been back for a while now

well it has been an interesting journey being back in Saskatoon and trying to readjust. it is so quite here and kind of lonely. I could walk down the street in complete silence forever it seems. It is also sad that every time i walk pass someone they don't even smile or try not to notice they have come in contact with another human being. The little i could understand in China, i could really pick up on the way people would look you in the eye and smile. It was nice to be able to understand people and not say anything- the human connection.

on top of a mountain

On the hottest day that China has seen this year we were on top of a mountain. It was 42 degrees and Mullens thought it was a great idea to take us to this mountian. It would have been a nice place to study if the thousands of other tourists were not there. It ended up being a wash of a day- if i failed my final i will blame it on this trip.
Mount Huashan is a scared place. At about half way up the mountain there is a Daoist temple. I never made it there- but heard it was similar to the others ;). This mountain was also a place where the red army ventured. The walk to the top will take a least three hours. I am not really sure why the red army did this- i will take a look and let you know.

mother -inlaws and mental illness

This was the topic for my last presentation. It seems that Korean women suffer a lot of mental health problems because of there mothers in law. I thought this was very funny. They say it is caused by the traditional Confucian value system. The daughters in-laws feel jealous because the son has a very strong sense of filiel piety- so his mother comes before all others including his wife. So hysteria and alcoholism are very prominent problems in this society.
Don't worry Sheryl, you don't give me mental health problems! (ps. i hope you are laughing).

its over

Hello everyone
i have arrived back on saskatchewan soil yesterday at 6pm. it is so nice to be home- although i currently can not sleep- so i guess i will be up at 530am for the next little while. I left Beijing at 3pm sunday local time. The flight was extremely long and there were of course grumpy travellers all around. But it doesn't matter cause i am home and it is so quite and it doesn't smell. All my luggage and clothing smell like china- so i am going to take it to my mom's and maybe she will do all my laundry ;) Well i have many stories to write about, so be patient with me i will get them posted. Can't wait to see you all.

Second Essay

Take a moment and think about how music makes you feel. Then think of the songs that you love; how about the ones that invoke some type of emotion like sadness, happiness or any other. Music is a door to many feeling and many types of experiences. Melodies can cry out worship, hardship, desperation, love, freedom and pain just to name a few. Music is often used in religious ceremonies or offerings for it is very appeasing to the ear as well as the ears of the gods and all that are listening. In any kind of institution there is a sense of unity and oneness. Music erases all boundaries and biases; people can relate to each other or simply unite for the cause that brought them together. “Music as a great art unites men in common joy, and the power of sound creates harmony when the force of darker emotions awakens. However, music is the energy that kindles the courage to face death; the singular energy that can set armies marching, and enables men to fight last battles” (Wilhelm 1979; 67). The focus of this paper is the music from the Daoist temple of the Eight Immortals, it will also try to understand the music and the instruments involved in this place of worship.

Music can be a place of balance. When involved in worship the music erases all other memories or occurrences and allows a person to concentrate on the moment. These ceremonies engage the passion in the individual, because one must be passionate about the spiritual journeys if truly dedicated to the process.

In the early days of Confucius it was believed that “ru [was a] classification for those who were professionals in the six arts (rites, music, archery, carriage driving, history and mathematics)” (Yao 2000; 18). This was only one of the three classifications of ru, but the most relevant for the purpose of this paper. Music especially has a long history in China and the connection to music seems to run as deep as one’s lineage. There is great pride in making music and performing the music as it was at the beginning of time. It seems in the midst of modernization they step back and preserve the beauty of the original time, the Chinese opera is a perfect example of this. In the ancient times of the Shang dynasty musicians were also regarded as people of knowledge. At this point musicians held a status somewhat similar to that of shamans or medicine people; “a ru would perform various dances and play music as imprecation for the good harvest and as offerings to gods or ancestors, and would lead ceremonies for the coming of rain during the seasons of drought. To fulfill their duties ru had to study not only the rituals proper, but also other relevant subjects such as astrology/ astronomy to predict rain or drought” (Yao 2000; 19). In other words musicians held a unique position within the empire. As in other cultures like the Native Americans their knowledge about the earth and how it works is very extensive. In native tradition as well they use chant and drums to call on the gods.

In the temple of the Eight Immortals the design is quite strategic and has a long history. There are four positions on the left and four on the right of Dong Hua Dijun. As was explained to me the positions on the left symbolize the positions of the high ranking officials or people of literacy within the empire. The people in these positions helped the emperor run his various affairs. The instruments at this side were all in balance and harmony with the right side. Each instrument has a pair that is on the other side; this ensures harmony and balance.

Placed on the right side of Dong and the emperor were the warriors positions. They provided the physical protection and the force needed to defend the empire. The power or force centered in the middle and the ‘wings’ to support the emperor and all of his endeavors. As previously mentioned the instruments here have a pair on the opposite side. The pair does not mean that they are two in the same; it means that they provide balance for one another.

The floor was set up in following fashion: Starting on the very left side of Dong there was a woman who was playing a bell and singing. A pair of symbols were next in line. The symbols were a little different from others, they were very flat, they appeared to about the thickness of a Chinese fan. These symbols were played more with a rubbing motion then with banging. Next to the first woman was another who played a small version of a gong, it was a small brass gong and was hit with a wooden striker. Next to her in what seems like a very important position, it is the ring. The ring is a large glass bowl, it is purple in color, and has gold engraving. The ring is hit with a wrapped wooden dowel. The ring make a soft echo among the hall. This position also plays bell, similar to that of old school bells. In some instances this position also seemed responsible to respond to the scriptures. For example in the Roman Catholic church the priest will sing part of the song and all the people will respond; like saying amen or halleluiah. This position was in perfect harmony with its pair. The right side would lead out in recitation and this position would lead in the response.

