People from home keep asking me how things are going over in China. I wish I could say that everything is great and I love my life here, but right now, that is not the case. Everything seems to be frustrating me. I know that lots of people go through this when they go abroad, so I'm not too concerned, and I think it will pass. And I know that there are lots of less fortunate people going through really tough things right now... but when I think of the opportunities I turned down for this internship... grr. For now, I'm going to get my frustrations out via blogger.
I work for a news website. You would think that a company whose main business element comes from computers would have a good server, internet connections, and equipment. This company does not. Most of today's relevant content comes through the internet, you don't need to be a journalism major to figure that out. Why, then, does CIIC not have proxies installed on every computer to get around censorship? Yes, we are a government-run company, but I'm sure the government has ways around the blocked sites. Otherwise, how would they know what to block? I sometimes have no access to most of my friends at home, no way to upload pictures, and no way to update this blog. Frustrating. I've had IT fix my computer more times than I can count on one hand by now for various reasons. The printer won't work, or the internet won't connect; it's always something. I still haven't found a fast way to upload pictures. So frustrating.
I'm in BEIJING, CHINA, and I'm stuck inside for eight hours a day. Today at work, I had NOTHING to work on. I could be making BANK just being a white person who speaks English in China, but I'm stuck surfing the net aimlessly for hours instead. I could be experiencing things that I might never have another chance to experience. Honestly, the only thing that is keeping me here is that they are paying for my apartment, and I will get to THAT later. Yes, they are letting me report on events around Beijing, but those are mostly on the weekends, which are my only times to travel and sightsee. And they're making me do this stupid swim competition tomorrow morning. I have to get to work almost an hour early. Am I getting paid overtime for this? Nope. Frustrating.
If I could contact only one person from home, it would be a no-brainer. I'd want to talk to my mom. She has yet to figure out Skype, and our schedules put us at a further disadvantage. It has been almost a month, and I have yet to have a conversation with my mom that lasted more than five minutes. Frustrating.
My largest purchase in China has been a gym membership. Come to find out, this gym is a miserable place. No air conditioning, no place to fill a water bottle, no toilet paper in the bathroom, no sense of sanitation, and they play the same five songs all the time. They don't even bother to fix machines that are broken for a couple of days. Frustrating AND a waste of money.
My apartment. OOOOH, my apartment. We started off by finding out that there was no gas in the apartment. Then we figured out that we can get locked IN our apartment. Then we lost all hot water. Now we have a huge puddle of water in our kitchen because the hot water heater, which was JUST fixed, has a leak. The doorbell doesn't work half the time, so I have to scream up in hopes that a roommate is home and left a window open. All of these repairs are coming out of our utilities budget, which is apparently almost depleted. I don't own a key. We share two keys between five people. The gate is locked at midnight, so we have to climb a fence to get in or risk being yelled at by our landlord for waking him up to let us in. Just damn frustrating.
There's so much more that I could rant about, but I can't even post here because of people who might be reading this. Hoping I feel better about all of this soon.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
It just needs a napping kitten! [20-22]
If one phrase describes the past weekend in Beijing, it would have to be “change of plans.” Pretty much nothing worked out the way that I had planned it, but everything worked out for the best.
It started Friday when John, a British employee in our department, invited the UNC interns to get beers after work with a few other guys. I had originally planned on rushing to the gym to work out and shower and then get ready for a night out with Annie. The beer kept flowing and the skewers of “barbecue” piled up. Before we knew it, it was already past 9 p.m. Courtney and I walked back to the house, picking up a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) on the way. We had to convince Annie to come out with us since she had given up on us hours ago (we sometimes forget that we have cell phones since they are of little use here). Anyway, I had found a bar online earlier that was holding its opening night with free drinks and appetizers until 1 a.m. We hopped in a taxi and headed toward the Worker’s Stadium.
The bar was called George’s and it was built into the stadium. It was all black marble with small lights and candles and altogether very chic. There were a good mix of Westerners and locals there, so we felt comfortable in our little nook by the bruschetta. A bartender came up to us and said “This is an open party. Help yourself to drinks at the bar.” There were a set of signs with drinks listed on them (Johnnie Walker Black Label, passion fruit mojito, mango mash, Redbull Vodka, Bacardi and Coke, etc.) that were all free! And the food was amazing and FREE too! Satisfied, we took a taxi home, angered our landlord for getting in so late, and rested up for Saturday.
The plan for the UNC interns for Saturday was to go to Summer Palace, a picturesque Beijing tourist attraction, but Courtney and I were not in the sightseeing mood, so we spent some time in the office instead. Eventually, Annie convinced me to go on an adventure with her (she enticed me by bringing me food—she must know me pretty well already). We took the subway to Ghost Street, a street lined with the classic Chinese red paper lanterns and restaurants and shops. Lonely Planet was on our side today as I found a place called “Grandma’s Kitchen” right near the exit from the subway station. It was a cute little restaurant originally opened by an American grandmother living in Beijing. We ate on the porch/sunroom and had American favorites, including chocolate chip cookies. Ghost Street was a little disappointing after eating such delicious food and looking at the live seafood and shellfish in front of restaurants.
Next on the agenda for me was to go to Broadway Cinematheque in the MOMA North Section of China to watch a documentary and review it for China.org.cn. This was a frustrating ordeal since no one there spoke English nor did they know what I was talking about when I said the name of the film. After talking to the editor on the phone, I was left with just as little information as from before, so Courtney and I reached a compromise. I would let her cover this story (if she could figure it out), and I would cover one next weekend. Annie and I walked around MOMA for a while, finding a cute book/coffee shop and some interesting looking buildings surrounding a small lake. China.org.cn gave me a really nice camera to cover this event, so I got something out of it – really nice pictures!
Annie and I decided to take a taxi to Houhai Lake, a place we had been during my first weekend in Beijing. On the way there, we saw the hutong that Keith and Ithzel lived, so we told our driver to “ting,” and got out. We met up with our friends and saw their new apartment. It was literally right off of the busy alleyway and was actually a really cool place, despite having no bathroom and having the shower in the kitchen. They walked us to Houhai, shopping along the way. At the lake, our friends left us (they teach English to Chinese children, even on the weekends) and we found a bar to sit down in. There was a singer at this quaint place that made me change my mind about Chinese singers – they aren’t all awful. He was really good, but didn’t have a CD, unfortunately. There was another change of plans when we decided to take a 3-wheeled motor bike with a small cabin home instead of a taxi. The driver said that it would be 8 kuai, about half the price of a taxi. “OK,” we thought, “we’ll sacrifice comfort and speed for this price. Besides, it’ll be an experience!” An experience it was. We almost crashed into a car, hit severe potholes, and basically got robbed. Turns out he wanted EIGHTY kuai for the ride. We were pissed. Not only had he taken advantage of us, but we didn’t have anywhere near that much money. After plenty of yelling and exchange of bilingual profanity, we all walked away frustrated. Like I said, it was an experience.
Today, Sunday, was supposed to be our make-up trip to Summer Palace, but due to miscommunication, Courtney and I had to reschedule that again (it WILL happen next weekend, dang it!). Instead, we spent the day and reading/napping under the trees of Yuyuan Tan Park. A fair trade for a lazy Sunday, if you ask me.
It started Friday when John, a British employee in our department, invited the UNC interns to get beers after work with a few other guys. I had originally planned on rushing to the gym to work out and shower and then get ready for a night out with Annie. The beer kept flowing and the skewers of “barbecue” piled up. Before we knew it, it was already past 9 p.m. Courtney and I walked back to the house, picking up a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) on the way. We had to convince Annie to come out with us since she had given up on us hours ago (we sometimes forget that we have cell phones since they are of little use here). Anyway, I had found a bar online earlier that was holding its opening night with free drinks and appetizers until 1 a.m. We hopped in a taxi and headed toward the Worker’s Stadium.
The bar was called George’s and it was built into the stadium. It was all black marble with small lights and candles and altogether very chic. There were a good mix of Westerners and locals there, so we felt comfortable in our little nook by the bruschetta. A bartender came up to us and said “This is an open party. Help yourself to drinks at the bar.” There were a set of signs with drinks listed on them (Johnnie Walker Black Label, passion fruit mojito, mango mash, Redbull Vodka, Bacardi and Coke, etc.) that were all free! And the food was amazing and FREE too! Satisfied, we took a taxi home, angered our landlord for getting in so late, and rested up for Saturday.
The plan for the UNC interns for Saturday was to go to Summer Palace, a picturesque Beijing tourist attraction, but Courtney and I were not in the sightseeing mood, so we spent some time in the office instead. Eventually, Annie convinced me to go on an adventure with her (she enticed me by bringing me food—she must know me pretty well already). We took the subway to Ghost Street, a street lined with the classic Chinese red paper lanterns and restaurants and shops. Lonely Planet was on our side today as I found a place called “Grandma’s Kitchen” right near the exit from the subway station. It was a cute little restaurant originally opened by an American grandmother living in Beijing. We ate on the porch/sunroom and had American favorites, including chocolate chip cookies. Ghost Street was a little disappointing after eating such delicious food and looking at the live seafood and shellfish in front of restaurants.
Next on the agenda for me was to go to Broadway Cinematheque in the MOMA North Section of China to watch a documentary and review it for China.org.cn. This was a frustrating ordeal since no one there spoke English nor did they know what I was talking about when I said the name of the film. After talking to the editor on the phone, I was left with just as little information as from before, so Courtney and I reached a compromise. I would let her cover this story (if she could figure it out), and I would cover one next weekend. Annie and I walked around MOMA for a while, finding a cute book/coffee shop and some interesting looking buildings surrounding a small lake. China.org.cn gave me a really nice camera to cover this event, so I got something out of it – really nice pictures!
Annie and I decided to take a taxi to Houhai Lake, a place we had been during my first weekend in Beijing. On the way there, we saw the hutong that Keith and Ithzel lived, so we told our driver to “ting,” and got out. We met up with our friends and saw their new apartment. It was literally right off of the busy alleyway and was actually a really cool place, despite having no bathroom and having the shower in the kitchen. They walked us to Houhai, shopping along the way. At the lake, our friends left us (they teach English to Chinese children, even on the weekends) and we found a bar to sit down in. There was a singer at this quaint place that made me change my mind about Chinese singers – they aren’t all awful. He was really good, but didn’t have a CD, unfortunately. There was another change of plans when we decided to take a 3-wheeled motor bike with a small cabin home instead of a taxi. The driver said that it would be 8 kuai, about half the price of a taxi. “OK,” we thought, “we’ll sacrifice comfort and speed for this price. Besides, it’ll be an experience!” An experience it was. We almost crashed into a car, hit severe potholes, and basically got robbed. Turns out he wanted EIGHTY kuai for the ride. We were pissed. Not only had he taken advantage of us, but we didn’t have anywhere near that much money. After plenty of yelling and exchange of bilingual profanity, we all walked away frustrated. Like I said, it was an experience.
Today, Sunday, was supposed to be our make-up trip to Summer Palace, but due to miscommunication, Courtney and I had to reschedule that again (it WILL happen next weekend, dang it!). Instead, we spent the day and reading/napping under the trees of Yuyuan Tan Park. A fair trade for a lazy Sunday, if you ask me.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Put a fresh flower in the cow dung [Article]
I'm currently editing this article which explains certain Chinese idioms, allegories, and terms. I wanted to share these bizarre allegories and several World Cup terms, per the season.
