Last Day at No. 4

Lizzy and I finished student teaching at Guiyang No. 4 Experimental Primary School today.  It was a bittersweet day for all.  It was also the the 7th day of school in a row and students will have the next three days off to celebrate May Day, the Chinese Labor Day.

Lost in a sea of second graders

I was disappointed that one of my classes was cancelled this afternoon.  Being the last lesson, I wanted to be fair and make sure all classes participated in the same activities.  Unfortunately, it had been decided that today was the day to practice an earthquake and fire drill.  

My spirits were lifted when I realized that, in fact, we were in the middle of a 

Chinese Fire Drill!

It's no secret that I've become attached to the third graders.  All four classes are great and we had a lot of fun with the lessons.  The students have lively personalities and are funny and spirited. Last week, I read Curious George and the students went bananas.  I read a different story on Tuesday and the students in all four classes started shouting, "Monkey!" They wanted more Curious.  As part of my last lesson we read, Curious George and the Pizza Party since we had just finished a lesson on food and drinks.

Grade 3, Class 1 loves Curious George

All day students dropped by our office between classes to give Lizzy and me thoughtful presents.  Helen, a third grader, gave me silkworms!

Matt (grade 3) and his mother gave me a set of ceramic Terra Cotta Warriors - perfect as Lizzy and I will visit Xi'an in a couple weeks!

Matt, my biggest fan

Lizzy and I have been reflecting on our time here at No. 4 and we realize that we did not have the typical set-up for teaching English in a foreign country.  In China, it is common for English teachers to be hired at private schools where the families of the students go to great lengths to impress the foreign teachers by taking the them on weekend adventures, hosting lavish dinners and showering the teachers with gifts.

For a Chinese public school, a relationship with an American University's teacher education program provides an affordable opportunity to host English speakers.  While Lizzy and I were not able to be paid for student teaching, the school did provide us with housing for eight weeks, our Chinese domestic flight and breakfast and lunch on school days in the school cafeteria. 

With Julie and Jessie, Grade 3

This partnership also provides an opportunity to live abroad for eight weeks and experience life in Guiyang, a city on the brink of rebirth.  Lizzy and I have been fortunate during our time in Guiyang.  We have taken advantage of every spare moment by joining tours, exploring the city and meeting new friends.

2nd Graders playing clapping games during a lesson

All in all, Guiyang No. 4 provided an authentic experience in a lesser known city in China.  Guiyang is virtually undiscovered.  When I Google places in Guiyang, it is not uncommon for our blogs to be within the first five search results!!!

In two days we will board our first flight to catch our first train to kick off our 3 weeks of travel.  We have been busy booking flights, train tickets, hostels and guides to ensure things go smoothly.  I'm looking forward to exploring more of China and celebrating graduation in Beijing!

Natalie

Chinese Calendar and Chinese Zodiac

Ms. Grant's 2nd graders in Browning, MT expressed interest in the Chinese Calendar so I (Natalie) decided to do a little bit of research.  Please enjoy this information on the 24 Solar Terms and the Chinese Zodiac.

24 Solar Terms (Jie Qi)

In Chinese culture, the calendar year is divided up into 24 phases or terms based on the Earth's orbit around the sun.  Basically, it's like dividing each month into two phases.  The terms were first created as an agricultural guide in Ancient China and are still used today.

Please enjoy these photos of the 24 solar terms from Guiyang No. 4's playground:

