Back in Xining

It’s now July 7th and we returned to Xining from X county town a week ago. T Fishy stayed to introduce the trainees to the mechanic and to buy construction materials for the shop. While we had hoped to be involved in this process, practical issues got in the way. Our presence in X county town, a small town that rarely sees foreigners, attracted considerable police interest. We collectively decided that it would be in the best interest of our project and Pentok for us to return to Xining where we would be less conspicuous. T Fishy returned yesterday, and while training is underway, construction is delayed due to rain.

We plan to return to the village as soon as the training is completed, but for now we are helping Mama S and Pentok with other projects. We have been drafting and editing proposals, writing web content, and communicating with donors. We are hoping to learn more about fundraising, web design, and grant writing in the next few weeks.

We are also getting to know other foreigners who are here doing research and nonprofit work. On Monday we to our friend Catlin’s apartment for the unveiling of a new solar cooker prototype created by One Earth Designs, a small environmental and health NGO based in Boston and run by young people like us. Our group of American and T students gave constructive feedback on the new prototype, which is designed as a cheaper and more portable alternative to the concrete solar cookers currently used in many villages. We were surprised to meet three Reed students at such a small gathering. Reed is one of several American colleges that has a long-standing relationship with the English Training Program (ETP) at Qinghai Normal University. ETP is not technically affiliated with the university, but offers English and development classes to approximately 40 T students each year.

Burgers and pizza to celebrate Independence Day

The Offering

On June 26^th, we were fortunate enough to attend an offering ceremony, which occurs once every lunar month. The men of the village gather around a tower of prayer flags built on top of a grassy hill (as guests, Sara and T Fishy were also allowed to attend). Everyone brings some sort of gift, such as grain, cloth, or food, which is then burned as an offering to the mountain gods. The offering ceremony also serves as an occasion to discuss village issues, so it was an ideal time for us to begin talking with villagers about our project.

Elvis’s cousins

Amidst a crowd of curious and engaged men, we met with village leaders, Elvis's father, and Chozan. Chozan previously trained with a Chinese mechanic, where he gained motorcycle knowledge, so he was the ideal candidate to run our shop. We discussed tools, parts, common mechanical problems that occur in the mountains, and potential obstacles to the success of the shop. We also learned that every household owns at least one motorcycle. With 300 motorcycles now in the village, bikes have replaced horses as the standard mode of transportation. While we didn’t hammer out all the logistical issues, we were pleased to finally meet Chozan, as well as so many other helpful and excited people.

Discussing the motorcycle shop with men from the village

The next major step in implementing our project was to decide on a building site. We went with Elvis's father to the center of the village, where he owns one of the ten or so brick and adobe buildings that stand there. Since land is at a premium in the village center, and since Elvis's father was willing to lease the building for free, we felt that we had found a good location. Our options were either to renovate the old building that Elvis's father owns, or to tear it down and build a completely new shop. Elvis's father recommended building a new brick and cement shop because the current adobe structure was unstable and leaky. We took measurements using a coil of rope borrowed from an onlooker in order to estimate the amount of materials we would need. The measurements and pictures we took would later be given to a skilled worker from T Fishy's village, who would use them to buy supplies. With introductions done and a construction site in mind, we moved on to management and training issues.

Bright and early the next morning, the four of us woke up to find a respected village monk sipping tea and chatting away with Elvis's father in the other room. Embarrassed to keep him waiting since he had come here to meet us, we hurriedly pulled on clothes and scarfed down our tsamba. Soon after the meeting began, it became apparent that the monk’s vision of the shop differed significantly from ours. The monk hoped that the shop would benefit the village by providing parts at an equal or cheaper rate than available in X county town. Unfortunately this plan required us to pay yearly salaries to the mechanics, since they obviously would not be making much money. While we understood his wishes, we hoped to establish a shop that could be self-sustaining. We hope that its location would still make the shop a cheaper alternative, even if its services were not so discounted. Right now, if a motorcycle breaks in the village it must be towed to the nearest repair shop. This trip is time-consuming and expensive. Eventually the monk and Elvis's father agreed that a profitable and self-sustaining shop would be better. This would ensure that the mechanics would both work hard and not seek other sources of income.

Our second difficulty arose during discussions about training. The monk hoped to have the training completed in the village, but we wanted the shop mechanics to train in X county town where they would gain more hands-on experience fixing bikes on a daily basis. While the monk agreed with this in principle, the summer is an especially busy time since most villagers are herding or digging caterpillar fungus. At this point we also had not discussed this with the future mechanics, and all of us agreed that the decision was largely theirs. We realized that further discussion was impossible without Chozan present.

