Chinese and American Teachers Attend Turkish Cooking Class!

      Today I picked up two Chinese educators at the hotel, part of a delegation of educators from the Shandong Province, here to spend 10 days in our schools and in our homes.  It was truly the ride from hell, as  I left my school in bad rainy weather and headed through a maze of streets until I finally arrived at the La Quinta Inn and Suites in New Britain.  I entered a conference room, where a group of 25 Chinese educators were seated and anxiously awaiting their pickups from those of us who had offered our homes from the homestay.  Lined against the wall in the conference room was an array of luggage, all sizes and shapes, waiting too for the journey to an American home!

     I was quickly introduced to my two Chinese educators, Li and Yao, one a vice principal and one a highschool chemistry teacher, lots of smiles and we headed out to my car.  The rain was coming down and the air was filled with fog as we headed down the road looking for the highway.  I was exhausted, having spent the last week or so, plotting and planning their visit and the massive schedule we had put together, in addition to teaching.  The ride home was awful, traffic heavy and raining, but eventually we made it to our home.

     Both educators are truly delightful, one speaking enough English to carry on a conversation, while the other speaks through him.  They came, as is the Chinese tradition, bearing beautiful gifts.  I cooked dinner and we sat in the dining room, carrying on enough conversation to keep words flowing.  They ate and bid their goodnights at 7:30, retiring to the room they are sharing for their 10 days with us!  I can only imagine how exhausted they are, and how overwhelmed they must be!  After a good nights sleep, I’m sure they’ll feel better!

     Several vans and cars lined up at our sister school ready to go to dinner.  The principal, assistant director or as we in the states call him, the assistant principal, school photographer, English teacher and another educational official from the province, my American teacher partner on the trip, Louise and I took a drive from the city streets of Jining to the countryside, passing the skyscrapers and congestion of the city.  The drive through the city streets is an adventure in itself, weaving back and forth through the traffic, while horns continually blare, often for no reason that we could see, while pedestrias and bikes were driving alongside us even though our vehicle was often traveling at high speeds!  We passed so many street vendors and roadside cooking carts.  It was early evening, spring time and there was so much activity in the streets.

     We pulled down a tree-lined country road and arrived at our destination, a countryside restaurant.  The English teacher, always accompanying us, asked us if we’d like to go fishing!  The principal from our sister school had left the van rather quickly and seemed to disappear.  We got out of the van, looked around and started snapping some photos.  The staff of the restaurant was standing outside the doorway, smiling and waiting for us to come, dressed in beautiful traditional red clothing.  Our English teacher, Fan Wei, asked us if we again if we would like to go fishing  and led us over to a pond.  We passed our driver playing pool on a full-sized pool table,  under an outdoor pop-up canopy. There was a series of large wired cages surrounding the pond filled with several exotic birds:  peacocks, a variety of ducks, swans and a few turkeys, under a wooden sign that said ‘Bird Variety Farm’.  God, I love translations!  There were also several large German Shepherds in cages close to the pond, with very large barks.  I’m sure they were placed there as watch dogs to keep intruders away from the pond and birds.

     Our principal, Mr. Gao, was standing on the edge of a large, oval manmade pond with a long thin bamboo pole in his hands.  He would stop periodically and sit o a small wooden folding chair, short rests.  His line was cast, never too far from the shore.  There was a bobber like flag near the end of the pole that gloated straight up and down, rather colorful too, just waiting to go under when a fish struck.  The principal pulled the pole rather quickly straight up and out of the water as one of his female music teachers grabbed a large, blue net, his assistant.  They told us that this would be our dinner!  Now that the principal had caught the fish we could enter the restaurant and begin our feast.  We walked through a clear curtain hanging over the entrance held open by the waitress’ dressed in the traditional red dress.  We were all seated in a large room and began what proved to be the grandest feast I’ve ever had!  It was a banquet in every sense of the word.  There was such a grand variety of foods served, many familiar but more unfamiliar and known only in the Shandong region.  There was a great array of seafood, whole fish, sautéed fish, leading me to ask so many questions of my translator.  Lots of vegetables and dumplings were served, plate after plate, arriving one right after another.  There was even a turtle still hidden under his shell alongside a duck, cooked and reassembled beautifully on the plate, lacking only its feathers, even the head and beak grilled.  And yes, he symbolic fish, caught by the principal was elegantly served and enjoyed by all. 

