Teacher Aboard

Log For May 7, 1998, Part 2

THE PORT OF GUANGZHOU

Today the modern port of Guangzhou serves the needs of one of China's Special Economic Zones. The port facility offers docking, warehouses, container storage facilities, as well as railroads for distribution of goods. The primary cargoes handled at Guangzhou includes petroleum, coal, cereals, machinery, fertilizers, metal ores, timber, agriculture, fish products, chemicals, salt, and construction materials.

The Director General of the Guangzhou Harbor Bureau, Mr. Huang Guo Sheng, hosted our crew for a tour of the port facilities. It was evident by the thousands of containers on the site and the constant activity that Guangzhou's role in trade has not declined over these last 2,000 years.

TIN HAU TEMPLE FOR THE PROTECTION OF SEAFARERS

A short way down river from Guangzhou, the crew visited the Tin Hau Temple dedicated to the protection of seafarers. Sculptured or painted figures of gods stand guard in the temple where seafarers can light joss sticks (incense) or make offerings of food. The belief in the dragon as one of their guardian gods can be traced back to certain prehistoric tribes in China. The temple also displayed a stone stele (slab) with inscriptions mounted on the back of a stone tortoise. Symbolically, the turtle can keep these words of the emperor afloat for posterity (future children). The crew enjoyed this opportunity to visit a temple where they might honor Chinese tradition to ensure a safe passage for Pride.

DINING IN GUANGZHOU

The Guangzhou (Canton) region is noted for its exceptional cuisine (food). Cantonese cooking is popular because of its emphasis on freshness and retaining natural flavors. The importance of the Cantonese insistence on freshness is brought home as you pass aquariums and cages on your way into most restaurants. Should you so desire, you may select your main course from the living displays of fish, snakes, eels, turtles, lobsters, pheasant, and geese. We even saw a peacock! In an effort to feed its large population in times of famine, the Chinese have expanded their cuisine to include jellyfish, sea cucumbers, duck's tongue, and chicken feet - in fact, these are considered delicacies. There is even a specialty restaurant for snake and cat. During our visit we were treated to several elegant meals each consisting of twelve small delicately prepared courses that were eaten with chopsticks. A spoon is provided for soup. One twelve course meal included small portions of: pork, chicken soup, barbecued shrimp, lobster, fried rice, mushrooms, spring roll, sliced gourd (squash), fried sweet potato, turtle & eel, bamboo shoots, and assorted fruits for dessert. (Fortune cookies are only popular in America.) The abundant fruit from this subtropical area is used to add to the delicate sweet flavor of some Cantonese dishes. If you choose to cook at home, you can shop at the Qingping Market which is noted for the bizarre animals such as dogs, sea horses, beetles, scorpions, snakes, lizards, hedgehogs, chicken, turtles, rabbits, and fish offered for sale as foods. You can get them dried, freshly butchered, or alive. Some of the dried items are used for medical purposes.

MODERN GUANGZHOU

One glimpse at the stunning array of dazzling new skyscrapers tells the story of modern Guangzhou. Growth is everywhere. Meanwhile a large population of workers goes about their daily lives in anticipation of the ever growing number of jobs these new businesses will offer. As life continues in the interim, the streets are filled with the movements of this large city. Buses, trucks, cars, taxis, mopeds, pedestrians, and bicycles flow constantly in and out of streets exercising the "art of merge" in the absence of traffic lights. Bicycles and mopeds are often given their own lane along the curb. The importance of two wheeled transportation vehicles is appreciated when you see bikes or mopeds heavily loaded with everything from chairs to lumber. We even spotted a moped with a crate on the back packed with four live pigs!

The lifestyle is much the same as in the other Chinese cities that Pride has visited. Most residents live in apartment buildings that rise up 40 stories or more. In the early morning, many Chinese visit parks to practice tai chi or shadow boxing using controlled movements. Shopping also seems to be popular with modern malls offering a wide range of consumer goods, from clothes to electronics.

In the GITIC Plaza, a large beautifully landscaped park, we saw couples flying kites with their child. Since 1979, China has urged couples to have only one child to help curb the ever increasing population explosion. These children are very special to their parents. Since they represent the future of their family, they tend to try very hard in their academic studies. Students have to qualify to attend better schools and must pass tests to graduate and move on to the university level.

Unlike American families that spend a good deal of time traveling, Chinese families stay close to home. They use parks, beaches, shops, and sports arenas. Movies and television are popular. Presently the movie Titanic is a big hit. The sports of interest are basketball, soccer, table tennis (ping pong), swimming, and badminton. In celebration of their Labor Day on May 2nd, the city of Guangzhou hosted games at the GITIC Plaza stadium which were open to everyone, including the Pride crew. Small carnival like games amused folks of all ages while more competitive games were played inside the stadium. Exhibitions (shows) of tai chi and lion dancing entertained the crowds of spectators who attended the games.

The crew proudly brought home a few prizes from the festivities.

SCHOOLS
In cities like Guangzhou, Chinese middle (high) schools tend to be quite large with enrollments of 2,000 students. Although the faculty only teach two or three classes daily, the class size is typically 45 to 60 students. The teachers spend the remainder of their day planning at desks in one large room. In this subtropical climate, air conditioning and heat are not offered. Schools use open windows and terraces for ventilation. Students wear uniforms and sit in desks designed for two. Schools often boast computer labs, science labs, art and music programs, athletic fields, and swimming pools. A typical school day would be:
  1. 7:30 AM to noon: class
  2. noon to 2:30 PM: lunch/break
  3. 2:30-5:00 PM: class
  4. 5:00-6:00 PM: voluntary after school activities, such as sports
  5. 7:00-9:00 PM: class for those who choose special courses.

English is a required subject and by their senior year, some students have excellent English proficiency (ability to speak). I have noted that the students are quiet and attentive as they work. My visits to classes have shown the students to be curious about our schools and the lifestyle of American teenagers. I have left scrapbooks behind in hopes that students will begin to correspond as a means of building this understanding. One major difference, for example, is that students do not have cars and do not date until after graduation.

Conclude with the third part of the May 7, 1998 log.

Return to the first part of the May 7, 1998 log.

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