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
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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
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 Years 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 Years 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
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