Chinese allegories
歇后语
These are two-part allegorical sayings. The first part, which is always stated, is descriptive. The second part, often left unstated, carries the message.
kŏng fū zǐ jiāo sān zì jīng – mái mò rén cái
孔夫子教《三字经》 – 埋没人才
Confucius teaches Three Character Classic or Three Character Primer. (The Three Character Classic refers to a three character textbook for beginners, which is said to be compiled by Wang Yinglin (王应麟) of the southern Song Dynasty.) – stifle real talents
lài há ma xiăng chī tiān é ròu – chī xīn wàng xiăng
癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉 – 痴心妄想
A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh – crave for something one is not worthy of; have sheer illusion or wishful thinking
lăo hé shang kàn jià zhuang – xià bèi zi zài shuō
老和尚看嫁妆 – 下辈子再说
An old monk looks at the dowry – not for this lifetime but for the next
má bù shang xiù huā – dǐ zi tài chà
麻布上绣花 – 底子太差
Embroider on a piece of linen cloth – have a weak foundation
xiān huā chā zài niú fèn shang – zāo ta le
鲜花插在牛粪上 – 糟蹋了
Put a fresh flower in the cow dung – the flower is wasted; something beautiful is ruined if put together with something dirty or terrible
jiăo tà liăng zhī chuán – zuǒ yòu wéi nán
脚踏两只船 – 左右为难
Straddle two boats; have a foot in either boat – be in a dilemma; be in a quandary
shí chén dà hăi – yăo wú yīn xùn
石沉大海 – 杳无音讯
A stone dropped into the sea – disappear forever; have absolutely no news about somebody
shā jī qŭ luăn – dé bù cháng shī
杀鸡取卵 – 得不偿失
Kill the hen to get the eggs – the loss outweighs the gain
Popular words
流行词
shì jiè bēi
世界杯
World Cup
zú qiú chăng
足球场
field; pitch
zhōng chăng
中场
midfield
jìn qū
禁区
penalty area
shǒu mén yuán
守门员
goalkeeper
zì yóu rén
自由人
Libero
hòu bŭ duì yuán (tì bŭ)
候补队员（替补）
substitute
hòu wèi
后卫
full-back
zuǒ hòu wèi
左后卫
left back
yòu hòu wèi
右后卫
right back
zhōng hòu wèi (zhōng wèi)
中后卫（中卫）
center back
qián fēng
前锋
forward
zhōng fēng
中锋
center forward
biān fēng
边锋
wing; wing forward
cái pàn
裁判
referee
jiào liàn
教练
coach
hóng pái
红牌
red card
huáng pái
黄牌
yellow card
jiăo qiú
角球
corner kick
shǒu qiú
手球
handball
tóu qiú
头球
header
diăn qiú
点球
penalty kick
chăn qiú
铲球
slide tackle
rèn yì qiú
任意球
free kick
wū lóng qiú
乌龙球
own goal
shè mén
射门
shoot (at the goal)
fàn guī
犯规
foul
yuè wèi
越位
offsides
fáng shǒu
防守
defense
făn gōng
反攻
counter-attack
(China.org.cn by Wang Wei, June 25, 2010)
Chinese allegories
歇后语
These are two-part allegorical sayings. The first part, which is always stated, is descriptive. The second part, often left unstated, carries the message.
kŏng fū zǐ jiāo sān zì jīng – mái mò rén cái
孔夫子教《三字经》 – 埋没人才
Confucius teaches Three Character Classic or Three Character Primer. (The Three Character Classic refers to a three character textbook for beginners, which is said to be compiled by Wang Yinglin (王应麟) of the southern Song Dynasty.) – stifle real talents
lài há ma xiăng chī tiān é ròu – chī xīn wàng xiăng
癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉 – 痴心妄想
A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh – crave for something one is not worthy of; have sheer illusion or wishful thinking
lăo hé shang kàn jià zhuang – xià bèi zi zài shuō
老和尚看嫁妆 – 下辈子再说
An old monk looks at the dowry – not for this lifetime but for the next
má bù shang xiù huā – dǐ zi tài chà
麻布上绣花 – 底子太差
Embroider on a piece of linen cloth – have a weak foundation
xiān huā chā zài niú fèn shang – zāo ta le
鲜花插在牛粪上 – 糟蹋了
Put a fresh flower in the cow dung – the flower is wasted; something beautiful is ruined if put together with something dirty or terrible
jiăo tà liăng zhī chuán – zuǒ yòu wéi nán
脚踏两只船 – 左右为难
Straddle two boats; have a foot in either boat – be in a dilemma; be in a quandary
shí chén dà hăi – yăo wú yīn xùn
石沉大海 – 杳无音讯
A stone dropped into the sea – disappear forever; have absolutely no news about somebody
shā jī qŭ luăn – dé bù cháng shī
杀鸡取卵 – 得不偿失
Kill the hen to get the eggs – the loss outweighs the gain
Popular words
流行词
shì jiè bēi
世界杯
World Cup
zú qiú chăng
足球场
field; pitch
zhōng chăng
中场
midfield
jìn qū
禁区
penalty area
shǒu mén yuán
守门员
goalkeeper
zì yóu rén
自由人
Libero
hòu bŭ duì yuán (tì bŭ)
候补队员（替补）
substitute
hòu wèi
后卫
full-back
zuǒ hòu wèi
左后卫
left back
yòu hòu wèi
右后卫
right back
zhōng hòu wèi (zhōng wèi)
中后卫（中卫）
center back
qián fēng
前锋
forward
zhōng fēng
中锋
center forward
biān fēng
边锋
wing; wing forward
cái pàn
裁判
referee
jiào liàn
教练
coach
hóng pái
红牌
red card
huáng pái
黄牌
yellow card
jiăo qiú
角球
corner kick
shǒu qiú
手球
handball
tóu qiú
头球
header
diăn qiú
点球
penalty kick
chăn qiú
铲球
slide tackle
rèn yì qiú
任意球
free kick
wū lóng qiú
乌龙球
own goal
shè mén
射门
shoot (at the goal)
fàn guī
犯规
foul
yuè wèi
越位
offsides
fáng shǒu
防守
defense
făn gōng
反攻
counter-attack
(China.org.cn by Wang Wei, June 25, 2010)
Shouldn’t you be in school? [18+19]
First, the good news – the swim competition was changed from Friday to Wednesday! Courtney, despite her clever ploys to be exempt from the competition, has been sucked back in and enjoyed her first day of practice on Wednesday. The company paid for us to go shopping for bathing suits, goggles, and caps. I think this is the first time I’ve actually used a cap and goggles. Mike, a Chinese employee here, took us to this tacky mall during work today. It had life-size nutcracker-like models of Santa, reindeer, pandas, and any other silly figure you can think of, wrapped in Christmas lights, lining the exterior of the mall. So, our reason to go was so that we could pick out our own gear, but that wasn’t quite the case. The salesgirl (I swear, she was no older than 10), saw the caps (with the Chinese flag on them) that Brian and I picked out and said that we shouldn’t get those. She also nixed our choices in bathing suits (Spandex… oh yeahhh) and picked out plain black ones for us. The goggles? Plain black. So glad I took time out of my day to go along for that trip…
Practice was a lot better than day 1, but I was still dying after a few laps. Our next and last practice isn’t until Monday. Not that any amount of practice will get me anywhere near ready for Wednesday…
Courtney and I went back to the noodle place for dinner Wednesday night and got two of the dishes that Chris advised us to get Monday night. I’ve been eating the leftovers ever since. It’s such a good feeling to have a menu item that I know I’ll actually enjoy (for days)!
I skyped with my BFF Annie from home the other day, and it was amazing! (Annie: An alternative title to this blog was “Sorry, I can’t read.”) I can’t even imagine studying/working abroad without the technology we have today. Honestly… so far, I’ve talked to my parents and friends for a relatively low cost, watched live performances of Bonnaroo, blogged to all my hordes of followers (sarcasm), and done plenty of other things that would be otherwise impossible a couple decades ago.
Walking home from the office last night, I saw this ferret-like animal cross the road. I need to ask someone here what the hell that thing was, because it’s the first foreign animal I’ve really seen. Annie said that her Chinese partner from Fudan was enchanted by the squirrels in Boone when she visited, so maybe I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it to avoid looking stupid.
Nanlan, one of the editors here, gave Courtney and me an event to cover this weekend. It’s a film festival with two different films – A Farmer’s Struggle and The Children in the Depths. I’ll be viewing and writing about the latter. It’s kind of sad, but I’m kind of living for the weekend right now. Our week is a bit of a drag with not much to do in this part of town except for eat and work out. Hopefully I’ll have fun stories to recount in my next post.
Practice was a lot better than day 1, but I was still dying after a few laps. Our next and last practice isn’t until Monday. Not that any amount of practice will get me anywhere near ready for Wednesday…
Courtney and I went back to the noodle place for dinner Wednesday night and got two of the dishes that Chris advised us to get Monday night. I’ve been eating the leftovers ever since. It’s such a good feeling to have a menu item that I know I’ll actually enjoy (for days)!
I skyped with my BFF Annie from home the other day, and it was amazing! (Annie: An alternative title to this blog was “Sorry, I can’t read.”) I can’t even imagine studying/working abroad without the technology we have today. Honestly… so far, I’ve talked to my parents and friends for a relatively low cost, watched live performances of Bonnaroo, blogged to all my hordes of followers (sarcasm), and done plenty of other things that would be otherwise impossible a couple decades ago.
Walking home from the office last night, I saw this ferret-like animal cross the road. I need to ask someone here what the hell that thing was, because it’s the first foreign animal I’ve really seen. Annie said that her Chinese partner from Fudan was enchanted by the squirrels in Boone when she visited, so maybe I shouldn’t make a big deal out of it to avoid looking stupid.
Nanlan, one of the editors here, gave Courtney and me an event to cover this weekend. It’s a film festival with two different films – A Farmer’s Struggle and The Children in the Depths. I’ll be viewing and writing about the latter. It’s kind of sad, but I’m kind of living for the weekend right now. Our week is a bit of a drag with not much to do in this part of town except for eat and work out. Hopefully I’ll have fun stories to recount in my next post.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The white elephant in the room [Days 16+17]
You can thank Annie for that title. Also, you should check out her blog, Courtney’s blog, and PA’s blog. Blogging is too hippie for Brian.
The cafeteria food is growing on me. If you know me, you know I have an intense sweet tooth. The buffet line here occasionally has sweet dishes that you wouldn’t expect to be sweet – like tomatoes with sugar or boiled peanuts with sugar. I’m especially happy when there’s watermelon, which is about every other day.
The work load has been picking up a bit, with us being assigned a whole zipped folder of articles to edit each morning. They are mostly for the travel section, so I’m keeping them in case I get to visit any of these places in China!
I made a Chinese friend on Monday! If you’ve ever read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, you know that she has a language exchange partner in Italy, whom she teaches English in exchange for Italian language lessons. I knew I wanted to do this when I got to China, but wasn’t sure how until I read an article in Time Out Beijing magazine that featured conversationexchange.com. It’s really simple – just post a profile with your name, age, sex, current city, primary language, and desired language, and wait for a response or browse potential exchange partners. I posted my profile and had five or six replies within the day. Apparently lots of Beijingers want to learn English! I e-mailed back and forth with the first person to reply, a 21-year-old Beijinger called Chris. He seemed to have good written English already but wanted to practice more. We decided to meet for dinner on Monday, so I invited Annie along, and we all met up at the office. I was a little nervous – not about meeting a stranger, but more about making a fool out of myself with Chinese etiquette (Who should pay? What will he think about our typical ordering method of pointing at the menu? Is the “noodle place” even a nice restaurant by Chinese standards?). I have to say, it went really well! We didn’t share much language pointers, but we shared cultural norms for college students and had a great meal. It helped immensely having a local point out good things on the menu. Annie and I could also tell that he was happy to be talking to English-speakers, as he ate very little but talked a lot. He also paid for the meal, which was unexpected. I tried to pay, but gave up when the waitress wouldn’t take my cash, as I had read that this could cause the other person to lose face. Chris said he would like to show us around other parts of Beijing, so it looks like we gained a tour guide as well!
