The 10-hour train ride to Shanghai was not as bad as it sounded. We splurged for first class tickets, so we enjoyed lots of leg room, pillows and seats that reclined heavily. Aside from making instant noodles, I slept most of the time.
Sherry, Annie’s Chinese Holland Fellows partner, greeted us with a huge smile at the train station in Shanghai. P.A. and Jesse departed in a cab for their hostel, and Sherry helped me book a train ticket for the return for Beijing. I will be spending three nights at Sherry and her father’s apartment and three days in Shanghai, China’s most largest metropolis and the sight of the 2010 World Expo.
We took a cab to Sherry’s apartment, and the first thing I noticed about Shanghai was how much cleaner it looked than Beijing. This is mainly due to cleaning efforts because of the Expo, much like how Beijing was treated during the 2008 Summer Olympics. There were “Expo 2010” signs and Haibo (‘the official mascot of the 2010 Expo’) charicatures everywhere I looked. We got to Sherry’s apartment, which has a small entrance way and two bedrooms. Sherry set up two places to sleep on the ground, one of which was mine. It was actually more comfortable than my bed at the apartment in Beijing, so I had no trouble sleeping that night.
The one downside of staying at Sherry’s place was that her bathtub had formed a leak the day before we arrived, so to take a shower, we had to walk about five minutes to her grandmother’s apartment. In the hot Shanghai weather, I was sweating again by the time I finished my shower and walked back to Sherry’s the next morning. I also could not communicate directly to Sherry’s father, who only speaks Mandarin and Shanghainese, nor her grandmother, who only speaks Shanghainese.
Sherry’s father provided breakfast every morning – steamed buns filled with meat – which I grew to love and even bought for myself twice in Shanghai. He also is a great cook and made a lot of the food that we had for lunch that day, which Neo joined us for. The four of us had fun catching up and talking about the adventures in the States that we were all about to embark on. Annie will graduate in December and try to roadtrip to Canada in the winter before leaving for Ecuador. I will graduate in May and see where the journalism job market takes me. Neo will spend a semester away from China at Rice University in Texas. Sherry will have the biggest change when she leaves China on the same day as me for SUNY Buffalo to participate in a 5-year Ph.D. program.
After lunch, I set out on my own on a bus to the Oriental Pearl Tower. This is a huge tower that was erected in 1994 and resembles the Space Needle, but shines pink during the day and sparkles at night. I didn’t go up the tower even though it has a glass floor in the second “ball” because of a two-hour wait. Instead, I took pictures and did what I have grown to know best in China – shopping. Uniqlo, a Japanese store similar to H&M, was having a sale, so I bought some shirts and a pair of very Chinese pants.
From there, I hopped on the subway to the Expo. Originally I planned to meet up with Victoria, a fellow Tar Heel who did UNC B-school’s Globe Program with my friend Caitlyn and had been interning in Beijing the whole summer, but it turned out we were there at different times. I’m really glad I waited until the afternoon to visit the Expo, though. I avoided a lot of the lines, crowds and heat.
Because of these differences, the Expo was a lot better than people had told me. I had a lot of fun and actually would go back to see more pavilions. The first pavilion (besides China, which needed a reservation to even line up) to catch my eye was India. I waited for a mere 15 minutes, during which I got to use my portable chair that I bought in the train station a week ago for 10 yuan. Other pavilions that I visited included Sri Lanka, Vietnam, DPR Korea, Iran, Lebanon, Ireland, Ukraine, Canada, Australia, and the Czech Republic. I also got a Hogaarden beer at the Belgium Pavilion and a Dutch veal croquette and fries at the Netherlands Pavilion. I won’t go into detail about these pavilions, but some were definitely better than others. I’d have to say that my favorite was the Netherlands. I was disappointed that some of the Central and South America pavilions were closed by the time I reached them at 10:30 p.m., so I left the expo on a subway home.
The next morning, after another lunch cooked by Sherry’s father, I contacted Victoria and we made a plan to meet up at an art district with cafes and stores like Nanlougu Xiang in Beijing. We walked around there for a bit but didn’t buy anything. Our next stop was People’s Square, a park which is popular among locals and tourists. To escape the heat and learn a little more about Shanghai and China, we went to the Shanghai Museum. The museum was shaped like a ding, a Chinese food vessel, and was laid out in a way that made it very easy to see anything and everything you wanted to. I especially liked the mask, jade and painting, and ceramics exhibits. Best of all, it was free and air conditioned!
We made our way over to Nanjing Street, which is very similar to Wafujing in Beijing. It is a huge walking street full of clothing stores, outdoor entertainment and different food venues. We ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant that was tucked away and we would not have noticed had it not been for Vicctoria being able to read Chinese (her parents are Taiwanese) and my keen sense of smell for vinegar (read: dumplings!!!). The dumplings and spicy noodles that I got hit the spot. I said goodbye to Victoria and rounded out the day with a trip to Yu Gardens, another tourist attraction. There is a garden that you can pay to enter, a lake and several streets of souvenir shopping. I enjoyed just strolling down the streets as the sun went down and the bright lights and neon signs came up. Every place I went this day was packed with Chinese and foreign tourists visiting Shanghai’s other attractions after or before a day at the Expo. I felt a bit clostrophobic at times, but enjoyed myself nonetheless.
I woke up early the next day and met Victoria at the train station to purchase tickets to Suzhou. This is a relatively small city outside of Shanghai that is suggested as a day trip in all of the guide books as a way to see ‘scenic gardens.’ The train was only about an hour long, but Suzhou was HOT (35 degrees C) when we arrived. We felt a bit lost at first, not really planning much past the return train ride before arriving. Once we got a hold of a proper map, we took our own advice from the day before and started out with a free and air conditioned tour of the Suzhou Museum. Many of the things on display were similar to the items in the Shanghai Museum, so we spent the bulk of the time touring the outdoor courtyards and pavilions, which seemed like a clever maze, stumping us at times.
We checked out the details of two gardens before deciding on which one to spend our money on. We chose the smaller and cheaper one, which was both good and bad. First of all, the Chinese don’t think of “gardens” the same way we do – instead of flowers, bushes and bright colors, Chinese gardens are characterized by pagodas, courtyards, fake rock formations , manmade lakes and general landscaping. This came as a surprise, as did the immense number of Chinese tourists who made the same cheaper decision as we did. Feeling claustrophobic, we left the garden and headed toward the commercial district for a bite to eat. We both got smoothies, which we had been craving since we met in Shanghai. Not feeling like shopping, we walked farther south to Suzhou Park, which was free and open to the public. It was similar to all the parks I’ve been to in Beijing – old people synchronized dancing, men fishing in non-fishing areas and beautiful lotuses. After failing to get closet to the Twin Pagodas (it was closed early for some reason), we took a bus back to the train station, had a steamed meat bun, and took a train back to Shanghai. We could only get standing tickets, but luckily, I had my handy Expo seat with me, and the train was air conditioned and only lasted about 35 minutes.
