Well I know I said I was going to post more, but the last two weeks have been pretty hectic. I’m proud to say that more and more articles are being posted to this site called eChinacities. I guess you can say I’m a legit freelancer for them now. Getting paid for blog-like articles and articles about Nanjing is a great way to improve my writing, get some clips and make a little extra cash. My social life is improving every week so there is more and more to write about. Yay! But office life still rules most of my time, which is OK. There’s always something funny going on it seems.
I am impressed with the English ability of most of the staff in the office. Cheryl’s English is near perfect and a few other coworkers speak English very well with decent pronunciation despite never having lived abroad. Pretty impressive I think. There are a few mishaps however, and a few worth sharing here on NYAFC.
The first was back in August on the Chinese Valentine’s Day. A male coworker was in our office telling me about the holiday (don’t worry, it wasn’t a come on) and about how it is a day for love. Well, in his attempt to share that the holiday was about being loving and showing love, he says, “it’s a day for making love.” Cheryl and I couldn’t help but giggle. She quickly explained (in Chinese) his mistake and his face turned bright red. While the “making love” bit maybe true for some Chinese couples, this is not at all what he meant to actually say. He apologized and was really embarrassed but I politely said I knew what he meant and tried to ease his embarrassment.
Another funny anecdote actually happened recently. There are two versions of the Web sites for the organization - one in English, the other in Chinese. Well I don’t really look at the Chinese site because, well, it is all in Chinese. But Cheryl checks it frequently to make sure we’re not missing anything for the English site. And apparently someone missed a MAJOR mishap on the Chinese site. They love using acronyms for programs here - like AST for Ameson Scholastic Test or AECIS for Ameson Elite Chinese Identification Scheme (too bad they come up with that one before I got there - it’s a terrible name). Well they really screwed up advertising the program called American Summer School - ASS. Yup. Their latest, and by far most ridiculous, acronym is an age-old English curse word. Cheryl and I laughed all morning about it. I told Cheryl they really needed to change it ASAP, but with printed materials already distributed and the site already linked with the ASS name we’ll see how quickly they get around to it. I guess some of these people’s English isn’t as good as I thought it was.
Anyway I thought I would include a link to the latest article on eChinacities. It is about working in a Chinese office. While kind of generic and a bit more culturally sensitive than I would have liked, it’s still pretty accurate. I figured I’d help out the article’s popularity and also give the site a few more hits. You can check it out here. http://www.echinacities.com/main/ExpatCorner/ExpatsCorner.aspx?n=4551
I hope you enjoyed this small glimpse of office in China. Maybe one of these days I’ll write a post without the cultural sensitivity coming into play (but for my first “Expat Corner” article, I didn’t want it to be a complete rant... Which I could have easily done.) I could even make an entire post just on being blond in a Chinese office. Anyway, it’s interesting and different and I hope you all enjoy reading it.
Dec 14, 2009
Nov 23, 2009
I'm posting again to NYAFC... Sorry it's been a while.
Oh readers. I apologize that is has been almost a month since I posted something on here. You’d be surprised how much I have missed it though... And how much I realize I need to keep updating it! I’ll spare the details of the roller coaster of a month that November has been, but let’s just say, I’m ready to enjoy the holiday season and am thankful for friends, family and this blog!
On a very high note, NYAFC (my new acronym for the blog) has proven to be the source of a lot of great things. First of all, I’m now freelancing for a site called eChinacities.com. One of the selling points to adding me on as a writer was actually this NYAFC (which the clever editors have figured out how to maneuver around the Great Fire Wall...yes it’s actually called that). So far, I’ve written a few articles for their expat corner section and some Nanjing guides, including one about this jazz and world music festival in Nanjing. In addition to the 200 RMB they’re paying me per article, I got a pair of free tickets to the opening show! The life of a freelance writer does have its perks!
Even more exciting was the article I had published on the Web site of China Daily, China’s largest English-written newspaper. I had been in touch with their editor and he asked for a writing sample. The topic was vague “life and working in China,” but finally the theme for my article came to me at 11:55 pm on a Tuesday night. I decided I would write about my use of NYAFC to help give a better insight to life in China for friends and family back home. I sent it reluctantly thinking my writing would be to light and fluffy for a newspaper. Turns out, it was exactly what they were looking for (after all the paper is government run). To be honest, its not the best writing by ANY stretch of the imagination, but it was still exciting to see my name on their Web site (and to get an extra 200 RMB in my pocket... That’s like $30). You can check out the article here.http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-11/12/content_8954806.htm
So I want to thank all my “silly” readers for your encouragement and positive feedback about the NYAFC. And especially now that this blog is proving to work in my favor for writing gigs, I’m going to make a resolution (about a month early) to start writing on a regular basis. While this post doesn’t have much of a “hey, look how neat/strange/fascinating Chinese culture/life/food/dinosaur theme parks is,” hopefully it’ll be a little encourager to keep reading NYAFC despite my lack of posts lately.
On a very high note, NYAFC (my new acronym for the blog) has proven to be the source of a lot of great things. First of all, I’m now freelancing for a site called eChinacities.com. One of the selling points to adding me on as a writer was actually this NYAFC (which the clever editors have figured out how to maneuver around the Great Fire Wall...yes it’s actually called that). So far, I’ve written a few articles for their expat corner section and some Nanjing guides, including one about this jazz and world music festival in Nanjing. In addition to the 200 RMB they’re paying me per article, I got a pair of free tickets to the opening show! The life of a freelance writer does have its perks!
Even more exciting was the article I had published on the Web site of China Daily, China’s largest English-written newspaper. I had been in touch with their editor and he asked for a writing sample. The topic was vague “life and working in China,” but finally the theme for my article came to me at 11:55 pm on a Tuesday night. I decided I would write about my use of NYAFC to help give a better insight to life in China for friends and family back home. I sent it reluctantly thinking my writing would be to light and fluffy for a newspaper. Turns out, it was exactly what they were looking for (after all the paper is government run). To be honest, its not the best writing by ANY stretch of the imagination, but it was still exciting to see my name on their Web site (and to get an extra 200 RMB in my pocket... That’s like $30). You can check out the article here.http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2009-11/12/content_8954806.htm
So I want to thank all my “silly” readers for your encouragement and positive feedback about the NYAFC. And especially now that this blog is proving to work in my favor for writing gigs, I’m going to make a resolution (about a month early) to start writing on a regular basis. While this post doesn’t have much of a “hey, look how neat/strange/fascinating Chinese culture/life/food/dinosaur theme parks is,” hopefully it’ll be a little encourager to keep reading NYAFC despite my lack of posts lately.
Oct 10, 2009
The Weirdest Thing I've Ever Eaten...And Probably Will Ever Eat
After I came home from China the first time, I got a lot of questions from those curious about my Asia adventure about the strangest thing I’ve ever eaten. They cringed as I told them of eating chicken stomach and lamb heart, but I knew my culinary experiences was nothing compared to what I could have been faced with eating. And then I moved to Nanjing. In the past two months I’ve been here I’ve had an assortment of oddly prepared things like eel (different from the kind you get on sushi), duck (bone and all), pig cartilage, whole shrimps and octopus (no, not like calamari). But strange food has now been taken to a whole new level. I’ve eaten a stir-fried cicada.
In case you are unfamiliar with what a cicada is, google image it. Cicadas are basically like crickets on steroids that kind of resemble a cockroaches. It was on my adventure to Changzhou with my neighbors that this catastrophic event took place. My Chinese family had joked before about making me try one before, but now they were serious. That morning when I went over to Ellen’s I saw two bags of, yes, you are reading this right, stir-fried cicadas. I think Ellen saw my look of horror when I saw the bags they were packing up and asked if I wanted to try it now. I told her “I have a rule that I don’t eat bugs before noon.” I don’t think she got the joke. “But you must later,” she told me. Oh no.
On a side note, the longer I’m here, the more I wonder why Chinese people eat some of the stuff they do. I’ll preface this with saying that I think most Chinese food is really good. Your average restaurant has great dishes that make American food seem bland and processed. However, I don’t think Chinese people have grasped the concept of tasty snack food. Even just walking around the dinosaur amusement park looking at all the different snack stands I couldn’t help but turn up my nose at the meat sticks, stinky tofu and other “treats” Chinese people like to indulge in. Where was the cotton candy, the funnel cakes, the snow cones and the turkey legs? Octopus on a stick? No thank you. Although, I did eat the chicken meat stick Ellen’s dad bought me, even though I said I wasn’t hungry. And then there is the dried fruit with salt that my coworkers love to snack on. To me, it just tastes bad. What happened to peanut butter crackers, pretzels or just a regular piece of fruit? Chinese people just eat weird things sometimes. Like the cicada.
And back to my battle with the bug, Ellen finally caught me in a moment when I couldn’t refuse trying one. After all, it was well after noon. She doesn’t like them either, and I told her I’d only eat one if she did too. “You’re so bad,” she said. No, you are for making me eat this. So I watched she bit the back half of it, chewed and swallowed. I followed her lead. I closed my eyes as I bit the back half of this brown bug. It had a little crunch to it and taste was actually bearable, not good, but bearable. Half the battle was done. But now came time for the head and limbs. After about 30 seconds of evaluating how to get this down without visibly gagging and offending the family, I popped it in, chewed with a half grimace and then tried to swallow. No luck. A gag reflex I haven’t experienced since I was a child being forced to eat peas took over my entire body. I hadn’t even swallowed and my whole body was already rejecting this so-called food. I thought I was literally going to be sick. I took a cracker and thankfully that helped me swallow the rest of my buggy friend, but my stomach still turns every time I think about it. And I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.
So, not only did I spend my holiday paying homage to communism and indulging in my neighbors’ excitement to take me to an amusement park, but I also have filled my quota, I’m going to say for the year, of trying new things. Will I have another meat stick in my life? Probably. Will I eat the dried salty fruit my coworkers bring me? Yes but will try to hide the grimace. Will I eat another cicada? That’s a resounding no. And next time you bite into your wheat thins, crave a funnel cake or enjoy real dried fruit, think of instead being subjected to eat something far worse... Like a cicada.
In case you are unfamiliar with what a cicada is, google image it. Cicadas are basically like crickets on steroids that kind of resemble a cockroaches. It was on my adventure to Changzhou with my neighbors that this catastrophic event took place. My Chinese family had joked before about making me try one before, but now they were serious. That morning when I went over to Ellen’s I saw two bags of, yes, you are reading this right, stir-fried cicadas. I think Ellen saw my look of horror when I saw the bags they were packing up and asked if I wanted to try it now. I told her “I have a rule that I don’t eat bugs before noon.” I don’t think she got the joke. “But you must later,” she told me. Oh no.
