Sit On It

So for... a couple... years maybe, i've wanted to have a meditation group in BJ. Since i've kinda missed my meditation gang DIY Dharma in Vancouver, which basically amounted to the best gang of people to meet up w/ and sit around with in silence.

So, i searched around town, but only found 1 meditation group offered. But i rather didn't dig it. It was just me and the host (a young Chinese woman) and we listened to some guided meditation track which (ironically enough) i detested so much i could barely keep from cringing throughout.

How un-detached of me.

So i've recently put out my own call out on a local expat-driven website, and had a few responses. The first official meeting one British woman came out, plus my brother (who announced that he'd have to leave after 20 min). Anyhow, no prob.

The nxt wk a young woman came who brought 2 friends plus 2 roommates. Plus a few others. 3 were meditation newbies, and afterwards it appeared that none of them found any great love for meditation.

Ah well, Q's never been a big fan either. Hey, diff strokes for diff folks. Although it is a shame that i'm not able to share this with her.

Anyhow, after a few weeks, it seems to have potential to grow, (which i don't care about much), and stabilize (which will be great).

and hopefully i can attract more experienced mediators who can take a turn at leading now and again.

Instructions and surrounding conversation bits tend to be ... about 1/2 English, 1/2 mandarin. which is a bit odd, but everyone seems to scrape by w/ minimal translations.

Anyhow, last night 5 of us were pretty darn focused, and after i finally rang the last bell (xylophone, actually), i started getting bored waiting for everyone to snap out of it. Stop blissing out, folks, it's almost my bedtime!

Well, that's my Tues night agenda for the next indeterminate length of time. i definitely feel its benefit, and hope that benefit can stretch out into the surrounding days and nights before long.

Be happy.

And quit wasting so much time online.

Tianjin, Yet Again

Q and i went to Tianjin for a little holiday recently. It's only 35 min away via hi-speed rail but it is def a diff city. Um, you may recall i've visited it before a few times.

i still say BJ is better 'cause the new stuff's newer and the old stuff's older. But when i got a 3 day wkend, i get itchy feet.

So despite TJ's mediocrity, we had a pretty darn good time. 1st night we were looking for a bar, and got directed on a bit of a goosechase which wound up in what was essentially a massive packed nightclub except that it didn't have a dancefloor. Save for a mini stage replete w/ dancing bunny girls.

The dancing bunny girls reminded me too much of when a few of my own gr 10 students did a disturbingly sexed out dance performance.

Also the pumped dancing bartenders were pretty entertaining too.

Some guys did some live vocals which were passable. but in the end, the music went from not so bad to pretty darn bad, and we weren't able to finish our couple beers before vacating the premises.

Next day: walk walk walk walk and wound up in the TV tower rotating restaurant. Pix to follow soon.

Anyhow, it was good to a little trip out w/ the gf and things are going pretty good all in all. Sure, there's wrinkles in the fabric, but i've never been one to iron shirts, have i?

Victorious Anticlimax

Several semi-secret meetings later.
Meetings with the Chinese public school, that is.
Who's attempting to sway us teachers to the Red side of the force.
And they just may come up with a big enough wad of cash to do so.
And there was some rather hard to believe updates from our own school.
Like, "Oh, it turns out we're not going (to the new location) after all."
Then getting a super rare email from one of the owners:
"7/10 chances that we're going."
Then we had more meetings w/ the Chinese school.
Our own employer undoubtedly aware of them.
And when we finally got back to asking our own school what the sitch is,
today,
they said the school's not doing a middle-of-the-term switch to the boondogs
after all.
Because they asked parents and parents weren't keen.
Even though the last report was that they asked parents
who were supportive of the switch
(um, yeah right).
Highly doubtful that any parents were ever notified about the situation
and highly likely that they reconsidered when us teachers kicked up such a stink.
Me, far from being the instigator on that count.
i really oughta be less passive.
Anyhow.
This is GREAT news for teachers and students.
We finish the year w/out dividing the student body,
or fucking everything else up royally.
And in fact
it kinda leaves us teachers in a better position than we were in before
'cause now we've got 2 schools giving us options for next year.
We expect a peek at the public school contract in a wk or so.
but it'll have to look pretty darn good
if it's gonna tempt us to take on the risk and stress of a new uncertified school.