We were back in no time, but the sun had gone down in the process, so I decided to go to the Bund. This is an area that overlooks a river and the Shanghai skyline. It was a great view, but filled with way too many sweaty tourists, so I didn’t stay too long before heading back to Sherry’s for an early night’s sleep before returning “home” to Beijing.
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I love you, my dear. Will you marry me? [55-59]
My last day working at CIIC was also the first day that I wore a tie in China. The interns gave a presentation in front of our department directors, Celine and the scholars that would be visiting UNC and ASU next year. Here are some pictures from during and after the presentation:
So here’s the deal about this internship: it’s the reason I am in China, so I am very grateful for the opportunity. I am so thankful to have met Celine, Pang Li, Catherine, Ada and everyone else who welcomed me at CIIC and helped me accomplish more than I thought I would. However, I feel like I have gotten more out of just being in China and experiencing life outside of the office. That leads me to a tough decision I had to make this weekend.
Pang Li invited me to his best friend’s wedding in Hebei Province, and I accepted without question. It came to my attention Thursday night that the party that Celine had been planning for the interns was also Saturday. I felt really bad missing her party because I love Celine, but I knew that going to a Chinese wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think I made the right choice: the weekend was amazing.
Pang Li, Annie, and I left after work on Friday. We took a train (my first in China!) to Pang Li’s hometown – Gaobeidian, Hebei Province. My first impressions of this place were all good – cheap cab rides, 100% more trees than in Beijing, and the warmest welcome I’ve ever experienced from Pang Li’s family. His family (mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins, etc.) lives on a ranch, for lack of a better word. We got a short tour and then ate dinner which Pang Li’s mom made with the vegetables from the family garden. It was delicious, and the noodles were the best I’ve ever had. I was fully prepared to stay the night in one of Pang Li’s family’s rooms, but he surprised us by telling us that his “rich cousin” had booked us a hotel room at the best hotel (and the tallest building) in the town. When we got to the hotel, we found out that his cousin had actually booked us each a hotel room – so I had a huge bed and a shower (with a curtain!!!) all to myself.
On Saturday morning, we had breakfast at the hotel (sadly, all Chinese food – not the Western-style breakfast I was hoping for) and walked to the restaurant (yes, restaurant) where the wedding was being held. There was a huge, tacky blow-up archway, fireworks and confetti when the bride and groom pulled up. The whole wedding was a spectacle, complete with pink and red fake flowers, a red carpet, and other (pink and red) decorations. We sat at a table with Pang Li’s friends and watched the show unfold. Chinese weddings are very different for many reasons, but the most being the fact that the couple is already legally married by the time of the ceremony. In fact, there are sometimes two or more ceremonies – one in the groom’s hometown and one in the bride’s hometown. Also, most couples hire a wedding company to perform the ceremony. The host of this wedding stole the show, in my opinion. He had everyone laughing, clapping and even shouting (still not sure what this was about). There were some rituals that I have never seen before – pouring wine in a cascading tower of glasses, bowing to the parents, almost kissing the bride… more than I can post in a blog.
The ceremony was followed by lunch – which was convenient since we were already seated at tables with lazy susans in a restaurant and all… The men at the table wanted the meg [uas] to drink some baijiu, but I could barely let it touch my lips. I seriously don’t know how they drink that stuff. Pang Li probably had a little too much because, as he explained it, guests at the party prove their friendship to the bride and groom by staying longer and drinking more.
The bride was beautiful and she had two wardrobe changes. The groom spoke some English and even incorporated it into the wedding (see blog title). He had his Ph.D. and even published a book in English.
I took the best nap ever at the hotel then met up with Pang Li and his friends for [chaun’r] (barbecue) and pijiu. It’s amazing how much you can enjoy someone’s company without speaking the same language. We had a lot of fun, ate everyerything imaginable barbequed (the fish tasted like candy!) and supposedly finished 100 beers before leaving for KTV (!!!). It’s the Chinese version of karaoke, but so much better. The best part is you get a personal room instead of embarrassing yourself in front of everyone in a bar. Pang Li’s friends rocked out to some Chinese music and picked out Lady Gaga (surprise, surprise) for Annie and me to perform. Unforgettable.
[ktv pics to come]
We slept late on Sunday, and we ate at a dumpling restaurant before Pang Li took us back to his family’s ranch. This time we took a proper tour of the place (with sunlight). Besides the garden, his ranch had a fishing pond, chickens, rabbits and Tibetan dogs (AKA monsters). His grandmother was the sweetest person I have ever met. She kept inviting us (through Pang Li’s translation) to “stay for a few days.” His little five-year-old cousin was the cutest kid ever. He was making forts out of his aunt’s traditional Chinese wooden furniture and silk pillows. The whole family was adorable and made me hope that sometime in the future I will take Pang Li’s grandmother up on her offer.
Pang Li’s friend who also works in Beijing gave us a ride home. The rest of Sunday was spent resting and planning our first official day off of work.
After being treated to an amazing weekend by Pang Li, I didn’t feel guilty going shopping the next day. I felt guilty afterwards. Annie and I went to Panjaiyuan Antique Market, where I bought a bunch of really cool but pretty useless souvenirs. However, I’m pretty happy with a red Buddha bracelet and a framed dragon shadow puppet that I bought. I also picked up a pair of prescription sunglasses from Glasses City.
Since Annie and I missed the dinner party with Celine, we took her out to eat Monday night. Well actually, SHE took us out. She took us to a fancy Chinese restaurant, where the food was amazing. It was great to catch up with Celine – I will surely miss her.
On Tuesday, I spent most of the day with my Chinese friend, Jesse, or Jessie, I should say. She was an economics major in college and idolized a stock trader named Jesse Livermore, so she decided her English name would be Jesse! I told her that J-E-S-S-E is how a man spells the name, but a woman can also have the name if she spells it with an "ie" or a "y." She was happy to change her name to be more feminine. Anyway, she took me to a really good Chinese place for lunch. It had lots of pastries, but we got noodles, peanuts, Korean vegetables, pumpkin porridge and sweet pea pudding. It was all delicious. Next, she took me to a tailor to get sized for a suit. This is one thing that I have been told I should buy in China. I hate dressing up, and a large part of me hopes that I don't have a job that entails wearing a suit often, but at least now I will have one if I need it. And it will only cost me 420 yuan (US$62).
