The Rooftop of the World

Tibet has been on my horizon for as long as I can remember. I heard its mystical call long before I fell in love with China, or even set foot in the country. As a young girl I had read TinTin in Tibet over and over. I wanted the adventure of walking this ancient land, among the supposed Yeti. Maybe I'd even see one?

Long since grown up and stuck in my western mindset, I was not enamored of China. Even though I boast to have the heart of an explorer, I never wanted to come to the Middle Kingdom. Full of western prejudice, I couldn't imagine what there would be here to discover that I might like. Except for Tibet.

My stint in college changed my mind. Good grades earned me a spot on an academic delegation to China for a 3-week seminar on Anthropology and Archeology. In that time, we would travel all around the country, taking in some of the most historic sites and talking with venerated professors. The high point would be to take part in the dig at the Terra Cotta Warrior site in Xi'an.

Although the premise of this trip – especially the dig fascinated me, still I couldn't be persuaded until I saw Tibet on the itinerary: the last week would be spent in Lhasa and surrounding villages.

I was already a grandmother by the time I enrolled in college. How many more chances would I have to visit Tibet? I was sold! Quickly I reserved my spot, forwarded my passport for the necessary visa, and bragged to friends and family that I was going to China.

Did I already mention that prejudice against China in the west? I heard no end of it, until I mentioned Tibet. Then, everyone understood why I would fly to the other side of the world.

Four months from acceptance to the delegation until departure time. I was going to college full time, and working full time. I had no time to worry or wonder what this trip might be like. I certainly didn't anticipate what happened.

Almost from the moment I got to China, with scholars from other universities around America, I was captivated. Admittedly, Beijing didn't quite hit that feeling for me, but as soon as we set off into the countryside: Oh, the poignant beauty! The timelessness! My eyes drank in what my soul had not known it was thirsty for.

It is hard to describe how my life changed during that trip. It was almost an audible 'click' inside me, when I realized everything the west – America holds for truth about China is as far from the truth as possible. Personally, it was like my world had gone from black and white to color. After a lifetime of moving from country to country, city to city, I had finally found where I belonged.

That was in 2008, the year Beijing and all of China shone, hosting the Summer Olympics. I was not remotely interested in that event, once I actually arrived. China has so much more to offer! Bit by bit, like unwrapping a precious gift, our tour guides and professors made sure we delegates realized that.

Unbeknownst to me – and everyone else on the team, Tibet and China have long-standing ties. The Dalai Lama has/had a palace in Beijing, and it was quite common for the country's spiritual leader and political leaders to meet. We learned that Tibet has always been a part of China, and that China has helped raised the province from a feudal system to a region of equality. China has poured money, effort and energy into improving the lives of the people and their children's education, all while protecting and preserving age-old religious rites and temples. In the west, especially America, people have no clue about that.

We arrived in the Spring, just after the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province. Tremors were felt as far away as Xi'an. How my heart ached to see people in that city spread their sleeping mats on the sidewalks, terrified that their house might collapse on top of them while they slept! Their fears were not unfounded: aftershocks were felt for weeks, and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an was closed due to structural damage sustained during the quake.

Because of the quake, the trip to Tibet was canceled. We went to Guilin instead. I should have been disappointed, seeing as Tibet was the reason I had come here to begin with, but by that time, I was so enamored with everything else to see and do in China that it hardly mattered. It was on that trip that I decided to end my life in America and make China my home. I have no regrets.

And I still have Tibet on my horizon. With the new railway, it will be much easier to get used to the altitude. And I do love a train ride! My traveling buddy Gary and I batted Tibet around as a destination for one of our journeys this year. This summer would have been ideal, except for my broken leg. I have to postpone seeing Tibet with my own eyes yet again.

Maybe I'm not meant to go. Maybe Tibet will forever remain a dream for me.   

Things that, Four Years on, I'm Used To

In 2012 I wrote an entry titled similar to this one, only it depicted things I couldn't get used to in China (see Things That, 2 Years on, I cannot get used to entry, posted May, 2012). It included chicken heads and feet, being stared at and not being able to buy any clothes in my size. Now that I've been here twice that amount of time and my health has been restored, I reflect on the things that are so commonplace that I've become inured to them. I'd go so far as to say that these aspects of Chinese society make readjusting to life in the west, however temporary, difficult.