Tuesday night was equally eventful, but not in a fun way. Brian and I had swim practice. I might have mentioned before how we got suckered into signing up for a company swim competition, which is Friday. Let me tell you, after ten minutes of swim practice, I thought I was going to die. We also found out that we won’t only be competing as individuals, but we will also be in a team relay. Kill me now. If I don’t come down with the flu (please!!!!!) in the next couple of days, I might lose my breakfast in the pool on Friday.
The cafeteria food is growing on me. If you know me, you know I have an intense sweet tooth. The buffet line here occasionally has sweet dishes that you wouldn’t expect to be sweet – like tomatoes with sugar or boiled peanuts with sugar. I’m especially happy when there’s watermelon, which is about every other day.
The work load has been picking up a bit, with us being assigned a whole zipped folder of articles to edit each morning. They are mostly for the travel section, so I’m keeping them in case I get to visit any of these places in China!
I made a Chinese friend on Monday! If you’ve ever read Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, you know that she has a language exchange partner in Italy, whom she teaches English in exchange for Italian language lessons. I knew I wanted to do this when I got to China, but wasn’t sure how until I read an article in Time Out Beijing magazine that featured conversationexchange.com. It’s really simple – just post a profile with your name, age, sex, current city, primary language, and desired language, and wait for a response or browse potential exchange partners. I posted my profile and had five or six replies within the day. Apparently lots of Beijingers want to learn English! I e-mailed back and forth with the first person to reply, a 21-year-old Beijinger called Chris. He seemed to have good written English already but wanted to practice more. We decided to meet for dinner on Monday, so I invited Annie along, and we all met up at the office. I was a little nervous – not about meeting a stranger, but more about making a fool out of myself with Chinese etiquette (Who should pay? What will he think about our typical ordering method of pointing at the menu? Is the “noodle place” even a nice restaurant by Chinese standards?). I have to say, it went really well! We didn’t share much language pointers, but we shared cultural norms for college students and had a great meal. It helped immensely having a local point out good things on the menu. Annie and I could also tell that he was happy to be talking to English-speakers, as he ate very little but talked a lot. He also paid for the meal, which was unexpected. I tried to pay, but gave up when the waitress wouldn’t take my cash, as I had read that this could cause the other person to lose face. Chris said he would like to show us around other parts of Beijing, so it looks like we gained a tour guide as well!
Tuesday night was equally eventful, but not in a fun way. Brian and I had swim practice. I might have mentioned before how we got suckered into signing up for a company swim competition, which is Friday. Let me tell you, after ten minutes of swim practice, I thought I was going to die. We also found out that we won’t only be competing as individuals, but we will also be in a team relay. Kill me now. If I don’t come down with the flu (please!!!!!) in the next couple of days, I might lose my breakfast in the pool on Friday.
Monday, June 21, 2010
You are a very bad person! [Days 14+15]
First of all, I don’t know how, but I forgot to tell my story of going to the hospital on Friday.
So, Friday after work, I went to the hospital for personal reasons. Nothing serious, no worries. It was, however, my first time out in the city on my own. Celine gave me the addresses to two hospitals with English-speaking doctors, so I pointed to the closer one when I hailed a taxi. He took me there, and I walked in with my Lonely Planet book open to the translation for "Is there a doctor here who speaks English?" Everyone I showed this to just said "No" and pointed to another person. Finally I just followed the signs to the ER. It was a really sad scene – there were ill people sitting in chairs and in cots in the middle of the room, throughout the halls, and in rooms without doors. There was no sense of privacy or, it seemed, sanitation. Finally, I found a female doctor who spoke English fairly well. She told me that this was not the right hospital for what I needed and wrote down the name of the Peking University Hospital. I took a taxi there, and it was not too much nicer. I checked in, which included no paperwork – I just told them my name, age, and paid them 6 kuai. Can you believe that? Any medical exam would only cost $1. They never checked my insurance or identification. The doctors there were very nice and helpful. I also noticed that they were all very young, and many of them were female. Their method of examination is anything but thorough, but I have no choice but to trust them.
Saturday was fun. Four of us took the subway to the Sanlitun Yashow clothing market, where I haggled like heck for some t-shirts. I was even told by one of the hecklers that I was smart and good at it. Who knows how honest that was… especially since the title of this post was said to me by another heckler.
I really love the clothing that the young Chinese men here wear, but it's all way too small for me. Especially the shoes. I'm determined to bring some home, somehow. Shopping continued when we found out that we were near an American Appearal that we had seen twice before. There were more really cool and fashion-forward stores, all of which were way over priced and non-negotiable. I definitely prefer to set my own price and will be sad when I have to pay full price for something back in the States. I couldn't resist and gave into a Big Mac and chicken nuggets from McDonalds.
I discovered a new favorite place on Sunday. Well, Brian discovered it a while ago, but now that I know about it, I'm claiming it as my own! It's Yuyuan Tan Park, and it's about a 20-minute walk from our apartment. It costs 2 kuai to get in, but is huge and so worth it (not that 2 kuai is anything more than pocket change…). There are two huge lakes, several places to eat, beautiful trees to sit under, people swimming, families camping out, and so much more. I can't wait to come back with a good book, a journal, a bathing suit, and possibly a kite and make a day of it!
We ate at "the porridge place" (as Brian and PA call it) for dinner. I somehow picked the best thing on the menu, but we all shared. That seems to be a good way to test out the selection.
Monday evening I'm going to attempt to learn some Chinese and teach some English! We’ll see how that does!
So, Friday after work, I went to the hospital for personal reasons. Nothing serious, no worries. It was, however, my first time out in the city on my own. Celine gave me the addresses to two hospitals with English-speaking doctors, so I pointed to the closer one when I hailed a taxi. He took me there, and I walked in with my Lonely Planet book open to the translation for "Is there a doctor here who speaks English?" Everyone I showed this to just said "No" and pointed to another person. Finally I just followed the signs to the ER. It was a really sad scene – there were ill people sitting in chairs and in cots in the middle of the room, throughout the halls, and in rooms without doors. There was no sense of privacy or, it seemed, sanitation. Finally, I found a female doctor who spoke English fairly well. She told me that this was not the right hospital for what I needed and wrote down the name of the Peking University Hospital. I took a taxi there, and it was not too much nicer. I checked in, which included no paperwork – I just told them my name, age, and paid them 6 kuai. Can you believe that? Any medical exam would only cost $1. They never checked my insurance or identification. The doctors there were very nice and helpful. I also noticed that they were all very young, and many of them were female. Their method of examination is anything but thorough, but I have no choice but to trust them.
Saturday was fun. Four of us took the subway to the Sanlitun Yashow clothing market, where I haggled like heck for some t-shirts. I was even told by one of the hecklers that I was smart and good at it. Who knows how honest that was… especially since the title of this post was said to me by another heckler.
I really love the clothing that the young Chinese men here wear, but it's all way too small for me. Especially the shoes. I'm determined to bring some home, somehow. Shopping continued when we found out that we were near an American Appearal that we had seen twice before. There were more really cool and fashion-forward stores, all of which were way over priced and non-negotiable. I definitely prefer to set my own price and will be sad when I have to pay full price for something back in the States. I couldn't resist and gave into a Big Mac and chicken nuggets from McDonalds.
I discovered a new favorite place on Sunday. Well, Brian discovered it a while ago, but now that I know about it, I'm claiming it as my own! It's Yuyuan Tan Park, and it's about a 20-minute walk from our apartment. It costs 2 kuai to get in, but is huge and so worth it (not that 2 kuai is anything more than pocket change…). There are two huge lakes, several places to eat, beautiful trees to sit under, people swimming, families camping out, and so much more. I can't wait to come back with a good book, a journal, a bathing suit, and possibly a kite and make a day of it!
We ate at "the porridge place" (as Brian and PA call it) for dinner. I somehow picked the best thing on the menu, but we all shared. That seems to be a good way to test out the selection.
Monday evening I'm going to attempt to learn some Chinese and teach some English! We’ll see how that does!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
I have 3 bitches in office [Days 13+14]
My short work week came and went. There wasn't much work to do, but I had a meeting with Guo Xiaohong, or Catherine as we call her, one of the project directors, about what kinds of stories I want to be writing. I told her that I love experiencing and writing about new foods, especially Chinese food from an American perspective. Some of the other topics we discussed sound REALLY cool, and she's trying to find a Chinese reporter to team up with me to go do some stories soon. I'm excited!
We met Tim again for dinner on Thursday and had Japanese food. In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than Japanese fried rice. Tim leaves Friday to go back to the States after spending a month on his own in China. Maybe I need to start planning a graduation trip…
Dinner was followed by coffee/milk tea at this cute bakery across from where we work. It had tables that were little Chinese boats "floating" in a pond with fish - so cool!
We finally went OUT on Friday night to watch USA play Slovenia (World Cup) at a Tex-Mex restaurant/bar called Tim's BBQ. USA tied AGAIN. I wasn't a fan of the bar too much (it was owned by an unfriendly white man who had many Chinese minions, it seemed), but there was a cool duo playing covers. Annie and I guessed that they were Pilipino. The drinks were good, but expensive compared to the prices we are used to seeing at restaurants and markets near our apartment.
We moved on to Sanlitun, an area of Beijing "where all the drunk people are," as a local described. The road we were dropped of near had bar after bar, all offering overpriced but negotiable beer. It all seemed pretty unoriginal, and Chinese were the minority here. If only USA could pull out a WIN, Sanlitun would be the place to be!
We met Tim again for dinner on Thursday and had Japanese food. In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than Japanese fried rice. Tim leaves Friday to go back to the States after spending a month on his own in China. Maybe I need to start planning a graduation trip…
Dinner was followed by coffee/milk tea at this cute bakery across from where we work. It had tables that were little Chinese boats "floating" in a pond with fish - so cool!
We finally went OUT on Friday night to watch USA play Slovenia (World Cup) at a Tex-Mex restaurant/bar called Tim's BBQ. USA tied AGAIN. I wasn't a fan of the bar too much (it was owned by an unfriendly white man who had many Chinese minions, it seemed), but there was a cool duo playing covers. Annie and I guessed that they were Pilipino. The drinks were good, but expensive compared to the prices we are used to seeing at restaurants and markets near our apartment.
We moved on to Sanlitun, an area of Beijing "where all the drunk people are," as a local described. The road we were dropped of near had bar after bar, all offering overpriced but negotiable beer. It all seemed pretty unoriginal, and Chinese were the minority here. If only USA could pull out a WIN, Sanlitun would be the place to be!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Oh, you have THREE girlfriends! [Days 11+12]
Tuesday was such a lazy day that I don't have much to blog about. It was the second day of our three-day holiday from work, and all I did was sleep in and catch up on quality American television online.
