My China Experience Part 8

Here are a few more images from the tennis in last chapter.

Even the tennis had to end, so we all said goodbye.

Jean called me this morning and asked if I wanted to go with her to a bakery here in town run by a real nice man from Poland. I accepted her invitation. We started walking across campus and out the front entrance on Nongye Road. We had to cross. This is a major road with 4 marked lanes each way. Also a few assorted lanes of “other” traffic to deal with. After a few minutes we can our chance to cross. Take a right and not to far down we are there. E. Wedel Bakery on Nongye Road near Wen Hu Lu. Jean introduces me to the owner, a younger man named Voytek. He is a very friendly person. You can reach his bakery at 0371-67925991. Voytek welcomes me to his store and explains about a few of his creations. I bought something that looked like a pastry, well sort of, but was more of a sandwich with cucumber, onion, tomato and a little meat inside. I’ll try this at home a little later. Voytek invites us to sit and talk a few minutes. He explained how he made the front page of the newspaper the other day because he drove a small motorcycle with no tag and was caught. The police officer wanted to be a little famous, so HE called the newspaper to send a reporter out immediately. They did, including a photographer. They impounded his bike, took his license and a 5000 rmb fine. Voytek explained how to get a drivers licenses here in China, as well as the best brand electric scooter to take me around when I’m ready. We talked teaching, photography, travel, and a few more topics. A very enjoyable morning. I’m sure I’ll see him again.

Later the same afternoon, Jean asked my if I wanted to join her at the market across the street. She was going there for eggs, and to an area of the market I have not seen yet. I could use some eggs and maybe some veggies, so we go. We stopped in several office supply stores in that market continuing to look for simple manila folders. They never heard of them. I had Lee write it in Chinese so it would be easier. No luck. We were shown everything from loose leaf binders to plastic folders, but no manila. Farther on we see fruits and veggies. I see eggs ahead on the right, a LOT of eggs. Almost everyone here sells eggs loose…by the piece, as in 1 egg. They are not in cartons of any type. She hands you a plastic bag, you add as many as you like, then she weighs them for you. There was also a box of "special" eggs. These were duck eggs buried in the hot mud for months, sort of cooking the eggs. I have some at home, not to my liking. It has to be a very cautious walk back or we have a great big omelet. I grab 8 eggs, then look some more. Now some carrots. These are straight out of the ground, dirt and all. First I thought it would look so much nicer it they were washed at least a little. These farmers are quite smart. You buy carrots by weight. Dirt has weight. The more dirt on the carrots the more you pay. I bought 3 big carrots for tomorrow. We walk a bit and I see some strange looking stores. These guys make, store and sell sesame oil for cooking. Some very big colorful storage containers in a small warehouse right next to where it is made. Small kids playing in front of the containers. Another small boy eating a piece of watermelon. Here comes a small bakery I think. This place makes some sort of cookies or crackers. I see some that vaguely resemble Saltines. I look and she hands me a sample. Not too bad, but a lot harder then Saltines and no salt. I had an urge, so I buy a bag. I’ll let you know later how they taste with coffee.

