(This is the third time I am attempting to write this post because my computer keeps suddenly dying on me, so PARDON ME if I'm not as eloquent as the first, and second, time. Sense the frustration?)
This morning I was woken by my phone ringing until I ignored the call. To my surprise the person called again an hour later. Ugo and Heather were on the other line, and decided to call me from dinner in Chicago. Later Ejus showed up and the first thing he said was, "Chicago misses you Agie". I miss Chicago too. That was a great way to start the day. I got to talk to my friends and hear their voices, not on Skype, but over an actual phone. Little things like that make me smile.
I must admit I've never been one to profess my love for the US, because we all know that the US has it's issues. I wouldn't even say I'm very patriotic because those know me know that I identify myself as not really Ameican, but as a proud person born NOT in the US. America is a little too normal for me...since I live there it's fun for me to know I am not actually originally from the country I reside in. Nevertheless, I have a newfound love and appreciation for many things that, to me, define America at this point while I am in China. I love the diversity that America has in many cities (even Madison is more diverse than many places in China, and that says more than words can describe for those of us who are aware of the "lack" of diversity on campus), I love being able to go to the store and buy anything I want, I love having the ability to go on any website I want, I love having the freedom to do...well...anything I want, and I love being able to cross the street without having a lingering feeling that someone will run me over and squish me like a bug in the middle of the street because they are not following traffic signals. Such are the thoughts I've had since coming here. I also have to pat myself on the back because many people have been sending me praises and have been making me realize that not many others live in a foreign country for a year and do not know the language or how to read anything at first. So I take this experience day by day and am very appreciative that I have this un-conventional opportunity for the next year or so. Because believe me, this is very much "China".
When I wake up in the morning, I put Beyonce or Alicia Keys on my iTunes, and start getting ready for work. I boil water in my electric kettle and make some sort of walnut powder drink. It's not bad. I usually don't eat breakfast, maybe a granola bar or something of that sort. Since they do not sell milk in any of the supermarkets close to where I live, I don't drink any milk. Chinese people also do not drink coffee, so I do not drink coffee (yesterday though, I bought instant coffee and I must admit, I miss coffee even though I barely drink it at home). Then I walk to work while listening to my iPod. I think and analyze my experience in China so far and I think about how much people are clueless about other countries. I thought I was beyond prepared for coming here since I never really considered myself fully Americanized, being from a smaller country and having most of my family be from outside the US-I have spent almost every summer before high school in Poland, but nothing can prepare you for this kind of China. I think about the differences I've seen up to this point. I think about my travel plans, and I think about what I will do at work that day. (Sometimes I daydream that I meet Weezy at a club somewhere here in China and I'll party with him, YM and Nicki Minaj, and Drake of course. I have it all planned out. And that makes me smile...and I laugh)
Shopping in Guangzhou
Enough venting. I want to talk about my weekend. Saturday I did not have to go to work so Kianie and I walked to downtown Beijiao and I bought a few notebooks to start writing Chinese in, and a notebook for places I need to visit, phrases I desperately need to know, and just something for me to carry around here where I have everything written down. (When Natalia saw this, she said that I am adjusting to this town VERY quickly) I am a little surprised as to how quickly I have begun to adjust, because the first week here I was crying my eyes out, but now I am content and excited for my new experience. I blame the culture shock for my being overly emotional the first 3 days here. I cannot even put into words how much I hope China will change me and open me up to the differences, and change my, what I thought was a very understanding, perspective of the world, when in reality it was pretty narrow. It's very hard to explain how no matter how much traveling you do, you are not very much of a global citizen unless you live in a place so deeply rooted in history and so different from "The West", because that is when you can really notice and appreciate the differences...it is here that I realized how my "global citizenship" was not actually that much global, until now.
Moving on from that tangent. I went shopping to Guangzhou this weekend on Sunday morning with Natalia, and Darya (another previous AIESECer from Russia who met us after we went to the bag market). Natalia and I first went to the bag market. I don't want to get into what this place was like, because it would take up around 5 pages considering how much I love purses. I will just say that anything and any brand you would want, you can get here. Bad fakes, amazing ("is this fake?!?!?!") fakes are all here. The "bag market" is 2 buildings with tiny stores full of bags. ANY kind of bag you can imagine, they have. Any purse you see online that is name-brand, they have. I really don't want to continue because I have a feeling some people will be very jealous...let's just simply say I died and went to Heaven.
Next we went to the clothing market. I have to admit my dad was right. "Why are you bringing clothes made in China back to China? Everything is made there, so you can buy it there too" Well I thought these items were made for America. No. The clothing market was the same as the bag market, but instead of bags, there were piles and piles of clothes. Abercrombie, American Eagle, Gap, Zara sweaters, BCBG sweaters and dresses...anything and everything. I might not buy clothes in the US anymore. Natalia and Darya explained that the people in the factory probably stayed later and made extra clothing, and now these clothes are being sold here. Also, some of the clothes are not the name brand, just have the tag sown on it. Nevertheless, the clothes we buy were made in China for the most part, and they are also sold in China for SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper prices (when I say significantly, I mean around 1/4 of the US price). After this shock, we went to the shoe market. Those that know me and have been to my apartment in Madison and at my house, know how many pairs of shoes I have...around 75 pairs of shoes (but probably more)...and I might also never buy shoes in the US again. Just like the clothing market, the shoe market also has name brands, but this time they are pretty much all the name brand for sure. Steve Madden, Aldo, Chinese Laundry, Zara, Nine West...some other brands that are from the UK...all sold in this little shoe market in China. I saw a pair of shoes I bought in the US, I saw numerous pairs I wanted to buy, I saw shoes that my friends have, I saw everything! The shoes range from 100-400RMB, depending on which little store you enter and if the shoes are last season or before last season...Next time I go back, I am getting MANY shoes here. One thing I am happy about is that I did not bring many shoes to China. Why would I waste space in my suitcase when I can buy THE SAME shoes here?! FOR CHEAPER!????! I was a little disappointed though because we waste so much money on clothes and shoes, but here you can buy THE SAME thing for so much cheaper. There is no difference in some of these things and the clothes I brought from the US. None. None at all. For us the prices are cheap, but for Chinese prices some of these things are too expensive. Additionally, I'd like to mention that I bargained for an item I bought, and I got the price I wanted (which was sooo cheap, I was in shock). I won't mention the things that I bought because I went a little overboard (Insert my innocent face right now).
Until next time! Stick around for my Chinese adventures! I am going on a tour next week (with some AIESEC trainees) of some cities because this weekend is the Qing Ming Festival, which is the Tomb Sweeping Festival (Similar to All Saints Day, where you visit your loved ones' graves and offer gifts and such things) Speaking of some religious ceremonies, my dad asked if there were any Catholic Churches around, but then retracted his statement by saying "China is a Communist country, of course there are no Catholic Churches", but he'll be glad to know that there is a Catholic Church somewhere in this area, or so says Natalia. Maybe I will even celebrate Easter by going to Church IN CHINA, among other things.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
大叉烧包
I posted a new post about 3 hours ago, but I wanted to write another one about something I've been eating called Da Cha Shao Bao (the Chinese name is the title of this blog post). Today was the 3rd or 4th time that someone in the office has ordered Dim Sum for delivery for everyone to eat. I want to get more into this tradition because it started here in the Guangdong province (called Canton in Chinese). We all know Chinese people love to drink tea, but not many of us know that along with tea, food is served. This tradition of drinking tea is called Yum cha. It began when travelers on the Silk Road needed to rest and drink tea. They rested at teahouses and started eating small meals (snacks) with their tea. Then it was found that tea helped with digestion so it became a tradition throughout China. So now tea time also means time for Dim sum. Anyway, my favorite Dim sum dish so far is called Da Cha Shao Bao, a form of Baozi. Baozi is a steamed bun filled with something, such as meat, vegetables, barbecue meat. The one that I really like originated in Canton (here), and I think it is filled with pieces of pork in some sort of sauce. The actual outside (made from flour and some other ingredients such as yeast) is sweet, and the inside is pretty sweet too. I can see why these people love to eat this dish for breakfast AND with their tea. I read that now a days you can get Dim sum as a take out food for college students and office workers (such as us!). All I have to say is I am glad that this is such an ongoing tradition here, especially in Guangdong, because I love taking short breaks from work to eat these buns!
In addition to the Da Cha Shao Bao, today we had a sweet potatoe fried in something like tempura, a stew with an egg, pig parts and ginger (I have to admit I did not try this, but my co-workers seem to love it adn say it's very good and nutritious especially for women who have just had a baby), and a flat bread with some kind of vegetable in it. YUM! I love the traditions here in Southern China when it comes to food
In addition to the Da Cha Shao Bao, today we had a sweet potatoe fried in something like tempura, a stew with an egg, pig parts and ginger (I have to admit I did not try this, but my co-workers seem to love it adn say it's very good and nutritious especially for women who have just had a baby), and a flat bread with some kind of vegetable in it. YUM! I love the traditions here in Southern China when it comes to food
Beijiao, Shunde, Foshan, GuangDong, PRC
Today I went to work later than everyone else. Since I only have to work 40 hours a week, I can pretty much come in at any time I want. I know I already mentioned how Chinese people (maybe East Asian people in general) are really diligent in their work, but to me it's still very remarkable. They work around 60 hours per week, but I'm pretty sure no matter how long you work during the week, you still get paid the same amount. Someone told me it was because "If I do not work overtime, there will be someone else who is very willing to have my job, who will stay later"...Yesterday during dinner with Jessica, Natalia, and Ted (who is actually from Shunde and now works for Midea Living Appliances AND went to Chicago last week!!!! :( ) I found out that employers in China know that Midea employees are very hard-working and into their jobs...so that is a good reputation to have! We ate Hot Pot [火锅], which is a big pot that sits on a little stove, simmering at each table and contains vegetables and fish and some kind of seasoning (SPICY on not-you choose), and to it, you can add whatever ingredients you want. We added potatoes, corn, tofu skin which was delicious, and shiitake mushrooms (which are the mushrooms named in Japanese they eat in East Asia that are long and thin and are a delicacy and supposedly have healing powers)...being that I hate mushrooms, these were actually very good! Dinner yesterday was very fun because I learned a lot, but first, I need to mention the weather. I walked to Natalia's apartment and then we walked to the restaurant. The weather was crazy though! It was raining hard and VERY windy, but it was pretty hot outside! It looked like a scene in a movie! The palm trees and all the other trees were dancing and swaying in the wind at night, while the rain was pouring...it looked like a typhoon was going to hit!
