2009.02.06: February 6, 2009: Headlines: COS - China: Older Volunteers: Daily Journal: Seventy-five years into her life, Carol Preston signed up for a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps in China to prep local instructors to teach English to other Chinese

Peace Corps Online: Directory: China: Peace Corps China : Peace Corps China: Newest Stories: 2009.02.06: February 6, 2009: Headlines: COS - China: Older Volunteers: Daily Journal: Seventy-five years into her life, Carol Preston signed up for a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps in China to prep local instructors to teach English to other Chinese

By Admin1 (admin) (151.196.6.74) on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 - 5:40 pm: Edit Post

Seventy-five years into her life, Carol Preston signed up for a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps in China to prep local instructors to teach English to other Chinese

Seventy-five years into her life, Carol Preston signed up for a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps in China to prep local instructors to teach English to other Chinese

I do have to tell the following rather long story because it shows how some things work in China. I went with another Peace Corps friend, Gayle, who is in her first year here, and she had made the arrangements with a travel agency. At the airport we were supposed to be met by a guide who would see us to the plane. We had a phone number in case he didn't show, and we had to use it after waiting 15 minutes past the scheduled time. Whoever answered did not speak or understand English, so I gave the phone to a Chinese lady at the Information Booth, and she did not get any better results. But she did find our names in her computer and told us where to go. After waiting a long time at the boarding pass desk, we got to the front of the line, the fellow took our passports and printed out boarding passes. Unfortunately the travel agent had spelled my name C-A-R-O-T instead of C-A-R-O-L. He said I couldn't possibly use that pass because it didn't match my passport. I said, "But I am the same person!" No go. Then I said, "Couldn't you just mark an ‘L’ over the ‘T’?" NO! Then he called another person, apparently a supervisor, and after extensive conversation (in Chinese) the supervisor told me to come back in 10-20 minutes, which I did. The new one printed out the same way. (At this point Gayle was ready to forget traveling in China.) Then he said I should buy a new ticket, and the money for this one would be refunded. I told him this was a special package deal, and that I didn't have enough money to buy a regular ticket. Finally he took me to another desk, and after another extended (Chinese) conversation with the lady there, she took a black pen and marked an ‘L’ over the ‘T’! So then we were good to go and just in time for boarding. All this had taken over two hours! But that was the only glitch in what turned out to be a nice vacation.

Seventy-five years into her life, Carol Preston signed up for a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps in China to prep local instructors to teach English to other Chinese

The Far East: From China with love — Hello again

Carol Preston

February 6, 2009 - 11:59 p.m. EST

Seventy-five years into her life, Carol Preston rearranged her world completely. On July 7, the Salem resident signed up for a two-year stint with the Peace Corps in China. Preston, who is a retired teacher, will prep local instructors to teach English to other Chinese. Preston has agreed to share her experiences with Daily Journal/Daily Messenger readers from time to time in this column.

Beginnings and endings are always difficult — even in letters! January was an interesting month with the ending of the first semester and beginning of the l-o-n-g "Spring Festival" holiday. (We would call it vacation; the Chinese call it "holiday.") Although so far it hasn't been as cold as last year, it is still a challenge to deal with it. I have taken to getting dressed standing on a chair, because the heaters are up high, almost on the ceiling, and you know where heat goes. Thanks to the thermometer given to me by kind friends last summer, I know the temperature in my main room doesn't get above 65 degrees. For 50+ years I lived with my husband who liked indoor temps at 72 or better, so it takes getting used to. However, I know it is said that the lower temperature is better for one's health, and it must be true because I have been amazingly free of any kind of cough, cold or any other illness. What amazes me is seeing so many women OUTSIDE knitting with bare hands!

One of the highlights of the month has been a trip to Guilin — said by some to be the most beautiful city in China. It is in Guanxi Province in southeast China, and it does have unusual and lovely scenery even in this dead of winter. If you know the word "Karst," you might be able to imagine what it is like. It was the first time I had seen anything like this: pointed hills (mountains?) with lots of caves, tunnels, natural bridges, etc. Also it was warmer and clearer than here. And we had darling tour guides all the days we were there.

I do have to tell the following rather long story because it shows how some things work in China. I went with another Peace Corps friend, Gayle, who is in her first year here, and she had made the arrangements with a travel agency. At the airport we were supposed to be met by a guide who would see us to the plane. We had a phone number in case he didn't show, and we had to use it after waiting 15 minutes past the scheduled time. Whoever answered did not speak or understand English, so I gave the phone to a Chinese lady at the Information Booth, and she did not get any better results. But she did find our names in her computer and told us where to go. After waiting a long time at the boarding pass desk, we got to the front of the line, the fellow took our passports and printed out boarding passes.

