Around Danfeng County

Yesterday I went on a (fairly pointless) trip around the rural parts of Danfeng County. There were over 150 of us driving around in convoy to see 8 schools. It generally took around an hour of winding around dangerous mountain roads with hundred feet drops at times and occassional evidence of landslides across the roads, followed by a 15 to 20 minute pit stop visit at each school. No-one asked any questions or discussed anything. We all just charged round admiring the newly built fountains and sports areas (and occassionally, if we were lucky, the classrooms!)

Shang Zhen Primary - one of the schools I work at regularly

Some excited school girls at a very remote school a two hour winding drive up scary mountain paths. I was the first foreigner they'd ever seen.

Teachers playing on the gym equipment of a primary school!

Wandering round a school

I'd already been to most of the schools and I'd expected this trip to be able to speak to some teachers about how they felt the new landscaping/equipment had changed their school, but there was either no-one to ask or they gave one sentence answers.

Photo op since I couldn't do anything practical

Anyway, it did give me a chance to take some rural China people pics so here goes...

Village schoolgirl who was chosen to introduce her school to all us visiting teachers (hence the make-up and fancy clothes!)

A very interesting old man who gave us a speech at a war memorial we passed en route. His claim to fame is that his father put up the red army in his house when they passed through his village in the 1940s.

And amazingly enough, a few hours later I was wandering through the village with my interpreter (while everyone else was at a meeting that I couldn't understand) and we met the father. Now that's old!

And....his son! As if you couldn't have guessed...

sights in Xi'an

Last weekend I was in Xi'an and visited a traditional Chinese house, right in the heart of the muslim market. It was confiscated by the government in the 1960s but then untouched, so most of the original furniture etc is still there. It's a great place to spend a few hours and, as well as looking round, there's a short shadow puppet show and the chance to taste a variety of Chinese teas.

I also visited Ban Po - the remains of a 6000 year old neolithic village on the outskirts of Xi'an. I'm not going to write about these places but just thought I'd just put up some of the pics...

traditional house courtyard

traditional house garden

the main reception room

the daughter of the house's bed!

6000 year old neolithic ruins at Ban Po

adult grave and grave goods - Ban Po

TCM - to believe or not to believe...

The last couple of days, although I've felt well in most respects, I've had swollen glands in my throat and it's been very painful to swallow. After doing an internet diagnosis, I came to the conclusion that it's tonsillitis. If it's viral, I just need to leave it and it will go away itself. If it's bacterial, I'll need antibiotics which don't exist in Danfeng. I'd need to go to Xi'an to get them. And in addition, there's no equipment in Danfeng for a doctor to diagnose which I have.
My boss at work suggested another alternative. Traditional Chinese Medicine. Apparently Danfeng is blessed to have one of the most famous TCM doctors in China living here. Since I don't want to go to Xi'an on the off chance, and since I'm not exactly dying, I thought I'd give it a go. I must admit I was fairly curious to see what would happen.
When we arrived, there were about 4 patients there, each attached to a drip which didn't seem very traditional to me! One wall was filled with glass shelves and loaded up with boxes of pills exactly like a western pharmacy.
My boss said I had a sore throat so the guy took a clean cotton bud, pressed down my tongue and looked for about half a second. Then he asked me to give him my left hand and he put his fingers on my pulse. We sat like that for almost five minutes, with him closing his eyes and massaging his forehead periodically. Then he asked for my right hand and did the same - except this time he was clearly getting as bored as me because he sat chatting to the other people in the room as he held my hand.
I wasn't given an official diagnosis but he wrote a prescription and his assistant went to the back of the room which was filled floor to ceiling in a kind of giant apothecary chest of orange drawers. I was told I'd be given a tea to drink (and after checking that there wasn't any animal parts involved, which they seemed to find hysterically funny) I was given five bags of dried plants and told to put a few bits from each bag in a cup and pour on boiling water. I'm supposed to drink about 5 cups a day for 10 days.

(my five bags of plants)

When I asked how long it would take for my throat to get better, I was told 3 days (which is pretty much how long it'll take without any medication at all if it's viral.)
Hmmmm, it was an interesting experience but if I think I'm really sick, I won't be heading back there for treatment!