We discussed our location and the characteristics of this part of the province, because I have to admit I am still confused about being in Beijiao, Foshan, Shunde etc. People here use these names for the same area! Ted explained it to me this way- Beijiao is the town in which I live, Shunde is like the bigger county or district, and Foshan is the all-encompassing third largest city in Guangdong province, which contains Shunde (there are 5 districts in Foshan and Shunde is one of them!) Finally I get it! So, I live in Beijiao town, in the district of Shunde, in the city Foshan! Great! Shunde is known for it's industries, and that's why the pollution here is more or less noticeable. Ted said that in some factories they still use coal for power. I also found out that Shunde is known for it's ceramics industry, as well as being home to MIDEA! (Which I can very much tell, because everywhere you go, someone is wearing a Midea factory uniform or using a Midea appliance, or there are signs advertising Midea...and Midea buildings are everywhere you look) Something else worthy mentioning is that Bruce Lee is from Foshan, so that means a lot of people here are very interested in Kung Fu. Actually when I went to play badminton on Saturday, there was a class of little kids who were practicing martial arts, but Taekwondo, not Kung Fu.
Enough about that. Time for me to say that on my walk to work today, I decided to listen to only my Latin music, and I realized that I am pretty disappointed with myself because after 7 years of learning Spanish and winning the Spanish Award Senior year in High School (hahah), you'd think I know much more than I actually still do. I need to live in a Spanish speaking country to get my fluent Spanish back! I can understand everything and still speak it, but I feel like it's not 100% there like it used to be. Next place--South America or Spain! Two people I met in Guangzhou when I went out actually speak Spanish and I did speak to them in Spanish for a little while...but maybe I can somehow visit them when they go back. One is from Colombia and the other from Mexico (I think both might be AIESECers, if not, then one is for sure). I need to brush up on my Spanish and Italian, because Polish and English I've got down, and Chinese will come as the year progresses. Next--Arabic, but that I can learn with Ayman's help! I already know some phrases thanks to his sister, mom and him!
Two days ago, Natalia took Kianie and I out for dinner to a Japanese place. We took a raggedy bus to this mall, and then took a cab back. The restaurant was great. The waitress tried to speak English, but her's was very poor so we pointed to what we wanted on the menu (which had a ton of pictures), and Natalia said a few things in Chinese such as "No thank you. That's it". I ordered sushi, Kianie got some kind of cheese and beef soup, and Natalia got a beef and rice dish with Miso soup (which she gave to me...YUM) and sushi. The sashimi there looked great, but we didn't get any. The prices in China really do vary...at this restaurant, the sashimi was around 150RMB for 20 pieces or less, which is around $25, but the rolls varied from 7RMB-40RMB ($2-$7). Since the rolls were really small, this would be over-priced for average Chinese people as a daily dinner because when we eat at the restaurants around here, a plate of dumplings costs 14RMB, which is a little more than $2!!! At Asian kitchen these dumplings would cost around $8 or so! After the Japanese dinner, we went to 7/11 (yes, 7/11 HERE can you believe it?) because I wanted Pepsi in a glass bottle, but they didn't have any so I got a beer instead. I chose some Chinese beer and it was sooo good! They opened it for me right there and I drank it outside, in the cab, and walking through my neighborhood. They definitely do not check IDs here. I don't even know what Chinese IDs look like. Anyway, my point about the food is that basically, the service industry here is very cheap (manicures, certain local food, and hair massages and cuts), but Western things are significantly over priced (like shampoo which I mentioned before). So since Japanese food and Hot Pot, in addition to other food, are not from around here (Hot Pot is famous in Chongqing...but also has different variations in all of China), they are a little more expensive. Yesterday though, we ordered sweet and sour pork and I told everyone that we like to eat sweet and sour chicken in the US. Ted and Jessica (both Chinese) were like "CHICKEN?" and said that the name is actually translated to sugar and vinegar, not sweet and sour. They said that they never eat chicken with this "sauce", only pork and fish. Wow, so these are the variations in Chinese food that I have noticed. Nevertheless, the food is good most of the time.
Let's move on to facials. Jessica said she wants to get a facial, and I think I will get one too. I don't think it will be too expensive and I'm excited to see what the Chinese women do to keep their face looking fresh. In the US I always use moisturizer with sunscreen on my face, but here the air is different, so I don't really use any moisturizer because my face isn't even a tad dry! Just a side note. Also Natalia suggested getting a mani and pedi this weekend, so I'm excited for that!
On a serious note though, I've been reading about the problems that Google is having with China and the Chinese government. I guess Google.cn is not obeying the filters or the censor laws in China, so their only option is to pull out from the country. I guess that means that we will not be able to use www.google.cn. I use google.com anyway. Supposedly, the Chinese government wants to enforce their laws on the google search engine, but google is standing firm to the democratic freedoms, so they will not be allowed to be in China anymore. To read more, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8581393.stm The most often used search engine in China is baidu anyway, but I know foreigners use Google (I noticed that I have started saying "foreigners" for all non-Asians just like the Chinese do).
A couple of other things I'd like to talk about are the grandparents here. Since I live by a kindergarten and a Chinese school, I notice that most of the time Grandmas and Grandpas take the kids to school and pick them up, then walk home with them. I think that similarly to many cultures I've been exposed to, except American, the Grandparents live with the family and take care of the children, while the parents work. I know that when I was born my great grandma and grandma took care of me :) I think it's cute to see the little kids with their grandmas after school, who spoil the kids and carry all their school things while the kids run around and play in the grass. I have a soft spot for Chinese children, I'm not sure why. I did see a woman feeding a Chinese baby rice and I wanted to take a picture so badly! AND she was using chopsticks to feed the baby! That is what I call talent. The babies here are so chubby and cute.
Lastly, yesterday I met with my first class, the beginners. They are all so quiet and barely speak any English. I have an assistant for this class (and basically an assistant at work, because anytime I need something, I just tell her or my supervisor...but that's because I can't speak Chinese) and that's good because she can translate to the class for me and help me out with what they need to know. In total, I have 5 classes. The other four are for managers, 2 classes for engineers, and 1 class for the Sales people and Overseas Marketing department, in which I will have to lead business English and Business etiquette class. That means I get to brush up on my own business etiquette and knowledge too! That should be an exciting class because I will learn all about Chinese business and then I can expose them more to Western business practice. If anyone has ideas of what I should cover in my classes, let me know :) I'm always open for ideas and suggestions, although I did receive many from my Supervisor and Manager...
I'm sure I will have much more to write in a few days. I think in the future I'll be glad that I have this blog, because once I'm gone from China, I can reminisce about the life here and its differences.
We discussed our location and the characteristics of this part of the province, because I have to admit I am still confused about being in Beijiao, Foshan, Shunde etc. People here use these names for the same area! Ted explained it to me this way- Beijiao is the town in which I live, Shunde is like the bigger county or district, and Foshan is the all-encompassing third largest city in Guangdong province, which contains Shunde (there are 5 districts in Foshan and Shunde is one of them!) Finally I get it! So, I live in Beijiao town, in the district of Shunde, in the city Foshan! Great! Shunde is known for it's industries, and that's why the pollution here is more or less noticeable. Ted said that in some factories they still use coal for power. I also found out that Shunde is known for it's ceramics industry, as well as being home to MIDEA! (Which I can very much tell, because everywhere you go, someone is wearing a Midea factory uniform or using a Midea appliance, or there are signs advertising Midea...and Midea buildings are everywhere you look) Something else worthy mentioning is that Bruce Lee is from Foshan, so that means a lot of people here are very interested in Kung Fu. Actually when I went to play badminton on Saturday, there was a class of little kids who were practicing martial arts, but Taekwondo, not Kung Fu.
Enough about that. Time for me to say that on my walk to work today, I decided to listen to only my Latin music, and I realized that I am pretty disappointed with myself because after 7 years of learning Spanish and winning the Spanish Award Senior year in High School (hahah), you'd think I know much more than I actually still do. I need to live in a Spanish speaking country to get my fluent Spanish back! I can understand everything and still speak it, but I feel like it's not 100% there like it used to be. Next place--South America or Spain! Two people I met in Guangzhou when I went out actually speak Spanish and I did speak to them in Spanish for a little while...but maybe I can somehow visit them when they go back. One is from Colombia and the other from Mexico (I think both might be AIESECers, if not, then one is for sure). I need to brush up on my Spanish and Italian, because Polish and English I've got down, and Chinese will come as the year progresses. Next--Arabic, but that I can learn with Ayman's help! I already know some phrases thanks to his sister, mom and him!
Two days ago, Natalia took Kianie and I out for dinner to a Japanese place. We took a raggedy bus to this mall, and then took a cab back. The restaurant was great. The waitress tried to speak English, but her's was very poor so we pointed to what we wanted on the menu (which had a ton of pictures), and Natalia said a few things in Chinese such as "No thank you. That's it". I ordered sushi, Kianie got some kind of cheese and beef soup, and Natalia got a beef and rice dish with Miso soup (which she gave to me...YUM) and sushi. The sashimi there looked great, but we didn't get any. The prices in China really do vary...at this restaurant, the sashimi was around 150RMB for 20 pieces or less, which is around $25, but the rolls varied from 7RMB-40RMB ($2-$7). Since the rolls were really small, this would be over-priced for average Chinese people as a daily dinner because when we eat at the restaurants around here, a plate of dumplings costs 14RMB, which is a little more than $2!!! At Asian kitchen these dumplings would cost around $8 or so! After the Japanese dinner, we went to 7/11 (yes, 7/11 HERE can you believe it?) because I wanted Pepsi in a glass bottle, but they didn't have any so I got a beer instead. I chose some Chinese beer and it was sooo good! They opened it for me right there and I drank it outside, in the cab, and walking through my neighborhood. They definitely do not check IDs here. I don't even know what Chinese IDs look like. Anyway, my point about the food is that basically, the service industry here is very cheap (manicures, certain local food, and hair massages and cuts), but Western things are significantly over priced (like shampoo which I mentioned before). So since Japanese food and Hot Pot, in addition to other food, are not from around here (Hot Pot is famous in Chongqing...but also has different variations in all of China), they are a little more expensive. Yesterday though, we ordered sweet and sour pork and I told everyone that we like to eat sweet and sour chicken in the US. Ted and Jessica (both Chinese) were like "CHICKEN?" and said that the name is actually translated to sugar and vinegar, not sweet and sour. They said that they never eat chicken with this "sauce", only pork and fish. Wow, so these are the variations in Chinese food that I have noticed. Nevertheless, the food is good most of the time.