lìchūn - Start of Spring - February 4 

yǔshuǐ - Rain Water - February 19

jīngzhé - Awakening of Insects - March 6

chūnfēn - Vernal Equinox - March 21

qīngmíng - Clear and Bright, Tomb Sweeping - April 5

gǔyǔ - Grain Rain - April 20

lìxià - Start of Summer - May 6

xiǎomǎn - Grain Full - May 21

mángzhòng - Grain in Ear - June 6

xiàzhì - Summer Solstice - June 21

xiǎoshǔ - Minor Heat - July 7

dàshǔ - Major Heat - July 23

lìqiū - Start of Autumn - August 8

chǔshǔ - Limit of Heat - August 23

báilù - White Dew - September 8

qiūfēn - Autumnal Equinox - September  23

hánlù - Cold Dew - October 8

shuāngjiàng - Frost Descent - October 23

lìdōng - Start of Winter - November 7

xiǎoxuě - Minor Snow - November 22

dàxuě - Major Snow - December 7

dōngzhì - Winter Solstice - December 22

xiǎohán - Minor Cold - January 6

dàhán - Major Cold - January 20

The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, is based on a 12-year cycle.  Each year corresponds with an animal.  I asked the 6th graders to list the animals in order and here's what they told me:

Here's a picture showing the years for each animal.  I'm the Monkey!  Can you find your animal?

Most of the 6th graders at No. 4 are Dragons (2000) or Snakes (2001).

It is believed that the year of birth corresponds with the characteristics of each animal.  
These illustrations are from the China Travel Guide's website, I thought they were too cute!

spirited, witty, alert	simple, honest, straightforward	brave, forceful, powerful	gentle, sensitive, compassionate	honorable, successful, lucky	good tempered, mysterious
energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent	polite, clever, kind - hearted	lively, versatile, quick-witted, clever	punctual, honest, ambitious	faithful, courageous, good leaders	honest, frank, calm

Some say the order of the animals corresponds to a time of day that the animals are most active.  From Wikipedia:

• Rat (Zishi): 23:00 to 00:59. This is the time when Rats are most active in seeking food. Rat also have a different number of digits on front and hind legs, thus earning Ratthe symbol of "turn over" or "new start".

• Ox (Choushi): 01:00 to 02:59. This is the time when Oxen begin to chew the cud slowly and comfortably.

• Tiger (Yinshi): 03:00 to 04:59. This is the time when Tigers hurt their prey more and show their ferocity.

• Rabbit (Maoshi): 05:00 to 06:59. This is the time when the Jade Rabbit is busy pounding herbal medicine on the Moon according to the tale.

• Dragon (Chenshi): 07:00 to 08:59. This is the time when Dragons are hovering in the sky to give rain.

• Snake (Sishi): 09:00 to 10:59. This is the time when Snakes are leaving their caves.

• Horse (Wushi): 11:00 to 12:59. This is the time when the sun is high overhead and while other animals are lying down for a rest, Horses are still standing.

• Goat (Weishi): 13:00 to 14:59. This is the time when Goats eat grass and urinate frequently.

• Monkey (Shenshi): 15:00 to 16:59. This is the time when Monkeys are lively.

• Rooster (Youshi): 17:00 to 18:59. This is the time when Roosters begin to go back to their coops.

• Dog (Xushi): 19:00 to 20:59. This is the time when Dogs begin to carry out their duty of guarding the houses.

• Pig (Haishi): 21:00 to 22:59. This is the time when Pigs are sleeping sweetly.

Very Interesting!

The 6th graders at No. 4 also tole me there was a story behind the order.  The mouse (rat) is the first because it is the fastest.  With a little digging, I found this story from the Travel China Guide's website:


This is the most widespread legend about Chinese zodiac. The Jade Emperor (The Emperor in Heaven in Chinese folklore) ordered that animals would be designated as calendar signs and the twelve that arrived first would be selected. At that time, the cat and the rat were good friends and neighbors. When they heard of this news, the cat said to the rat: 'We should arrive early to sign up, but I usually get up late.' The rat then promised to awaken his friend and go together. However, on the morning when he got up, he was too excited to recall his promise, and went directly to the gathering place. On the way, he encountered the tiger, ox, horse, and other animals that ran much faster. In order not to fall behind them, he thought up a good idea. He made the straightforward ox carry him on condition that he sang for the ox. At last, the ox and him arrived first. The ox was happy thinking that he would be the first sign of the years, but the rat had already slid in front, and became the first lucky animal of the Chinese zodiac. Meanwhile his neighbor the cat was too late so when it finally arrived, the selection was over. That's why other animals appear behind the little rat and why the cat hates the rat so much that every time they meet, the cat will chase and kill it.

