Chapter 122
Gyms
I had been doing aerobics at a gym in La Crosse before I went to China. After I got to Luoyang, one of the teachers, Ms. Wei, knew of a place to go to because she lived close to it. There was a soccer stadium and one of the rooms was used for aerobics so that is where we went. There weren’t many in the class, maybe ten. The instructors would talk and count in Chinese of course. Being I couldn't understand what they were saying, I watched and learned the routines and I picked up on the counting. The classes and music were really good. I learned different routines that the instructors taught.
Ms. Wei and I would meet there now and then depending upon her class schedule and other things she had going on. I went there until March when the classes were closed because of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
In the fall of 2003, Ms. Wei said another place had opened up so we went there and she got me signed up. We went into the gym area and there were the two lady instructors from the other place that we had gone to before. We were so happy to see them and they were very happy to see us. I went there until I left in July of 2004. There was also a man there that taught aerobic kickboxing. I liked the different classes that the instructors did. They were really good. The classes usually had around forty people and sometimes up to seventy. I really liked the music and the routines that all of them used. This gym's name was Lu Cao Di which means green grass.
Meng Dan (Mae); Ma Qingyan; Li Hao and Feng Xiaoxiao
The girl on the left took the classes also. I was doing a class and afterwards she came up to me and talked to me in English. We would see each other sometimes in the classes. The other three were my instructors, they did not speak English. One time I took all of them out to eat and Mae did the translating. Before I left in 2004, I took a video of each of their classes.
Ms. Wei and I would meet there now and then depending upon her class schedule and other things she had going on. I went there until March when the classes were closed because of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
In the fall of 2003, Ms. Wei said another place had opened up so we went there and she got me signed up. We went into the gym area and there were the two lady instructors from the other place that we had gone to before. We were so happy to see them and they were very happy to see us. I went there until I left in July of 2004. There was also a man there that taught aerobic kickboxing. I liked the different classes that the instructors did. They were really good. The classes usually had around forty people and sometimes up to seventy. I really liked the music and the routines that all of them used. This gym's name was Lu Cao Di which means green grass.
This is the floor where we did aerobics. It was also used for badminton. On the stage is exercise equipment.
Meng Dan (Mae); Ma Qingyan; Li Hao and Feng Xiaoxiao
The girl on the left took the classes also. I was doing a class and afterwards she came up to me and talked to me in English. We would see each other sometimes in the classes. The other three were my instructors, they did not speak English. One time I took all of them out to eat and Mae did the translating. Before I left in 2004, I took a video of each of their classes.
The second time that I was in China, I went to another gym close to the Number 19 High School. None of my previous instructors were there. I did aerobics and went to different instructor’s classes. I do not have any pictures of that gym. It was called Mei Li. The first floor was where you checked in and the locker rooms. The second floor had aerobics and spin classes and the third floor had weights and treadmills.
Chapter 123
Massage and Acupuncture
It is said that massage and acupuncture began in China. When I first moved to La Crosse in 1998, I did massage for four years before I went to China. I am from South Dakota and I had gone to a massage school in Sioux Falls for six months before I moved here. I was curious about how massage was done in China so I had a few different kinds to compare to how we did it in the US. In the US, we usually take our clothes off, lie on the table and lotion is used on our skin. In China, at least the ones that I had, you leave your clothes on. Sometimes, they would walk on my back and use their feet.
My friend Lily (Li Yongli), had a friend that ran a massage and acupuncture place. It was really beautiful. It had thirty rooms. Lily and I went there so she could show me the place. Lily told her friend that I had done massage in the US so the owner had one of her guys give me a sample of how they did their massages. It was for maybe five minutes and it was very good. Then he laid down and I did a little on him. He said that I could have a part-time job there if I wanted to, he liked how I did it on him. As for acupuncture, he put a couple of needles in me, one by my thumb and one by my elbow, just so I could see what it was like. I never felt a thing, didn’t even know they were there except when I looked. I wouldn’t think twice if I needed some treatment and was told to have acupuncture done.
There were three Christian churches in Luoyang when I was there. One of them was north of Wangcheng Park. I lived about four blocks from the church. There was a cross on the top of the church. I was told that mostly older people went. During my time in Luoyang, some of the people that I met would ask me if I was Christian. I told them I was. I don’t remember that any of them told me that they went to a church. They held Bible studies at people’s homes. Some said they would keep it kind of quiet. The Christian religion is known throughout China but it is kind of frowned upon by the government. As of 2014, the number that is given is there are 163 million Chinese that are Christians in China. That is 12% of the population. They predict that the number will increase as the years go on.
I did not go to the church. It would have been in the Chinese language and I would have been the only foreigner there. One day, my colleague Mary and I were out and we were close to the church and she wanted to look inside so we went in. She is from the Philippines and Catholic. It is an older church and pretty inside.
My friend Lily (Li Yongli), had a friend that ran a massage and acupuncture place. It was really beautiful. It had thirty rooms. Lily and I went there so she could show me the place. Lily told her friend that I had done massage in the US so the owner had one of her guys give me a sample of how they did their massages. It was for maybe five minutes and it was very good. Then he laid down and I did a little on him. He said that I could have a part-time job there if I wanted to, he liked how I did it on him. As for acupuncture, he put a couple of needles in me, one by my thumb and one by my elbow, just so I could see what it was like. I never felt a thing, didn’t even know they were there except when I looked. I wouldn’t think twice if I needed some treatment and was told to have acupuncture done.
Chapter 124
Church
I did not go to the church. It would have been in the Chinese language and I would have been the only foreigner there. One day, my colleague Mary and I were out and we were close to the church and she wanted to look inside so we went in. She is from the Philippines and Catholic. It is an older church and pretty inside.
This area was under construction. The church would be left there. The ferris wheel in the background is in Wangcheng Park.
This is the back of the church. The red building is a barn.
Mary and I stopped to look at the church.
Chapter 125
Preschool
The pictures are of a preschool that my friend Rebecca’s (Zhuan Hongjuan) daughter Maggie (Maizi) went to. Most children go to these starting at 2 ½ years old.
Maggie (Maizi)
Maggie with grandpa and grandma. Below is Maggie and her mom playing.
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