Over the alter and to the right side was a fish. This instrument is used to keep the tempo of the event. It looks like a small wooden fish that is lying belly up, it is hit with a wooden stick as well. To get a better sound the hitting stick has a rubber end on it. This position is mostly responsible for leading in the recitation of the scriptures. The individual here has to have a vast knowledge of the reading, for the tempo can increase very rapidly and stay at a fast tempo for quite sometime. While leading out in the scripture, she or he can do this by singing, which is sometimes done alone. The next instrument in line was an instrument that looks like a metal rattle. This rattle is held and the sound comes from hitting it with a thin piece of metal. The individual who plays the rattle also plays a small set of hand symbols. These symbols fit nicely into the palms of ones hands. A larger set of symbols are played by another member that is placed immediately next to her. These symbols provide quite the clanging sound and are a very loud force in the ceremony. The largest of the religious instruments was next a large drum which was on a pedestal. Hanging off the pedestal was a bell. The drum being on the side of the warriors, just like the drum tower in the middle of the city, set the atmosphere in the hall. I imagined at sometime it was used as a warning or call to all the warriors. As one of the players informed me the drum was also used in a time of judgment. For example when a criminal was about to be sentenced, the drum was played before the sentencing carried on. The drum creates an almost ominous atmosphere through its distinct sound. As in most musical experiences it is easiest to relate to the drum, often the beat of the heart can fall in sink with the drumming. If this is so and the heart being the life force of all humans, one could naturally follow and hear the drum over other instruments. The placement of these instruments was determined many, many years ago.

This group of instruments are referred to as religious instruments. There was a clear distinction made between these pieces and the musical instruments that are placed at the far right side of Dong and placed at the back. These musical tools are used to simply accompany the religious instruments to provide a more distinct harmony. They also seem to just play what could be the chorus of the song. Otherwise it is mainly the religious instruments and the people that are in those positions that perform the offering ceremony. Close to the end of the ceremony all of the individuals playing the religious instruments pull out what looks like a wooden paddle or sword. It is flat and shaped with a curve similar to a large knife. These pieces of wood are held in both hands and are offered forward towards the immortal statues. This procedure is done three times. They offer in front of them and then bow their heads to the bench. They play a few more notes on the drum and then conclude the musical offering.

Although the musical instruments seem of lesser priority they play an important role in making the harmony and the song flow naturally and beautifully. There are a number of instruments that could be played in one set. They are the cello, shang, erhu, flute, lang-qin, pipa and the guzheng. Not all of these instruments are played all of the time. In times of wonderful celebration like the first and the fifteenth of each month all of the instruments are engaged.

The erhu is a two stringed instrument. It is often called the Chinese violin or fiddle. The origin of the erhu is said to be made by a man who was deaf and blind. So the music he produced was very melancholy. The erhu is played by using the bow horizontally against and in between the two vertical strings (http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Music/mus-erhu.html). As we have seen in many of our musical encounters like the opera presentation, the drum tower gates and this temple embrace the beauty of the music it can make; “erhu is still the most popular bowed instruments in today’s Chinese music” (ibid). It is said that the erhu became popular during the Sung dynasty (960ad) and later into the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) (www.crosssound.com). The erhu invokes some kind of emotion usually sad but the music that it produces is so beautiful and rewarding to listen to. The body is usually made of wood and covered in snakeskin. The strings were made of silk a lot of them today have metal strings. The bow is usually made of horse hair (ibid).

The flute has an important role in this ceremony. It seems that when the musical instruments come back into the ceremony the flute leads them in. The flute provides a very nice but a bit of a dark sound to the performance. It is said that the flute has been involved in Chinese ritual as early as about 900 bce (www.si.umich.edu).

The cello does not have its origin in ancient Chinese ritual but it has been integrated because it ‘works with the other instruments’. A monk told me that the cello was introduced a long time ago. Most western things do not belong but they made an exception with the cello. It is believed that the origin of the cello was in the 16^th century and was part of the violin family (http://home.thirdage.com).

The guzheng has a very distinct Chinese sound. It is similar to a table top guitar. It is about the size of an arms length. The individual that plays sits at the bench and plucks the strings on the right side of the table. The left side is used to manipulate the sounds by pressing down on the side of the strings. Its sound is heard often in Chinese music.

The individuals who perform these ceremonies are not monks they are paid employees of the monastery. These positions are present; as I am told for two reasons. The first being that Daoists do not make a lot of money so many monks have to leave and find work elsewhere in order to support their families; mostly their parents. The young or new generations are being trained to perform these rituals but the numbers are not substantial enough. So the only choice for the monastery is to hire talented musicians, because the ritual is a very vital piece of the monastery and just can not be left to fade. The second reason is somewhat similar to the first. In this temple there exist two sects of Daoists; the Zhengyi and the Quanzhen. The Zhengyi is the sect that has some freedom to engage in things such as marriage, children and eating meat. Unlike the Quanzhen who chose to confine themselves to the temple complex and live out a monastic life. Therefore the Quanzhen are not allowed to have children or families so they can not pass down their traditions. So with people aging they are losing more people in this sect then they are gaining. There is no choice but to hire externally. The monk believes that this is a weakness in the rules especially in these new times.

The one man I spoke with had been with the monastery for just over a year; he is an example of an external hire. He liked to play there because he could learn about Daoism as well as doing what he loves. The first time I had witnessed the ceremony he was playing the flute. The next time it was the drums and the next time it was the symbols. He mentioned that most of the musicians can play all of the instruments, he just happened to be one of the exceptional artists.

They are paid to perform these rites twice a day; at eight am and at four pm. The explanation for this was that these rituals had been performed this way for more than 600 years, since the Yuan Dynasty. Therefore tradition and history once again dictate the performance. The ritual that is performed daily is quite a long text and to make it easier for the performers it is used everyday. On special days such as the first and the fifteenth of the month they have special texts that they recite. The majority of the scriptures that they were reciting were written in the Ming Dynasty. The some of the Daoist texts are also very ancient and were written in the Eastern Han Dynasty which is about 100 AD.

When I asked why the scriptures were song and spoken, he said because the rules of performance have dictated so. There are certain parts of the ritual that are spoken. Based on my observations, the parts that include the orchestra seem to be the chorus; the words and the music are the same. He said that it was too complex to explain these rules and the text to me. The monk also mentioned that the scriptures that they are reciting are very similar to that of Christianity and the Christian ritual.

The scriptures are recited to please many of the gods and also the many Daoists that have passed on. In this respect they are communicating with the souls of those men that have left the physical world. Some of these men had also become deified and are classified as one of the gods. So in this way it differs very much from the monotheistic nature of Christianity. The music is collectively used to please all of the gods there was no use of special instruments to call on certain individuals. The pantheon was being pleased at each session of the performance.

