Chongqing pollution

First thing this morning after I walked another PCV to the subway station at the bottom of the hill and said “good luck,” I stopped at the market, just like a local.  The other PCV could easily make it to the subway on her own; she had already made the cross-Chongqing journey without getting lost yesterday, a commendable feat for someone whose volunteer site is a tiny, rural town without even a bus system.  She stayed overnight at my apartment, just one stop on her epic return journey north.  She left facing a subway ride, a 30 hour train ride, and a 7 hour bus ride.  “At some point, it’s worth buying a plane ticket,” I said.  “Yeah, they were sold out.”  And, that’s the conclusion of spring festival 2013 in China.

At the market, I scored in the produce section, where big bags of culled, slightly damaged fruits and veggies are sold for next to nothing.  Cheap food, it’s a PCV dream come true.  In season now are these small, addictive, sweet mangos, so I also grabbed a bag of those.

What I really wanted to do this morning was run, not shop.  It’s been months, way too long, and I’m feeling antsy.  I need to run.  I can’t fully explain it, except to say it keeps me sane, reducing stress so I don’t obsess about world problems.  I can think of many, many reasons to get outside and exercise and one huge reason to stay inside: pollution.

Before I came to China, everyone warned me about the pollution; China has a worldwide claim to fame for polluted cities.  Our 165 page PC China Heath Handbook, says “China is the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, and the World Bank has warned that China is home to 16 of the planet’s most air-polluted cities.  Acid rain hit 30% of China’s total area.”  China has cities more polluted than radioactive Chernobyl, Ukraine! 

I expected Chongqing to be polluted.  

Our Handbook goes on to say that the best time to exercise outside is early morning when ozone levels are lowest and right after or during rain, but not during the first 10 minutes, the acid rain period. 

depressing

In several China cities, the US Consulate monitors and publishes an accurate pollution index.  The pollution index is a compilation of readings, including ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxide. 

Chongqing's reading is not from the US, but it uses the same EPA standards.   On the other hand, the Chinese government's pollution index is 2 to 3 times lower than the US government's, meaning they say it's not as polluted.  For the days that are rated hazardous, I just stay inside as much as possible.

Most days in the winter when pollution is worse, I need to exercise inside with the air purifier running.  At a minimum, I try to do daily 30 minutes of yoga using an app on my iPad, while studying Chinese using ChinesePod on the computer.  It’s genius, except it’s only 30minutes and I’m exercising right next to the kitchen.  I’ll go in for water, get distracted, eat a few bites.  I go back to exercise.  Two hours go by, I haven’t broken a sweat and I’m stuffed.  That’s how I ate both an entire bag of mangos and tangerines this morning. 

view from my window,
can't even see across campus

I gave up and headed up the mountain for a walk in the woods under a gray sky with poor visibility.  It’s now springtime here so trees and plants are blooming and I hear more birds, a perfect time of year for walking.  It’s a beautiful and peaceful scene, and it’s unhealthy.  In bad pollution, I have burning eyes and a scratchy throat that lasts long after I’ve come inside.  No way will I run until the air clears.

In the meantime, I’ll exercise inside with extra attention to kitchen resistance training.  I wish the school had a gym, like US universities, but it doesn’t.  One possibility is to look at public gyms, but then I have to factor in the demotivating factor of having to take a crowded bus.

it's not running

home gym snack bar

changing air purifier filter

nuclear test #3

The question came up so subtly that I almost missed it.  “Did you feel the earthquake? directed to someone describing their spring festival visit to the far northeast China.  Six of us were sitting around a small table at the Library’s English corner talking about what we did over the holiday break.  Everyone gets one week off and goes home, also known as the largest human migration on earth.  Many workers in China only get that one week off each year. 

Yesterday, I was sitting with a group of graduate students who I see almost every week, and we talk often enough that I’ve gotten to know and trust them over the past 6 months.  Still, I tread carefully when sensitive political issues come up.  The PC warns us to not ever talk about the 3 Ts (T---bet, Tai---n, and Tian----Square).  Even during our holiday travel discussion, T---bet came up and I lamely tried to explain why I cannot travel there since the region is currently closed to westerns.

So, I wasn’t surprised when the discussion turned to North Korea.  The earthquake question was asking if N. Korea’s third nuclear test was felt in this student’s hometown, close to the long boarder between China and N. Korea.  The answer was no.  Catching their concern, I asked about China’s response to the test.  “Does China support their nuclear testing?” They all agreed the country doesn’t support it.  “What is the Chinese government doing to stop it?”   That question they couldn’t or wouldn’t answer, so the topic was quickly dropped.

These students have concerns and, at the same time, they think they personally can’t do anything about those concerns.  For example, local people generally agree Chongqing has a pollution problem.  If asked, “Whose responsibility is it to fix the problem?”  They reply, “The government.”  They don’t see that they, individually, can do things to reduce pollution.   

In my western way of thinking, I wonder why the Chinese people are not going crazy about North Korea's nuclear testing.  Where is the popular outcry?  But now that I understand Chinese thinking a little better, I see people trust their government.  Which leads me to wonder why the government is not going crazy.    

True, China and North Korea have strong ties.  One article says, “China is North Korea's most important ally, biggest trading partner, and main source of food, arms, and fuel. China has helped sustain what is now Kim Jong-un's regime, and has historically opposed harsh international economic sanctions in the hope of avoiding regime collapse and an uncontrolled influx of refugees across its eight hundred-mile border with North Korea.”