Let's move on to facials. Jessica said she wants to get a facial, and I think I will get one too. I don't think it will be too expensive and I'm excited to see what the Chinese women do to keep their face looking fresh. In the US I always use moisturizer with sunscreen on my face, but here the air is different, so I don't really use any moisturizer because my face isn't even a tad dry! Just a side note. Also Natalia suggested getting a mani and pedi this weekend, so I'm excited for that!
On a serious note though, I've been reading about the problems that Google is having with China and the Chinese government. I guess Google.cn is not obeying the filters or the censor laws in China, so their only option is to pull out from the country. I guess that means that we will not be able to use www.google.cn. I use google.com anyway. Supposedly, the Chinese government wants to enforce their laws on the google search engine, but google is standing firm to the democratic freedoms, so they will not be allowed to be in China anymore. To read more, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8581393.stm The most often used search engine in China is baidu anyway, but I know foreigners use Google (I noticed that I have started saying "foreigners" for all non-Asians just like the Chinese do).
A couple of other things I'd like to talk about are the grandparents here. Since I live by a kindergarten and a Chinese school, I notice that most of the time Grandmas and Grandpas take the kids to school and pick them up, then walk home with them. I think that similarly to many cultures I've been exposed to, except American, the Grandparents live with the family and take care of the children, while the parents work. I know that when I was born my great grandma and grandma took care of me :) I think it's cute to see the little kids with their grandmas after school, who spoil the kids and carry all their school things while the kids run around and play in the grass. I have a soft spot for Chinese children, I'm not sure why. I did see a woman feeding a Chinese baby rice and I wanted to take a picture so badly! AND she was using chopsticks to feed the baby! That is what I call talent. The babies here are so chubby and cute.
Lastly, yesterday I met with my first class, the beginners. They are all so quiet and barely speak any English. I have an assistant for this class (and basically an assistant at work, because anytime I need something, I just tell her or my supervisor...but that's because I can't speak Chinese) and that's good because she can translate to the class for me and help me out with what they need to know. In total, I have 5 classes. The other four are for managers, 2 classes for engineers, and 1 class for the Sales people and Overseas Marketing department, in which I will have to lead business English and Business etiquette class. That means I get to brush up on my own business etiquette and knowledge too! That should be an exciting class because I will learn all about Chinese business and then I can expose them more to Western business practice. If anyone has ideas of what I should cover in my classes, let me know :) I'm always open for ideas and suggestions, although I did receive many from my Supervisor and Manager...
I'm sure I will have much more to write in a few days. I think in the future I'll be glad that I have this blog, because once I'm gone from China, I can reminisce about the life here and its differences.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Life.
At this point, everything in China is still so new to me, so I have a lot to write about. I have been thinking about a few things, so here they are. For those who do not yet know, I cannot post pictures on here from China because I am going on Blogspot illegally since it is blocked, and it won't let me upload anything.
I wanted to mention the One Child Policy that is in tact in China. I don't know if many people are familiar with the logistics, because I myself am not, but I will mention what I think is worth knowing. In every province of China, the rules can be different. A province here is similar to a state in the US. I don't think I fully realize exactly how LARGE China really is, and how many people actually live here. Anyway, in some provinces, if a family has a girl first, they are allowed to have another baby. By allowed, I mean that they do not have to pay extra taxes for having a second child and the child can go to public schools just like the first child can, without making the parents pay extra. If your family works for the government, most of the time, you are not allowed to have 2 children...that would set a bad example. So, it seems as if it is to a family's disadvantage to have 2 children if they are living an average Chinese lifestyle, because the costs of having that second child are VERY HIGH. Imagine having to pay extra taxes and fees, in addition to schooling costs for your child at a private school. Families don't necessarily want to have more than one child because mothers want to go back to work. The Chinese are VERY driven and motivated. Also, in the case of twins, the family does not have to pay extra for one of the children, they have everything provided just like they would if they were the only child. I heard that in Beijing, they are lifting some Once Child Policies because the city is growing, and there are not many people to keep up with the growth. China as a country itself if growing so quickly, and that is not something we can imagine unless you come here and see it for yourself. One building will be tattered and falling apart, while next to it you see a skyscraper all lit up at night! The town I live in is VERY small, but a short bus ride away you find a mall with Western goods, and it's amazing that such two different...worlds, can be in such a close vicinity to each other. China gets more and more amazing as the days pass by. I would also like to mention that there really is no "Chinese food". In the US we think we're eating Chinese food, but we are actually eating food from many different provinces in China. Some provinces eat a lot of spicy food, some eat a lot of seafood, some eat a lot of noodles, most eat a lot of rice...some drink tea and have traditions to do with when to drink tea...but it all depends on the province, it's not just a "Chinese" thing. On the subject of children, I want to mention that the government has strict laws on abandoning children and mistreating them. Sometimes you hear how Chinese adoption places have a ton of kids living in one area, and other gory sites, but that is VERY illegal here, and someone could be highly punished for doing things like this, although we all know, not everyone follows the law to a T.
China also differs when it comes to the weather. Where I live, in the Guangdong province, we have a monsoon season that is coming up. It lasts from May to around September. That means that on many days, the water level will be above a foot. The monsoon comes from East Africa and reaches parts of southern China. Right now, it feels like summer outside. The temperature was around 85 degrees yessterday, but tomorrow it will drop down to 50 something degrees. In the north, the winters actually have snow, while here they do not. I walk around by palm trees and I think "This is not how I pictured China", but that is because when we see China, we think of Beijing or Shanghai, which are in the north. We also don't think that China has an island south of my province, called Hainan, that is a tropical island, which is similar to what we think of when we think of places such as Fiji. So when we think of "China", we should really think deeper as to what province we are thinking about, and where it is geographically located. We don't think of Africa, but we think Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Somalia, Egypt...they are all different countries, and although not quite this different, the Chinese provinces DO differ greatly. (Let me just mention that people should stop referring to Africa as a country, because it has MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, and to say that these cultures and governments are the same is such an ignorant and incompetent statement...it's unfortunate that I even have to mention this)
On a lighter note, Chinese drivers. I have been meaning to write about Chinese drivers for a while now...but keep forgetting to. People here do not follow rules of the road. They do not use turn signals, they honk all the time so people can see them coming, they just...ugh it's really just frustrating. When people merge they disregard anyone around them. It's each driver for himself. When ambulances drive by, don't even expect anyone to slow down, or when the light is red, don't bother crossing because most likely there will be at least 3 cars using the wrong lane just so they can get somewhere quicker while some cars are at the red stop light. There are no yield or stop signs either...
I was asked to come up with an English name for my co-workers' son. I thought about it and the name that popped into my head was Joshua. I'm not sure why, but the kid looks like a little Josh, so I told her that should be his name. For us it's easy to come up with a name, but the Chinese actually think of names that mean and signify something, such as powerful, mighty, gentle, beautiful... and the family name (last name) comes first and the given name (first name) is actually second. So many times, when I send or sent e-mails, people would think my name was Szara, and last name was Agnieszka. Now I have to come up with another name for my other coworker's son, and I am leaning toward Maxwell...he looks like a Max, or maybe a Mark. My supervisor is thinking of a name to give me, a real one that could be a Chinese name, not "I love my country". I didn't even bother to tell her I kinda have a Chinese name...we'll see what she comes up with.
The last couple of things I want to mention are that I am getting good at Badminton. This is the sport everyone here plays... second, that I have a break from 11 30AM to 1PM, and for 20 minutes or so, I eat lunch. Well on my first full day here, I saw someone sleeping at their desk...I thought that maybe they just fell asleep during the break, but actually, many people here sleep during their break, and they rest. In a back room, there are 4 cots that I'm assuming people use to take naps in when they are sleepy and have time. I like this Chinese tradition, because who doesn't love naps in the middle of a work day?
To draw on something I said before, I was reading BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm) and think this is an interesting article about skin whitening in India...the culture of white skin is very similar in China. Here, anyone that is not Asian and has non-Asian eyes, fits the "American beauty" mold. Interestingly so, in the US people think I look exotic, especially in the summer when I am really tan. They think I'm Italian, part Greek, some kind of Latin, and I have been asked if I was half black before...but here in China, I am just considered just white and American...and in reality, I am not even American...I was born in another country, I just happen to have an American passport here. So I fit the mold of what they think is beautiful and enchanting, while in the US, I do not even really look like the average American. Beauty is a fascinating subject, and more specifically, what different countries (and different people AND cultures) think is beautiful.
I wanted to mention the One Child Policy that is in tact in China. I don't know if many people are familiar with the logistics, because I myself am not, but I will mention what I think is worth knowing. In every province of China, the rules can be different. A province here is similar to a state in the US. I don't think I fully realize exactly how LARGE China really is, and how many people actually live here. Anyway, in some provinces, if a family has a girl first, they are allowed to have another baby. By allowed, I mean that they do not have to pay extra taxes for having a second child and the child can go to public schools just like the first child can, without making the parents pay extra. If your family works for the government, most of the time, you are not allowed to have 2 children...that would set a bad example. So, it seems as if it is to a family's disadvantage to have 2 children if they are living an average Chinese lifestyle, because the costs of having that second child are VERY HIGH. Imagine having to pay extra taxes and fees, in addition to schooling costs for your child at a private school. Families don't necessarily want to have more than one child because mothers want to go back to work. The Chinese are VERY driven and motivated. Also, in the case of twins, the family does not have to pay extra for one of the children, they have everything provided just like they would if they were the only child. I heard that in Beijing, they are lifting some Once Child Policies because the city is growing, and there are not many people to keep up with the growth. China as a country itself if growing so quickly, and that is not something we can imagine unless you come here and see it for yourself. One building will be tattered and falling apart, while next to it you see a skyscraper all lit up at night! The town I live in is VERY small, but a short bus ride away you find a mall with Western goods, and it's amazing that such two different...worlds, can be in such a close vicinity to each other. China gets more and more amazing as the days pass by. I would also like to mention that there really is no "Chinese food". In the US we think we're eating Chinese food, but we are actually eating food from many different provinces in China. Some provinces eat a lot of spicy food, some eat a lot of seafood, some eat a lot of noodles, most eat a lot of rice...some drink tea and have traditions to do with when to drink tea...but it all depends on the province, it's not just a "Chinese" thing. On the subject of children, I want to mention that the government has strict laws on abandoning children and mistreating them. Sometimes you hear how Chinese adoption places have a ton of kids living in one area, and other gory sites, but that is VERY illegal here, and someone could be highly punished for doing things like this, although we all know, not everyone follows the law to a T.