The American Jesse came into Beijing Tuesday, so Pang Li took us out to a place that served Sijuan (sp? Also, not to be confused with Sichuan) food, a cuisine indigenous to a region of northwest China. It was one of the best meals I've had in China, and the black beer was great. What would I do without Pang Li??
Next up – vacation!
So here’s the deal about this internship: it’s the reason I am in China, so I am very grateful for the opportunity. I am so thankful to have met Celine, Pang Li, Catherine, Ada and everyone else who welcomed me at CIIC and helped me accomplish more than I thought I would. However, I feel like I have gotten more out of just being in China and experiencing life outside of the office. That leads me to a tough decision I had to make this weekend.
Pang Li invited me to his best friend’s wedding in Hebei Province, and I accepted without question. It came to my attention Thursday night that the party that Celine had been planning for the interns was also Saturday. I felt really bad missing her party because I love Celine, but I knew that going to a Chinese wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I think I made the right choice: the weekend was amazing.
Pang Li, Annie, and I left after work on Friday. We took a train (my first in China!) to Pang Li’s hometown – Gaobeidian, Hebei Province. My first impressions of this place were all good – cheap cab rides, 100% more trees than in Beijing, and the warmest welcome I’ve ever experienced from Pang Li’s family. His family (mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins, etc.) lives on a ranch, for lack of a better word. We got a short tour and then ate dinner which Pang Li’s mom made with the vegetables from the family garden. It was delicious, and the noodles were the best I’ve ever had. I was fully prepared to stay the night in one of Pang Li’s family’s rooms, but he surprised us by telling us that his “rich cousin” had booked us a hotel room at the best hotel (and the tallest building) in the town. When we got to the hotel, we found out that his cousin had actually booked us each a hotel room – so I had a huge bed and a shower (with a curtain!!!) all to myself.
On Saturday morning, we had breakfast at the hotel (sadly, all Chinese food – not the Western-style breakfast I was hoping for) and walked to the restaurant (yes, restaurant) where the wedding was being held. There was a huge, tacky blow-up archway, fireworks and confetti when the bride and groom pulled up. The whole wedding was a spectacle, complete with pink and red fake flowers, a red carpet, and other (pink and red) decorations. We sat at a table with Pang Li’s friends and watched the show unfold. Chinese weddings are very different for many reasons, but the most being the fact that the couple is already legally married by the time of the ceremony. In fact, there are sometimes two or more ceremonies – one in the groom’s hometown and one in the bride’s hometown. Also, most couples hire a wedding company to perform the ceremony. The host of this wedding stole the show, in my opinion. He had everyone laughing, clapping and even shouting (still not sure what this was about). There were some rituals that I have never seen before – pouring wine in a cascading tower of glasses, bowing to the parents, almost kissing the bride… more than I can post in a blog.
The ceremony was followed by lunch – which was convenient since we were already seated at tables with lazy susans in a restaurant and all… The men at the table wanted the meg [uas] to drink some baijiu, but I could barely let it touch my lips. I seriously don’t know how they drink that stuff. Pang Li probably had a little too much because, as he explained it, guests at the party prove their friendship to the bride and groom by staying longer and drinking more.
The bride was beautiful and she had two wardrobe changes. The groom spoke some English and even incorporated it into the wedding (see blog title). He had his Ph.D. and even published a book in English.
I took the best nap ever at the hotel then met up with Pang Li and his friends for [chaun’r] (barbecue) and pijiu. It’s amazing how much you can enjoy someone’s company without speaking the same language. We had a lot of fun, ate everyerything imaginable barbequed (the fish tasted like candy!) and supposedly finished 100 beers before leaving for KTV (!!!). It’s the Chinese version of karaoke, but so much better. The best part is you get a personal room instead of embarrassing yourself in front of everyone in a bar. Pang Li’s friends rocked out to some Chinese music and picked out Lady Gaga (surprise, surprise) for Annie and me to perform. Unforgettable.
[ktv pics to come]
We slept late on Sunday, and we ate at a dumpling restaurant before Pang Li took us back to his family’s ranch. This time we took a proper tour of the place (with sunlight). Besides the garden, his ranch had a fishing pond, chickens, rabbits and Tibetan dogs (AKA monsters). His grandmother was the sweetest person I have ever met. She kept inviting us (through Pang Li’s translation) to “stay for a few days.” His little five-year-old cousin was the cutest kid ever. He was making forts out of his aunt’s traditional Chinese wooden furniture and silk pillows. The whole family was adorable and made me hope that sometime in the future I will take Pang Li’s grandmother up on her offer.
Pang Li’s friend who also works in Beijing gave us a ride home. The rest of Sunday was spent resting and planning our first official day off of work.
After being treated to an amazing weekend by Pang Li, I didn’t feel guilty going shopping the next day. I felt guilty afterwards. Annie and I went to Panjaiyuan Antique Market, where I bought a bunch of really cool but pretty useless souvenirs. However, I’m pretty happy with a red Buddha bracelet and a framed dragon shadow puppet that I bought. I also picked up a pair of prescription sunglasses from Glasses City.
Since Annie and I missed the dinner party with Celine, we took her out to eat Monday night. Well actually, SHE took us out. She took us to a fancy Chinese restaurant, where the food was amazing. It was great to catch up with Celine – I will surely miss her.
On Tuesday, I spent most of the day with my Chinese friend, Jesse, or Jessie, I should say. She was an economics major in college and idolized a stock trader named Jesse Livermore, so she decided her English name would be Jesse! I told her that J-E-S-S-E is how a man spells the name, but a woman can also have the name if she spells it with an "ie" or a "y." She was happy to change her name to be more feminine. Anyway, she took me to a really good Chinese place for lunch. It had lots of pastries, but we got noodles, peanuts, Korean vegetables, pumpkin porridge and sweet pea pudding. It was all delicious. Next, she took me to a tailor to get sized for a suit. This is one thing that I have been told I should buy in China. I hate dressing up, and a large part of me hopes that I don't have a job that entails wearing a suit often, but at least now I will have one if I need it. And it will only cost me 420 yuan (US$62).
The American Jesse came into Beijing Tuesday, so Pang Li took us out to a place that served Sijuan (sp? Also, not to be confused with Sichuan) food, a cuisine indigenous to a region of northwest China. It was one of the best meals I've had in China, and the black beer was great. What would I do without Pang Li??
Next up – vacation!
Friday, July 30, 2010
I am Rachel. I hate serving people. [51-54]
This was my last (full/official) week at work! It’s bittersweet. I don’t know if I will see most of these people that have been so kind and welcoming to me at China.org.cn again. But this also means that I will have about 2.5 weeks to travel around China and do things I want in Beijing one more time! The summer flew by, especially this past week.