Three hours later, we learned from Chozan that because of family commitments he was unable to give up herding to run the shop. We all felt a little deflated. Luckily Elvis's father came to the rescue. Over the course of the afternoon he searched throughout the village for replacements. This was tough because we had all agreed on a strict set of criteria for potential mechanics:

1-Young

2-From a large family (so they would have fewer obligations towards herding)

3-Doesn’t drink, fight, gamble, or smoke.

4-Literate

5-Interested in running a shop!

At the end of the day Elvis's father returned triumphantly with Zhou La (age 26) and La Jie (age 21). Both are from respected families in the village, and fulfilled most of our criteria. Most importantly, they were enthusiastic about running the shop and grateful for the opportunity to train in Xinghai. We quickly arranged the terms of their training:

1-Training in Xinghai lasts for 30 days.

2-Living and food stipend (850 RMB/$120 each) will not be spent on alcohol, cigarettes or gambling (T Fishy was adamant about this, and the men nodded obediently).

3-Upon successful completion of training, approved by the T mechanic we selected, each will receive 500 RMB.

They agreed readily to these terms. We also discussed the possibility of donating a percentage of the shop’s profits to fund scholarships for girls in the village. Pentok has already established this project, and has sent several girls to school. We hope that this is another way the shop can benefit the community. All present were supportive of the idea.

In the end we were surprised that our most important meetings of the trip took less than two days. We settled on a building site, decided on construction materials, found interested trainees, and determined the terms of the training program. Elvis's family was getting ready to move to their summer pastures, so it was time for us to return to X county town.

YAK ATTACK!

We arrived in M on June 25th. Due to the poor road conditions described in our last entry, it is virtually impossible to reach the village without a motorcycle, jeep, or horse. The village is located 300 km from Xining at an altitude of approximately 4,000 m and consists of 100 nomadic T families. For most T, the term nomadic means that villagers have both summer and winter pastures (and sometimes a third or fourth camp as well). There are around 740 residents: 350 men, 270 women, and 120 children under 18. Per capita income can be as low as 500 RMB (less than $100) per year, and the main sources of income are selling yak and sheep products, renting grasslands, and digging caterpillar fungus. As far as we can tell, caterpillar fungus is a caterpillar with a fungus growing out of its head. It is valuable for medicinal purposes and is found mostly during the summer at high altitudes. Some families make their yearly income from caterpillar fungus, which sells for 120 RMB ($18) a pop. Few children attend school, and literacy rate (people who can read T) hovers around 20%. Most villagers don’t even speak any form of Chinese, so T Fishy was our voice and ears while we were in the village.

Caterpillar fungus

Upon arrival, one of the village leaders greeted us and drove us to Elvis's house, where we stayed for the duration of our time in the village. Of course at the time we didn’t realize he was a village leader! In case you’ve forgotten, Elvis is the university student we have been working with all year. He is the first person from his village to attend university, and is a student of Mama S. He is also a yak expert and a champion mountain climber. He and his family have worked with Mama S and Pentok to implement past projects in M.

One of the first things that surprised us was how spread out the village is. Elvis's house is located half an hour from the village center, even though it’s probably only 5 km away. Of course if the river is high you can spend all day waiting to get there. The village houses are mostly adobe, although some newer ones are made of brick and cement. The houses are scattered all over the grassy mountainsides. This time of year the hills are dotted with pink and yellow wildflowers, as well as countless yak, sheep, marmot, giant hawk, and the occasional guard dog (the unchained dogs scared the shit out of Sara). Surprising to us was the pervasive layer of trash littered throughout the hills, streams, and paths. Despite this, the houses in the village are still very clean.

Elvis's family’s brick and adobe house

While we were in Elvis's house we became accustomed to a slow and regular lifestyle. We lived primarily in one room of the house while his parents and little sister lived in the other. Both rooms are heated by centrally located metal stoves, which are fueled by yak dung. Thankfully, yak dung has a mild aroma. The houses have no running water, and the only electricity is generated by solar panels that provide around two hours of light. Water hauled from a nearby stream is used for cooking, cleaning, and tea. There’s also no plumbing or bathroom area, so we got used to going wherever we pleased, and for Sara that meant where there were no dogs. Our only spectators were curious yaks (who apparently love the taste of human urine), sheep, and the occasional group of villagers wandering around the corner.

The yaks go munching home

Elvis's family is super cool. His 15-year-old sister is a master at finding caterpillar fungus. This summer she has already found enough to fund their yearly budget, including her two older brothers’ school expenses. No wonder her family is reluctant to send her to school. Unfortunately, this is quite common in the village. Elvis's mother is always up bright and early and brought us our morning tsamba every day. She made sure we were well fed, constantly offering us tea, homemade bread, yak yogurt, and tsamba. In fact, we were given the same hospitality in every home we visited, so by the time we went to sleep at night we were stuffed. This is the standard diet in M. Since it is at such a high altitude, agriculture is difficult and we made sure to bring plenty of vegetables and watermelon for Elvis's family.