China also differs when it comes to the weather. Where I live, in the Guangdong province, we have a monsoon season that is coming up. It lasts from May to around September. That means that on many days, the water level will be above a foot. The monsoon comes from East Africa and reaches parts of southern China. Right now, it feels like summer outside. The temperature was around 85 degrees yessterday, but tomorrow it will drop down to 50 something degrees. In the north, the winters actually have snow, while here they do not. I walk around by palm trees and I think "This is not how I pictured China", but that is because when we see China, we think of Beijing or Shanghai, which are in the north. We also don't think that China has an island south of my province, called Hainan, that is a tropical island, which is similar to what we think of when we think of places such as Fiji. So when we think of "China", we should really think deeper as to what province we are thinking about, and where it is geographically located. We don't think of Africa, but we think Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Somalia, Egypt...they are all different countries, and although not quite this different, the Chinese provinces DO differ greatly. (Let me just mention that people should stop referring to Africa as a country, because it has MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, and to say that these cultures and governments are the same is such an ignorant and incompetent statement...it's unfortunate that I even have to mention this)
On a lighter note, Chinese drivers. I have been meaning to write about Chinese drivers for a while now...but keep forgetting to. People here do not follow rules of the road. They do not use turn signals, they honk all the time so people can see them coming, they just...ugh it's really just frustrating. When people merge they disregard anyone around them. It's each driver for himself. When ambulances drive by, don't even expect anyone to slow down, or when the light is red, don't bother crossing because most likely there will be at least 3 cars using the wrong lane just so they can get somewhere quicker while some cars are at the red stop light. There are no yield or stop signs either...
I was asked to come up with an English name for my co-workers' son. I thought about it and the name that popped into my head was Joshua. I'm not sure why, but the kid looks like a little Josh, so I told her that should be his name. For us it's easy to come up with a name, but the Chinese actually think of names that mean and signify something, such as powerful, mighty, gentle, beautiful... and the family name (last name) comes first and the given name (first name) is actually second. So many times, when I send or sent e-mails, people would think my name was Szara, and last name was Agnieszka. Now I have to come up with another name for my other coworker's son, and I am leaning toward Maxwell...he looks like a Max, or maybe a Mark. My supervisor is thinking of a name to give me, a real one that could be a Chinese name, not "I love my country". I didn't even bother to tell her I kinda have a Chinese name...we'll see what she comes up with.
The last couple of things I want to mention are that I am getting good at Badminton. This is the sport everyone here plays... second, that I have a break from 11 30AM to 1PM, and for 20 minutes or so, I eat lunch. Well on my first full day here, I saw someone sleeping at their desk...I thought that maybe they just fell asleep during the break, but actually, many people here sleep during their break, and they rest. In a back room, there are 4 cots that I'm assuming people use to take naps in when they are sleepy and have time. I like this Chinese tradition, because who doesn't love naps in the middle of a work day?
To draw on something I said before, I was reading BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8546183.stm) and think this is an interesting article about skin whitening in India...the culture of white skin is very similar in China. Here, anyone that is not Asian and has non-Asian eyes, fits the "American beauty" mold. Interestingly so, in the US people think I look exotic, especially in the summer when I am really tan. They think I'm Italian, part Greek, some kind of Latin, and I have been asked if I was half black before...but here in China, I am just considered just white and American...and in reality, I am not even American...I was born in another country, I just happen to have an American passport here. So I fit the mold of what they think is beautiful and enchanting, while in the US, I do not even really look like the average American. Beauty is a fascinating subject, and more specifically, what different countries (and different people AND cultures) think is beautiful.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Culture Shock
I just read through the first two posts on this blog. I didn't realize that with the amount of e-mails I've been sending and Gchats I've been having, I didn't make it clear how I first felt when I got here, on this blog! Well, allow me. EVERYTHING here is different: language, culture, transportation, manners, looks, signs...EVERYTHING. No one speaks English in this town (except for the ocassional guys who say "hello" as we walk by), and if you're looking for something, there is really no way to ask. Every sign here is in Chinese characters which we definitely do not read (yet...). My first few days were the most difficult--I was lonely, without internet, and bored, until I met Ewa and I never even explained who she was. She is also an AIESECer who has worked with Midea for 6 months. She lived in the same type of apartment building as I, and I had been e-mailing and chatting with her while I was in the US, to get a sense of where I would be coming to. Needless to say, I was not prepared for the toilets (or lack of toilets if you look at it that way) which are basically holes in the tiles in the bathrooms. I was also not prepared for the showers, which are in the same space as the toilets...so that I have to shower basically next to the toilet! AND I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS MUCH CULTURE SHOCK. Oh China... Only a few of my friends know and realize exactly how difficult it was for me the first week, so thanks guys! I just kept telling myself, do not let China defeat you, and in fact, it has gotten better and better. If I hadn't met up with Ewa though, I might already be back in the US (not really, but if you want culture shock, come to where I live in China, not Beijing or Shanghai...but this town that has around 3 foreigners living here, me being one of them).
The only really negative experience (worthy mentioning) that I have had thus far is when I went to Guangzhou last weekend, and had to use the restroom. I was walking to the subway to go back home to Beijiao on Sunday, and could barely hold it in, so I asked some teen in a supermarket in a strip mall where there was a bathroom. She looked at me blankly and said "Sorry, no, sorry". I figured I'd try one more before getting on the subway, and she pointed me to the next store over. Once I got there, I asked some young person (around 17-19 years old) where the bathroom was, and he just looked at me then started laughing. Then all his friends started laughing. Then everyone around started laughing and pointing and saying things in Chinese...most likely "Stupid American" or "White Devil". Nice right? I mention White Devil because there is a word for that here, and I have heard it used by Chinese people before. Anyway, I quickly left that teen-infested bike shop (that's what the store was), and waited to use the bathroom until I got home, a couple of hours later due to the 4 different subway lines I had to take, and the 40min bus ride. For those that don't know why I asked young people for directions, it's because it is a well known fact that if you want to speak English to someone that MIGHT understand, that person will be a teen or someone at a university, not an older adult.
I have to mention the motorcycles and scooters around here. Families use motorcycles as a form of transportation for the whole family (Dad driving, kid behind him, mom behind the kid, and baby on mom's lap). These are not the big Harley's you see in America, but little, dinky motorcycles, spewing fumes into the air, as black as the night sky. I also saw a man riding his motorcycle with his baby (yes, a baby probably a year old) behind him, while he was steering with one arm, and making sure the baby didn't fall off with the other. Oh, and at first he wasn't holding on to the baby, he only started to when he began speeding up on the big road. Pretty sites that I get to witness everyday...
Since today is Sunday, Kianie (my Australian friend if you don't know yet) and I went to the bigger shops. In one, a girl spoke to me in English, encouraging me to try on some dresses. No thanks, I won't try on something that I can buy in America for half the price. Some things are expensive, and some things are very cheap, and it mostly depends on whether it is a Chinese brand or an American brand. I also found some Dove shampoo that looks sealed, but most likely was opened previously...it cost around $13, when in the US, it would be around $5. Kianie said she saw tape for eyes in the make-up store. That's correct, tape for Asian girls to tape their eyelids in some way that will make them have a crease like an...well, American eye. I don't even know how to say that, maybe a NON-Asian eye? Are there even politically correct terms here? Probably not. More and more I realize why girls stare and smile at me, and turn their heads when I walk by. It's the culture of "American Beauty" and "American looks" that entices everyone.
Now it's time for me to hit the sack so that I can get up for work and not be late to get picked up. I think tomorrow at work I will continue my list of places I want to visit while in China...and start making a schedule for this to happen. Until next time!
By the way, Els- Your e-mail almost made me cry this morning when I read it. You are too good of a friend.
The only really negative experience (worthy mentioning) that I have had thus far is when I went to Guangzhou last weekend, and had to use the restroom. I was walking to the subway to go back home to Beijiao on Sunday, and could barely hold it in, so I asked some teen in a supermarket in a strip mall where there was a bathroom. She looked at me blankly and said "Sorry, no, sorry". I figured I'd try one more before getting on the subway, and she pointed me to the next store over. Once I got there, I asked some young person (around 17-19 years old) where the bathroom was, and he just looked at me then started laughing. Then all his friends started laughing. Then everyone around started laughing and pointing and saying things in Chinese...most likely "Stupid American" or "White Devil". Nice right? I mention White Devil because there is a word for that here, and I have heard it used by Chinese people before. Anyway, I quickly left that teen-infested bike shop (that's what the store was), and waited to use the bathroom until I got home, a couple of hours later due to the 4 different subway lines I had to take, and the 40min bus ride. For those that don't know why I asked young people for directions, it's because it is a well known fact that if you want to speak English to someone that MIGHT understand, that person will be a teen or someone at a university, not an older adult.
I have to mention the motorcycles and scooters around here. Families use motorcycles as a form of transportation for the whole family (Dad driving, kid behind him, mom behind the kid, and baby on mom's lap). These are not the big Harley's you see in America, but little, dinky motorcycles, spewing fumes into the air, as black as the night sky. I also saw a man riding his motorcycle with his baby (yes, a baby probably a year old) behind him, while he was steering with one arm, and making sure the baby didn't fall off with the other. Oh, and at first he wasn't holding on to the baby, he only started to when he began speeding up on the big road. Pretty sites that I get to witness everyday...
Since today is Sunday, Kianie (my Australian friend if you don't know yet) and I went to the bigger shops. In one, a girl spoke to me in English, encouraging me to try on some dresses. No thanks, I won't try on something that I can buy in America for half the price. Some things are expensive, and some things are very cheap, and it mostly depends on whether it is a Chinese brand or an American brand. I also found some Dove shampoo that looks sealed, but most likely was opened previously...it cost around $13, when in the US, it would be around $5. Kianie said she saw tape for eyes in the make-up store. That's correct, tape for Asian girls to tape their eyelids in some way that will make them have a crease like an...well, American eye. I don't even know how to say that, maybe a NON-Asian eye? Are there even politically correct terms here? Probably not. More and more I realize why girls stare and smile at me, and turn their heads when I walk by. It's the culture of "American Beauty" and "American looks" that entices everyone.
Now it's time for me to hit the sack so that I can get up for work and not be late to get picked up. I think tomorrow at work I will continue my list of places I want to visit while in China...and start making a schedule for this to happen. Until next time!
By the way, Els- Your e-mail almost made me cry this morning when I read it. You are too good of a friend.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
You ARE Chicago (well, you and Kanye)
The title of this post goes out to Ali Hunt, because she wrote me that quote in an e-mail. I'm going to miss the Chicago summer this year :( I have to admit it's been pretty hard to adjust to everything in China, and I've definately been Madison-sick (not homesick too much, except I miss my friends and my sister). Basically I miss some familiar things, like the English language, some McDonalds fries (YES I do miss those!), and I ate my last bag of Spicy Cheetos the day before yesterday, so now I can't eat Cheetos for a year. Wow. I can't even bear to think that... I also miss junk food. I'll discuss that more in detail in a little bit, but first I want to say that I am at work at 8am on a Saturday, and I am dressed up, while everyone else is wearing jeans and casual wear, because I found out that on Saturday you can wear whatever you like, even gym shoes. Good to know now, since this will probably be my last Saturday at work!