We made another American friend in the evening when one of Courtney's high school friends came to visit. As a graduation present to himself, he has been traveling all over China, and happened to be in Beijing at a good time! We went to the outdoor market for dinner, and I had edamame. I'm sure that's not what they call it here, but it's just as addicting of a snack as it is at Chinese restaurants in the States! During dinner, we were bombarded by some Chinese people dressed in orange giving out free shots of some sweet-smelling liquor, similar to the Red Bull girls that walk through the Pit in Chapel Hill. Courtney's friend, Tim, accidentally asked a Chinese neighbor to cheers with him and down the mystery substance - a really funny moment. The next bombardment came from the sky - it started pouring. One of the vendors brought us an umbrella, so we just shared some beers until the rain let up. It was a great end to a relaxing day.
Yesterday was another story. After sleeping in again, Courtney, Annie, Brian, and I set out to Tiananmen Square. We took a taxi to the closest subway stop, the Beijing Zoo, and successfully took the subway (which is a super cheap way to get around) to the Square. It was uncomfortably hot at first, but eventually, the pre-storm breeze that we are so used to now, made things more bearable. We took the obligatory photos outside of the Front Gate (the old entrance to Beijing) and the Gate of Heavenly Peace (the one with a portrait of Chairman Mao), and an Asian family asked me to take pictures with them because I was a foreigner! I felt like a celebrity! Not feeling like sightseeing too much more, we walked to a historic shopping district. It was beautifully laid out, with fancy shops and eateries, all outside of our price range. Luckily, we peered down an alley to find a bunch of street vendors selling bags, clothes, and souvenirs for MUCH cheaper. This is more like it. Turns out, there was about a mile of this parallel to the classier shopping one street over. We haggled with Chinese merchants and came out with many souvenirs and gifts.
We took a break to look at the map, because we planned on going to the Haoyuan Market in Wangfujing later that night. Another stroke of luck! We looked up from our resting spot and saw the sign "Pizza, Lasagna, Pies!" We were at a hostel that doubled as a restaurant (and tripled as a bar). I was so happy to have a juicy beef burger and fries. If anyone is planning to come to Beijing, 365 Inn is THE PLACE to stay with a menu like that!
We made our way out of the winding streets and over to Wangfujing, one of the most popular streets in Beijing. It's an open-air mall basically, with neon lights and advertisements reminiscent of Times Square. We immediately found the Haoyuan Market, a much narrower street popular with locals and tourists alike. They were selling all kinds of things on a stick - crickets, spiders, silk worms, seahorses, starfish, and more. We all tried... a scorpion. It basically tasted like a burned potato chip. Not bad, but definitely not good.
Those were just some of the highlights. I feel much better now that I know that I can navigate through Beijing by subway. Next to conquer - the bus system!
(Also, last day of the Dragon Boat Festival, and I have yet to see any dragon boats. But I have eaten plenty of zongzi!)
We made another American friend in the evening when one of Courtney's high school friends came to visit. As a graduation present to himself, he has been traveling all over China, and happened to be in Beijing at a good time! We went to the outdoor market for dinner, and I had edamame. I'm sure that's not what they call it here, but it's just as addicting of a snack as it is at Chinese restaurants in the States! During dinner, we were bombarded by some Chinese people dressed in orange giving out free shots of some sweet-smelling liquor, similar to the Red Bull girls that walk through the Pit in Chapel Hill. Courtney's friend, Tim, accidentally asked a Chinese neighbor to cheers with him and down the mystery substance - a really funny moment. The next bombardment came from the sky - it started pouring. One of the vendors brought us an umbrella, so we just shared some beers until the rain let up. It was a great end to a relaxing day.
Yesterday was another story. After sleeping in again, Courtney, Annie, Brian, and I set out to Tiananmen Square. We took a taxi to the closest subway stop, the Beijing Zoo, and successfully took the subway (which is a super cheap way to get around) to the Square. It was uncomfortably hot at first, but eventually, the pre-storm breeze that we are so used to now, made things more bearable. We took the obligatory photos outside of the Front Gate (the old entrance to Beijing) and the Gate of Heavenly Peace (the one with a portrait of Chairman Mao), and an Asian family asked me to take pictures with them because I was a foreigner! I felt like a celebrity! Not feeling like sightseeing too much more, we walked to a historic shopping district. It was beautifully laid out, with fancy shops and eateries, all outside of our price range. Luckily, we peered down an alley to find a bunch of street vendors selling bags, clothes, and souvenirs for MUCH cheaper. This is more like it. Turns out, there was about a mile of this parallel to the classier shopping one street over. We haggled with Chinese merchants and came out with many souvenirs and gifts.
We took a break to look at the map, because we planned on going to the Haoyuan Market in Wangfujing later that night. Another stroke of luck! We looked up from our resting spot and saw the sign "Pizza, Lasagna, Pies!" We were at a hostel that doubled as a restaurant (and tripled as a bar). I was so happy to have a juicy beef burger and fries. If anyone is planning to come to Beijing, 365 Inn is THE PLACE to stay with a menu like that!
We made our way out of the winding streets and over to Wangfujing, one of the most popular streets in Beijing. It's an open-air mall basically, with neon lights and advertisements reminiscent of Times Square. We immediately found the Haoyuan Market, a much narrower street popular with locals and tourists alike. They were selling all kinds of things on a stick - crickets, spiders, silk worms, seahorses, starfish, and more. We all tried... a scorpion. It basically tasted like a burned potato chip. Not bad, but definitely not good.
Those were just some of the highlights. I feel much better now that I know that I can navigate through Beijing by subway. Next to conquer - the bus system!
(Also, last day of the Dragon Boat Festival, and I have yet to see any dragon boats. But I have eaten plenty of zongzi!)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
I like watching guys try to get it up! [Day 10]
I feel like I should first and foremost explain the title. This quote slipped from Courtney's mouth when watching my cousins and their friends try to fly a kite on the Great Wall of China. Nothing dirty was meant, but LOTS of people got a kick out of it. Best ever.
Which leads me to: my cousins are in CHINA!!! Uncle Mike, Aunt Eileen, Alex, Josh and Kelly are all in China right now visiting the Germains, a family that used to live in North Carolina, but who have been on assignment in Shanghai for over four years. The Germains have three boys, all around my kid-cousins' ages.
I was shocked when I found out (about a month ago) that the Clutes would be in Beijing while I was there. I made the comment to Josh, "It would be so cool to climb the Great Wall with you guys," but NEVER in a million years thought it would happen. But it did, and it was AWESOME!
They took a train into Beijing on Sunday, and we arranged to meet up first thing Monday morning. Courtney and Brian came along, which was great! We took a taxi to the Courtyard Marriott, and literally walked right up to the hotel at the same time that Mike and Eileen were walking back from breakfast at McDonalds! It took me a minute to gather in my head that I was seeing family in my summer city-home that I had just seen a week ago on the opposite side of the world!
We caved in and ate breakfast at McDonalds, where I got a "hamburger" (sausage and cheese biscuit) for 9 kuai. Then, after running into Josh wandering around outside of the hotel, we got on a tour bus, did all the proper introductions, and set off to the Temple of Heaven!
Susie, the tour guide that the Clutes and Germains hired, told us that The Temple of Heaven is a set of three beautiful buildings (see photos) where Chinese emperors came to pray to heaven and for other ceremonies during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The center building is the symbol of Beijing and is truly spectacular. We weren't allowed in, but apparently birds were, because they were flying in and around the temple like mad! I found it fascinating how every number had significance. 28 pillars, 12 here, 12 there, 4 here… they all had spiritual and cultural meaning. I doubt the number of windows on the Empire State Building means anything at all.
The best part about the ToH, though, was the park. It’s over 600 acres and is full of 500-year-old trees, all growing in perfect lines. Since it was the holiday, it was packed with locals (mostly elderly) playing cards, doing exercises, playing with kids, and singing the national anthem (I have a video of this - really cool!)! Courtney and Brian bought the Chinese equivalent of a hackey sack (a set of plastic and metal rings with feathers on top), and Mr. Germain bought a hand-made kite that looked like an all-black falcon.
We loaded up the van again and started North toward the Mutainyu section of the Great Wall of China. On the way, we stopped to get some bottled water, snacks, and beer. I definitely felt the most American I have while in Beijing so far by this point. Not to mention the Clutes and the UNC interns all wore UNC t-shirts (this was planned, by the way), and the Clutes and Germains all had cowboy hats (a slightly embarrassing, but ingenious way to keep an eye on six kids and four adults).
Once we got to the Great Wall, we passed by several hawkers and took a gondola to an entrance to the Wall. Mr. Germain and Uncle Mike toasted to a cold Chinese beer, and Brian and I followed suit shortly after. I must say - I didn't have any clear expectations coming to the Wall (or on this trip in general), but seeing this massive structure and actually hiking on it, was breathtaking. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. I won't write too much more, because it's something that you have to truly experience yourself to make it feel real. Some of the boys successfully flew the kite on the Wall, and we met many English-speakers along the way, many who enjoyed our UNC gear.
Some random observations:
-Kelly, my cousin, was asked twice to have her picture taken with Asian tourists because she's pretty, white and blonde.
-The vendors called Uncle Mike "farmer" for wearing the cowboy hat.
-We saw a cat and a dog on the Wall. There's no telling if they had owners, as I haven't seen a single animal with a collar in China.
-Once again, elderly people everywhere. So cool to see how active they are here.
-The Germains said it was the clearest day they had seen at the Great Wall, which was great to hear! The views were spectacular.
We took toboggans down the mountain, which was super fun. The Chinese people working there were yelling at us to slow down now, speed up here, don't stop there, but we pretty much did our own thing. Silly Americans.
I finally bargained with hawkers and bought a pipe and some postcards for 35 kuai. I'd call it a success. After a meal at Subway that was way too expensive, we loaded up the van again and headed toward the airport. Susie told several stories, including one about a female emperor who killed over 4,000 people to get to the top. I hugged my family goodbye as they set out to Xi'an.
Back at the apartment, I was tired, sweaty, and thankful for such an amazing day.
Which leads me to: my cousins are in CHINA!!! Uncle Mike, Aunt Eileen, Alex, Josh and Kelly are all in China right now visiting the Germains, a family that used to live in North Carolina, but who have been on assignment in Shanghai for over four years. The Germains have three boys, all around my kid-cousins' ages.
I was shocked when I found out (about a month ago) that the Clutes would be in Beijing while I was there. I made the comment to Josh, "It would be so cool to climb the Great Wall with you guys," but NEVER in a million years thought it would happen. But it did, and it was AWESOME!
They took a train into Beijing on Sunday, and we arranged to meet up first thing Monday morning. Courtney and Brian came along, which was great! We took a taxi to the Courtyard Marriott, and literally walked right up to the hotel at the same time that Mike and Eileen were walking back from breakfast at McDonalds! It took me a minute to gather in my head that I was seeing family in my summer city-home that I had just seen a week ago on the opposite side of the world!
We caved in and ate breakfast at McDonalds, where I got a "hamburger" (sausage and cheese biscuit) for 9 kuai. Then, after running into Josh wandering around outside of the hotel, we got on a tour bus, did all the proper introductions, and set off to the Temple of Heaven!
Susie, the tour guide that the Clutes and Germains hired, told us that The Temple of Heaven is a set of three beautiful buildings (see photos) where Chinese emperors came to pray to heaven and for other ceremonies during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The center building is the symbol of Beijing and is truly spectacular. We weren't allowed in, but apparently birds were, because they were flying in and around the temple like mad! I found it fascinating how every number had significance. 28 pillars, 12 here, 12 there, 4 here… they all had spiritual and cultural meaning. I doubt the number of windows on the Empire State Building means anything at all.
