London

I am sitting in Audre's room in the Borough of Southwark in London. I love this city. I don't have time to write a complete post right now and won't until I get to Poland probably, but I had to say I love this diverse, fashionable, clean, historic, amazing, EXPENSIVE city.

My Visitor

Hellooooooo friends! Today is my last day of work before the Spring Festival! Everyone else is working until the 28th, but I took the next week off because Ayman will be here! I am so excited for that, I can't really write much because that would be boring for you all! He is coming on the 25th in the morning and I'm going to stay in GZ all weekend and then pick him up at the train station on Tuesday!!! sljkfafjsdlkfnalkfpe yayyy! On the 28th him and I are going to a huge company dinner at the only five star hotel we have around here to celebrate the Chinese New Year with people from my division. Supposedly there will be a raffle for about 3,000Yuan, which is a little over $500. Boy would I like to win that! I'm going to wear my lucky bracelets that night. hehehe. During this dinner, we also have performances and of course I have to dance in front of everyone in my company. Each division has to come up with a show. It's all for fun but I'll be the only foreigner there... actually no, because Ayman will be there!!! Still, embarrassing! I have to come up with a dance, which I already have a while ago, to that "Sorry, Sorry" song! Tonight I am supposed to teach it to everyone and practice some new Chinese song I will also have to learn. Don't worry, pictures will be posted to facebook.

I told myself I wouldn't really travel over the holidays, but since Ayman will be coming we are going to Hong Kong (yayyyyyy), Macau, Shenzhen, obviously we'll tour Guangzhou and then Hainan! [Side note: Hainan is the southernmost province in China and it is an island. Ayman and I will be going to the southernmost city and getting our tan on. The weather is supposed to be around 70 degrees F in February] I am pretty excited to go to Hainan because I haven't been and it's supposed to be like the Chinese Hawaii... which I don't believe, but nonetheless I have some great plans for us! We already booked our hostels, but we have yet to book train tickets. I hope the train to HK will not be sold out (there are like 15 in a day so I think we should be fine). We decided to take the train from GZ to Sanya (Hainan) because although it ends up being more expensive than a plane, we will not arrive at some weird middle of the night hour, and we won't have to pay for a hostel the night we would have arrived (if we took a plane). We're crossing our fingers that we can get a train (there are three from GZ so hopefully we can if worst come to worst, stand on one). I think if we were to stand though, him and I would just take a plane! It's going to be amazing because we haven't seen each other in over 10 months and we'll be in one of my favorite cities: Hong Kong, which is super romantic and so Ayman and I. We're both super into fashion, city trends, big cities, culture, going out. Perfecto! Hong Kong IS the place to be at our age. Actually, we will be in HK on the day of the Chinese New Year so I'm excited to see how people will be celebrating. The only bad thing about traveling during this time is: Prices, crowds, over-crowding. The hostels are much more expensive, tickets are much more difficult to get (as we saw with Ayman who stood in line for 4 hours only to get standing tickets) AND crowds will be disastrous in HK and Macau I think. I hope a lot of people will go back to their homes in small cities to be with their families so that we can travel in peace. Also, let's hope I get super tan in Hainan!!!

DANGER

I'll begin this post with the danger aspect of China (and a little bit of trickery). Let me explain how I often get home from Guangzhou. I live about 40 minutes away by bus, but 30 minutes by car. If I stay in Guangzhou until Monday morning, I can take the bus, but if I leave Sunday night I always have to take a "taxi". By "taxi" I mean a car that is a total rip off (painted like a taxi) OR not even a real taxi, instead a person in their personal car driving people around to make money. As far as I know in the US, when we take a taxi it is always metered. Here, what I do is take the subway to a district in the south of Guangzhou to the bus station. At the bus station I choose NOT to take a bus because Sundays are so jam packet that I don't mind paying the 12 Yuan more to take a "taxi". So from this metro station, I have to bargain with "taxi drivers". If I were to get a taxi from here to where I live with three other people it would cost about 50 Yuan metered, so a little more than 10 Yuan each. Instead, what they do is charge you 80 for one person from the get-go, or 25 per person (sometimes 30 or 35). This is when I have to bargain because I know I can get home for 20 and that is the most fair price. So after bargaining or arguing someone usually comes up to me and says 20, and then I have to wait for this driver to find more people so he can make the most out of this trip (that is what they all do). This takes about 20 minutes since all the drivers at this stop are trying to con people into going with them. Last time I went home in a mini- mini van. Yesterday I told the people shouting at me coming out of the metro, "20 YUAN!" The first guy said no, 25 (all in Chinese or even worse Cantonese which I understand a little duh) and then I was walking away and some lady said "Girl, 20!!!" and some other stuff I didn't understand. I went to where her husband, I'm assuming, was waiting by his car with a walkie talkie as she got people to go with him. Anyway, I waited five minutes, got in the car and went home. I saw that one of the guys in the back gave the driver 25 and when I got to my stop another guy was also getting out and I handed the driver a 20 and so did he (he also went in the car the same time I did) and the driver looked at me and said "25". I started getting pissed because I was not in the mood to argue and deal with their tricky conning, so I just yelled and looked mad and got out of the car, while the guy in the back explained that the woman told us 20 each. Go fuck yourself you fucking shithole driver. I am so sick of certain Chinese people trying to con me out of my money. Everywhere I go I have to experience this. In the fruit market, in the vegetable market, getting a cab, getting dumplings... one day I would just like to go through the day without stares AND without getting hassled and with fair prices and without fucking "Hallooooos". UGH as you can see TEN months in China really hits a person hard. HAHAHHA. That is how drivers get you though, they tell you a price before, you agree then they ask for more. I noticed most Chinese people don't argue for some reason and just give the driver the amount he demands. But not me. My point is it is probably dangerous to get in with people like this because 1 they are not the safest drivers and 2 who knows where they'll take you 3 who knows what kind of weapons they have?

