I seem to be dwelling on the fact that my time in Beijing is coming to a temporary close. I know that endings are an inevitable and assumed part of living temporarily somewhere, but I continue to be amazed with how quickly time seems to pass as I get older. It seems like just a matter of weeks ago that I was stepping onto the plane in Grand Rapids, unsure of just how this experience would treat me, what friends I would make, what would Beijing be like, how would I adjust to teaching...in just five short month I can no longer imagine my life without this set of experiences. I love it here and cannot wait to get back here after the fall. That said, I cannot wait to get back home and the comforts that this brings.
Reflecting on my time here, I keep coming back to the question of what would be a perfect day for me in Beijing...what would I do, what would I see, where would I eat if time and money were not of primary considerations...plus I would not get full since food plays so prominently into my idea of a perfect experience.
The day would begin with a trip to Steak and Eggs...one of the few places in Beijing to get a good American Breakfast. It is not nearly as good as Wolfgangs, but for here it is not too bad. After this I would make my way to the Old Summer Palace. I visited here for the first time just this past weekend, but it is one of my favorite places in Beijing. It was remarkably empty for a "tourist" attraction in Beijing. The palace that was on this site was destroyed by Anglo-Franco troops in the Second Opium War. The remains of the palace can still be seen. My feeling is that the site of the Old Summer Palace is nicer than the new Summer Palace. Both have their charms, but perhaps because of the relative lack of crowds, I preferred the old to the New.
For lunch I would eat at the Golden Peacock Dai Minority Cuisine restaurant. This is one of the best "bang for the buck" restaurants that I have encountered anywhere on earth. This is food that is so good I would easily spend 20 dollars or more for a meal with drinks...instead, I typically spend no more than 5 dollars, drinks included. It actually is only that much if I go there myself, with a group it is usually kept to 2 or 3 dollars per person. The highlights of this restaurant are really spicy beef, pineapple rice that is sweet and glutinous, potato balls with sesame oil and cilantro dipping sauce that are better than any french fry I have ever had anywhere, cheap beer, free appetizers that I would order as an entree if they were on the menu and a friendly and attentive staff (somewhat rare here in China). All told this is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere on earth, regardless of price. The fact it is so cheap makes it all that much better.
After time spent in the park, which is essentially what the Old Summer Palace is, and lunch, I would make my way to Nanluogu Xiang, a hutong filled with shops, restaurants, cafe's and similar small business' in a restored Hutong (old Beijing alley). This is a pretty calm street in the middle of the city, too narrow for much traffic to pass and a great place to spend a quite afternoon with a book, checking your email (most cafe's have wi-fi) and grabbing a good bite to eat. After relaxing for a while at a cafe the hutongs that surround nanluogu make for a great view of daily life in Beijing. The hutongs that surround tend to be less restored and commercialized, giving a glimpse into the daily life that is the reality of so many Beijing residents.
The late afternoon calls for a Massage which means Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat, one of the most peaceful massage places I have encountered. This place specializes in relaxation, which is sometimes great and others not quite what is needed. The massages can be out fo this world but occasionally fail to hit the mark. That said, more times than not I walk away a very satisfied customer, plus the price cannot be matched (in the United States, for China it is on the expensive side of massages) at just 13.50 for an hour long massage. As an occasional hedonist, I usually indulge in a one hour foot massage followed by a one hour body massage that puts me in a deep state or relaxation...
Dinner would follow that relaxation and there are numerous choices for a great dinner in Beijing. Since it is a piece on Beijing, my choice will be Beijing Duck. The flavor of this famous dish lives up the the hype and makes for a great day. A thin pancake with plum sauce, a few pieces of crispy duck, sliced onion, sliced apple and a bit of garlic and sugar make for a succulent treat that I am prone to stuffing myself with. An entire duck (which feeds two or three with some side dishes) goes for about 11 dollars, a bargain again for the levels of flavor that exist in this Beijing treat.
Following dinner and the massage, any level of relaxation goes out the window as I amke my way to the Fengtai Stadium to watch Beijing Guoan, my club team play a level of pretty poor soccer. The games are entertaining though, a great way to spend the evening with the Chinese (few foreigners attend the games). The level of play for a professional team is not that much higher than mid-level college teams, but still a lot of fun to watch.
Following the game there are numerous bars to relax with a cheap (less than 75 cents) beer or two.
While I would love to have a day like this, the time and travel constraints probably will keep this from ever happening, but this is my Beijing. This is a great place with a lot to offer. If you want to spend the day as a tourist this is very easy, if you want to spend it as a local (as much as a really tall white boy can) this is even easier. There are so many great things that I have yet to discover here. My ideal day may very well look a whole lot different in another year. I am just excited that I am lucky enough to have the chance to experience these events.
All the best,
Zai Jian
6.24.2007
6.19.2007
Stupidity and Frustration...
I am totally in love with China...most of the time. It does seem however, that every time I have all of these warm feelings towards my adopted home, the government goes and does something idiotic. I have written about my questions with predicting the weather for the Olympics over a year in advance previously. A recent article sets new standards in environmental destruction and poorly thought through tourism. The Chinese government has recently announced that they are planning to build a "highway" up Everest. Their plan is to have a paved roadway to base camp, making the path that the Olympic Torch will follow much easier to navigate. This will cost millions of dollars, money that certainly could be spent more intelligently on education, village infrastructure, farming advances, drought prevention, reforestation, or pretty much anything...maybe even government officials salaries would be a better use of this money, at least that way some of the money would be pumped back into the Chinese economy.
http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/18/content_6259691.htm
http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-06/18/content_6259691.htm
6.18.2007
Life and times of a tall Beijinger
I apologize for not writing more as of late, I have been without internet and my computer for a little while now...Technical problems happen over here as well. I am guessing that everyone that is reading this has also received an email from me recently, but if not, welcome to my life in China. I cannot believe that I have less than a month left here. The time has flown by. The pending departure has caused me to frantically finish as much as I can in my time here, each weekend crossing off items from a list of things still to do in Beijing. I must say, that the crush of time to go has meant that my weekends have been far more productive than when I felt that I still had unlimited amounts of time to spend here in China. Each weekend I visit three or four restaurants that I have heard about, do two or more cultural or tourist events and have pretty much made sure to make the most out of my time here.
This task of getting things done has been made much easier by the presence of a new place to live. I have added a second apartment in my life. For the last few weeks I have been spending the weekends at my new apartment in downtown (kind of) Beijing. My apartment is in the Students district and is really cheap. I will say that the quality of my living is a bit lower than any place that I would ever consider to live in the U.S., but for some reason I have no problem with the place in China. I love the added convenience that living in the city gives. Knowing that I do not need to go all the way back to Huijia has allowed me to see Soccer games, go the Symphony, go Salsa Dancing, spend a lot more money at Restaurants, do more shopping, sleep in later on the days of my Chinese lessons and pretty much just get more out of life.
Speaking of Chinese lessons, it finally feels like Chinese is kind of starting to click. While there is still so much more that I do not get than I do, I am beginning to understand random bits of overheard conversations. This, along with a pretty firm grasp of ordering and directional language has more or less allowed me to actually listen to what is coming out of people’s mouths rather than just assuming that I do not understand what is being said. I can string a few sentences together now and can give some basics when meeting people for the first time. This is the first time that I have felt this way with a foreign language and the sense of accomplishment, at least when not drowned out by the feeling of utter stupidity because of lack of Mandarin knowledge, is pretty awesome. I still have a very long way to go, but I am starting to feel that progress is being made.
In addition to the Mandarin breakthrough’s I have also begun tutoring a student in conversational English. My Chinese tutor had a friend that was looking to improve her spoken English and thought of me. I think that her English is pretty fluent, but she wants more help. I hope that I can help her out, but if nothing else it is teaching me a lot about the culture and life of a normal Chinese person.
These experiences have combined to reassuring me that I need to be back here. I am in the process of figuring out what to do when I look to return in the winter. I am planning on being back in December, hopefully at my same school. Time will tell, but what I do know is that I am still having the time of my life over here. I hope everyone is well. I cannot wait to see you soon.
This task of getting things done has been made much easier by the presence of a new place to live. I have added a second apartment in my life. For the last few weeks I have been spending the weekends at my new apartment in downtown (kind of) Beijing. My apartment is in the Students district and is really cheap. I will say that the quality of my living is a bit lower than any place that I would ever consider to live in the U.S., but for some reason I have no problem with the place in China. I love the added convenience that living in the city gives. Knowing that I do not need to go all the way back to Huijia has allowed me to see Soccer games, go the Symphony, go Salsa Dancing, spend a lot more money at Restaurants, do more shopping, sleep in later on the days of my Chinese lessons and pretty much just get more out of life.
Speaking of Chinese lessons, it finally feels like Chinese is kind of starting to click. While there is still so much more that I do not get than I do, I am beginning to understand random bits of overheard conversations. This, along with a pretty firm grasp of ordering and directional language has more or less allowed me to actually listen to what is coming out of people’s mouths rather than just assuming that I do not understand what is being said. I can string a few sentences together now and can give some basics when meeting people for the first time. This is the first time that I have felt this way with a foreign language and the sense of accomplishment, at least when not drowned out by the feeling of utter stupidity because of lack of Mandarin knowledge, is pretty awesome. I still have a very long way to go, but I am starting to feel that progress is being made.
In addition to the Mandarin breakthrough’s I have also begun tutoring a student in conversational English. My Chinese tutor had a friend that was looking to improve her spoken English and thought of me. I think that her English is pretty fluent, but she wants more help. I hope that I can help her out, but if nothing else it is teaching me a lot about the culture and life of a normal Chinese person.
These experiences have combined to reassuring me that I need to be back here. I am in the process of figuring out what to do when I look to return in the winter. I am planning on being back in December, hopefully at my same school. Time will tell, but what I do know is that I am still having the time of my life over here. I hope everyone is well. I cannot wait to see you soon.
6.07.2007
Shanghai Part 3
When people in China hear that I studied and Shanghai and now live in Beijing, their first question is typically which city do you like better…which I quickly reply, Shanghai. I have come to love Beijing, but there is just no comparison to Shanghai. The response to this is typically some analysis of how Beijing is more traditional and historical, while Shanghai is more modern and business oriented. While true, I would not necessarily say that Beijing is all that much more traditional. The overall feeling of the city may skew slightly towards the traditional, but this is still a pretty modern city, especially in comparison to the villages that lay all over the city. Beijing is in the process of rapid modernization, or revitalization, or renovation…whichever you want to call it in preparation for next year’s Olympics. I was unfortunately greeted with a major reminder of these projects while going through the Forbidden City this weekend. I was disappointed to find that two of the main halls were completely covered with scaffolding. While this will improve the experience for visitors next year, it makes for an eyesore right now. I suppose that this is the cost of progress.
