May 8, 2010: Back in the USA!

Yes, I'm back home. My lungs couldn't take China anymore. I'm so glad to be back with my furry kids, back where the sky is blue, where you can buy Newman's Own Honey Mustard salad dressing, and where you can drink water from the tap! I'll have some musings later on my China sojourn.

April 28, 2010: My sweet Sashi

Unlike her glad-handing brother Sami, my Bengal cat Sashi won't let non-family members pet her. While the Chairman of the Board Sami will run downstairs to meet and greet any visitor, Sashi will run up those stairs or at least retreat to a safe distance. Then something unusual happened. I talked to my mother last night, and she told me that recently Mike, Bebe's dad, had stopped by. That's when the miracle occurred -- Sashi entered the kitchen where they were, went up to Mike, and let him pet her! My mother said she couldn't believe her eyes. I firmly believe that Sashi sensed that Mike was feeling grief over the loss of Bebe and was offering her sympathy. I have good kids.

April 24, 2010: So long, Deyang!

Sunday I'm moving to Fuzhou, on the coast across from Taiwan. I was offered a chance by the company I work for to transfer to Minjiang University where a position had opened up. Of course I took it. I have no great affection for Deyang. Don't get me wrong -- the people are kind and helpful, but the city is drab, dusty, and dreary. I can count on one hand the number of sunny days there have been since I came here. From what I have read online, there are a lot of cultural and historical things in Fuzhou (unlike Deyang!). And maybe the students at the University will be more interested in learning (please!). Oddly enough, the students in my one all male class (mostly "bad" boys) all wanted to take pictures with me after our last class! And I felt bad for sweet July, my favorite student, who cried when I told the class I was leaving. As I left my classroom for the last time, it struck me that I had to do something. So I went back to the chalkboard and wrote "Elvis has left the building."

April 21, 2010: Requiescat in pace, Bebe

I learned today that a feline buddy of mine back home had died. I knew he was very ill but was hoping and praying that he would win the fight. His name was Bebe and belonged to our neighbors Pam and Mike. Bebe was a black, long-haired cat, only six years old. He was a big boy and very sweet. I used to "Bebe-sit" when Pam and Mike went out of town for short trips. Bebe was always as good as gold and a great conversationalist. I'll miss our chats.
Bebe developed renal failure. Despite the best care of the good people at the McGehee clinic and his parents' love, Bebe lost the fight. Pam and Mike had to make that decision no parent of a furry kid ever wants to make. Bebe is in animal heaven now. Hey, Bebe, ask for my angel Ming Li. She'll show you around. And go see the Bucket Seal...

April 17, 2010: I was worried about the wind-heat attacks

I've had an awful cold for the past few days, dear readers. You know, the kind that makes you feel absolutely wretched. Last night, I kept waking up with coughing fits (interrupting a lovely dream in which I was making out with Hugh Jackman). In China, you can't buy OTC drugs, band-aids, etc. in the supermarket. You have to go to a pharmacy. Today, when I went on my weekly excursion downtown, I went to a drug store. I showed the clerk "cough syrup" in my handy phrase book and mimed coughing. She consulted the pharmacist who indicated a package with a lovely water color image of a cluster of yellow berries on it. When I got home, I googled the only word in English on the package insert -- Qiangli Pipalu. I got a link to the English website of the manufacturer. I found this (as well as dosage info):
Indication & Action: For cough and yellow-phlegm or difficulty of expectoration , painful swelling of the throat, choking sensation and painful distention in the chest due to wind-heat attacking lung and entering the interior to leading fire.
Thank goodness I got this medicine! That leading fire was getting to me, to say nothing of the wind-heat!
BTW, here's another example of charmingly inept Chinese to English translation (from my apartment complex):

April 11, 2010: East Lake Park

Saturday Leanne and some of her friends took me to East Lake Park, probably the only green space in Deyang. First we climbed the steps up to a pagoda on top of a hill. Leanne said it was 200 steps, and I don't doubt her. My legs were feeling the burn by the time we reached the top! On the way up, I got a panoramic view of Deyang and its omnipresent smog. At the top, the air was fresh and cool, and we got a lovely view of the green park.










We walked down along a path through the woods on the hill. There were tumble-down homes off the path where people live in what could best be described as Appalachian-style poverty. I don't know, however, if it could be any worse than living in some of the urban decay I have seen.
The path went down to the lake which was lined with carnival games of chance. Prizes were mainly stuffed animals of various sizes and kinds (hey, look -- a knock-off Garfield!). One of Leanne's friends gave me a big red plush heart he won tossing bean bags. So sweet of him! There were also carnival rides like the ones that used to be set up in shopping center parking lots when I was a kid. Leanne asked me if I wanted to ride a rickety looking roller coaster. Uh, I'll pass on that! There was a rather down at the heels looking Buddhist temple next to the roller coaster. Guess you could make an offering before trying your luck on the roller coaster.
To be continued...

April 9, 2010: Moe, Larry, and Curly take Deyang

I played some Three Stooges shorts (from the select DVDs I brought to China) for the two classes I had today (8:10 to 9:50am and 4:20 to 6:00 pm). No surprise that the boys were a big hit! Some of the guys in one class even stayed after the bell rang to catch the end of the last short. It was great to hear the laughter and see the smiles. Comedy like the Stooges' knows no cultural barrier. Nyuck-nyuck!