1) I performed on stage (twice) in front of at least 1,500 people:
Until a few weeks ago, I was unaware that June 1st is International Children’s Day. I don’t remember celebrating this event in the good ol’ U.S. of A., but then again, just about every day growing up at home was Children’s Day. Anyway, back in the beginning of May I was invited by the secretary of the School of Intercultural Studies at Jiangxi Normal University to visit his hometown, Yifeng County (宜丰县). At that time, all I knew is that later on in the month my presence was requested for a visit to a local kindergarten. Once there, I would give a self-introduction and watch some kids perform. When the weekend before June 1st finally arrived I was told that I would actually be spending 3 days in Yifeng County, leaving me 2 nights to perform – in the name of Children’s Day – on stage in front of a giant auditorium filled with government officials, parents, and their children. There were even banners around town promoting the event: 宜丰县幼儿园“园庆•六一”大型文艺晚会. Welcome to China. I was not alone, however, which made the whole affair much easier to handle. The alcohol at dinner on both nights before the show probably helped as well. While all I was asked to do was say a few things in Chinese and attempt to speak a few words of the local dialect, the children who took part in the festivities were clearly trained for months on end. Their performance was absolutely tremendous and far beyond what I initially considered the resources and means of the county to be. Watch a video of some very young kids dancing and singing:
And how could I not post a game attempt of some youngsters to play part of the fourth movement of Beethoven’s final symphony, Symphony No. 9:
2) I had a near-death experience:
About ten days ago, accompanied by several Chinese researchers, I took a trip to the countryside for my research. Besides networking and getting to speak with locals, I helped to administer a test to fifth-grade students to gauge the extent of their knowledge on schistosomiasis prevention and control measures. Anyway, at about noon, after a 4-hour ride to our destination, several of us, including the driver, enjoyed a big meal with equal parts beer. Below is a picture I took of the driver passed out in his seat before driving us home.
And believe me, given the normal conditions of Chinese roads (I’m not necessarily talking about how well their maintained, but about the manner in which people here drive), any impairment of your driver’s ability to steer, stop, or sound the horn can rightfully be considered a near-death experience. 3) I took an awesome picture of a bug and a leaf and a bead of water:
4) I got a private hearing of some old-school revolutionary music:
In Yifeng County, this grandma/grandpa couple was nice enough to invite me into their home. On top of providing tea and snacks, the matriarch of the family sang a few songs that while I didn’t understand, I appreciated as much as one can appreciate something they don’t understand. Below is one of those songs:
5) I had my Fulbright research canceled:
Last week, out of the blue, the director of Jiangxi’s Institute for Parasitic Diseases (IPD), also known as my former research advisor, canceled my work. Without warning or explanation, my future in Nanchang as a Fulbright schistosomiasis researcher now virtually ceases to exist. “I am very very sorry to inform you,” the director of IPD said in an e-mail, “that Jiangxi Institute of Parasitic Diseases can not help you for your research and field work. Please cancel your plan. It is not necessary to come to my institute. Nothing you did wrong and I should apologize for this change.” The story of how and why and who and what is not so important in this context. What does matter, however, is that my detailed research plan - the plan that was originally authorized by the head of the institute (who also happens to be the highest ranking government official in Jiangxi that deals directly and specifically with schistosomiasis) - is now laying facedown in a pool of its own blood.
6) I started to work on a new side-project:
Given the obstacle that my research has crashed into, I must consider some follow-up strategies or alternative approaches that allow me to make the most of the time I have left on Fulbright. Ideally, I can come up with a legitimate way to shift focus off of schisto fieldwork and onto something else that still allows me to gain schisto-related knowledge and develop future research skills/contacts, but most importantly, help the people I originally intended to help. A harsh reality, however, is that without my connections at the institute and my ban on schisto-related countryside travel/data collection, it will be exceedingly difficult to fill my time with schistosomiasis work. As such, I have started work on a new side-project that I will write more about tomorrow.
7) I saw a man carrying something so important that he had it locked in a metal box attached to his belt:
8) I experienced one of the four great happinesses in life: Let me share with you what Chinese traditional thought considers these four to be.
久旱逢甘雨: Literally, sweet dew after a long drought. This bears testimony to the long, often anguished, agricultural history of China. Figuratively, to have a long-felt need finally satisfied.
洞房花烛夜: The night of your wedding festivities. This specifically refers to the consummation of marriage. Remember, chastity before marriage is a traditional Chinese virtue.
金榜题名时: Literally, when your name appears on the roll of honor. This here refers to the time when imperial exams still existed and one found his/her name on the list of those who passed the test, allowing entry into government or political office, which promised then exactly what it promises now; fame and power. Now-a-days this saying refers to being admitted after an exam, or figuratively speaking, accomplishing something after hard work and getting recognition for it.
And finally, the one happiness I was lucky enough to experience…
他乡遇故知: Coming across an old friend in a place far away from home. This here refers to my meeting/travels with Edie, a dear friend of mine who I first met many years ago when I was teaching English in Yangshuo. Despite the time we’ve spent apart, we finally got to meet again. The Chinese, believe it or not, have a saying for this kind of thing too… It’s 有缘千里能相会，无缘对面不相逢. In English, roughly translated, it means that if two people have destiny on their sides they can meet even if they’re 310.69 miles apart (it sounds better with Chinese units of measurement, trust me). If there’s no destiny at work, however, then even if the two are right across from each other, they won’t meet. Anyway, it’s a pretty cool feeling when an Australian babe and an American dude can meet in China.
And last of my notable adventures in the past month (at least of which I'm willing to share on this blog)…
9) I saw a dirty picture (the content below is not for kids):
把这个博客翻译成中文