Shanghai is a city that changes constantly. There is likely no city in the history of the world that has experience the level of growth and modernization that Shanghai has in the last 20 years. As one piece of Shanghai lore states, during the 1990’s 1/3rd of the world’s tower cranes were located within the city limits of Shanghai. In 1984 the tallest building in the city was 24 stories tall…today, there are thousands that tower over this height. Shanghai has one of the most unique and impressive skylines in the world.
Visiting Shanghai was like catching up with an old friend. I was thrilled to find many of my favorite places still in tact, though not surprised to see that some have moved on. In a city that is developing as quickly as Shanghai is, the road to development means that history is sometimes ignored and forgotten. Beijing is the more historical city, but Shanghai has also had an illustrious (by Western standards) past. Shanghai is the city, with the exception of Hong Kong, that has had the most interaction with the west in China. There are pockets of the city that were controlled by British, French, American and Russian foreign contingents, remnants of China’s checkered history of interaction with the west. Today the reminders of this colonial period still are present in western architecture, tree lined streets and even an occasional name. Three of these colonial relics are among my favorite places in the city. The Bund, the riverfront area is among the most famous sights in Shanghai and a phenomenal place to spend a few hours wandering around, regardless of what time of day you are there. It is filled with activity throughout the day, from older people practicing tai chi, fan dancing and martial arts in the morning, to tourists in the afternoon and young couples enjoying a warm evening. The French Concession, the portion of the city controlled by the French is my favorite neighborhood in Shanghai. The tree lined streets, colonial architecture and fantastic shopping make for a great place to spend an afternoon. For a city that loves to “renovate” as much as Shanghai, it is amazing that so much of the French Concession has been preserved. Finally, the Shanghai Art Museum is the former member’s only club of the Shanghai Race Track. This used to be firmly in the British section of the city and the building was one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. Today it houses a great, though small, collection of art that showcases both traditional Chinese art as well as examples from the quickly growing modern art scene in China.
Shanghai was also the site where many European Jews made their way during the early years of the Holocaust. During this period the Japanese controlled Shanghai and because of this, there was no visa required to live in Shanghai. At the time, the United States (among many others) were refusing to grant visa’s to Jews in part because of a lack of understanding of what exactly was beginning to happen in Europe. Many Jews had no where but Shanghai to go. The story of Shanghai’s Jews is told in a wonderful documentary, Shanghai Jews, but is, for the most part a story that is not known in China. In the Shanghai City History Museum there was a brief mention of this period, but no real commemoration of the important role that Shanghai played in the preservation of the Jewish race. It was due, in part, to q quirk in history, but China and Shanghai stepped up to take in a threatened people when no one else would. This should be commemorated much more than it is.
Shanghai is, at least in my mind, a nearly perfect city. There is a mix of new and old, gaudy and understated, frantic and calm. There is so much to do regardless of what interests you, food of any culture to eat, art to see, architecture to marvel at and shopping to spend your hard earned dollars. I have no doubt that at some point in my life I will call Shanghai home. The weekend that I spent there reminded me of the charms of this city.
Shanghai is a city that changes constantly. There is likely no city in the history of the world that has experience the level of growth and modernization that Shanghai has in the last 20 years. As one piece of Shanghai lore states, during the 1990’s 1/3rd of the world’s tower cranes were located within the city limits of Shanghai. In 1984 the tallest building in the city was 24 stories tall…today, there are thousands that tower over this height. Shanghai has one of the most unique and impressive skylines in the world.
Visiting Shanghai was like catching up with an old friend. I was thrilled to find many of my favorite places still in tact, though not surprised to see that some have moved on. In a city that is developing as quickly as Shanghai is, the road to development means that history is sometimes ignored and forgotten. Beijing is the more historical city, but Shanghai has also had an illustrious (by Western standards) past. Shanghai is the city, with the exception of Hong Kong, that has had the most interaction with the west in China. There are pockets of the city that were controlled by British, French, American and Russian foreign contingents, remnants of China’s checkered history of interaction with the west. Today the reminders of this colonial period still are present in western architecture, tree lined streets and even an occasional name. Three of these colonial relics are among my favorite places in the city. The Bund, the riverfront area is among the most famous sights in Shanghai and a phenomenal place to spend a few hours wandering around, regardless of what time of day you are there. It is filled with activity throughout the day, from older people practicing tai chi, fan dancing and martial arts in the morning, to tourists in the afternoon and young couples enjoying a warm evening. The French Concession, the portion of the city controlled by the French is my favorite neighborhood in Shanghai. The tree lined streets, colonial architecture and fantastic shopping make for a great place to spend an afternoon. For a city that loves to “renovate” as much as Shanghai, it is amazing that so much of the French Concession has been preserved. Finally, the Shanghai Art Museum is the former member’s only club of the Shanghai Race Track. This used to be firmly in the British section of the city and the building was one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. Today it houses a great, though small, collection of art that showcases both traditional Chinese art as well as examples from the quickly growing modern art scene in China.
Shanghai was also the site where many European Jews made their way during the early years of the Holocaust. During this period the Japanese controlled Shanghai and because of this, there was no visa required to live in Shanghai. At the time, the United States (among many others) were refusing to grant visa’s to Jews in part because of a lack of understanding of what exactly was beginning to happen in Europe. Many Jews had no where but Shanghai to go. The story of Shanghai’s Jews is told in a wonderful documentary, Shanghai Jews, but is, for the most part a story that is not known in China. In the Shanghai City History Museum there was a brief mention of this period, but no real commemoration of the important role that Shanghai played in the preservation of the Jewish race. It was due, in part, to q quirk in history, but China and Shanghai stepped up to take in a threatened people when no one else would. This should be commemorated much more than it is.
Shanghai is, at least in my mind, a nearly perfect city. There is a mix of new and old, gaudy and understated, frantic and calm. There is so much to do regardless of what interests you, food of any culture to eat, art to see, architecture to marvel at and shopping to spend your hard earned dollars. I have no doubt that at some point in my life I will call Shanghai home. The weekend that I spent there reminded me of the charms of this city.
5.26.2007
The Life of a Rock Star
I love that I can live the life of a Rock Star here in China. There are two things that I mean by this, one, I attract a certain amount of attention just based on my European desent which I have already talked about. The second way is that I have a very high standard of living here.
This was demonstrated in Shanghai where I was able to live in relative style for not much money at all. My general philosophy while traveling is to spend as little money as possible on where I am staying, and how I get there (assuming quick and convenient travel), instead using the money I saved to eat well, do as many activities as possible and as much shopping as I want. In Shanghai I stayed at a hostel that cost me 6 dollars a night. This place had a great location, was clean and pretty much all I needed in a place to sleep. It was not the most comfortable bed in the world, but it did the trick. With the money saved on lodging, I was able to eat like a king.
There were numerous culinary highlights on the trip. Shanghai is world famous for their dumplings, and they did not dissapoint. This is a ridiculously inexpensive meal (1.25 for 16 dumplings) that is a match for any food anywhere. Given the option of having dumplings soaked in soy sauce and vinegar compared to almost any meal would be a very difficult choice for me. The combination of the dough and filling is nearly perfect. This was the least expensive meal I had, but also one of the best.
I also went to a Tapas restaurant which was excellent. Nothing exceptional compared to other Tapas places I have been, but excellent. A nice change of pace from typical Chinese and Western fare that is available in China. The highlights of this meal were the fried Mozzarella and Chedder, wine soaked beef tenderloin, great bread and above average Sangria. It was a very good meal that was, with all I got, on the cheap side.
I had two meals that broke the bank, the first was a Sunday Brunch at M on the Bund. This is a 5 star restaurant that has been reviewed by the New York Times as well as other major publications. The food here was exceptional, though arguably not quite worth the price. That said, the cost in Shanghai was really low compared to major U.S. cities. Brunch was about $25 dollars which included a cocktail, coffee and three courses. I have no doubt that a comparable meal in New York or Chicago would have pushed $100. The best part of the meal though, was not the food, nor the service (very attentive for China) but instead the view...which is probably about 1/2 of the cost of the meal. The table that I was at overlooked the entire Bund as well as the Pudong area of town. This made for a fantastic contrast of the new Shanghai and the old colonial influence in Shanghai. The Bund is comprised of classic, European architecture that has been very well preserved. The building that line the river are the former homes of banks, the Shanghai stock market, trading companies, shipping companies, pretty much where all money in Shanghai used to go through. Today these buildings have been turned into 5 star restaurants, upscale retail and still an occasional bank. They are lit up at night which makes for a very impressive sight. Wandering around the park that lies in front of the Bund in the evening is one of my favorite things to do in Shanghai. The other side of the river is about as architecturally different from the Bund as you can get. The skyline in Pudong (the recently developed Commercial center of Shanghai) is something straight out of science fiction. The building all stretch skyward with unique design. The most recognizable building is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, a tall tower decorated by three large globes that shine Purple and Pink in the sun. Some call this an eyesore, which I suppose it kind of is, but it is a unique building that helps make Shanghai the city that it is. There countless other skyscrapers in Pudong, my favorite being the Jin Mao tower. The food at M on the Bund was excellent, but what really made this meal memorable was the view. The experience of eating here is totally worth the cost, something that I would recommend to anyone spending a weekend in Shanghai.
My favorite Pudong skyscraper, the Jin Mao building was the sight of the second break the bank dining excursion. The Jin Mao tower is home to the Hyatt who occupies the 54th floor to the 87th floor. On the 87th floor lies Cloud 9, the tallest bar in the world. I went at night to have a drink here, just to say that I had been to the highest bar in the world. The views that I were rewarded with, I feel, are unmatched anywhere in the world. I strongly believe that there is no other skyline in the world as impressive as Shanghai's. There is the mix between old and new, a mix between radical designs and traditional skyscrapers but most of all there is an astonishing number of tall buildings. From Cloud 9 the view stretches in every direction, with countless buildings stretched as far as the eye can see. I was rewarded with an amazingly clear night which made the view even more spectacular. For anyone that has been on top of the Sear's Tower or John Hancock building and been impressed, the view of Shanghai's skyline made Chicago's look shockingly bland and unimpressive. The drinks at Cloud 9 were excellent, but pricey. That said, I would have paid double just for the view.