On a side note, the longer I’m here, the more I wonder why Chinese people eat some of the stuff they do. I’ll preface this with saying that I think most Chinese food is really good. Your average restaurant has great dishes that make American food seem bland and processed. However, I don’t think Chinese people have grasped the concept of tasty snack food. Even just walking around the dinosaur amusement park looking at all the different snack stands I couldn’t help but turn up my nose at the meat sticks, stinky tofu and other “treats” Chinese people like to indulge in. Where was the cotton candy, the funnel cakes, the snow cones and the turkey legs? Octopus on a stick? No thank you. Although, I did eat the chicken meat stick Ellen’s dad bought me, even though I said I wasn’t hungry. And then there is the dried fruit with salt that my coworkers love to snack on. To me, it just tastes bad. What happened to peanut butter crackers, pretzels or just a regular piece of fruit? Chinese people just eat weird things sometimes. Like the cicada.
And back to my battle with the bug, Ellen finally caught me in a moment when I couldn’t refuse trying one. After all, it was well after noon. She doesn’t like them either, and I told her I’d only eat one if she did too. “You’re so bad,” she said. No, you are for making me eat this. So I watched she bit the back half of it, chewed and swallowed. I followed her lead. I closed my eyes as I bit the back half of this brown bug. It had a little crunch to it and taste was actually bearable, not good, but bearable. Half the battle was done. But now came time for the head and limbs. After about 30 seconds of evaluating how to get this down without visibly gagging and offending the family, I popped it in, chewed with a half grimace and then tried to swallow. No luck. A gag reflex I haven’t experienced since I was a child being forced to eat peas took over my entire body. I hadn’t even swallowed and my whole body was already rejecting this so-called food. I thought I was literally going to be sick. I took a cracker and thankfully that helped me swallow the rest of my buggy friend, but my stomach still turns every time I think about it. And I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.
So, not only did I spend my holiday paying homage to communism and indulging in my neighbors’ excitement to take me to an amusement park, but I also have filled my quota, I’m going to say for the year, of trying new things. Will I have another meat stick in my life? Probably. Will I eat the dried salty fruit my coworkers bring me? Yes but will try to hide the grimace. Will I eat another cicada? That’s a resounding no. And next time you bite into your wheat thins, crave a funnel cake or enjoy real dried fruit, think of instead being subjected to eat something far worse... Like a cicada.
Dinosaur Botanical Gardens
Back to work, back to work. My holiday is officially over. I realize that I just had the last eight days off, and that is no excuse for not posting more in the last few days. In my defense, I was fighting off a terrible cold the last half of the break. That’s enough of an excuse, right?
Well other than fighting off cold/flu symptoms, the holiday was really enjoyable. Not only did I do something “cultural” and see communist propaganda at its finest, but I also went on a little adventure with Ellen and her family to a city two hours from Nanjing called Changzhou. So I can say confidently that I left Nanjing during the holiday, even if it was only for a day. Don’t be jealous though, there’s not much in Changzhou. And in all honesty, I didn’t really want to go. My Chinese family had invited me to go a while back, but Ellen got sick and couldn’t go. When I tried to make up an excuse as to why I couldn’t go this time and I saw the look of disappointment on Ellen’s mom’s face, I knew it was too late to get out out of it.
Ellen had told me that her mom’s family lives in Changzhou, so I figured this was the “meet your new extended family” trip. And then Ellen told me we were going to some “dinosaur botanical garden”... that was the Chinese translation. What? Dinosaur botanical garden? Was I going to be looking at dinosaur fossils? Was this going to be a park of bushes cut in the shape of dinosaurs? What was I getting myself into? And then she told me we’d be leaving at 5 am for the two-hour car ride to Changzhou. A 5 am wake-up call on a holiday? Ok, now what had I agreed to?
Luckily the time changed to 6:30, slightly more reasonable, and Ellen and I passed out during the car ride to Changzhou. I was reassured when I realized we’d be taking the family car, because I didn’t think I could handle public transportation that early in the morning. With a pretty tame trip over to Changzhou, I finally realized our day at the dinosaur botanical gardens was actually an amusement park. When I saw Ellen’s face light up as we were approaching the park, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited too. Sure I may be 22 years old, but I’m not too old to get excited about an amusement park. Mostly I was excited to just see what a Chinese version of Six Flags would be like. I would definitely not equate this place to Disney World and even Six Flags is a stretch. Since we went on a holiday, the place was packed with visitors, much to Ellen’s disappointment. And while she was lamenting over the prospect of long lines for the rides, I was was lamenting over the thousands of stares I would be getting that day. Being blonde in China is tough duty.
The park was actually pretty nice. It was very clean and green, and if there wasn’t so many black heads everywhere, I would have thought I was at a park back home. The rides were pretty lame, except for the water ride where my jeans got soaked despite buying a “poncho” for the ride. Ellen’s energy level was high all day and she was antsy as we waited in the long lines for the rides. Luckily, I brought along my Chinese phrase book, so we quizzed each other on words and taught each other new phrases. I even learned that the word for dinosaur can also be used as a name for a rude girl. I’ve learned a new Chinese insult! During the day, I did have lots of stares and a few random people taking out their cameras and taking shots of me, the token foreigner. I probably should have charged them, but I was feeling generous.
Overall the park was fun, and it was a good time to practice my Chinese. I even got to meet some more of my Chinese family. They tried to set me up with Ellen’s 24-year-old cousin, but considering he speaks even less English than I speak Chinese, I don’t think that’ll happen. I just don’t think I will ever date a Chinese guy (reasons why will be a later post). And despite my previous feelings of not wanting to go to Changzhou, I was glad I got to experience an authentic Chinese activity with my Chinese family. I feel lucky to have people here who are looking out for me. I also feel lucky that there is Disney World.
Well other than fighting off cold/flu symptoms, the holiday was really enjoyable. Not only did I do something “cultural” and see communist propaganda at its finest, but I also went on a little adventure with Ellen and her family to a city two hours from Nanjing called Changzhou. So I can say confidently that I left Nanjing during the holiday, even if it was only for a day. Don’t be jealous though, there’s not much in Changzhou. And in all honesty, I didn’t really want to go. My Chinese family had invited me to go a while back, but Ellen got sick and couldn’t go. When I tried to make up an excuse as to why I couldn’t go this time and I saw the look of disappointment on Ellen’s mom’s face, I knew it was too late to get out out of it.
Ellen had told me that her mom’s family lives in Changzhou, so I figured this was the “meet your new extended family” trip. And then Ellen told me we were going to some “dinosaur botanical garden”... that was the Chinese translation. What? Dinosaur botanical garden? Was I going to be looking at dinosaur fossils? Was this going to be a park of bushes cut in the shape of dinosaurs? What was I getting myself into? And then she told me we’d be leaving at 5 am for the two-hour car ride to Changzhou. A 5 am wake-up call on a holiday? Ok, now what had I agreed to?
Luckily the time changed to 6:30, slightly more reasonable, and Ellen and I passed out during the car ride to Changzhou. I was reassured when I realized we’d be taking the family car, because I didn’t think I could handle public transportation that early in the morning. With a pretty tame trip over to Changzhou, I finally realized our day at the dinosaur botanical gardens was actually an amusement park. When I saw Ellen’s face light up as we were approaching the park, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat excited too. Sure I may be 22 years old, but I’m not too old to get excited about an amusement park. Mostly I was excited to just see what a Chinese version of Six Flags would be like. I would definitely not equate this place to Disney World and even Six Flags is a stretch. Since we went on a holiday, the place was packed with visitors, much to Ellen’s disappointment. And while she was lamenting over the prospect of long lines for the rides, I was was lamenting over the thousands of stares I would be getting that day. Being blonde in China is tough duty.
The park was actually pretty nice. It was very clean and green, and if there wasn’t so many black heads everywhere, I would have thought I was at a park back home. The rides were pretty lame, except for the water ride where my jeans got soaked despite buying a “poncho” for the ride. Ellen’s energy level was high all day and she was antsy as we waited in the long lines for the rides. Luckily, I brought along my Chinese phrase book, so we quizzed each other on words and taught each other new phrases. I even learned that the word for dinosaur can also be used as a name for a rude girl. I’ve learned a new Chinese insult! During the day, I did have lots of stares and a few random people taking out their cameras and taking shots of me, the token foreigner. I probably should have charged them, but I was feeling generous.
Overall the park was fun, and it was a good time to practice my Chinese. I even got to meet some more of my Chinese family. They tried to set me up with Ellen’s 24-year-old cousin, but considering he speaks even less English than I speak Chinese, I don’t think that’ll happen. I just don’t think I will ever date a Chinese guy (reasons why will be a later post). And despite my previous feelings of not wanting to go to Changzhou, I was glad I got to experience an authentic Chinese activity with my Chinese family. I feel lucky to have people here who are looking out for me. I also feel lucky that there is Disney World.
Oct 7, 2009
My Homage to Communist China
I can sufficiently say that I’ve done my part to honor Chinese National Day. To show my support (I’m using that word tentatively) I saw the film of 2009 here in China. A friend had free tickets to check out China’s pride and joy for the 60th anniversary, The Founding of a Republic. The movie is about the foundation of the communist party in China and is more of an ode to Mao than any else.
I mean it is pure propaganda and there were a few times when we, the only two foreigners in the theater, looked at each other with slightly confused faces. We decided before hand that outbursts of “wrong” or the like wouldn’t be appreciated, so we kept relatively quiet. For a movie that the government spent good money to make, it sure could have been a lot more exciting. In a nut shell, the movie is just groups of old Chinese men talking and montages of Mao. But the movie boasts that there are all these famous Chinese actors and actresses. Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi, all make their appearances but knew better than to commit to anything more than a five minute appearance. I wish I knew to only stay for five minutes.
Honestly, it was a painful two and half hours and there were points when I almost feel asleep, something I can say that I’ve never done. Now I know why the tickets were free. I’m familiar with Chinese history and I’d bet that I know more than the average American, but I was still hoping to be informed and learn something new from the film (for those of you who don’t know Chinese history, you can get the run-down on Wikipedia). Instead, I left a bit annoyed, I’d dare to say mad. It wasn’t the use of “democracy” by Mao (which I find highly suspect), the terrible direction of the film or even the cliche montages (some that involved close-ups of a single tear running down Mao’s face or him playing in a field of flowers with his daughter and niece). No, I was annoyed because they got America all wrong.
There are a few foreigners in the film, which was kind of a shock to me that these people actually agreed to be in the movie. One is the US ambassador, who happens to speak with a British accent. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we had Brits serving as ambassadors. The icing on the cake was a scene where the then-presidents’ (Chinese president) wife goes to the USA to try to get the US’s involvement in the civil war. She’s walking through the White House where there’s these US Marines standing on guard. There’s one black and one white marine and the black one proceeds to blatantly check her out. After the white one gets his attention, the checker-outer goes “Damn. He’s really hot.” Oh really? In the 1940’s people spoke like that? I don’t think so. It did get some good laughs from the Chinese audience, but us Americans just bristled.