   We were served several different kinds of porridge, some salty, some sweet, both served thick with either small beans or fruit.  We were told to eat just a little as it will help with one’s digestion.  After several hours of eating some of the best tasting and most beautifully presented food I’d ever tasted and enjoying several glasses of Chinese beer, now barely able to even move, I was asked what kind of noodles, rice or dumplings I would like to try!  We very graciously declined and we later learned that even our young English interpreter was overwhelmed with their generosity and full as well.

The beginning of the film, starring Nicholas Cage, was slow and a bit odd, but I usually found my son’s film recommendations similar to mine, so I continued to watch it, knowing eventually it would all come together.  There are several stories going on simultaneously, and the story reflects incidents that have happened earlier and then back to the present, leaving you confused at times.  There are several intense surprises that made me jump out of my seat and moan.  Those types of moments you need someone with you to watch the film.

Meryl Streep plays a reporter from the New Yorker, although a succesful writer and from the outside happily married, she discovers she is missing something in her life.  That link she realizes, from hanging out with a twisted, dysfunctional and tormented soul, actor Chris Cooper, a genius continually on the quest of discovery.  Nicholas Cage is a screen writer who is working on the book ‘The Orchard Thief’ written by actress Meryl Streep.  I had a bit of trouble accepting the fact that Nicholas Cage, paunchy and hair heavily thinning, plays he and his identical twin brother, but the two characters, vastly different were convincing

What I came away feeling from this movie is that we are all on a quest to find that passion, that deep feeling that drives us, a feeling that is so hard to explain, never mind obtain.  It really is intangible because once that quest has been reached we quickly search out something else.  Can man ever truly be satisfied?

As an avid gardener and lover of nature, I was fascinated with the information in the film related to the orchid and its role in nature.  Truly fascinating!  Need to look for the “Orchard Thief” on Amazon.

Well, the day has finally arrived, I’m off with a group of educators and students to Russia!  It all has seemed too happened far too fast!  My decision to accompany the students and staff of our middle school was not an easy one.  My oldest son, a 7^th grade student, was selected to travel on this grant as a member of the Talented and Gifted Class.  His teacher, Tom Dzicek, passionate about international learning and having recently established a relationship with a school in Moscow, wrote a grant and received the funding needed to send 20 students and 8 teachers/parent chaperones to Russia for two weeks.  The year, 1992, only two years after the collapse of the wall, and here were a group of middle school students, from a small cow town on their way to Russia, really quite brave and adventurous!   We were actually the 2^nd group to make this voyage, fortunate for us since the first group broke the ice and left us with so much practical information.   The paperwork came home from the school in the fall and by early winter, we were committed and attending basic Russian language classes, once a week.

I was having a difficult time with the decision to let my son, Justin, go on this journey, advised by just about all of my relatives to not let him go.  One evening, my husband knowing I was anguishing over the decision suggested I go too!  The next day I asked my Superintendent if I could have some release time to chaperone this trip, not the same district that I teach in.  I told him I would involve my students with this opportunity by bringing both pen pal letters, teaching materials and student art with me to Russia and would hopefully be bringing the same back to our town.  He agreed and gave me most of the time I needed off, granting it as professional time, and allowed me to take a few days off without pay.  I thought this was far, and since I was paying only a few hundred dollars to go on this trip, I felt it was worth it.

Packing wasn’t an easy job!  In addition to gathering all of my belongings I had to help my 7^th grade son prepare for this journey.  This trip occurred back in the day when airlines weren’t concerned with the weight of your luggage.  I had also been told that the economy was horrible in Russia and many everyday household and food items could very well be scarce, so one piece of luggage contained a multitude of over the counter medicines, jars of peanut butter and various snacks.  As a parent chaperone I felt very responsible for the children that were traveling on this journey without their parents and I had to be sure I had what we all needed.

I was so excited at the prospect of traveling to Russia, but I will admit I was quite a bit apprehensive!  I was traveling with one of my sons, but I was leaving behind two other sons, one 3 years old and another in 4^th grade along with my husband.  Could they fare without me for two weeks?  Could I really handle being away from them for that time period? I found myself continually asking myself, ‘What am I doing?’  I knew in my heart that when the two weeks would be up, I would come away changed and have known that I had made the right choice.