Unfortunately the travel agent had spelled my name C-A-R-O-T instead of C-A-R-O-L. He said I couldn't possibly use that pass because it didn't match my passport. I said, "But I am the same person!" No go. Then I said, "Couldn't you just mark an ‘L’ over the ‘T’?" NO! Then he called another person, apparently a supervisor, and after extensive conversation (in Chinese) the supervisor told me to come back in 10-20 minutes, which I did. The new one printed out the same way. (At this point Gayle was ready to forget traveling in China.) Then he said I should buy a new ticket, and the money for this one would be refunded. I told him this was a special package deal, and that I didn't have enough money to buy a regular ticket. Finally he took me to another desk, and after another extended (Chinese) conversation with the lady there, she took a black pen and marked an ‘L’ over the ‘T’! So then we were good to go and just in time for boarding. All this had taken over two hours! But that was the only glitch in what turned out to be a nice vacation.

Back in Chongqing four days later, it was approaching time for the Chinese Lunar New Year. This year it was Jan. 26. I have never SEEN such excitement — not even at Christmas time in the U.S.! Maybe it was more this year because of the natural disasters that occurred in China in 2008, but display of goods and the number of people shopping were incredible. Then the New Year's Eve arrived with entire extended families reuniting from wherever they have been. Record train and bus crowds this year. And the FIREWORKS — mostly on their New Year’s Eve but lesser explosions all around for at least two weeks. I have some idea of what it must be like to be in a battle zone — only without the fear of my loved ones or me being injured or killed at any moment!

I was lucky enough to share the New Year’s Eve dinner and evening with the same family as last year, and doubly lucky to spend the evening before that with my "adopted granddaughter" and her mother and father who were spending this holiday time in Chongqing in a rented apartment. It was the first time I had met Zoe's parents, and they were as kind as almost everyone else I have met here. I keep talking about the Chinese people, but I cannot adequately express the warmth, welcome and generosity they extend to me and others. Lately I have been reading a lot about different kinds of love and how that is what religion is, or should be, all about. The ones I have associated with are not really "believers" but they do epitomize the best kind of love.

The campus is eerily quiet now, but I am looking forward to meeting my new group of students during the week of Feb. 16.

From China with love,

Carol




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2009; Peace Corps China; Directory of China RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for China RPCVs; Older Volunteers; South Carolina





When this story was posted in February 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers RSS Feed

 Site Index Search PCOL with Google Contact PCOL Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register

PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Date: December 2 2008 No: 1288 PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director
Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

Director Ron Tschetter:  The PCOL Interview Date: December 9 2008 No: 1296 Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

Jan 24, 2009: RPCVs March in Inauguration Date: January 25 2009 No: 1309 Jan 24, 2009: RPCVs March in Inauguration
Peace Corps Community marches in Inaugural Parade 20 Jan
Jane Albritton writes: Memories of Maury Albertson 18 Jan
Sarah Chayes writes: Failing Afghanistan 15 Dec
Volunteers in Guinea are Safe 23 Dec
Jim Walsh reflects on 20 years of service 28 Dec
Public service in Driehaus' blood 3 Jan
An Interview with Kathleen Stephens 3 Jan
Robert P. Cristo returns to Nigeria 4 Jan
Sarah Holt makes 2,663-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail 5 Jan
Zophia Kneiss is metal sculptor 11 Jan
Harris Wofford is Godfather of National Service 12 Jan
Melanie Edwards founds Mobile Metrix 14 Jan
Jody Olsen Named PC Acting Director 16 Jan
Lawrence Leamer writes: Obama betrays the Peace Corps? 18 Jan
George Packer writes: Obama's Inaugural Address 20 Jan
Obama going to do something great for Peace Corps 21 Jan
John Bridgeland writes: Volunteer to Save the Economy 22 Jan
Foy Spicer writes: Electricity as a scarcity 23 Jan
Carl Pope to Step Down as Sierra Club Chief 23 Jan
James Rupert writes: US Missile Attacks Kill 15 24 Jan
Jeffrey Tayler writes "Murderers in Mausoleums" 25 Jan
Read more stories from January 2009 and December 2008.

Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Date: October 23 2008 No: 1279 Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own
Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

PCVs Evacuated from Georgia Date: August 19 2008 No: 1254 PCVs Evacuated from Georgia
The Peace Corps has announced that all Volunteers and trainees serving in the Republic of Georgia are safe and they have been temporarily relocated to neighboring Armenia. Read the analysis by one RPCV on how Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that he could launch a lightning assault on South Ossetia and reclaim the republic without substantial grief from Moscow and that Saakashvili's statements once the war began demonstrated that he expected real Western help in confronting Russia.



Read the stories and leave your comments.








Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Daily Journal

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - China; Older Volunteers

PCOL42775
78


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: