The Chicken Story - 22 June 2008

**This is a never-before-published journal entry from June 2008.


Hi Mom, 
The Liu family are very very hospitable and generous people; they remind me of Pascal and Anna- how excited they were to show us around Belgium.   I have already made some unforgettable experiences with Christine and her parents.  It's unlike me, but I am having short moments of homesickness- like yesterday when we walked up to Christine's cousins' house.  A lovely girl my age and her older brother were at a makeshift kitchen counter just outside the front door of the shack.  As she turned around to greet us I saw she was holding the the bound feet of a chicken.  Her brother briefly turned his head to acknowledge us; as he turned back he twisted around the chicken's head and snapped it's neck.  I instinctively threw my hands up in front of my face and almost screamed-- instead just sucking in tons of air.  They thought my reaction was hilarious.
When I nervously, incredulously, asked Christine what they were doing, her cousin instead answered innocently, "We're...killing....chicken..........to eat.  We eat chicken for dinner..........tonight."  

Despite not having eaten much that day, and having walked-- a lot-- my appetite grew smaller and smaller as I remember Christine's dad telling me we were going to have dinner at his brothers' house.  Throughout the course of our hour-long visit I tried to ignore the innumerable breaches of standard kitchen health code.  While playing with Christine's eldest cousin's baby I tried to invent some kind of genuine reason that would excuse me from the evening meal.  

Christine's adorable nephew "David" with Mrs. Liu

Heat stroke was the only thing that came to me, which seemed very plausible as it was 110 degrees in the shade (even at 5:30pm) and humidity hovering at about 85%.  The Liu family are amomg the most kind and genuine people I have met- so ready to share everything they have, though it be so little- and I really did not want to offend them, but after witnessing their food preparation techniques, I sincerely could not picture myself walking away from that meal without the avian bird flu- or at least a serious case of the chicken pox.
So you can imagine that it was MUCH to my relief when Christine's dad came in and declared the men (him and his 3 brothers) had reached a consensus: There was not enough food in the house for all 17 adults, so they had made reservations for half of us down at a local restaurant.
Our mode of transportation to the restaurant and my experience there is a whole other story.


I miss you, and your delicious, normal food. :)

As you can see by the arrows painted on the pavement, the two brothers driving us both drove the wrong direction on the freeway to get to the restaurant.  A short cut, no doubt.

Walking up to the restaurant, we passed a man cracking mussels on the ground, then depositing them into a plastic tub and some very used Styrofoam coolers.  My first clue that outside the major cities health codes just aren't enforced the same. 

The restaurant consisted of a main kitchen, patio, and public dining room, as well as several private dining huts with large round tables.  The entirety of the structure was built on stilts over a pond on which floated a variety of aquatic plants including lilies.  

Also featuring a floating chicken coop...

...a full-service aquarium...

...and snakes!

This is the puffer fish that I picked out for my dinner from the aquarium out front.  The guy caught him and puffed him up in front of me just to demonstrate his health, I guess.

Excerpts from short little updates to friends - 19 June 2008

**This is a never-before-published journal entry from June 2008.


"I CAN'T WAIT to get back home.  The one consistent lesson I've learned in every country I visit is that America is the best place on earth....Don't get me wrong, I love to travel.  But life is so much easier in America."


"I have the most awesome picture.  This morning Christine and I walked over to South China Normal University (I don't get the name) which is literally right next door to her appartment building.  All the sudden we walk by this building which has a huge red and gold banner over the entrance which reads, "A Warm Welcome to all the Principals from Tennessee, USA here for the International Youth Leadership Program."  Haha, who would have ever guessed?  I insisted on exploring all 6 floors of the building in hopes of stumbling upon some fellow Americans but with no luck.

 

Oh well, I had a good laugh."

"I actually didn't bring my laptop with me to China for security reasons, so I'm storing all my photos on memory cards.  Fortunately these have become very affordable and I'm able to buy a 2 GB memory card here for around 7 USD.  Pretty amazing.  It's been in the high 80's and 90's since I got here, and humidity is hovering around 90%.  So you can imagine that's a big change for someone coming from a mild, dry, 55 degree Australian winter.
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers; they are truly a comfort in my times of uncomfortable and unassured situations."


"I wake up every morning in awe and anticipation of the day that lies ahead.  There is no way to convey in an email the extent to which my life has changed this month.  I'm going to have to write a book.  I already have actually; my travel journal. It's 8:30pm and we're driving back from a village about 40 km outside of Guangzhou, where I was stared at all day by Chinese rice and pig farmers who have never before seen a foreigner-- especially not one with reddish hair and freckles.  I was warned about curious Chinamen but was not prepared for the intensity of their questioning expressions.  In an attempt console me, Christine tells me that when Chinese people stare it's actually a compliment; that they consider a beautiful woman to be one that commands the attention of passersby when she walks down the street.  Hmmmm.....I get the feeling that it was more my awkward Hello's and various short Chinese phrases (surely spoken in the wrong tone) that got their attention. Haha.
On the up side, I seem to have mastered the chopsticks and receive compliments by all the waitresses wherever we go."

Dinner with the Liu brothers (Christine's dad & uncles) in a local sushi hut

Pig Farmer - Mayor of Small Town - Pig Seller - City Boy (her dad)

"I'm flying back July 1st.  Really can't wait.  I've never really had homesickness before in all my travels- but, as amazing as China can be, it's just too foreign.  There are just too many cultural norms here that really aren't normal.
For one, nobody seems to mind not being able to see the sky or buildings just a km away.  They don't seem to notice the fact that breathing is almost impossible.  I miss America and her clean air more than anything.
I'm sorry for complaining so much."

Arriving in Guangzhou - 18 June 2008

**This is a never-before-published journal entry from June 2008.

I apologize for the scattered updates that have been few and far between.  As I predicted, the internet isn't quite as accessible here as in the western world.  Not to mention I've been constantly on the go, so little time to find an internet cafe, although I have been journaling my many interesting experiences daily so I won't forget anything. 

The conference concluded last night and its termination was celebrated with a long night out in the city.  Most everyone caught their international flights this morning.  I realized last-minute that there are 2 airports in Shanghai, and that the one I was flying out of was NOT the one that everyone else was.  Luckily I was able to catch a cab and get there on time....only to have my flight delayed by 2 hours due to weather conditions. 

I arrived in Guangzhou around 9:30pm and met up with my friend.  We had dinner downtown with her dad, who speaks exactly one phrase in English, "I do not speak English."  This is the case with many in the older generation.  

In the short 3 hours that I've been here, I quickly realized the incredible difference between "touring" a country in a group of 300 mostly westerners, while staying in 4- and 5-star hotels, as opposed to being immersed, as a helpless individual, in a culture which I've come to see far exceeds my understanding.  As I sat through my first meal in a Chinese family my table manners were thoroughly scrutinized.  Although I was lovingly corrected with humour and understanding, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed about my less than perfect technique with chopsticks and lack of acknowledgement of seemingly elementary Chinese dining etiquette. 

I swallowed my pride and welcomed their advice, especially after they told me that they had a large family dinner planned for next week, during which I will be introduced to the family and no doubt evaluated by their standards for a well-mannered Chinese woman.  Let's hope I learn fast. 

I have no more time, but so much more to say.

I have taken over 1,600 photos to date on this trip- so be prepared for one big slideshow.

Take Care,

 

Shirah-- aka Yung Wu (a Chinese name given to me by a group of college students-- it means "the sun is high in the sky")