The Government That Stole Christmas

Yesterday's Entry:

There will be no Christmas this year at Pingmin Primary School. Last night, Principal Zhang told me to cancel all our Christmas planned activities. So all the Christmas songs and performances I taught my students, we will no longer perform this Saturday, and the whole Christmas festival we had planned will just be wiped out. I will no longer be dressing up as Santa either, and Christmas 2010 will just be Saturday, December 25th.

Why? I’m not too sure either. Some government officials came this morning and spoke to us teachers for about 10 minutes. They are afraid Pingmin School is being and has the potential of being too influenced by Western values. Thus, no Christmas. Other changes are being made too. The Changjiang Civilian Education Foundation which is connected to the company that founded our school, Tecsun, will no longer be directly managing our school. Instead it will be controlled by the Government, like all the other schools in China. This means all the books for our Morality Class (品德课) that the foundation created itself, and all related Tecsun materials have been taken away. Strangely enough, they even took away a bible that we had in the library. They’ve been celebrating Christmas every year here and more and more Chinese schools are at least acknowledging it, if not downright having Christmas celebrations. And it’s not even about Christianity or religion because there was nothing religious involved with anything we have taught or planned for Christmas celebrations. Also, Morality class is a standard class in all of China, not just specialized to our school, so I’m not sure what they are afraid of.

I am confused and sad. I was really looking forward to celebrating Christmas with the kids and the kids were excited to perform and see me dress up as Santa. Now all of a sudden, we won’t be celebrating together and I can’t even tell them why. They want me to be very vague if the students ask me why, but I can’t even tell them the real answer if I wanted to because this whole situation is so weird and confusing. What’s most confusing is how Principal Zhang and the rest of the teachers are handling it. They don’t seem to be affected at all. They’re smiling and very accepting, and just very 无所谓. Even Principal Zhang, who I have a lot of respect for, I feel like she is just shrugging it off. I believe I know her very well from these past few months. I know how genuine she is about this school, its vision, and its education. I know she does not have the typical Chinese mentality and understands the world outside of China and wants change. And she wants her students to know this too. But even she is unaffected. If I were her and this was my school that I helped build from the beginnings, I would be hurt and angry that someone is taking something I believe in and helped create, away from me. And even if I couldn’t change the situation, I would at least say something and try to argue. But Principal Zhang and the teachers didn’t say or do anything. They are robots that have to accept without even a whimper. They told me this is just how China is. I know they care but they also know that it’s worthless to stand up in China. They have given up even before they started. Today, I have experienced firsthand for the first time, the absence of freedom, and it hurts.

Today's Entry:

It’s 2 hours until Christmas Day. Changes have already started taking place today. A Tecsun related motto has been taken down from the dining area and been replaced by a Government motto. The school sign on the main entrance gate has also been changed. And power is slowly being succeeded to a second grade teacher affiliated with the Communist party.

I feel ashamed that yesterday I thought the teachers didn’t care about all the changes being made. Today, I spent a big chunk of the afternoon with Principal Zhang eating lunch and talking with her. She explained everything to me that’s happening and all the emotions she’s feeling. The Government is afraid of the founder of this school and his company and is afraid that some Western ideas and mentality will trickle down to our school and into our students. I have no idea whatsoever what they can possibly be afraid of. The founder is helping China and doing good. Through the two schools he has created, he has given those children that do not have a good chance to succeed a great education and opportunity. How can the Government see any harm in this? There is nothing “evil” in the education here. It is very similar to any other education at other Chinese schools. There is no Western values, religion, or anything else suspicious being imposed at all. Pingmin students have a good well-rounded education here and the Principal just wants them to become positive members of society, know the difference between right and wrong, be honest, have compassion, not take short cuts, and understand the value of hard work. How at all can this have a negative effect on the kids?

She also told me that right now she is starting to hand over her responsibilities to other teachers, as she will most likely be forced to resign from Pingmin Primary School after this semester. She started to cry. Her biggest fear and worry is not about her own safety and what might happen to her. Her biggest fear is that the kids will grow up and forget any of the moral foundation and critical thinking skills that Principal Zhang has taught them and paved the way for. She’s worried that all the hard work, the six years of education, and positive influences she had on the kids will slowly disappear. I tried to comfort her by telling her how great our students are now because they truly are. You have already influenced them in a positive way and when they grow up, they will in turn influence their peers and the next generation. After I told her this, she smiled briefly and said this is the true sign of success and the thing that would put her most at peace.

How could I have ever doubted that she didn’t care about this school? She loves this school and these students, and watching this succession of power and control go to the Government hurts her so much. She helped create Pingmin Primary School and now all of a sudden her baby is being taken away. She told me why these past days she has acted so nonchalant. A leader is suppose to be strong and shouldn’t let depressing news affect them, in case it would affect the students and teachers around her. Although it’s tearing her apart, she also doesn’t want to bring any other potential trouble to the teachers by causing more tension and riffs.