People: Over here, unless I'm in my house, I can count on seeing people everywhere. The crush of humanity on the buses, dodging physically linked groups on crowded sidewalks, having a total stranger share a table with me at KFC – none of this would happen in the States, especially strangers eating together.

By contrast, America seems empty. Even in bigger cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Tampa and Portland, sidewalks are virtually bare and neighborhoods seldom have anyone walking around.

Under the general heading of noise:

Noise is an everyday part of life in China. Walk down any commercial street and you're likely to get blasted with hip-hop music, meant to entice shoppers. Over that, you might have some pretty lady shouting into a battery powered amplifier that broadcasts terrible sound quality. On buses and subways, you might get assaulted by someone – or several someones shouting into their phone, or just to a seat mate.

Sneezing! Over here, I can hear my neighbors sneeze from several buildings away. Apparently, the louder you sneeze over there, the better. In the west, one sneezes as quietly as possible.

Square Dancing: Since this community became inhabited by more than just me and the migrant workers that built it, I've heard the same 7 songs every night. The ladies of our community and the community next door gather to dance away their day's frustrations at the same time each night. If, because of rain, they do not dance, I miss the music, even though when I hear it I feel like grinding my teeth. Can't they find 7 other songs to dance to?

Children are given free rein to do as they wish, including shouting and shreiking, at any time of the day or night. I find that I miss Chinese children's unrestrained glee and playing when I'm stateside, where children are encouraged to use indoor voices, or be quiet lest they bother the neighbors.

Neighbors: From 6AM to around 11PM, there is no doubt I have neighbors. They shout up the building at household members from the parking lot. They are not quiet about closing the foyer door. That aluminum barrier slams and the noise echoes through the concrete stairwell. I daresay even people on the top floor can hear the stairwell door closing. Me, on the first floor, am intimately familiar with neighbors' comings and goings. 

By contrast, in the states, I wondered if I had neighbors. Until I came to China, I didn't know what it really means to be a part of a community.

Now, on to other aspects of life in China that contrast deeply with life in America.

Gardens: Any little available patch of ground is planted. In the no-man's land to the rear of our campus you will find people trudging, pail and implements in hand to tend to their vegetables. You might also smell the (human waste) fertilizer... not a pleasant smell at all. Once, I even saw a man tending a vegetable garden he had planted in a highway median. I doubt that, anywhere in the west, one would find such an abundance of gardens. 

Traffic: In every city I've been to in China, traffic of all kinds is just a crazy proposition. Be you a pedestrian or a taxi passenger, you are taking your life into your hands – or putting it in someone else's hands at every outing. Isn't it a wonder how anybody gets anywhere in China? I've often told my stateside friends who wish to visit that I would have to sedate them before taking them anywhere because they would likely  have a heart attack at some of the traffic doings.

Temperatures: Wuhan has 2 set temperatures: freezer and oven. Occasionally we might enjoy a mild respite from these extremes, but there is pretty much where the thermostat is stuck. I'm used to bundling up in the winter and shedding as much as possible in the summer. If need be, I have a space heater for winter and air conditioning for summer in my home. Everywhere else I might venture, there might not be climate control.

Just about EVERYWHERE in America is temperature controlled: houses, cars, stores, offices. It gets as hot in Texas as it does in Wuhan but it never really bothered me because I went from my air conditioned house to my air conditioned car, drove to my air conditioned office and, after work, went shopping in air conditioned stores. After living in natural temperature cycles since I've been here, it is difficult for me to to adjust to regulated temperatures stateside.

Fashion disasters: I am proud to say that I can now walk right past someone wearing polkadots with plaid or flowers with stripes, and orange shoes that don't match the outfit, without cringing or wincing. Oh, sure: they catch my eye but it no longer hurts. By contrast, in the west, one can see some truly bizarre clothing and acres of nude flesh. After deep consideration, I reason: better to clash fabric patterns than to not cover oneself at all.

