Guangdong Winter

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

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

--- 4 days later

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

HONG KONG II

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

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

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

... One week later...

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

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

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

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

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

Tomorrow is my NINE month anniversary in China. WOW.

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

早茶

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Ode to AIESEC SYSU

AIESEC... so many good things to say about you, NOT! Actually this blog post will pertain only to AIESEC SYSU. I am proudly going to express my honest opinion because well, China has censored enough things and it won't censor my experience with AIESEC... so may this be a warning for those people who want to come to China (especially Guangzhou) through AIESEC. Before I came to china I was enchanted with this organization, and sadly, one or two LCs can completely ruin the reputation of an international org like this one.

What spurred this rant you ask? Well I just filled out my midterm survey on myaiesec.net and realized how much AIESEC has NOT DONE for me. So let's start at the beginning. I found a cheap ticket online to come to Guangzhou and contacted my TN Manager to see if the timing was ok. I assumed she'd reply right away because she had been sending me about three e-mails a day about my job, but she didn't reply until hours later. By the the ticket had gone up in price, a lot. This should have been my first sign. When it comes to saving their ass, they will SKYPE, gchat, email you all the time to get a response. When you need something answered they take their sweet old time. Then, when I was finally coming to China, I was told that I might not be able to get picked up at the airport. Why? Because my TN Manager had class the next day. Umm well I'm just getting off a 16-hour flight, don't speak Chinese, don't know China... and you expect me to what? Get ripped off by a taxi driver who takes me to an expensive hotel so that I could take a bus the next day to a town 40 minutes outside of Guangzhou to the middle of nowhere? Right. So after I heard about this possibility I immediately contacted the LCP and was told I would be picked up by AIESECers. Thanks for making me feel so welcome SYSU (do ya'll sense the sarcasm yet?).

So I did get picked up at the airport, stayed in a shitty hostel... it wasn't even a hostel, it was a rented room in some shithole place in Guangzhou and for the first time I saw that hole in the floor that I would come to know as a toilet. The next day my supervisor picked me up in a car provided by my company and I would see my TN Manager once after that point, because I was nice enough to stay for an AIESEC event to interview potential members, that would then cost me a three hour journey back to Beijiao (worthless). Oh and I was also told I would be right outside Guangzhou. Yes, I guess "right outside Guangzhou" must mean a 40 minute bus ride outside of Guangzhou (and the kicker is a friend showed me how to take the bus... but that is AIESECs job). AIESEC is supposed to show you around the city you are staying in and provide you with methods of transportation. You don't speak the language, so how can you find out about buses in China? You can't. It is all by word of mouth! There are no concrete schedules down here where I live. AIESEC is supposed to be a system and something to fall back on for support when you come to a foreign country. Nevertheless I clearly am able to get around and this experience is all behind me now, but I need to write it down so that people know what actually happened to me... I didn't really tell many people because I wanted to be strong and NOT scare anyone, but it was a pretty scary and anxiety filled first week. Now, luckily, I can look back and smile and be proud that I didn't drop everything ant go back to the US (which I considered many, many times). After I got into Beijiao, my supervisor (I still don't know if she helped me so much because she had to or because she's just warm-hearted...) took me to get a phone, supplies for my shit hole room (to which I was told "You can move out whenever you want. New people always move in here at first then move"), and then was going to leave me to rest while she went back to work. I remember that moment exactly. That is when it hit me I was in China alone. The AIESEC people didn't come with me. They didn't call me to check up on me. They didn't show me around Beijiao... and for anyone who has been here, it is NOT easy to get around by yourself for the first three months or so. No one gets that the language barrier is so extensive, to a new foreigner in China-- it's fucking scary. Simply put. Really fucking scary. I cried A LOT that week here. For one reason or another. I didn't know if I made the right decision. I didn't have internet at home. I slept in Ewa's place three nights the first week because I hated it here. I really hated it. I was in some Bumblefuck town for a year. And the situation hit me, yet again. And how many foreigners were there in Beijiao? Four, including me. Fucking four. I hated the feeling I had in my stomach my first week, but look where I am now.