Given that China has the closest political relationship with N. Korea, isn’t China in the best position to influence and deter N. Korea’s nuclear testing?  Another article gives a disturbing insight; the leaders “of Chinese policy have powerfully and consistently argued that the cost of North Korean nuclear proliferation for regional security and China’s international image is outweighed by the potential consequences for China of stronger pressure or sanctions on North Korea.”

That’s it?  China is trying to “save face?”  Ok, world leaders, do you understand?  How can the western world work with China, while preserving China's status and dignity, to deter N. Korea's nuclear testing?    

Chiang Mai trekking

With detailed travel maps spread out, out-of-date guidebooks opened, and the computer’s open-website tray loaded to capacity, it’s easy to quickly, but dangerously, feel full of traveler’s overconfidence.  “This looks cool! We can go there!”  “How hard can it be?  We’ll arrange everything before we go!”  I know this feeling well as it extends to other parts of my life too, like the time one December when I hatched a now obvious, disastrous plan.  I was sitting in our warm, cozy house with 2 content, warm, quiet, well-fed toddlers when it occurred to me to drive to Idaho City the next day to cut down a Christmas tree, with them, alone (who knows where my then husband was, probably at a yurt skiing for the weekend).  That Christmas tree adventure ended with us all 3 in tears, but we had the damn tree and no one had frostbite, so I counted it a success.

That’s the way I feel about a trip to Thailand with my sister, Judy, who’s mantra for the trip was: “I’m healthy, I’m happy,” repeated so often that I had to summons a well-worn, sisterly threat of death, “If you say that one more time….”

Even with a huge amount of careful, thoughtful planning, things rarely go as expected.  This is one of the laws of travel.  I mean, even taking a cruse, the ultimate I don’t have to think about or plan anything vacation, can have surprises, like when some highly contagious virus takes over the ship.  Fortunately, our trip did not involve any injury or illness, only readjusting expectations and plans.

The readjustment started day one when in Chiang Mai at the highly recommended, but actually fleabag Eagle House hostel where we were promised a jungle trek in a northern national park for 2 people with a guide: “No, not that, you’ll go with 2 other people to a park to the south.”  Then, the 2 people turned out to be 4, our trekking group now at 6.  Then, we were met by another group of 8 who were going on after the first night, our trekking group now at a very international14.  This disappointing, touristy package involved 2 interesting days hiking through hill villages, a depressing 45 minute elephant ride, and then a terrible 1 hour bamboo raft ride on a sewage river with hundreds of other boats.  

With more time and finding a better outfitter, I can see lots of potential for jungle trekking in northern Thailand out of Chiang Mai.  Chiang Mai is like lots of other asian cities: crowded, polluted, and very, very inexpensive.  It's a city full of western tourists and expats.

a few logs for stream crossings

Judy considers the possibility of parasites

we were the oldest in the group,
so overly determined to keep up

because there are no more animals, no birds, nothing,
it's shocking and very sad

end of hike beer

coming into a village

water buffalos on break time

hill village compound where we stayed

no sleep hut hotel

everyone, all 14 of us, piled into one hut

bamboo deck where we hung out and ate.
the drunk guide and locals accidentally set this on fire late in the night,
creating a loud commotion to put it out

is that a wild bug?

villagers are about slash and burn agriculture

Judy took the moral high road and refused to participated
in this animal exploitation 

  

a tragic loss

Just back from vacation, the first thing I learn is that a seriously ill PCV has passed away,
only 23 years old, recently graduated, out in the world doing some good.  His family is not releasing the cause of death, only illness.

My heart breaks for his parents.  I cannot imagine their pain!  I did not know him well since he was at a different training site last summer.  The PCVs from his training site are planning a memorial in Chengdu later this month, and PC is buying us train tickets and a hotel room so we can attend.

Whatever inconveniences and frustrations I face here, or any of us PCVs, totally diminish when compared to a loss of life.  

Inservice Training

“There’s more to life than happiness.”  or so says a top administrator for PC China.  Really?  And all these years I thought there’s more to life than money, a cliché I sort of agree with, obviously.  I thought I misheard, sitting in long training sessions I sometime blackout, but this person said it multiple times, leaving me to wonder about the thinking behind that statement.  Is the speaker’s intent to dismiss the hardships of PC China life?  Or, motivate the volunteers to suck it up?  Or, inspire anyone wallowing in self-pity?  Or, redirect any self-absorb tendencies?  Or, comfort any sick (or hung-over) attendees?

When I got home from 2 weeks of PC Inservice Training in Chengdu, I drank a quart of tea, took Advil, and went to bed for 24 hours, hoping to get a turn around on a headcold.  What happens when you gather 100 people together, after long, crowded train rides, and add a few sick people?  Could the inevitable be avoided?  If anyone came out of IST healthy, I’d be shocked.   One kid ended up hospitalized, and we’re all praying for his speedy recovery.

Despite the contagious virus…bacteria…parasite part of IST, it was an enjoyable, worthwhile few weeks, typical of the super-organization, mega-packed days I’ve come to expect from PC China.  6 days a week, we attended various sessions on TEFL, health, safety, language, policy, history, culture, government, and more, lead by PC administration, university teachers, diplomats, writers, and each other. 

I lead one session on course planning where I shared my survival strategies for writing a solid, usable plan as efficiently as possible.  I never thought I’d add curriculum writing to my experience list when I came here, but I now know I’m able to successfully design and teach a course on a subject (British culture!) that I know nothing about.   All PC volunteers here are university English teachers, so we all need to create course plans, usually without a textbook or any guidance, often on short notice, sometimes without internet.  Welcome to PC China, motto: “There’s more to life than happiness.”