"It Was a Rich Day"

by Teri Evans Calvin

It was a rich day.
Prosperity of heart and soul.
Scents of the culture,
tastes savored.

The universal smile,
bright eyes reflecting mine.
Genuine joy of breath -
exhaling life.

Hearts in rhythm,
pulsing with mine.
Tender warmth,
radiating as my own.

Strange voices,
perception nonetheless.
Cheerful sounds,
Gentle but precise.

Impatient for the sun.
Waiting for the breeze.
Delighting in the flora.
Damp rains.

The comfort of unity
like I belong –
It was a rich day -
China in my view!


A friend of mine invited me to join her in China with Global Volunteers. We both had volunteered previously, and are adventurous travelers. I researched Global Volunteers' internet site, talked to their representatives in St. Paul, MN and communicated with other volunteers with Global who had volunteered in China. I took the plunge, which was rewarded with an awesome experience.

For two weeks, Monday through Friday, I taught conversational English, pronunciation, and comprehension to students with various levels of English understanding. I tried to adjust my teaching experiences to meet their needs. Most of the students were Han Chinese from various provinces. However, one group, were Uyghurs from Xinjiang province. These Muslim students had their own language and customs, including dietary requirements. The Uyghur students are learning Mandarin, the Chinese national language, as well as English.

The administrators and students were warm, friendly and eager to share who they are. They were also very interested in Americans and our way to life. It was a living experience of a cultural exchange. We were treated with courtesy, curiosity and warmth throughout China.

I do believe that World Peace does begin through mutual international understanding, which is one of the philosophies of service with Global Volunteers. I am eager to learn more about the language, customs, history and the people of China since I have returned and have devoted my
reading to such a task.

I felt that I made a “difference” and I was gifted with a rewarding experience.

Thought for the Day: "You will miss 100% of your shots you don't shoot..."

Journal by: Anna Morgan

It seems to me Thursdays and Fridays are the hardest days for me to wake up. Somehow I managed to wake up around 6:30 to get ready for breakfast. At 7 o'clock I'm down to our little room and hungry. Once breakfast is finished we are off to teach the English teachers the knowledge we know.

For my mom and me we were ready to teach them fun and exciting activities. We answered questions then wrote a note to Anne saying " Our students would appreciate it if you came in and sang some songs in a free time." Seconds after she got that note she was in our room singing away! The teachers loved it!! When my mom and I squeaked and squawked trying to sing along, our students somehow covered up our furious singing with their angel like voices. Once that was done we were doing many different skits and paper activities. In the afternoon the whole team came to play some games with the teachers.

We had basketball, charades, and "can't say yes can't say no". Many of the female teachers were wearing high heels but still played perfectly fine. These games went on for 2 hours. In the end, the students gathered together to say their good byes to Anne and Lynn. Then everyone was off for the weekend.

Journal by: Claudia Bailey

After a hearty breakfast and journal reading by Lynn, we made a quick stop in our respective rooms to gather our teaching materials. Sunny weather greeted us as we boarded the bus and we again marveled at Mr. Fonges ability to find new routes to campus in record time. We dispersed to the 3rd floor classrooms to await our teachers/students. Lynn began class with dictation from a CHINA DAILY article about exploding watermelons. This led to a short discussion centered on chemical treatments of crops. Our main discussion topic focused on teacheres responsibilities, student attitudes, and freedom of activities for students during campus life at commuter vs. boarding campuses. We also encouraged the teachers to work on selecting topics for their speech to be given next week and making an outline. A few songs rounded out the morning.

After lunching at the hotel, we returned to campus for a short lecture by Susan and Anna. Susan related regulations and events associated with adoption of Chinese babies by non-Chinese. Pictures and comments poignantly documented the development of her loving family which welcomed 2 orphans from China. Anna also shared some of her experiences in welcoming her little sister. to the family, some humorous moments when her American classmates discovered her parents. were not Chinese, and discovering her 2 siblings, also adopted and now living with other adoptive families in the US. After a few Q and Aes, the team had a little time to devote to shopping and headed off to the Bird and Flower Market. Entering the jade market, we were overwhelmed by the multiple floors crammed with booths displaying jade in every imaginable form.

Between our limited time frame and the prices, we were soon exiting this area and moving on. We dispersed into the Bird and Flower Market proper and Susan, Anne, and Lynn made selections from various booths: a beautiful figurine, colorful shadow puppets, an other items. I noted that business must be good. since many of the proprietors were seated in front of laptops.