Then Audre eventually came, I met some other people in Guangzhou with much effort and asking my TN Manager for e-mails of other people... and my effort paid off. I met some great friends, some of whom I'm still friends with to this day. And I have not seen anyone from AIESEC since. To be fair, they did have a party for the people here through AIESEC in my third month or so... but that was the last time I saw any of them. Audre, who is still here, REALLY got screwed by AIESEC SYSU and had a bad first month and a half. I don't want to get into HER story because that is another blog post within itself. Basically let's just say she was guaranteed a job here, then the day she had her flight, she found out she would be interviewing for a job, not HAD one. She interviewed against a guy with 10 years experience who got the job... and she was stuck with NADA. Nothing at all. She found another job a month later after much stress and almost NO HELP from AIESEC.

So everything AIESEC was supposed to do, they didn't (with the exception of picking me up at the airport). Without Kelly and people at my work, I wouldn't have a phone, a place to live... nothing. All of this AIESEC is obligated to help you with. So why were they like this? Is it just China or is it the organization here itself? When Audre had her problems, I came to speak with her to the LCP and her TN Manager (also my TN Manager) and I my guess is that they were just busy. They have school, they have like 40 trainees to take care of, they have AIESEC. They have too much on their plates, way too much. I think with an organization like this, work needs to be spread out evenly so that no one gets screwed (like all the people coming to China who don't have someone to turn to). Oh and let me mention I do have an AIESEC buddy, who contacted me a month after they knew they were my buddy. I have received one e-mail from her ever, and that was about four months ago.

Most important is what I have learned. I can say I could do this again. I could go to another country, be independent, not really know anyone or the language... and I would be ok. And this is most important. All my women, I N D E P E N D E N T, throw your hands up at me. I'm not scared anymore. I was not nervous or scared when I was flying here, but when I got here, that's when the fright and reality kicked in. I can take it easy knowing that things usually work out. I did get lucky with the people I've met here who have really helped me (Chinese and foreign) and who have been willing and even excited to help me, but sadly AIESEC SYSU is not included in that list. So it depends on whom you meet when you travel to another country, because you can't rely too much on one thing, one person, or in this case, one organization. Lastly, I was offered a job in the marketing department of my division, so that is a plus. Seems like I DID DO well in China huh?

C A N' T C O N T A I N M Y E X C I T E M E N T

Snuffalafogus is coming to China tomorrow I can't wait any longerrrrrr!!!

Health and SUCH

I've been meaning to write a post about a few things now but first I must say that for the THIRD time this month I have seen a DOG'S HEAD at the market next to my house (obviously it was straight up chopped off). Basically I walk by (through) this place to get to the bus to GZ... and the first time I saw the head I kinda screamed and turned away... the second time I was like "SICKKKKKKKKK!" and today I screamed even louder. Luckily I still get freaked out by the site of it! I won't go into detail but it's disguising. Lily also doesn't eat dog and when Audre wanted to go to a restaurant that served it, she really objected to it...(Audre wants to try it) she said she made promise to her dog that she won't ever try it (she did say her dad does eat dog often though which I'm confused about because it was a family dog that they had). I just can't see myself eating a dog, especially since I will have one in the future and a dog isn't seen to many westerners as food...(unlike some Chinese people, especially to the Cantonese because, "If it has four legs and it is not a chair, if it has two wings and it flies but is not an airplane, and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it") Had to mention that. Now the topics for today:

Asian Games 2010 in GuangZhou- WHAT A MESS

Lily's moving and her job situation

Getting away with a lot-- not the case in many other big cities in China

Staying (and being) healthy here

Break Time!