The best part about the ToH, though, was the park. It’s over 600 acres and is full of 500-year-old trees, all growing in perfect lines. Since it was the holiday, it was packed with locals (mostly elderly) playing cards, doing exercises, playing with kids, and singing the national anthem (I have a video of this - really cool!)! Courtney and Brian bought the Chinese equivalent of a hackey sack (a set of plastic and metal rings with feathers on top), and Mr. Germain bought a hand-made kite that looked like an all-black falcon.
We loaded up the van again and started North toward the Mutainyu section of the Great Wall of China. On the way, we stopped to get some bottled water, snacks, and beer. I definitely felt the most American I have while in Beijing so far by this point. Not to mention the Clutes and the UNC interns all wore UNC t-shirts (this was planned, by the way), and the Clutes and Germains all had cowboy hats (a slightly embarrassing, but ingenious way to keep an eye on six kids and four adults).
Once we got to the Great Wall, we passed by several hawkers and took a gondola to an entrance to the Wall. Mr. Germain and Uncle Mike toasted to a cold Chinese beer, and Brian and I followed suit shortly after. I must say - I didn't have any clear expectations coming to the Wall (or on this trip in general), but seeing this massive structure and actually hiking on it, was breathtaking. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. I won't write too much more, because it's something that you have to truly experience yourself to make it feel real. Some of the boys successfully flew the kite on the Wall, and we met many English-speakers along the way, many who enjoyed our UNC gear.
Some random observations:
-Kelly, my cousin, was asked twice to have her picture taken with Asian tourists because she's pretty, white and blonde.
-The vendors called Uncle Mike "farmer" for wearing the cowboy hat.
-We saw a cat and a dog on the Wall. There's no telling if they had owners, as I haven't seen a single animal with a collar in China.
-Once again, elderly people everywhere. So cool to see how active they are here.
-The Germains said it was the clearest day they had seen at the Great Wall, which was great to hear! The views were spectacular.
We took toboggans down the mountain, which was super fun. The Chinese people working there were yelling at us to slow down now, speed up here, don't stop there, but we pretty much did our own thing. Silly Americans.
I finally bargained with hawkers and bought a pipe and some postcards for 35 kuai. I'd call it a success. After a meal at Subway that was way too expensive, we loaded up the van again and headed toward the airport. Susie told several stories, including one about a female emperor who killed over 4,000 people to get to the top. I hugged my family goodbye as they set out to Xi'an.
Back at the apartment, I was tired, sweaty, and thankful for such an amazing day.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Maybe the crust is the body and the sauce is the blood? [Day 9]
Our never-ending week finally ended. And it ended a bit early! We got out of work at 4, which the entire office seemed to be happy about. I asked my cubicle-mate what she was doing for the holiday, and she said she was going to visit her family, who live about two hours outside of Beijing. Courtney said that Steven, another American employee, said he was spending his holiday searching for "real deodorant." I didn’t know what this meant until I looked for some myself. I bought some called "Fa Man" which smelled really good, but I think it might be cologne. That would explain why it was so expensive.
Courtney, Brian, and I got caught in a rain storm on our way to find food and groceries. On our way, we walked past a couple screaming at each other in Chinese. They started getting violent - grabbing each others arms, kicking, etc. Everyone else was just walking by like nothing was happening. It was extremely awkward. Not knowing what to do, Brian ran to the police station, where no one spoke English or would follow him. We let them work it out themselves without getting too involved, but feeling uneasy.
There is a police station really close to us, but they don't seem to do much enforcing. They will ride around with their lights on at times, but without sirens. Not sure what that's about. The only thing I've seen them actually do was shut down a street vendor. Well, that's what I'm guessing they were doing. All of the cart's food was on the ground, and the cart was being hitched to the back of the police car, leaving a little Chinese lady unemployed for the night. I guess they have to have permits, and she didn't have one that day.
Anyway, after THAT, Courtney and I had our first "Western" meal since being here - at Christian's Pizza! It was surprisingly good. We tried to pay with credit cards, but they said they only took one type that I had never heard of.
In other news, we got a Beijing cell phone - and it has a dictionary in it! WIN!
Hellooooo 3-day weekend, Dragon Boat Festival, Great Wall of China, and Clutes!!!
Courtney, Brian, and I got caught in a rain storm on our way to find food and groceries. On our way, we walked past a couple screaming at each other in Chinese. They started getting violent - grabbing each others arms, kicking, etc. Everyone else was just walking by like nothing was happening. It was extremely awkward. Not knowing what to do, Brian ran to the police station, where no one spoke English or would follow him. We let them work it out themselves without getting too involved, but feeling uneasy.
There is a police station really close to us, but they don't seem to do much enforcing. They will ride around with their lights on at times, but without sirens. Not sure what that's about. The only thing I've seen them actually do was shut down a street vendor. Well, that's what I'm guessing they were doing. All of the cart's food was on the ground, and the cart was being hitched to the back of the police car, leaving a little Chinese lady unemployed for the night. I guess they have to have permits, and she didn't have one that day.
Anyway, after THAT, Courtney and I had our first "Western" meal since being here - at Christian's Pizza! It was surprisingly good. We tried to pay with credit cards, but they said they only took one type that I had never heard of.
In other news, we got a Beijing cell phone - and it has a dictionary in it! WIN!
Hellooooo 3-day weekend, Dragon Boat Festival, Great Wall of China, and Clutes!!!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Stop ta-ta-talking that... [Day 8]
I've been in China for over a week now, and I FINALLY had some tea. Well kind of. At dinner, I ordered "Rose Milk Tea." It was surprisingly good, and warm! I won't try to describe it, but let your imagination figure out how it tasted. Tea is VERY popular and important to Chinese culture. Here I go again with my Chinese proverbs:
Dinner at Food Cube was great. An American co-worker recommended it, and he did a great job. I wanted almost everything on the menu, which had English translations! I ordering some spicy noodles with beef and slurped the bowl empty. I'm sure I'll be spending many evenings at the Cube.
We arrived too late to get back-row spots at yoga, so instead, we did "Hill Cycling." 45 minutes of LOUD English music and intense spinning. I haven't worked out that hard since track & field in high school. It didn't help that there was Chinese food being cooked below wafting through the window behind me.
I've been having the strangest and most vivid dreams. A colleague of mine said it could have something to do with being unfamiliar with my new surroundings. Makes sense to me. And who doesn't like dreaming?
"Better to be deprived of food for three days than of tea for one."
Dinner at Food Cube was great. An American co-worker recommended it, and he did a great job. I wanted almost everything on the menu, which had English translations! I ordering some spicy noodles with beef and slurped the bowl empty. I'm sure I'll be spending many evenings at the Cube.
We arrived too late to get back-row spots at yoga, so instead, we did "Hill Cycling." 45 minutes of LOUD English music and intense spinning. I haven't worked out that hard since track & field in high school. It didn't help that there was Chinese food being cooked below wafting through the window behind me.
I've been having the strangest and most vivid dreams. A colleague of mine said it could have something to do with being unfamiliar with my new surroundings. Makes sense to me. And who doesn't like dreaming?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Do babies smell bad? I guess it depends on the baby. [Day 7]
The people at work like to walk around the office and share candy and other food. So far I've had chocolate, squid jerky, two kinds of Korean candy, and seaweed. It's hit or miss, but it's still a nice way to get to know co-workers.
Apparently our bosses aren't giving us a lot of work because it's the hospitable thing to do here for foreigners. Honestly, I'm loving the free time, but I'd also like to get some more experience working on a publication with such a wide audience. Seeing as this is a 7-day week, I'll go with the flow and not ask for too much more, but I hope the flow picks up a bit next week. In the meantime, I've had plenty of time to read blogs and articles about news in China, Chinese culture, and things to do in Beijing. I recommend going to my Twitter and checking a few out.
It was definitely a "rice-and-dumpling kind of day" at the cafeteria. I guess that's better than a "rice kind of day." That's the term I made up for when everything tastes so bad, that white rice is the only thing I'm willing to eat more than a bite of. The dumplings are amazing, when they have them. If we ever get the stove to work at our apartment, I'm for sure buying some for dinners at home.
I did something that I never saw myself doing while I was on "summer vacation" in China… I joined a gym! I pretty much was talked into it because all of my roommates were joining. It cost 409 kuai (about US$60) for a 3-month membership. It has pretty nice cardio machines, weights, a room for table tennis, classes, and a bar/billiards room. I think Annie and I are doing yoga tonight. I'm thinking, what the hay, I don't care if I make a fool of myself in front of these people… we don't speak the same language, and I won't see them after a couple of months.
We stayed in last night, and I got to know my roommates, or as I like to call us, the cast of The Real World: Beijing, over some brewskis and game 1 of the World Cup. That's where the title for this blog came from. (If anyone was wondering what the titles of my posts mean, which assumes that someone is reading this, they're funny quotes from the day. I can explain any of them if you'd like, but they're more fun to just look back on and laugh).
More Beijing 101:
-The most popular items sold on the street seem to be socks and headphones. I have NO idea why.
-Rain is a peculiar phenomenon here. It'll be raining, but you can't see any clouds, just gray skies.
Apparently our bosses aren't giving us a lot of work because it's the hospitable thing to do here for foreigners. Honestly, I'm loving the free time, but I'd also like to get some more experience working on a publication with such a wide audience. Seeing as this is a 7-day week, I'll go with the flow and not ask for too much more, but I hope the flow picks up a bit next week. In the meantime, I've had plenty of time to read blogs and articles about news in China, Chinese culture, and things to do in Beijing. I recommend going to my Twitter and checking a few out.
It was definitely a "rice-and-dumpling kind of day" at the cafeteria. I guess that's better than a "rice kind of day." That's the term I made up for when everything tastes so bad, that white rice is the only thing I'm willing to eat more than a bite of. The dumplings are amazing, when they have them. If we ever get the stove to work at our apartment, I'm for sure buying some for dinners at home.
I did something that I never saw myself doing while I was on "summer vacation" in China… I joined a gym! I pretty much was talked into it because all of my roommates were joining. It cost 409 kuai (about US$60) for a 3-month membership. It has pretty nice cardio machines, weights, a room for table tennis, classes, and a bar/billiards room. I think Annie and I are doing yoga tonight. I'm thinking, what the hay, I don't care if I make a fool of myself in front of these people… we don't speak the same language, and I won't see them after a couple of months.
We stayed in last night, and I got to know my roommates, or as I like to call us, the cast of The Real World: Beijing, over some brewskis and game 1 of the World Cup. That's where the title for this blog came from. (If anyone was wondering what the titles of my posts mean, which assumes that someone is reading this, they're funny quotes from the day. I can explain any of them if you'd like, but they're more fun to just look back on and laugh).
More Beijing 101:
-The most popular items sold on the street seem to be socks and headphones. I have NO idea why.
-Rain is a peculiar phenomenon here. It'll be raining, but you can't see any clouds, just gray skies.