On Monday, Annie and I took the subway to Yashow Clothing Market to do one last (maybe the last) souvenir shopping trip. We loaded up on DVDs, Chinese lanterns and wedding envelopes (I’ll get to that later!). I bargained my butt off and was proud of how little I had to spend. We saw one of Keith’s roommates in the market, which further supports my claim that the huge city of Beijing is a small place, and the world, even smaller (if that’s possible).
We had been craving the meal that we ate with Keith and Ithzel at Nanlougu Xiang about a week ago, so we took a bus there and tried to re-create the meal. The restaurant was out of the sweet and sour pork, but everything else was delicious. Chinese food in the States will never be the same.
We walked around a bit in Nanlougu Xiang, also, sadly for our (probable) last time. I picked up a “Save the Pandas” sticker because, duh, I love pandas and want to save them all (for myself).
Tuesday was my dinner with Jesse, my new Chinese friend from the rock show. I asked her to pick out a Sichuan restaurant since I have been told it is spicy food and I hadn’t tried it yet. It was great to see Jesse again and the food was good. Since being in China, I had always wanted to eat out of one of those huge bowls with chopsticks, and this was my chance. It was a popular Sichuan dish with blood (really.), vegetables, fish and other unidentifiable things. It was better than it sounds. It sure was spicy, but it had “ma la” in it—a numbing agent. It was strange to feel my mouth tingling while I ate. We talked about our favorite foods, sports we liked, American television (she loves CSI: Miami) and places for me to get a suit tailored. The language barrier tested my patience, but all in all, we made it into a pleasant evening (even if we both had our dictionaries out at the table).
Wednesday was another special dinner—Pang Li took Annie and me out to his favorite Beijing noodle place. John came too, and we had a great time. The noodles were out of this world (even better than Mr. Chen’s from Great Wall Fresh!). The restaurant was “old-style” with Chinese opera playing in the background and panoramic scenes of Old Beijing on the walls. It’s not hard to guess where the four of us went after dinner—the Beer Garden. As always, we had a great time there.
On Thursday, Annie and I planned to do a lot since our days are dwindling down. We walked out of the office after work to immediately feel this heavy, uncomfortable humidity that had set in during the day. It made the parts of the evening spent outdoors almost unbearable. Anyway, we decided to have a quick bite to eat outside of WuMart and happened upon a man making steamed dumplings. We ordered one helping each, but they were so delicious that we stayed and each had another. We then experimented with the bus system and took the 87 to the subway station (we usually take the 27), where we took line 4 to Xidan.
Annie wanted to find a Chinese-style straw hat at 77th Street, an underground mall for Chinese locals. We both ended up finding things there, so the pit stop was well worth it. We transferred to line 1 which we took to The Place, a hangout that I have mentioned before (and you might recognize). The huge screen/roof had English and Chinese messages displayed for all to see that people had texted (like at a Major League Baseball stadium).
We then got to our final (and favorite) destination – Friend’s Café in SOHO! The staff was so nice – and they even had nametags that were characters from the show! Our waitress, “Rachel,” was the sweetest. Annie and I will miss this place so much! I got an espresso with whipped cream and a cream-filled “doughnut.” Believe it or not, the same episodes of “Friends” that we watched last time were on again… but they were still funny the second time. We even participated in our own “name the 50 U.S. states in 10 minutes” challenge that Ross and the gang cringe over in one episode. The best news: I got pictures this time!
I will share my last day of work when I get back from Hebei Province next week. Pang Li invited Annie and I to go to his best friend’s wedding on Saturday! It’s such a cool opportunity and should be interesting from the stories I’ve heard about other Chinese weddings.
On Monday, Annie and I took the subway to Yashow Clothing Market to do one last (maybe the last) souvenir shopping trip. We loaded up on DVDs, Chinese lanterns and wedding envelopes (I’ll get to that later!). I bargained my butt off and was proud of how little I had to spend. We saw one of Keith’s roommates in the market, which further supports my claim that the huge city of Beijing is a small place, and the world, even smaller (if that’s possible).
We had been craving the meal that we ate with Keith and Ithzel at Nanlougu Xiang about a week ago, so we took a bus there and tried to re-create the meal. The restaurant was out of the sweet and sour pork, but everything else was delicious. Chinese food in the States will never be the same.
We walked around a bit in Nanlougu Xiang, also, sadly for our (probable) last time. I picked up a “Save the Pandas” sticker because, duh, I love pandas and want to save them all (for myself).
Tuesday was my dinner with Jesse, my new Chinese friend from the rock show. I asked her to pick out a Sichuan restaurant since I have been told it is spicy food and I hadn’t tried it yet. It was great to see Jesse again and the food was good. Since being in China, I had always wanted to eat out of one of those huge bowls with chopsticks, and this was my chance. It was a popular Sichuan dish with blood (really.), vegetables, fish and other unidentifiable things. It was better than it sounds. It sure was spicy, but it had “ma la” in it—a numbing agent. It was strange to feel my mouth tingling while I ate. We talked about our favorite foods, sports we liked, American television (she loves CSI: Miami) and places for me to get a suit tailored. The language barrier tested my patience, but all in all, we made it into a pleasant evening (even if we both had our dictionaries out at the table).
Wednesday was another special dinner—Pang Li took Annie and me out to his favorite Beijing noodle place. John came too, and we had a great time. The noodles were out of this world (even better than Mr. Chen’s from Great Wall Fresh!). The restaurant was “old-style” with Chinese opera playing in the background and panoramic scenes of Old Beijing on the walls. It’s not hard to guess where the four of us went after dinner—the Beer Garden. As always, we had a great time there.
On Thursday, Annie and I planned to do a lot since our days are dwindling down. We walked out of the office after work to immediately feel this heavy, uncomfortable humidity that had set in during the day. It made the parts of the evening spent outdoors almost unbearable. Anyway, we decided to have a quick bite to eat outside of WuMart and happened upon a man making steamed dumplings. We ordered one helping each, but they were so delicious that we stayed and each had another. We then experimented with the bus system and took the 87 to the subway station (we usually take the 27), where we took line 4 to Xidan.
Annie wanted to find a Chinese-style straw hat at 77th Street, an underground mall for Chinese locals. We both ended up finding things there, so the pit stop was well worth it. We transferred to line 1 which we took to The Place, a hangout that I have mentioned before (and you might recognize). The huge screen/roof had English and Chinese messages displayed for all to see that people had texted (like at a Major League Baseball stadium).
