How I lost my passport and got it back.... and other Xi'an stories

What a whirlwind weekend in Xi'an. Where to begin? Let’s start with my train ride to Xi’an. I was invited by another fellow to do a teacher training at Xi'an International University for about 110 teachers from primary, secondary and universities in the area. This meant that not only do I get more practice giving teaching workshops but I get to visit a super cool city. I’ve been dreaming of the Terra Cotta Warriors since I was 3 years old watching Big Bird Goes to China, and now was my chance! Being an ELF is pretty cool sometimes.

Xi'an!

So I’m working on my ppt on the train and the man next to me starts to read my slides. In broken English he asks, are you a teacher? I say yes and it turns out he is a professor of education at Tsinghua University (super prestigious if you don’t know!). We then go on to discuss the problems with education in China, spend some time talking about scaffolding and differentiation, and finally he tells me about the work he is doing with flipped classrooms. Not a bad way to start a weekend of outreach!

Train in china: so many people!

Next up were my morning workshops (don’t worry, ill get to the good story soon). I presented two themes, one scaffolding in the classroom and one on project based learning. The first presentation went quite well. They were active and adorable, many asking questions and nodding in agreement and excitement. The second workshop I need to fix up. I completely ran out of time! And it is an extreme change from what pedagogy they know, to be able to do project based learning. However, I was able to show a video from my classroom in New York and they loved it! All in all a great learning experience for me as well as for them.

Then it was time to do some exploring! (and maybe get a drink or two J) Xi’an is a magical city, the start of the silk road, lit up in Christmas lights, a walled in old city, an amazing Muslim quarter that makes me feel like I’m in the middle east and not in china! We even got to take the most incredible private tuktuk food tour called Lost Plate tours. A guide took us around to 5 different hole in the wall authentic Chinese food restaurants and tells us the history of each dish we are eating. It was so much fun!! Look at all this interesting and strange food!

Bread sticks to the walls of the oven with honey

Beef bbq

8 ingredient porridge

tofu soup that is on a burner that has been lit for 28 years.

soup dumplints

And now to the juicy story of my passport

Around 11 pm, I realized that I didn’t have my wallet. I was super confused. It had been on the inside of my jacket. Also, in case you don’t’ know, I am the smartest traveller. I NEVER lose my passport. I mean never. Ever. And I have been to many places, gotten in many sticky situations, and I’ve never lost my passport. So we backtracked all over the old city and couldn't find it. I was not nervous because frankly, I had no idea what happens in China when one loses a passport. I did however, realize that I wouldn’t be able to get on a train without it. Was I forever stuck in Xi’an?

When I got back to the hotel, they told me a man called and had found my wallet with my passport and train ticket inside.

Someone found it? Where is he?

He’ll come in the morning.

And my passport is there?

Yes, everything but your cash.

Who cares? My passport is there?

Yes.

Large sighs of relief. I’m thinking, this is too good to be true. I would never expect someone in China to find my wallet and be responsible to do the right thing. Good samaritan law doesn’t exist here. It’s not part of the culture. But I decided to deal with it the next morning.

After about 4 hours of sleep… hotel room phone rings. ‘the man is downstairs, would you like to meet him?” “Um ok.”

So downstairs to the lobby I go. I want to give this man a hug! But he doesn’t look at me, and doesn’t have my wallet. Apparently he brought it to a police station? And then he starts yelling. A lot. And I’m scared. And he wants money. And of course I have none (remember: no wallet). And the hotel staff are nice but he is very aggressive. After about an hour he finally leaves with 100 rmb. The hotel sends me with a bellboy to the police station to retrieve my wallet. Ok, bad man gone, and soon I will have my passport back!

We arrive at a very small police station that appears to be closed. The bellboy knocks and knocks and finally a disgruntled, sleepy, grumpy, old Chinese police man opens the door. Inside is a small office, just ad desk and wait a minute- on the desk is my wallet!! I go to reach for it- but am stopped by more yelling. This time from the policeman. He pushes the wallet towards him and tells me to sit. So I sit, and he makes a call. And then we wait. And wait. And I stare at my wallet. And the bellboy stands silently. And we wait. And my wallet is still on the table. And I just start to laugh. After what seems like forever (maybe 30 minutes), another police man shows up who speaks some English. ‘is this your wallet? “ ‘Yes.” “please sign here” “Can I take it now?” I slowly reach across the desk and snatch it up!

And just like that, I have my passport back. And all my credit cards. My student id. My train ticket. My taxi receipts. My apartment card swipe key. And so on. Somewhere I had some good karma and boy did it repay me this weekend.

me dancing with the locals....