Asian Games

Basically the Asian Games are the Olympics of this continent. So that means our "precious" city , Guangzhou, has about double the people. The subway is NOT prepared for this, the city public transportation isn't, the citizens of Guangzhou aren't... so as you can see I'm a little against this. I mean, yes, it is cool to say I was in Guangzhou when the Asian games were going on, in Shanghai during the EXPO, saw the Beijing Olympic stadium, but so many people in the city is such a hassle especially since I use the subway all the time on the weekends.

I watched swimming, badminton and ping pong on TV (which by the way I NEVER watch because I don't have a TV and it's a waste of time) and it was pretty cool and funny. I noticed a few interesting things though such as Hong Kong being classified as Hong Kong, China and same with Macau. I will try to find out what Taiwan participates under... I'm pretty sure CHINA. North and South Korea are called by their official names (Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea respectively). Watching badminton and the seriousness of it IS pretty funny though, because we (Americans) don't really consider that one of "those" sports, but people always ask me "Do you play badminton, do you play ping pong?" Obviously I CAN play both, but I wouldn't say I'm great, I'm just alright. AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those are very famous, respected sports in Asia.

Now as for the actual games... we went to Guangzhou this weekend and the "police" barricaded the entrance into the subway and only let a crowd of people go in at a time. This makes sense in China because Chinese people have no regard for order or manners whatsoever. If they let people go into the subway freely... it would be a MESS. Fights would break out, people would CUT, others would NEVER get through (because they wouldn't push enough). For example, I was in line for the bus back to where I live (which I cut because the actual line consisted of about 200 people) and pretended I just was a stupid foreigner, but when I got to the door of the bus I was literally almost trampled, lifted, pushed, etc because I felt there needed to be order, so I was first waited for those in front of me to get into the bus. Instead of doing the same. those behind me began cutting me, pushing me, yelling at me and trying to get me on the bus so that then, they could push THEIR way in. What a mess. I decided now that if I go home on Sunday in the evening, I am 100% taking a taxi. The weekend before, a few of the exits in the subway were closed because so many people were coming in, that they didn't let people use the EXIT as an EXIT (just an entrance into the subway). Who plans this stuff? Clearly this should not happen when one of the biggest events in Asia is going on in the city. Simply put, Guangzhou is not prepared when it comes to infrastructure or even mentally... Chinese people here are not prepared for the games mentally. They still do the same bullshit that they do if the games weren't happening. It's difficult to explain this because those who have spent time here can understand (like my friends) but it's just a mentality, a culture of disorder, of disregard to rules and manners... simply put. This IS China (too MANY people and not enough ANYTHING. Even the Chinese say so themselves. They're like "You're going to Guangzhou NOW? There are SO many people!!!!!!!! As if Guangzhou isn't crowded enough, they had to bring in everyone here for the Asian Games. Dandy)

Lily is moving

Ugh. So my Lao Jie is moving to Yunnan for a few reasons. As I said before, she will get married sometime in the next few years to her boyfriend from college whom I met and absolutely love! He is in the Chinese army and like a big brother to me. Well HE can't get married until he's 25, as I mentioned before, BUT she still wants to be closer to him. Also as I've mentioned her job sucks. Maybe I don't know the extent of it because she DOES GET a lot of perks, but she is basically her boss' bitch. She has to take care of clients for him, dance in those stupid celebrations, and stay over time doing other people's work. So one day she told me she quit. Well it's not like she went to her boss and flat out said it, "I QUIT mother fffff-er" but she told him she will leave the company because she will get married to her boyfriend. Her boss offered her a raise and asked if it was because of the work, but she said no. The way she explained it is that if she said yes I hate my job, he would tell her he'd give her a lot more money, that her work would be easier, but most likely (99% sure actually) her job would not be any different and he wouldn't respect his word. This was the only way she could leave soon, she stated. So she HAS to stay with the company until they find a replacement for her (for at the most 30 days) AND she has to do whatever the boss wants still. If she does not, she cannot get her Chinese ID transferred to Yunnan (a different province) because Midea for some reason, has an effect on that (MIDEA actually has a lot of business with the government I hear AND they mean a lot to the Chinese government... which makes sense because a company without government connections in Beijing would NEVER be able to prosper even close to the level Midea is at). So she has no choice. She can't just plainly QUIT, she sort of has to get permission to quit if you get what I mean. The worst part of this is that she wanted a job in a cigarette business. She wanted to work in some office that pays the most out of any company in that location
(which happens to be the cigarette company). Bobo's (her boyfriend's "uncle" [distant uncle]) agreed to ask someone who worked there to pull some strings, because Lily said it is impossible to get a job at this specific place especially, without knowing someone AND being in the tight knit relationship which that company has. Well Lily told me that the uncle doesn't know anyone who works there anymore, because the person whom he knew left... so there is nothing more he can do to help. Great news, NOT. Lily is still going to Yunnan next week but now she is job-less. This reminds me...