There were a few things that I wanted to have in Shanghai that I did not get around to sampling, but there will always be another chance. The food on this trip made the weekend very memorable. If anyone is planning a trip to China let me know and I will be more than happy to share some recommendations, give directions to great restaurant and serve as a general culinary advisor if you are interested.
This was demonstrated in Shanghai where I was able to live in relative style for not much money at all. My general philosophy while traveling is to spend as little money as possible on where I am staying, and how I get there (assuming quick and convenient travel), instead using the money I saved to eat well, do as many activities as possible and as much shopping as I want. In Shanghai I stayed at a hostel that cost me 6 dollars a night. This place had a great location, was clean and pretty much all I needed in a place to sleep. It was not the most comfortable bed in the world, but it did the trick. With the money saved on lodging, I was able to eat like a king.
There were numerous culinary highlights on the trip. Shanghai is world famous for their dumplings, and they did not dissapoint. This is a ridiculously inexpensive meal (1.25 for 16 dumplings) that is a match for any food anywhere. Given the option of having dumplings soaked in soy sauce and vinegar compared to almost any meal would be a very difficult choice for me. The combination of the dough and filling is nearly perfect. This was the least expensive meal I had, but also one of the best.
I also went to a Tapas restaurant which was excellent. Nothing exceptional compared to other Tapas places I have been, but excellent. A nice change of pace from typical Chinese and Western fare that is available in China. The highlights of this meal were the fried Mozzarella and Chedder, wine soaked beef tenderloin, great bread and above average Sangria. It was a very good meal that was, with all I got, on the cheap side.
I had two meals that broke the bank, the first was a Sunday Brunch at M on the Bund. This is a 5 star restaurant that has been reviewed by the New York Times as well as other major publications. The food here was exceptional, though arguably not quite worth the price. That said, the cost in Shanghai was really low compared to major U.S. cities. Brunch was about $25 dollars which included a cocktail, coffee and three courses. I have no doubt that a comparable meal in New York or Chicago would have pushed $100. The best part of the meal though, was not the food, nor the service (very attentive for China) but instead the view...which is probably about 1/2 of the cost of the meal. The table that I was at overlooked the entire Bund as well as the Pudong area of town. This made for a fantastic contrast of the new Shanghai and the old colonial influence in Shanghai. The Bund is comprised of classic, European architecture that has been very well preserved. The building that line the river are the former homes of banks, the Shanghai stock market, trading companies, shipping companies, pretty much where all money in Shanghai used to go through. Today these buildings have been turned into 5 star restaurants, upscale retail and still an occasional bank. They are lit up at night which makes for a very impressive sight. Wandering around the park that lies in front of the Bund in the evening is one of my favorite things to do in Shanghai. The other side of the river is about as architecturally different from the Bund as you can get. The skyline in Pudong (the recently developed Commercial center of Shanghai) is something straight out of science fiction. The building all stretch skyward with unique design. The most recognizable building is the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, a tall tower decorated by three large globes that shine Purple and Pink in the sun. Some call this an eyesore, which I suppose it kind of is, but it is a unique building that helps make Shanghai the city that it is. There countless other skyscrapers in Pudong, my favorite being the Jin Mao tower. The food at M on the Bund was excellent, but what really made this meal memorable was the view. The experience of eating here is totally worth the cost, something that I would recommend to anyone spending a weekend in Shanghai.
My favorite Pudong skyscraper, the Jin Mao building was the sight of the second break the bank dining excursion. The Jin Mao tower is home to the Hyatt who occupies the 54th floor to the 87th floor. On the 87th floor lies Cloud 9, the tallest bar in the world. I went at night to have a drink here, just to say that I had been to the highest bar in the world. The views that I were rewarded with, I feel, are unmatched anywhere in the world. I strongly believe that there is no other skyline in the world as impressive as Shanghai's. There is the mix between old and new, a mix between radical designs and traditional skyscrapers but most of all there is an astonishing number of tall buildings. From Cloud 9 the view stretches in every direction, with countless buildings stretched as far as the eye can see. I was rewarded with an amazingly clear night which made the view even more spectacular. For anyone that has been on top of the Sear's Tower or John Hancock building and been impressed, the view of Shanghai's skyline made Chicago's look shockingly bland and unimpressive. The drinks at Cloud 9 were excellent, but pricey. That said, I would have paid double just for the view.
There were a few things that I wanted to have in Shanghai that I did not get around to sampling, but there will always be another chance. The food on this trip made the weekend very memorable. If anyone is planning a trip to China let me know and I will be more than happy to share some recommendations, give directions to great restaurant and serve as a general culinary advisor if you are interested.
5.22.2007
Shanghai...
is still my favorite place in China. I know that I just got back from a great trip to Xi'an but I had the chance to go to Shanghai this weekend and I gladly took it. The tone of the trip was quite a bit different than the one to Xi'an, but in almost every way I prefer Shanghai to any other place in China.
I spent a lot of time in Shanghai three years ago. There was something comforting, like I was returning home to my city from the moment I stepped off of the train until I left. I only had four days in the city, but I fit almost everything that I wanted to see into that time. I was able to experience great food, spectacular sights, good shopping, a University visit, great pictures and very tired legs. As with Xi'an, my stories will last three or four entries.
Travel in China is so much better when everyone in the nation is not trying to get somewhere on the same weekend. The crowds were significantly smaller this weekend compared to May holiday. It is amazing how much more enjoyable this makes travel. For the trip to Shanghai I was able to get a Sleeper car, in my mind one of my favorite ways to travel here or anywhere else. The fact that a journey is a process is sometimes a great experience. To board a train with music, a good book and the ability to stretch out is something that is great...maybe my favorite way to travel, certainly much better than standing on a train for 12 hours.
I arrived rested and ready to attack "my city". The city of Shanghai has more people than Beijing does, but it covers much less land area than Beijing. This makes for a more crowded place, a more vertical city as well as a city with potentially way more transportation headaches. While neither city is easy to move around in, I really did not find Shanghai to be any more difficult to move around in than Beijing. There is a ridiculous amount of traffic in each city with more being added each day. I stepped off of the train and made my way to the subway where it soon became evident just how many people are in the city. It was about 7:00 in the morning and I barely fit onto the subway with my big backpack there were so many people crammed into the car. Once I got out of the subway I was greeted by an amazing sight, empty streets (more or less) and a calm in the city just waking up. Chinese people as a whole are early risers; construction really does not stop here and the workday begins early for even professionals. I got off of the subway near Nanjing Lu, the major shopping street in Shanghai. This street is normally filled with tourists, sales people, panhandlers and every other type of person, but at 7:00 in the morning, there was not really anyone out yet...or at least not as many as are typically there. The people that were there included elderly men and women practicing tai chi, martial arts, fan dancing, tango and just enjoying the morning, before the crowds arrived. While I made my way closer to the Bund, the famous waterfront area in Shanghai I recalled fondly all the other times I spent walking down the streets of Shanghai. At the same time, it was amazing to reflect on just how much I have changed in these last three years, all of the things I have accomplished in that time and how much my perception of China has changed.
On the Bund I found more of the same, but this time the practicers of tai chi, fan dancing and the like were doing it against the backdrop of the most impressive skyline in the world. There is just nothing like seeing Shanghai for the first time. Much has been written about this place, and even with all the hyperbole and superlatives used to describe the city it is still able to amaze and delight when you are able to finally rest your eyes on the magnificent. The skyline has ultra modern aspects alongside classic architecture, most of it very well designed. The city architecture represents Shanghai so well, the city in transition, at the edge of the next century but still holding onto its historical importance. While I could never forget this city, the experience this weekend showed me once again why I loved it so much and revealed to me the need I have to call this city home once again. I have found a lot to love about Beijing, but there is nothing in Beijing that can replace the energy and excitment that Shanghai has. There is no city comparable that I have ever been to, no city that combines the classic with modern, luxury with frugality, serenity with a torrid pace of change; these contradictions make for a place where there are endless opportunities, a place that is exciting just to be in.
There will be many more tales from my trip to come. If it is not already totally obvious, I have re-caught the Shanghai bug. There is no doubt that I will be living here again in the future. I am still waiting to hear if I will be back at Huijia when I return this winter, but if not, I may look for jobs in Shanghai and stay with friends in Beijing during the Olympics. Time will tell...there are always reason for decision and I have little doubt that the decision to live in Beijing was the right one to make, I just really miss my city again.
I spent a lot of time in Shanghai three years ago. There was something comforting, like I was returning home to my city from the moment I stepped off of the train until I left. I only had four days in the city, but I fit almost everything that I wanted to see into that time. I was able to experience great food, spectacular sights, good shopping, a University visit, great pictures and very tired legs. As with Xi'an, my stories will last three or four entries.
Travel in China is so much better when everyone in the nation is not trying to get somewhere on the same weekend. The crowds were significantly smaller this weekend compared to May holiday. It is amazing how much more enjoyable this makes travel. For the trip to Shanghai I was able to get a Sleeper car, in my mind one of my favorite ways to travel here or anywhere else. The fact that a journey is a process is sometimes a great experience. To board a train with music, a good book and the ability to stretch out is something that is great...maybe my favorite way to travel, certainly much better than standing on a train for 12 hours.
I arrived rested and ready to attack "my city". The city of Shanghai has more people than Beijing does, but it covers much less land area than Beijing. This makes for a more crowded place, a more vertical city as well as a city with potentially way more transportation headaches. While neither city is easy to move around in, I really did not find Shanghai to be any more difficult to move around in than Beijing. There is a ridiculous amount of traffic in each city with more being added each day. I stepped off of the train and made my way to the subway where it soon became evident just how many people are in the city. It was about 7:00 in the morning and I barely fit onto the subway with my big backpack there were so many people crammed into the car. Once I got out of the subway I was greeted by an amazing sight, empty streets (more or less) and a calm in the city just waking up. Chinese people as a whole are early risers; construction really does not stop here and the workday begins early for even professionals. I got off of the subway near Nanjing Lu, the major shopping street in Shanghai. This street is normally filled with tourists, sales people, panhandlers and every other type of person, but at 7:00 in the morning, there was not really anyone out yet...or at least not as many as are typically there. The people that were there included elderly men and women practicing tai chi, martial arts, fan dancing, tango and just enjoying the morning, before the crowds arrived. While I made my way closer to the Bund, the famous waterfront area in Shanghai I recalled fondly all the other times I spent walking down the streets of Shanghai. At the same time, it was amazing to reflect on just how much I have changed in these last three years, all of the things I have accomplished in that time and how much my perception of China has changed.
