Homeward Bound (9/5)

And so I arrive at the last of 18 marvelous days in China. Yesterday, went from the rice paddy walk to the 3-hour car ride to Guaying Airport to the 3-hour flight to Beijing to the 3-hour meal with Tonny and his cousins who were visiting. Woke up this morning to an announcement on my phone of a flight delay and I mistakenly thought it the re-scheduled flight was for the next day and my heart sank a bit. When it’s over, it’s over. However, that was my mistake, only a two-hour delay, so went on with the plan to re-unite with my good friend Li and walk in a park before all those hours of sitting. 

 

We went to the nearby Temple of Heaven, a place I recognized as having visited with her on my trip here 7 years ago. There was a crowd of people with laminated papers displayed and was astounded to learn that they were all parents trying to arrange marriages for the children. Like a marketplace of sorts as each apparently extolled the virtues of his or her son or daughter to try to find possible matches. Amazed that in these modern times of online dating (never mind simply playing the field) that the kids would put up with this, but apparently it’s a thing. As my Mom used to say, “Imagine that!”

 

It began to drizzle and we made our way back to my Hilton Garden Hotel to meet up with Tonny and then off to lunch at a precious vegetarian restaurant with those exquisitely-prepared micro-dishes. I took full advantage of Li’s excellent English and had her communicate everything to Tonny that I hadn’t in our two weeks together! 

 

And so discovered what I suspected but missed the confirmation of actual words. He was mightily pleased by the two workshops I had done and anxious to book me for this time next year. I made a few strong requests— more Orff instruments, real xylophones instead of the ringy fiberglass ones he provides, shorter dinners and collaborating with Li so that she also did some of the teaching, a Chinese Orff teacher teaching Chinese Orff teachers. He nodded in agreement and his affable, “Okay!” and it was good to get it all out on the table. 

 

Now at the airport, still a gray rainy day and a hint of Fall in the air. Appropriate weather to close out a most memorable summer of traveling, touring, teaching. As always, a few tidbits to bid farewell to China:

 

• Food is the love-language of the people I’ve met here. Every morning I taught, there grew a little collection of drinks and snacks next to the piano, brought to me by the students to make sure I was properly nourished and express their appreciate. As mentioned several times, banquet after banquet filling my plate over and over again. 

 

• Beer toasting is not just before the first sip. Every time someone picks up their glass to take another sip, the whole table lifts their glass and toasts again. 

(Wine also).

 

• Many places have countdowns at intersection lights telling pedestrians how much time they have to make it across. But there were a few places where I saw the same letting the cars themselves know how much longer the light would be green or when it would turn from red to green. Interesting!

 

• As I’m sure I mentioned in a similar appreciation last year, I find the people vibrant, fun, creative, intelligent and hospitable. Women are open and independent, not meek and subservient. The men (at least in my workshop) wholly expressive in their movement and energy. 

 

The cities are clean and the trains run on time. Never saw a homeless person, no obesity, no guns and school shootings, good health care.  This is not to say that government repression doesn’t exist, but as an outsider, I don’t see it or feel it. Again, the people don’t feel beaten down or fearful and who am I to boast of our freedom of speech when our words are powerless to stop the dismantling of democracy and violation of human rights going on in my own increasingly repressive country. Again, I’m not trying to romanticize, just sharing my personal experiences and observations to offer another perspective to those who only think of sweat shops and Tianmen Square when they envision China.  

 

One final thanks to it all and then on to the journey home.