We then got to our final (and favorite) destination – Friend’s Café in SOHO! The staff was so nice – and they even had nametags that were characters from the show! Our waitress, “Rachel,” was the sweetest. Annie and I will miss this place so much! I got an espresso with whipped cream and a cream-filled “doughnut.” Believe it or not, the same episodes of “Friends” that we watched last time were on again… but they were still funny the second time. We even participated in our own “name the 50 U.S. states in 10 minutes” challenge that Ross and the gang cringe over in one episode. The best news: I got pictures this time!
I will share my last day of work when I get back from Hebei Province next week. Pang Li invited Annie and I to go to his best friend’s wedding on Saturday! It’s such a cool opportunity and should be interesting from the stories I’ve heard about other Chinese weddings.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Take me down to the paradise city [47-50+Article]
FIFTY DAYS is a long time to be in a place!
Anyway, the rest of last week was all about friends and fun.
Thursday after work I met up with a fellow Tar Heel and friend, Katherine, who is also interning in Beijing. We met up in Wudoukou, which is near where she works, and she took me to The Bridge Café. The café was cool – three stories, including a coffee shop/hangout area, a fine dining floor, and a rooftop bar and eating area. The food was spectacular – I had fettuccini alfredo with chicken. It was the first time I’ve had pasta in China. We shared apple pie with ice cream for dessert – another first in China.
It was great to catch up with a friend from home, though it felt a little strange to be meeting up in the bustling and foreign city of Beijing. We shared our experiences of working for a Chinese company, living in strange places, and meeting locals and expats. We also shopped around a bit at the night market, where I bought some TV series of DVD and we saw a man giving real tattoos IN THE BACK OF A VAN - gross. We took the bus home, and it turns out she is staying RIGHT across from where I work – small world!
On Friday, Annie’s ASU/Holland Fellows friend, Jesse, came to visit. He is interning in a northern province of China and came for the weekend to do Great Wall Fresh with Annie. We went to the beer garden, where Pang Li joined us for skewers and pijiu. As always at the beer garden, rounds started stacking up, and just as we were about to leave, a few Chinese people (that seemed around our age) came up to us and gave us half of a watermelon! We graciously started eating it, which they took as a sign to bring more watermelon and beer to gambei (read: toast). Knowing they wouldn’t leave us alone until we did, we went over to their table, where it looked like they were celebrating something. Pang Li told us that they all worked together at a restaurant up the street, and it was one of their birthdays. That’s when the photo shoot started. Everyone wanted a picture with the Mei guos (read: Americans) on their camera phones. We chatted the best we could (which mainly stuck to “nice to meet you”s) and even renamed Strawberry and Javi to Stella and Seth, respectively.
As Annie and Jesse fought hangovers the next day hiking the Great Wall, I took it easy and went shopping. My first stop was Panjaiyuan Market, which was described to me as “the mother of all flea markets.” This was a good description. It was so huge, with so many different stalls full of sculptures, antiques, paintings, scrolls, books, and more that I got overwhelmed and left empty-handed.
I decided instead to try my luck at Glasses City, a huge mall solely full of eye glasses stores. It was a success – I bought a pair of prescription eye glasses for $20. They were ready in ten minutes! And now I want more.
Then it was work time. I love that “work time” for me meant going to a six-hour Chinese rock show. I was asked to report on this show late in the afternoon on Friday, so I didn’t have a chance to get a really good camera, but I made due with mine. I walked to the venue from Glasses City, which reminded me of a larger version of Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro or Tremont in Charlotte. It was such a cool experience - seeing Chinese punk kids moshing, running on stage, etc. The bands ranged from folk to screamo, from heavy metal to pop-rock. A couple of them even sang songs in English! However, I was the ONLY white person there, and seemed to be the only English-speaker, so conducting interviews was tricky. In the end, I decided to make my article into more of a slideshow of the event. Please check out the published slideshow here. Below are a few that didn't make the cut.
[Random, but the venue had a cool way to label the bathrooms: ]
During the last performance of the night, a Chinese girl, about my age, came up to me and asked me, in English, if I liked the music. It turned out that her name was Jesse (pattern?) and that she worked with one of the guitarists at a bank near Xizhimen, which is one bus stop away from my office. We exchanged e-mails since her English was rough, and decided to meet up at another point. She even invited me hiking with her!
I was exhausted from the show the following day. I took it easy again and shopped at the Hongqiao Pearl Market. China is known for pearls, silk, and of course, knockoffs, so I was obligated to bring some back home. I felt pressured, accomplished, and ripped off all in the course of this a couple of hours so I devoted the rest of the day to reading and relaxing.
As my Facebook status says right now, there is still so much to do and so little time!
Anyway, the rest of last week was all about friends and fun.
Thursday after work I met up with a fellow Tar Heel and friend, Katherine, who is also interning in Beijing. We met up in Wudoukou, which is near where she works, and she took me to The Bridge Café. The café was cool – three stories, including a coffee shop/hangout area, a fine dining floor, and a rooftop bar and eating area. The food was spectacular – I had fettuccini alfredo with chicken. It was the first time I’ve had pasta in China. We shared apple pie with ice cream for dessert – another first in China.
It was great to catch up with a friend from home, though it felt a little strange to be meeting up in the bustling and foreign city of Beijing. We shared our experiences of working for a Chinese company, living in strange places, and meeting locals and expats. We also shopped around a bit at the night market, where I bought some TV series of DVD and we saw a man giving real tattoos IN THE BACK OF A VAN - gross. We took the bus home, and it turns out she is staying RIGHT across from where I work – small world!
On Friday, Annie’s ASU/Holland Fellows friend, Jesse, came to visit. He is interning in a northern province of China and came for the weekend to do Great Wall Fresh with Annie. We went to the beer garden, where Pang Li joined us for skewers and pijiu. As always at the beer garden, rounds started stacking up, and just as we were about to leave, a few Chinese people (that seemed around our age) came up to us and gave us half of a watermelon! We graciously started eating it, which they took as a sign to bring more watermelon and beer to gambei (read: toast). Knowing they wouldn’t leave us alone until we did, we went over to their table, where it looked like they were celebrating something. Pang Li told us that they all worked together at a restaurant up the street, and it was one of their birthdays. That’s when the photo shoot started. Everyone wanted a picture with the Mei guos (read: Americans) on their camera phones. We chatted the best we could (which mainly stuck to “nice to meet you”s) and even renamed Strawberry and Javi to Stella and Seth, respectively.
As Annie and Jesse fought hangovers the next day hiking the Great Wall, I took it easy and went shopping. My first stop was Panjaiyuan Market, which was described to me as “the mother of all flea markets.” This was a good description. It was so huge, with so many different stalls full of sculptures, antiques, paintings, scrolls, books, and more that I got overwhelmed and left empty-handed.
I decided instead to try my luck at Glasses City, a huge mall solely full of eye glasses stores. It was a success – I bought a pair of prescription eye glasses for $20. They were ready in ten minutes! And now I want more.