But it would be, at least, downtown.

Another Gig

Last week was another of Yuqi's gigs, and he asked me last week to open. i admit i was hesitant, since in fact i got kinda stressed last time and didn't dig it too much. Anyhow i consented to play "3 or 4" songs since i'd have no time to practice that week.

Day of the gig i finally chose a handful of songs to play, and practiced for a little while.

Then come performance time, i made oodles of mistakes from my get go intro piece (on the piano: ha!), and throughout. But i really didn't care that much about it. Pbly helped a bit from the beer previously consumed, but also, the bar was full of people just hanging out for a drink, as opposed to paying for a ticket.

Anyways it was pretty fun. After the band played me and Yuqi sort of jammed a bit (and i'm a shitty jammer), later joined by the keyboard player. It was cool, even if it dind't all sound so good.

There's no denying i sing off key way too often.

I should mention that Yuqi invited me to actually join his band. This is pretty crazy considering that he and most of the band are, like, professional. He said i could play a little Korg keyboard or something. "But you already have a keyboard player." "But James is a professional player, who's studied music a lot. You're an untrained Canadian indie musician. It's totally different." Well i guess there's something to that.

I figure i shouldn't be a chicken shit, and be intimidated out of the kind of music opportunity that rarely avails itself to hacks like me. So anyhow, I'll talk to him soon about it.

Also, Epiphone gave him a super sweet (and pricey) guitar which he offered to sell me for 1/2 of what its worth. I wonder if getting a rad guitar would actually entice me bk into songwriting fervor, or would it mostly just gather dust like my present guitar does? (I usually just play my xylophone these days. Really.)

Anyhow, for those interested, here's one of Yuqi's videos, so you can get a feel for his flavour.

Potential Job Upheaval

For the record, i'd just like to say that it's disturbingly true. It's all about money.

There's not really any moral higher ground in choosing my school or the Chinese school. It's a scrap. Both sides have the gloves off.

You know i always have said that $'s not my key thing, but now i'm part of a group and money is the key thing. Because it'll be a shit show either way, but people will be more willing to put up with a shit show that pays, seeing as how people have already put up with shit shows w/out proper pay.

So i find myself in the boat where dollars and cents will be the closest approximation i can get to respect, freedom, and happiness.

That feels kinda wrong, don't it.

The Smartest Guys In the Room... Maybe.

CRRRAAAZY times at work.

1st, staff of us 4 teachers are informed that we're being "pushed" out of the Chinese public school, and will relocate. In like 2 weeks. To a beautiful new school which is in Beijing, but definitely NOT downtown Beijing. Students and parents not yet informed. Expectation that some will follow us out to the boonies. Not a word about compensation, no apology, no direct word from our employer or anything. Told to keep our mouths shut about this. Prepare for the impending midnight run.

But.

It didn't really add up. How were we being pushed out? Why?

Oh, the public school, which is responsible to pay our wages was withholding payments, and so my employer the private school had to pay out of pocket? That was right good of them.

But that doesn't add up either. Why was all this info withheld? What's the reason behind the public school's actions?
particularly badly
Much to our employer's displeasure we called a meeting w/ the Chinese public school admin, where we found out they have completed all payments, and are mostly interested in hiring us teachers directly when the present contract expires in June.

Meaning:
Our present employer is using the students as pawns and forcing students, parents and teachers all into a pretty fucking unpleasant situation of a mid-term relocation, sure to break the student body in 1/2, and screw things up tragically for the grade 12ers who've been preparing for final exams for 3.5 years now. The school is doing so to force the kids into the new school, build the new school culture and (imo) slap the Chinese public school in the face.

However.