Low counters and furniture: I am tall, no doubts about that. When I came here, it took a long time to adjust to kitchen counters that hit me mid-thigh and couches that I have to crouch on rather that sit on. I've made my peace with tiny dining tables at restaurants too: now I automatically adjust my legs so that I can scrunch them under the table. Or, I sit sideways.

Without fail, every time I return to America, I exclaim over the countertops that are as high as my hip and sofas that I can fall into – instead of falling down on. Bathroom mirrors are another plus during stateside visits. Here, my mirror cuts the top of my head off unless I scrunch down.

Crazy things on wheels: I've seen queen sized mattresses, refrigerators, 50 kilo sacs of veggies and huge sculptures of styrofoam on bikes, going down the road. Three or four people, astride an electric scooter, trundling by. It seems that if it needs wheels, the common bike is good enough. Tie it on and make it work.

By contrast, biking in America is a dubious proposition everywhere except a few, select cities. Even then, bikes are for people, not refrigerators. Biking is more recreational than functional in America, for the most part. 

Smells: Some smells in China I don't think anyone could get used to, say: a public toilet. When I leave China, I don't miss those smells at all. Food vendor carts are what I'm talking about when I mention smells. In America, you might smell flowers, belching diesel fumes from buses and car exhaust, but smelling food is not as prevalent as in China. 

And there you have it: things that have become so commonplace in my life that I'm lost without them when I'm not here. What about you? What have you gotten so used to that you don't notice it anymore?

A Story of Graft

There is a man; we'll call him Charlie, who has a school-age daughter. In China as in most everywhere else, people are limited to a choice of schools in their zoned district. Charlie's choice of primary schools is not appealing, so he talked to a colleague whose house lies in a district that boasts a good school. “How can I enroll my daughter in this better school?” he asked Steve.

Steve: “I know someone in the education ministy. You should give me 10,000 Yuan to pave the way for your daughter.”

Charlie handed over the money and waited a month. Competition for school placement is fierce in China, so that amount of time worried him. Would the official respond to the 'gift'? Would his daughter attend that good school? He couldn't bear to wait any longer: enrollment time was just around the corner. Again Charlie approached his friend: “How about my request? Is your ministry friend considering it?”

“You should consider hosting a dinner for him and his officers. That way, you can meet him and show you are sincere.”

Charlie arranged for a banquet in a fine restaurant. The Minister and all of his office staff came. Some brought friends and others brought their family. The all enjoyed a nice meal and took leftovers and extra wine home. Charlie picked up the check: 5,000 Yuan.

Two weeks after that, upon again accosting Steve for news of his application, Charlie learned the minister really likes to go fishing. Steve suggested organizing a fishing party, which is exactly what Charlie did. The ministry workers showed up and everyone had a great time. Some had caught large fish and declared they would take their catch home. Again, Charlie foots the bill: 2,700 Yuan, plus the price of the fish everyone took home, sold by weight.

Whether it had dawned on Charlie by this time that he was being played for a sucker is not clear, and it wouldn't have mattered. He would do anything to gain an edge for his daughter in China's competitive academic arena.  

The final insult came when Steve requested another 10,000 Yuan. “The minister will give it to the school's headmaster as a gift, so that he will enroll your daughter.” Whatever Charlie's state of mind was at that point, still he handed over the money.

This is a true story, related to me by one of my colleagues who teaches part-time in another university.

Whether Steve pocketed the first 10,000 Yuan is not known but could be what had happened, seeing as there was no response from the ministry. The party and dinner... could be perceived as bribes, but with everyone else – office workers, their families and friends involved, it would not have been clear-cut who Charlie was bribing. The last 10,000 Yuan, allegedly given to the school's headmaster, would not be counted as government graft. Apparently, officials in academic circles are not held to the same strict standards of graft President Xi Jinping imposes on government workers, although it would stand to reason that they should be.   

I don't know anyone who could fault the Chinese government's attempt to stop the practice of bribery. The world looks on and are possibly envious of this country's leadership cleaning up the ranks and punishing offenders so publicly. I would imagine that Chinese citizens would be ecstatic at being freed of the yoke of guan xi that has held back less privileged citizens/families for centuries.

Charlie's experience was shocking to me, not just because of Steve's deliberate milking of a hopeful parent but for Charlie, handing over the money – more than his annual salary, presumably without thinking twice about it, and with no regard to China's attempt to expunge graft at all levels.

