Going with the Flow...Poetry...and Gifts

One of the main tenets of the religion / philosophical tradition of Taoism (aka Daoism) is to be in harmony with "The Way" (the unplanned rhythms of the universe), and it is a major influence in China.  If we are observant,we can see it all around us in China.

When we first arrived here, the traffic seemed chaotic and unorganized, and we marveled at how very few accidents (very few) we saw.  But as we have become more accustomed to the traffic patterns, we realized that there is a certain...order?...to the chaos -- people just go with the flow -- and it works.  Traffic flows rapidly and smoothly, a must in this city of nearly seven million people.

(Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures -- they were taken through the window of a bus...)

Rush hour, outside our hotel.

As I was thinking about this one afternoon on my way across campus, I noticed some of the sidewalks in the area. Jinan -- and our campus -- has many, many trees.  Anyone who has trees in their yard knows that roots can wreak havoc with concrete sidewalks and streets -- causing upheavals, cracks and dangerous situations.  And so it is in Jinan -- tree roots grow up and try to shove their way through the sidewalks.

The Chinese / Taoist answer? Go with the flow.  On our campus as well as across Jinan, none of the sidewalks that form a border between the streets and the trees is paved with concrete -- instead, they use paving stones of varying sizes. These stones allow the sidewalks to flex as the roots beneath them reach skyward.

Once the sidewalks get hazardous, a group of laborers shows up with shovels, picks and various other hand tools.  They remove the displaced stones, trim down the roots, and then replace the dirt and stones until all is good as new!

(Sorry -- I didn't get a before-and-after picture...but believe me -- it is as good as new!)

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About a month ago, Bonita developed a wonderful lesson about the Disney hero Moana and how she came to know who she was.  We both used it in our classes. We shared a short clip from the Moana movie, then invited the students to reflect on their own lives, and see if they could discover who they were.  Then we provided a template for an "I Am" poem. The results were remarkable.  Insightful. Deep. Searching. Beautiful. Truly, many of the students spoke with their heart's voice. Here are a few of the poems:

I am the daughter of China
I am optimistic and kind-hearted
I wonder if I will be the person I want to be
I need more courage
I see my bright future
I am optimistic and kind-hearted

I feel so much love
I hate being cheated
I want to make the world a better place
I cry when I fail
I worry about uncertainty
I am optimistic and kind-hearted

I say no to compromise
I understand that being successful is not easy
I fear loneliness and death
I try everything I can
I hope to love and be loved
I am optimistic and kind-hearted
                                  -- Veronica (Li Jia Yi)

I am the daughter of Guang Xu and Mei Yu
I am freedom-loving and optimistic
I wonder if my dreams cannot be true?
I need to chase it!
I see I am jumping out of my skin
I am freedom-loving and optimistic!

I hate to be alive like a bird in a cage!
I want to walk every place!
I cry sometimes because I am a little weak
I worry if I can do it
I am freedom-loving and optimistic!

I say, "Hi, difficulties! You cannot beat me!"
I understand life will always be imperfect
I fear to say goodbye
I try to cherish what I am now!
I hope to be 20 forever!!!
I am freedom-loving and optimistic!
                                  -- Judy (Xu Ting)

I am the son of Pachangol
I am upright and brave
I wonder how my future life will be
I need more perseverance when I meet with difficulties
I see the goodness of my life every day
I am upright and brave

I feel proud when I see the fabulous views of my country
I hate the persons who hurt others for their own benefit
I want to assist my country to be more and more strong
I cry when there's nothing I can do when in trouble
I worry that I will fall behind in my studies
I am upright and brave

I say "I am the Best!" to cheer me up every morning
I understand the pressure of my parents
I fear people will be embarrassed because of me
I try to modify every shortcoming that I have
I hope that the world can be at peace forever
I am upright and brave
                                                Juarry (Zhang Jiarui)

Finally, following is the poem of Doris (Cao Jiamiao), a beautiful daughter of China and gifted poet and artisan:

I am the daughter of Cao Yueyi and Xin Ruilan
I am fantastic and insecurity
I wonder if there is life outside the earth
I need to love and to be loved
I see different colors in the air
I am fantastic and insecurity

I feel indeterminate of my life
I hate darkness, loneliness and being hurt
I want braveness, sunshine and moonlight
I worry when I am lost
I am fantastic and insecurity

I say hello to myself every morning
I understand why there is poetry in the wind
I fear the unknown
I try to make myself better though I fail
I hope I can see you in my dream
I am fantastic and insecurity
I am Doris
                                      -- Doris (Cao Jiamiao)

Doris is in one of my Freshmen Business English classes.  Her poem touched my heart.  I was also touched by several gifts she gave me, as she demonstrated other artistic talents she has. The first was earlier this semester, when she gave me a lovely, delicate paper-cut bookmark she had crafted (the red is cut out and pasted on the white):

 As a special bonus, she also made the presentation box:

This past week, she also gave me a beautiful calligraphy work she did of two Chinese words: Safe and Happiness, which symbolize Good Wishes.

My students are so kind-hearted and good, so giving. In addition to Doris's gifts, I have received lots of food, Bonita and I were taken to dinner by several groups of my students, and other gifts like a lovely journal one young woman gave me. Last week, another student (Jessie, Li Xiao Shuang) gave me a cute Christmas / Santa diorama.  Once I brought it home, Bonita looked at it very closely and noticed that the figures were made from sculpting clay...my student had crafted the figures. I asked Jessie about it, and she said it took her a week to do them!  I am so glad Bonita noticed and realized Jessie had hand-crafted these items.

Over the past two weeks I have met one-on-one with my students, doing five-minute oral exams with each of them. It has been a sweet, warm opportunity to spend time one-on-one with each of them. I have learned so many things about them personally, have seen their tears as they speak of love for their mothers and fathers, tears for the stress they feel at times to never let their parents or themselves down. I have done about 250 oral exams and will finish the last forty or so later this week. It has been a remarkable experience, to say the least!

And now for some other, random pictures of our time here. The first few pictures were taken at Baotu Springs, a famous local park which has become a favorite of ours:

Statue at Baotu Springs, Jinan

Canal across from Baotu Springs, on our way to WalMart last week.

We stopped at the Shandong Provincial Museum a week or so ago, and it was absolutely fascinating. We are looking forward to returning some time soon!

No -- we were not kidnapped by a UFO -- The ceiling of the Grand Gallery of the SPM

Grandfather adjusting his grandson's coat on the staircase of the Grand Gallery at the SPM

Ancient painting entitled The Gods

Beautiful painting

Recently, Bonita and I had the opportunity to visit a Kindergarten class. Here she is teaching them about Christmas.  I taught them a couple magic tricks appropriate for 5-year-olds, with which they can amaze their friends and family.

Finally -- here are a couple Christmas trees in our lives this year. The first is out front of the hotel in which we are staying, the second is in our apartment:

Merry Christmas from China!