Friday, June 11, 2010
The Chinese are effing brilliant! [Day 6]
I love the pace of this place. It’s fast but relaxed at the same time. You can tell that by the way that people drive. In the US, they would be called horrible drivers, but here, it all seems to flow so well. They have a way of driving without ever stopping and rarely braking. Intersections are a free-for-all, without lights or signs most of the time. I guess this Chinese proverb describes it all:
The mall that Celine took us to today was kind of a letdown. It was about 8 floors high, and was basically one huge department store with a food court at the top. Everything seemed overpriced, and the employees were way too eager to help. I really like the clothing here, but I'm not sure how much of that I can put up with. The good news: I resisted getting McDonalds (I'm trying to wait at least a week until I give in to America's guiltiest pleasure).
I saw my first drunk Chinese person! It must have been this guy's 18th birthday or something, because, out of a group of about 7 people, he was the only one who could barely hold his head up. They were taking shots of Yanjing from bowls. Tsingtao and Yanjing are the most popular beers here, and they most commonly come in green 32-ounce bottles that cost upwards of 3 kuai (US$0.44). There were 16 empty bottles on that table. Gambei!
I was pretty proud of the UNC interns last night. We explored a windy street near our cafeteria full of shops, outdoor eating venues, and the occasional stray dog. It just went on and on and on. We navigated our way home after that without having to double back at all!
"Be not afraid of going slowly but only afraid of standing still."
The mall that Celine took us to today was kind of a letdown. It was about 8 floors high, and was basically one huge department store with a food court at the top. Everything seemed overpriced, and the employees were way too eager to help. I really like the clothing here, but I'm not sure how much of that I can put up with. The good news: I resisted getting McDonalds (I'm trying to wait at least a week until I give in to America's guiltiest pleasure).
I saw my first drunk Chinese person! It must have been this guy's 18th birthday or something, because, out of a group of about 7 people, he was the only one who could barely hold his head up. They were taking shots of Yanjing from bowls. Tsingtao and Yanjing are the most popular beers here, and they most commonly come in green 32-ounce bottles that cost upwards of 3 kuai (US$0.44). There were 16 empty bottles on that table. Gambei!
I was pretty proud of the UNC interns last night. We explored a windy street near our cafeteria full of shops, outdoor eating venues, and the occasional stray dog. It just went on and on and on. We navigated our way home after that without having to double back at all!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Support local. Buy your beer next door. [Day 5]
Beijing 101:
-There is concrete EVERYWHERE. Even the playgrounds are paved. And the ground surrounding trees on the side of the road? Filled with concrete.
-Children seem to be able to do whatever they please here. The other day, we walked past a Chinese couple teaching their toddler to take a dump on the sidewalk.
-The actual toilets have two buttons. I'm still not sure what the difference is, so I just press them both every time. Reporting back later when I find a way to bring this question up without seeming awkward.
-They eat a lot of cooked celery here (at least they serve it almost every day at the cafeteria here). Even as a main dish with something else like chicken. Maybe that's how they're so thin.
-If you give someone a thumbs up here, they just stare at you. That was dumb on my part.
Our door at the apartment is ridiculous. The other day, four of us got locked INSIDE the apartment and were almost late to work. Check out pictures on my Flickr. This thing is, no lie, security to the max.
I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I can't get over how cheap everything here is. I left my webcam in the States, so I had to buy one here. There's a Sears-type place in the bottom of my office building, so I bought one there for 30 kuai. That's like $4.40. And it works perfectly! I like transacting with people here, because we both get so happy when we understand what the other person is talking (or gesturing, or writing) about.
I was shamelessly thrilled to find out that I can watch my TV shows over here. Hulu doesn't seem to work, but casttv.com does. Thank God! I simply couldn’t go two months without knowing how New Directions did at Regionals on Glee!
I was feeling adventurous for dinner, so Annie and I stopped by this cart where a Chinese man and woman were making food. It seemed popular with the locals, so we stopped to look. The man was spinning what looked like a 2- or 3-foot wide hot plate, cracking eggs on it, and pressing it into a flat tortilla-like thing. The woman then folded the egg tortilla, smeared it with some brown sauce, put lettuce, onions, scallions, cilantro, some crunchy wafer-like thing, and some kind of thick hot sauce, and folded it up into a huge wrap. It was only 3 kuai (about $0.50) but it filled me up and was DELICIOUS. They point to the hot sauce here when they see an American to see if you want it, because it's REALLY hot. I had a Vanilla Coke because I can't find them in the States anymore and some ice cream. All that for about US$1. And it didn't make me sick… success!
-There is concrete EVERYWHERE. Even the playgrounds are paved. And the ground surrounding trees on the side of the road? Filled with concrete.
-Children seem to be able to do whatever they please here. The other day, we walked past a Chinese couple teaching their toddler to take a dump on the sidewalk.
-The actual toilets have two buttons. I'm still not sure what the difference is, so I just press them both every time. Reporting back later when I find a way to bring this question up without seeming awkward.
-They eat a lot of cooked celery here (at least they serve it almost every day at the cafeteria here). Even as a main dish with something else like chicken. Maybe that's how they're so thin.
-If you give someone a thumbs up here, they just stare at you. That was dumb on my part.
Our door at the apartment is ridiculous. The other day, four of us got locked INSIDE the apartment and were almost late to work. Check out pictures on my Flickr. This thing is, no lie, security to the max.
I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I can't get over how cheap everything here is. I left my webcam in the States, so I had to buy one here. There's a Sears-type place in the bottom of my office building, so I bought one there for 30 kuai. That's like $4.40. And it works perfectly! I like transacting with people here, because we both get so happy when we understand what the other person is talking (or gesturing, or writing) about.
I was shamelessly thrilled to find out that I can watch my TV shows over here. Hulu doesn't seem to work, but casttv.com does. Thank God! I simply couldn’t go two months without knowing how New Directions did at Regionals on Glee!
I was feeling adventurous for dinner, so Annie and I stopped by this cart where a Chinese man and woman were making food. It seemed popular with the locals, so we stopped to look. The man was spinning what looked like a 2- or 3-foot wide hot plate, cracking eggs on it, and pressing it into a flat tortilla-like thing. The woman then folded the egg tortilla, smeared it with some brown sauce, put lettuce, onions, scallions, cilantro, some crunchy wafer-like thing, and some kind of thick hot sauce, and folded it up into a huge wrap. It was only 3 kuai (about $0.50) but it filled me up and was DELICIOUS. They point to the hot sauce here when they see an American to see if you want it, because it's REALLY hot. I had a Vanilla Coke because I can't find them in the States anymore and some ice cream. All that for about US$1. And it didn't make me sick… success!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
A Debate Over the Education of Gratitude [Article]
I'm currently editing this opinion column, and it is very intriguing to me. It explains one of the questions I had about China: why don't they say "thank you" all the time, like we do in the States? It's pretty long, but give it a skim to see the kind of things I'm learning while working here. All credits go to China.org.cn.
Back to work. Bye for now!
It has been a traditional virtue of the Chinese people to be thankful for and seek to return a favor. In recent years, however, a number of self-appointed gurus throughout China have been advocating the cultivation of a person’s gratitude consciousness with the title of “gratitude education.” Some of them even go so far as to hype the “gratitude education” to become a required course in schools. Despite its ostensibly benevolent purpose, such a request is nothing more than a new tactic used by the profit-seeking merchants to sensationalize themselves under the pretext of education.
Li Yang, the founder of “Crazy English,” once “moved” a few thousand students of a school to tears using the stunt of “gratitude education.” As a token of their gratitude, many students knelt down together on the spot, and some even volunteered to cut their hair short, which incurred intensive ridicule after pictures of the scene were posted public to his blog.
The feeling of gratitude can be described as the internal conscience and instinct of all human beings. It is also the embodiment of the integrity of our personality. The gratitude of a student to teachers and of a child to parents should be an active emotion that people feel straight from their hearts, rather than a passive action they are required to take. If these students and children are required to express gratitude, they would feel something unnatural deep in their hearts. Gratitude that comes under this kind of effort is undoubtedly distorted, affected, and not a positive emotion.
A well-behaved teacher should never make his or her students feel like being they are indebted to the teacher, because it is his or her duty to impart knowledge to the students. Similarly, parents should never ask for any kind of reward from their children because raising children is both their nature and legal obligation. Of course, it is justified for teachers and parents to instruct their students and children to feel grateful to third parties who have ever helped them.
These situations lead to many questions about the topic of gratitude. What is the right way to express feelings of gratitude to others? Should gratitude be expressed in language or action? The western way or the eastern way? By cash or gift? To whom should we express our gratitude? Should gratitude be expressed by employees to their employers and by citizens to their government?
Teachers should feel gratified by the good performance of their students, which gives the teachers a sense of accomplishment. Parents should be happy about the healthy growth of their children, which adds more value to their life. Employers should appreciate the hard work of their employees for any business success. Government officials should be grateful to the taxpayers who support them in accordance with the law. In brief, everyone is rewarded while serving others. So, while we express our gratitude to others, our gratitude is reciprocated. Therefore, deliberately advocating and enforcing “the education of gratitude” is no different than violating human nature and ethics.
It is also important to differentiate the concepts of “thanksgiving” and “gratitude.” Some experts believe that the lack of gratitude education is the reason why people do not like to say “thank you” to each other. “Thank you” is an expression of courtesy, while “gratitude” is a sense of indebtedness held in our minds. If parents do not say “thank you” to their children, they could not expect their children to say it to them. If teachers do not think they need to say “thank you” to their students, it might be difficult for them to hear the same from their students.
Western people say “thank you” whenever they are helped. The Chinese people, however, often feel too shy to say “thank you,” particularly among those who do not speak Mandarin and have received little education. Therefore, to teach children and students to express gratitude, it is necessary first to teach the parents and teachers to do so. When people of every age and social status feel very natural saying “thank you” to each other, it would be easier to create the atmosphere of a harmonious society.
When it comes to social issues in China, some experts ascribe the apathy everywhere to the lack of gratitude education. However, it is hard to say who is supposed to express gratitude and who should receive it in our present situation. Currently, the income gap is huge, most people cannot even afford housing with their life savings, and their basic health is endangered by unsafe food and water.
How should people express their feelings of gratitude? Growing up in good health as a child, learning with progress as a student, working hard as an employee, and serving the people heart and soul as an official could be some examples. However, all of these things can be done independently of any sort of advertising because these are basic duties that people should perform in their respective social roles.
Some teachers advocate gratitude education while neglecting the traditional education of moral and ethics. Their ultimate purpose is but to improve their personal profile and gain more commercial interest by making speeches around the country and cheating innocent students.
Modern Chinese society is a crass business world. What is mostly needed is not gratitude, but “love” and “dedication” as well as “justice” and “fairness.” Those who really deserve to be thanked are the ones who serve the society without expecting reward, fame or profit.
Back to work. Bye for now!
Yen? Yuan? Let's just say kuai! [Day 4]
Some more observations, while they're fresh on my brain:
-My supervisor, Celine, thinks she's overweight. She is definitely skinny by American standards. Her solution? She doesn't eat. I think her first meal of the day is at around 9 pm. Everyone here is pretty much thin as a rail. I don't understand it - the food is so heavy and greasy, and they PILE that stuff up on their plates. The only fat people I've seen are some old men. And the worst part is, when they get hot, they curl their shirts up like Britney Spears in Hit Me Baby, One More Time. And some of them sit in restaurants shirtless. It's a sight, let me tell ya.
-Chinese people can not sing. I'm not trying to generalize or be rude, but I just don't think it's in their genes. I don't know if it's because their language forces them to use harsh and quick sounds, but their tone is just flat and unappealing. But, somehow, karaoke is a huge pastime here. Go figure.