Then it was work time. I love that “work time” for me meant going to a six-hour Chinese rock show. I was asked to report on this show late in the afternoon on Friday, so I didn’t have a chance to get a really good camera, but I made due with mine. I walked to the venue from Glasses City, which reminded me of a larger version of Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro or Tremont in Charlotte. It was such a cool experience - seeing Chinese punk kids moshing, running on stage, etc. The bands ranged from folk to screamo, from heavy metal to pop-rock. A couple of them even sang songs in English! However, I was the ONLY white person there, and seemed to be the only English-speaker, so conducting interviews was tricky. In the end, I decided to make my article into more of a slideshow of the event. Please check out the published slideshow here. Below are a few that didn't make the cut.
[Random, but the venue had a cool way to label the bathrooms: ]
During the last performance of the night, a Chinese girl, about my age, came up to me and asked me, in English, if I liked the music. It turned out that her name was Jesse (pattern?) and that she worked with one of the guitarists at a bank near Xizhimen, which is one bus stop away from my office. We exchanged e-mails since her English was rough, and decided to meet up at another point. She even invited me hiking with her!
I was exhausted from the show the following day. I took it easy again and shopped at the Hongqiao Pearl Market. China is known for pearls, silk, and of course, knockoffs, so I was obligated to bring some back home. I felt pressured, accomplished, and ripped off all in the course of this a couple of hours so I devoted the rest of the day to reading and relaxing.
As my Facebook status says right now, there is still so much to do and so little time!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
What the hell? [44-46]
Work this week has been a little more enjoyable thanks to a care package that my mom sent from the States. In addition to things that I needed like contact solution, socks, and real deodorant, she also sent a whole ton of snacks (I’m talking sour gummy worms, nuts, REAL JIF PEANUT BUTTER…) and some books. It has been a great comfort having my favorite things and notes from her and my grandmother. Thanks, Mom!
I decided to take my first of six allowed days off of work on Wednesday. It ended up being one of my favorite days in China.
Back home in the States, I have a great internship with Schmap, a web-based start-up. They have two offices: one in Carrboro, and the other, interestingly enough, in Beijing. The CEO, Paul Hallett, whom I have met a few times in Carrboro, has lived in Beijing for over 15 years and runs the company from that office. I e-mailed Paul, and that became my first stop on my day off!
I took the subway to the Schmap office, which was easy enough to find. Paul greeted me and showed me around the office. I met people that I had only worked with remotely for over two years – it was great to put faces to names. Next, Paul took me to get dumplings for lunch. They were delicious. We caught up on each other’s lives, what the company was planning for the future, and our thoughts on China.
The next meeting I had planned was with a woman named Annette Fuller who graduated from UNC and now works in Beijing with China Daily. This publication has a print and online edition and is distributed all over China. I wanted to check out the differences between China Daily and China.org and connect with a fellow Tar Heel. She was very welcoming and helpful in showing me around the large office building, introducing me to a colleague, and chatting about everything—UNC Greek life, working for the Daily Tar Heel, the cost of living in China, working for the Chinese media and blogging.
Both were great opportunities that I’m glad I took the time for.
I had some free time before I planned on meeting up with Annie and Sherry for dinner, so I decided to do some shopping. I had heard of a place by Yashow Market that sold DVDs for less than 10 kuai, so I had to check it out. I ended up buying more than I should have, but how can you beat owning a DVD for $1.50, some that haven’t even been released on DVD in the States? Let’s hope customs doesn’t mind… I also bought a knock-off designer wallet, because… who comes to China and doesn’t buy knock-off merch??
I walked from the market to Nanluogu Xiang to meet up with Annie and Sherry. We ate dinner at Taste, where I had egg-fried water chestnuts and walnuts and rice. ‘Twas yummy.
The main reason for being at Nanluogu Xiang was to surprise Keith for his 24th birthday at 12SQM. Ithzel had planned the whole thing, and it went really well! Everyone was there that we had met through Keith in the past few weeks. I wish that we could have stayed longer, but it was Sherry’s first time in a bar and she was tired by 11 p.m.
We took the bus home, where a man started talking to me in Chinese when he saw that I was looking in my Lonely Planet book. He took the book from me and pointed somewhere on one of the maps. I pretended to understand, but Sherry explained to me that he was showing me where we were, in case I didn’t know. Apparently he worked for a Chinese travel agency and wanted to give me a warm welcome. He was so friendly, and I liked him even though most of our words were "Lost in Translation."
I decided to take my first of six allowed days off of work on Wednesday. It ended up being one of my favorite days in China.
Back home in the States, I have a great internship with Schmap, a web-based start-up. They have two offices: one in Carrboro, and the other, interestingly enough, in Beijing. The CEO, Paul Hallett, whom I have met a few times in Carrboro, has lived in Beijing for over 15 years and runs the company from that office. I e-mailed Paul, and that became my first stop on my day off!
I took the subway to the Schmap office, which was easy enough to find. Paul greeted me and showed me around the office. I met people that I had only worked with remotely for over two years – it was great to put faces to names. Next, Paul took me to get dumplings for lunch. They were delicious. We caught up on each other’s lives, what the company was planning for the future, and our thoughts on China.
The next meeting I had planned was with a woman named Annette Fuller who graduated from UNC and now works in Beijing with China Daily. This publication has a print and online edition and is distributed all over China. I wanted to check out the differences between China Daily and China.org and connect with a fellow Tar Heel. She was very welcoming and helpful in showing me around the large office building, introducing me to a colleague, and chatting about everything—UNC Greek life, working for the Daily Tar Heel, the cost of living in China, working for the Chinese media and blogging.
Both were great opportunities that I’m glad I took the time for.
I had some free time before I planned on meeting up with Annie and Sherry for dinner, so I decided to do some shopping. I had heard of a place by Yashow Market that sold DVDs for less than 10 kuai, so I had to check it out. I ended up buying more than I should have, but how can you beat owning a DVD for $1.50, some that haven’t even been released on DVD in the States? Let’s hope customs doesn’t mind… I also bought a knock-off designer wallet, because… who comes to China and doesn’t buy knock-off merch??
I walked from the market to Nanluogu Xiang to meet up with Annie and Sherry. We ate dinner at Taste, where I had egg-fried water chestnuts and walnuts and rice. ‘Twas yummy.
The main reason for being at Nanluogu Xiang was to surprise Keith for his 24th birthday at 12SQM. Ithzel had planned the whole thing, and it went really well! Everyone was there that we had met through Keith in the past few weeks. I wish that we could have stayed longer, but it was Sherry’s first time in a bar and she was tired by 11 p.m.