When I went shopping yesterday the line to get into the subway was HORRIBLE. They had the entrance barricaded and police watching and then letting in a crowd of people while the others had to wait in a huge crowd behind those few being let in (so the subway area wasn't too crowded). No way was I going back in with that group of people. So when I was finished shopping which totally wore me out because they all gave me high proces and it was Sunday night and I was NOT IN THE MOOD to bargain, I went back to the subway. The line was even longer, so I walked on the left side where people were coming out of the subway. The first person didn't stop me but a subway worker then wouldn't let me go through and LUCKILY he didn't speak English so I was raising my voice to him blah blah. Then I just stood there and yelled at him saying I would not get into that huge dangerous crowd. He then called the police man and my plan was to start crying because I KNOW that there is no way HE would speak English. So he just motioned for me to get in line and I said NO. I stood there with my arms crossed and the policeman whispered something to the subway worker and he left. So then I waited a minute and said "Ok I'm going" and walked away. That was my police encounter. Sometimes I really hate China (but sometimes there are days where I love it) I just sit on the subway though and most of the time think how these people are screwed. They know nothing better than crowds, Communism, low salaries... and I do feel bad, but this place is so incredibly shitty sometimes for the actual Chinese citizens. I mean look at all the work they do and the lack of rewards and money they get. And look at how they have to shop for their whole lives. And look at how they aspire to the West, but are so incredibly lacking. I really do feel bad for saying all this stuff but it makes me love the US, seriously. I am so happy I can shop in peace with only store attendants sometimes bothering me (not like China where they follow you around and suggest ugly stuff to buy). I am happy I can return items. I am happy I can go to the grocery store and not see DEAD dogs on the counter for sale. I am happy I have a car. I am just so happy to be a Western citizen, seriously. Thank you mom and dad :) Is that wrong for me to say? Being in China really DOES make you appreciate what you have. Then again, I will miss the $1.50 manicures, the $8 70-minute massages... I guess there's good AND bad.

So next item on the agenda is bundled up babies. To stay warm, people dress their babies in LAYERS AND LAYERS AND LAYERS (and keep in mind some of these clothes still have that poop hole). I see adorable little babies that look so huge because they have on like a billion sweaters. Chinese people really need to kick it into this CENTURY with the heating situation. Still the babies are adorable and look so fat and cute.

Anyway, three more weeks until Chinese New Year, which is their biggest holiday! VACATION time!

10 months in ZhongGuo

I must say the feeling I am experiencing is weird. I have been in China for ten months already and I am starting to wonder about the culture shock when I go back to the US. I have decided that I won't tell anyone the exact day of when I will be back in the US because I want to surprise my best friend so that she pees her pants! Hehehhe wifey are you ready? I will say that the plan is like this: I will leave China a little after my year deadline hits and will go to London to visit Audre for a week or so (I miss her already). After London I am planning on flying to Poland to see my family and I'll stay there at least until Easter. After that I will go to Russia for a bit to visit friends in St.Petersburg and Moscow and then I will head home about this time (except I have to get a Russian visa, so hopefully that works out). I am not sure if I can make any stops in New York or LA before Chicago, but I'll try to see some friends. I've looked up tickets already and they are pretty pricey... but I still want to go. While I'm in Poland I plan on visiting family and friends and of course getting my Polish (EUROPEAN UNION) passport re-newed!!! YES! And then I will officially be able to easily do my Master's in Europe if I so choose AND travel without the hassle of being American... and of course I'd be able to visit countries Americans are advised not to visit, because of my wonderful Polish passport... that's what I'm telling myself at least. It's good to not be American in some places (China is not one of them) so I will HOPEFULLY have the best of both world's soon.

I would like to announce that I have started learning Chinese already, if you count once a week for about an hour learning... I REALLY need to pick up the pace here.