On the Bund I found more of the same, but this time the practicers of tai chi, fan dancing and the like were doing it against the backdrop of the most impressive skyline in the world. There is just nothing like seeing Shanghai for the first time. Much has been written about this place, and even with all the hyperbole and superlatives used to describe the city it is still able to amaze and delight when you are able to finally rest your eyes on the magnificent. The skyline has ultra modern aspects alongside classic architecture, most of it very well designed. The city architecture represents Shanghai so well, the city in transition, at the edge of the next century but still holding onto its historical importance. While I could never forget this city, the experience this weekend showed me once again why I loved it so much and revealed to me the need I have to call this city home once again. I have found a lot to love about Beijing, but there is nothing in Beijing that can replace the energy and excitment that Shanghai has. There is no city comparable that I have ever been to, no city that combines the classic with modern, luxury with frugality, serenity with a torrid pace of change; these contradictions make for a place where there are endless opportunities, a place that is exciting just to be in.
There will be many more tales from my trip to come. If it is not already totally obvious, I have re-caught the Shanghai bug. There is no doubt that I will be living here again in the future. I am still waiting to hear if I will be back at Huijia when I return this winter, but if not, I may look for jobs in Shanghai and stay with friends in Beijing during the Olympics. Time will tell...there are always reason for decision and I have little doubt that the decision to live in Beijing was the right one to make, I just really miss my city again.
5.14.2007
People all over the world
This is my third and final installment from my trip to Xi’an. This trip served as a good reminder for me that I need to get out and explore this country. I am in the process of planning more trips before I return home.
I have written before about the celebrity status that I have in China simply because I am tall and white. This was really demonstrated in Xi’an. Over the holidays many people throughout China travel to the larger cities. The people that live in Beijing and other large cities are, for the most part, used to seeing white people wandering throughout the city. In smaller cities though, there are still very few foreigners. Growing up in the U.S. I was accustomed, from a very young age to seeing all sorts of ethnicities. Our cities are filled with African-Americans, Orientals, various European Descent and Hispanics. Here in China it is a relatively recent development that Chinese people have had extensive exposure to non-Han Chinese. This causes many heads to turn when white people enter public spaces, especially someone as tall as I am.
There are times when this extra attention is not appreciated, times when I just want to go through my day anonymously, but there are other times where this attention results in a fantastic experience, one that I am not sure if I could find elsewhere. The fact that I am white means that everyone assumes that I know English, there has been many times where a random person starts a conversation with me for no other reason that to practice their English. I am trying my best to do the same with Chinese people to practice my Mandarin, but I still do not feel like I have enough vocabulary to do this much.
One of the highlights of the trip to Xi’an was when a young girl started to look at Traci and I while we were in a small hole-in-a-wall restaurant near Hua Shan. We waved at her and said ni hao which caused her to smile back. After a short while of this going back and forth, her Mom said to us she is learning English, she loves you! We invited her over to our table where she quizzed us on some Chinese vocabulary and we talked to her about English. Her Mom came over to help facilitate the conversation and to ask us some other questions about us. Through our conversation, she let us know that there was already someone in her class that had her English name, she wondered if we could give her a new English name. Traci and I settled on Emily which she proceeded to repeat throughout the remainder of her stay in the restaurant.
The forwardness of the Chinese is sometimes little much to handle, there are times when I wish that a little more subtlety and restraint would be used, but there are also times where the forwardness results in wonderful experiences, ones that will stick with me for the remainder of my life.
I have written before about the celebrity status that I have in China simply because I am tall and white. This was really demonstrated in Xi’an. Over the holidays many people throughout China travel to the larger cities. The people that live in Beijing and other large cities are, for the most part, used to seeing white people wandering throughout the city. In smaller cities though, there are still very few foreigners. Growing up in the U.S. I was accustomed, from a very young age to seeing all sorts of ethnicities. Our cities are filled with African-Americans, Orientals, various European Descent and Hispanics. Here in China it is a relatively recent development that Chinese people have had extensive exposure to non-Han Chinese. This causes many heads to turn when white people enter public spaces, especially someone as tall as I am.
There are times when this extra attention is not appreciated, times when I just want to go through my day anonymously, but there are other times where this attention results in a fantastic experience, one that I am not sure if I could find elsewhere. The fact that I am white means that everyone assumes that I know English, there has been many times where a random person starts a conversation with me for no other reason that to practice their English. I am trying my best to do the same with Chinese people to practice my Mandarin, but I still do not feel like I have enough vocabulary to do this much.
One of the highlights of the trip to Xi’an was when a young girl started to look at Traci and I while we were in a small hole-in-a-wall restaurant near Hua Shan. We waved at her and said ni hao which caused her to smile back. After a short while of this going back and forth, her Mom said to us she is learning English, she loves you! We invited her over to our table where she quizzed us on some Chinese vocabulary and we talked to her about English. Her Mom came over to help facilitate the conversation and to ask us some other questions about us. Through our conversation, she let us know that there was already someone in her class that had her English name, she wondered if we could give her a new English name. Traci and I settled on Emily which she proceeded to repeat throughout the remainder of her stay in the restaurant.
The forwardness of the Chinese is sometimes little much to handle, there are times when I wish that a little more subtlety and restraint would be used, but there are also times where the forwardness results in wonderful experiences, ones that will stick with me for the remainder of my life.
5.10.2007
12 Hours...
is not really that much time at all. A blip in the grand scheme of time. That said, 12 hours pent standing on a train is an eternity. When we arrived in Xi'an we promptly went to the train ticket sales. We were not able to purchase return tickets in Beijing as they do not go on sale until 4 days in advance of departure, and then only from the departing city. When we finally got to the counter we were informed that the only tickets remaining on any of the three possible departure days were standing room only. We had kind of made up our minds that we would take whatever we got so with smiles on our faces, we embraced the knowledge that we would have to stand for 12 hours. We had hoped to secure a seat in the dining car when we got on the train or even perhaps get an upgrade.
To ensure that we were near the front of the line we arrived early at the train station. We were 20th in line or so and hoped that we would be able to get our name on the upgrade list. Crowds in China do not behave as we in the west expect crowds to. Crowds, for the most part do not follow lines, there is a lot of pushing and basic human dignity is pretty much ignored...a description which may be too civil for what actually goes on. As time went on and we stood (more standing) in line it became clear that there would be no upgrades. There were just too many people.
When the gates were open we were pushed (stampeded) through the opening and in the direction of the train. We found our car and staked out a spot. As more and more people came onto the train we were pushed more and more towards the back of the train. We had decided to wait a few hours to get good and tired before making our way towards the dining car. Finally, after about three hours of standing as well as constantly being pushed past by people making their way to the bathroom we felt it was time to see what luck we would find in the dining car. We were fortunate the a drink cart was making its way towards our car at this time. Our space to stand was about as far to the rear of the train as you could go. 10 people give or take were all that seperated us from the end of the train. When the drink cart began the long journey back to the dining car, Traci and I followed closely behind, allowing the cart to force people to stand out fo the aisle as we passed. On the way through the four cars between us and the dining car we were stared at and in one case even laughed at (a young by who was quickly yelled at by his mother). We felt like we were totally on display...which we were. Upon arrival to the dining car we followed the drink cart into the car where we were soon yelled at and told to get out. It seems as though all of the seats had been taken long ago and no one else was allowed into the car. We still had about 9 hours to go on our journey. There was no way that we were going to try and make the trip back to our spot so instead we just chose to stay right next to the dining car. We spent the next 9 hours leaning against the door, crouching down to rest our legs and taking turns sitting and sleeping the approximately three square feet of space that we had for the two of us. As the night went on it got colder and colder in the accordian-like seperation between cars that served as our home for the night.
When we finally got back to Beijing we were happy to be out of the car. Our legs were tired and cramped, we were exhausted and grouchy. When I got back to my room I fell into bed, fell asleep for 6 hours woke up to eat something and then went back to bed until the next morning, about 14 hours later. I felt that the sleep was well deserved. The lesson that I came away from the standing room only experience is that travel in China over the May holiday is probably not the best idea I have ever had. That said, even with the negative travel experience home it was a great trip, one that I would take all over again.
To ensure that we were near the front of the line we arrived early at the train station. We were 20th in line or so and hoped that we would be able to get our name on the upgrade list. Crowds in China do not behave as we in the west expect crowds to. Crowds, for the most part do not follow lines, there is a lot of pushing and basic human dignity is pretty much ignored...a description which may be too civil for what actually goes on. As time went on and we stood (more standing) in line it became clear that there would be no upgrades. There were just too many people.
When the gates were open we were pushed (stampeded) through the opening and in the direction of the train. We found our car and staked out a spot. As more and more people came onto the train we were pushed more and more towards the back of the train. We had decided to wait a few hours to get good and tired before making our way towards the dining car. Finally, after about three hours of standing as well as constantly being pushed past by people making their way to the bathroom we felt it was time to see what luck we would find in the dining car. We were fortunate the a drink cart was making its way towards our car at this time. Our space to stand was about as far to the rear of the train as you could go. 10 people give or take were all that seperated us from the end of the train. When the drink cart began the long journey back to the dining car, Traci and I followed closely behind, allowing the cart to force people to stand out fo the aisle as we passed. On the way through the four cars between us and the dining car we were stared at and in one case even laughed at (a young by who was quickly yelled at by his mother). We felt like we were totally on display...which we were. Upon arrival to the dining car we followed the drink cart into the car where we were soon yelled at and told to get out. It seems as though all of the seats had been taken long ago and no one else was allowed into the car. We still had about 9 hours to go on our journey. There was no way that we were going to try and make the trip back to our spot so instead we just chose to stay right next to the dining car. We spent the next 9 hours leaning against the door, crouching down to rest our legs and taking turns sitting and sleeping the approximately three square feet of space that we had for the two of us. As the night went on it got colder and colder in the accordian-like seperation between cars that served as our home for the night.
When we finally got back to Beijing we were happy to be out of the car. Our legs were tired and cramped, we were exhausted and grouchy. When I got back to my room I fell into bed, fell asleep for 6 hours woke up to eat something and then went back to bed until the next morning, about 14 hours later. I felt that the sleep was well deserved. The lesson that I came away from the standing room only experience is that travel in China over the May holiday is probably not the best idea I have ever had. That said, even with the negative travel experience home it was a great trip, one that I would take all over again.