1. Chinese Supermarket
2. Interesting Chinese food, like FUNGUS
3. Physical Exam
4. Staring
5. Drugs
6. Chinese speaking only Chinese around me
7. My throat
8. Government Monitoring
9. Laundry
10. Items I wish I brought, or didn't get rid of from my suitcase when it was overweight
11. Chinese School across the Street and Today's Activities
1. When I went to the supermarket a few days ago, they didn't have any American chips that I like...and as I said, I miss junk food! Some interesting things they had were crab and shrimp flavored Pringles... I took a picture, but I can't upload it onto blogspot from China. In the next isle, I saw toothpaste that is supposed to be "Crest" and "Colgate", that was actually "Cvrest" and...I don't really remember, but I have pictures of that too. There was also a laundry detergent that was a FAKE Tide, like Fite or something. Only in China! Actually, that statment is wrong, because I know in Poland they have tons of fake products like this. I'm worried about buying the shampoo here, because there is one of each name brand on the shelf, and it doesn't smell like the original, or look like it! I wanted to buy a few things, and the products that I know are usually sealed, were ALL open! My Australian friend and I assume they water it down here, because it's more expensive for them to have the original on the shelf. Why have the original when you can still charge the same amount for a watered down version?
2. At work, someone ordered Dim Sum (light food that you eat with your tea in the south of China), and I tried the egg soup. To my surprise, the soup had pear in it, and some kind of squeaky, transparent, coral looking vegetable. I asked someone what it was, and we looked up the translation online... it was fungus. It wasn't bad though. She explained it as being something that used to grow in the wild, but now Chinese farmers have cultivated it and eat it. Nice. Another food I've seen, and definately not eaten, is some kind of little lizard on a stick, that is roasted. Ewa and I tried to get pictures of it, but the lady yelled "No!" in the stand. She probably thought we were going to copy her business ventures! The last thing I have to mention about the food, are the womry larvae. If you have a weak stomach, don't read on, and jump to the next paragraph. They sell larvae/centipedes or something like that in fancy boxes for around $600-$1500, YES DOLLARS, at the fancy supermarkets. I guess these creatures are supposed to make you very healthy. I will need to google this. They are already dead and dried out, and some people drink them with hot water! Ewwwww. Don't knock it till you try it I guess. (But still, EWWWW)
3. I had my physical exam a few days ago, and the results say I'm all healthy! This wasn't an American physical exam--it included X Rays, blood drawing, urine tests, eye tests, heart monitoring, an untrasound (!!! never had that done before! But I saw my insides!), and some other test where they attach little plugs to your body. I hear these are very thorough tests. Actually, looking at the results, I finally now know my blood type, my hemoglobin count, blood platelet count or something, whether I have any diabetes, problems with my spine, sinus rhythm, liver, spleen etc, lungs, abdomen AND lots more. Wow, good to know!
4. The staring is still continuing...yesterday 3 kids followed me for a little bit in my neighborhood, just looking at me! Sometimes, mothers tell their kids to say hello to me...and I just smile. Yesterday, I just put on my sunglasses and looked down, because everywhere I look, someone is blatently looking at me. I choose to ignore it, because it's gonna continue until I leave this country!
5. When Kianie (Australian) and I went to dinner a few days ago with Natalia, Kianie wanted to go to the "busy" street after...Natalia said to be careful (which we already knew) and then she told us that she's heard stories of some people blowing some kind of drugs (hallucinogens) into foreign people's face and then taking their money, or making them go to an ATM to withdraw more. That is something that happens in MOVIES! Well, it turns out that it's happened to her co-worker(s)! I was really careful that night, and stayed only in the lit areas with lots of people! I guess these areas are filled with people who come from messed up child hoods and families, and are very poor, so their morals aren't really in tact... At least that's how it was explained to me. I'm not tryign to be offensive, but most of the time in China, these are the people that are more likely to be criminals.
6. I'm getting VERY used to the fact that sometimes Chinese people (most of the time actually) speak Chinese around me. I know it's easier for them, but it makes me wonder, are they talking about me? My co-workers speak a little English, and some speak more than others. It's still a little uncomfortable...
7. I have to say I have not noticed the pollution here, but since beginning to walk home from work (because I leave earlier than everyone else), I've noticed all the dust. For the past few days when I wake up, I have a sore throat. It's not because I'm getting sick, but because of the dust and pollution. AND I breathe through my nose! When I was out on my balcony, I noticed all the dust which settled, and it was literally BLACK! Maybe it's time for me to start wearing the surgical masks when I go outside! Some women cover their mouth with their hands when a truck drives by, and I will also have to start doing that...WITH A NAPKIN for extra protection!
8. At first, I also did not notice the close government monitoring of foreigners here (there are like 4 in Beijiao), but now I do. Everywhere I go, I have to show my passport: the bank, the doctors office, paying rent... and they look at it for about 5 minutes trying to read it. I also had to register at the police station within the first 24 hours in China! I guess this town really monitors us because there are not many here. Natalia said that one day 2 police officers came to her door just to look at her passport and visa, to make sure she was here legally. On another note, I'm really sick of not being able to go to many websites. No youtube, no facebook, no video sharing sites, no Hulu...when I'm bored, what am I supposed to do? Soon I'll be done reading the only book I brought! (I only had room for one to bring with me). From what I've asked Chinese people, they are used to the bans on websites...and if they need to, they know of ways to get around them (with programs or proxies). I also looked up some things on Wikipedia which might be banned, such as Tiannamen Square, and it would not let me go to the site...it said something in Chinese...something like when we get a message that says, "Internet Explorer/Safari Cannot open this page". Figures.
9. I did my laundry yesterday and the day before. Some thngs I had to wash by hand, and others I washed in Kianie's washer. Neither of us knew how to work it, so we ran it once just to test it out without clothes, and we realized we were flooding someone's balcony with the tube that comes out from the washer (I guess she just put it over the balcony and it basically rained onto the balcony of the person who lives on the first floor). He came up and started saying something in Chinese, and we didn't know what was going on so we gestured to come in, and he moved the tube toward the drain. Now we get it. Washing my clothes by hand was a pain... I had to boil water in a little kettle (the only hot water I have goes through the shower, and even then it's either scalding hot or FREEZING) and then mix it with cold water and scrub my clothes. Then I had to rinse them, and hang everything on the balcony...I live on the 1st floor now, so my clothes would be VERY EASY to steal!
10. I already wish I didn't get rid of some things I had packed (but then again I can't bring 80lbs in one suitcase!). I wish I had regular laundry detergent and a washer and dryer. I really am going to miss American shampoo--Chinese have different hair texture, so I bet their conditioner won't be as moisturizing...unless I want to spend like $30 on shampoo and $30 on conditioner (Kianie uses Herbal Essence she bought in Beijing and she says it sucks and isn't the same). I want regular toothpaste and facewash (that is not watered down). Katie--the hair bands are not made from condoms, and I have to say, you CANNOT get tampons unless you go into a big city. I HAD to mention that :) I wish I had more American junk food and coffee, but mostly just Cheetos, Doritos, french fries, some candy bars, and lots of gum. I will be a fatty when I come back because I will indulge in American greasy food! It's not that I don't like and appreciate this food, because I do, but sometimes you just get a craving for certain foods, you know? Oh yea, and mashed potatoes and pepperoni pizza, and steak and green beans...and egg pancakes! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Instead, I'm eating a lot of rice and vegetables.
11. I noticed that at the Chinese kindergarden, every child who walks through the gate is checked by a nurse. She checks their fingers and mouth before they enter, and I found out it was to check for blood poisoning or diseases. They really don't want other kids to get sick, because I guess infections spread easily, I don't know...better be safe than sorry?
Lastly, I came into work today, even though I wasn't going to, because I am only here from 8-12 and after. all the girls are going to lunch and then to "do sports", as they told me. We are going to play badmitton. Great, I'm not even good at this sport! At least it's something to do. Tonight there is something going on in Gunagzhou and @ trainees are going, but I don't know if I will because I'm trying to save lots of money for REAL traveling around China :) and I still haven't gotten paid yet, so another trip to Guangzhou might have to wait.
1. Chinese Supermarket
2. Interesting Chinese food, like FUNGUS
3. Physical Exam
4. Staring
5. Drugs
6. Chinese speaking only Chinese around me
7. My throat
8. Government Monitoring
9. Laundry
10. Items I wish I brought, or didn't get rid of from my suitcase when it was overweight
11. Chinese School across the Street and Today's Activities
1. When I went to the supermarket a few days ago, they didn't have any American chips that I like...and as I said, I miss junk food! Some interesting things they had were crab and shrimp flavored Pringles... I took a picture, but I can't upload it onto blogspot from China. In the next isle, I saw toothpaste that is supposed to be "Crest" and "Colgate", that was actually "Cvrest" and...I don't really remember, but I have pictures of that too. There was also a laundry detergent that was a FAKE Tide, like Fite or something. Only in China! Actually, that statment is wrong, because I know in Poland they have tons of fake products like this. I'm worried about buying the shampoo here, because there is one of each name brand on the shelf, and it doesn't smell like the original, or look like it! I wanted to buy a few things, and the products that I know are usually sealed, were ALL open! My Australian friend and I assume they water it down here, because it's more expensive for them to have the original on the shelf. Why have the original when you can still charge the same amount for a watered down version?
2. At work, someone ordered Dim Sum (light food that you eat with your tea in the south of China), and I tried the egg soup. To my surprise, the soup had pear in it, and some kind of squeaky, transparent, coral looking vegetable. I asked someone what it was, and we looked up the translation online... it was fungus. It wasn't bad though. She explained it as being something that used to grow in the wild, but now Chinese farmers have cultivated it and eat it. Nice. Another food I've seen, and definately not eaten, is some kind of little lizard on a stick, that is roasted. Ewa and I tried to get pictures of it, but the lady yelled "No!" in the stand. She probably thought we were going to copy her business ventures! The last thing I have to mention about the food, are the womry larvae. If you have a weak stomach, don't read on, and jump to the next paragraph. They sell larvae/centipedes or something like that in fancy boxes for around $600-$1500, YES DOLLARS, at the fancy supermarkets. I guess these creatures are supposed to make you very healthy. I will need to google this. They are already dead and dried out, and some people drink them with hot water! Ewwwww. Don't knock it till you try it I guess. (But still, EWWWW)
3. I had my physical exam a few days ago, and the results say I'm all healthy! This wasn't an American physical exam--it included X Rays, blood drawing, urine tests, eye tests, heart monitoring, an untrasound (!!! never had that done before! But I saw my insides!), and some other test where they attach little plugs to your body. I hear these are very thorough tests. Actually, looking at the results, I finally now know my blood type, my hemoglobin count, blood platelet count or something, whether I have any diabetes, problems with my spine, sinus rhythm, liver, spleen etc, lungs, abdomen AND lots more. Wow, good to know!