After a few nods to sleep, I survived this lame movie. It had the potential to be really good, and Chinese history is actually pretty interesting. But the director decided to stay away from any scene that could show true hardship the Chinese faced during this time of civil war and turned it into garbage. And thankfully, it’s not just the Americans who couldn’t stand the movie. I told Ellen I had gone to see it and she looked at me with a little bit of shock and asked if I liked it. I told her it was OK, and she kind of smiled like “I know you’re lying.” She told me she didn’t really like it and that her mom actually fell asleep (her mom and I have a lot in common it seems). She did add that it was a movie every Chinese would probably see, but she didn’t say enjoy.
So I feel that I can say with some confidence that I have done my part to be “patriotic” toward the Chinese this holiday. While I’m still here suffering without Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc., I’ve been a good “lao wai” and done something “Chinese.” I can talk about it with my Chinese friends and impress them with my openness to Chinese film and “pop culture.” But for now, I’m just going to go to McDonalds and think of home over a double cheeseburger and french fries.
I mean it is pure propaganda and there were a few times when we, the only two foreigners in the theater, looked at each other with slightly confused faces. We decided before hand that outbursts of “wrong” or the like wouldn’t be appreciated, so we kept relatively quiet. For a movie that the government spent good money to make, it sure could have been a lot more exciting. In a nut shell, the movie is just groups of old Chinese men talking and montages of Mao. But the movie boasts that there are all these famous Chinese actors and actresses. Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Zhang Ziyi, all make their appearances but knew better than to commit to anything more than a five minute appearance. I wish I knew to only stay for five minutes.
Honestly, it was a painful two and half hours and there were points when I almost feel asleep, something I can say that I’ve never done. Now I know why the tickets were free. I’m familiar with Chinese history and I’d bet that I know more than the average American, but I was still hoping to be informed and learn something new from the film (for those of you who don’t know Chinese history, you can get the run-down on Wikipedia). Instead, I left a bit annoyed, I’d dare to say mad. It wasn’t the use of “democracy” by Mao (which I find highly suspect), the terrible direction of the film or even the cliche montages (some that involved close-ups of a single tear running down Mao’s face or him playing in a field of flowers with his daughter and niece). No, I was annoyed because they got America all wrong.
There are a few foreigners in the film, which was kind of a shock to me that these people actually agreed to be in the movie. One is the US ambassador, who happens to speak with a British accent. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we had Brits serving as ambassadors. The icing on the cake was a scene where the then-presidents’ (Chinese president) wife goes to the USA to try to get the US’s involvement in the civil war. She’s walking through the White House where there’s these US Marines standing on guard. There’s one black and one white marine and the black one proceeds to blatantly check her out. After the white one gets his attention, the checker-outer goes “Damn. He’s really hot.” Oh really? In the 1940’s people spoke like that? I don’t think so. It did get some good laughs from the Chinese audience, but us Americans just bristled.
After a few nods to sleep, I survived this lame movie. It had the potential to be really good, and Chinese history is actually pretty interesting. But the director decided to stay away from any scene that could show true hardship the Chinese faced during this time of civil war and turned it into garbage. And thankfully, it’s not just the Americans who couldn’t stand the movie. I told Ellen I had gone to see it and she looked at me with a little bit of shock and asked if I liked it. I told her it was OK, and she kind of smiled like “I know you’re lying.” She told me she didn’t really like it and that her mom actually fell asleep (her mom and I have a lot in common it seems). She did add that it was a movie every Chinese would probably see, but she didn’t say enjoy.
So I feel that I can say with some confidence that I have done my part to be “patriotic” toward the Chinese this holiday. While I’m still here suffering without Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc., I’ve been a good “lao wai” and done something “Chinese.” I can talk about it with my Chinese friends and impress them with my openness to Chinese film and “pop culture.” But for now, I’m just going to go to McDonalds and think of home over a double cheeseburger and french fries.
Sep 29, 2009
Happy 60th Birthday, China.
To all four of my blog readers, my apologies for not posting the past few weeks. Between the flood, trying to sort out apartment life and having to work on Sunday to make up for the eight-day holiday that starts on Oct 1, life’s been a little hectic. And to add the madness, China has decided to take internet censorship to the next level by blocking the use of proxies and VPNs (I don’t know what they are either. All I know is that I was using them to access already blocked sites... But now China’s gone and blocked those too). They’re really cracking down on us “revolutionaries” exposing life in China through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and youtube. I’m actually having to have a friend post my blog topics now, Thanks Jen. And in case you’re wondering I’m going on day six of no Facebook... That’s all I’m going to say.
Anyway, the reason behind all this censorship started with the riots in Western China, but the recent crack down is because of China’s 60th Anniversary. Yes, China is actually much older than 60, but it’s been 60 years since the Communist Party took control. Congratulations China Communism for making it this far. And to further congratulate themselves, a grandiose parade will take over the streets of Beijing October 1st. For those of you who thought the Beijing opening ceremonies was quite the spectacle, China’s outdone itself for the 60th anniversary parade.
I’ve been amused reading the news articles in both Chinese and foreign media about how China’s turned on their weather fans to make sure that it won’t rain, put the soldiers and parade participants through rigorous training (and mental health evaluations), ensured Beijing residents not “selected” to attend the parade keep from standing outside or on their balconies to watch the parade and, if you can believe it, restricted flight over the city, even from the pigeons. An article in the NY Times described the ridiculousness of it all pretty accurately ( HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/asia/29beijing.html?ref=global-home" http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/asia/29beijing.html?ref=global-home). This should give you a deeper insight to the Chinese mindset. And no, this article is not an exaggeration.
And the preparation for this demonstration of militaristic power and cultural appreciation has been going on for weeks. I was watching TV at Ellen’s house (my Chinese neighbor) when a special program came on about the parade. They were featuring some of the soldiers marching in the parade and part of their training program. I was shocked to see that the training for these puny, completely unintimidating Chinese guys was merely standing on a small platform balancing the equivalent of books for “a few hours.” Was this a joke? Their army “soldiers” were talking about the rigorous training of standing for a few hours balancing some junk on their heads? I’ve heard of fraternity hazing that makes this look like a kindergarden cake walk. And while this was being presented through Chinese media (which has motives other than giving unbiased, truthful news), I’m not so sure that if I was Chinese I’d be all that proud of men who are supposed to fighting for my country showing off their balancing abilities... But who am I to judge.
And while this may be the parade of a lifetime, the more sensible Chinese think that it is kind of over kill. Whether its been in articles (not from Chinese media, of course) or in conversations with coworkers (mostly just Cheryl), there are those who think the parade is unnecessary. Which was kind of a relief to me. If every Chinese person really thought that the prospect of pigeons with bombs strapped to their legs was a legitimate threat, I’d probably have to get out while I was still sane... Or relatively intelligent.
On the other hand, you have to give the commies credit. It's not that I am I saying that I agree with their system of government, but a country that can progress economically as rapidly as China, that can govern over a billion people relatively peacefully (minus the conflict in Tibet and XinJiang) and that has more and more of its population joining the middle class deserves a little credit. I would say more than a little, but since they took away my Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot they’re only getting a little credit from me. And while people have their opinions of China, its not the “red country” it used to be that was scary and inhibiting (only when it comes to the internet and social media). I know I’ve said it before, but most days I forget most of the governmental differences between this country and my own, except for... well you can probably guess what I’m going to say.
So as the National Day approaches I’m looking forward to seeing how this whole parade goes, how all those hours of standing with books on their heads paid off for the little Chinese soldiers in the parade and, most importantly, how the pigeons fair after being kept free from flight (You really need to read the NY Times article... The whole thing). And I will give a half nod to China for the progress they’ve made in 60 years. From poverty to prosperity, I hope the next 60 years continue to be ones of progress... And ones where people can enjoy their internet, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogspot and every other site freely.
Anyway, the reason behind all this censorship started with the riots in Western China, but the recent crack down is because of China’s 60th Anniversary. Yes, China is actually much older than 60, but it’s been 60 years since the Communist Party took control. Congratulations China Communism for making it this far. And to further congratulate themselves, a grandiose parade will take over the streets of Beijing October 1st. For those of you who thought the Beijing opening ceremonies was quite the spectacle, China’s outdone itself for the 60th anniversary parade.
I’ve been amused reading the news articles in both Chinese and foreign media about how China’s turned on their weather fans to make sure that it won’t rain, put the soldiers and parade participants through rigorous training (and mental health evaluations), ensured Beijing residents not “selected” to attend the parade keep from standing outside or on their balconies to watch the parade and, if you can believe it, restricted flight over the city, even from the pigeons. An article in the NY Times described the ridiculousness of it all pretty accurately ( HYPERLINK "http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/asia/29beijing.html?ref=global-home" http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/asia/29beijing.html?ref=global-home). This should give you a deeper insight to the Chinese mindset. And no, this article is not an exaggeration.
And the preparation for this demonstration of militaristic power and cultural appreciation has been going on for weeks. I was watching TV at Ellen’s house (my Chinese neighbor) when a special program came on about the parade. They were featuring some of the soldiers marching in the parade and part of their training program. I was shocked to see that the training for these puny, completely unintimidating Chinese guys was merely standing on a small platform balancing the equivalent of books for “a few hours.” Was this a joke? Their army “soldiers” were talking about the rigorous training of standing for a few hours balancing some junk on their heads? I’ve heard of fraternity hazing that makes this look like a kindergarden cake walk. And while this was being presented through Chinese media (which has motives other than giving unbiased, truthful news), I’m not so sure that if I was Chinese I’d be all that proud of men who are supposed to fighting for my country showing off their balancing abilities... But who am I to judge.
And while this may be the parade of a lifetime, the more sensible Chinese think that it is kind of over kill. Whether its been in articles (not from Chinese media, of course) or in conversations with coworkers (mostly just Cheryl), there are those who think the parade is unnecessary. Which was kind of a relief to me. If every Chinese person really thought that the prospect of pigeons with bombs strapped to their legs was a legitimate threat, I’d probably have to get out while I was still sane... Or relatively intelligent.
On the other hand, you have to give the commies credit. It's not that I am I saying that I agree with their system of government, but a country that can progress economically as rapidly as China, that can govern over a billion people relatively peacefully (minus the conflict in Tibet and XinJiang) and that has more and more of its population joining the middle class deserves a little credit. I would say more than a little, but since they took away my Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot they’re only getting a little credit from me. And while people have their opinions of China, its not the “red country” it used to be that was scary and inhibiting (only when it comes to the internet and social media). I know I’ve said it before, but most days I forget most of the governmental differences between this country and my own, except for... well you can probably guess what I’m going to say.
So as the National Day approaches I’m looking forward to seeing how this whole parade goes, how all those hours of standing with books on their heads paid off for the little Chinese soldiers in the parade and, most importantly, how the pigeons fair after being kept free from flight (You really need to read the NY Times article... The whole thing). And I will give a half nod to China for the progress they’ve made in 60 years. From poverty to prosperity, I hope the next 60 years continue to be ones of progress... And ones where people can enjoy their internet, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Blogspot and every other site freely.