At this particular temple the main hall is that of Dong Hua Dijon. He was a leader of one of the many revival movements that had occurred through Daoist history. In each revival new gods had emerged and Dong came to be a god after the Han and before the Tang Dynasty. He was regarded as the master or teacher of the Eight Immortals. Unfortunately the exact dates of Dong’s life are unknown. So with this being the temple complex of the Eight Immortals this was designated as the main hall. Like other temples they each have a main hall in which all such rituals are held.

I found the most interesting part of our conversation was when I asked if the scriptures are the first thing monks learn and if ordinary people knew this as well. He said and I quote “I think theoretically everyone is a Daoist. Systems for science and technology especially, the Chinese have tried to make progress in this area which also involved agriculture, medicine, manufacturing as well as many others. Because western science took advanced position, the Chinese Daoists want to balance science and technology with mortality. When Daoists became prosperous, the Chinese became prosperous as well. In Tang Dynasty government allowed every kind of religion in China and Daoism was the most prosperous. After that, especially in recent times, Christianity took place of Tang Daoism. But he took a positive attitude towards the current situation, in that Daoism is one way back to being prosperous again just as the Chinese society is doing so”. According to the monk many people whether they recognize it or not are living in the way of the Dao. Most people strive for harmony and balance and try to give more than they take; “The premise of religious Taoism is that life is good and to be enjoyed. The individual self is not set apart from the rest of nature but is, like all things, a product of yin and yang as the creative processes of tao” (Thompson1996; 81). Growing up in the west we have not fully embraced such a value, we judge and compare ourselves to others all too often. As Tang mentioned on our field trip, he wondered why no one was singing, because usually him and all of his friends do, and then he asked “isn’t this very lonely?” In a way it is as we strive for and pride ourselves on individuality. If we were all truly living the way of the Dao we would be singing on the bus and we would be living and really enjoying life.

I believe song is the music of the soul, “when emotions are powerfully expressed, they break the barrier of individuality” (Wilhelm 1979; 63). If we could truly live this way it seems that harmony would restore itself. Music itself, and in the Daoist tradition, has a way of unifying the people for causes. Perhaps in these modern times we should each pay closer attention to our inner music, because then we could go back to a more simple spiritual time. It would be nice to see friendship, our environment and spirituality as more important than all the unnecessary material things people strive for while empty of spirit. The Way in which we choose to live our lives will determine what will come of us “ [after] liberation…one may choose either to remain in the physical body to enjoy mundane pleasures or to wander freely in the realm of space, to visit or dwell in one of the fabled abodes of the immortals” (Thompson1996; 81). As I have shown tradition runs deep in this temple, but that is not unique to them. Most religious traditions have ceremony and ritual in same way or other. What was especially interesting in the case of the temple and music ceremony was the manner in which the Daoist temple joined the celestial chorus. There choice of instruments and the accompanying myth are truly unique and I feel privileged and uplifted that they would share it with me.

First Essay

In China today there seems to be some similarities to the west especially in the rural setting. The population that makes its living in the agricultural sector is finding it very difficult to survive. It also seems that people who live in these areas have to work very hard in order to meet the rising expectations of the upwardly mobile. As well with the education system it has become very difficult to compete. Here in China the rural areas have to score much higher on the entrance exams, for example students in Beijing can score almost one hundred points less than students for Hubei province and still be accepted ahead. This shows a sort of stratification in China. This paper will examine the lives of students, with a focus on those from the rural dwellings, the increasing competition and the desire for change among them all.

With China’s growing population it is becoming increasingly difficult to get into universities and colleges, never mind trying to get into one of the top two schools. Yesterday the entrance exams began and there were 9.5 million students participating. Out of this large number there will only be about 5 million who will be admitted into a program of some sort. This is a disappointing ratio because given the importance of education in the modern world a lot of individuals are missing out. Even if a lot of the students perform well it is still a race, it will come down to mere percentile points to determine who will be ranked above the other. This seems a little hard to understand for someone who has come from a very relaxed system. Competition in Canada has very little to do with education; unless of course you are applying into graduate work or some other high end college, for example that of medicine. Canadians do not and probably may never experience the pressure that these Chinese children face. From my interviewees I have obtained some first hand testimony and information as to how tough the system can be.

The Fujian province, the community which we discussed had a very small population, a mere 200. Here Davis was not able to retain his education in his home village. He had to go to a neighboring community since the age of 12. He new that he would have to support his parents some day so despite the pain of missing his family dearly, it was what he had to do. Like most people in his village most became farmers; included in this group were his two sisters. In rural areas alike; from Canada to China; it is almost expected of sons to stay home and take over the family farm. Davis’s parents knew that they would need someone to go to school and become educated. Farming is getting more difficult as the years pass, and a source of outside income is what many of these rural families depend on. In Fujian province the points needed to get into the top university were 900. That seems almost unachievable. He scored 705 and said that Jiao Tong University is where he wanted to study. Davis happens to be the seventh person from his entire community to ever go to university. For such as small, poor village I have found out that that is a large number for such a community.

Lily another of my interviewees comes from a little bit better family situation. The village she grew up in had many thousands of people. In Gansu province where she lived the total score for their examination was 750. That is quite a difference compared to Fujian. She had mentioned that if you received a score of 600 then you could go to Beijing. This is a common comparison to students, even though Jiao Tong is one of the top schools in the country, the students feel a little disappointed that they did not get into the top two schools in China. Lily was in a unique situation, the state paid for her education. This type of thing is becoming increasingly unfamiliar, the government is paying less and less for education every year.

Simon from Sichuan province also grew up in a village of a few thousand. He received the third highest score in his hometown, which he and his mother are very proud of . Simon scored 578 points in his exam. In his career he really wanted to get into the computer science program at Jiao Tong but his score only allowed him to be admitted into the college of economics, which at first he was not fond of but has grown to really enjoy it In Simon’s class only 30 out of 70 people were admitted into some kind of educational institution. This is on the low side considering that usually about 80% of students go on to further their education.

Another student, Catherine, also grew up in a village and she scored 622 out of a possible 750. She was disappointed in herself because she really wanted to go to one of the top two universities in the country. She has started off in the English and social science program but for her post graduate work she plans to enter into the school of management. She feels that it is very necessary to make money because as most Canadian students finds that loans are becoming increasingly overwhelming. Catherine believes it is going to take her until the age of 40 to come out of debt and make a comfortable living that will support her parents. She has received some scholarship money but it will not cover even half of what is necessary to survive for a year.

