our visit, we saw some dormitories, the pre-school area, the cafeteria, the coal burning boiler and the vegetable gardens. There were several piles of coal around the premises. I haven't seen a pile of coal since I was a young kid in the 1950s. My aunt and uncle used coal for fuel since they hadn't yet converted to oil and we kids used to slide around the coal pile. While we were there, a high school group from Sweden were also visiting and some folks from England were donating clothing and toys..




After this visit we stopped at some fields full of fruit trees. I'm told they are date trees but the they looked more like fig trees. However, the fruit does look like dates. I didn't get to taste it since it was already past harvest. Apparently these trees are sponsored by people who pay about 50 RMB per year ($6.25) and the proceeds from the sale of the fruit go to help support the local school. This is a poor, rural area. We also picked up a local vegetable which grows in between the trees. It looks like a turnip but tastes more like a mild radish. Very good.

By this time we had worked up an appetite. We stopped at a local restaurant. For the city people, this is a treat. Much like when we visit the countryside and have local farm fresh food. We had a kind of cabbage soup, vegetables, dumplings with egg and meat fillings, pork sausage and a favorite of my companions, donkey. I tried some and it wasn't half bad. It looked like pot roast and, indeed, it had been marinated and cooked the same way we would cook pot roast. However, it was served cold with a soy sauce mixture for dipping. The soup is my favorite. I'd had several variations of it before. It tastes something like a mild sauerkraut in a mild broth and can really warm up the tummy on a chilly day!

Next, it was on to another, even smaller, rural village about 40 kilometers north of Pingu. The purpose was to visit an elementary school sponsored by the Tokyo YMCA. The school is in a compound and serves about 120 students. We met the headmaster and the magistrate of the village. We spent some time visiting the kindergarten children and peeking in at a classroom. The children are also learning English in school. I can't speak enough about the hospitality of the people in China everywhere I go. You truly feel like an honored guest!