Catching a cab for our return to the hotel was a challenge but we all made it back safely in time to enjoy yet another good meal. Planning for our morning of group learning and afternoon of games. kept us occupied until we fell into bed for a nightes sleep

Thought for the day: Peace begins at home, but it can be infectious.

Journal by: Lynn Murry

We met for a quick breakfast at seven AM and Warren gave a synopsis of our planned activities. Ann read the journal entry for Tuesday and we scattered to pick up our materials for class. Mr. Fong was right at the door at 8AM to whisk us to the university and so began our day.

Claudia and I went through a wealth of material beginning with charades (at which they excel), proceeding to contractions, pronunciation and discussion, and ending with a word puzzle that ends by providing a phrase describing a picture that appears below the puzzle. Since it took me a while to solve the puzzle, my guess is most of them will spend quite a bit of time on it. One student explained that this puzzle type was not new to them because such puzzles appear in their newspapers as they do ours.

We had lunch in the porridge restaurant on the first floor—excellent as usual (potatoes, tofu, BBQ, beef and egg, dumplings and soup. There was a little time for shopping, lecture prep, and rest before returning to the university to go on our field trip.

We visited the Flying Tigers Memorial. It is very close to the city and 6800 feet above sea level. The memorial consisted of two parts, spires and a separate piece of marble that explained the reason d‘etre.

Warren spoke a few words in honor of the fallen pilots, saluted and placed a bouquet of flowers at the base of the spires. The rest of the group also laid flowers down before the memorial. Chris

translated for the students in case they were not following all the words.

The mountains in which the memorial is located were very green with pines, spruce, laurels, peaches, etc. and very moist as evidenced by at least two types of mushrooms growing among the grasses.

All of us walked to an open area in the trees and learned to dance with our Yi and other indigenous peoples. Although it was hot and humid, there was great participation; and a good time was had by all.

Volunteers had dinner at a very fine Moslem restaurant. We had lots of lamb, fresh tofu, mushrooms and bok choi, sweet pumpkin, and a very good cabbage and chicken broth soup.

Thought for the Day:

To Learn of the Pine, Go to the Pine.

Japanese Poet: Basho

Journal by: Gretchen Webster

Monday morning brought us all back together for an 8 oeclock breakfast. As we were discussing the plan for the day and Warren told us we would have a free morning, his cell phone rang. Chris was in the lobby. Suddenly our free time turned into: Give us 10 minutes . Weell be right down!

Taking off in the van we spent the morning walking around the new Kunming University, driving around the new Yunnan University and the New City with Chris pointing our all the places of interest, including the wholesale district for global exports, the offices and apartments for dignitaries and important political people, plus the very new and beautiful middle school for their children. It was all very interesting. We had been looking forward to this tour and had it on our Important things to do list. We returned to the hotel for lunch in the Porridge Restaurant and then gathered our materials for afternoon classes of Group Instruction.

Warren visited each class and discussed the field trip to the Hump Memorial for Flying Tigers that would be Tuesday afternoon. He handed out a short paper explaining the significance and history so the students could have an introduction to this special place that honors the volunteer Flying Tigers during WW II.

We returned to the hotel after our classes that ended about 5:00. We had a short meeting at 6:00 in the library to discuss the programes progress so far and what is coming up in the next couple weeks.

A short walk with umbrellas in hand, took us to Mama Fues . a favorite dinner place for Global Volunteers. Most of us enjoyed Pizza and Wine and a couple adventurous teammates enjoyed/endured a SPICY Thai Salad.

Thought for the day:

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. -Lao Tzu

Journal by: ANNE BENAQUIST

Today was a free day, so we pursued various interests at our personal choice of energy level. Warrenes cold was --about 70%. better, so he took it easy most of the day. Claudia and Gretchen discovered a pastry shop and a scarf store and discovered the road theyed been searching for to Mama Fues Restaurant. Susan and Gretchen used their coffee coupons in the hotel coffee shop and had a nice long chat.

Lynn and I went to the Stone Forest. Our driver didnet speak English and our Chinese was about the same, so he stopped en route and picked up his teenage daughter, who served as translator. They dropped us at the entrance to the SF, where we wandered happily for several hours, taking many photos. The day was overcast with occasional drizzles until about noon, so we were quite comfortable walking around.