We were extremely impressed by Elvis's father. He was always calm, friendly, and knowledgeable, and David had a huge man crush on him. As with all projects that Pentok has done in the village, he was enthusiastic and helped coordinate village support for our project. We tagged along as he effortlessly herded the yak and sheep back into their pens using only whistles and the occasional shout.

Elvis's family members were intrigued by things that we take for granted. They were especially interested in our headlamps and money belts (Elvis's father showed us the slit in his jacket from when he was robbed). They also had a huge sweet tooth and loved the candy and raisins we brought with us. Chocolate, however, was not as appealing.

We also enjoyed things that are part of their daily lives, such as amazing cooking, the scenery, and easy pace of life.

Of course we were also in the village for business. Next up: motorcycle project gets underway.

L-R: Jesse, Sara, Elvis's father, Elvis's sister, Tsomo, Elvis's cousin, Elvis's mother, and Rooster

We Now Drive Into the Wild...

On June ­25th, we loaded a jeep with gear and gifts and set out for M. At the gas station we encountered our first delay of the day – a run-in with the police. A well-dressed woman approached the jeep and asked us where we were heading. Although T Fishy handled the situation, this further put us on edge about police involvement in our project.

Soon the five of us (Sara, Jesse, David, T Fishy and the driver) were on our way, driving through an endless landscape of dusty brown peaks and verdant plateaus. We had been repeatedly cautioned about the length of the trip and the poor road conditions, but none of the warnings could have fully prepared us for the journey ahead. We traveled up into the mountains along a twisty narrow road, with trucks and motorcycles going in both directions, and found ourselves following a river at the bottom of a giant canyon. After half an hour we climbed up the other side and emerged onto a vast plateau of green plains and roaming livestock. It seemed improbable to have such wide-open spaces in the midst of a mountain range.

One of the nicer stretches of road

Two hours into the drive we reached L township, the last major town before M, and discovered that our driver’s younger brother needed medical attention. While our driver left (with our stuff) to take his brother to the hospital, we sat on the hillside watching the sheep graze. A kind old man soon joined us and invited us to his home for tea and tsamba. After repeatedly drawing large crowds in X county town, we were relieved and appreciative when the old man led us to his house via the back way, through the hills. We were surprised to find his house surrounded by trees at such an altitude (3,800-4,000 m). He proudly told us that he plants one hundred trees each year. We rested in his house for an hour, talking about our families, our travels, and life in Qinghai. Soon our driver returned and the old man saw us on our way. Little did we know that the final leg of our journey would be the most treacherous.

Tsamba, a traditional T breakfast food. Tsamba is wheat flour usually mixed with yak butter, sugar, and milk tea.

“The Earth without trees is like a face without eyebrows or a mustache.” – Wise Old Man

Fifteen minutes outside of L township, we found ourselves driving along perilous cliffs on a road no wider than the jeep. For the next hour we passed tiny villages until we reached our driver’s home. Here we learned that his brother’s condition had worsened, and that he needed to be taken to a bigger hospital. We tried to convince him to turn around, but since he was unable to find another driver, he insisted on taking us to M. The last part of the journey was by far the worst. The road disappeared, giving way to rocky riverbeds. The trip became even more dangerous when it started to rain. For an hour we literally drove through rivers and along sand bars, with water seeping into the sides of the jeep. As water levels rose, the river sometimes reached as high as the passenger windows. The whole experience was made more difficult knowing that the driver’s brother was injured. By the time we finally got to M, all four of us were relieved to get out of the car and to send the driver back to his brother.

“You attempted to ford the river and your oxen drowned.” Oregon Trail, anyone?

Although the roads were terrifying, we had utmost confidence in our driver who knew the roads like the back of his hand.

T Fishy's Village

On June 23rd, we hitchhiked to T Fishy's village. Known as an oasis on the plateau, it is a vibrant green agricultural village surrounded by barren mountains. The land is so fertile because it is located next to the Yellow River. Thirty minutes after we arrived at T Fishy's aunt’s convenience store, we received a phone call from the police. A curious onlooker had reported our arrival in the village and the friendly police came to make sure that we registered. Foreigners throughout China are supposed to register with the police if they are not staying in a hotel.