-Chinese people are pretty simple minded. The IT guy who worked on my computer yesterday and today could not figure out the problem, so his solution was to wipe the hard drive and start over. I felt like I knew more about computers than he did, and it's his job!
-Eight is a lucky number here. At the bowling alley, if you bowled an 88, you won a small gift. If you bowled a 108, you won a small washtowel.
-Everyone knows that prostitution goes on in China. I haven't encountered it, and I hope not to, but apparently there are "hair salons" that only serve men with the blinds closed. If you bowled a 300 at the alley, you won "one card of fun time." I wonder what that is.
-My allergies are so much worse here than in the States. And no one says anything when I sneeze.
-I am still in the habit of nodding my head/waving/saying hello whenever I walk past people. They all just stare at me or look at me in fright. I need to stop being so polite!
-Speaking of politeness or lack thereof, it's perfectly normal to yell "fu wu yuan" ("waiter") across the room at your server in a restaurant. They don't tell you their names. And you don't tip.
My day was complicated when the power on my row of computers randomly shut down. When I powered back up, my internet was also down. As I described above, after a long and mostly pointless duration of clicking around, the IT guy finally just re-installed the default settings on the computer. (Luckily, at this time, I had my laptop also). Starting from scratch ended up working but left me workless for hours. I was happy to finally get an article about different types of Zongzi, a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves that is tradition to eat at the Dragon Boat Festival that is next week in China. It was really interesting to read and edit. I would love to get paid to try out cuisines and write about them.
We had lunch at the cafeteria, which is across the Ring Road. It's buffet style, and in my opinion, pretty good. A fried egg here is still in the shape of an egg, but the outside is fried and covered in some kind of sauce. If all else fails, there's always rice. Always. The Chinese don't seem to drink anything with their meal except occasionally hot water. Which is so not my style. I'm beginning to miss never-ending ice water.
Celine came up to me near the end of the day and said, "So you heard about the seven day work week, right?" … "No," I said. "You will be working through Sunday because of the Dragon Boat Festival next week," she replied. What a way to start a new job! It's all good though. We're getting Monday through Wednesday off and only have to work two days next week. Turns out the festival
occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, commemorating the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. And everyone gets a day off for it - holla!
Courtney and I were feeling restless after work, so we went on a walk to the busier part of the district we live in. We peered into shop after shop all selling the same things - boxes of cigarettes or cleaning supplies. We passed some children sitting on crates playing cards, several hair salons with questionable sanitation (and services? See above), and table after table of working class Chinese people eating things on sticks. We finally went into a couple of shops with clothing. I kind of wanted it all, but a) I knew it was fake, b) I was too chicken to bargain down the high prices, and c) I don't speak Chinese. Next time I see something I really want, I'm gonna go for it. I did, however, find and purchase peanut butter and jelly - THANK GOD!
We picked up PA and Brian from the apartment for dinner at a noodle bar. You could watch the chef hand-pull the noodles, which made them seem even more delicious and satisfying.
One day closer to the end of my seven-day work week!
-My supervisor, Celine, thinks she's overweight. She is definitely skinny by American standards. Her solution? She doesn't eat. I think her first meal of the day is at around 9 pm. Everyone here is pretty much thin as a rail. I don't understand it - the food is so heavy and greasy, and they PILE that stuff up on their plates. The only fat people I've seen are some old men. And the worst part is, when they get hot, they curl their shirts up like Britney Spears in Hit Me Baby, One More Time. And some of them sit in restaurants shirtless. It's a sight, let me tell ya.
-Chinese people can not sing. I'm not trying to generalize or be rude, but I just don't think it's in their genes. I don't know if it's because their language forces them to use harsh and quick sounds, but their tone is just flat and unappealing. But, somehow, karaoke is a huge pastime here. Go figure.
-Chinese people are pretty simple minded. The IT guy who worked on my computer yesterday and today could not figure out the problem, so his solution was to wipe the hard drive and start over. I felt like I knew more about computers than he did, and it's his job!
-Eight is a lucky number here. At the bowling alley, if you bowled an 88, you won a small gift. If you bowled a 108, you won a small washtowel.
-Everyone knows that prostitution goes on in China. I haven't encountered it, and I hope not to, but apparently there are "hair salons" that only serve men with the blinds closed. If you bowled a 300 at the alley, you won "one card of fun time." I wonder what that is.
-My allergies are so much worse here than in the States. And no one says anything when I sneeze.
-I am still in the habit of nodding my head/waving/saying hello whenever I walk past people. They all just stare at me or look at me in fright. I need to stop being so polite!
-Speaking of politeness or lack thereof, it's perfectly normal to yell "fu wu yuan" ("waiter") across the room at your server in a restaurant. They don't tell you their names. And you don't tip.
My day was complicated when the power on my row of computers randomly shut down. When I powered back up, my internet was also down. As I described above, after a long and mostly pointless duration of clicking around, the IT guy finally just re-installed the default settings on the computer. (Luckily, at this time, I had my laptop also). Starting from scratch ended up working but left me workless for hours. I was happy to finally get an article about different types of Zongzi, a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves that is tradition to eat at the Dragon Boat Festival that is next week in China. It was really interesting to read and edit. I would love to get paid to try out cuisines and write about them.
We had lunch at the cafeteria, which is across the Ring Road. It's buffet style, and in my opinion, pretty good. A fried egg here is still in the shape of an egg, but the outside is fried and covered in some kind of sauce. If all else fails, there's always rice. Always. The Chinese don't seem to drink anything with their meal except occasionally hot water. Which is so not my style. I'm beginning to miss never-ending ice water.
Celine came up to me near the end of the day and said, "So you heard about the seven day work week, right?" … "No," I said. "You will be working through Sunday because of the Dragon Boat Festival next week," she replied. What a way to start a new job! It's all good though. We're getting Monday through Wednesday off and only have to work two days next week. Turns out the festival
occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, commemorating the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan. And everyone gets a day off for it - holla!
Courtney and I were feeling restless after work, so we went on a walk to the busier part of the district we live in. We peered into shop after shop all selling the same things - boxes of cigarettes or cleaning supplies. We passed some children sitting on crates playing cards, several hair salons with questionable sanitation (and services? See above), and table after table of working class Chinese people eating things on sticks. We finally went into a couple of shops with clothing. I kind of wanted it all, but a) I knew it was fake, b) I was too chicken to bargain down the high prices, and c) I don't speak Chinese. Next time I see something I really want, I'm gonna go for it. I did, however, find and purchase peanut butter and jelly - THANK GOD!
We picked up PA and Brian from the apartment for dinner at a noodle bar. You could watch the chef hand-pull the noodles, which made them seem even more delicious and satisfying.
One day closer to the end of my seven-day work week!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
TING! That's not my name! [Day 3]
First thing I noticed on the first day on the job: we all were way overdressed. The typical outfit here for a guy is jeans and a polo or t-shirt. I wore khakis, a button down, and dress shoes. Oh well, I had to look nice for day one. Here it is, day 2, and I'm in jeans and a button down, feeling much more comfortable.
We started off just getting settled into our desks. I now get internet on my laptop, so I have this Matrix/Swordfish-like dual-screen thing going on. I feel cool. I need things to decorate my desk now… plants, pictures, etc. All I have is the panda bear paperweight my mom gave me, and it's my favorite thing I brought.
Next, we had a meeting with the head of the English department, Celine, and the editors. I wish I could pronounce their names, but I'm pretty good at making eye contact :) They really encouraged us to think of story ideas, so I'll be using some free time to do that and hopefully get stuff published!
The rest of the day was pretty much full of errands. Got money from the bank - the conversation is awesome. 2500 RMB only costs me $366.12, and that should last me at least 3 weeks. I'm thinking that once I become a millionaire, I'll just come here and spend it all on food. Plan.
The boss, whose name I can't yet say or spell, took us out to a nice Shanghai-style lunch. It was so cool! It was in a fancy room, at a round table, with a rotating center so that anyone could try anything. My favorite things we got were yams with blueberries and steamed beef dumplings. Using chopsticks in front of the boss was a little nerve-wracking, but I think I did alright!
We went to the police station to get registered and I ran into a problem. The travel agency who booked my flight only gave me a 60-day visa, and I'm here for more than that. So I need to come into the office tonight, skype them, and see if they can reimburse me for a renewal. Sheesh.
After lunch, we FINALLY got our first article to copy edit. Wow. That baby needed some serious work. It was about how China imposed tax reforms in order to become a more carbon-free economy. Not exactly my beat, but it was exciting to be doing work (one of the few times I'll say that). Anyway, the grammar was way off, and there were whole sentences that just didn't make sense… like "However, resources tax reform needs an opportunity." Um, what?
After work, Annie and I took a taxi to meet Keith and his friends at a Mexican restaurant. Mexican food in China is simply not that good. The nacho chips were small and stale. But the half-priced margaritas were strong and brought us all together - two British guys, four Americans, two Chinese girls, and one Swedish guy. Our conversations ranged from British and American perceptions of China to how to say curse words in Chinese. We had an hour-long fight with several waiters because our food took so long. Basically, we wanted free food - and we got it! Mini margaritas and two orders of nachos. Having the Chinese girls there helped immensely.
Dinner was followed with bowling - a pastime that must not be popular with the Chinese since we were the only ones there and the Chinese girl, Rika, had only bowled once before. But of course, she was a natural. I did my dad proud and won the game. They charged by the hour, which was strange - what if we were in the middle of a game when the hour was up? And I had to squeeze my size-12 feet into the biggest pair they had - 11s.
We had to hop the gate in front of our apartment since they lock it after a certain hour. NBD.
A few other things of interest
-Some of the stalls in bathrooms are simply holes in the ground that you have to squat to use. At a restaurant or bar, you’re lucky to have one that has some toilet paper or napkins nearby. At my office, I use the handicapped one that has a real toilet and, of course, handle bars. I hope people here don't catch on.
-Annie and I were asked by the Brits to describe China (or, Beijing, at least) in 3 words. Some that we came up with, plus others I thought about: dirty, hot, impressive, confusing, fashionable. I left "weird" and "strange" out because that could be said about any foreign place.
-I learned that some Chinese people can be bribed with gifts. Keith's girlfriend told us about getting visas from a program director by giving him chocolate. That shocked me. Maybe it can help me with my visa problem…?
-I should have already known this, but the first name of a Chinese person is the surname, and the second name is the given name. This threw me off when editing articles.
We started off just getting settled into our desks. I now get internet on my laptop, so I have this Matrix/Swordfish-like dual-screen thing going on. I feel cool. I need things to decorate my desk now… plants, pictures, etc. All I have is the panda bear paperweight my mom gave me, and it's my favorite thing I brought.
Next, we had a meeting with the head of the English department, Celine, and the editors. I wish I could pronounce their names, but I'm pretty good at making eye contact :) They really encouraged us to think of story ideas, so I'll be using some free time to do that and hopefully get stuff published!
The rest of the day was pretty much full of errands. Got money from the bank - the conversation is awesome. 2500 RMB only costs me $366.12, and that should last me at least 3 weeks. I'm thinking that once I become a millionaire, I'll just come here and spend it all on food. Plan.
The boss, whose name I can't yet say or spell, took us out to a nice Shanghai-style lunch. It was so cool! It was in a fancy room, at a round table, with a rotating center so that anyone could try anything. My favorite things we got were yams with blueberries and steamed beef dumplings. Using chopsticks in front of the boss was a little nerve-wracking, but I think I did alright!