I enjoy this explanation of the cat and mouse rivalry!!!

I hope you enjoyed learning about the Chinese Calendar and Zodiac.  This is just an overview, there is a lot of information out there if you wish to read more on the solar terms or about the characteristics of your animal.

Natalie

Travel Planning: First stop, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

While Guiyang is feeling more and more like home, Lizzy and I are ecstatic to see more of China.  Spare moments are now devoted solely to travel planning.  We have ambitious travel plans and with the help of friends we've met during our local adventures and Lizzy's friends from years past, we are confident we can cover all of the sights on our China bucket list in the 29 days we have to travel.

Here's a sneak preview of what we have planned:

We will spend the first week of the trip exploring Yunnan Province.  Friends, locals, and our cooperating teachers have all recommended seeing Yunnan.  Today, we booked our first flight for May 1:  Guiyang to Kunming.  From Kunming, we will take an overnight train to Old Town Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.  While in Lijiang, we plan to hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge and spend time wandering the crooked cobblestone streets.

Lizzy and I are perfect travel buddies as we're accustomed to working as a team.  We also have the similar travel ideologies: if it's a UNESCO site, it's a must see; if there's a minority group, explore their village, and just like in the U.S., the more National Parks, the merrier!

From Lijiang, we will take a bus to Shangri-la.  Shangri-la is the closest we can get to Tibet and with an average altitude of over 9,800 feet, it is only accessible by motor vehicles.  I have no doubts that this will be one of our most adventurous bus rides.  Visiting Shangri-la will give us a chance to experience Tibetan culture.  We will explore Songzalin Monastery, Yunnan's largest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery and will take in this remote location's natural beauty.

Here is a map of our itinerary.  As you can see, we will cover a lot of ground.  As I mentioned above, we've had help from friends and are eager to connect or re-connect with friends on our journey.

Guiyang to Kunming to Lijiang to Shangri-la to Chengdu to Xi'an to Beijing to Guiyang to Shanghai

Thank you for following along with Lizzy and me on this epic adventure.

Natalie

No. 1 Waterfall in Asia

One crazy Chinese tour last week to Xijiang was not enough for us, so we signed up for a second tour this Saturday to Huangguoshu, the "No. 1 Waterfall in Asia." Chinese tours don't disappoint for a high degree of confusion and good laughs.

Natalie and Lizzy on the tour bus

Our tour was a multi-stop adventure to different scenic areas. But first we had to get out of town. We were picked up by a shuttle at 6:25am at our hotel and were eventually deposited with four other tour guests on the side of a street to wait for our tour bus. Amazingly, our tour was on-time for practically the entire day. We enjoyed a jolting 2-hour ride through the countryside to Long Gong Dong (Dragon Palace).

Rural village in Guizhou Province, China

Farmland in rural Guizhou Province, China

Beautiful countryside and winding roads in Guizhou Province, China

The Long Gong Dong is a famous series of karst caves connected by a river. Natalie first told me (Lizzy) about the caves in January, so it has been on our must-see list for a few months. We got off the bus and walked about a half mile up a beautiful canyon to the lift.

Pathway at Long Gong Dong, Guizhou Province

River and lift at Long Gong Dong, Guizhou Province.

Natalie at Long Gong Dong with the lift in the background

The caves were created by water moving through limestone, removing minerals and leaving behind large caves full of interesting features. In order to access the caves we took an elevator (lift) up about ten floors to the top of the canyon and boarded small motor boats.

Loading boats at Long Gong Dong, Guizhou Province

Public safety announcement. Don't talk or take a stroll on the boat and certainly no eating between meals.

The cave itself was incredible. It was the largest cave I've ever been in, but the most stunning feature was the music and lighting that had been added to enhance our visitor experience. Traditional Chinese music was piped in throughout the cave and the stalactites and other cave features were lit up by colored lights. For your pleasure!

Long Gong Dong, Guizhou Province

Lights in Long Gong Dong (Dragon Palace)

Lizzy and Natalie in Dragon Palace Caves

Dragon Palace Caves, Guizhou Province

There's room for everyone! Five boats in one part of the cave gently jockeyed for position.