Patrick, my youngest son, didn’t really seem to know what was going on.   We were all up very early that morning and the time seemed to drag by.  He really had no idea what it meant when I told him that I would be gone for 14 days!  Clinton, on the other hand, knows what it means, and he has been crying all week whenever we discuss the trip!  He has always been the sensitive one.  I know he will find it difficult.  We all went up to the middle school that morning to board the bus that would be driving us to the airport.  Patrick was having a blast sitting in the bus driver’s seat, turning the steering wheel, all smiles.  Clinton was being brought up to the school to say his goodbyes by his dad and his dad was late.  Our bus left before Clint arrived, not giving me the chance to kiss Clinton goodbye, not good.  I left presents at home on the table for the boys, a departure gift, a Bull’s cap for Clint and a puzzle for Pat.  I called everyone from JFK and gave everyone my love.

We arrived at JFK at 3:30, after a quick stop at a rest area and McDonald’s.  The line was quick for boarding the plane and by 5:15 we were allowed to board.  As always it was quite hectic, walking down the aisles searching the overhead compartments for a place to store our heavy carry ons.  The plane departed at 6:30pm, a rough start!  We all set our watches ahead for Moscow time, yes, it was now 4:45am. 

On the plane I opened the letter Clinton had written me, tears flowed.  He asked me not to forget wheat he looked like, so sweet.  How could I ever forget what you look like Clint!  I have so much love for you.

It’s now 9:30am and daylight, already feel like I’m used to the time change but of course jet lag hasn’t even set in yet.  I’m still on the high of this whole experience.  I finally was able to close my eyes, 7:30am, and drift off for barely a few moments, looking again at my watch, only 8 am.  Time to take a pill, a small white one from my mother in law, just to help me sleep.  I look over at Justin and he’s fast asleep, youth.    

Once everyone seemed settled and I knew I couldn’t sleep I decided to get up and walk around the plane.  It was huge!  I spotted a couple of extra seats all in a row and decided to stretch out back there for a while.  There was a man on my right who was actually from Bolton, CT, the next town over to us, and he was on his way to Russia for his 3^rd time, business.  He told me that I would love the travel, love Russia but at the end of the two weeks I’d be ready to go home.  After a nice chat with him and a glass of wine time was passing quickly.  I looked out the window and the sun was up, having just flown over Sweden, mountainous, so beautiful!

I hadn’t traveled abroad since I was in high school and had traveled at 15 with the French Club to France, almost 20 years ago.  I was pleasantly surprised by the food served on Delta, rating it a definite A+:  filet mignon, carrots, broccoli, a roll, cheese/crackers, chocolate mousse cake, salad and a Miller Lite.  Several hours later we were served breakfast:  coffee, yogurt, juice, fruit and a muffin, again delicious, and a nice distraction. 

I’m starting to get very anxious now, ready to land and get off the plane.  I still feel like it is a dream, is this all really true?  Am I really going to Russia, a communist country?

Justin is too feeling the anxiety and says he’s nauseous.  He slept only for  3 hours. My stomach is in complete knots, not surprising.  Oh well!

The fellow next to me was going to Moscow and then heading to Siberia, wow, that almost sounds scary when I say it.  I know so little about that part of the world, other than the idea of banishing someone in exile to Siberia!

Plane landed with ease, touching down at noon!  Ah, we’ve made it!

She was in the park, a place where many older Chinese people, love to enjoy the beauty and peace of nature, especially if they live in a bustling city.  While her grandson rode his tricycle in the park, round and round, she was exercising with a group of women, gracefully moving her arms and legs, with the look of complete inner peace.  There were lots of other children playing while their caregivers, their grandparents socialized.  I’ve seen the simple beauty that exists in the parks, firsthand, the ballroom dancing, the karaoke, the Tai Chi and other forms of exercise.  I love this communal joy! 

We can learn so much from others if we open our minds and our hearts!