Sep 23, 2009
Gifts and griping.
Just when you think you’re getting used to life in a completely different culture, you quickly get put back in your place of not really knowing what to do. Sometimes I wish there was a culture guide that had every answer to all my questions right at my finger tips. Things like “appropriate gift giving” or “why do I have to cheers everyone at the table every 5 minutes” would really be helpful sometimes. For now, I just have to guess
The first story for my “what do I do now” moment came after a relatively catastrophic event last weekend. Long story short, my apartment flooded on Sunday when I wasn’t at home. My neighbor, Ellen called me in a panic Sunday afternoon telling me I must return home -“ 你家有很都水” - your home has a lot of water. I came home to an apartment a half inch deep in water in some areas, and my neighbor Ellen, her mom and another friend helped clean it all up.
So to thank Ellen and her mom, I went over later with some fruit and told them I wanted to treat them to dinner. They said I didn’t need to that and wouldn’t let me. I think this is partly because Grandma is living with them now and she looks a little old... But you’re never too old to enjoy a good meal out. Instead of letting me treat them to dinner, they invited me over the next night... This wasn’t how this was supposed to work. So I was left without a proper way to thank my Chinese family for their help. I decided I would take them a gift the next night.
So I asked Cheryl a proper gift to take them. I had decided on flowers, but when the only arrangements available at the super market were almost half the size of me, I knew I needed a new plan. With the October Holiday, or Moon festival (yet another blog topic), just around the corner, Cheryl approved my idea of taking them some nice mooncakes (a common Chinese delicacy during this holiday). I was ready to win over my Chinese family, but when I arrived that evening bearing my gift they said “no.” It wasn’t that they weren’t appreciative, but Ellen translated that since they are Chinese, they wanted to give me mooncakes to celebrate the holiday. They were happy to accept the gift, but I still felt like I had kind of failed. I didn’t bring a lot of American gifts to share with potential Chinese friends, and I can’t just take them a bottle of wine, an easy gift-giving solution back home. It isn’t traditionally for a woman to give alcohol... Too bad.
So along with my feeling as a failure to give proper gifts in China, I’m still getting used to going to typical Chinese lunches with big groups of coworkers. Basically it’s about 12 people around this table eating all kinds of Chinese food. There’s usually more than you could ever eat at these lunches, but I much prefer going with 3 or 4 coworkers, ordering about 4-5 things I know I’ll like and relaxing during my lunch break. But occasionally I’m asked to these big lunches or dinners that are really more of face time for the treater than anything. And for me, it is anything but relaxing. It seems like every 3 minutes there’s cheersing and speeches. There’s usually an assortment of “what is this?” food that I usually don’t feel like trying. I mean, I’m all about being adventurous, but digesting what looks like moldy eggs just isn’t something I’m too keen on, especially with everyone waiting for the foreigners reaction. Don’t get me wrong, I like being treated to lunch, but sometimes it’s just uncomfortable and awkward going through Chinese pomp and circumstance.
I probably sound like a brat and I don’t mean to complain. Even after two months here I’m still getting used to this switch in cultures and still find myself somewhat lost at times. I guess I could say, “screw it, I’m American, I’ll do what I want,” but I don’t think that would be well received. And even though I don’t get it right, don’t want to do it and don’t know what to do, Chinese appreciate the effort. So for now, I'll just keep trying.
The first story for my “what do I do now” moment came after a relatively catastrophic event last weekend. Long story short, my apartment flooded on Sunday when I wasn’t at home. My neighbor, Ellen called me in a panic Sunday afternoon telling me I must return home -“ 你家有很都水” - your home has a lot of water. I came home to an apartment a half inch deep in water in some areas, and my neighbor Ellen, her mom and another friend helped clean it all up.
So to thank Ellen and her mom, I went over later with some fruit and told them I wanted to treat them to dinner. They said I didn’t need to that and wouldn’t let me. I think this is partly because Grandma is living with them now and she looks a little old... But you’re never too old to enjoy a good meal out. Instead of letting me treat them to dinner, they invited me over the next night... This wasn’t how this was supposed to work. So I was left without a proper way to thank my Chinese family for their help. I decided I would take them a gift the next night.
So I asked Cheryl a proper gift to take them. I had decided on flowers, but when the only arrangements available at the super market were almost half the size of me, I knew I needed a new plan. With the October Holiday, or Moon festival (yet another blog topic), just around the corner, Cheryl approved my idea of taking them some nice mooncakes (a common Chinese delicacy during this holiday). I was ready to win over my Chinese family, but when I arrived that evening bearing my gift they said “no.” It wasn’t that they weren’t appreciative, but Ellen translated that since they are Chinese, they wanted to give me mooncakes to celebrate the holiday. They were happy to accept the gift, but I still felt like I had kind of failed. I didn’t bring a lot of American gifts to share with potential Chinese friends, and I can’t just take them a bottle of wine, an easy gift-giving solution back home. It isn’t traditionally for a woman to give alcohol... Too bad.
So along with my feeling as a failure to give proper gifts in China, I’m still getting used to going to typical Chinese lunches with big groups of coworkers. Basically it’s about 12 people around this table eating all kinds of Chinese food. There’s usually more than you could ever eat at these lunches, but I much prefer going with 3 or 4 coworkers, ordering about 4-5 things I know I’ll like and relaxing during my lunch break. But occasionally I’m asked to these big lunches or dinners that are really more of face time for the treater than anything. And for me, it is anything but relaxing. It seems like every 3 minutes there’s cheersing and speeches. There’s usually an assortment of “what is this?” food that I usually don’t feel like trying. I mean, I’m all about being adventurous, but digesting what looks like moldy eggs just isn’t something I’m too keen on, especially with everyone waiting for the foreigners reaction. Don’t get me wrong, I like being treated to lunch, but sometimes it’s just uncomfortable and awkward going through Chinese pomp and circumstance.
I probably sound like a brat and I don’t mean to complain. Even after two months here I’m still getting used to this switch in cultures and still find myself somewhat lost at times. I guess I could say, “screw it, I’m American, I’ll do what I want,” but I don’t think that would be well received. And even though I don’t get it right, don’t want to do it and don’t know what to do, Chinese appreciate the effort. So for now, I'll just keep trying.
Sep 14, 2009
Shanghai: Better City, Better Life?
This weekend was a real treat for me. JT recently moved back to Shanghai for a few months with the start of his new job, so I decided this past weekend was a perfect time to escape the back woods of Nanjing and get a little “big city” life. Now when I first arrived in China almost two months ago (can you believe it’s been that long!) I only spent a day in Shanghai, and I was really too jet lagged to know what was going on. So upon arriving on Friday night to one of my favorite cities in the world I was ready to enjoy my weekend.
I expected a lot to change. In some ways it has, in others not at all. I guess the first, and most notable, difference was the people in Shanghai. The people in Nanjing are all pretty regular. You don’t see girls walking around in bizarre outfits (i.e. leggings with shimmery blue shorts and 3-inch heels) like you do in Shanghai. Even the kinds of foreigners in Shanghai are different than Nanjing. Here in Nanjing, the majority are teachers who, to me, are really laid back and very relaxed. In Shanghai, it’s definitely more of the rat race scene. While I’m not making the big bucks in Shanghai (which is kind of a cop out because I’d dare to say there’s a sizable faction of foreigners without “real” jobs who are just partying in Shanghai) I’m not spending like crazy either. Over the course of the weekend, I had some looks of shock when I told people I was living in Nanjing and working for a non-profit. I even had one wanna-be charmer tell me “You must have a big heart.” Whatever that means.
The clearest depiction of how this city is so entirely different than the rest of the country was when I met up with an old friend from my internship at the magazine. She’s a year older, from a city in northeastern (?) China and now works for a German architect firm. Her office was having a little party for colleagues, clients and friends on Friday night, so we thought it would be a good way to get the night started. I hadn’t seen Zhen in two years so it was a nice reunion, but I was kind of surprised to see how much she had changed. When we interned together she was still in university. University, or college, is much different in China. There are no frat parties and all-night drinking binges like back home. She had her first alcoholic drink ever at a party for the magazine when we were interning together. However, I just kind of watched in amazement as this girl chatted and flirted with these guys, foreign and Chinese, at this party. She was confident, self-assured and completely different from any of my Chinese girl friends in Nanjing. But I guess that’s what happens... We all grow up.
And it wasn’t just friends that were different. While there was a growing number of foreigners in the time I was in Shanghai two years ago, there’s even more now. I didn’t even feel like I was in China. As I rode around the city with JT and his friends going through old neighborhoods where he and I used to live, I was stunned to see foreigners walking around everywhere. For example, the street JT used to live used to be quiet with a few random shops here and there and you rarely saw foreigners walking around. When we were driving around on Sunday, there were all kinds of shops open and foreigners were everywhere. I kind of felt over protective of the city and was a little territorial. “No, this is my city. I was here first. Go away.” I mean, I guess I can’t say that because I don’t live there now, but that’s how I felt.
There’s this expo that’s happening next summer, so the city is in complete renovation in order to prepare. There’s signs and advertising where, even in Nanjing, with a debatable quote “Shanghai: better city, better life.” I’m not too sure I’m sold on that statement. I guess it was still like this two years ago, but it seems all is lost in trying to make it even somewhat resemble China. Other than the fact that there were a lot of Chinese people, I felt like I had escaped China for a few days. Even the workers at McDonalds spoke decent English.
Despite the changes, and I’m not saying they’re bad, it was great being back. Even better was spending time with old friends and, best of all, JT. While I’m enjoying Nanjing and not interested in leaving anytime soon, I would love to move back to Shanghai. I think if I moved there I could stay there for a long time. Maybe it was just the fact I had been away for so long and the weather was incredible that I’m seeing the sunny side of Shanghai. Oddly enough, it feels kind of like home. Like an Atlanta or a Gainesville. And one day I hope it is home again.
I expected a lot to change. In some ways it has, in others not at all. I guess the first, and most notable, difference was the people in Shanghai. The people in Nanjing are all pretty regular. You don’t see girls walking around in bizarre outfits (i.e. leggings with shimmery blue shorts and 3-inch heels) like you do in Shanghai. Even the kinds of foreigners in Shanghai are different than Nanjing. Here in Nanjing, the majority are teachers who, to me, are really laid back and very relaxed. In Shanghai, it’s definitely more of the rat race scene. While I’m not making the big bucks in Shanghai (which is kind of a cop out because I’d dare to say there’s a sizable faction of foreigners without “real” jobs who are just partying in Shanghai) I’m not spending like crazy either. Over the course of the weekend, I had some looks of shock when I told people I was living in Nanjing and working for a non-profit. I even had one wanna-be charmer tell me “You must have a big heart.” Whatever that means.
