Sunday, November 11, 2001

From: Meg Thomsen meginchina@yahoo.com
Subject: The Sun Has Risen in Dengguan

Hello Dear Folks of My Life!

It's a sunny day in Dengguan. I'm not sure if you can understand the gravity of this statement, so let me say it again. It's a sunny day in Dengguan! When you haven't seen the sun for well over a month, looking at an almost blue sky is a moment of unparalleled joy.

Life's been good around these parts lately. Molli's departure has been difficult. But the students, the teachers, and the people in the community have really gone out of their way to make me realize how welcome I am here in Dengguan. The past two weeks have seen an almost constant stream of visitors to my door. They come to express their sadness that Molli has left, to express their happiness that I am still here, to invite me to endless hotpot meals and student talent shows. The talent show was a highlight. I watched students perform Tibetan dances in glittery costumes, a group of boys pretending to be the Chinese version of the Backstreet Boys, H.O.T., and traditional fan dances. Also, a comedy monologue that I couldn't quite understand, but seemed to rely on a boy playing strip mah-johngg. Rather risque. As a result of all of these activities, I'm learning a lot of new Chinese words: tai kong bu (moon walk), huarzi (waltz) and kaliokai (karaoke) are just a few.

However, the big news is that the school is letting me move. Currently, I live in the Waiban (Foreigner Building). Since I am the only foreigner, it is basically a lot of empty apartments and me. It can be a lonely, and spooky, place to be. Last week, another volunteer nearby awoke at 4:30 AM to find a man standing over her. She started screaming at him, and he ran, so she is safe. Rattled and nervous, but safe. So the Peace Corps has decided that my apartment is not safe. My windows are in a bamboo thicket, I have the equivalent of bathroom latches on my doors, my windows don't close, and I have no neighbors. So in three weeks, I'll move to a new apartment. This is a very exciting change.

Being a foreigner here can be strange. It's a mixture of being a celebrity, and of having no close friends at all. Being others' comings and goings are very strictly monitored in my building, it keeps some people away. Until two weeks ago, other teachers were not allowed to invite me over. A quick telephone call from the head honchos in Beijing remedied that. But I'm excited to move to a teacher's building, because I think that it will facilitate friendships.

Okay, so enough about that subject. I had a great weekend. My friend Andy came to visit, bearing a new calligraphy brush and a guitar. Lots of you play guitars, so I don't have to expound on that subject. You already know about the joy. But how many of you have tried your hand at Chinese calligraphy? It's fascinating, and I'm looking forward to learn more. Now that Andy's opened the door, I can hardly imagine what lies ahead. We spent the evening painting "dian". It's a very small stroke. But the deal with calligraphy is that until you get each stroke right, you cannot do anything else. It's all about perfection. Curlicue, stroke, curlicue. Dian. Over and over on the page, looking like little black commas. Some perfect, some not.

And it may be a crazy world. Things fall apart. America is at war. People die, get divorced, lose their jobs, their homes. All of these things are utter tragedies. But somehow, being able to create a perfect "dian" gives one faith in this world. Dip the brush in black ink. Curlicue, stroke, curlicue. There is such perfection in small things.

Okay, as you might remember, the sun's outside, and I've spent way too long in the Internet bar, It's time to get on my bicycle and ride into the hills. Rice paddies, greenness and folks that I haven't yet met are calling me.

By the way, there are some new pictures on my website. Check it out: http://www.ethomsen.com/meginchina/

Be happy, all of you.

Love, Meg