4. The staring is still continuing...yesterday 3 kids followed me for a little bit in my neighborhood, just looking at me! Sometimes, mothers tell their kids to say hello to me...and I just smile. Yesterday, I just put on my sunglasses and looked down, because everywhere I look, someone is blatently looking at me. I choose to ignore it, because it's gonna continue until I leave this country!
5. When Kianie (Australian) and I went to dinner a few days ago with Natalia, Kianie wanted to go to the "busy" street after...Natalia said to be careful (which we already knew) and then she told us that she's heard stories of some people blowing some kind of drugs (hallucinogens) into foreign people's face and then taking their money, or making them go to an ATM to withdraw more. That is something that happens in MOVIES! Well, it turns out that it's happened to her co-worker(s)! I was really careful that night, and stayed only in the lit areas with lots of people! I guess these areas are filled with people who come from messed up child hoods and families, and are very poor, so their morals aren't really in tact... At least that's how it was explained to me. I'm not tryign to be offensive, but most of the time in China, these are the people that are more likely to be criminals.
6. I'm getting VERY used to the fact that sometimes Chinese people (most of the time actually) speak Chinese around me. I know it's easier for them, but it makes me wonder, are they talking about me? My co-workers speak a little English, and some speak more than others. It's still a little uncomfortable...
7. I have to say I have not noticed the pollution here, but since beginning to walk home from work (because I leave earlier than everyone else), I've noticed all the dust. For the past few days when I wake up, I have a sore throat. It's not because I'm getting sick, but because of the dust and pollution. AND I breathe through my nose! When I was out on my balcony, I noticed all the dust which settled, and it was literally BLACK! Maybe it's time for me to start wearing the surgical masks when I go outside! Some women cover their mouth with their hands when a truck drives by, and I will also have to start doing that...WITH A NAPKIN for extra protection!
8. At first, I also did not notice the close government monitoring of foreigners here (there are like 4 in Beijiao), but now I do. Everywhere I go, I have to show my passport: the bank, the doctors office, paying rent... and they look at it for about 5 minutes trying to read it. I also had to register at the police station within the first 24 hours in China! I guess this town really monitors us because there are not many here. Natalia said that one day 2 police officers came to her door just to look at her passport and visa, to make sure she was here legally. On another note, I'm really sick of not being able to go to many websites. No youtube, no facebook, no video sharing sites, no Hulu...when I'm bored, what am I supposed to do? Soon I'll be done reading the only book I brought! (I only had room for one to bring with me). From what I've asked Chinese people, they are used to the bans on websites...and if they need to, they know of ways to get around them (with programs or proxies). I also looked up some things on Wikipedia which might be banned, such as Tiannamen Square, and it would not let me go to the site...it said something in Chinese...something like when we get a message that says, "Internet Explorer/Safari Cannot open this page". Figures.
9. I did my laundry yesterday and the day before. Some thngs I had to wash by hand, and others I washed in Kianie's washer. Neither of us knew how to work it, so we ran it once just to test it out without clothes, and we realized we were flooding someone's balcony with the tube that comes out from the washer (I guess she just put it over the balcony and it basically rained onto the balcony of the person who lives on the first floor). He came up and started saying something in Chinese, and we didn't know what was going on so we gestured to come in, and he moved the tube toward the drain. Now we get it. Washing my clothes by hand was a pain... I had to boil water in a little kettle (the only hot water I have goes through the shower, and even then it's either scalding hot or FREEZING) and then mix it with cold water and scrub my clothes. Then I had to rinse them, and hang everything on the balcony...I live on the 1st floor now, so my clothes would be VERY EASY to steal!
10. I already wish I didn't get rid of some things I had packed (but then again I can't bring 80lbs in one suitcase!). I wish I had regular laundry detergent and a washer and dryer. I really am going to miss American shampoo--Chinese have different hair texture, so I bet their conditioner won't be as moisturizing...unless I want to spend like $30 on shampoo and $30 on conditioner (Kianie uses Herbal Essence she bought in Beijing and she says it sucks and isn't the same). I want regular toothpaste and facewash (that is not watered down). Katie--the hair bands are not made from condoms, and I have to say, you CANNOT get tampons unless you go into a big city. I HAD to mention that :) I wish I had more American junk food and coffee, but mostly just Cheetos, Doritos, french fries, some candy bars, and lots of gum. I will be a fatty when I come back because I will indulge in American greasy food! It's not that I don't like and appreciate this food, because I do, but sometimes you just get a craving for certain foods, you know? Oh yea, and mashed potatoes and pepperoni pizza, and steak and green beans...and egg pancakes! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Instead, I'm eating a lot of rice and vegetables.
11. I noticed that at the Chinese kindergarden, every child who walks through the gate is checked by a nurse. She checks their fingers and mouth before they enter, and I found out it was to check for blood poisoning or diseases. They really don't want other kids to get sick, because I guess infections spread easily, I don't know...better be safe than sorry?
Lastly, I came into work today, even though I wasn't going to, because I am only here from 8-12 and after. all the girls are going to lunch and then to "do sports", as they told me. We are going to play badmitton. Great, I'm not even good at this sport! At least it's something to do. Tonight there is something going on in Gunagzhou and @ trainees are going, but I don't know if I will because I'm trying to save lots of money for REAL traveling around China :) and I still haven't gotten paid yet, so another trip to Guangzhou might have to wait.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
我爱我的国家
March 17, 2010
1. Mandarin vs. Cantonese and learning Chinese
2. Chinese manners
3. Midea Group Explanation (FINALLY)
4. Move
5. My name
1. Well, today I found out that everyone around me actually speaks Mandarin, even though people told me that Cantonese is spoken here...Cantonese IS spoken here, BUT only by the locals. Everyone else speaks Mandarin. So I guess that Rosetta Stone I have will come in handy as soon as I can get it to work. My co-workers have been helping me learn Chinese slowly, and explaining everything really well, BUT the tones in this language are crazy! One wrong sound and the whole word can change...YIKES! At least today, I got Chinese characters on my computer, a way to type Chinese characters on my key board, AND Microsoft Office...which I thought would be in Chinese, but it turns out it is not! Yayyy! My WinZip is in Chinese, and that is impossible to figure out! I got all these programs because a virus in Madison deleted everything I had, and the company is providing these babies, after I asked! :) Now this is what jobs should be like...provide everything you need in order to be an efficient worker!
2. Where do I even begin...Chinese manners are different than American, because it's a different country with different traditions. I still look away when people spit their bones out on the table--YES bones from meat in a meal! When you are sitting at dinner and a bone is in your meat, it is VERY common to spit it out on the table (not on a napkin or a plate) or on the floor. Yep, that is something I am NOT USED TO! They do this because a lot of the meat is filled with bones, and it's easier just to spit it out here and now, versus taking a napkin and wasting your energy on that... Another thing--SPITTING. People spit here all the time and everywhere. When I was at the mall, I saw a wad of spit on the GROUND, not in a garbage can! Or in the apartments, there are spit wads everywhere...even girls do it! This is definitely not something I will adapt! You kind of have to watch where you step!
3. Midea group is complicated to explain, but I will do my best. Basically, Midea Group is a group of seperate divisions in the company,Gwith the headquarters of the Group here in Shunde, where I live (Shunde is the city, Beijiao is the part of the city I live in!). There are 4 main groups: Midea Real Estate, Midea Commercial Appliances, Midea Living Appliances, and another one I do not know of...I've asked lots of people but they can't explain it to me in English. Thennnnn unter each subsidiary, there is a division, such as in the Living Appliance subsidiary, there is a Dishwasher Division, a Microwave Division...etc etc, and the Commercial Appliances include Washers, Air Conditioners (I think they are in this division), stoves...etc--bigger appliances that aer for the home or for buildings! And, Midea seems to make appliances ranging from rice cookers, to refridgerators! Under each little divison, there are offices for R&D, Marketing...and HR, which is the office I work in! So I will be teaching English at night, and the rest of the time planning lessons and helping out with HR stuff when need be.
4. I also said that I moved into Ewa's apt, but our friend Jessica, and I are looking for an apartment together. I know there are a lot of great apartments out there, but I don't want to spend more money on an apartment if I'm always working and will be traveling...so I'd rather spend that money towards other things! :) But an apartment is safer, and less lonely...and I wouldn't have to have a musquito net on my bed, I'd have a Western toilet AND a washer for my clothes! And it is closer to work...so I could quickly walk back and forth... WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE?!?! :( Also, I'd have to share a bathroom (which is way bigger than the one I have now) PLUS I'd have to move AGAIN! GRRRRR.
5. The title of this post is my new Chinese name--It means I love my country. As I said, I got it when we went to the supermarket in Daliang, and they thought it would be funny, since Ewa's name is 我爱中国 (I love China). It's not a real Chinese name, just a little inside joke!
I also wanted to say that I finished writing an English test to seperate people into different levels, and I have ordered some books for learning business English... I will most likely start classes in 2 weeks or so, but for now, I am still planning lessons and preparing!
1. Mandarin vs. Cantonese and learning Chinese
2. Chinese manners
3. Midea Group Explanation (FINALLY)
4. Move
5. My name
1. Well, today I found out that everyone around me actually speaks Mandarin, even though people told me that Cantonese is spoken here...Cantonese IS spoken here, BUT only by the locals. Everyone else speaks Mandarin. So I guess that Rosetta Stone I have will come in handy as soon as I can get it to work. My co-workers have been helping me learn Chinese slowly, and explaining everything really well, BUT the tones in this language are crazy! One wrong sound and the whole word can change...YIKES! At least today, I got Chinese characters on my computer, a way to type Chinese characters on my key board, AND Microsoft Office...which I thought would be in Chinese, but it turns out it is not! Yayyy! My WinZip is in Chinese, and that is impossible to figure out! I got all these programs because a virus in Madison deleted everything I had, and the company is providing these babies, after I asked! :) Now this is what jobs should be like...provide everything you need in order to be an efficient worker!
