Storytellers Travel to China and Find No Room, then Deluxe Accommodations

Robert and Nancy in the snows of China's Gengcun village

By Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo and Nancy Wang of Eth-Noh-Tech

(Orcas Islanders Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo and Nancy Wang are internationaltheater-storytellers. They have just returned from a month-long trip to teach storytelling theater to hundreds of middle school students at the International School of Beijing.

Their blog at www.ethnohtech.org explains: “Since this was a quick, come-lately gig, both the teachers and we will be improvising. They aren’t sure what we do and we aren’t sure how they want it organized. But we’ll find out soon enough!”

Following the class in Beijing, Robert and Nancy traveled to the storytelling village of Gengcun. That part of their trip will be related in a post on Orcas Issues  next week.)

[During the stay in Beijing, we will be] teaching storytelling skills, movement and gesture, vocal tricks and eventually we will be coaching their projects. These middle school kids are so wonderful to work with – imagine this age as still very un-jaded, pure of heart youngsters at age 11-13!

Now the hotel we are in across from the school has been an interesting adventure. A mix-up in the reservation ended in no reservation, but after 30 minutes, we finally got a room. But the next day we were told we couldn’t have it but for two nights instead of the 12 that was suppose to be reserved by the school for us. We were told we’d have to leave for one night and then could return. What?!

Then they said “…ok… we’ll give you free upgrade for one night, you change next night back to old room.”

“Oh no…we’re not packing and unpacking again over and over again!”

“Ok… you stay in upgrade whole time, ok? Don’t change hotels.”

So, the third day we were led to the upgrade… Upgrade?! Noooo…. It may have looked like a two- room suite, but it was absolutely filthy! Huge stains on the filthy rugs everywhere, it was smelly, the wallpaper was peeling, the wood had chips… the rooms had old stained furniture and there was no where to put our clothes for two weeks.

We were shown two other choices – the same filth.

“No… we will not stay in any of these rooms… If we have to stay in any of these rooms, we should not have to pay for it! Have you seen the third floor Mr. Manager?”

“No… oh… old… Ok I give you new upgrade. Trust me…”

When the next door was opened for our perusal… boy was it new! And it wasn’t just new, it was the penthouse!!

The quest for rooms leads at last to the penthouse suite, where Robert and Nancy retire after full days of teaching theater arts

So we are staying for the entire time in a two-story gorgeously designed penthouse. It is saving our lives!! We can’t imagine now being in one room for two weeks and teaching all day, then working all evening on our other projects.

The floors are either off-white tiled or shiny wood floors, and there is a study, a huge bedroom with stereo and TV, two bathrooms – one with a sauna and bidet, a large dining area and living room with stereo and tv, and a very large two story roofed – did we say huge balcony… which of course we don’t use because it is getting to be winter here and the coal dust… but as Robert says, one could have a tennis match on it!

We are so very grateful! Being clear on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, and being able to communicate the need to have what is right is a good thing!

(Coming next: Though this particular group of students will not be able to visit the village this chilly December, we will brave the wintry farm town with warm smiles for the storytellers of this traditional village.)