The many rock formations were large and dramatically colored in various shades and patterns of white, grey, and black. From a distance they seemed to resemble buildings or creatures. Our guides had already eaten when we returned, but they recommended a nearby restaurant and we had a good lunch, seated at a low table on elementary-school-size stools. After we left Stone Forest, we visited one of Lynnes students, May, and her husband and niece for tea, apples, and cookies. They were great hosts and we had a fine time. Our guides took us home around 4:30 and we all had dinner together at 6:00 as usual except for Anna and Susan, who were out with friends. It was a lovely weekend.

Thought for the day: "O' call back yesterday. Bid time return." -Shakespeare

Journal by: Susan Morgan

Despite still feeling a bit "under the weather," I was eagerly anticipating our free time visit to the Yunnan Jiu Xiang scenic area. Listed as a national scenic spot and historical site, national AAAA tourist area, national geological park and a member of International Association of Caves, Jiu Xiang Scenic spot covers a total area of 167,014 square kilometers. It is 90 kilometers away from the provincial capital Kunming and only 34 kilometers away from the famous Stone Forest. Ann, Anna, and I had decided earlier in the week to travel to the caves together.

Ann worked hard making all of the arrangements through the hotel's travel agency with help from Colin, Bella, and the other extremely capable Assistant Managers of the Golden Spring Hotel.

The three of us "adventurers" left the hotel lobby about 8:30 am. Our young driver, speaking no English, drove us a short distance away before stopping the car and motioning for all of us to get out. We were ushered towards a small group of men standing together where money was exchanged. After a brief conversation among the group, we followed an older driver to his car, a grey Honda, and got in. He also spoke no English but I introduced the three of us, the best I could manage, as Americans who were in China as English teachers. He seemed very nice and was an excellent driver, the heavy car giving a smooth ride like a hot knife through butter. The long drive to the cave area was filled with bumper to bumper traffic, rough roads,

and smells of exhaust from all of the heavy trucks traveling the same route. After a while, traffic thinned out and we moved along the highway at a good clip. Finally arriving at the cave area, our driver parked the car.

After a much needed "pit stop," we rejoined our driver who handed us three entrance tickets. I asked what time we should meet him for lunch in one of the many small restaurants fronting the gate and he replied "one o'clock". Ann, Anna, and I set off eagerly on our great cave adventure. We followed the walkways through increasingly green and forest-like surroundings until coming to a section where a sign indicated a long set of steps down to the rivers edge or a "glass elevator" for the infirm or handicapped sight seer. Fortunately, we chose the elevator, thus saving our feet for the many steps unknown to us yet to come.

After descending the elevator to the narrow river bounded on both sides by steep rock cliffs, we clambered aboard a row boat wearing padded life vests. About eight Chinese young people also climbed in before we set off down the river. The stillness of the surroundings was punctuated by the hum of insects. It reminded me of the cicadas in the States that one often hears on a mid-summer's day. The air was humid and occasionally a drop of water from the greenery above was noticeable. River water, a deep green, reflected the vegetation, overhanging tree limbs, and steep, craggy sides of the gorge. Unfortunately, our idyllic boat ride soon came to an end.

Upon reaching the boat "dock", we clambered out and followed the red arrows along the path. The scenery was jus gorgeous! After awhile, we came to descending paths and narrow steps leading to the caves. It was like entering a gigantic mouth, craggy rock formations looming ahead like giant teeth. Colored lights inside the caverns highlighted the various textures and formations of the ancient rocks. We made frequent "rest stops", especially as we made our way out of the caves.

One of the most memorable spots was a double waterfall, the flowing cascade of water tumbling over the rocky cliff with a deafening roar. I hoped that, as it was nearing two o'clock (an hour later than planned), our driver could still be found. We finally emerged from the caves, then walked many steps (over 300) to the light above. What a joyful sight that was for our aching feet! Our next adventure was taking a cable car ski-lift high above the mountain valley amid fir covered mountains back to the park entrance. It was just glorious despite my fear of heights.

We found our driver waiting for us and then had a nice lunch in one of the many restaurants nearby where he seemed to know everyone. We ordered delicious fried egg, fried rice, and a tasty green vegetable whose name we did not know. Yummy!!

The ride back to Kunming was smooth and quick. An hour and a half before our scheduled meeting in the lobby at 6, we arrived at the hotel and enjoyed a little R & R. Another wonderful meal at Jerome's Cafe, a short walk from the hotel, followed. "Wan an!" to all and to all a good night!