Sherry is being educated in Canada. She feels that this is a very good opportunity because she will be fluent in two languages and not a lot of people can do that. She and her mother decided that this was best, as they both did not want her to go. She also finished her high school education a year early so she was able to come to Canada when she was very young. Sherry plans to receive her masters degree before she comes back to run the family business in China. Sherry and her business will be based in a city where the rest of her family is. Sherry has a different outlook on the system and believes the pressure has to be maintained because there are just so many people and this is the only way the country can manage the situation. She has enjoyed her education is Canada because they have encouraged her to be critical in her thinking, where as in China students are told what to do, they are not allowed to make their own choices. As mentioned in an issue of China Today there is a new method “ having sat in on a foreign teachers’ class, I am impressed at how they seldom tell students what and what not to do. Their method is to explain the positive and the negative aspects of an issue and let students decide for themselves” (Xueying 2006; 14). So it seems some ideas are open to change in China. Sherry has had the advantage to experience this type of thinking that will help her growth as a business leader upon her return.

So as I have tried to show there are many types of students in this university. It is also evident that many of these students feel great debt to their families. All of the students love their families dearly and want to make money so that they can support their parents as soon as possible because they are all getting older. Many of them had to sacrifice much to get their children into one of the best schools in the country. Simon in particular was raised in a single income family; his father passed away when he was only six years old; so he loves his mother very much and wants to give her the life that she has given up to put him and his brother to school. With the increasing costs of undergraduate education many parents are put into a bind that creates tension and hardship among the entire family. They expect children to prosper because they have given up so much for them to do so.

This type of competition has been going on for many years; “the traditional education system had trained China’s elite for more than 2,000 years” (Hutchings 2001; 116). The reform movement and especially the great leap forward was a movement that benefited those who could not otherwise go to school. The Great Leap was meant to abolish “the division between mental and manual labor” and abolish the idea of education for educations sake” (Hutchings 2001; 119). Although this movement never realized its goal, it was a good intention. Rural people were put onto an equal playing ground. The gap between the rural population and the rest of the populace has increased dramatically over the past many decades; rural people especially the farmers have been left behind and many still can not read and write. It is said that this is most evident in “impoverished rural areas, especially in the remote and pasture areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Loess Plateau. China still has more than 85 million illiterate adults, with some 90 percent being in [the above mentioned areas]” (www.china.org.cn). With such statistics it will be difficult for the children of these areas to prosper by today’s standards.

Today children still seem to be learning many of the same things; “the village curriculum shows the very same texts were studied, and by some students mastered, in village, towns, and cities throughout China” (Cohen 2005; 24). So as the years have gone by there is still evidence of the old system that has allowed the Chinese government to keep control over the masses. All of which is quite apparent in these students. They all mentioned the things they wish to change within the system. Simon in particular believed he came from a very narrow environment. He mentioned that in the social science department any student that was to enter graduate studies had to defend Marxism and show how it is the right thing. Simon believes that the system is changing gradually especially in his field of study which is economics. Today they can learn about micro and macro economics, but prior to the 1980’s western thought was not allowed and the only approved theories were those of Marxism. An article in China Today shows how the system is changing in fact and their access to information is widening; “ Young people are becoming increasingly precocious, and will eventually know far more than their parents or teachers. A broader, more open approach to education will nurture the creativeness of today’s young generation, and enable them to find their best way of off setting pressure and so achieve their potential” (June 2006; 15). So with this in mind and the government’s goal of decreasing illiteracy, maybe their goal will some day be realized.

There is the belief that education is to strict. Most of the students envied the west because they could choose the classes that they wanted. Take the campus we are on for example, even with the status of being a famous university, they still only teach the approved subjects and contents. Our presence here is putting a curve in this, but I believe that we have also put them in an uncomfortable position. When we mentioned that we were studying religion all the flags flew up and the guards were on red alert. The students that we have conversations with are dumbfounded as to what it is that we are actually students of. The students here all fit into tightly knit little boxes like economics, management, Chinese literature and so one. Like many students, Lily especially believes that it is important for students to free their minds and their spirits and take the emphasis away from the examination system. She would like to become a teacher in a college, that way she believes that there is a greater sharing of knowledge and students in this level will appreciate this to a greater extent; high school students just want to receive a good mark on their examination. When Lily finishes her graduate studies she plans to move to the east coast because there are more ideas that come into these centers and Xi’an is still very much closed minded. Xian is much like Saskatoon in this respect; that we are sheltered from the greater world of larger centers. It is very similar in that many students in both places do not plan on staying where they received their education, for greater opportunities and more money lie elsewhere.

Students in China, as in Canada, are finding it extremely difficult to pay for all of this university education that everyone feels is vital for future growth. Davis had to take a loan out for his last two years of his undergraduate and post graduate studies. He hopes to pay this off, but it all depends on the type of job he gets. As in the past it has always been particularly difficult for rural families to send any children to school. In many rural areas the budget for education is the first thing that receives funding cuts. “ In some of the poorest villages… there was not enough desks and chairs to go round, and children are requested to bring there own” (Unger 2002; 185). So without adequate school supplies it is often only a hope to be able to pass the exam or even finish the now mandatory nine years of primary education. In rural Hubei province “ found that 40 to 50 percent of a family’s net income is absorbed by student expenses if all the children are at school… attendence in some parts of that country had fallen below 50 percent” (Unger 2002; 184). With statistics such as these the government needs to put practices in place to ensure that these children are not missing out on their education. Money is the evil that dictates our future it seems. In rural areas the farmers already have so many assets tied up into the farming practices. In Saskatchewan there are a lot of farmers that own land but there are also many who do not. This situation is also similar in China; “ some people were pretty poor at farming and couldn’t make any money at it, so they rented their fields out… freeing themselves to work. This was legalized and now people can take on more land if they have the human man power… in addition to turning in your state grain rice quota you’ve got to pay a sort of land use tax to the brigade based on the amount of land you farm” (Ebrey 1993; 489). This shows the desperation and the hardship that many farmers have to deal with.