The clearest depiction of how this city is so entirely different than the rest of the country was when I met up with an old friend from my internship at the magazine. She’s a year older, from a city in northeastern (?) China and now works for a German architect firm. Her office was having a little party for colleagues, clients and friends on Friday night, so we thought it would be a good way to get the night started. I hadn’t seen Zhen in two years so it was a nice reunion, but I was kind of surprised to see how much she had changed. When we interned together she was still in university. University, or college, is much different in China. There are no frat parties and all-night drinking binges like back home. She had her first alcoholic drink ever at a party for the magazine when we were interning together. However, I just kind of watched in amazement as this girl chatted and flirted with these guys, foreign and Chinese, at this party. She was confident, self-assured and completely different from any of my Chinese girl friends in Nanjing. But I guess that’s what happens... We all grow up.
And it wasn’t just friends that were different. While there was a growing number of foreigners in the time I was in Shanghai two years ago, there’s even more now. I didn’t even feel like I was in China. As I rode around the city with JT and his friends going through old neighborhoods where he and I used to live, I was stunned to see foreigners walking around everywhere. For example, the street JT used to live used to be quiet with a few random shops here and there and you rarely saw foreigners walking around. When we were driving around on Sunday, there were all kinds of shops open and foreigners were everywhere. I kind of felt over protective of the city and was a little territorial. “No, this is my city. I was here first. Go away.” I mean, I guess I can’t say that because I don’t live there now, but that’s how I felt.
There’s this expo that’s happening next summer, so the city is in complete renovation in order to prepare. There’s signs and advertising where, even in Nanjing, with a debatable quote “Shanghai: better city, better life.” I’m not too sure I’m sold on that statement. I guess it was still like this two years ago, but it seems all is lost in trying to make it even somewhat resemble China. Other than the fact that there were a lot of Chinese people, I felt like I had escaped China for a few days. Even the workers at McDonalds spoke decent English.
Despite the changes, and I’m not saying they’re bad, it was great being back. Even better was spending time with old friends and, best of all, JT. While I’m enjoying Nanjing and not interested in leaving anytime soon, I would love to move back to Shanghai. I think if I moved there I could stay there for a long time. Maybe it was just the fact I had been away for so long and the weather was incredible that I’m seeing the sunny side of Shanghai. Oddly enough, it feels kind of like home. Like an Atlanta or a Gainesville. And one day I hope it is home again.
Sep 8, 2009
The "R" word...???
While I’m still working on a good title for my dating series and engaging in some “research,” I’m going to switch it up because this is a blog topic I’m excited about. Religion. I’ve been alarmed at the number of people, Chinese and foreigners, asking me about my religion. In the few weeks I’ve been in Nanjing, I’ve had more people ask me about my religion than I did in four years of college.
Growing up in the “bible belt,” religion has pretty much just been a way of life... And by religion, I mean Christianity (with a splash of Jew). One of the most memorable effects of reverse culture shock from when I came home from China the last time was the number of churches I saw driving around. To be honest, religion was pretty nonexistent in Shanghai. Sure there was a foreign church, but you had to have a foreign passport in order to attend. Not to mention there was a mission trip group on their way to China on the same flight as me who kept very quiet about the fact that they were a church group on a mission trip to China.
Now, it seems the mood has changed. According to coworkers and friends, in order to promote membership in the Communist party, the party claims that members are able to have their own religion. I wouldn't quite call it "religious freedom" as we like to call it in the US, but that's kind of the idea. In words that fit so well with the Chinese government, they want those of different religions to have "peaceful and harmonious" relationships. On top of that, there are actually legitimate churches in Nanjing that don’t require a foreign passport; they are for both Chinese and foreigners. The flip side is that most Chinese don’t really know they have this “freedom,” or where to begin when choosing what religion they want to be a part of. So this point is relatively useless because, I guess, most people don’t really even know where to begin with “religion.”
My roommate asked me just the other night if I had a religion, and I told her “yes.” “The one with Jesus?” she asked. Again, I said “yes.” Trying to be careful and not wanting to shove my religion down her throat (as many Christians are often times perceived), I told her it was something important to me and something that had been a part of my life since I was a little girl. Her response kind of shocked me. “I wish I had a religion. It seems really nice to have a religion.” Wow. I had never thought of that. My entire life I have been involved (some years more active than others) in the church, and, more importantly, my religion. On top if being able to have a “religion,” I feel somewhat knowledgeable about other religions. The thought of not knowing these important aspects of other cultures and never having a religion, period, really shocked me.
And to top all this off, I was even given a Chinese Bible. The story of how I attained this Bible is a little too.. “brave” (in the words of those involved)...to share on my blog, but, nonetheless, I have one. While I don’t think I’ll use this as my main source of learning to read Chinese characters, I am glad I have it. And even though Chinese people can apparently go to church and check out an English version of the Bible at the library, Chinese Bibles are not for sale in your average bookstore. Honestly, I’m still a little confused about how far you can and can’t go with the “religion” word in China. At least I’m allowed to have my Bible and there are Chinese Bibles available in the country (and not through the black market). When my Chinese gets really good, maybe I’ll be able to tell what exactly is printed in this Chinese Bible...
Religion in China may be a far cry from what I’m used to with a church on every street corner and the TV preachers with terrible hair (no offense). But the communist party seems warming to the idea of “harmonious” relationships between people of different religions. Sorry preacher man shouting in Turlington and every other college campus in the South, you can’t come to China. But religion, and Christianity, are the not the underground institutions they once were. Progress is a process.
Growing up in the “bible belt,” religion has pretty much just been a way of life... And by religion, I mean Christianity (with a splash of Jew). One of the most memorable effects of reverse culture shock from when I came home from China the last time was the number of churches I saw driving around. To be honest, religion was pretty nonexistent in Shanghai. Sure there was a foreign church, but you had to have a foreign passport in order to attend. Not to mention there was a mission trip group on their way to China on the same flight as me who kept very quiet about the fact that they were a church group on a mission trip to China.
Now, it seems the mood has changed. According to coworkers and friends, in order to promote membership in the Communist party, the party claims that members are able to have their own religion. I wouldn't quite call it "religious freedom" as we like to call it in the US, but that's kind of the idea. In words that fit so well with the Chinese government, they want those of different religions to have "peaceful and harmonious" relationships. On top of that, there are actually legitimate churches in Nanjing that don’t require a foreign passport; they are for both Chinese and foreigners. The flip side is that most Chinese don’t really know they have this “freedom,” or where to begin when choosing what religion they want to be a part of. So this point is relatively useless because, I guess, most people don’t really even know where to begin with “religion.”
My roommate asked me just the other night if I had a religion, and I told her “yes.” “The one with Jesus?” she asked. Again, I said “yes.” Trying to be careful and not wanting to shove my religion down her throat (as many Christians are often times perceived), I told her it was something important to me and something that had been a part of my life since I was a little girl. Her response kind of shocked me. “I wish I had a religion. It seems really nice to have a religion.” Wow. I had never thought of that. My entire life I have been involved (some years more active than others) in the church, and, more importantly, my religion. On top if being able to have a “religion,” I feel somewhat knowledgeable about other religions. The thought of not knowing these important aspects of other cultures and never having a religion, period, really shocked me.
And to top all this off, I was even given a Chinese Bible. The story of how I attained this Bible is a little too.. “brave” (in the words of those involved)...to share on my blog, but, nonetheless, I have one. While I don’t think I’ll use this as my main source of learning to read Chinese characters, I am glad I have it. And even though Chinese people can apparently go to church and check out an English version of the Bible at the library, Chinese Bibles are not for sale in your average bookstore. Honestly, I’m still a little confused about how far you can and can’t go with the “religion” word in China. At least I’m allowed to have my Bible and there are Chinese Bibles available in the country (and not through the black market). When my Chinese gets really good, maybe I’ll be able to tell what exactly is printed in this Chinese Bible...
Religion in China may be a far cry from what I’m used to with a church on every street corner and the TV preachers with terrible hair (no offense). But the communist party seems warming to the idea of “harmonious” relationships between people of different religions. Sorry preacher man shouting in Turlington and every other college campus in the South, you can’t come to China. But religion, and Christianity, are the not the underground institutions they once were. Progress is a process.
Aug 28, 2009
Dating in China...
In honor of this week’s Qixi holiday (Chinese Valentines Day), I decided I would start my series of entries about dating in China. In all honesty, I didn’t come to China to find a boyfriend, foreign or Chinese. Of all the places to move to get a MRS degree, I think China would be the last place on earth a 22-year-old tall, blonde American girl would go. But all that aside, I might as well test the waters while I’m here.
Kicking off the first installment of the dating series (which needs a title... so I'm open to suggestions) I’m just going to give some first impressions of dating in China. Luckily, I have coworkers who speak English really well and they’re open to talking about dating. In fact it’s one of the first things I was asked when I was at lunch with some of them: “Do you have a boyfriend?” and “Do you want a Chinese boyfriend?” Whoa... Let’s take this one step at a time. And while I didn’t get into the nitty gritty or their personal lives my first day on the job, over the past few weeks I’ve had somewhat open discussions on their ideas of dating, marriage and everything in between. Ok not everything.
First of all, I know I’ve mentioned a big difference in maturity (usually take off about 3-4 years from their real age, and then that’s their maturity age compared to a foreigner). I think this is in large part due to their school system. High school in China is strictly academically focused. Students start their school day at 7:30 and are in class till about 5:30 (with a 2-hour lunch break). From there, they either go home to do their homework or stay at the school to take extra classes or go to study hall until about 10:00 at night. Sounds awful if you ask me.
A schedule like this leaves very little time for interaction with friends and members of the opposite sex. And a general consensus is that parents don’t allow their children to have relationships much more than friendships. Not only does it take away time from studying, but, as we all know, trying to figure out the opposite sex can be pretty distracting. So guys don’t really go through the whole awkward “how do I talk to girls” stage and girls haven’t really grasped the concept that their first boyfriend will not be their last until they’re about 19.
Not that I’ve had all that many, if any at all, boyfriends in my short 22 years of life, but first trying to figure out how to have relationships with members of the opposite sex when you’re 20? That really stunts your growth! And I think this is a common theme for foreign guys trying to date Chinese girls (and you hardly ever see a foreign girl dating a Chinese guy). I was talking with a new friend in Nanjing when asked him if he was or had dated a Chinese girl, and his response was pretty appropriate: “Well I’m not now, if that tells you anything.” While there’s definitely plenty of guys willing and wanting to date a Chinese girl, after a serious relationship or two, sometimes the cultural differences are just a little too different... but that is another dating series topic for another day.
I know this post doesn’t really answer a lot of questions or give you the not-so-juicy details of my non-existent dating life in China. Don’t worry, if anything exciting comes along for my dating life I won’t be blogging about it. Hopefully this new series will be insightful for not only me, but for you all, my readers, as well. Because no matter what culture you identify with, we’re all dying to know other’s ideas of dating, marriage and everything in between.
Aug 24, 2009
Let's Get Physical
Exercise in China is a relatively new concept. I mean, these people bike everywhere so it’s not like they need to be overly concerned with burning calories, although there’s a growing trend in scooters and motorized bikes taking over the old-fashioned pedal-pushing types. Still, there are lots of gyms and fitness clubs around Nanjing, maybe around China. Lucky for me, there’s a gym almost across the street from where I live.