Tour companies partner with vendors to make use of a captive audience. After visiting the Long Gong Dong we visited two different shop stops in the middle of nowhere. Each shop stop is housed in a large, new building surrounded by nothing. Visitors must watch a demonstration in Chinese and then procede through a winding series of shopping rooms before they may exit the building. My tactic was to find the bathroom and avoid the demonstration. During out two stops we looked at a variety of items made from bamboo and charcoal, and another stop that sold specialty food products from Guizhou Province.

Our bus waiting at the Bamboo Fibre shop

We enjoyed a simple lunch at a restaurant near Huangguoshu Waterfall. Tourism in the area is increasing and businesses are working fast to keep up with the demand for amenities. When the tour bus pulled up to a half constructed building we were skeptical. On the second floor we found a room full of round tables with lazy Susans and different dishes. Tour meals are delicious and simple, but one must eat fast. Natalie and I are consistently the last to finish eating and often run out time to eat.

Tour lunch near Huangguoshu

At Huangguoshu we transferred to a sight-seeing bus. This is similar to buses that one might find in a US national park, such as Zion or Yosemite. Of course, the tour bus costs an extra 50 CNY and is not optional. The first stop on our tour bus was at the Birthday Walk. Each day of the year had a stepping stone and many of the stones included the names of famous Chinese people who were born on that day.

Birthday Walk at Huangguoshu 

Sign describing an interesting rock feature at Huangguoshu

Natalie and Lizzy along the Birthday Walk at Huagguoshu

Scenic walk at Huangguoshu

At the end of the Birthday Walk we got back on the sight-seeing bus and traveled along on a rough, serpentine road to Huangguoshu Waterfall and "Miniascape Garden". At this stop we discovered that there was another optional fee to take an escalator to the waterfall. We elected to hike about one mile to the waterfall with a trio of retired teachers from Malaysia. I will never cease to be amazed by the Chinese women who happily hike over rough cobbles and slippery rocks in platform stilettos.

Cliffs across from Huangguosu Waterfall 

Huangguoshu Waterfall

Huangguoshu is a designated national park. The Chinese government is actively promoting the area as a tourist destination and are in the process of improving the available amenities. The flow of the waterfall is managed based on water reserves. We were told that it would be better to visit Huangguoshu during the summer, but we thought it was a stunning sight anyway. The waterfall is reported to be 77.8 meters high and 101.0 meters wide.

The hike to the waterfall was a lovely loop that started across from and above the waterfall, looped behind the waterfall through a cave with "windows", and circled back down to the bottom of the cascade. We were not the only ones who decided that it was a beautiful day to visit the national park on this day.

Viewing platform at the base of Huangguoshu Waterfall

We hiked back up to the "Miniascape" Garden with just enough time to explore before meeting our group. The garden had a collection of mini trees and limestone rocks that represent the landscape of Guizhou Province.

Building and pond in Miniascape Garden at Huangguoshu National Park

Trees and rocks in Miniascape Garden at Huangguoshu National Park, Guizhou Province, China

Before transferring back to our tour bus from the sight-seeing bus we made one more short stop at another gorgeous waterfall. Do Pu Tang Waterfall is one of the widest waterfalls in the area. This waterfall was easily accessible and was a nice way to end our grand tour. 

Do Pu Tang Waterfall at Huangguoshu National Park, Guizhou Province, China

The bus ride home took about two hours and we had a great time looking at the countryside. While the tour guide spoke not one word of English to us all day long, we would encourage other travelers to visit the countryside in any way they can. English-speaking tour guides are available for a price.

-Lizzy

Travel Tips:

• Eat fast on tours. You will likely only about about 20 minutes to eat and use the bathroom before you must be back on the bus and ready to leave.
• Take plenty of snacks. We left a bag on the bus while we were in the caves and at the waterfalls. 
• If you are going on a Chinese tour and do not speak Chinese, get help translating the itinerary before you leave. 
• Travel lightly