We took the bus home, where a man started talking to me in Chinese when he saw that I was looking in my Lonely Planet book. He took the book from me and pointed somewhere on one of the maps. I pretended to understand, but Sherry explained to me that he was showing me where we were, in case I didn’t know. Apparently he worked for a Chinese travel agency and wanted to give me a warm welcome. He was so friendly, and I liked him even though most of our words were "Lost in Translation."
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The next stop is SiDaoKouBei [37-39+Article]
The title: Annie has picked her Chinese name, SiDaoKouBei, based on our favorite bus stop. Also, China has decided that we are not only a couple, but we are married. And I should buy everything for her. Oh, China…
I felt like a real reporter for the first time in China on Monday. I went with Zhou Jing, a reporter for the world news section of China.org.cn, to the opening ceremony of a Czech astronomy exhibit at the Beijing Ancient Observatory. Apparently she has an “in” with the Czech embassy, so she always gets invited to these things and scored me an “exclusive interview” with the Czech ambassador. The story went well and was online by Tuesday. You can read it here.
After the great adventures of the weekend, I decided to take my explorer hat off for a day and go to spinning class at the gym after work instead. It kicked my butt, but it felt good to work that into my week again.
I donned the explorer hat again on Tuesday as Annie and I made our way to Joy City, a mall in Biejing. On the way there, we also came across 77th Street, an underground mall mostly for locals. The stuff was cool and relatively cheap, and I got a pair of just-for-show glasses, trendy by Chinese and American standards. At Joy City, I bought a new pair of flip flops from H&M for RMB 30 and a Blizzard from Dairy Queen - yummm.
Wednesday was a great day at work since my piece about Great Wall Fresh went online and was on the main page, along with my picture with Mr. Chen!
After work, Annie and I went to WuDouKou to meet up with a friend we made at the Great Wall Beach Party. He pointed us in the direction of Pyro Pizza, a popular hangout for foreigners in the university area. We had a great margarita pizza and mozzarella sticks. We will definitely be back there.
With no other plans in WuDouKou, we decided to explore the area. We came across an outdoor market that stretched on for a few blocks and had anything you could think of – clothes, food, pets, knock-offs, etc. I got a few things there – the best among them being The Karate Kid on DVD for RMB 5! It’s in English with Chinese subtitles and shows Jaden Smith in Beijing, so I thought it would be a great memory!
So much to look forward to this weekend – stay tuned! And if anyone back home wants anything from China, let me know. It’s all so cheap. Love.
I felt like a real reporter for the first time in China on Monday. I went with Zhou Jing, a reporter for the world news section of China.org.cn, to the opening ceremony of a Czech astronomy exhibit at the Beijing Ancient Observatory. Apparently she has an “in” with the Czech embassy, so she always gets invited to these things and scored me an “exclusive interview” with the Czech ambassador. The story went well and was online by Tuesday. You can read it here.
After the great adventures of the weekend, I decided to take my explorer hat off for a day and go to spinning class at the gym after work instead. It kicked my butt, but it felt good to work that into my week again.
I donned the explorer hat again on Tuesday as Annie and I made our way to Joy City, a mall in Biejing. On the way there, we also came across 77th Street, an underground mall mostly for locals. The stuff was cool and relatively cheap, and I got a pair of just-for-show glasses, trendy by Chinese and American standards. At Joy City, I bought a new pair of flip flops from H&M for RMB 30 and a Blizzard from Dairy Queen - yummm.
Wednesday was a great day at work since my piece about Great Wall Fresh went online and was on the main page, along with my picture with Mr. Chen!
After work, Annie and I went to WuDouKou to meet up with a friend we made at the Great Wall Beach Party. He pointed us in the direction of Pyro Pizza, a popular hangout for foreigners in the university area. We had a great margarita pizza and mozzarella sticks. We will definitely be back there.
With no other plans in WuDouKou, we decided to explore the area. We came across an outdoor market that stretched on for a few blocks and had anything you could think of – clothes, food, pets, knock-offs, etc. I got a few things there – the best among them being The Karate Kid on DVD for RMB 5! It’s in English with Chinese subtitles and shows Jaden Smith in Beijing, so I thought it would be a great memory!
So much to look forward to this weekend – stay tuned! And if anyone back home wants anything from China, let me know. It’s all so cheap. Love.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
We’re in the bird-fart of China [34-36+Article]
Such an incredible weekend. Here goes.
Friday after work, Annie and I decided to take a bus to Gulou Dajie, a street full of vintage clothing and milk tea shops. The bus trip was a success, but once we got there, it was basically pouring. We rifled through clothes at Mega Mega Vintage and a couple of other stores before giving up and sloshing through the flooded streets to get back to our apartment. I went to bed soon thereafter to rest up for GREAT WALL FRESH!!
Great Wall Fresh was something that I had read about very early in my trip to China and knew I wanted to try out. It’s the opposite of a tourist’s visit to the Great Wall of China. This means no crowds, no annoying hawkers, and consequently, no spoken English. I proposed writing a story about the event to Catherine before I left. She approved and said they would pay for the visit, which included transportation, three meals, one night’s stay, and a hike along the authentic Great Wall. Catherine sent me with Pang Li, the guy in my office that sits behind me, to interpret the interviews. You can read the article here. It was on the China.org.cn homepage Wednesday!
The experience was spectacular and completely unforgettable. Pang Li helped immensely, especially getting to and from the Chen family farm (this is where Great Wall Fresh is. It’s run by the most lovely couple ever, the Chens). We had a great time getting to know each other and talking about American cinema and music. He’s so passionate about American culture; it breaks my heart that he’s never been to the States!
We were the only ones there for the weekend, making it very peaceful. There were several times that I just sat there (channeling Buddha?) taking it all in. Once we got to the farm, we had the most delicious lunch I’ve ever eaten. Even better, it was all grown organically and picked by hand from their gardens. This is something that can’t be expressed in a blog or a picture, but please take my word for it, the food was fantastic.
We then chose a trail to hike for the afternoon. It had rained all morning, so Mr. Chen advised us to take the “Easy Over” trail, which is “relatively easy.” Heck no, I said. I wanted a challenge! So we chose “Hunchback curve” instead, which was named for a part in the Wall where it literally bends like a switchback… or a hunchback, I suppose.
Pang Li was hilarious throughout the hike, letting out a constant stream of English and Chinese profanity as he struggled up and down the Wall. We hiked straight into the clouds, which provided for some “mysterious” shots, as Pang Li said.
Dinner that night was equally amazing, with our glasses constantly being filled with pijiu. Tea followed, while I interviewed Mr. and Mrs. Chen with Pang Li interpreting. There was a lot of laughter, and even though I only got the tail end of what the Chens were saying, I could tell the Chens had good hearts. At one point, Mr. Chen said that I had a bright future. It’s hard to pick a favorite part from my favorite day in China, but that might have been it.