With this type of burden it is often that the pressure is on a person for the next generation to perform as well. Currently in China the emphasis on education is everywhere. In many cases of numerous siblings the girls are encouraged to stay behind and the boy is pushed to get the grades necessary to become the educated. In Davis’s situation that was what happened. His sisters were married off so they finished up to there grade nine educations, they still live near his parents. All the efforts were poured into Davis because they knew that he needed to make the money and take care of them. In many poorer families this is the case; “ … one or more children is likely never to have entered primary school, especially the girls. Girls marry out into other families… while boys stay in the family, and farmers know that in old age they will need to rely exclusively on their sons’ earning power” (Unger 2002; 185). From an early age the sense of responsibility for these children weighs heavily on their being.

All of my interviewees stressed the obligation that they have to take care of their parents as soon as possible. They do not seem upset about this obligation, most of them had a sense of happiness in that they will be able to pay back or just take care of their family. Catherine thought that her parents will not need the money but she wants them to enjoy their fifties and not have to work, she just wants to have them with her. Where as Davis for example will need to send money to his parents because they enjoy the country but they do not make a lot of money in this profession. I personally find this to be similar to rural Saskatchewn. There is not as strong a sense of filiality but the obligation to help the parents is still present. In small communities we often only have family to rely on. In my small home town most often it is the sons who stay home and live with the parents so that their work is incorporated in to the families income. So in this respect there are some children who do support there parents.

In conclusion rural areas in China and in Canada have many commonalities; the sense of obligation to family, the hardship of a very physically demanding lifestyle, the missed opportunities because of location and economic status and desire to change their status. Students are in very similar positions across many nations in that they wish they were getting more out of their education. In both Xian and Saskatoon students wished for more informative classes and also for more contact with professors. So the life of student also seems to be universal. Students in both areas also have to be constantly concerned with money and strict budgeting. Many government loan setups or scholarships are not nearly enough to support one individual for an entire system. With this increasing desire to make money rural people are now led to believe that they must keep up with the urbanites. With their less than average income accessing this lifestyle becomes very difficult. It seems that in all walks of life we have lost simplicity and we have gained the desires for more of everything. h

zero to hero

in Yannan we were famous. We came out of a resturant and kids started hanging around. Before we knew it we were surrounded there was at least a hundred maybe even two. They would say hello and when we replied they would start giggling. It was a big joke. They just stood and stared it was an odd feeling.

caught with my pants down

and not a tissue in sight!! Welcome to the chinese washroom again. As some of you know the campus is huge so it takes about 20 minutes to back to our rooms. So when you have TD, one does not have time to walk 20 minutes. So the alternative is the squatting toliet- i know very sick. But little did i know i had no tissue in my bag- so guess what out comes the notebook. It was really funny. At least my notebook turned in handy for something ;)
Since we are on the topic of disgusting bathrooms- well we visited a whopper on the way home yesterday. It smelled bad, had no doors but half walls that seperated each, and an entire assortment of bugs and worms crawling everywhere. And to top it off i almost loss my sunglasses.

to the country

This weekend we travelled to the country. We took the night train from Xi'an to Yannan. I t was fun i have never been on a train before. We had a private cabin which i shared with three other girls. The boys slept on the hard sleeper which is pretty much a communal car. We were told that we had to have passports to stay in the softsleeper because a lot of prostitution happens in these cabins. We never got carded so maybe we weren't dressed up enough, either way it was an okay sleep.
We arrived at about 8am. We toured the city for the day. It was about the same size as saskatoon and oddly enough alot of bridges. Although the river is pretty much dried right up. It is about the width of the south sask. river. The city was really dry and really dusty.
We visted chairman Mao's old house and where he held all of the communist party meetings. It was fun- you could feel the energy in the meeting hall- that was kind of a weird feeling. There are so many shrines and many pictures and statues. They still think that was a very good man.
We then sat through a folk song and dance. It was so funny- the man was chasing a donkey- i have pictures, that might better explain the event. While we were there everyone felt like taking pictures of me. This guy showed me what pictures he had of me on his camera, it was creepy, there were close ups- it was very odd.
The next day-saturday- we drove for about 15 hours back to Xi'an. We drove to the Yellow River valley and to the Yellow emperors tomb. The drive was awesome it was very similar to the drive from calgary to golden- without the really jagged stone mountains. It was so nice and so fresh. Finally there was no smog to be seen. We even got stuck in our first cattle jam. A farmer was moving his cattle down the road. On this highway we drove up on many things including this gigantic oil refinery. It looked like Gotham city from Batman- a little unreal because it was so massive. So along this road we passed an oil tanker about every 30 seconds. It was slow going through those parts. The roads were very steep and very sharp, so meeting one of this trucks was a freaky.
We also drove through many villages and many orchards. It was so beautiful. The Yellow river valley is the where the chinese Han people were said to have originated from. It is very lush. But the river is called the yellow for that reason. It was really dirty. The water was very powerful and there were a few waterfalls as well. The water level was pretty high but i don't i was at its peak.
So we drove some more and ran up the side of a mountain to see the Yellow Emperors tomb. He is said to be the descendent of all chinese peoples. We had to run because the sight closed in 30 minutes. We ended up having to jump the fence to get out anyways- so we shouldn't have ran back down.
Then we drove some more. We had reached the outskirts of the city and saw many fields on fire. They were burning stuble since harvest is finished in most places. They can't burn the fields during the day so all of the fields were lit up. As we entered the city the temperature rose about 10 degrees. The smog and everything else combined made it a very hot van.
it was a great trip and i think that my pictures will better tell the story when i get home.

farmers market

Well this market was huge and it was nothing like i have ever seen before. It takes up about a block. There are many buildings which you can find different types of food. In the first building was the meat section. They had chunks of meat laying out on the tables waiting to be cut just as one like it. You could also find seafood here. The fish were stil alive swimming around and jumping out of their pools. In this building we also came across wine. The most interesting of the selection was the penis wine. I am not sure what kind of animal this came off of but we had a little giggle anyway. Keep walking down the line and there are boxes and boxes of peppers and other really hot looking spices.
We go out of that building and there are a number of really long sheds were alot of the produce farmers are housed.Trucks and trucks of cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, leeks,cauliflower, watermelons,bananas and so much more i can not remember it all. When we were walking i had my camera out and farmer yells at me to take his picture- so i did. Not a second later another guy from across the shed wants his taken to. These are going to be so good- it was much better than imposing on people. And they were having such a good time- we were all laughing. It was amazing that we spoke different languages but communicated quite easily. It was a good feeling.