I went to Hong Kong for Christmas with Monika and we went out with Doug (the guy from the train the other time I went to HK) which was awesome... end of story will not say more just in case family is reading this. It was a great night overall and Kenneth also joined us. Great to know vodka redbull is still my drink of choice and really gets my energy pumping!!! When I woke up in the morning I was also very happy to find that I had taken off my makeup and taken out my contacts... that's a first after a night out like THAT! I was really sad that this was a Christmas I didn't get to spend with my family :( It didn't really feel like Christmas. On Christmas day we went to Hong Kong Disneyland which was pretty fun, except I expected it to be bigger and we didn't even get pictures with any of the princesses or Mickey and Minnie. What a shame! They didn't walk around the park like I'm assuming they do in Florida or California. That night was so cold so we decided NOT to go out but walk around the city instead. The next day we also did some sight-seeing because this was Monika's first time in Hong Kong. She said it's her favorite city after some city in Spain and after London... Cool! Oh, I would also like to say I have a Hong Kong phone number which is pretty amazing for me, because it's like I'm a semi-resident of Hong Kong AND of China. Monika and I took the train from HK to Shenzhen this time and then bought more expensive tickets to go back to GZ from Shenzhen so we could come home half an hour faster... Well interestingly enough we missed our train because Monika's PHONE CLOCK was off my 20 minutes. I was panicking a little inside (granted this isn't like missing your train in Shanghai and almost not having a train home when your sister has a flight to catch :/ ) but we just sat on the next train and no one even checked our tickets once we got on (and we showed the tickets we had to two people who worked at the station and they just told us to keep going. They didn't even BOTHER to tell us our train had left. Chinese face). Then I had to stay in GZ that night and went home in the morning!

Last week was my birthday, yayyy and I'm now 24. I feel like when I say that it seems old, but I feel young at heart... it's so weird to be almost 25. Shit. For my birthday I was supposed to go to Beijing to visit Ayman but last minute we had a change of plans, so I stayed with friends in Guangzhou. I bought a new dress for New Year's in Hong Kong and Monika and I got our hair done, which turned out awesome and we went out with the British boys and girls and had a blast! I mean New Years in China is definitely different than New Years in the US (no fireworks as far as I saw) but now I'll just have to party twice as hard when I go back home. I have a feeling my first month back in the US will be crazy. I'll be traveling from city to city seeing people and celebrating just being back to civilization and with people I love. Allie asked me if I'm worried about the culture shock... and I am a little. I'm mostly worried about getting fat since I am eating pretty regularly and healthily here... and once I go to the US everyone will be feeding me spicy cheetos. I think my stomach will explode! Anyway HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (I'm celebrating again this weekend with friends who were out of town for New Years) and also... CONGRATULATIONS to the bestest friend a girl could ask for on her engagement. I can't wait until the wedding and I am sooooo excited for you two!

Now, let's continue on to the freezing weather here. It's not too cold here but I can't even judge and compare it anymore because this is so different than the Chicago winters I'm used to. I just checked the weather and it's 44 degrees out right now. Well, like I mentioned in my previous post... THERE IS NO HEATING ANYWHERE! Serena bought TWO heaters for her apartment because she has no heating and I have my wall airconditioner always turned on (thank God this one has a heating function) to 30 degrees Celsius which is the highest it will go. It doesn't help that my shower fluctuates from scalding hot to freezing so I have to stand in the cold sometimes while waiting for the water to turn cold and my bathroom is ALWAYS cold. Not only that, but my sink has FREEZING water only... so it's horrible when I have to brush my teeth in the morning and wash my face with freezing water. Brrrrrr. Even now my fingers are barely working because it's so cold at work... :( I asked some people yesterday how the heck they stay warm and I got some ideas. My friend Simi told me that Chinese people believe most heat is lost through your feet, so before you go to sleep you can soak your feet in very hot water and it'll warm up your body. They also told me to add blankets to my bed. I have noticed people at work bringing some ice pack looking things and holding them in their hands all day. I guess the point is to put boiling water in the pack then hold your hands on it all day so it keeps them warm. I feel like in the US I would look like such an idiot now. I am wearing black boots, black pants, a green 3/4 sleeve shirt, my PINK Bears sweatshirt, my green Northface fleece, AND a gray hat that also has a scarf attached with little ears and buttons for the eyes. I can't even look cute to work because IT'S TOO COLD TO WEAR ANYTHING CUTE!!! Ugh this weather and non-heating is really starting to get to me. I guess I'm just used to proper heating so this is killing meeeeeee. Oh yea, and Jessica told me she sleeps with her little warm water case, so THAT keeps her warm. Note to myself- buy one! I know when your stomach hurts, it's good to put a warm towel on it (my grandma did that for me when I was younger in Poland), so I'm going to buy this pack here and then make use of it in the US. On that note, I am getting a little worried with what I'm going to do with all my stuff when I go back. I think I will have to ship and give away a lot of stuff. Too bad! Southern China really needs to invest some money into heating buildings and houses because ll this energy saving IS NOT working... for me at least.