Other teachers are hurting too, but it’s hard to see because Chinese have to be strong on the outside. Like me, they’re angry, confused, and worried of what might happen. We all think it’s crazy that the Government could think we’re negatively influencing the kids because we know for a fact how obedient, how well-rounded, how happy our students are and how great of a school Pingmin is compared to other Chinese schools. Principal Zhang told me when Government officials were checking up on her, questioned if she loved China and loved the Communist Party. I couldn’t help but laugh. The teachers here love and care for China so much more than the Government does. While we are helping lift people up, they are pushing them back down. It’s so confusing why they are doing this. I always heard stories about the Government, but I never thought I would experience firsthand this kind of injustice.

After we talked, we decided to buy candy and muffins for the kids. Although we can’t celebrate Christmas here, we can at least make them happy and give them some tasty treats tonight. As Principal Zhang was handing the treats out to every class, she was careful not to wish anybody Merry Christmas or say anything related to this holiday. Instead, she told the students she is giving them treats for being such good kids and because they will continue to be good kids. I was also pleasantly surprised tonight. After handing out the treats, Principal Zhang and a few other teachers took me to my room, and to my surprise, they decorated my place with Christmas decorations, a Christmas tree with lights, and had Christmas music playing in the background. We celebrated Christmas Eve together in my room and ate the left-over snacks and treats. These people are so wonderful. They know how sad and disappointed I felt about not having a Christmas celebration here, so they decided cheer me up and come celebrate it with me here in my room. I don’t know how I could have ever doubted the sincerity of these teachers and Principal Zhang. They are one of a kind...as Pingmin Primary School once was.

Huang Yeye

At Pingmin Primary School, there is an older man in his late 70’s known only as Huang Yeye (Grandpa Huang). He is the school’s handyman, and can fix and make anything. He is always working, whether it be making brooms, plowing the fields, trimming bamboo, or shoveling dirt.

Huang Yeye is the type of person that just by looking at him, you know how wise and experienced he is. His face is overly wrinkled from sweating and working in the sun too much. His droopy eyes are a glossy brownish blue. His hands are big and long, accented by his wrinkly skin and long veins and bones. His fingers are long, tough, and strong, and you can imagine how much they have weathered through his whole life of using his hands everyday - pulling, tugging, scraping, lifting, prying, knotting, raking, shoveling, etc... His back is a bit bent humped over, probably from laboring in the fields every day. Huang Yeye doesn’t say much. But just looking at him and being around him, I feel a sense of comfort. He has a certain peace to him too. He doesn’t take much from this world and is content with simple comforts. He will never complain about anything or have any gripes. He can work all day in the fields or scrape bamboo for the rest of his life and he would still be the very same happy Huang Yeye.

On the occasions we do talk, it’s a little bit hard to communicate. Huang Yeye does not speak very standard Mandarin (as he lived is whole life in his village speaking his own dialect) and stutters when he speaks. I wish I could understand and communicate with him better because he is just so full of knowledge and experiences. Recently, he helped me make a fork using bamboo. With a quick carve here and a shave there with a bamboo blade, he transformed a block of bamboo into an elegant mold of a fork. To bend the head of the fork, he first rolled up some bamboo shavings together and lit it on fire. He then put the head over the fire and used his bare hands to rekindle the fire. After 20 seconds or so of roasting, he used a bench to push against the head, and as he pushed, it slowly took on a bent shape finally locking in place as soon as he dipped it in water. He then took a saw to create the four picks on the fork. It really looked like a fork and I hadn’t even started carving out the handle yet. It only took him a few minutes to create this. Every move and procedure was precise and efficient, all stemming from his vast knowledge and experiences.

Yesterday, he even made his own rope! That’s right, he took two long narrow strips of plastic sheet and after mounting a power drill on a chair, he took iron wire and made a hook to attach to the drill bit. He then took the plastic strips and tied them together on the hook. As I turned and held the drill on, Huang Yeye took the rope in his hands as he slowly walked away from me towards the end of the rope. After he got to the end and after the two strands of plastic were thoroughly intertwined and twisted, he tied both ends and slowly started wrapping the rope up so that he can manageably use it later to make his brooms, which are also 100% hand-made. For his brooms, he uses dried out shrubs that have long thin branches and fastens them together with the string. He then takes a wooden handle (that he already shaved and whittled) and fastens it to the shrubs. Huang Yeye has already made 80 of these brooms and they are all look identical and perfectly assembled as if it came out of a factory. He is also the one who made all the bamboo hats that we use whenever it’s raining or snowing. These hats (斗笠) are very laborious because it takes the right materials of bamboo and a lot of weaving. He has also passed this craft to two 6 graders and they currently are learning how to make them under Huang Yeye’s guidance.

It’s not just the knowledge and wisdom that makes me admire Huang Yeye, it’s the whole vibe that I get from him. He is just so at peace with his life, his environment, and the people around him. Huang Yeye is a gentle soul and a simple man. You don’t have to know Chinese to understand this, just stand next to him.