What an amazing day spent at the Turkish Cultural Center in West Haven!  Today was day 2 of a series of cooking classes that the center has scheduled, part of a series of 6 cooking classes spanning from early Dec to late January.  The cooking classes run from  1-4 pm and are taught by various woman who are members of the center, cost being only $25 for the series.  After a 2 hour cooking presentation we all sat down to the most delicious Turkish foods, prepared in front of us with the freshest of ingredients.  I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the women of the center, all so friendly and eager to share their culture with the community.  As a self-taught cook and definitely a ‘foodie’, what I probably enjoy most is learning about the ingredients that they select.  Today I learned that there is such a thing as yogurt that has ‘cream on top’ clearly posted on the label.  I had never heard of the fact that yogurt can be purchased in various ways.  The yogurt that the Turkish cook used today for several of her dishes was from Turkey, but she said that Stop and Shop actually carries a Stonyfield Yogurt that too says ‘cream on the top’.  I’ll be looking for it when the 5 lb Dasi yogurt that I just purchased at the Indian market is gone!  Today we had the most delicious chicken soup, with a light lemon, yogurt and garlic creamy base that you would swear was cream!  And a beef kabob that looked nothing like the beef skewer kabob I had envisioned prior to the class.  The beef, small and so tender, was baked with small pieces of lightly fried eggplant, peppers, onion, garlic and tomatoes, amazing!  And the rice pilaf, was started in the frying pan, with small slivers of vermicelli fried until lightly brown with fresh garlic, mixed with chicken broth, water, rice and chick peas.  The flavors were subtle yet favorable.  What a joy it was to sit back and watch these woman preparing food from their country, prepared with their heart.  Tidbits of Turkish history was intertwined!  We were served tiny traditional glasses of hot tea, with bowls of walnuts, raisins and hazelnuts, the latter two coming right from a relatives home in Turkey.  We enjoyed a meze, a Turkish small plate or appetizer, of threads of zucchini and carrots, lightly sautéed and mixed when cool with yogurt, fresh dill, salt, delicious!  Desserts were brought in by several of the woman, a soft creamy white pudding like dessert and a small round cake, slightly almond covered in syrup!  We left the cultural center, equipped with the recipes and deeply satisfied, bellies full and eager to share this cuisine with our families!  Thank you so much Turkish Cultural Center for sharing your recipes, culture and great conversations with all of us!

     We were spending the day exploring the many historical and cultural sites of Shanghai, lots of walking which gives one a real sense of life in this amazing city.  As we stopped to wait for a traffic light, I looked to the right and stopped for a few moments to watch a few construction workers, working in an empty construction lot lodged between two skyscrapers.  The two workers were moving a pile of wooden rubble from one section of the lot to another.  There were no gloves on their hands and they were using no machinery, just their hands, picking up the debris one piece at a time.  They must not have been concerned about cutting their hands or getting slivers because their hands were exposed.  I never even work in my flower garden without gloves for fear of bacteria and cuts.  They were a young man and a young woman in their twenties working side by side, no hurry, just working till the job was done, while the crane moved slowly up above.  I couldn’t imagine anyone in our country not using tools, or a wheel barrow or some piece of equipment to move the pile.  It’s so ironic to see Shanghai, a city that has hosts the most cranes in the world, yet they still hold onto their simple ways and techniques for getting a job done.  The age old traditions of the past are everywhere in Shanghai, evenly dispersed with the current trends and technological advances.  Amidst the new construction, the towering skyscrapers, the cranes and the bamboo, one can still see the vivid domestic chores that the people in Shanghai still face, the laundry!  The people here still dry their clothing on hangers along the edges of windows, over the doorways and along the molding of the building.   Yes, there is even  laundry hanging along the bamboo scaffolding as the crane slowly moves by!

July 25, 2007

Dearest Jay!

  Departed from Newington at 1pm traveling to JFK by ways of ‘Creative Transportation’, a service utilized by the World Affairs Council in Hartford.  There was a lot of traffic getting there but we really made pretty good time, arriving at JFK at 3:30pm.  Check in was quick and uneventful allowing us plenty of time to sit and relax and talk.  Amy, Megan, Marilyn, Maria and I had lots of stories to tell.  Marilyn has lots of worries, I am alittle concerned but know she’ll make it through!

     We boarded the plane around 6:30 but sat on the runway until 7:50, a long delay.  Drinks and hazelnuts were served and dinner shortly after.  First taste of Mediterranean fare, two shrimp with alittle eggplant salad, green salad, cheese, roll, chicken, rice and great veggies served with the regions spices.  White wine was served. Yum!

     Love the Turkish Airlines!  Seats recline and push forward giving one a needed space to relax.  Each person receives a small pouch with a handle, that contains- eye mask to block out sleep, a comb, a shoehorn (who ever uses them anymore), socks. Toothpaste and a toothbrush.. All you need for a restful, clean flight!

    Each seat has its own little TV screen on the back of the seat in front of you.   There are a variety of movies to choose from, games to play and news hot off the press. Great choices too!

You can either ‘touch the screen’ for interactive or use a remote control that rests on the side of your seat.

  It was really interesting watching the screen at take off!  You had the sensation of moving up into the sky by watching a video screen, watching as it soared over water, wild.  I guess its like an interactive game but you’re playing the part for real, seated there, at the mercy of the pilot! Strange sensation for sure.