Before the New Year's vacation we got two cakes for my birthday at work and they were delicious! Too bad I didn't have my camera because they were so pretty too. One of my coworkers gave me a sporty purse from some famous Chinese company and another one of my Chinese friends gave me a thermos matching hers which is cute! Yesterday, my old supervisor who went to another department gave me two Chinese bracelets as a birthday present. One is red and has a silver rabbit attached to it. I know that this bracelet is supposed to give you good luck and protect you from evil spirits. The rabbit is on there because this upcoming year (Chinese New Year has not occurred yet. It'll be on February third) will be the year of the rabbit, and this will remind me when I got the bracelet. I might have mentioned this before but since I was born in 1987 I am technically supposed to be a rabbit also, but since my birthday is at the end of the year in the solar calendar, I am actually a tiger and not a rabbit (the tiger year is the year before the rabbit year). I hope this bracelet does bring me good luck this year though! A ton of Chinese people wear these bracelets on their ankles and wrists. I also got a black beaded bracelet with a brown glass bead in the middle with a white squiggle, which is also supposedly tradition Chinese. I love gifts like this! Ok, my hands are freezing now so time to end this post.

Guangdong Winter

Ahhhh! It's freezing here! Ok, not freezing per se, but it is cold. No I am not in Beijing, in Harbin, or even in the North! I am in the South, but it's still so cold. I did last through Chicago and Madison winters though, but the drop from warm to cold was so sudden here (it happened in ONE DAY) that I haven't gotten used to the cold. The only piece of warm clothing I actually brought from the US with me is my NorthFace fleece, and that isn't doing it's job! I spend a ton of time outside, walking or riding a motorcycle everywhere, so that is a negative. The worst part is that homes AND buildings here do not have heat. No heat? YES!

You would think that an area which is warm most of the year would still be prepared and hate the cold. Well they are NOT prepared. Where I work there is no heating whatsoever. I remember when I first came to China and people always wore their jackets in the office and I thought it was so weird. A jacket is made for the outside right? No, I guess not. Everyone here wears a winter jacket inside because there is no heat and even worse, some windows are open. Why the hell would you open windows when it is so cold outside? "To let in the fresh air". What FRESH air? There are factories all around here, everything is polluted. Anyway, the temperature here is 37 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not even too sure why it's affecting me so much. Maybe because for the last eight months it has been warm at least and now suddenly it's chilly... And everyone tells me to buy a warm jacket and warm clothes and boots. I don't feel like wasting money on ugly stuff that I will only wear for about 10 more days... which is supposedly how long this will last.

--- 4 days later

It's not cold anymore, really. The temperature is now 76 degrees. What in the world? Well a few days ago I heard somewhere that a cold front hit southern China, which is why I was freezing, I'm sure. Now I can walk outside with a long sleeve shirt on and I'm fine! Much better. I can't believe it's almost Christmas. This Christmas I am going to Hong Kong and will go to Disneyland on Christmas day with Monika. I have been to busy to buy gifts or anything like that, so I still have to go shopping for my friends. It doesn't feel like Christmas time to be honest. Everything that I associate with Christmas is lacking in China. No decorations, no snow, no family, no Church things, no freezing weather, no Christmas lists, no NOTHING :( Christmas in China sucks compared to Christmas time with my family in the US. At least for Easter I'll be in Poland or in the US with my family... phew. I told Monika I was going to go to Midnight Mass in Hong Kong and I think she said she'd go with me. This will be my first Midnight Mass (as far as I remember) in English instead of Polish... who knows, it might even be in Cantonese which would be pretty cool. It doesn't even feel like my birthday is coming up because it always gets overshadowed by Christmas and NOW it's overshadowed by Christmas partially AND the fact that it doesn't feel like the winter season. I've almost been in China for a year... wow. I can't really believe it! Soon I'll have to write a blog post reminiscing and remembering this whole year... sad. A lot has changed in a year.

HONG KONG II

Let me begin by saying that Hong Kong was so much fun, that I left it my voice. Yes, I can barely speak now and when I do I sound like a croaking frog (or Femme Fatale as Audre puts it). It doesn't help that I was sick before I went to Hong Kong and made it worse by barely sleeping. This weekend was amazing. A M A Z I N G. Did you get that? I have to take back most of what I said about Hong Kong last time because last time was a fluke! This time I stayed on Hong Kong Island which is so much incredibly better than Kowloon. Kowloon is closer to China therefore more Chinese. In HKI people speak English, dress well, act civilized, and are loaded, which helps because I can just look at the fancy cars and the fancy clothes: H O N G K O N G F A N C Y as I said on facebook. I fell in love with Hong Kong. I could see myself living there for a year or two, but more time there would make me tired I think. Hong Kong has a different attitude. Life is fast, people move quickly, people know where to go, people have a lot of money, and people there are just amazing. I could definitely live there...