5.07.2007
Xi'an Part 1
I have returned from Spring Break, or rather May Holiday as it is known here. It is hard to believe that I have just under two months remaining in my time here...at least the first installment of my time here. Now that the May Holiday trip was successfully completed, it is time to start making plans on a few weekend trips as well as my travel arrangements home. I start classes again tomorrow. I am ready for the kids again, I just hope that they are ready for me. They have had a long time off and if they are anything like I was in high school, it will be hard for them to concentrate on school tomorrow.
This will be the first of a few posts about my trip to Xi'an. The first time I was in China, I had the privelege to go all over the country, experiencing a new place at least one time each week. This stay has been in stark contrast to last time, with my entire experience occuring in Beijing Province, at least until the trip to Xi'an. After the past week I know that I am going to need to make more of an effort to explore the remainder of this country. With the schedule that I have, I need to take some weekend trips to places that I have not yet seen in China. There is just so much out there, so many interesting places, unique people and experiences just waiting to happen.
Needless to say, the trip was a huge success. I saw a ton of great places, met many new people, had great food, and walked away in one piece...barely. More about htat later, for now, just a rundown of the places I saw.
We got to Xi'an in the morning on Wednesday. We had hard sleeper train tickets for the trip there, which provided a comfortable trip, leaving us refreshed and ready to face the new city. We purchased return train tickets...more on this later, but this was my big fear of the trip. The Train system in China is such that you can only purchase tickets five days in advance, and then only from the city you are departing from. I was worried that we would not be able to get home, leaving us stranded in Xi'an until the May holiday rush passed. With our tickets in hand, we proceeded to our hostel to store our luggage and take a quick shower to freshen up. We were thrilled to find our hostel in a great location, very clean, cheap and with a ton to do. It had a great restaurant, a pool table, internet access, comfortable furniture (except for the beds...but they were cheap so who cares) and a very friendly staff. If anyone is visiting Xi'an I highly recommend the Bell Tower Hostel for your stay. The location alone is worth the cost. Following our check-in we visited the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower before making hte first of many trips to the Muslim Quarter.
The Drum and Bell Tower were ok, but not highlights of the trip. The Muslim Quarter, on the other hand, was AWESOME! In this neighborhood we found great shopping, interesting sights and the best Xinxiang food we have found here in China. My new favorite dish is Yang Rou Paomo, a lamb stock based soup that featured spices, veggies, lamb and small pieces of sweet bread. It was fantastic! We also had yang rou chuan which is a favorite here, but was done very well in Xi'an. We washed these meals down with cheap cold beer while sitting outside watching the streams of people go by...or rather were watched by the streams of people going by since it was so odd to see foreignors outside enjoying the food.
Following this first stop in the Muslim Quarter, we went back to the Train Station to catch a bus to Hua Shan. This is one of the best known mountains in China, located about 130 km outside of Xi'an. We spent the night in a seedy, overpriced, dirty, horrible, (but safe Mom), hotel at the town near the base of the Mountain. We got up early Thursday Morning to start the climb up the Mountain. We wanted an early start since it would be crowded during May holiday, the bus service only ran so long back to Xi'an and we were not sure just how long the climb would take. We were on the Mountain by 6:30 AM which was a good thing, since this climb was epic. There were three ways to get to the top, a climb up a ton of stairs over 4 km or so, a more traditional route of 4 easy km followed by 2 very challenging km or a cable car. We elected to do the stairs over 4km, or rather we elected not to do the cable car, the cheaters way. A few steps in and we were already regretting that decision. It was a long grueling hike that we estimate consisted of at least 20,000 stairs, probably more. We tried to look online to find a verifieable number, but no one seems to know just how many steps it is from the bottom to the top. Needless to say, it was a very long way. The climb to where the cable car let off was about 2.5-3 hours, the climb to and from the peak from the cable car another 3-4 hours and the descent took a bit over 3 hours. All said, we were climbing more or less constantly for about 10 hours. The views that this journey provided were well worth it. I have been fortunate to visit a number of spectacular vista's in my life, the peak of Hua Shan lies toe to toe with all the other members of this list. I am sitting here writing this four days after the climb and my legs are still very tight. I went for a massage today which helped some. There have been times when I have wanted a massage, but this was one of the few times when I felt like I really needed a massage. Stairs are still a challenge physically and mentally. Images of the steep staircases still come to mind when I am facing the bottom of a staircase. Following our descent we climbed onto the bus back to Xi'an where we quickly fell asleep until we arrived back in Xi'an. After cleaning up and getting settled in the hostel we made our way to teh Big Goose Pagoda to see a spectacular light show. There were tons of people that were out for the show, lining the fountain areas. It was a variation of the Musical Fountains in Grand Haven, MI, but perhaps because of the setting it was a far more impressive show. Until the fountains started, we felt like we were the show as much as the setting was. Many Chinese people stopped to chat with the foreigners, or even just to look at us. After the show it was back to the Muslim Quarter for more of our favorite food.
Friday we journeyed to the Terra Cotta Warriors, one of the major reasons for anyone's trips to Xi'an. While cool, this was probably the most dissapointing part of the trip. All of the warriors that are on display have been reconditioned, making for a somewhat less than authentic experience. It was still worthwhile, just not as cool as it could have been. I have now said that I have done it, it was worth it, but I have no need to repeat it, unlike Hua Shan which, even in pain, I would do again tomorrow if I could. That night we, you guessed it, hit up the Muslim Quarter for more good food, followed by a chat with some fellow travellers in the hostel and a late bed. The next morning, our last in Xi'an was spent on the City Wall, some last minute shopping in the Muslim Quarter and a little "western" shopping before headed back to the hostel to refresh ourselves before the journey home.
It was a great time in a beautiful city. There was more to see than we had time for, which in some ways is a good length of a trip. It is always better to be left wanting more than to feel like you have too much time in a place. Xi'an was a great time and recommended to anyone travelling through China, just not for the sites that are most famous. The top three sites would be Hua Shan, the Muslim Quarter and the light show at the Big Goose Pagoda in that order. The warriors of course need to be seen, just not for very long.
This will be the first of a few posts about my trip to Xi'an. The first time I was in China, I had the privelege to go all over the country, experiencing a new place at least one time each week. This stay has been in stark contrast to last time, with my entire experience occuring in Beijing Province, at least until the trip to Xi'an. After the past week I know that I am going to need to make more of an effort to explore the remainder of this country. With the schedule that I have, I need to take some weekend trips to places that I have not yet seen in China. There is just so much out there, so many interesting places, unique people and experiences just waiting to happen.
Needless to say, the trip was a huge success. I saw a ton of great places, met many new people, had great food, and walked away in one piece...barely. More about htat later, for now, just a rundown of the places I saw.
We got to Xi'an in the morning on Wednesday. We had hard sleeper train tickets for the trip there, which provided a comfortable trip, leaving us refreshed and ready to face the new city. We purchased return train tickets...more on this later, but this was my big fear of the trip. The Train system in China is such that you can only purchase tickets five days in advance, and then only from the city you are departing from. I was worried that we would not be able to get home, leaving us stranded in Xi'an until the May holiday rush passed. With our tickets in hand, we proceeded to our hostel to store our luggage and take a quick shower to freshen up. We were thrilled to find our hostel in a great location, very clean, cheap and with a ton to do. It had a great restaurant, a pool table, internet access, comfortable furniture (except for the beds...but they were cheap so who cares) and a very friendly staff. If anyone is visiting Xi'an I highly recommend the Bell Tower Hostel for your stay. The location alone is worth the cost. Following our check-in we visited the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower before making hte first of many trips to the Muslim Quarter.
The Drum and Bell Tower were ok, but not highlights of the trip. The Muslim Quarter, on the other hand, was AWESOME! In this neighborhood we found great shopping, interesting sights and the best Xinxiang food we have found here in China. My new favorite dish is Yang Rou Paomo, a lamb stock based soup that featured spices, veggies, lamb and small pieces of sweet bread. It was fantastic! We also had yang rou chuan which is a favorite here, but was done very well in Xi'an. We washed these meals down with cheap cold beer while sitting outside watching the streams of people go by...or rather were watched by the streams of people going by since it was so odd to see foreignors outside enjoying the food.
Following this first stop in the Muslim Quarter, we went back to the Train Station to catch a bus to Hua Shan. This is one of the best known mountains in China, located about 130 km outside of Xi'an. We spent the night in a seedy, overpriced, dirty, horrible, (but safe Mom), hotel at the town near the base of the Mountain. We got up early Thursday Morning to start the climb up the Mountain. We wanted an early start since it would be crowded during May holiday, the bus service only ran so long back to Xi'an and we were not sure just how long the climb would take. We were on the Mountain by 6:30 AM which was a good thing, since this climb was epic. There were three ways to get to the top, a climb up a ton of stairs over 4 km or so, a more traditional route of 4 easy km followed by 2 very challenging km or a cable car. We elected to do the stairs over 4km, or rather we elected not to do the cable car, the cheaters way. A few steps in and we were already regretting that decision. It was a long grueling hike that we estimate consisted of at least 20,000 stairs, probably more. We tried to look online to find a verifieable number, but no one seems to know just how many steps it is from the bottom to the top. Needless to say, it was a very long way. The climb to where the cable car let off was about 2.5-3 hours, the climb to and from the peak from the cable car another 3-4 hours and the descent took a bit over 3 hours. All said, we were climbing more or less constantly for about 10 hours. The views that this journey provided were well worth it. I have been fortunate to visit a number of spectacular vista's in my life, the peak of Hua Shan lies toe to toe with all the other members of this list. I am sitting here writing this four days after the climb and my legs are still very tight. I went for a massage today which helped some. There have been times when I have wanted a massage, but this was one of the few times when I felt like I really needed a massage. Stairs are still a challenge physically and mentally. Images of the steep staircases still come to mind when I am facing the bottom of a staircase. Following our descent we climbed onto the bus back to Xi'an where we quickly fell asleep until we arrived back in Xi'an. After cleaning up and getting settled in the hostel we made our way to teh Big Goose Pagoda to see a spectacular light show. There were tons of people that were out for the show, lining the fountain areas. It was a variation of the Musical Fountains in Grand Haven, MI, but perhaps because of the setting it was a far more impressive show. Until the fountains started, we felt like we were the show as much as the setting was. Many Chinese people stopped to chat with the foreigners, or even just to look at us. After the show it was back to the Muslim Quarter for more of our favorite food.