ckicken wings

the chicken wings are so disgusting. They are 5 yuan for two and they are so greasy. I picked one up and my hand was dripping with grease and the plate it was on was full of grease. They were also coated in this disgusting type batter. It just wasn't that pleasent.
On the subject of food i have tried a few interesting things such as eel and frog- i passed on the donkey yesterday, but the others said that it tasted like corned beef. I can't imagine it would be that good since i don't like corned beef.
The eel was really good. It was so spicy that it burned but then oneself had a reaction to eat more and more. It was a really weird sensation- it was like there was to much heat in my body and i lost my senses.
The frog did not really taste like anything. It was a bit chewy and just looked fatty. It was in a sauce that was boiling and also hot. Our chinese friends were laughing at us because there happened to be real peppercorns in the mix and we all decided to chew on them because they made your tongue go a little bit numb and left a wierd sensation. They thought we were crazy. At that meal we had a plate of spicy chicken and as decoration they carved an eagle out of a huge carrot. The wings were detachable but it was awesome, so i brought it home. Our friends also thought that that was really odd.
Food is heaven they say around here, i believe them. We always have large amounts of food on the table and left over. I love it. The tastes here are so wide ranging. Alot of stuff is really spicy- but it is not hot sauce taste it is better a mix of spicies. it is so good i hope i can learn how to cook like this at home.

local spca

Hello again. The topic today is animals. You can find alot of them on the side of the street in some kind of cage waiting for to be bought. I have seen rabbits, puppies, kittens and chicken so far. I am almost positive that the ckickens will be the only ones served for dinner! They can be found on many corners and in many streets.
There are many dogs that run around the streets to- usually they are not far behind there owners. Dogs here are very obedient and calm- unlike some others i have dogsat ;) Most dogs are just tiny lap dogs. Although i did see a husky- it was so pretty and not all that old.
I saw my first cow from a distance yesterday, it was pretty skinny i think he was quite far away.
So that concludes the animal section.

chinese footbath and massage

Last night after a hard day of studying mark, anna and my self went for a foot bath and a 90 minute massage. It was dirt cheap 70 yuan for the entire deal. CHEAP. So we soaked our feet which was very comfortable and then the girl started slaping and punching my feet and pulling and snapping my toes. Then she proceeded to dig her little fingers into the bottoms of my feet. She is tough for such a little girl. And then she would push my feet really hard backwards i am not sure what that was about- but it ment that she was finally finished torturing me ;). Today my feet feel great.
Well the neck, back,legs and arms are an entirely different adventure. I was dealt a male with very strong hands. So i sat on a little stool and he proceeded to dig into my neck and do very painful things to it as well. He later informed me through the translater that my neck was out and my merdians were off. So has he was digging in my neck his next move was to grab my chin and start forcing my neck sideways meanwhile still digging into my neck. Oh there is more. He puts me into a headlock and starts pulling me upwards. I went with hime because i did not want my head to seperate from my neck. He tried it on the other side and told me pull my body down while he pulled up. I couldn't help but laugh really. Then the fun part he gets me to lay on the bed, on my stomach and once again the torture begins. He was digging into my spine and lower back- of course where it hurt the most. Then he get to my legs and butt. I bet he has never seen a white girls ample behind jiggle aroung that much (remember i am fully clothed and he has a cloth over me as well). I couldn't help but laugh. So as he is digging into my buut/hip i envision my older bother and how he used to show no mercy when he decided to bug us. The massage guy was diggin in so hard that i started laughing- what else was i to do? Then he starts digging into my calves which are really tight so it really really hurt. THEN he grabbed my legs and started rotating them to the side. Oh i forgot what he did to my arms- he grabbed my shoulders and lifted,one at a time, off the table while oushing into my spine and lower back. He then made me sit up and started on my entire arm. He wastreating it like a piece of playdough using both hands and rubbing the heck out of it. He them brabbed my fingers and started snapping my arm up and down, and WHAM one big jolt. It was very funny.
THE AFTERMATH- well today i am so sore i can't even touch my neck and my back hurts just ad much. I also have reminents of his thumb prints on my neck and upper back. Will i go back- maybe. It was crazy. He is very well trained man and know all about alternative medical practices. He looked at my finger nails adn said my yin is weak and that i need to be careful and that i need to exercise more and stretch. He also said i am having digestion problems and that i am getting angry to easily and i need to control myself. So there you have it.
Do you think you will go to a chinese massage parlour anytime soon?

folk shrine

On the way back from the warriors yesterday we stopped in a little village and worshipped the gods of above, below and in the middle (heaven, earth and water). The vilage was very small. It felt similar to my town except these people felt a little more connected to each other. Some of these people looked like they had never see a white person before. When we entered the little shrine there were only a few people outside,but the time we came out we had quite the little enterage. There were three little women and man who guided us and ansewered or questions. Even though i could not understand them when they talked to me you could see how happy they were to have us. They were laughing and joking and they each played there roles. One lady was the town gossip maybe, it was just really funny. They also told us they had a town medium, divinator. And before long she showed up. She pushed her way into the temple to know what was going on. Then she walked us out of the town and showed us what she can do. She could read energies and she read a couple of the people with us and nailed it right on the head. Se also showed us how she can be a medium- she held her hand to the sky and when she brought it down you could see the chinese characters in the wrinkles of her hands. It was amazing- i don't doubt her but it was an experince like no other.
Anna, sherry and myself are actually going to go back and see if she will tell us about her self and what she does within the community etc. Sherry can speak chinese so whe will help us with the translating and we might even stay out in the village for any evening or two. It will be nothing like i have ever seen or done. It wil be real anthropology- i hope this will materialize.
All of the ladies were boasting about there family. One of the ladies had four generation alive and she had two great grandsons which is very good. I just felt so lucky because my family is great and i have many great brother and sisters and all of the new additions to my family (marla, dylan, troy, dalas and cody do you have a girlfriend?) Well these people new what it was like to have siblings and how to stay connected with each other. The chinese pride themselves on there family, they don't strive to be so individualistic like westerns. Families stay to gether- so maybe my role in our family is the kinkeeper (tries to keep updated on everyone )?
I'll leave you with that, please tell me your thoughts.