I think it must be a chain, because the brochure the girl gave me when I signed up had all these different addresses... In Chinese, of course. And it’s not cheap (not like going to the DVD store and buying all four seasons of Lost, 30 Rock, and four movies for $10) and is about $30 a month. But considering all my other bills are getting cheaper and cheaper, I think I can afford it. It’s decent and better than the joke-of-gym at UF (how I miss those meatheads at Southwest). Best of all, this past week the gym upgraded to all brand new equipment! As you walk in, there are pictures of about 20 different trainers with their English names (King was my favorite). And there are probably 8 people at the reception desk to greet you... Got to love cheap labor in China.
Now what Chinese people actually do at the gym varies. They all LOVE swimming, especially the women. In fact, the majority of the women in the locker room are all either getting ready to go swimming or have just finished. My membership doesn’t include use of the pool, but if I wanted to use the pool, it would only cost me about $2 for the day. I don’t think I’m that brave yet... I’ll just stick to dry activities. My favorite is the ping pong tables. Yes, the Chinese do consider ping pong a work out, and they get really into it. There’s also an aerobics studio, hot yoga room (women are also big on yoga) and a spinning room. Of all the exercise fads out there, I think Chinese have the hardest time grasping the idea of “spinning.” They probably came to the gym riding their bike, so why are they going to sit on a bike for the next 45 minutes? And the “spin” classes in China are a far cry from the intense and challenging workouts back home. After every song, there’s like a 3-minute recovery period, so any increased heart rate lasts a short 2 - 4 minutes. But I don’t think the Chinese are into intense workouts anyway.
When I go to the gym, I usually stick to cardio. I keep telling myself that I’m going to try out a class, but I’m a little scared. I think the instructor would probably be scared too with the laowai who probably looks incredibly clueless trying to keep up in her class. So for now, I’m ok sticking to the basics.
There are somethings about the gym that really bother me. For instance, they are perfectly content to keep the gym temperature at a cool 80 degrees. I guess Chinese people don’t really sweat or get hot, but for someone who already “glistens” more than the average person, I leave the gym smelly and gross (maybe this is why the Chinese avoid intense work outs). And most women shower at the gym before they leave, and I guess I don’t blame them for not wanting to look unpresentable when leaving the gym. But until I see the love of my life on my 5-minute walk back to my apartment where I can shower in the comfort of my own home, I’m not about to spend any more time than I have to in the locker room.
Oh the ladies locker room. There was a scarring and defining moment in my childhood when I was having lunch at Coca Cola with my dad and we went to go see the new gym at his offices. I walked in the ladies locker room to use the bathroom or something, and there, in front of my 9-year-old eyes, was some 50-something woman completely naked. It was embarrassing and awful. Now, times that by about 30, and this is the scene in the ladies locker room at my Chinese gym. Women of all ages and sizes are walking around stark naked and are completely unbothered by it. And it’s not like they’re in any rush to put clothes on. They sit in the sauna naked, dry their hair naked, chat on the phone naked and practically just hang out in the locker room completely naked. I guess I envy their confidence in their bodies and that they’re comfortable with walking around clothe-less in front of complete strangers, but I’m not about to join them in their naked freedom. As if I don’t already get enough stares, I don’t know how these women would react to the laowai walking around naked in the locker room. Maybe that would be the encouragement they need to put some clothes on in there.
It’s nice to have a place to go keep in shape. And despite how hot I get in there and how weird they think I am for running on a treadmill for 45 minutes at a time, it’s a great release from work (not that my job is all that stressful) and a good time for me to feel better about me. And maybe one day of joining the naked women in the locker room would make me feel even better about myself. Doubtful.
Aug 20, 2009
Neighbors and Roommates
Every time I sit down to write a post I always have too many things to write about than I can think of. So today will be a mishmash of current events in Nanjing.
First of all, and probably most important, I have found a roommate. It happened really fast and kind of unexpectedly, but she’s really nice. It’s funny how things just fall together in life.
Long story short, Eva, my new roommate, called me around 10 Tuesday night inquiring about the room. I thought it a little odd someone would call so late, but then again... This is China. She was kind of worried on the phone and said she wanted to move in tomorrow. What? Tomorrow? Oh I don’t know... I was reluctant to agree to let some stranger just move right in to the apartment, but I also had been realizing and lamenting the negatives to living alone. Nonetheless, I told her it was OK to come, and we would talk about it. I had no idea what I was in for.
Much to my surprise a very sweet Chinese girl was knocking on my door about 15 minutes later. She apologized it was so late and it seemed she’d been crying. So I gave her a brief tour of the apartment and showed her the room. It was alright with her and she was very appreciative. And then she spilled her stressful situation. After a few tears and her story of her landlady kicking her out so that she could move to America to marry her boyfriend, there was no way I could tell Eva “no.” She’s a really pleasant girl, and considering the only other bite I had was some Indian guy in med school, I thought this was a much better match (not that I have anything against Indian guys in med school, I just didn’t want a guy roommate from a country I know little about). Best of all she’s teaches yoga on the side, so I’ve got my own personal yoga instructor (Ashley, I know your jealous of that!). So now I pay a whooping $220 a month for rent. Life is good.
Along the lines of home life in China, I had some very sweet surprises this weekend. I’ve mentioned that everyone in my complex is very friendly and now I have a Chinese family to call my own (sort of). When I got back after the trip to Confucius Temple, there was a cute little note waiting for me from my neighbor, Ellen (all these E names are really going to mess me up!). She wrote that she was excited that an American was living next door and wanted to practice her English. So long story short she came over Sunday night with a bag of fruit her mom bought for me and invited me to dinner at their home Monday night. I was so appreciative!
So Monday night came and I was excited to be dinning with my new friend and her family. Ellen, who is 17 and getting ready to start her 2nd year of high school (Typically HS is three years and Chinese people typically add an extra year to their age. Technically they are 1 when they come out of the womb), speaks decent English, but she’s young and smart. Ellen was thrilled when I came over and I was excited to help her practice a little bit of English and pick up some Chinese. Her dad teaches calligraphy writing and her mom is the “engineer of the home”... I’ll have to remember that one. I think my confidence in speaking Chinese improved in that one night as I learned new words (food words, go figure) and told Ellen’s family about my family, job and why I decided to move to China. It was so nice spending an evening with a very typical family. And while I couldn’t understand everything, they were entertaining to watch as they joked around and tried to communicate with me, the foreigner. It was a perfect way to start the week.
It’s incredibly reassuring to feel so at comfortable in my new home. Today I was proofing an article for one of our Web sties that covers the differences in Chinese and Western cultures. The article talks about that while sometimes China’s culture is often time seen as somewhat abrasive, Chinese take pride in their community and are exceptional hosts. I couldn’t agree more. And it’s a satisfying feeling knowing that my new friends have accepted me into their community.
Aug 17, 2009
Confucius Confusion.
So all my posts thus far have been pretty positive. The transition to life in China has been incredibly smooth, and I feel very blessed to have support from friends both back home and here in China to help along the way. Now for the big but.
This week I’ve read a few different articles about China on the progress the country has made in terms of business culture triumphing political motivations and the struggle to overcome a consumption economy and all that trash. I even remember reading articles back in 2007 about legally defined terms of sexual harassment and its repercussions in the workplace, a then-new concept that demonstrated modernized progression in the workplace. I’d even say China is making progressive steps every day. I’ve seen much less spitting and hardly any children using the sidewalk as their toilet (I’m not joking when I say this was a common occurrence in Shanghai). And then it all went to the wayside when I went to a “famous” tourist spot this weekend.
I went to the Confucious Temple with Cheryl and some of her friends. It was a very kind gesture to take me there as I know Nanjing natives try to stay away from those traps. As we were walking through the different alleys and marketplaces I enjoyed looking at all the different “goods” for sale: your typical Chinese trinkets. That was until we got to the “pet market.”
Being an animal lover, I was excited to see the fish and birds, but as we got further along the walkway my heart sank to see all kinds of animals, rabbits, cats and (worst of all for me) puppies, shoved into small cages. I wondered if the dogs that were lively enough to wag their tails for the passerby's had been properly fed, bathed, dewormed or had even walked on solid ground in the last week. Probably not. It broke my heart. Among the shocking conditions where these animals were being stored, I saw a cage of little kittens that seemed to have at least 25 all lying on top of each other. In all honesty, I didn’t know if they were alive. It was gut-wrenching and appalling.
And I couldn’t really say what I really felt for fear of offending my new friends who were kind enough to take me on a little tour of the city. Cheryl could tell it bothered me. We’ve had conversations about pets and she knows that I would love a little dog for a companion (something I probably won’t be able to handle or afford for a while). A little bit later, I asked my new friends about the pet market. Even they said that everyone knows that if you want to buy a pet that is not the place to go. And as they shared this, I could see they knew these conditions were wrong and the animals weren’t being cared for properly. Or maybe that’s just what I hoped they were thinking. I couldn’t help but wonder how long those dogs, cats, bunnies, etc. will be there until the inevitable.
I don’t want to come across as naive because I know that these kinds of conditions are common even in the US. “Puppy mills” are still a problem fought with little recognition back home. Animal rights activists are often seen as bleeding heart liberals and aren’t taken that seriously. And it is just the nature of a developing nation that issues along the lines of human rights, environmental issues, business practices and even animal rights are handled one at a time. For a country where adoption is still quite common, I guess you can’t expect that animals (seen as a source of food in some areas) would be treated much better than what I saw in the “pet market.” And at least locals recognize that these animals are not healthy or in good conditions. But still, nothing is really done about it. I don’t know what, if anything, I could do to fight this problem, and I’m not going to open my apartment to 3209439043590 pets. That’s almost just as bad.
I guess I am writing this post to add a little bit of the negatives with the positives. If I wrote every entry about how happy I am and nothing bothers me, it wouldn’t give an accurate representation of life over here. And while the news on China’s economic growth (well maybe not currently... Even Chinese people know the words “global recession” and “economic crisis”) and the progress toward a more legitimate democracy is true, there’s still a long way to go. Quoting one of the articles I mentioned earlier in this post, “great leaps forward are followed by equally great retreats.” So very true.
Aug 13, 2009
Ancient Chinese Medicine?
I survived my first experience with Chinese medical facilities and, hopefully, that will be my last. In order to get a work visa, foreigners must have a “medical examination.” This “examination” asks for blood test, chest X-ray, EKG test, sight test (good thing I wear glasses now) and an array of other things that leave you thinking, “Huh?” I’ll be honest and admit that I had this physical done back in the US thinking my doctor at home could sign off on the form. But no, an official with the Chinese government would have to check me out. Going through all these procedures it the first time was a little strange, and the medical staff (all Americans) checking it all off thought so too. Oh China.
