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December 10, 2000
Saturday in Changsha (2)
We strolled for a time enjoying watching the crowds, the carnival rides, and the boats on the lake. The park, like everyplace in China, is undergoing construction. Every time I visit some project is completed and another begun. We sat by the lake and finished our bread and shared mandarin oranges. They are small and incredibly sweet. A woman from a nearby table came over with a plastic bag and picked up the trash around our area. Another woman came and stood a foot or so from Kathy and stared in quiet amazement at her. Kathy said hello in Chinese and the woman gave a faint smile but the look of surprise never left her face. She stood over Kathy for many minutes, her eyes never left Kathy's face, and she never spoke. Later Kathy speculated that it maybe her natural red hair that drew the woman's attention.
We left by a different gate I had discovered during an earlier bird watching expedition. It passes by a city landfill surrounded with shanties. The road turns away from the landfill and you immediately walk into an area filled with new apartments and construction. The landfill had been extended into the park proper, the shanties were gone, and the construction had moved another 2 blocks into the landfill itself.
We walked through dust filled air. We walked by cement trucks, a few old homes and shops still standing on one side of the street, rubble from demolished buildings, large expanses of empty land with pile drivers, and enormous new buildings with walls and locked gates.
Another cab took us to McDonalds for lunch. I never eat McDonalds in the U. S., but in China it is a treat. Then we shopped in the "Foreigners Store," which is owned by Japanese, for food we cannot find in our local shops and Christmas decorations for the Americans who will be here over the holiday.
Kathy bought some Christmas lights for her room and asked the clerk to plug them in to test them. He did so and by the time they had completed the project they were surrounded by around 15 curious Chinese leaning over and peering around one another in order to discover what this strange foreigner was up to. Whenever any of us stop to shop we are immediately surrounded by curious Chinese peering over our shoulder and watching our every move. Adam joked about asking the store to hire us. Every morning they could just decide what merchandise they wanted to move that day and have the foreigners shopping in that area. They would be assured of a crowd.
We shopped for food essentials in the basement grocery store of this seven-story department store. I'd forgotten how crowded it was on a Saturday. I just needed Cheese and bread, staples I can't get in ordinary Chinese markets. Adding to the cacophony of the crowd were people hawking merchandise through megaphones. In one part of the store there were two people standing 5 feet apart, both shouting into very loud megaphones in a competition for customers.
We arrived home for a short rest and then the four of us were hosted to a performance by the students and faculty of the University. It was held at a large theater in the heart of Changsha. It was a sell out crowd. A large bus transported the foreign teachers to the theater. The University had graciously included Keren and Adam.
We were seated in the 14th row off to one side. A few minutes after we were seated the director of the theater came to us and moved to seats in the 4th row in the center. Only 3 seats were available there so Kathy, a foreign teacher from Russia, and I were moved. The other foreign teachers stayed were they were because they were younger. I was directly behind a gold medal winner from the Olympics and the Secretary General of the Communist Party of the Province. The gold medal winner was a small woman who won her medal I weight lifting.
As usual, I had no idea what to expect. Normally I do not know what adventure awaits me when invited to go along with Chinese friends. The curtain lifted on a 50-piece orchestra and a 150-voice chorus. I settled in for a spectacular night of theater including music, dance, martial arts, gymnastics, and poetry.
After the theater we returned to our bus and were seated. Then students crammed into every available space on the bus and we returned to campus in high spirits. A perfect end to a perfect day in China.
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