Friday we journeyed to the Terra Cotta Warriors, one of the major reasons for anyone's trips to Xi'an. While cool, this was probably the most dissapointing part of the trip. All of the warriors that are on display have been reconditioned, making for a somewhat less than authentic experience. It was still worthwhile, just not as cool as it could have been. I have now said that I have done it, it was worth it, but I have no need to repeat it, unlike Hua Shan which, even in pain, I would do again tomorrow if I could. That night we, you guessed it, hit up the Muslim Quarter for more good food, followed by a chat with some fellow travellers in the hostel and a late bed. The next morning, our last in Xi'an was spent on the City Wall, some last minute shopping in the Muslim Quarter and a little "western" shopping before headed back to the hostel to refresh ourselves before the journey home.
It was a great time in a beautiful city. There was more to see than we had time for, which in some ways is a good length of a trip. It is always better to be left wanting more than to feel like you have too much time in a place. Xi'an was a great time and recommended to anyone travelling through China, just not for the sites that are most famous. The top three sites would be Hua Shan, the Muslim Quarter and the light show at the Big Goose Pagoda in that order. The warriors of course need to be seen, just not for very long.
4.26.2007
Only in China...
I cam across this news article today. Something like this could only be reported as serious news in China. Only here could forecasters claim that we will have rain on a day more than a year out and promise that there will not be rain at a certain time. This article is a perfect representation of the pervasive ideas within Chinese Beuracracy. That said I still love it here, sometimes you need to just take these things with a grain of salt.
Weather for the Opening Ceremonies has already been determined
Weather for the Opening Ceremonies has already been determined
Exams...lessons or problems with the Chinese Education System
I proctored my first set of true exams this past week, and I am not sure if I walked away from the experience feeling that I learned something that should be applied to the U.S. system, or if instead I feel like the Chinese system should change. I suppose like any of the more complex issues in life (like the education system) there are bits of both.
The first thing that I would really like to change...or not...about the Chinese system is the pressure placed on this kids. There are some negatives...like expecting 7th and 8th grade students to be able to concentrate on their tests when taking 5 mid term exams in one day while there are distractions like other classes being very loud outside to keep them from concentrating on the task at hand. I think it is absurd to place 5 tests in one day, especially when we have the whole week to give exams...and then some. Because next week is the May holiday, we have classes on Saturday and Sunday to compensate for the time off. Gives a whole new definition to time off. They have plenty of opportunities to give the exams over the course of the week, but instead on Tuesday the students had a 2 hour Chinese exam, a 20 minute break, an hour history exam, a 20 minute break, an hour psychology exam, 2 hours for lunch, then two more exams in the afternoon. Five exams in one day is a lot for anyone to handle. In college, if you had more than 2 finals you could ask to get one of the changed, but not here. It is just what happens.
The part of the pressure on the students that I am not sure if I would change is that at least among the better students there is a lot of competition to do the best. These exams are all scored together and a ranking of the class is posted. We do the same thing closer to graduation, but here it starts in 6th grade. All of the kids are taking the same tests as well so it makes for a much better comparison of the different kids than the U.S. system where in some cases Honors classes and shop class grades are counted the same. Here your class rank determines where you take the tests. The first seat in the first classroom closest to the door is where the top student sits for exams. Behind her is the number 2 student and so on in a snake like pattern through all five classrooms. To be in the top 30 means a spot in the first classroom and a certain amount of prestige. There is, however, then a clear indication of who does not score well and with it a certain stigma that is attached to these kids. While the system is not perfect, I think I like it. It gives all the kids something to strive for and clearly shows who is putting in the effort to everyone else.
I have finished grading the exams and am much happier with the scores this time around than on the initial exam. Overall the kids did a lot better, probably because these scores count for rank whereas the others did not. Since about an hour after finishing the exam, I have been bombarded with kids asking what their scores were. The ones that ask are of course the ones with nothing to worry about, but they still need to remain patient. They will find out on Saturday what their grades are. I am not sure if the grades really mean much other than class rank, but for them they are very important.
I have just a few days of teaching before the break, but I am not as certain as last time if I am goin anywhere. Train tickets are in high demand over the May Holiday as this is one of just two times a year when most Chinese people travel. I find out in the next 24 hours if I have secured train tickets or not. If not, it is a week stuck in Beijing, not that this is so horrible, but I was really hoping to see some other parts of the country. If I am stuck here though, it means less expense and a chance to really explore some of the hidden parts of the city. If I am here I will write more soon, if we do go to Xi'an however, it will be after I return before I update more.
All the best...
The first thing that I would really like to change...or not...about the Chinese system is the pressure placed on this kids. There are some negatives...like expecting 7th and 8th grade students to be able to concentrate on their tests when taking 5 mid term exams in one day while there are distractions like other classes being very loud outside to keep them from concentrating on the task at hand. I think it is absurd to place 5 tests in one day, especially when we have the whole week to give exams...and then some. Because next week is the May holiday, we have classes on Saturday and Sunday to compensate for the time off. Gives a whole new definition to time off. They have plenty of opportunities to give the exams over the course of the week, but instead on Tuesday the students had a 2 hour Chinese exam, a 20 minute break, an hour history exam, a 20 minute break, an hour psychology exam, 2 hours for lunch, then two more exams in the afternoon. Five exams in one day is a lot for anyone to handle. In college, if you had more than 2 finals you could ask to get one of the changed, but not here. It is just what happens.
The part of the pressure on the students that I am not sure if I would change is that at least among the better students there is a lot of competition to do the best. These exams are all scored together and a ranking of the class is posted. We do the same thing closer to graduation, but here it starts in 6th grade. All of the kids are taking the same tests as well so it makes for a much better comparison of the different kids than the U.S. system where in some cases Honors classes and shop class grades are counted the same. Here your class rank determines where you take the tests. The first seat in the first classroom closest to the door is where the top student sits for exams. Behind her is the number 2 student and so on in a snake like pattern through all five classrooms. To be in the top 30 means a spot in the first classroom and a certain amount of prestige. There is, however, then a clear indication of who does not score well and with it a certain stigma that is attached to these kids. While the system is not perfect, I think I like it. It gives all the kids something to strive for and clearly shows who is putting in the effort to everyone else.
I have finished grading the exams and am much happier with the scores this time around than on the initial exam. Overall the kids did a lot better, probably because these scores count for rank whereas the others did not. Since about an hour after finishing the exam, I have been bombarded with kids asking what their scores were. The ones that ask are of course the ones with nothing to worry about, but they still need to remain patient. They will find out on Saturday what their grades are. I am not sure if the grades really mean much other than class rank, but for them they are very important.
I have just a few days of teaching before the break, but I am not as certain as last time if I am goin anywhere. Train tickets are in high demand over the May Holiday as this is one of just two times a year when most Chinese people travel. I find out in the next 24 hours if I have secured train tickets or not. If not, it is a week stuck in Beijing, not that this is so horrible, but I was really hoping to see some other parts of the country. If I am stuck here though, it means less expense and a chance to really explore some of the hidden parts of the city. If I am here I will write more soon, if we do go to Xi'an however, it will be after I return before I update more.
All the best...
4.23.2007
Stream of Consciousness
This will be at times a somewhat random post but there are a ton of things that I want to share that are pretty much totally unrelated.
1.) People in China wear long underwear during the winter. This in itself is not an odd statement, however, they sometimes wear two pairs here in Beijing because it gets so cold here during the winter plus building are not usually well insulated nor even heated in some instances. This too makes perfect sense...what I cannot figure out though is why some people follow rules about the long underwear so closely. Once they put it on, they do not take it off until May 1st, regardless of what the weather is doing. Take a closer look at that. Outside of bathing, they do not take their long underwear off for the duration of the winter. This means that in most cases, the long underwear does not get washed from October 1st to May 1st. Plus, it has been over 80 on more than one occasion here already. The long underwear has stayed on throughout these higher temperatures. I just cannot understand the need to do this. Once it gets warm, you should make yourself more comfortable.
2.) The Summer Palace here in Beijing is gorgeous. I spent the day wandering the grounds of the Summer Palace enjoying the Spring Flowers, sunshine and warm day. I had not been to the Summer Palace the first time I was here which added to the enjoyment yesterday. Pictures will soon follow.
3.) Chinese teachers are treated very unfairly here. As a foreign teacher I am well paid and enjoy almost total freedom. The Chinese teachers on the other hand, are poorly paid and enjoy no freedom. Things that we foreign teachers get for free, accommodation, meals, access to laundry, the ability to use the dorm kitchen are either charged to the Chinese teachers or barred altogether (laundry, kitchen among others). This week I had the assistance of a Chinese teacher who served as my translator while I was in town getting some things done. We left at 4:30 to run these errands. To leave the campus she had to have a not from the dean saying that it was ok for her to leave campus before 5:30. I, on the other hand, frequently leave more than once during the day to run errands etc. I find this very unfair though typical of the Chinese mindset in terms of administration here. They seem to see nothing wrong with this double standard.
4.) Diapers are not really used by most babies here. Pants have a slit through the crotch which allows the babies to be held over the grass when infants and to just squat when toddlers. This would seem to be very un-hygenic and make for potentially dangerous walking through the streets, but these problems do not seem to exist. Now that it is warmer out I see more and more babies with their butts hanging out of their pants.
5.) Street food is really, really good. I have written about it before and will write a top-10 foods from China list soon, but I already can tell that I will miss street food when I get back to America.
6.) Mandarin Chinese seems to be a very difficult language to get started in, but it builds on itself so as I go along it should get easier...or at least that is what I am telling myself. If anyone in the Grand Rapids area that reads this knows of a potential Mandarin tutor can you see if they would be interested in meeting a few days a week this fall when I am back in town. I really want to keep working at the language and will need some help when I am back in the States.
7.) Vacation is fast approaching. In less than a week I will be off to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as other sights. I am getting excited. Mid-term exams are this week so we will see how those go.
8.) I love China... which leads me to #'s 9 and 10
9.) I miss home also but...
10.) I really love China :)
Zai Jian, all the best.
Gao Tian
1.) People in China wear long underwear during the winter. This in itself is not an odd statement, however, they sometimes wear two pairs here in Beijing because it gets so cold here during the winter plus building are not usually well insulated nor even heated in some instances. This too makes perfect sense...what I cannot figure out though is why some people follow rules about the long underwear so closely. Once they put it on, they do not take it off until May 1st, regardless of what the weather is doing. Take a closer look at that. Outside of bathing, they do not take their long underwear off for the duration of the winter. This means that in most cases, the long underwear does not get washed from October 1st to May 1st. Plus, it has been over 80 on more than one occasion here already. The long underwear has stayed on throughout these higher temperatures. I just cannot understand the need to do this. Once it gets warm, you should make yourself more comfortable.