So when the nice girl in HR, Uma, told me I would have to have it done again here in China, I was less than thrilled. But then realized what a great topic for my blog! So Uma and I left Tuesday morning from the office in the company’s car (it’s a Ford by the way) and set off for the “laowai clinic.”. Luckily it’s still early in the expat arrival season, so the lines weren’t that long. I don’t think I could have handled being there for much longer than I already was. Spending any lengthy period of time there probably would have been enough for me to just say, “Screw it, I’m going back to the land of decent healthcare” (please refrain from any political comments referencing healthcare).
In all seriousness, it wasn’t that bad. I’ll say it was “adequate.” I wasn’t fearing for my life or worried I would catch some obscure disease. And knowing what I was in for helped qualm any major fears I had when I realized I would be checking out Chinese healthcare far sooner than I wanted to. It started with a blood sample, which was probably the scariest part. From the first look, I was worried. When I imagined this place on the car ride there (that seemed to take forever as I cringed at what would lie ahead), I pictured a dingy place with cracks in the wall where you’d come fine and healthy and leave with some incurable ailment. After a quickly checking it all out, I realized it was going to be more sterile than I thought. The lady taking my blood knew what she was doing, and it was even less painful than the first go around. The rest was all downhill.
Reading the form, I saw that the government wants to know some pretty strange things about my health. Items like skin, stomach and spine were all listed with blanks... Do they want to make sure I have these things? Is there a certain size or color they’re looking for? I have no idea. And while the whole experience was not the most comfortable thing in the world, it wasn’t scarring. The machine for the EKG was archaic, the eye test was kind of a joke and I have no idea why they would need a chest xray or an ultrasound... But then again this is China and a lot of things don’t make sense here.
So now that the government knows that I do indeed have a stomach, spine and all 20 fingers and toes. So hopefully they’ll let me stay a while. That is until they realize who exactly is writing this blog and then they’ll probably kick me out.
Aug 11, 2009
Let's talk language.
I know many of you were hoping for pictures along with the blog. With the depressingly slow connection using proxy servers to work around China’s block on sites like Facebook, Twitter and blogspot, attempts to upload pictures to notyouraveragefortunecookie have been defeated. You can check out my facebook page for pictures though.
I’ll be honest and say that my making “white friends” here has been slow coming. Teacher season needs to start soon so I can meet some of my own kind. For now, I’ve made a few friends at work and have a really sweet language partner, the topic of today’s blog posting. I didn’t tell her so don’t let her know.
I’ve discovered a small piece of heaven (home) in Nanjing in the form of a sandwich and pastry shop called Skyways. I was there the other weekend looking at a little board of postings when a sweet Chinese girl approached me about being language partners. I was getting ready to shell out 50 RMB (about $7.50) a week for a tutor, but I thought “hey free is always good.” And now I have a Nanjing native to show me around the city! So Emma, that’s her English name, and I would start a friendship learning the other’s native language.
Emma’s English is pretty good, although she insists it’s really bad. I find it funny when she mutters “oh my. god, oh my god” as I try to explain different uses of words in the English language. Sometimes I feel the same way...with Chinese and English. She’s only 18 (which compared to the maturity of US teens means she’s really like 15). She’s getting ready to take an ESOL-type test so that she’ll have the opportunity to get her undergraduate degree abroad (she wants to go to Australia). I won’t be sharing all the eye-brow raising shenanigans of my college career, and I’m just going to think of her as a “mei mei” (little sister).
There seems to be a growing number of youth in China all wanting to study abroad, and not just for a year. They want to go 4+ years for their undergrad degrees in Western education institutions. The basic function of the organization I work for connects “Chinese elite students” (great name, right?) with the best schools around the world. I think it’s pretty remarkable these students are wanting and capable of earning undergraduate degrees in their second language. As if college admissions weren’t hard enough back home, now they’re competing with Chinese kids.
Anyway, Emma and I decided we would meet on Sunday for Sushi. She seemed about as excited of the idea of sushi as I was (I love sushi), and I figured this was a safe bet compared to going to a local restaurant and trying the Nanjing specialty of salted duck soup with dried blood clots (no, I’m not joking...believe me, that’ll get a posting all of it’s own if I’m ever brave enough to try it). I was so looking forward to just some nice plain rice and a little bit of raw salmon and tuna, maybe a little mexican roll action and some seaweed salad; I just wanted to play it safe. Nope. Emma had been to this restaurant before and had all these specialties she wanted me to try. Oh no. It wasn’t too bad though. A little squid (no, not calamari style), “cherry blossom sushi roll,” seafood “porridge” and fried fish balls made it down without an apparent gag reflex. It was a little more adventurous than I was feeling that day, but as she said, “when in Rome...” Wait, has she seen Anchorman?
After our sushi adventure I wanted to check out the Carrefour (think Euro version of Wal-Mart). I’ve developed this fascination with grocery stores in case you can’t tell. After a while, Emma said the “air” was getting to her. Chinese are really weird about their health and safety, despite the facilities available to them are enough to make you want to just stay at home and suffer. More details on that observation when I divulge the details of my “health examination.” I’m still recovering from the trauma so I just can’t rehash it just yet.
From there, we went on to the Nanjing library. Being a lover of writing and books, I was really excited to check it out. I was disappointed that checking out books would cost a small fortune: 100RMB ($15)for 3-4 Chinese books and and whooping 400 RMB ($58) for the same number of foreign books. Guess they don’t want the Chinese getting any crazy foreign ideas. After checking out what was in stock (think rows of trashy beach novels by Danielle Steele with the Fabio-fit dude with the lady in a flowing dress), I was somewhat relieved knowing my money wouldn’t be wasted on these “books.” But then I thought, “I hope Chinese people realize these are not the American classics.” And then I saw a Bible. Wait, do they know that’s there? I’m pretty sure you need a foreign passport to attend most religious services, although Christianity is growing in China (yet another blog topic). I decided I wouldn’t tell them the Bible was there.
So I think this partnership will turn out alright. I need to spend a little more time reviewing my Chinese, but it helps I can ask her questions. I’m also hoping to see more of the city that is now my home. And if you ask a Chinese person about any “landmark,” big or small, they all say it’s “very famous” so you know there will never be a dull moment. But then again, when you’re a “laowai” living in China there’s never really a dull moment.
Aug 8, 2009
我爱我家
For those of you who can't read Chinese, the title of this post is "wo ai wo jia," or "I love my home." Ironically, this is the name of the apartment agency I used to find my new place. Coincidence? And I’ve decided that my posts should have a little more focus to them. Rather than “Today I blah blah blah,” I’m going to take the time to go into a little more detail of life my life in China. I’m going to start out with where I’m living. Many of you may be wondering what my new home actually looks like, so I took some pictures to accompany the post and
First of all, the area, called Long Jiang, is a really family-friendly area. It’s somewhat removed from downtown Nanjing and is always bustling with families. One of the many differences in China is that families many times all live together. Mom, dad, child (usually only one son or daughter) and even grandparents all live together in apartments. So I see people of all ages around here. It’s also not uncommon to see grandma and grandchild out to dinner together or at the grocery store together. Honestly, it is refreshing to see all generations of family interacting together. I always felt lucky to have grandparents that I actually liked and wanted to visit and spend time with, so it’s encouraging to see the same feelings here too.
I’m really enjoying my apartment as well. While it is a little more than I wanted to pay (still holding out for a roommate to help with the cost), I’m so happy here and it is worth the few extra kaui a month. Like the rest of the surrounding area, there’s a lot of families here. Everyone is surprisingly friendly, a welcomed change from life in Shanghai. A lot of times, I felt almost unwanted by the locals when I was living in Shanghai. Maybe they were tired of “laowais” invading their neighborhoods. Not here. I mean, I get the frequent stares, but with a polite smile and a nod the starer usually smiles back. Best of all, there’s a really friendly guard who is always quick to say hi to me. I feel like he’s looking out for me. He works the afternoon/night shift, so when I get home from work he always greets me with an enthusiastic “Ni hao” and a wave. He sits there at his post and chats with the other residents. I occasionally here him telling his latest companion that I’m American and working in Nanjing, and then they go on with their conversation. While I really have no idea what they’re saying, I’m starting to feel like a part of this community.
This afternoon, I ventured off to check out this park that is along the river between my apartment and work. It’s actually really pretty and so peaceful. There are all these willow trees planted along the sidewalk that keep it nice and shaded (this was especially nice considering the heat index was about 97 degrees). The park is really well maintained and will be a great place to go on long walks or runs. I passed a few people out while I was on my walk, but across the river there were a lot of families picnicking. I could hear little kids laughing, running around and enjoying their Saturday. It reminded me of going by the parks by the Chattahoochee River at home or Lake Alice in Gainesville and seeing all the families taking their kids out for the afternoon. In some ways, China is not all that different after all.
This is not the fast-paced, crowded life I knew back in Shanghai. And that’s really OK. It’s a much slower pace and, honestly, it’s much more pleasant. I think I will be really happy here for the next year or so. Once I get my Chinese skills going, I know I’ll really be able to call this home (at least my home far away from home!).
Aug 7, 2009
One week down...
After finishing my first week as a paid, working member of society, I thought I would just say that it has gone very well! My lack of posting this week is partly due to the cold I came down with this week. But two weeks after being in China, I think my body is all adjusted.
Everything has gone really well, and I’m glad to have a “day job.” Well... Maybe not glad to have a day job, but glad that I like my day job. Everyone at the office is really nice and very happy to have a blond American girl at the office. I’m pretty popular...not to be modest or anything. I get along well with my boss, and my colleague, Cheryl, is super sweet. Granted it has only been week one, but I’m excited to put all my superb (ha!) skills to use. I was really excited when some of the students of one of the schools where Ameson's programs are implemented wanted me to give them English names. One girl already had "Viki" picked out and just wanted approval. The other girl asked me if I knew any names that started with the letter "X"....yes...X. I thought for a minute and told her there wouldn't be a good name with X (unless she maybe wanted to be the next X-tina...nope). So I threw out some suggestions of names that have a similar sound to to her Chinese name. Xia. She settled on Charlotte.
Over the week, I’ve ventured out with my Chinese colleagues and enjoyed some of the local restaurants for lunch. I’ve certainly had my fill of lunches averaging about $1... I love cheap China... Although I’ll be honest and say I’m really not sure entirely what I’m eating when it comes to the meat. I’m told it is pork and it tastes like pork, but I still don’t know how much I trust the "pork." I think I’m going to go veggie to be on the safe side.
The weekend is looking really low-key. My one American friend is busy with orientation for teachers at the school where she works. Apparently the majority of Nanjing’s expats are teachers, and most of them are gone for the summer but should be returning and arriving in the next few weeks. Hopefully this will be the last weekend I just hang out at home because I don’t really know anyone else. And I’m still holding out for a roommate in my apartment.