2. Where do I even begin...Chinese manners are different than American, because it's a different country with different traditions. I still look away when people spit their bones out on the table--YES bones from meat in a meal! When you are sitting at dinner and a bone is in your meat, it is VERY common to spit it out on the table (not on a napkin or a plate) or on the floor. Yep, that is something I am NOT USED TO! They do this because a lot of the meat is filled with bones, and it's easier just to spit it out here and now, versus taking a napkin and wasting your energy on that... Another thing--SPITTING. People spit here all the time and everywhere. When I was at the mall, I saw a wad of spit on the GROUND, not in a garbage can! Or in the apartments, there are spit wads everywhere...even girls do it! This is definitely not something I will adapt! You kind of have to watch where you step!
3. Midea group is complicated to explain, but I will do my best. Basically, Midea Group is a group of seperate divisions in the company,Gwith the headquarters of the Group here in Shunde, where I live (Shunde is the city, Beijiao is the part of the city I live in!). There are 4 main groups: Midea Real Estate, Midea Commercial Appliances, Midea Living Appliances, and another one I do not know of...I've asked lots of people but they can't explain it to me in English. Thennnnn unter each subsidiary, there is a division, such as in the Living Appliance subsidiary, there is a Dishwasher Division, a Microwave Division...etc etc, and the Commercial Appliances include Washers, Air Conditioners (I think they are in this division), stoves...etc--bigger appliances that aer for the home or for buildings! And, Midea seems to make appliances ranging from rice cookers, to refridgerators! Under each little divison, there are offices for R&D, Marketing...and HR, which is the office I work in! So I will be teaching English at night, and the rest of the time planning lessons and helping out with HR stuff when need be.
4. I also said that I moved into Ewa's apt, but our friend Jessica, and I are looking for an apartment together. I know there are a lot of great apartments out there, but I don't want to spend more money on an apartment if I'm always working and will be traveling...so I'd rather spend that money towards other things! :) But an apartment is safer, and less lonely...and I wouldn't have to have a musquito net on my bed, I'd have a Western toilet AND a washer for my clothes! And it is closer to work...so I could quickly walk back and forth... WHICH ONE SHOULD I CHOOSE?!?! :( Also, I'd have to share a bathroom (which is way bigger than the one I have now) PLUS I'd have to move AGAIN! GRRRRR.
5. The title of this post is my new Chinese name--It means I love my country. As I said, I got it when we went to the supermarket in Daliang, and they thought it would be funny, since Ewa's name is 我爱中国 (I love China). It's not a real Chinese name, just a little inside joke!
I also wanted to say that I finished writing an English test to seperate people into different levels, and I have ordered some books for learning business English... I will most likely start classes in 2 weeks or so, but for now, I am still planning lessons and preparing!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Huǒ Lóng Guǒ
PREVIOUS POST I FOUND THAT I WROTE ON THE PLANE...OOPS SORRY IT'S LATE!
AHHHHH! At this exact moment, I'm on the plane to Hong Kong, watching "Catch me if you can" and drinking a Miller Lite! This plane is crazy! When I first walkled in, the cabin literlally had beds in it! I've never seen anything like it before. Imagine hospital beds, but smaller and that look like regular plane seats. In those seats, you could definately sleep the whole 16 hours! Right now, we're probably around 8 or 9 hours into the trip. I have a great seat--in the middle of the plane but by the window and there is no one sitting directly next to me. It's pretty dark in here, except for the lights of computers and personal tvs (that everyone has attached to the seat in front of them). If I look outside now, it is really white, but it's not just because of the clouds, but you can see ice, and frozen lakes or something. If this blog post sounds a little interesting, it's because of the
beer and the 2 glasses of wine I had when I boarded. I took something to help me sleep but I think I slept for 4 hours already (I was soooo tired from my last nights' adventures in NYC!) Too bad the plane doesn't have wireless...I think domestic flights are starting to. Another interesting thing- our flight goes from JFK in NY and flies north towards Canada, then goes West...and it looks like we are in the North Pole.
...SomEtime around March 10th 2010
Hello Friends! I first have to say I have been dissapointed with myself for carrying around a huge backpack (this isn't the reason I'm dissapointed!) and not managing to throw my camera back in it. I have been to two places that I would have loved to take pictures at...but no camera. I am still writing these posts to my computer, because I have yet to get on BLOGSPOT, or facebook for that matter :( The only time I'm online is at work, and even there, the Gchat is faulty. Yesterday, I found out Ewa is going to move to Shanghai with her husband this weekend and I'm so sad! I have hung out with her after work and have slept at her place two nights in a row because she has the internet, and a musquito net or her bed! Hahahah, the musquitoes aren't out yet, so no worries there...Also, enjoy these blog posts, because soon, supposedly, I won't be having any time to mess around at work, while now I do! Did I also mention I love on the 8th floor of my apartment building...AND THERE IS NO ELEVATOR?
1.) Dinner in Daliang
2.) Shopping in Daliang
3.) FINALLY ON BLOGSPOT: March 15, 2010
1.) Yesterday Ewa and I, her friend from work, his GF and his dad went to eat at this nice restaurant in Daliang, a city probably 10 minutes drive from Beijiao. The restaurant was in the middle of hills, a lake, and a river! We went at night, so the view was fantastic due to the Chinese lights, architecture of the buildings, and a really cool lit tower in the mountains (I call them mountains, but they're really just big hills). We had traditional Cantonese food, and Mark's Dad (Ewa's friend) humored us with some Russian words, and complimented us on our Chinese pronounciation (directed more towards Ewa than me). At dinner Mark wrote "Please turn on the heat" for me in Cantonese so that I could show someone in my building and get the remote control to work for my heating system...Day 4 and still no heat. Also, yesterday was a bad chopstick day. Usually when I use chopsticks here people will compliment me, but yesterday I was even surprised with myself because my food kept slipping! They requested a fork and knife for Ewa and I, but there was no way I was going to use it. My chopstick skills will be better than some Chinese people's when I get back...or so I hope. Side note: Chinese people often use spoons to scoop up their food, it's faster. Anyway, we ate steamed fish, dumplings filled w broccolli, rice, some kind of green vegetable that tasted like collard greens (a few of you know I don't like them. Ayman for one since I first had them with him, Azza, and her friends in Nashville), cucumber in a spicy sauce,and a few things that slip my mind...oh yea, and oranges for dessert (like the ones that come in a Bento Box at Takara) It was such a beautiful place, in a beautiful location!
2.) Oh I cannot forget to say I saw a Walmart in Daliang and freaked out! Everyone in the car said there's only crappy Chinese stuff in there...and I said it's the same as in the US: crappy US stuff. Ewa and I wandered around the supermarket, and Mark and his GF came up with a Chinese name for me. It means "I love my country" except I don't remember how to pronounce it in Cantonese. Ewa's name has been "I love China" for a while (given to her by her students). So, our names are pretty similar. Everyone here calls me Aga anyway, and so the name that sounds like that in Chinese is similar to a Polish nickname--Jadzia, pronounced Ya-djaaa. I don't even know how to write that in English actually. I don't want a Chinese name that is pronounced exactly like a Polish name! So we went to a supermarket that had Western things, such as Ponds face moisturizer and Nivea face wash...but they also had bleaching cream. No, not for your hair, but for your face. I asked Ewa if those creams worked, and she said they actually do! We noted that we love the sun and love to be tan, while girls here our age wear umbrella hats (I will take a picture of this as soon as it get sunny enough for people to start wearing them, besides the gardeners tending the shrubs outside) and would do anything to whiten their skin. In Southern China, the whiter, the better. We were also greeted with "It is my pleasure to serve you today" walking by the store workers maybe or maybe not sarcastically...but they bowed to us! This is that "mystical admiration" Dima was talking about of Asian (mostly Chinese) people towards foreigners. Another interesting side note--Ewa and I were trying to find something and we clearly don't speak enough (or any if you want to put it that way) Chinese to ask where it was, so Ewa pulled out her iPod touch and translated a word with an electronic translator into Chinese, we pointed to the word to one of the workers...and she pointed us in the right direction! Technology these days...We took a bus on the way home, and if you spent 10 Yuan (or RMB<--"The People's Currency") or so or more, you get a free bus ticket home, and a free bus ticket to come back! We just saved 4 Yuan! (~6.7 Yuan is a dollar!) hah!
3) Through a PROXY site I finally get on Blogspot and FACEBOOK (lite)...where you cannot write any comments or look at people's profiles...great! What use is that? I moved into Ewa's apt yesterday, and she went to Shanghai to live with her husband :( Keep in mind, I am writing this around 4 days AFTER the paragraph before this one, so if I repeat something, sorry! I have great pictures but I don't know if I will be allowed to even post them on here... We went to Guangzhou this weekend (40 mins by bus, 20 if you're driving!) It was so much fun! We took a boat ride on the Pearl River, ate at the BEST Vietnamese restaurant, and went CLUBBING till 5 30AM (with AIESECers)! The club was so loud I def still have ringing in my ears! On the tvs there were BET videos playing...same ones over and over (Rihanna, 50, and Eminem!) I took a picture, I had to. We danced on stage and drank whiskey, water and some kind of juice mix. The club was beautiful...but I'll let the pictures do the talking when I can put them up. I can't wait till I go to Hong Kong to renew my visa, because I will stay in the hotel an extra day just to upload everything onto facebook and blogspot. For those who have gotten my e-mails, I recommend also reading my blog because this will (hopefully) be more detailed. I would also like to mention that I got lost today walking home from work (my first time walking to or from work)...that I had to get one of the motorbike men to give me a ride (they are all over this city...faster and cheaper...and more dangerous than a cab!)! And I had walked around so much that I was almost at home, except it was getting dark, and one thing I KNOW is to NOT walk around in the dark by myself in these creepy market areas! ALSO MY NEXT POST WILL BE LONGER/MORE DETAILED! I HAVE A LOT TO DESCRIBE, AND SOME NEW UPDATES...BUT RIGHT NOW I JUST WANT TO WATCH A MOVIE! IM RUNNING ON 6 HOURS OF SLEEP FOR 2 DAYS...
Song of the moment- Persuit of Happiness. I kept playing it over and over while I was being stared down in the Subway by EVERY single person, young OR old. CeLeB StAtUs
AHHHHH! At this exact moment, I'm on the plane to Hong Kong, watching "Catch me if you can" and drinking a Miller Lite! This plane is crazy! When I first walkled in, the cabin literlally had beds in it! I've never seen anything like it before. Imagine hospital beds, but smaller and that look like regular plane seats. In those seats, you could definately sleep the whole 16 hours! Right now, we're probably around 8 or 9 hours into the trip. I have a great seat--in the middle of the plane but by the window and there is no one sitting directly next to me. It's pretty dark in here, except for the lights of computers and personal tvs (that everyone has attached to the seat in front of them). If I look outside now, it is really white, but it's not just because of the clouds, but you can see ice, and frozen lakes or something. If this blog post sounds a little interesting, it's because of the
beer and the 2 glasses of wine I had when I boarded. I took something to help me sleep but I think I slept for 4 hours already (I was soooo tired from my last nights' adventures in NYC!) Too bad the plane doesn't have wireless...I think domestic flights are starting to. Another interesting thing- our flight goes from JFK in NY and flies north towards Canada, then goes West...and it looks like we are in the North Pole.