We went to the police station to get registered and I ran into a problem. The travel agency who booked my flight only gave me a 60-day visa, and I'm here for more than that. So I need to come into the office tonight, skype them, and see if they can reimburse me for a renewal. Sheesh.
After lunch, we FINALLY got our first article to copy edit. Wow. That baby needed some serious work. It was about how China imposed tax reforms in order to become a more carbon-free economy. Not exactly my beat, but it was exciting to be doing work (one of the few times I'll say that). Anyway, the grammar was way off, and there were whole sentences that just didn't make sense… like "However, resources tax reform needs an opportunity." Um, what?
After work, Annie and I took a taxi to meet Keith and his friends at a Mexican restaurant. Mexican food in China is simply not that good. The nacho chips were small and stale. But the half-priced margaritas were strong and brought us all together - two British guys, four Americans, two Chinese girls, and one Swedish guy. Our conversations ranged from British and American perceptions of China to how to say curse words in Chinese. We had an hour-long fight with several waiters because our food took so long. Basically, we wanted free food - and we got it! Mini margaritas and two orders of nachos. Having the Chinese girls there helped immensely.
Dinner was followed with bowling - a pastime that must not be popular with the Chinese since we were the only ones there and the Chinese girl, Rika, had only bowled once before. But of course, she was a natural. I did my dad proud and won the game. They charged by the hour, which was strange - what if we were in the middle of a game when the hour was up? And I had to squeeze my size-12 feet into the biggest pair they had - 11s.
We had to hop the gate in front of our apartment since they lock it after a certain hour. NBD.
A few other things of interest
-Some of the stalls in bathrooms are simply holes in the ground that you have to squat to use. At a restaurant or bar, you’re lucky to have one that has some toilet paper or napkins nearby. At my office, I use the handicapped one that has a real toilet and, of course, handle bars. I hope people here don't catch on.
-Annie and I were asked by the Brits to describe China (or, Beijing, at least) in 3 words. Some that we came up with, plus others I thought about: dirty, hot, impressive, confusing, fashionable. I left "weird" and "strange" out because that could be said about any foreign place.
-I learned that some Chinese people can be bribed with gifts. Keith's girlfriend told us about getting visas from a program director by giving him chocolate. That shocked me. Maybe it can help me with my visa problem…?
-I should have already known this, but the first name of a Chinese person is the surname, and the second name is the given name. This threw me off when editing articles.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Gambei! Finish your glass! [Day 2]
Today was my first full day in Beijing, and I enjoyed it!
--Disclaimer: I promise I won't be writing a day-to-day "then I did this…" entry every day, but I have free time and want to remember it all later.--
I thought I had slept past noon, but it was only 8:30AM when I woke up. I met the two interns from App, PA and Annie. They showed us the way to our office where I was able to get internet for the first time, but not on my stupid CCI laptop. Had to use some sketchy file to get through to facebook, but was v. happy that I did. It was great to hear from friends from home! The office building is huge, and the floor that the UNC interns will be working on is just a huge newsroom. Can't wait to see it full tomorrow. The ASU interns will be working a floor below us with business-centric jobs. None of us really know what to expect.
We went to lunch, where I had Japanese food (don't worry, I had Chinese for dinner). Basically, we pointed to what we wanted on the menu. The crazy thing is that it was 25 yuan, which is barely over $3… and I still have a to-go box in the fridge. Next, at the market, I got some essentials, like soap and dishware.
After a coma, we took a taxi to a hutong (an old street with vendors, specialty stores, restaurants and bars) and shared some Chinese dishes at Taste. We met up with another American, Keith who has been teaching Chinese to students for a year and a half. He knew the place well and could speak Chinese. Knowing him will be helpful. We walked the streets and saw some strange things -- baby ducks for sale, Chinese people putting Lady Gaga to shame with the things they were wearing, completely public "bathrooms," etc. -- and eventually went to a rooftop bar. We were the only people there, so they treated us special. Basically, they wouldn't leave us alone and insisted we buy more beer. They even brought a TV over and tried forever to get it to the sports channel. More walking followed, complete with "lame live music," as the Lonely Planet travel guide book accurately describes, group dancing, and murky lakes.
After a quick taxi ride home, we're back and anticipating day #1 on the job.
--Disclaimer: I promise I won't be writing a day-to-day "then I did this…" entry every day, but I have free time and want to remember it all later.--
I thought I had slept past noon, but it was only 8:30AM when I woke up. I met the two interns from App, PA and Annie. They showed us the way to our office where I was able to get internet for the first time, but not on my stupid CCI laptop. Had to use some sketchy file to get through to facebook, but was v. happy that I did. It was great to hear from friends from home! The office building is huge, and the floor that the UNC interns will be working on is just a huge newsroom. Can't wait to see it full tomorrow. The ASU interns will be working a floor below us with business-centric jobs. None of us really know what to expect.
We went to lunch, where I had Japanese food (don't worry, I had Chinese for dinner). Basically, we pointed to what we wanted on the menu. The crazy thing is that it was 25 yuan, which is barely over $3… and I still have a to-go box in the fridge. Next, at the market, I got some essentials, like soap and dishware.
After a coma, we took a taxi to a hutong (an old street with vendors, specialty stores, restaurants and bars) and shared some Chinese dishes at Taste. We met up with another American, Keith who has been teaching Chinese to students for a year and a half. He knew the place well and could speak Chinese. Knowing him will be helpful. We walked the streets and saw some strange things -- baby ducks for sale, Chinese people putting Lady Gaga to shame with the things they were wearing, completely public "bathrooms," etc. -- and eventually went to a rooftop bar. We were the only people there, so they treated us special. Basically, they wouldn't leave us alone and insisted we buy more beer. They even brought a TV over and tried forever to get it to the sports channel. More walking followed, complete with "lame live music," as the Lonely Planet travel guide book accurately describes, group dancing, and murky lakes.
After a quick taxi ride home, we're back and anticipating day #1 on the job.
Nǐ hǎo! I made it! [Day 1]
I'm finally settled into my new apartment in West Beijing. It's… interesting. The door to the apartment looks like a vault at a bank, the shower is not separate from the bathroom, and my bed is as hard as a plank, but it'll do… I'm in China!
As a "novice traveler," I'm still so entertained by flying. Here are a few observations I made in my day-long journey to the other side of the world (FYI, my flight pattern was RDU>JFK>Tokyo>Beijing):
-There were birds flying around inside RDU and JFK.
-First class on international flights means basically having your own bed. I was not in first class.
-Some of the toilets in the Tokyo airport had remote controls. I did not use those.
-Some of the toilets in the Tokyo airport were a hole in the ground. I did not use those either.
I was fortunate enough to not be flying alone for most of the trip. Another intern, Courtney, had the same flights from JFK to Tokyo and Beijing. Not that navigating around the airports was difficult, but not having someone to talk to for 24 hours would be pretty dreadful.
We were picked up in the Beijing airport by Celine and our driver and given a choice of which way to drive to our new abode: the fastest and least scenic way, the way through the business district of China Avenue, or past the Olympic monuments. We chose China Avenue, and I was pleased with that choice. Celine described the city as a set of 6 Ring Roads, the sixth one being constructed currently. Our office and apartment are between the 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads.
We drove past Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the "Chinese White House," the entertainment centers, and a couple of shopping districts. It was all beautiful against the pitch black sky.
And now here we are, at our new home resting up for work on Monday. Courtney and I were the last interns to arrive, and the other interns are out right now. Three of us are from UNC, and two are from App State. Hopefully we'll be meeting them soon!
As a "novice traveler," I'm still so entertained by flying. Here are a few observations I made in my day-long journey to the other side of the world (FYI, my flight pattern was RDU>JFK>Tokyo>Beijing):
-There were birds flying around inside RDU and JFK.
-First class on international flights means basically having your own bed. I was not in first class.
-Some of the toilets in the Tokyo airport had remote controls. I did not use those.
-Some of the toilets in the Tokyo airport were a hole in the ground. I did not use those either.
I was fortunate enough to not be flying alone for most of the trip. Another intern, Courtney, had the same flights from JFK to Tokyo and Beijing. Not that navigating around the airports was difficult, but not having someone to talk to for 24 hours would be pretty dreadful.
We were picked up in the Beijing airport by Celine and our driver and given a choice of which way to drive to our new abode: the fastest and least scenic way, the way through the business district of China Avenue, or past the Olympic monuments. We chose China Avenue, and I was pleased with that choice. Celine described the city as a set of 6 Ring Roads, the sixth one being constructed currently. Our office and apartment are between the 2nd and 3rd Ring Roads.
We drove past Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the "Chinese White House," the entertainment centers, and a couple of shopping districts. It was all beautiful against the pitch black sky.
And now here we are, at our new home resting up for work on Monday. Courtney and I were the last interns to arrive, and the other interns are out right now. Three of us are from UNC, and two are from App State. Hopefully we'll be meeting them soon!
Prologue
I guess I should explain what I'm doing in Beijing.
I have an internship with the English Department of the China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn), a news and travel website. Myself and four other interns from North Carolina will be editing articles that have been translated from Chinese to English and pitching ideas and hopefully writing and publishing some of our own stories.
How did I get here? UNC hooked me up. I heard about the internship through the JOMC (UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication) News listserv, so I applied. It was supposed to only be open to reporting majors, but I e-mailed Dean Cole and asked him if I could apply because I was very interested. Needless to say, he let me apply and I had an interview with him, Dean Straughn, and Dr. Cloud. I didn't get selected.
Until I e-mailed Dean Cole and told him that I don’t like giving up so easily. I asked him if there was any way that the Center could take one more intern for the summer. Well, persistence paid off, and here I am. They allowed me to have a position if I agreed to go without a monthly stipend. Still worth it (I hope).
Brian, Courtney, and I are the third batch of interns from UNC to do this exchange. Every spring, the Center sends two staff members to Chapel Hill to learn from J-School professors and report back in the summer. They, in turn, pay to house UNC students (and I guess App State students also) for a summer internship.
It's my first time to Beijing… China… Asia. It's the longest I will have been away from North Carolina. I don’t know any Mandarin, and all I have is a Lonely Planet guide book. I'll be here until August 17. Let the adventures begin.
I have an internship with the English Department of the China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn), a news and travel website. Myself and four other interns from North Carolina will be editing articles that have been translated from Chinese to English and pitching ideas and hopefully writing and publishing some of our own stories.
How did I get here? UNC hooked me up. I heard about the internship through the JOMC (UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication) News listserv, so I applied. It was supposed to only be open to reporting majors, but I e-mailed Dean Cole and asked him if I could apply because I was very interested. Needless to say, he let me apply and I had an interview with him, Dean Straughn, and Dr. Cloud. I didn't get selected.
Until I e-mailed Dean Cole and told him that I don’t like giving up so easily. I asked him if there was any way that the Center could take one more intern for the summer. Well, persistence paid off, and here I am. They allowed me to have a position if I agreed to go without a monthly stipend. Still worth it (I hope).
Brian, Courtney, and I are the third batch of interns from UNC to do this exchange. Every spring, the Center sends two staff members to Chapel Hill to learn from J-School professors and report back in the summer. They, in turn, pay to house UNC students (and I guess App State students also) for a summer internship.
It's my first time to Beijing… China… Asia. It's the longest I will have been away from North Carolina. I don’t know any Mandarin, and all I have is a Lonely Planet guide book. I'll be here until August 17. Let the adventures begin.
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