2.) The Summer Palace here in Beijing is gorgeous. I spent the day wandering the grounds of the Summer Palace enjoying the Spring Flowers, sunshine and warm day. I had not been to the Summer Palace the first time I was here which added to the enjoyment yesterday. Pictures will soon follow.
3.) Chinese teachers are treated very unfairly here. As a foreign teacher I am well paid and enjoy almost total freedom. The Chinese teachers on the other hand, are poorly paid and enjoy no freedom. Things that we foreign teachers get for free, accommodation, meals, access to laundry, the ability to use the dorm kitchen are either charged to the Chinese teachers or barred altogether (laundry, kitchen among others). This week I had the assistance of a Chinese teacher who served as my translator while I was in town getting some things done. We left at 4:30 to run these errands. To leave the campus she had to have a not from the dean saying that it was ok for her to leave campus before 5:30. I, on the other hand, frequently leave more than once during the day to run errands etc. I find this very unfair though typical of the Chinese mindset in terms of administration here. They seem to see nothing wrong with this double standard.
4.) Diapers are not really used by most babies here. Pants have a slit through the crotch which allows the babies to be held over the grass when infants and to just squat when toddlers. This would seem to be very un-hygenic and make for potentially dangerous walking through the streets, but these problems do not seem to exist. Now that it is warmer out I see more and more babies with their butts hanging out of their pants.
5.) Street food is really, really good. I have written about it before and will write a top-10 foods from China list soon, but I already can tell that I will miss street food when I get back to America.
6.) Mandarin Chinese seems to be a very difficult language to get started in, but it builds on itself so as I go along it should get easier...or at least that is what I am telling myself. If anyone in the Grand Rapids area that reads this knows of a potential Mandarin tutor can you see if they would be interested in meeting a few days a week this fall when I am back in town. I really want to keep working at the language and will need some help when I am back in the States.
7.) Vacation is fast approaching. In less than a week I will be off to Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors as well as other sights. I am getting excited. Mid-term exams are this week so we will see how those go.
8.) I love China... which leads me to #'s 9 and 10
9.) I miss home also but...
10.) I really love China :)
Zai Jian, all the best.
Gao Tian
4.16.2007
Kids in China...
I have the privilege to work with some of the nicest kids that I have ever encountered both here in China in the classroom and in the U.S. through coaching. The time that I have spent with these kids has neatly illustrated that there are many more similarities between children throughout the world than there are differences. Most kids want attention sometimes and to be left alone others. There are some kids that understand that school is important and, even if they do not exactly appreciate their time there, they are willing to play the game and do the work because they know there will be rewards later on in life...then there are the others, the ones that do not want to be in school and let you know that almost daily. This is much closer to what I was like and I think that the fact I was like this in Middle School and High School has allowed me to relate very well to the kids I have in the classroom.
Classes are going very well, if you ignore the fact that at least a quarter of my 7th grade classes failed their first test. Out of 28 points, the highest class average was 21 with the other being between 13 and 19. As I think is often the case for new teachers, this first test probably taught me more than it taught the kids. I now know that I need to slow down during lecture, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to...sorry, just practicing for lecture. I also think that I need to have at least 2 different tests for 7th grade, one for the more advanced English classes 7-1 through 7-3 and a second one for 7-4 and 7-5 to account for their lesser experience with English. I am in the process of writing the midterm for my kids and they have been warned that it will be more difficult than the quiz was, so time will tell if they study more for the mid-term or if they continue to blow their classes off. If they do not study for it, I have a hard time really blaming them. These kids are in class from 7:50 in the morning until 9:00 at night with a 2 hour break for lunch and a 1.5 hour break for dinner. This is a long time to be in school, even if it is a boarding school. This includes structured time for homework, but these are middle school kids whose planning skills are not that developed.
This week I had the pleasure to go on a field trip to the Great Wall and the Zoo with my 7th graders. They were very well behaved and nothing bad happened, but it certainly was not because they were supervised. It was kind of mind boggling for me, coming from the terrified of lawsuit United State of America that the administration just let 150 7th graders go free at the Great Wall. There was no worries about kids getting lost, no fear of falling from the wall, no fear of 7th graders getting into things they should not, basically no fear that the kids would be anything other than on their best behavior. These teachers have seen the kids in class, I know they do not really know what best behavior is. That said, to the best of my knowledge they all returned safely to the bus. There was no panic or fear that there were any kids left behind.
This generation of Chinese children are among the most spoiled kids in the world. As China's middle class grows, more and more material possessions are gained and desired by young and old. The fact that China's one child policy is at least somewhat in effect (many people pay a tax to have more kids, especially the rich) it is creating a generation of children that are doted upon by both parents, grandparents on both sides and pretty much have every one of their desires provided by the swarm of guardians that constantly surround these kids. Most do not know what the word no means. Sounding familiar????? It will be very interesting to see what this generation of Chinese kids turn into. Will they become a spoiled group that just wants more money, or will they continue to try to put China at the forefront of the world, politically, socially and economically. There will not be answers to this question for many years, but this will likely influence the way the world is shaped in the next 100 years. There are bits of Chinese culture and mentality that are already changing. I have no idea if this is a good thing, in fact I am pretty sure that it is a bad thing, though by no means an absolute.
Regardless of the outcome of this generation in the last week I have seen kids behave very well with no supervision on the Great Wall, kids showcasing their athletic talent in a city plaza and kids generally being given whatever they want. These may not seem connected but I think that all of these things exemplify the Chinese mentality. There is an expectation to be well behaved most of the time, respectful of Chinese tradition. There is also a growing push to showcase Chinese talent and achievement in every facet of life and finally there is a growing desire for "the good life" in terms of material wealthy. The next generation of Chinese are here and set to continue the epic change that are occurring here. As we get closer and closer to the Olympics those in the West will hear more and more about the changes that have occurred and are occurring in China. I have a feeling that we are at the very beginning of this growth, that China is here to stay and will be the nation to leave the biggest fingerprint on the 21st century. This may be a cliche and overly reported (Time Magazine and other have already made this claim) but I feel lucky that I am here during this time, playing a small role in shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders, hoping that some of my ideas find their way into their heads. This influence may be the closest I get to really shaping major events of this century because the Chinese are coming and are set to shock the world.
Classes are going very well, if you ignore the fact that at least a quarter of my 7th grade classes failed their first test. Out of 28 points, the highest class average was 21 with the other being between 13 and 19. As I think is often the case for new teachers, this first test probably taught me more than it taught the kids. I now know that I need to slow down during lecture, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to...sorry, just practicing for lecture. I also think that I need to have at least 2 different tests for 7th grade, one for the more advanced English classes 7-1 through 7-3 and a second one for 7-4 and 7-5 to account for their lesser experience with English. I am in the process of writing the midterm for my kids and they have been warned that it will be more difficult than the quiz was, so time will tell if they study more for the mid-term or if they continue to blow their classes off. If they do not study for it, I have a hard time really blaming them. These kids are in class from 7:50 in the morning until 9:00 at night with a 2 hour break for lunch and a 1.5 hour break for dinner. This is a long time to be in school, even if it is a boarding school. This includes structured time for homework, but these are middle school kids whose planning skills are not that developed.
This week I had the pleasure to go on a field trip to the Great Wall and the Zoo with my 7th graders. They were very well behaved and nothing bad happened, but it certainly was not because they were supervised. It was kind of mind boggling for me, coming from the terrified of lawsuit United State of America that the administration just let 150 7th graders go free at the Great Wall. There was no worries about kids getting lost, no fear of falling from the wall, no fear of 7th graders getting into things they should not, basically no fear that the kids would be anything other than on their best behavior. These teachers have seen the kids in class, I know they do not really know what best behavior is. That said, to the best of my knowledge they all returned safely to the bus. There was no panic or fear that there were any kids left behind.
This generation of Chinese children are among the most spoiled kids in the world. As China's middle class grows, more and more material possessions are gained and desired by young and old. The fact that China's one child policy is at least somewhat in effect (many people pay a tax to have more kids, especially the rich) it is creating a generation of children that are doted upon by both parents, grandparents on both sides and pretty much have every one of their desires provided by the swarm of guardians that constantly surround these kids. Most do not know what the word no means. Sounding familiar????? It will be very interesting to see what this generation of Chinese kids turn into. Will they become a spoiled group that just wants more money, or will they continue to try to put China at the forefront of the world, politically, socially and economically. There will not be answers to this question for many years, but this will likely influence the way the world is shaped in the next 100 years. There are bits of Chinese culture and mentality that are already changing. I have no idea if this is a good thing, in fact I am pretty sure that it is a bad thing, though by no means an absolute.
Regardless of the outcome of this generation in the last week I have seen kids behave very well with no supervision on the Great Wall, kids showcasing their athletic talent in a city plaza and kids generally being given whatever they want. These may not seem connected but I think that all of these things exemplify the Chinese mentality. There is an expectation to be well behaved most of the time, respectful of Chinese tradition. There is also a growing push to showcase Chinese talent and achievement in every facet of life and finally there is a growing desire for "the good life" in terms of material wealthy. The next generation of Chinese are here and set to continue the epic change that are occurring here. As we get closer and closer to the Olympics those in the West will hear more and more about the changes that have occurred and are occurring in China. I have a feeling that we are at the very beginning of this growth, that China is here to stay and will be the nation to leave the biggest fingerprint on the 21st century. This may be a cliche and overly reported (Time Magazine and other have already made this claim) but I feel lucky that I am here during this time, playing a small role in shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders, hoping that some of my ideas find their way into their heads. This influence may be the closest I get to really shaping major events of this century because the Chinese are coming and are set to shock the world.
4.12.2007
Easter in China
I have finally posted more of my photos to my Flickr page. You can access these from the side links. More will come in the next few days. You may notice that this update does not have a photo for everyday I was here. The project that I started this year, to take a photo everyday for the entire year has sadly failed. With the isolation that I have here on campus I started to miss days when I did not leave the campus. What I do have, however, is photos from Beihei Park, some everyday Chinese scenes and the construction at the Olympic Venues. I hope you enjoy. Now on to the Easter stories.
I had the unique experience of spending Easter in a non-Christian country. It was very odd to know that it was a holiday, yet there was nothing to make this day seem any different than any other. There was just as much construction, traffic and general busyness as there is on any other day in Beijing. It was, however, a beautiful day; sunny and 70. This factor alone made it a good day. I attended church for the first time in Beijing. The service that I attended was open only to foreign passport holders, they had people at the door to ensure that everyone coming through the doors presented a passport. They have services that are open to everyone here in China, but my guess is these services have a much more regulated message. While my Mandarin is improving, it will be quite a while until my level of fluency reaches the point where I can get anything other than a cultural experience out of the services open to all.