One of my blogger friends in China talks about that sort of thing. It seems that, in the 'macro' sense – as referenced in Sean Boyce's article: Do You Love Your Culture?  http://blog.chinadaily.com.cn/blog-1369370-29924.html the Chinese are jumping ship altogether: western clothing, restaurants, music styles and the like. In other ways, the undefined – or 'micro' aspects of culture, citizens are fighting tooth and nail to keep those habits/customs alive. To wit: the players in the drama above. Guan xi is an inextricable part of Chinese culture. In spite of any government efforts, it seems the citizens are intent on continuing these unfair practices. Or, maybe they can't imagine getting ahead without greasing a few palms.

What does the leadership of this country have to do to change that?   

American Pride

June 26^th, 2015, America enacted a new law: the right for gay couples to marry. What a momentous occasion! I'm so proud of that country right now.

What does that mean for homosexual couples in America? Before accepting this bill into law, homosexual couples could marry and enjoy the benefits of legal union such as taxation, property ownership, parental and inheritance rights in any of the 22 states that permitted and recognized such unions. If that couple should move to a state where such unions are not permitted or recognized, the couple would not enjoy those rights and benefits, even though their marriage is public record.

That covers the legal aspects of federally sanctioned union for homosexuals. Now, let's talk about historical and social aspects.  

This landmark Supreme Court decision echoes of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Neither President Kennedy nor Vice President Johnson were excited about the idea of signing into law a proposal that would give equal civil rights to minorities. It was a stopgap measure; a way to curb civil unrest that was quickly growing into a major disturbance, with skirmishes exploding in cities across America, especially in the southern states.

President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law just months after President Kennedy's assassination. If the nation was in turmoil over race while the charismatic JFK was in office, it was close to eruption after the slaying. You could say that Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act as a peace offering. It didn't help much because thereafter ensued riots: Chicago, Harlem in New York, Watts in Los Angeles, Detroit, and all over the south.

Nevertheless, minorities in America, specifically of African descent now had rights equal under the law to those of Caucasian descent. Exercising those rights was a different matter altogether. While the law prohibited discrimination, bigotry of individuals took a long time to erase. Some 'white' businesses refused to served 'colored'. Real estate agents would not introduce their 'colored' buyers into 'white' neighborhoods. Job protection and equal wages also suffered from these slights: it was thought that 'colored' schools were inferior to 'white' schools, thus among 2 candidates holding equal credentials for a job, the 'white' would be hired.

That perpetual imbalance is what drove the riots. It took a long time for mainstream American society to accept racially diverse people as equal to themselves, and there are still parts of America where being anything but Caucasian is a cause for concern. 

Of course, these days there are parts of America where it is not a good idea to roam if you are Caucasian, but that relates to gang violence, not directly because of race/ethnicity.

It took more than 40 years to eradicate ingrained prejudice against minorities from the American social landscape – in fact, it is still a work in progress in some parts of the country. It will take that amount of time or longer to recognize homosexuals/ couples as legitimate, contributing members of society. This time, discrimination is not brought about because of an obvious difference such as skin color. Religion seems to be driving this particular brand of bigotry.

In the Supreme Court decision drafted by Justice Anthony Kennedy, he emphasizes that 'religious opponents (of this law) may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction” that gay marriage is wrong. Thus, a landlord opposed to homosexuality because of his religious beliefs can refuse to rent or sell a property to a gay couple. Restaurants, whose religion-based family theme might not support homosexuality can refuse to host, seat and serve gay couples. Adoption agencies funded by religious organizations can refuse to permit a gay couple to adopt, even if they meet all of the psychological, social and financial criteria.

In short: homosexual couples have gained rights but no new avenues to exercise them. Unlike civil rights for minorities, there cannot be any enforcment of these equal rights for gays because religion is a subjective, personal preference, and religious freedom is protected by the U.S. Constitution.   

My thoughts on homosexuality are neither here nor there. However, I stand firmly on the side of civil and human rights. Although the American governement has gone a long way toward recognizing marriage as beyond the traditional religious definition - 'between man and woman', there will be a long way to go before homosexual marriage and family model can be woven into American society.