Be sure to check back this weekend for more posts and the pictures I keep promising. I haven’t really felt like sprucing up the apt or doing much exploring around the neighborhood due to this stupid cold that took all my energy this week. That’s on tap for Saturday, after waking up as late as possible, of course.
Aug 3, 2009
Cleaning house
It’s so encouraging that my friends and family at home are reading my blog! Please send any suggestions about what you want to know about my China adventure and I’ll give you all the details I can!
I’d like to dedicate this post to the million of brain cells I lost while cleaning my apartment this weekend. Moving into a new place in China has been no easy task, and now my body is paying the price. First it was actually getting the apartment, lately it has been getting it beautified... Next it’ll be finding a roommate... But I digress.
I’m sure the very nice guard who sits and always waves at me as I come and go from the building must think I’m crazy. Here is the only “laowai” (Chinese slang word for foreigners, literally means old foreign person) in the entire complex who, over the last four days, has done nothing but come and go with copious amounts of suitcases, juggle armfuls of shopping bags and even a had delivery from Ikea (yes, Ikea had to deliver my “mattress pad,” which I’m pretty sure is meant to just be a mattress by itself but has saved from the the wooden box with springs that is the “bed” that came with the apartment.). But after about five trips to the “grocery store,” think of a Super Wal-Mart in a shopping mall setting, and two trips to Ikea I think I’m settled.
But don’t think shopping has been the only thing I’ve been doing. I know my old roommates will appreciate this when I say that the old digs at 1118 had nothing on how much cleaning I had to endure this weekend. I’m not exaggerating when I say I don’t think the apartment had seen a cleaning rag in at least a year. I’ll spare most of the details and just share this: the kitchen alone took about 5 hours of cleaning and used up an entire bottle of “Mr. Clean” (China’s version of 409, which I’m sure is pure bleach in a bottle).
Nonetheless, Sunday night I collapsed on the couch, my arms sore from walking the 10 minutes back to my apartment with about 20 pounds worth of goods five different times over the weekend. I cooked my first meal in China, some frozen dumplings, with my new Ikea cookware and sat down to enjoy a movie (a very foreigner thing to do in China) only to realize my TV’s color toning is completely messed up and the remote for the DVD player doesn’t work. The first issue to take up with my landlady... It’s always something, right?
Aug 1, 2009
Wal-Mart Adventure
I’m really excited about this posting. This is one of my first real “blog” entries where I can put experiences, opinions and and drawing conclusions to use. Although it may just come out as garbage...
It’s always interesting to go to foreign “institutions” in China. You know, like the Best Buys, Carrefours and even Dairy Queens. So you can imagine my excitement when Mom and I decided to check out the Wal-Mart. I had a morning to myself (in the middle of these apartment negotiations) so we set off to compare, contrast and see what this Wal-Mart had in store.
I’m not joking that when we first walked into the Wal-Mart (which is a part of the mall and not a stand alone building) the first thing we saw was display of what I’ll call “camping chairs.” You know, the fold out ones perfect for tailgating, camping, etc.. Among the blue and green chairs was a stand alone bright red chair with an oh-to-familiar “G” painted on the seat. I don’t think there are any UGA fans in Nanjing so who knows how long that chair will sit there.
In all honesty, when I think of Wal-Mart back in the states, my memories are of a huge place with usually dirty floors, sales people who clearly love their job, where people of all walks of life come to get a good deal and an corporation that moves into small towns and puts locals stores out of business and then... Ok I’ll stop. But Wal-Mart in Nanjing, and more specifically China, is a mecca of the middle class. While it has it’s bargains and low-cost shopping, shopping in Wal-Mart seems exciting. It’s a place where new technology is available, where Western culture is encapsulated and where one can feel proud of what their money can buy... Capitalism at its finest?
Luckily for me, I have a grocery store just across the street from my apartment complex (or compound as they refer to it in China). So my trips to Wal-Mart will be few and far between. But anytime I make a little trip to one of these places (and IKEA has become like a second home for me... Sorry Dad), I will say that it excites me to see this emerging middle class. China has come a long way.
Jul 30, 2009
Apartment Hunting 101
One of the last lessons in Chinese I had back at my last semester at UF was “apartment shopping.” There was no way that any amount of preparation could have prepared me for what I would encounter in trying to find an apartment in Nanjing. My experience in Shanghai was easy. JT found a really nice modern apartment in a great area with a great roommate. Nanjing... Not so easy. In three days I saw at least 9 apartments, was heartbroken by not getting one, wheeled and dealed for my second choice and finally found a place to call home.
Monday morning JT and I set off to my new offices (which are really nice and will come in a later blog post) to meet with my coworker, Cheryl (who is incredibly nice and you’ll meet more of her in a later post too... So much so write about), so that the three of us could go house hunting. We met with one agent that morning and I didn’t know what to expect. JT, who has moved 7 times in 3 years, was much more prepared than I was. We walked into the first apartment that was considered a “studio.” It was about the size of a dorm room, had a “mattress” that was about 2 inches thick lying on a wooden bed frame. The dry wall was peeling and it smelled terrible (I would use a stronger adjective, but I’m trying to be sensitive to the audience). I knew it was going to be a long day...
JT stayed calm and collected as the agent took us to 4 or 5 other similar style apartments and he told the agent these were too small. I was so happy that he was along with me. He knew just how to talk to the agent and explain to her what we were looking for (he has had ample opportunities to practice his “apartment shopping” chinese). Finally the agent took me to a “real” apartment. I quickly realized I knew I was willing to pay a little more for a more “homey” feel.
I will spare all the gory details of the price negotiations and the ups and downs I had with finally getting a suitable apartment (while not first choice... I’m not bitter or anything...). All I know is apartment shopping in China is cut throat. And what’s even more of a pain is the fact that tenets pay anywhere from 3-6 months rent up front. Yeah, that wouldn’t fly in the US. Obviously this was fun taking out thousands of RMB at the ATM especially with a $500 daily withdrawl limit. But I now have a place to call home.
It’s just across the river from work and about a 10 minute walk or a quick bus ride away. It’s in a nice part of Nanjing that is close to downtown, but with a little more of a “neighborhood feel.” My coworker Cheryl lives just down the road so I have a friend close by. There’s a nice park and walking path along the river, and I also have a shopping mall with a nice grocery store, Sephora (believe it or not... But I doubt they sell makeup for white people), movie theatre and (supposedly) a gym. The apartment has two bedrooms, and hopefully I’ll be able to find a roommate in the next few weeks. It was a little more than I wanted to pay, but it’s worth it to now have a home. And with a roommate, the rent won’t be too bad. The bathroom is less than desirable, but hey... You can’t win ‘em all. This weekend, I’ll be putting a lot of time into sprucing up the place and a trip to Ikea is scheduled for Thursday. I’ll be sure to post pictures soon once it’s up to par...except of the bathroom (it’s really that bad).
I’ve got one more night in the Crown Plaza and I’ll actually be a little happy to leave. My departure from the hotel and moving into the new apartment means I’m really doing this. No turning back now!
Jul 26, 2009
Sticky situations and nervous breakdowns.
I want to apologize ahead of time for my lack of knowledge on “how to blog appropriately.” Until I really get settled here in Nanjing, which I will now refer to as NJ and can give you all more specific and funny stories on life in China, I’m probably just going to tell you what I’m doing.
Saturday started out like any other day in China, except it was moving day. And while the laughs and the “ayes” when the bellman, taxi drivers and train station workers saw just how much luggage we had was somewhat embarrassing, I took it in stride. In my minimal Chinese I told them I was moving to NJ, “that’s why I have so much stuff.” But they still said, “but it’s sooo much stuff.” Whatever.
After a pleasant two-hour train ride to NJ, I was excited to see my new city. If it hadn’t been for JT (his Chinese is much better than he gives himself credit for), I don’t know how I would have managed navigating around the train station, telling the taxi drivers where to go and realizing the sticky situation I was about to get into.
My new boss was kind enough to make reservations at a hotel almost across to the street to my new office. And since the organization offered to pay for the first couple of nights stay, I acquiesced to the offer. JT was a little disappointed we weren’t staying at the Crown Plaza or the Sofitel...he’s called the silver spoon child for a reason...just kidding. When we arrived at the Green Tree Inn, I knew it wasn’t five star but figured it was probably better than somewhere my friends and I may have stayed on a fraternity road trip. And granted the room had a somewhat lingering smell of cheap air freshener to cover up the cigarette smell and the beds brought new meaning to “stiff as a board,” I wasn’t about to offend my future boss and tell him this was not up to par with my family’s standards. That was until JT saw the sign that read “hourly rates available” and the contraceptives for sale in the display case. My mom made the executive decision that we were out of there.
So there we were with our six pieces of luggage, two backpacks and two purses off to find the Crown Plaza... JT’s wish came true. We packed back into two cabs and set off in search of our new and what promised to be at least a little nicer hotel. After a nice joy ride around Nanjing and pulling into the wrong hotel and me nearly having a nervous breakdown because the cab driver didn’t know where he was going I was finally at my home for the next few nights. A little bit of a rocky start, but mainly I’m just happy to be in my new home.
Jul 25, 2009
On the way to Nanjing.
I have arrived. Although actually getting here to Nanjing has been somewhat of a roller coaster of an adventure. With only three bags, I was able to keep all my bags under 150 pounds. I (surprisingly) finished all my packing a full 12 hours before the plane was scheduled to take off. So that evening was calm and relaxed. You all will be happy to know my last meal on US ground was Chick-Fil-A breakfast, so I ended my food experience in the US on a very high note. Now off to catch my plane!
When I told people the flight would be in upwards of 15 hours, I had looks of shock. It actually wasn’t too bad considering I was able to be upgraded to business class and enjoyed the full lay down seat. And the fact I only slept about two hours of the flight wasn’t too bad considering I had all the HBO programming I could dream of and a variety of movies all available at my leisure. Even though I only got about 30 pages into my new book, I did catch up on Entourage, watched a few episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm, enjoyed some old SATC favorites and finally saw The Reader and Vicky Christina Barcelona... So there went about 12 hours of my life dedicated to TV. Now I was in Shanghai... Welcome back.
Being back in Shanghai was somewhat surreal. Mom asked me if I felt back at home, and I actually kind of did. I mean, it’s not my first home, but it was home for more than six months. There was still so much construction going on, probably in lieu of this elusive “expo” going on in 2010. I think people are still a little unsure of what exactly this “expo” is going to be. I was just happy to be somewhere familiar and glad the city hadn’t drastically changed in the two years I was away.
That night, JT’s flight was delayed getting to SH so Mom and I decided to hit up an old favorite of mine for dinner, Simply Thai. You may be asking, you went to China to eat Thai food? Well, I figured I’ll be eating enough Chinese to last a lifetime the next year, and since Mom was footing the bill, I decided we’d go big. After a great meal and only one glass of wine, I was about to fall asleep at the table. My two hours of sleep the last 24+ hours was catching up with me. We got back to the hotel, and at 10 pm I immediately crashed. And little did I know just how big of a day the next day would be!
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