chinese opera

We had a guest lecturer who taught us about traditional opera that is unique to our area in Shaanxi Province. Opera is unique to the area it is in, so it changes and is different in every province or maybe in every large city. The opera focuses on the actors then the music. They wear elaborate costumes and masks. Each color and each dress means something different and dictates the role the actor must play.
In opera there are 8 beauties: language, music, sculpture, dancing, painting, audio-visual, poetry and dress/make-up. So each beauty is shown in the opera. Each is shown some how or played out in some fashion.
The lady brought some of her students to show us. They were about 13 or 14 years old. The children are put into these performing arts schools at a young age and this is what they will do for the rest of there lives. The little girl could get her voice into a crazy high pitch- she was amazing. And the little boy was an acrobat.
It was only a brief introduction, i hope to see an entire set in Beijing.

daoist temple

I think it was on wednesday that we went to one of the Daoist temples in the city. It was a very spiritual place. They are very intuned with finding harmony with heaven, earth and humans. It was a really pieceful place for me, there were many shrines including that of the 8 immortals; hall of Tai Bai or Venus- god of love, here people pray so that they would recieve children and they would also bring there kids here to pray to pass the national exam; Goddess of the stars; hall of Lu Zu- he was special because anyone could pray to him and he would always respond; hall of medicine god- he made great contributions to Traditional chinese medicine.
One of the monke took us around and showed us around and he also took us to see the living quarters. I had this vision of a strict monastic existance and for them to live in proverty, But it was not that extreme. There houses were nothing fancy but they were not shanties either. Since we are in the age of the 21 century everyone must be connected- so of course the Monk had a call phone- i got a picture- i thought that was really funny.
At 4pm everyday they have prayer- we stuck around for that. It was one of the most beautiful things i have ever heard. They pray in song and it was just such pretty music. There were drums, flute, bells, stringed instruments and a couple others. They recited all of there scripture in song. It was a bit over whelming for me. the music here is just so spiritual and peaceful. The flute was different- i was in awe what more can i say.
For reasons of my own i had envisioned that they would perform there rituals in a very different manner- but it was simliar to western relgion. I just did not want any connection to the western ideals. I guess prayer is very similar if you believe in one god or many gods. I think that i prefer the many gods idea. I'll keep you posted ont those revelations.

terracotta warriors

we visted the warriors yesterday. And let me tell you i can see why it is classifed as a UNESCO world heritage site and why it is the 8th wonder of the world. The first emeperor of the Qin Dynasty (225-207 bc) started building his tomb when he was twenty some years old. The site of the warriors possess very good Feng shui because the mountains are to the south and the river is to the north. The site was discovered in 1974 by a farmer who was digging a well and he brought a head of one of the warriors. Archaeologists started to dig at that site and then in 1976 they found pits 2 and 3. There are 3 pits open of approximately 500. They estimate that there are 8000 warriors and alot are still buried. In 1997 they found bronze work of rare birds and animals- however thie is closed to public. In 1987 they found two chariots buried; unfortunately it was in thousands of pieces and took 8 years to restore. The reason why he built the army and all of the artifacts is because he needed all these things in the after life. The one chariot even had air conditioning! It had a door and two windows. But the emperor planned on travelling his land in the afterlife so he wanted to be comfortable.
He built 4 types of men- archer, charioteer, cavalry, and infantry. All of these forms were outfitted with different types of armor, dress, hair and shoes. They were also painted and they all looked different.
One of the swords that was unearthed contained chromium which wasn't invented until the 30's. I like that fact that it was in china some 2000 years prior.
I am sure if you search it on google you will be able to find the musuem, Xian terracotta warriors.

taxi, taxi

The population of Xi'an is 8 million and there are probably that many cars as well, therefore traffic does not move that fast. They have many lanes in the central part of the city and there are painted lines to distinguish between the lanes. However it seems that these are only guildlines. One can choose to ride the lines, or they can choose to swerve in and out as they go, or they can just honk there horns and let the bus know that they are inching a little to close for comfort. Taxis are cheap here- about 6 yuan for us to get downtown. Or we can take the bus which is 1 yuan and you can get anywhere. When taking the bus one must be quick on there feet for the bus does not stay at a stop for very long- we had to hop off.
They also do not have very many traffic lights or pedestian crossings. So one must follow the flow of traffic across. I was only scared when i was standing in the middle of a four lane and two really big vehicles drove by at almost the same time. But i usually latch on to a local or a granny because if they make it i can make it. oh and NEVER run because you will get hit- it startles the driver.