Once us teachers figured this out, we realized that there's a fight going on over students and TEACHERS. So now us 4 teachers have called private meetings with the public school to see if we can actually wrangle a better deal and future contract. And we gave a list of demands to our present employer, who is doubtlessly pissed OFF.

Note: all teachers have at most scant traces of respect for present employer, and we all feel (even me) that we each have a bad relationship w/ her, and feel a real lack or respect from her.

Although to be fair, there has been no shortage of problems caused by the Chinese school either.

Anyhow, it's pretty exciting to be in a situation where we fought to figure out what was happening and squeezed ourselves into a better position.

Or we could all lose our jobs and end up with nothing.

But there's definite power in being a unified core, and knowing that many students would consider that WE are the school, not whatever f'ing name or company it's under. And knowing that we have already proven ourselves, improving all aspects of school life and exam marks to boot. And a bit scary knowing that we do have the ability to make a choice which could royally fuck our employer up the ass, potentially stealing the entire student body.

Sadly however, my principal who has worked her ass off for her teachers has fallen somewhat into our bad books as she perpetuated her employers lies, lying through her teeth herself.

Anyhow, there's still loads of unknowns and boring details that i won't get into. All of which somehow make for a divisive and stressy atmosphere at school, which has made it hard for teachers to muster up enough focus to organize another 90 minutes of instruction.

Idiots!!!

Sorry this is a tiny bit old, but if you haven't seen the above yet, then, there ya go.

Ok ok you all know that the Chinese govt censors some things. Fine, that's the way it is. China, love it or leave it. But if you DO live in China, then maybe you should at least understand the way it works around here. If you don't like (for example) something like censorship, then is it wise to post a video like the one above on the Chinese internet? That's just giving the Chinese govt all the justification they need to make sure that super strict surveillance of people's surfing habits is required.

The fact that the video is a cute cartoon is proof that it's intended to appeal to young and impressionable minds, opening ripe possibilities of creating revolutionaries.

People in China need to be a little bit more f'ing SENSITIVE to the dangers that less than purely communist ideas could spread.

If you know people in China, please let them know how to behave respectfully in order to create a harmonious society for all Chinese citizens, young and old, for all China, Asia, and the world!

The Porn Addiction

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Holiday Recap

2 weeks on the road.
Chengdu, Leshan, Mount Emei, Chongqing.


Chengdu city for Chinese New Year celebrations. Massiveassive crowds in select parks and Buddhist temples. Reminded me of Lollapolooza crowds all crammed in and heaving. Except no hipsters, and throw in all the old people and toddlers.

Saw some dance and singing performances which were reasonably entertaining. One charismatic singer had a good voice, but i didn't care since i assumed he was lip syncing. I was shocked and impressed to later realize that (gasp!) he was actually singing!

Also saw some tigers and a bear perform, which was occasionally impressive though constantly rather depressing. Still: i didn't know a bear could really dance!

Visited one of China's oldest rock and roll bars: a bit of a hole in the wall where deliberate attention was paid to local music as opposed to Taiwan pop. I wish Little Bar was in Beijing. Also visited some very slick and somewhat sexed out clubs; yawn.

Leshan
Then i went to see the world's biggest Buddha near Leshan. And yes, it's very large, hence the "-est". However, FOUR hours of line up to see the damn thing kinda sucked out my enthusiasm. It was like, "well, I've waited an hour already, and I'm almost at the front now," only to get released to the next stage of the line, when you go "well, I've already waited 2 hours already so I don't want to leave now." Note to self: reconsider the idea that maybe an early bailout is preferable to another 2 hours of pushing and squeezing people who obviously should NOT even pause to take photos 'cause it slows down the flow.

Add in reflections about how tourism and religion make awkward bedfellows as i consider all the cameras prying the spiritual energy out of this 71 meter high Buddha.

Mount Emei
Note to self: mountains are bigger than I seem to think, based on some attractive but not to scale "maps". Hence i spent 1.5 days getting to the peak, the only dude lugging up a big ol backpack.