     It’s about 10:30pm and yes, I’m sleeping. I took ½ lorazapan to help with the anxiety and its making me sleepy. According to the flight schedule on the screen it will be a 9 hour flight? We’ll just have to see…

     Slept on and off for probably about 4 hours, waking up because my arm or leg was asleep and stiff.  Enjoying being on a comfortable plane. though with turquoise colored seats, more roomy, though a smaller planes with seats of 2, 4, 2.  There are actually a few empty seats on the plane and a few lucky flyers are stretched out vertically across four seats, so lucky!  I remember flying home from Russia in 1992 and had that luxury. Once in a lifetime that was probably my only chance.!  Woke up groggy, sleepy and a little nauseous but pleasantly surprised that there was less than 3 hours to go! 

Amway in Amasya!

     I was traveling through Turkey on a Fellowship with twenty four educators from all over the United States!  We spent seventeen days traveling over 2,100 miles by bus, getting lots of glimpses into the various regions the country had to offer.  I was not only so fortunate to have been selected for this opportunity but loved each and every stop and adventure.  I sat on the lengthy bus rides, doing one of two things:  looking out the window, not wanting to miss anything or recording on my laptop the images I was seeing!  It was my first trip to Turkey and I felt like a child in a candy shop, each and every moment a treat.

     Just before arriving in Amasya I glanced at the guidebook to see what this city had to offer. We were on such a wild rollercoaster tour, stopping and touring so many sites and cities, it was difficult at times to prepare for our next site.  Guidebooks always help to fill in the gaps and give you enough background info to get started on the learning.   Our travel agenda said ‘Museum’. I climbed off the bus ready to explore!

     I usually tried to stay at the front of the line when our group of almost thirty weaves in and out of various cities and historical locations so I that I can capture as much as I can on videotape.  Our large group I came to eventually discover had a member of the Turkish team always strategically placed at the back of the group, just in case anyone dawdled or got lost.  That was very easy to do, especially if I was videotaping.  I’d often want to get at the back of the group so I could film the scene minus any teachers in our group who were always armed heavy with cameras and like me ‘clicking’ away trying to capture the moment.  If I stayed at the back of the group, I stood a chance of capturing the scene, most naturally as possible, as the group moved forward, but of course this meant that I had to move fast and quickly.  Yes, it would make much better footage if there were no American tourists in the scene.  I could then show others the side of Turkey that I saw.

As we strolled down the most beautiful street, Yesilirmak (Iris) River and mountain on my right, we turned down a narrow street lined on both sides with traditional Turkish Ottoman wooden mansions, white wooden houses with dark brown trim and roofs.  This village is tucked between the ancient cliffs and the Yesilirmak River, narrow and curving road and paths, crisp and clean.  It was spectacular! 

We stragglers at the end of the group were taking it all in!  One of the women in the group asked our Turkish guide what the sign said located just above one of the white and brown doorways.  She translated, ‘This house has been turned into a woman’s teahouse’.  We all stopped to talk about this, how different it was in America, but again we were in a country rooted with strong Muslim values.  Someone in the group asked if we could go in?  She smiled and quickly pulled out here cell phone and made a call.  She said ‘Serhan, her boss and our main travel guide, had said we could go in for 10 minutes, no more! And we were to meet him at the mosque at the end of the street.’  We were thrilled!  At last we were going to be given an opportunity to experience Turkey ‘off the beaten path!’. 

We entered the dwelling, climbing a set of stairs and entered the tea house.  There was a group of about 5 women sitting by the window overlooking the beautiful river below, sipping tea.  They smiled and asked the 5 of us to sit and we too were served tea.  The women were between 40 and 55 years old, full of smiles and asking our Turkish guide lots of questions.  I glanced down on the table and saw catalogues of Amway and quickly realized that these women were meeting and discussing Amway, as distributors of this American conglomeration. Wow!  What were the odds of this!  They asked if we too love Amway, and not wanting to crush their balloon, we all agreed that ‘yes, Amway was a fine company!’  We continued to ask each other various questions through our translator. “Did we work?  Did we have families?  And how old were we?”  We laughed and felt a strong connection to our new Turkish friends.  None of us wanted to leave, but our guide was getting very nervous and after at least 20 minutes she graciously told the group that we must leave and we must hurry.  Just about running down the street, we reached our group.  Our leader, Serhan, started yelling at our guide, of course in Turkish, so we don’t really know what he said, but we all felt it was worth the looks we were getting from the others for keeping the group waiting.  It truly was one of the best personal experiences that I had in Turkey, connecting to a small group of woman, sipping tea and sharing brief histories of our lives.  Yes, women are women no matter where they are from.  Smiles, hugs and sipping tea have connected us forever!