The village itself was beautiful and full of amiable people. After T Fishy's aunt fed us copious amounts of food, we decided to walk it off on a hike through the countryside. T Fishy led us through fields of youcai, a yellow flower used to make canola oil, through the outskirts of the village, and towards the Yellow River. That night after dinner, T Fishy's aunt brought out small speakers and a stereo for a T circle dance party. This is a traditional group dance where the participants form a circle and move in unison. Since it’s rare that everyone knows the dance, there are usually several people leading. Soon after the party started, a neighbor brought out even bigger speakers and a sizable crowd of people gathered around. Even the police came to watch. Meanwhile, David was off playing basketball with a group of boys. Basketball hoops seem to be everywhere in China, from the major cities to the smallest villages.

Youcai is a major crop in T Fishy's village

We spent the night, and before we left the next day we talked to construction workers in the village. Since M does not have any skilled laborers, we planned to hire help from T Fishy's village. We learned that construction materials cost around 8,000 RMB ($1,200) in total. In addition, it would cost 5,000 RMB ($750) for the services of one skilled laborer and one assistant, who would be able to build the shop in 10 days with the help of M villagers. When we left we were confident that the project would be within our budget, and we were excited to leave for M.

“It takes a village to raise a child”. In the village it was hard to tell who the parents of these babies were, since everyone took care of them.

Thank you to T Fishy's aunt and cousin for letting us stay in their spacious house, complete with outdoor bathroom facilities, and for cooking and dance lessons.

CONSPICUOUS LAOWAI

For those of you who don’t know what a “laowai” is, the term refers to foreign visitors or expats, and literally means “old outsider.” Whether it’s an insult or an endearing term continues to be debated.
On Tuesday, June 22nd we left Xining for X county town. We walked from the Pentok headquarters to the long distance car terminal, where we were immediately surrounded by hoards of drivers asking us where we were going and offering a range of prices. As laowai it’s assumed that we’re wealthy, so drivers were shouting numbers up to 3,000 RMB (around $450). Suddenly, a T driver approached T Fishy and said he would take us for 260 RMB total. We happily agreed. Without T Fishy we surely would have been royally ripped off.

With T Fishy's cousin

When we arrived in X we were again surrounded by curious people. As a welcome relief from all the stares and followers, we took refuge in T Fishy's cousin’s home. After lunch we visited three motorcycle shops. We learned that basic training would take one month, and we would need 10,000 RMB ($1,500) to import initial tools and parts from Xining. The altitude and weather exposure make engine and electrical problems common.


The last shop we went to was run by a T mechanic with seven years of motorcycle repair experience. We asked him how much we would have to pay him to train two or three people. Since he usually has to pay people to work in his shop, he said he would be happy to teach M villagers free of charge.


Later, while we waited on a sidewalk for a friend of T Fishy's, we were approached by a well-dressed, friendly woman who asked us where we were from and what brought us to X. Caught off guard, it took us a minute to notice the burly policemen behind her. Since the T riots in 2008, the police have been increasingly wary of foreigners visiting remote areas in Western China. Apparently, we will be watched at all times while we’re here.

T Fishy's cousin's dog Little Abu

Next up: Hitchhiking to T Fishy's village.

If You Go Out in the Woods Today...

Saturday the 19th we went for a picnic. It was hosted by Gerald and Elena, two English professors at Qinghai Normal University, and attended by a combination of QNU students and foreigners here for development work.

Photo caption: Gerald about to get thrown in the stream

In a hired bus, we drove to the countryside an hour from Xining. Throughout the day we ate Tibetan bread and yak meat, played soccer, threw each other in the stream, and chased livestock grazing in the area. We also drank heavily, starting at 8:30 in the morning with a shot of local barley beer. It turns out that communal drinking and merry-making are important aspects of Qinghai culture.

Photo caption: The offering

For the first drink, it is customary to offer three drops to the gods before consuming. Later everyone is involved in the festivities, whether offering or drinking alcohol. Offerers often sing or dance in order to entice potential drinkers. Our multicultural singing ranged from the Backstreet Boys and Disney to beautiful Tibetan folk songs.

Midway through the day we hiked up the hill to the local monastery. The buildings were nestled into the mountainside, which helped to lend the place an air of serenity. We especially enjoyed talking to one monk about his motorcycle, which he uses primarily to transport water to the monastery.

We finished the day with dinner and some more offerings at Gerald and Elena’s house. We had tons of fun, and learned a lot by sharing the day with such a diverse group. Thanks to Gerald and Elena, two hilarious and generous Aussies, for inviting three strangers to their annual picnic.

Photo caption: L-R: Elena, Scot, Noura, T Fishy, Catlin, David, Irene, Sara, Carver, Tim, Amy, Jody, Diana, Zachary, Margery, Gerald, Otto