So let me begin with Friday. On Friday morning I woke up at Monika's and got ready to go to the train station. I had to take a bus, then the subway for more than an hour with three line changes. I was tired by this time because the mini-suitcase I brought (specifically with wheels) had broken the night before so now I had to actually carry a weekend bag. UGH. Chinese garbage. I had to wait at the train station also for an hour, then someone was in my seat but I saw that she was American and with her family so I just let her stay there and sat down in HER seat... which ended up being perfect because I sat next to some guy who could actually speak English and began talking to me... in a mostly American accent. He also works in China in the next city next to mine, and get this... he has a Hong Kong and American citizenship. His dad lives in Switzerland, mom in the US (they both used to live in Hong Kong). His grandfather was in the US air force and that is how his mother's family came to live in Hong Kong. He lived in Texas for a bit then went to college in New York and now lives in Hong Kong and in China on the weekdays! WOW. I think everyone you meet in Hong Kong who is not Cantonese (or originally Hong Kongese) has a diverse background. Therefore, Hong Kong really is an international city. Sidenote: I don't know if you would call Hong Kong a city... because there are four parts of it, and the best is Hong Kong Island. The airport is on Lantau Island, the northernmost part (and therefore next to China) is what is called New Terrirories (what Hong Kong people call Bumblefuck... because it is more Chinese), then Kowloon to the south (also very Chinese) and like I said, my favorite- Hong Kong Island (with the best shops, most touristy areas, bright lights, and what we all think of as being Hong Kong). There are other outlying islands in Hong Kong, but I don't think the subway even connects to those. To get from HKI to Kowloon you can take a taxi which goes through a tunnel underwater, the subway or the best most scenic route-- the Star Ferry (which only costs 2HKD!). I am very snobby now when it comes to talking about this because Kowloon and the island are so different from each other (and I'm so used to CHINA). Even some Hong Kong people think so and agree, and I can tell (they don't hide their opinions of the Mainland Chinese). I won't get too much into it, but Hong Kong people are... I can't think of the right word because it will make them sound bad, but actually it's not bad, it's just the truth. For example, what people in New York City think of those who live in the outskirts of the state... except much worse since these people are then more similar to China... which is then looked down upon. You need to see and witness it to believe it, but basically I went from a random town in Kansas to New York this weekend (metaphorically speaking), and therefore, who wouldn't LOVE Hong Kong? Audre did point out though that if I came from the US and went to visit Hong Kong wihtout seeing China first, I would think Hong Kong is so incredibly Chinese, but since I went to China first and saw THAT MESS, I think Kong Kong is so Western with a twist of Canton (not even China... because I don't want to taint Hong Kong). Hong Kong has the best of both.

As I was saying... (did I mention I love Hong Kong?). So my new friend told me which bus to take to the hostel and of course I got off to early and had to carry my stupid bag, but eventually found the hostel and dropped off my things, then went to walk around. I ate McDonalds (they have a special from 5 to 9 PM which includes a drink, fries, and either the McChicken or Big Mac or something else, but of course I got the Big Mac)... actually I ate at McDonalds twice in five hours but what??? I WAS HUNGRY. Oh yea and that meal costs 20 HKD, which is about $3). mmmmm. McDonalds is bad for you, but tastes so goooood, especially since I never eat it in China. Going back to the US is going to be a problem for my figure. Anyway I walked around Causeway Bay, Wanchai, Times Square and just enjoyed being in Hong Kong... away from China. I think the locals were looking at me like I was crazy. I was just smiling looking around and taking pictures... a true definition of tourist. It was great. And I ate some oranges. Oh yea, and when people don't speak English (which they do on the island... it's much more Western friendly on HKI vs Kowloon!!! Almost everyone spoke English as well as Cantonese. Serena's cousin said the people who don't speak English don't typically live on HKI or are from the Mainland) you know they are not from HKI, but most likely from the mainland. I walked around then waited for everyone to get to Hong Kong. Eventually I met with Omar and got our room. Then I met up with my friend from high school (how weird, in HK!) and luckily my Chinese phone worked there, but I still eventually got a HK SIM card because I have a feeling I'll visit this place a few more times before I leave... and then will come back!!! Randomly, we found Matt at the subway station and we all went to eat. Well, I didn't eat since I had just been a fat ass and gotten McDonalds the hour before, but we chatted etc. Later we went to meet Audre at the hostel and chilled for a bit. Serena then came and finally we were all there, so we got ready to go out. We went to LKF (don't know how to spell out the whole name) but it is the most famous place to go in Hong Kong at night. It is filled with foreigners... except I don't like the place, I just like that we went to a club after standing outside and chatting. The club was great, the atmosphere was great, and I bought a vodka redbull for 100HKD, which was not great but worth it. We danced until about 5AM then went home and to sleep right away. I love hong kong. Did I mention that we got a room with two twin beds for 5 people so we put the beds together and slept sideways? Comfy. When I woke up my throat and head hurt and my cold was getting worse! I took medicine, drank a lot of water, went on facebook legally and then started getting ready. We switched rooms in the hostel and headed out to meet Serena's uncle, who invited us to lunch. We walked around, took a bus, then a ferry to a restaurant called The Jumbo (or something of that sort). Uncle Jimmy spoke with the old owner on the ferry and she got us a table with no wait (there was a loooong wait) and we ordered dim sum. Delicious. We spoke about China, Hong Kong, HK and British colonies... etc etc. HK is so different from China.