The service that I attended was housed in a theater. I would estimate that there was between 800-1200 people in attendance. The service was an interdenominational service with pretty good music. It was a somewhat more lively crowd during singing than I am used to, but I really cannot get too picky. There are far fewer church options here than there are in West Michigan. The service was good though not exceptional.
Following Church my friend and I went to the Goose and Duck pub to sit outside in the warm sun enjoying Western Food, a well cooked burger and fries. Not quite as traditional as Easter Brunch, but delicious nonetheless. Following lunch we decided that since everything was open we may as well get some shopping done. Where else to spend Easter Sunday in China than at IKEA.
The reality of a less expensive IKEA is somewhat difficult to imagine, but this is what IKEA in China is like. Things here really need to be less expensive since if items cost the same as they do in the States, IKEA would be far more expensive than they the local store. As it is, many things are more expensive than the local store, but not by that much. I stocked up on some odds and ends that always tend to fill your cart at IKEA but is questionable if these items are really necessary. I walked away with a lot of odds and ends and spent less than $30. I found it somewhat difficult to talk myself out of larger purchases that are really not necessary given I only have about 3.5 months left here this time and nowhere to store any furniture items while I am back in the States. It was difficult to pass up the good deals since it is amazing just how inexpensive things are here in China. Even living a somewhat luxurious lifestyle 150 U.S. dollars can get me through the better part of two weeks here, if not longer. This includes some shopping every week, 3-5 meals out a week, 1 or 2 of which are Western, Chinese Lessons, Transportation...even cabs, and at least one tourist activity in a 2 week period.
Easter had an odd feeling to it. It was certainly a holiday in my mind, but around me there was nothing that set it apart from most other days, at least in the minds of those that surrounded me. Adding to this feeling was the realization that this was the first major holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) that I have spent apart from my family. There are bound to be more in the future, but it made for a somewhat unusual mood for an already unusual Easter experience. The weather has remained nice here this week, making it somewhat difficult to focus on work. Most people at home just returned from Spring Break but I still have a few weeks to go until our break, for International Workers Day, May 1st.
Zai Jian
I had the unique experience of spending Easter in a non-Christian country. It was very odd to know that it was a holiday, yet there was nothing to make this day seem any different than any other. There was just as much construction, traffic and general busyness as there is on any other day in Beijing. It was, however, a beautiful day; sunny and 70. This factor alone made it a good day. I attended church for the first time in Beijing. The service that I attended was open only to foreign passport holders, they had people at the door to ensure that everyone coming through the doors presented a passport. They have services that are open to everyone here in China, but my guess is these services have a much more regulated message. While my Mandarin is improving, it will be quite a while until my level of fluency reaches the point where I can get anything other than a cultural experience out of the services open to all.
The service that I attended was housed in a theater. I would estimate that there was between 800-1200 people in attendance. The service was an interdenominational service with pretty good music. It was a somewhat more lively crowd during singing than I am used to, but I really cannot get too picky. There are far fewer church options here than there are in West Michigan. The service was good though not exceptional.
Following Church my friend and I went to the Goose and Duck pub to sit outside in the warm sun enjoying Western Food, a well cooked burger and fries. Not quite as traditional as Easter Brunch, but delicious nonetheless. Following lunch we decided that since everything was open we may as well get some shopping done. Where else to spend Easter Sunday in China than at IKEA.
The reality of a less expensive IKEA is somewhat difficult to imagine, but this is what IKEA in China is like. Things here really need to be less expensive since if items cost the same as they do in the States, IKEA would be far more expensive than they the local store. As it is, many things are more expensive than the local store, but not by that much. I stocked up on some odds and ends that always tend to fill your cart at IKEA but is questionable if these items are really necessary. I walked away with a lot of odds and ends and spent less than $30. I found it somewhat difficult to talk myself out of larger purchases that are really not necessary given I only have about 3.5 months left here this time and nowhere to store any furniture items while I am back in the States. It was difficult to pass up the good deals since it is amazing just how inexpensive things are here in China. Even living a somewhat luxurious lifestyle 150 U.S. dollars can get me through the better part of two weeks here, if not longer. This includes some shopping every week, 3-5 meals out a week, 1 or 2 of which are Western, Chinese Lessons, Transportation...even cabs, and at least one tourist activity in a 2 week period.
Easter had an odd feeling to it. It was certainly a holiday in my mind, but around me there was nothing that set it apart from most other days, at least in the minds of those that surrounded me. Adding to this feeling was the realization that this was the first major holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) that I have spent apart from my family. There are bound to be more in the future, but it made for a somewhat unusual mood for an already unusual Easter experience. The weather has remained nice here this week, making it somewhat difficult to focus on work. Most people at home just returned from Spring Break but I still have a few weeks to go until our break, for International Workers Day, May 1st.
Zai Jian
4.06.2007
The everyday details that make life abroad a unique experience
I was asked by one of my younger readers to share more of the humorous stories about my time here in China. I will attempt to do that in this entry, an attempt that by trying to make it funny will likely cause this entry to be less funny than most.
Today was a picture perfect day. High temperatures in the high 60's, light wind, sunny skies...or at least as sunny as the sky gets in Beijing, plus it was pay day which is always nice. In short, today was a perfect day to wander around the city, looking for things I had not yet done in my two months here.
Like seemingly all of my funny stories, this one occurred on the bus. I got on the bus headed to the subway station, yes the right bus this time, and paid my fare. The bus has been very crowded lately and today was no exception. As more and more people boarded the bus, I began to have to move further and further to the back. It got to the point where there were so many people on the bus that I was forced up on the back portion, a raised portion of the bus. As I was moving back there was a very loud popping sound which was made when my head had an unexpected run-in with the roof of the bus. That's right...my tall white self was too tall to fit on the back part of the bus while standing up. The sound was loud and of course caught the attention of the entire bus who wanted to see what had made this noise. The sound was much louder than the pain, but being stared at by literally everyone on the bus did make the collision more memorable. I proceeded to ride the rest of the way to my stop hunched over, bent at the waist so I could fit between the floor and roof of the bus without my head making this same loud sound every time we went over a bump. Needless to say, I stuck out just a little bit more than usual on the long ride to the subway.
School has gone much better this week. I find this to be somewhat amazing given that the weather is getting nicer and they are still a ways away from a break. One of the reasons that they are able to pay attention may be the daily exercises that they do. Everyday, for about 20 minutes, the kids parade outside to the basketball courts where they proceed to conduct group calisthenics accompanied by loud western dance music. This gives the teachers a nice break every morning and makes for an interesting spectacle. All of the kids where the same black and yellow school tracksuit (everyday but that is another story) which makes for the exercises to somewhat resemble a large group of bees doing arm circles, jumping jacks and many other exercises every morning. The outdoor calisthenics are then followed by more exercises when they get back to class. More exercises you ask...why yes, there are more exercises that they do. What could the possibly do in class that would not be totally disruptive to the learning process.... Well, after all the kids get back into the building a loud, piercing, overly excited voice comes over the intercom counting (in Chinese of course yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, chi, ba, jiu, shi) over and over. It took me a while to realize what was going on during this time, but I eventually got to my class a bit early to witness just what was going on. I found a student standing in front of the class leading eye and face exercises. If any of my readers have ever taken a class from Diane through the East Rec Department you will have a good idea of what these exercises look like. The class leader helps the class to move their eyes all directions, massage their face and temples and generally move the face a variety of ways that, at least through normal social interactions, the face does not move in. I am of the strong opinion that students in the U.S. have to exercise more, I am just not sure that the Chinese way is very effective. It does, however, seem to have at least some effect on the waistline though since there are very few overweight people in the school or in the country.
I hope all is well. I hope that everyone has a good Easter weekend. I will update soon. All the best.
Today was a picture perfect day. High temperatures in the high 60's, light wind, sunny skies...or at least as sunny as the sky gets in Beijing, plus it was pay day which is always nice. In short, today was a perfect day to wander around the city, looking for things I had not yet done in my two months here.
Like seemingly all of my funny stories, this one occurred on the bus. I got on the bus headed to the subway station, yes the right bus this time, and paid my fare. The bus has been very crowded lately and today was no exception. As more and more people boarded the bus, I began to have to move further and further to the back. It got to the point where there were so many people on the bus that I was forced up on the back portion, a raised portion of the bus. As I was moving back there was a very loud popping sound which was made when my head had an unexpected run-in with the roof of the bus. That's right...my tall white self was too tall to fit on the back part of the bus while standing up. The sound was loud and of course caught the attention of the entire bus who wanted to see what had made this noise. The sound was much louder than the pain, but being stared at by literally everyone on the bus did make the collision more memorable. I proceeded to ride the rest of the way to my stop hunched over, bent at the waist so I could fit between the floor and roof of the bus without my head making this same loud sound every time we went over a bump. Needless to say, I stuck out just a little bit more than usual on the long ride to the subway.
School has gone much better this week. I find this to be somewhat amazing given that the weather is getting nicer and they are still a ways away from a break. One of the reasons that they are able to pay attention may be the daily exercises that they do. Everyday, for about 20 minutes, the kids parade outside to the basketball courts where they proceed to conduct group calisthenics accompanied by loud western dance music. This gives the teachers a nice break every morning and makes for an interesting spectacle. All of the kids where the same black and yellow school tracksuit (everyday but that is another story) which makes for the exercises to somewhat resemble a large group of bees doing arm circles, jumping jacks and many other exercises every morning. The outdoor calisthenics are then followed by more exercises when they get back to class. More exercises you ask...why yes, there are more exercises that they do. What could the possibly do in class that would not be totally disruptive to the learning process.... Well, after all the kids get back into the building a loud, piercing, overly excited voice comes over the intercom counting (in Chinese of course yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, chi, ba, jiu, shi) over and over. It took me a while to realize what was going on during this time, but I eventually got to my class a bit early to witness just what was going on. I found a student standing in front of the class leading eye and face exercises. If any of my readers have ever taken a class from Diane through the East Rec Department you will have a good idea of what these exercises look like. The class leader helps the class to move their eyes all directions, massage their face and temples and generally move the face a variety of ways that, at least through normal social interactions, the face does not move in. I am of the strong opinion that students in the U.S. have to exercise more, I am just not sure that the Chinese way is very effective. It does, however, seem to have at least some effect on the waistline though since there are very few overweight people in the school or in the country.
I hope all is well. I hope that everyone has a good Easter weekend. I will update soon. All the best.
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