Winter Colors

Today I woke up and thought it was raining outside, except it wasn’t quite rain because it looked as if it was falling a bit slower. As the morning progressed, sure enough it wasn’t raining, it was snowing! And it didn’t stop, it snowed the whole day. Trees became outlined with white, the ground became blanketed with powder, and the mountainsides started to blend in with the white/grayish sky. The students were particularly cheery today, and it was clear from teaching class that they’re mind wasn’t 100% focused on learning today, but on the powdery snow outside. After class, snowballs were thrown and playful laughter filled the air. But today’s weather also had its inconveniences. For one, it was the coldest I’ve felt here and my double socks were not getting the job done. Luckily, Principal Zhang brought a foot heater for me to use at my desk and her mom bought me some comfy warm slipper shoes. The students also had to take extra precautions, and when stepping outside or lining up to go into the cafeteria, they all had to carry umbrellas or they’re bamboo hats. There’s something about the sight of sixty 7-8 year olds lining up outside and all carrying big umbrellas or wearing bamboo hats as big as their bodies that makes being here so special.

The day afterward stopped snowing but snow still covered everything. So naturally, a big snow ball fight broke out after lunch on the field. Unfortunately, it was me vs. 100 plus students and I got pummeled left and right. These students were merciless and some found the hardest snow and stood right next to me and threw it directly at my head. These students ended up being tackled and forced to eat snow. USA! USA!

Hong Kong Visa Trip

My visa ends December 15th, so I must travel outside the mainland and re-enter to activate my double-entry visa, thus enabling me to stay another 3 months. So I decided to take the train for half the day and enter and stay in Hong Kong for a week which is technically China but still considered "outside the country". After spending 3 months in rural China, coming to a modern and big city like Hong Kong feels like I time traveled 50 years into the future. From motorbikes to sports cars, from farms to skyscrapers, from being the only person in a 100 foot radius to being packed in a subway, it's honestly a little bit overwhelming. Everybody has the newest fanciest phones, people are wearing clothes and fashions I've never seen before, there are people that do not have yellow skin, and people are driving on the opposite side of the road! It's definitely interesting how two places of the same country can be so radically different. Not just the appearances and the technology, but the lifestyles, mindsets and culture.

This big city is also a lot different than the big cities in China, notably Beijing and Shanghai. Hong Kong seems to be more like its Western counterparts, with more Western norms and manners. People actually wait for those getting off the subway before they get on. Lines are straight and orderly for the most part. People don’t clear their throat and spit on the streets. Waitresses are more outwardly friendly and smile. Today, when I was eating dinner, the owner even insisted on giving me more rice for free when she didn’t even have to bother. I also went to the Hong Kong Museum of History today. I spent 3 hours there and wish I could have spent more time there. It was fascinating to learn about the whole history of Hong Kong, from old British trading ports, to the Opium War, to the Japanese occupation, to the handing back of power to China. I had these bits and pieces of history in my head before, but today it finally came together and made me realize how truly unique Hong Kong is and how different it is from Mainland China. Spending a week here has also made me appreciate how lucky I am to experience simplicity in a rural area in a world where technology and modernization is quickly dominating every aspect of life. I think that rural areas of China even though may be a little more backwards and less "civilized," life there offers a chance to build friendships on a more genuine basis, to see how strong the human heart and spirit are, and to understand how truly important our environment is to mankind.

Yan Cai and Other Veggies

During this time of year, all the leafy veggies are looking really good. Maybe part of it is due to the everyday care and work the students put into it. They plow and soften the soil, take out bugs by hand, burn old shrubs and add its ash to the soil, and constantly water and fertilize (with our very own fermented poop!). The agriculture methods may be more primitive here but they all grow healthy, big, and no one gets sick.


I still love watching how much the kids eat here. After washing their hands and lining up orderly, they get big amounts of food and eat it all! I can't believe how much they are able to eat. They sometimes even get up to get seconds if there is enough food. They also eat everything that is served to them and are not picky whatsoever. When I was a kid, I know a lot of American kids like me that didn’t touch anything that was green unless forced to by parents. But they eat everything including all the delicious vegetables we grow.




Today, we harvested a type of Chinese long stem green leaf vegetable, which will later be processed into what they call here Yan Cai. This vegetable is not eaten fresh, but preserved through drying and salting. After using an actual cleaver from the kitchen to cut the roots off, we gathered them in baskets and then laid all of them out on flat concrete to dry over night. The students then transferred all of them to some railings and will hang them there until they are dry enough. After a few days, they can begin cutting the vegetables up and adding salt and other spices to begin preserving. It takes about a month before you can start cooking with it, during which the flavor will intensify. According to the lovely cooks here, it's supposedly especially tasty stir fried with some pork. Too bad I have to wait another month until I can try it though!