Spent the first night in a gorgeous old Xi Xiangchi monastery, where the monks were friendly, and the sunset was breathtaking. Was going to chill there a while, but this family i hiked w/ some convinced me at the last minute that i HAD to continue up to the peak. So i did, skipping out on the cable car ride near the peak. (The masses take buses up the mountain, hiking 1 km of outrageously slippery and dangerous staircases (often in high heels) up to the cable car). But despite my body's fatigued state, that just seemed like too much of a cop out after the distance i'd already covered.


When my snail's pace did finally get me to the peak, the blue sky above, the ocean of clouds below, the sparkling temples, and golden buddha all conspired to bring tears to my eyes. Really i felt elated to be in that stunningly beautiful environment.

Nonetheless after a foggy no-show of the next sunrise, i still bid a hasty retreat bk down the mountain (yes, employing both the cable car and the bus) to get back down the mountain to Baguo Monastery near the base to get in some meditation.

Simple room, just off the courtyard between temple halls, where I could hear the monks chanting each morning and gongs gonging throughout the day. Short stay, but i did get up to 8 hours of sitting in in a day, definitely aided by the environment and concentrated energy there. i chitchatted w/ some monks who to my surprise, invited me to sit in on the chanting the next morning. Wow, those were some otherworldly sounds to be bathed in for 45 minutes. Occasionally in a temple i see Buddhas who are emanating energy, or seem cognizant of your presence. Well no wonder those Buddha statues get all charged up if monks are praying to them like that each day. Pay attention. Hands together. Kneel. Bow. Stand. Hands down. Hands together. Turn. Kneel. March around the room (hands together). Stand. Bow, etc etc. Beautiful way to finish off my stay there.

Next stop: Leshan, just to catch a bus to Chongqing. Tickets sold out. Spend the night in a somewhat dodgy hotel, and waste too much time looking at porn sites, and only sat 2 of my intended 4 hours.

Chongqing.
Short stay in a big city. Feels really... Chinese. Coolies hauling boxes up and down the steep streets. Alleys brimming with staircases and vendors. Street foods on constant display. Cruise and cargo ships clogging up the brown waters of the Yangtze river. Posh restaurants with filthy washrooms. Cockroaches strolling past the scalding hot pot at the table centre. Another city that I'd like to revisit: check.

Stinky Tofu

If you haven't heard of stinky tofu, it's a style of fermented tofu which kind of reeks. It's called "chou dofu". The translation of that is literally "stinky tofu". It literally smells like feces. For example one time a few of us came across a pungent smell on the sidewalk and we debated momentarily whether it was stinky tofu or reeking bathroom. Seriously.

About a year ago i was a bit baked, wandering the streets, and decided to try some "chou dofu". Likely enhanced by my altered state, i realized that this tofu wasn't stinky at all, it was... AMAZING! Yup, i chowed that shit down, and wished i had more.

Part 2.

This year, I was in Chengdu, where the food flavours pull no punches, where 50% of the food is spiced in ways that leave you gasping for air, and your tastebuds numb. I was a bit baked so I decided to give the chou dofu another go. Here the style is skewered, fried, and bathed in salt and chili. I could smell the stand a mile away. Unfortunately, i didn't have the same rapturous experience. About 1 minute into my tofu, I realized... it really does taste like shit. Not human shit, but more like horse manure. Of the salty and spicy variety. I wished i'd only bought one instead of 2, considered throwing it away, but decided that would be wasteful and i needed the protein plus ... well, wasn't i trying to embrace the whole chou dofu culture?

Anyhow, I'll wait a bit before i try it again, and frankly i think it is quite a bit milder up north. Do note, however, that this delicacy is truly popular throughout huge swathes of China, east and south Asia... Can millions of stinky tofu eaters be wrong?

pix by
http://supahcute.com/2009/08/19/stinky-tofu/
and
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/7-unexpected-slightly-gross-protein-sources-think-wasps-and-super-stinky-tofu.html