Good afternoon. It’s about 4PM and quite hot outside. I went for a nice walk this morning on campus from about 9-11AM. I watched the tennis school for kids again today. There is some real talent there. I printed three 5X7’s for the three girls I shot the other day. They were very excited about getting them. I took a few shots today of a couple of the boys. As I walked, I was admiring the campus and people watching. I like that part. I had my big zoom on my camera so I did not have to get too close to my subjects. I saw a woman and a small child ahead. It looked like a grandma and a baby. As I raised my camera to shoot, she saw me and picked up the baby and struck a great pose. It looked so good that I wanted to show her. As I came closer to show her, the baby locked eyes on this real big person, with glasses and a beard about to violate her personal space. Her eyes bugged out and she screamed. I apologized as best I could as I backed up quickly. Grandma was laughing.
A little farther on, I saw a nice little area like a park. I sat for a while. A Chinese man approached me. He was a bit older then me, and appeared to want to strike up a conversation. I said hello, and that was all it took. He spoke pretty good English. As we talked, my head was turning to look for any good shots that may appear. We were talking about travel, politics, teaching, photography and a few other topics. Another small child saw me and approached, at least a little. As soon as he saw me looking at him, he came to a screeching halt. Thanks to that long lens, I got a few nice shots. Before I knew it, we had talked over 30 minutes. He gave me his phone number and told me where his office was. I was invited to stop by any time to talk more.
I was invited to dinner last night by Lee and she invited her best friend. We went to a strange, but very nice restaurant. It’s outdoors, all of it. It takes up a large area in a mostly residential area. When you arrive you need to go to the main sales counter to purchase tickets in whatever amount you like. Then you need to TRY to find a table. I said try because this place is very popular. We walked a bit then spotted an empty table, so we grabbed it. You have to place a drink or pile a few rocks there as to stake your claim like the miners did in the Gold Rush. Then we walk around and look. There has to be at least 50 booths set up here. Each has it’s own chefs and specialty food it prepares. Some make one or two different foods, while some make maybe fifteen different ones. Each priced differently. You see something you like, talk to the order taker there and pay him in those tickets you bought. You then tell him your table number and the food is brought to your table. I must have asked Lee 20 times…what’s this?...what’s that?...is THAT what I think it is? Some of the chefs are a little flamboyant and put on a little show for guests. There is this one noodle chef. He makes the dough himself, then he manipulates it so it winds up looking like a rope about ½” wide, and he coils it in a big spiral on a metal tray. He places the tray on a table about 4 feet from a big steaming pot, maybe 6-8 times bigger then my mom’s biggest cooking pot. He picks up the end of this ½” rope, starts to manipulate it, twist it, twirl it, and throw it into the air. He does this constantly for about 5 minutes or longer. All this time, the ½” rope is getting thinner and thinner, ending up no more then 1/8” thick, maybe thinner. The end of the rope lands in that real big boiling pot 4 feet away. He keeps up his little noodle rope dance in a blurring speed. There is noodle filling the air. A crowd gathers to watch this spectacle until the whole thing is in the big pot. It was impressive. We ordered a bowl for me. My bowl arrived and I was soon made aware that I bought one real long noodle. Eating it with chop sticks was a chore. Lee and her friend keep looking at me, mumbling in Chinese and smiling. It seems they are impressed at my chop stick expertise. There is another chef boot all alone, about 10 feet from me to my 5 o’clock position. Every now and then I hear a deep drum beat, maybe 2-3 then it stops. By the time I turn to look, it stops. Finally I got to catch him. He has a real big, I mean big wok at one end, then a tan square table looking thing maybe 2x2 feet and a wooden basket after that angled a little towards the tan table thing. On top of the table thing are two rows of three 6” metal saucer looking things. It’s actually two 6” metal saucer things stacked up loosely together at each spot. This chef bends down near the big wok. He is cooking of fixing something in the wok. In a moment, he stands up with three white meatball looking things in his hands. Everyone watches as he throws them one by one, quickly at the center of that tan table. Well, I can now see it’s not a table It’s a big drum. Those meatballs strike the drum between the metal saucers making a sound very like a tambourine from the saucers all rattling and the drum beats…boomboomboom, then it plops into the basket at the other end. There is something in the basket that completely covers the white meatballs, which are then placed on a plate and brought to the buyer. Lee asks me to follow her, so I do. She takes me inside a building nearby. There are about 150 people in this air conditioned building at tables and in chairs looking towards a stage in front. In a minute a woman comes out singing. I am at the Henan Opera. Rather famous I understand. The first singer seems good to me. The second one comes out and starts to sing. If I close my eyes, it sounds exactly like Edith Bunker yelling at Archie and meathead. The third one is the most famous actress in Henan province and one of the most famous in all China. She talks a bit, then starts to paint…paint a picture…at the opera? I guess so. She paints flowers on the left side. It looks good. Then she starts to write in Chinese some sort of poem on the right. It seems she is also very famous for her outstanding penmanship. Famous for neat writing? Ok. All the people in this audience, except for Lee and I are higher ranking government workers. After the painting is complete, a round of applause and the painting is given as a gift to the leader of this group. Lee orders two beers for us to share. It’s a local one, but I try some. It’s not too bad, though not very cold. Remember, they like warm drinks here. Lee has about ½ of one bottle an I can see her eyes get that glazed look. She’s had it. Glad we are not driving. We sit and talk a while. I ask Lee if she’s ready as most people are leaving. Nope, not yet. Talk more. ½ hour later everyone is gone but us. Her friend lives an easy walk from here. We do not. I’m lost up here. We finally get to the road and there are no cars in sight. The road is dark. Uh-oh…no taxis in sight either. Lee and I start to walk towards the light. Remember this part it’s important….if you get hit by a car or suffer a heart attack, DO NOT walk towards the light, but if you need a taxi, then it’s ok to do so. Those lights wind up being about ½ mile away. Whew. Finally we get one and head to my home.

I revisited that children’s tennis class I mentioned earlier. It seems a few of the kids, a few moms and the coach are all accepting me more and more. I get very friendly smiles and hellos from them all. I wanted to try to get the names and ages of a couple of the kids. This is Guo Hanyu. She is 8 years old. Her mom is Li Huan Lan and she hopes her daughter will become a professional tennis player one day. From what I see her do, I believe it is very possible. This little lady makes some great tennis moves already. In a few years, if you see her as a new tennis star, remember you saw her name here first. Another one that caught my eye is Li Shuxin. Li is 2 years old, and already likes tennis. Her mom is Zhao Li. This is one very pretty young lady, and she swings a mean tennis racket. This is the coach. He talks loud AND carries a big stick. He pushes these kids very hard, but as he turns his face away from them I can see a small smile on his face. He cares for these kids and they know it. It reminds me of the relationship between Olympic hopeful gymnasts and their trainers. For some unknown reason, this following ling may or may not work as a click on link. You may have to cut and paste this link to get there. Sorry for the link problem but cut and paste DOES work. Thanks.
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