... One week later...

This is how my blog posts work... it takes me about a week and a half to write them. I don't remember what I wrote last week so let me continue... after meeting with Uncle Jimmy, Matt and I went to look around for headphones. My headphones were busted so I needed new ones and HK is the best place to buy electronics around here I guess. Joanna did buy headphones when she was ain Shanghai for 10Yuan, but I bought some for 70HKD. For that price they better be real. Then we went shopping to the Ladies Market and met with Serena and her cousin for a sushi dinner. The food and company was great (and delicious heheheh). After sushi in Times Square we went for dessert at some place where we ordered mango jello, mango jello cakes, fried bananas, fruit and some other dishes I cannot remember. YUM. And this is why I am becoming a fat ass again. I NEEDED to shop so of course we went into a store and I found a great scarf, a fluffy overcoat thing, and a nice sweater. I'm surprised I didn't buy more (well I did in the same store, but the next day!) I love shopping. Hong Kong is expensive compared to China, but some things are of better quality and are the same price. Name brands are cheaper (like makeup), but still more than in the US. I did want to buy some makeup in Hong Kong, but I am just going to wait until I go back home... At night we went out to that street again but this time did not go to a club. We did go into a place with a tiny dance floor but they kicked us out because in order to stay there we had to each buy a drink and Omar doesn't even drink, he's super Muslim (what do you call that. A practicing Muslim? A conservative Muslim?)... so we went to another place and were the only ones dancing on the dance floor. I realized I am more of a club girl unless I'm with my boo at a bar and it's a date (or I'm just in my boo's presence). I don't particularly likes sitting around talking to people because if I'm going to get dressed up and looking cute... I want to enjoy myself and dance! I guess that's just me because Serena likes either option, Audre hates clubs. Plus I was wearing my tallest heels and that area is not a good one to walk around in, so my feet were dying. I passed out right when we got back to the hostel.

Sunday, Audre, Omar and I went to eat and then Audre and I went to the harbor to take pictures and so she could officially say goodbye to Hong Kong (Audre is leaving on the 14th back to Lithuania then to do her Masters in the UK) :( We took some great pictures and... I really love Hong Kong. I am thinking about somehow searching for a job there for the next year. I am young and this is the perfect time to be in Hong Kong... except I most likely will go broke doing that. Anyway, random comment. Audre and I took the ferry, ate some egg tarts, embarrassed ourselves in front of some professional cute Hong Kong looking Westerner sitting in front of us, and I also made Audre go into Tiffany's with me. She's never been in one so I showed her around. The jewelry they had in this particular store was incredible... I could use some of those pieces. HINT HINT FUTURE HUSBAND 8D ;) :] Hee hee hee. The Hong Kong vibe is just incredible. I feel it makes me want to look my best just so that I could be at the same level as the Hong Kong Island natives. If I become super rich I am getting a condo in Hong Kong. Maybe I'll get a job where I can occasionally travel there... daydreaming. If by now you can't tell how much I love it there-- no comment. Audre and I then ended up at the train station and we headed back to China. Interestingly, there were two Polish men on the train from HK to GZ and they said "These ladies are also going to China" in Polish, so I responded "Yes, we are" also in Polish, and then they said something that I didn't pay attention to. Oh, and at this point my voice was still hoarse and almost gone. Another cool thing was that I saw two black guys (I'm pointing out black because this is rarely seen in my vicinity, especially FROM THE US) who had to be from the US and one of them reminded me of my booski because he was wearing almost the same shoes that I got him for Christmas last year, with his jeans tucked into them. I miss US men's fashion. China is NO WHERE near the same level... not even on the same page, not even in the same chapter, not even in the same book :( I am deprived of good fashion in China. All I see are wannabe Chinese guys trying to be Western which makes them just look stupid. Am I a bitch for this? Because Serena, Audre and I talk about this all the time. What is up with Chinese people trying to denounce their own culture and say they are Western etc? This is just another blog post so I won't get into it. Fashion is doing your own thing and still looking good. Not copying other people to a T.