...SomEtime around March 10th 2010
Hello Friends! I first have to say I have been dissapointed with myself for carrying around a huge backpack (this isn't the reason I'm dissapointed!) and not managing to throw my camera back in it. I have been to two places that I would have loved to take pictures at...but no camera. I am still writing these posts to my computer, because I have yet to get on BLOGSPOT, or facebook for that matter :( The only time I'm online is at work, and even there, the Gchat is faulty. Yesterday, I found out Ewa is going to move to Shanghai with her husband this weekend and I'm so sad! I have hung out with her after work and have slept at her place two nights in a row because she has the internet, and a musquito net or her bed! Hahahah, the musquitoes aren't out yet, so no worries there...Also, enjoy these blog posts, because soon, supposedly, I won't be having any time to mess around at work, while now I do! Did I also mention I love on the 8th floor of my apartment building...AND THERE IS NO ELEVATOR?
1.) Dinner in Daliang
2.) Shopping in Daliang
3.) FINALLY ON BLOGSPOT: March 15, 2010
1.) Yesterday Ewa and I, her friend from work, his GF and his dad went to eat at this nice restaurant in Daliang, a city probably 10 minutes drive from Beijiao. The restaurant was in the middle of hills, a lake, and a river! We went at night, so the view was fantastic due to the Chinese lights, architecture of the buildings, and a really cool lit tower in the mountains (I call them mountains, but they're really just big hills). We had traditional Cantonese food, and Mark's Dad (Ewa's friend) humored us with some Russian words, and complimented us on our Chinese pronounciation (directed more towards Ewa than me). At dinner Mark wrote "Please turn on the heat" for me in Cantonese so that I could show someone in my building and get the remote control to work for my heating system...Day 4 and still no heat. Also, yesterday was a bad chopstick day. Usually when I use chopsticks here people will compliment me, but yesterday I was even surprised with myself because my food kept slipping! They requested a fork and knife for Ewa and I, but there was no way I was going to use it. My chopstick skills will be better than some Chinese people's when I get back...or so I hope. Side note: Chinese people often use spoons to scoop up their food, it's faster. Anyway, we ate steamed fish, dumplings filled w broccolli, rice, some kind of green vegetable that tasted like collard greens (a few of you know I don't like them. Ayman for one since I first had them with him, Azza, and her friends in Nashville), cucumber in a spicy sauce,and a few things that slip my mind...oh yea, and oranges for dessert (like the ones that come in a Bento Box at Takara) It was such a beautiful place, in a beautiful location!
2.) Oh I cannot forget to say I saw a Walmart in Daliang and freaked out! Everyone in the car said there's only crappy Chinese stuff in there...and I said it's the same as in the US: crappy US stuff. Ewa and I wandered around the supermarket, and Mark and his GF came up with a Chinese name for me. It means "I love my country" except I don't remember how to pronounce it in Cantonese. Ewa's name has been "I love China" for a while (given to her by her students). So, our names are pretty similar. Everyone here calls me Aga anyway, and so the name that sounds like that in Chinese is similar to a Polish nickname--Jadzia, pronounced Ya-djaaa. I don't even know how to write that in English actually. I don't want a Chinese name that is pronounced exactly like a Polish name! So we went to a supermarket that had Western things, such as Ponds face moisturizer and Nivea face wash...but they also had bleaching cream. No, not for your hair, but for your face. I asked Ewa if those creams worked, and she said they actually do! We noted that we love the sun and love to be tan, while girls here our age wear umbrella hats (I will take a picture of this as soon as it get sunny enough for people to start wearing them, besides the gardeners tending the shrubs outside) and would do anything to whiten their skin. In Southern China, the whiter, the better. We were also greeted with "It is my pleasure to serve you today" walking by the store workers maybe or maybe not sarcastically...but they bowed to us! This is that "mystical admiration" Dima was talking about of Asian (mostly Chinese) people towards foreigners. Another interesting side note--Ewa and I were trying to find something and we clearly don't speak enough (or any if you want to put it that way) Chinese to ask where it was, so Ewa pulled out her iPod touch and translated a word with an electronic translator into Chinese, we pointed to the word to one of the workers...and she pointed us in the right direction! Technology these days...We took a bus on the way home, and if you spent 10 Yuan (or RMB<--"The People's Currency") or so or more, you get a free bus ticket home, and a free bus ticket to come back! We just saved 4 Yuan! (~6.7 Yuan is a dollar!) hah!
3) Through a PROXY site I finally get on Blogspot and FACEBOOK (lite)...where you cannot write any comments or look at people's profiles...great! What use is that? I moved into Ewa's apt yesterday, and she went to Shanghai to live with her husband :( Keep in mind, I am writing this around 4 days AFTER the paragraph before this one, so if I repeat something, sorry! I have great pictures but I don't know if I will be allowed to even post them on here... We went to Guangzhou this weekend (40 mins by bus, 20 if you're driving!) It was so much fun! We took a boat ride on the Pearl River, ate at the BEST Vietnamese restaurant, and went CLUBBING till 5 30AM (with AIESECers)! The club was so loud I def still have ringing in my ears! On the tvs there were BET videos playing...same ones over and over (Rihanna, 50, and Eminem!) I took a picture, I had to. We danced on stage and drank whiskey, water and some kind of juice mix. The club was beautiful...but I'll let the pictures do the talking when I can put them up. I can't wait till I go to Hong Kong to renew my visa, because I will stay in the hotel an extra day just to upload everything onto facebook and blogspot. For those who have gotten my e-mails, I recommend also reading my blog because this will (hopefully) be more detailed. I would also like to mention that I got lost today walking home from work (my first time walking to or from work)...that I had to get one of the motorbike men to give me a ride (they are all over this city...faster and cheaper...and more dangerous than a cab!)! And I had walked around so much that I was almost at home, except it was getting dark, and one thing I KNOW is to NOT walk around in the dark by myself in these creepy market areas! ALSO MY NEXT POST WILL BE LONGER/MORE DETAILED! I HAVE A LOT TO DESCRIBE, AND SOME NEW UPDATES...BUT RIGHT NOW I JUST WANT TO WATCH A MOVIE! IM RUNNING ON 6 HOURS OF SLEEP FOR 2 DAYS...
Song of the moment- Persuit of Happiness. I kept playing it over and over while I was being stared down in the Subway by EVERY single person, young OR old. CeLeB StAtUs
Monday, March 8, 2010
No Ceilings
HELLO from Hong Kong! I am officially off my 16 hour flight and am in the airport right now, waiting for my 50min flight to Guangzhou! I don't even know when I'll be able to use my laptop since I do not have a THREE PRONG adapter :( And I thought I was super duper prepared. Anyway, the flight was not bad at all. I slept a lot, mostly due to the fact that on Friday I slept around 4hours and same with Saturday. Rachel, her roomie and I went out in Manhattan (which was amazing). NY might officially be my favorite city in the US...As soon as I walked onto the Subway, you could tell everyone is fashionable...Not trying to be fashionable, but they actually have style. The guys dress like Kanye/Drake... and the girls have an eccentric taste too. The reason I say it's different, is because NY style is not the same as Chicago style. I also found out why Jay-Z has that name (the subway lines where he grew up are the J and the Z lines!!!) Oh and I'm really proud of this one--I took the subway from 86th Street all the way to JFK by myself! YAYYYY! Quite an experience (wouldn't have done it without Rachel's directions though)
But, let's start the Chinese adventures with my baggage. I had 70lbs in one suitcase and probably 80 in the other (and I thought I was packing light). Wellllllll, thanks to Masha setting me straight on Saturday morning, by the time I left ot the aiport I had exactly 50.0lbs in each suitcase. And out the door went all the great planning and lists that I made, considering I took about 1/5 of what I wanted to take. I know I have a lot more to write about, but I think people are waiting for computers, so I'm going to be courteous and get off this thing...plus my flight leaves in an hour and a half! Lastly, no one has been really staring at me, but I'm prepared for it when I get to Guangzhou, since it's smaller and less "diverse". Also, if my blog posts are TOO LONG and you guys don't want to read them all...I might organize them and make a little "Table of Contents" before I start writing a post. And if I have something I want to say to specific people, I'll just say (for example)...
1. To Katie and Wifey
I actually do have something to say just for you 2! Thanks to all those magazines, I was not really bored on the plane (but my carry-on was 20lbs too heavy for me to lift. My shoulders/back are killing me!). And guess what? I only had to get up one time from my window seat to pee! Aren't you guys proud? I haven't eaten the spicy cheetos yet, but Ash I'm reading that softcover book you lent me and KT- those granola bars def came in handy!
This post is titled No Ceilings because there will be no limit to what I'm gonna do in China!...And one other reason...not necessary to write here, if you don't know, you aren't cool enough ;)
But, let's start the Chinese adventures with my baggage. I had 70lbs in one suitcase and probably 80 in the other (and I thought I was packing light). Wellllllll, thanks to Masha setting me straight on Saturday morning, by the time I left ot the aiport I had exactly 50.0lbs in each suitcase. And out the door went all the great planning and lists that I made, considering I took about 1/5 of what I wanted to take. I know I have a lot more to write about, but I think people are waiting for computers, so I'm going to be courteous and get off this thing...plus my flight leaves in an hour and a half! Lastly, no one has been really staring at me, but I'm prepared for it when I get to Guangzhou, since it's smaller and less "diverse". Also, if my blog posts are TOO LONG and you guys don't want to read them all...I might organize them and make a little "Table of Contents" before I start writing a post. And if I have something I want to say to specific people, I'll just say (for example)...
1. To Katie and Wifey
I actually do have something to say just for you 2! Thanks to all those magazines, I was not really bored on the plane (but my carry-on was 20lbs too heavy for me to lift. My shoulders/back are killing me!). And guess what? I only had to get up one time from my window seat to pee! Aren't you guys proud? I haven't eaten the spicy cheetos yet, but Ash I'm reading that softcover book you lent me and KT- those granola bars def came in handy!
This post is titled No Ceilings because there will be no limit to what I'm gonna do in China!...And one other reason...not necessary to write here, if you don't know, you aren't cool enough ;)
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