The next morning, we had the best noodles I’ve ever tasted for breakfast, signed the guest book, and set off for Beijing, saying “zai jian” to the Chens. Having this trip alone paid for made it worth putting up with some of the frustrating parts of my internship.
When I got back, the UNC interns and professors went to Karen, a China.org employee’s house for a dumpling party. Celine, Catherine, and some other employees were there, along with Karen’s family. We learned how to make fried and boiled dumplings. It was a nice evening, once again filled with food and constantly filled glasses, this time with wine that Dean Cole provided as a gift to Karen’s family.
:D
Friday after work, Annie and I decided to take a bus to Gulou Dajie, a street full of vintage clothing and milk tea shops. The bus trip was a success, but once we got there, it was basically pouring. We rifled through clothes at Mega Mega Vintage and a couple of other stores before giving up and sloshing through the flooded streets to get back to our apartment. I went to bed soon thereafter to rest up for GREAT WALL FRESH!!
Great Wall Fresh was something that I had read about very early in my trip to China and knew I wanted to try out. It’s the opposite of a tourist’s visit to the Great Wall of China. This means no crowds, no annoying hawkers, and consequently, no spoken English. I proposed writing a story about the event to Catherine before I left. She approved and said they would pay for the visit, which included transportation, three meals, one night’s stay, and a hike along the authentic Great Wall. Catherine sent me with Pang Li, the guy in my office that sits behind me, to interpret the interviews. You can read the article here. It was on the China.org.cn homepage Wednesday!
The experience was spectacular and completely unforgettable. Pang Li helped immensely, especially getting to and from the Chen family farm (this is where Great Wall Fresh is. It’s run by the most lovely couple ever, the Chens). We had a great time getting to know each other and talking about American cinema and music. He’s so passionate about American culture; it breaks my heart that he’s never been to the States!
We were the only ones there for the weekend, making it very peaceful. There were several times that I just sat there (channeling Buddha?) taking it all in. Once we got to the farm, we had the most delicious lunch I’ve ever eaten. Even better, it was all grown organically and picked by hand from their gardens. This is something that can’t be expressed in a blog or a picture, but please take my word for it, the food was fantastic.
We then chose a trail to hike for the afternoon. It had rained all morning, so Mr. Chen advised us to take the “Easy Over” trail, which is “relatively easy.” Heck no, I said. I wanted a challenge! So we chose “Hunchback curve” instead, which was named for a part in the Wall where it literally bends like a switchback… or a hunchback, I suppose.
Pang Li was hilarious throughout the hike, letting out a constant stream of English and Chinese profanity as he struggled up and down the Wall. We hiked straight into the clouds, which provided for some “mysterious” shots, as Pang Li said.
Dinner that night was equally amazing, with our glasses constantly being filled with pijiu. Tea followed, while I interviewed Mr. and Mrs. Chen with Pang Li interpreting. There was a lot of laughter, and even though I only got the tail end of what the Chens were saying, I could tell the Chens had good hearts. At one point, Mr. Chen said that I had a bright future. It’s hard to pick a favorite part from my favorite day in China, but that might have been it.
The next morning, we had the best noodles I’ve ever tasted for breakfast, signed the guest book, and set off for Beijing, saying “zai jian” to the Chens. Having this trip alone paid for made it worth putting up with some of the frustrating parts of my internship.
When I got back, the UNC interns and professors went to Karen, a China.org employee’s house for a dumpling party. Celine, Catherine, and some other employees were there, along with Karen’s family. We learned how to make fried and boiled dumplings. It was a nice evening, once again filled with food and constantly filled glasses, this time with wine that Dean Cole provided as a gift to Karen’s family.
:D
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Duerme poco, haz muchas cosas [26-27]
This week has continued to get better and better.
Thursday night, Annie and I were invited to Keith's apartment to hang out and go to Xiu, a bar in Beijing. We tried to take a bus, but that failed epically. We were just about to give up on the night when Keith persuaded us to take a taxi.
When we got to Keith's, Tobias, Lenoir, and Keith's classmate, Conrad were already there. Tobias also brought his puppy. I wish I could remember the puppy's name, but it was the Chinese version of the quote "C'est la vie" and he was only a few months old.
We ended up just drinking pijiu and not going to Xiu. My favorite part of the night was meeting Conrad, a guy from Spain who is studying Chinese. His English was good, but I really enjoyed speaking Spanish with him. He spoke slow and clear, so it was great practice for me. Also, he had such a great outlook on living in China. He told me that while I was here, I should "duerme poco, haz muchas cosas," or "sleep little, do many things." It really made me excited to be living in China all over again.
I didn't waste any time not wasting my time in Beijing. Friday after work, Annie and I took the subway to a mall because Ithzel texted Annie about a sale at H&M. This mall was very impressive - we didn't have enough time to see everything, so we will definitely be back. I picked out a shirt I liked in a store called Me & City. When I went to ring it up, someone explained to me that the shirts were buy one, get one free. Don't see that often in nice malls in the States, eh?
Annie and I ended up getting separated, and I was on my own getting back home. It was a little freaky at first, but I was glad to know that if it happens again, I'll live.
Thursday night, Annie and I were invited to Keith's apartment to hang out and go to Xiu, a bar in Beijing. We tried to take a bus, but that failed epically. We were just about to give up on the night when Keith persuaded us to take a taxi.
When we got to Keith's, Tobias, Lenoir, and Keith's classmate, Conrad were already there. Tobias also brought his puppy. I wish I could remember the puppy's name, but it was the Chinese version of the quote "C'est la vie" and he was only a few months old.
We ended up just drinking pijiu and not going to Xiu. My favorite part of the night was meeting Conrad, a guy from Spain who is studying Chinese. His English was good, but I really enjoyed speaking Spanish with him. He spoke slow and clear, so it was great practice for me. Also, he had such a great outlook on living in China. He told me that while I was here, I should "duerme poco, haz muchas cosas," or "sleep little, do many things." It really made me excited to be living in China all over again.
I didn't waste any time not wasting my time in Beijing. Friday after work, Annie and I took the subway to a mall because Ithzel texted Annie about a sale at H&M. This mall was very impressive - we didn't have enough time to see everything, so we will definitely be back. I picked out a shirt I liked in a store called Me & City. When I went to ring it up, someone explained to me that the shirts were buy one, get one free. Don't see that often in nice malls in the States, eh?
Annie and I ended up getting separated, and I was on my own getting back home. It was a little freaky at first, but I was glad to know that if it happens again, I'll live.
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
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.
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!
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.
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!
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