Hong Kong was great so I'm excited to go on Christmas. Speaking of Christmas this is the first one which I won't spend with my family and with snow. It's so weird. I love being home on Christmas and hanging out with my cousins and listening to my dad's corny Christmas carols in Polish, and going to Midnight mass. And I'll even miss sharing the oplatek with everyone of my family members and saying something embarrassing and having them tell me "I wish you everything you want in life. A good boyfriend, lots of money, happiness.." blah blah (Oplatek is a Polish thing for all you ignant peeps hehehhe). And I love Christmas. I'm going to Midnight mass in Hong Kong. It should be interesting though since I heard many people stand outside since the weather is so nice, when I am always freezing every Christmas when we have to go to Church at 12am.

On to the next topic. My plans after China. I spoke with my grandma who really wants to see me, so I am planning on going to Poland after China for a month or so. Before Poland I'd like to see Audre in England (yes, the plane has a layover in London). I'd also like to visit Katia and Natalia in Russia. Lots of planning but it's worth it! IF I have enough money.

Lastly, as I mentioned Audre is leaving. Last weekend was her going away party and we all had a good time! ;) Tomorrow we are having a cooking/jam session (in which I will not be participating because I can't play the guitar OR sing) at Serena's. Last Friday we went to Ria and Joe's place to celebrate Ria's birthday and to paint and yes I did join in, and confirmed once again that Joanna got the artistic genes in the family (except I am good at photography so I'll stick to that). My next purchase will be a MAC and a new SLR digital camera... Maybe a welcome home gift from my family (HINT HINT, Joanna tell mommy and daddy :) )??? Anyway, I painted some woman's body with a huge ass. Figures. I'm not patient enough to paint.

Tomorrow is my NINE month anniversary in China. WOW.

Oh I forgot to mention I was asked to be the host of a MIDEA wide Overseas Sales and Marketing Award/Competition. I can't say no and am a little nervous... since I think there will be important people there, but it's good for networking and meeting people, so that is next week. YIKES!

早茶

Yesterday was Lily's last day, so I took her to the airport with one of her suppliers that she works with. It was a little awkward on the way back considering he didn't speak any English and the airport is more than an hour away from my town. The night before all the girls and I went to Lily's and hung out. Earlier that day Lily and I cooked together and I made her my famous tofu. It didn't hit me that she would be leaving I guess. I mean I knew she would move, but I didn't realize that life will be different now. I go to Lily with Chinese questions, if I want to have dinner with someone, if I have questions about being sick... basically everything! It's not like I can't ask her questions over QQ or texts, but she's not close now. So after we met up last night, all of us went to get dessert and when Serena and Audre were saying goodbye to her she started crying, so of course that triggered me to cry and I just hate saying goodbye. Usually when you say goodbye you are making a good change and something you're excited about, it's just that at weird moments I cry. Also, I'm going to Lily's hometown for the spring festival so it's not like I will not be seeing her... it's just that she is so self-less it's sad to see her go. She is genuinely deep down inside, a nice person. It's that simple. When I took her to the airport I didn't cry though, because I kept reminding myself that I will see her and that it will be awkward in front of this other guy, and that I am going to have a fantastic weekend in Hong Kong with my friends. It's all about attitude and appreciating what you have.

Before the airport, we went to have Zǎochá, which means "morning tea" in Chinese. I have had 下午茶 (xiàwǔ chá-afternoon tea) before, and this was pretty similar. We went to a restaurant in Guangzhou and had Puer tea, which is black tea from Yunnan (fitting since that is where Lily is going). Actually, Bobo gave me Puer tea when he came here to visit, and yesterday Lily told me it was worth about 200YUAN. I am mentioning this because yesterday she gave me more Puer tea from Yunnan which Bobo gave her... which is worth 1000YUAN (that is about $200). I told her I'd save that for my dad and I to drink, since he likes tea. The older that tea gets, it goes up more in value anyway. I guess the best way to keep this tea fresh it to keep it from moisture, so Lily advised that I put it in a metal container and then place it in the fridge. I guess I need to do this because the weather in Guangdong is so weird, that we need to take extra precautions with certain things (like putting in dehumidifying mini buckets in the closet to keep moisture out from our clothes). Oh, and I just grabbed a metal container from work and my friend told me that before you drink this tea you are supposed to tear it into tiny pieces then wash it once or twice because it has been sitting for five or ten years... Chinese people and their tea. So where was I again? Always going off on tangents. At the morning tea place we ate some bite sized balls made from meat and some vegetables, but my favorite part was the way the tea is served. First, the waitress washes everything off in front of you with boiling hot water. Then she puts a mini tea packet (not like the ones we have in the US, but a 1.5"x1.5" block of tea) into a mini red kettle. It looks like it is made from clay. Then she pours boiling water from a metal kettle into this mini one, and submerges and the tea then covers the kettle. After, the tea tea (minus the leaves) is poured through a sifter/metal funnel into a teacup... also mini. Then we can pour our tea into our cups, which are smaller than shot glasses and sit on a mini wooden plate. And we ate and poured and drank and poured and poured. Imagine, the water is boiling in the metal kettle in front of you, and you have to keep making new tea over and over. The thing is, at least when I make tea at home in the US, I do not reuse teabags, but in China, they use the tea leaves until the water does not because tea anymore. I have also started doing this. At work I drink green tea that I received from Lily or coffee occasionally when I am really sleepy. Now especially, I have been drinking tea because everyone is getting sick since the weather is changing.