sorry for the interuption

my internet card finally ran out after a week (i paid 10 yuan-cheap). So where was i- the drum tower. The srum show was so neat. They played three sets each with a different meaning. The first was about sailing through a storm, the second about the grinding of a tigers teeth and the third- i will get back to you. It was just very energizing- drums can just do that to a person. On the second floor of the tower was all of the traditional furniture used in the houses of the emperors. I have never seen such beauty and detail. Such heavy wood and marble i wish that i could have some of that. Mom you have rubbed you antique hunting off on me! It was just so beautiful. Our friend Davis (his english name) took some pictures for me so when i get them i will get them to you.
After the drum tower we travelled through a narrower street with lots of rich looking stores on the way to the bell tower. It was the exact same idea. Except upstairs in this one were family lineages and histories. Very neat. It was an extremely long day yesterday. I slept for about 10 hours so i think i might finally be adjusted to China time (which is 14 hours ahead).
Okay on to todays events. It was raining here this morning so it was a nice break from the ordinary- i actually put make up on and left my hair down. Usually it has been between 30 and 35, and very humid you could cut it with a knife. And they tell us that June is going to be even hotter. I am sure looking forward to that- not really;) Okay back to business. We had coffee at King Coffee which is like a starbuck really. Then we travelled to the east gate of the Ancient city wall and walked to the south gate, it was about a 3km walk. The wall is about 12 meters across and about 18m high. It was destroyed in the Tang dynasty and rebuilt in the ming dynasty which is about 6th century AD. There is still part of the moat that surrounds the city also. On one side of the wall is prosperity and the other not so much. I had a hard time deciding what to feel. I took some good pictures of all of the weapons that were used to protect the wall and kill anyone who tried to climb up.
We then took a walk across the street to Confucian's temple and the forest of the scirptures. The garden was filled with stele of all of Confucians writings. It was really big and old. The garden was really pretty. I saw a pomegranet tree, its blossoms are so pretty and quite fragrant. It was neat to see history set in stone. All of the writings were carved into stone. They often make replicas by rubbing charcoal over a piece of paper attached tot he stone. I made a copy with my pencil, i was lucky another girl got busted and got called an American- we had a little giggle about that.
We had a lunch nearby- we had some of the best ribs ever. I do not know how i will beable to duplicate this at home. Before heading home we walked down antique alley i'll call it. The street was filled with merchants and shops. I wasn't into searching today but we will head down there again i am sure.
At lunch we were waiting for our food and this little boy was playing on the street with his friend; he needed to pee so he pulls down his pants and whips it out and proceeds to pee on the street. It was so funny. The babies here do not wear diapers or underwear until they are potty trained. All of there pant have holes in the inseam. So it looks as though the crotch has been cut out. The parents then squat with the children to teach them how to pee- very interesting. It was very strange at first, but imagine how much waste they are saving by not having diapers. Since we are on the topic of toliets they do not have any here. We are in a hotel so we have toliets, but in all of the schools and resturants they have squat holes. They also do not have soap or tissue for wiping your hands or anything else. So carring tissues is madatory. That has been somewhat of an adjustment- if i was to squat it has always been outside by the side of the road or camping- which i prefer over these really smelly facilities.
Well on that fragrant note i will get to my homework and keep you posted. Thanks for posting comments but everything is in chinese so please send me an email and that will insure that it is in english. It is very difficult navigating windows when you can not read a thing.
Love you very much, miss you.
Mandy

it been a week

So it is sunday night and i am doing homework. Lucky me. Mom i hope that you had a great birthday ;)
Well this weekend was filled with kilometers! saturday was a packed day filled with so much stimulation i am having a hard time processing it all. I guess i will start at the beginning. We spent the morning at the Shaanxi museum.It is filled with artifacts from every dynasty and then some. SOme of the pieces in the museum i had studied in art history class, so that was a really neat experince. Most of what i recognized was the bronze work that came out of the Zhou and Shang dynasties which was in the 16 and 17th century B.C. The museum traced the history from stone toos to that of axes and swords and transpotation. then in the giftshop i got hosed. I bought a book about Xi'an for 250 yuan which is roughly 35cad. I was informed later that you are never supposed to pay more than half the price; and always start bartering at a third of a half. Sounds complicated to me ;)
After this we took another CRAZY taxi ride to the Muslim quarter. Everything in here is fake and usually fairly expensive. ANd they say keep a tight hold on your wallets and purses there are alot of pick pockters there. There are also alot of beggers. What is different here is that they usually belong to a beggers guild or assocation. So all the money that they get in one day goes to some sort of central authority and they get a small piece of the pie. We had lunch is this quarter, it was really good. I am a master of the chopstick. ANd i had a huge beer. It is only3.5% alcohol because the chinese like the socializing. They do not drink to get wasted.
So after lunch we walked around. Some of the girls are getting traditional chinese dresses made, they cost 350 yuan-CHEAP. I have not decided if i will get one. I can not see myself wearing it, it might get framed, therefore i can get any old one.
We then headed to the drum tower. There were 50 drums. There were also 24 drums that signify the 24 sections of the year. For example the changing of the seasons and also going from hot summer to the "big hottness" meaning peak summer period. We also sat through a trad

its friday

Good morning everyone. It is only 7am but Xi'an is busy. The street vendors are setting up and the farmers are bringing their produce out. The streets are always very busy always alot of noise and lots of horns. The neat thing here is that Volkswagons are the affordable car. So everyone even the police have VW. When we see one with very tinted windows that mean it is soemone with high importance like the president of the University of dean of a college. And never walk in front of the car, they do not tend to stop. So that is why they honk and if you do not move they proceed to drive around you. And one must always watch out for the bikes. There are many;) The first day when we were heading out for supper at about 7pm daycare was just letting out and there was swarms of children and parents and bikes. It was really funny to be in the middle of it.
Today we are going down town. It is so exciting. I think that it will be fun. Everything is so cheap here. This Internet card that i am using i put 10yuan on it days ago and i still have many days left iam sure. 10 yuan is about $1.30 cad. So as you can tell very cheap. And the gaming culture is another story, This lab is always filled with at least 50 gamers and there is about 150 computers. The room is also a haze cause they all like to smoke.
Breakfast is good very different. Deepfried doughs are a popular item. As well as fresh vegetables. they might cook is some westerner breakfast one day.
Well have to go see you after the weekend of touring.

arrived

Hey everyone yesterday was the longest day of my life. We were on the plane for days. So it is now 730 on wednesday morning and we are going to our welcome ceremony. I am not sure what that is going to be about. It is crazy here it seems the people never sleep. We arrived in Xi'an at midnight- our flight was delayed from Beijing- they finally had rain (after months of drought so who are we to complain). We arrived at the dorms at 1230 and tried to get some sleep. Since i left Saskatoon i only have slept a few hours on the flight to Beijing and finally got 4 hours in a row while waiting on the plane to get out of Beijing. Now we are up and walking around, waiting for the others. So far there is not alot of difference in the height of people. But the morning sun is filled with industrial smog, not praire brightness.
So far nothing else has happened. On the way from the last airport driving through town was interesting. It was like the people do not sleep. They were all hanging outside smoking and cooking and having a good time. There were also lots of store fronts open- alot of oil supply shops and mechanic shops.
We will have a tour today of our facilities then have lunch and rest time. Tomarrow we start off with lectures and getting into the homework. Great ;)
I will keep you posted as much as i can. Love you lots
Hugs Mandy

And I'm off

so i leave in about 16 hours. My flight leaves at 9am from Saskatoon and i will arrive in Xi'an on tuesday evening at 930pm. So this will be a crazy day tomarrow. I have lots of things to keep me occupied, and i hear one can watch three movies on the 11hour flight from Vancouver. Everyone keeps telling me how fast 5 weeks will go. so nothing really to say yet, i'll keep you posted.