About the weather... in the summer, it is hot, sticky and humid here. In the winter (now to them it is winter, but this weather feels like end of summer or even spring) it is t shirt and light jacket weather during the day, but very dry. My contacts always bother me and dry up, so I have been wearing glasses more and more and using eye drops. I guess the people from this area think it's very cold because I see some people with winter jackets on (?????) when I could still be wearing shorts. So healthy. Supposedly it's a good idea to wear boots because the cold and wet weather goes in your body through your feet, so it's a good idea to protect yourself with proper shoes. I mean, it's not even THAT cold out now! This will be my first Christmas without snow actually!

On the topic of health, I asked Lily why everyone drinks hot tea even in the summer. She told me warm beverages are better for you. I mean it kind of makes sense, but she explained it like this: the inside of your body is much warmer than the outside temperature. When you drink cold things, you put your body into a mini shock and it hurts the organs, since they are naturally warm. Your body then has to work to warm the liquids which are cold to create that balance again (when it comes to health, it's all about balance--QI). She also said that women especially need to drink warm drinks because, since the womans organs by the stomach are so vital and important, the body needs to work and keep them warm. Over time, if women drink too many cold beverages, the body will insulate that area to protect it and keep it warm, by storing fat there. Around the stomach and hips is where most women have the most fat... so it DOES make sense. We should not shock our bodies, but treat it like a machine and help it be healthy. So now when I want to drink something cold, I usually opt out and drink something warm and healthy instead. It's all about keeping my body, mind and spirit healthy. I know corny, but this IS CHINA and I want to learn from these people.

So to keep moving on, today is Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving! In the US it's still Wednesday late at night. My dad is in Poland so I wonder what my family is doing for Thanksgiving. I e-mailed my sister, but as always she's taking a while to respond (I know you'r reading this Joanna. ANSWER ME). In the evening I'm going to Guangzhou to celebrate Thanksgiving... no, no turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc but there will be things and people I am thankful for. Tomorrow I am going to Hong Kong! I asked for the day off due to Thanksgiving and my gracious company gave it to me! I will tour or shop tomorrow, meet up with friends and go out at night. The rest of the weekend I'm shopping, partying and celebrating being thrust back into civilization, and going to a horse race (hopefully). And better yet, an old friend I've known since HS is in Hong Kong and he's leaving on the 30th, so we have time to meet up! YAYYYY to old friends! I can't wait for Hong Kong. A much needed break away from China. I'm excited to see recent Hong Kong fashion and see what is in style in the fall now. Funny... I am going to HK on Black Friday. I hope it's not like US CRAZY.

Lastly, let’s talk about relationships, GUANXI (关系). Lily always tells me how important relationships are in China and she tells me more by showing me. For example before she left, she bought seven soy milk making machines. One was for her and Bobo, two were for her dad and someone, and the rest were gifts. One gift being to Bobo’s uncle (the one who did not help Lily find a job) and Bobo’s boss. She said she needed to get the boss a gift to make sure his and Bobo’s relationship was good. Now, we might see this as a bribe (considering Bobo has also given his boss VERY expensive presents before) but this is just how it is. To make sure a relationship is going well, you need to give presents or show your appreciation, because then there is no reason why someone would do what you want, or help you out (obviously not from the kindness of their heart!). I guess it’s just deceiving and takes a lot of work to build relationships. What is most concerning is then the “what goes around, comes around aspect”. When you receive gifts are they expected to be given back ten-fold? Yes, good things come from good people, but gifts should be given as a token of appreciation and out of kindness, not as leverage or solidifying a relationship… so this is something I still have to think about and figure out.

To be nice, I took some coworkers out to lunch today. I invited those whom I felt I connect with and who are genuinely nice to me. I invited Jessica who went to school in Hong Kong and comes out with us occasionally, a Cantonese guy who speaks no English but invited me to KTV and took me to the hospital before, a new girl who always is nice to me and is too shy to speak English, my friend Simi who helps me (and EXPLAINS) with whatever, and another new guy who comes to my class, works his ass off it seems, and sometimes gives me a ride on his scooter to work, if I go in early. I took them out because IT IS Thanksgiving and I am thankful for all of them in one way or another. Plus, it’s just a nice thing to do in China. They insisted on going “AA” which means to split the bill, but I wouldn’t allow it. It IS a young Chinese thing to do this, but everyone who takes me out always pays, so why shouldn’t I?