It's very interesting that Chinese people never really say NO. There is no real word that means flat out NO. There are many ways to say no though... AND Chinese people always say "maybe" or else lie to you to "keep face". They don't want to seem defeated or disappoint or even worry someone. So often they lie. Maybe because they don't know an answer, but they won't ever really be frank if the news is bad (not ALWAYS obviously, but this is the general consensus).

The power of being NOT Chinese

Yes I complain about China often, BUT in reality I DO like it here. I am treated in a special way because of what I look like. It is wrong. It definitely is wrong, but VERY helpful. Let's take a recent topic of conversation for example: Serena. Her family is from Hong Kong and China, she has red and black hair, she looks semi-Chinese, but also totally Canadian (which she is). She speaks Cantonese and dresses totally like a punky-Westerner and is one of the nicest people I know. Basically when she speaks Cantonese people ask her to speak Mandarin, which she doesn't. When she acts foreign (because DUH SHE IS), Chinese people look down at her, as if she betrayed her county. So no one is ever happy... either way. She has probably the worst experience here when it comes to experiencing Chinese people. She says they reversely discriminate, which they do. When I first came here I told myself I do not want to be treated differently. I don't want special treatment, this and that. But I do. Without special treatment you are screwed and hopeless here! I'd never be able to get on a bus, I would get yelled at all the time, I wouldn't be able to be late from work, would NEVER leave early and work over-time, would get paid NOTHING, and life would be harsh. So yes, please give me preferential treatment. I hate to say it, but I'm only being honest. I need help in China all the time and I NEED people to be understanding... I can't speak here, can't read... so cut me some slack. There are people though who think if you don't know these things, don't come to China... but that is why I NEED to learn Chinese.

I heard that there is different treatment in Beijing though. In the south, at least where I live and many places in China, if you are a foreigner people look up to you and you are by default, treated specially. In Beijing foreigners could potentially be treated like shit. Beijing is a different world for many reasons. It is the capital of Communist China. NOT everyone can live in Beijing... it is expensive and the center of the government. The elite people there are patriotic, so there is no reason to give special treatment to foreigners who just occupy "their precious country". I didn't notice any of this when I went to Beijing, but people there were definitely more used to seeing a white face... and I did not get any obnoxious "halloooooos" there. I just felt more normal and average in the bigger cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. So some might even go out of their way to push and shove you and be mean to you, to discriminate that you ARE NOT Chinese (actually similarly to what Serena experiences because some Chinese don't think she is Chinese... since she grew up in Canada). The propaganda is supposed to be more prevalent in Beijing, but I only noticed that in the touristy areas such as Tienanmen Square.

Health

This is an interesting topic I need to write about. Some Chinese people are very health conscious. Not necessarily because they don't want to be fat, but they want to be healthy. In traditional Chinese medicine, the body is composed of Yin and Yang, and we need to balance these two forces to be healthy, as far as I understand. If you overheat your body, you will get sick. If your body is too cold, you will get sick. So some worthy habits to mention are 1. Some women never eat ice cream or even touch or drink cold water when they are on their period. The body temperature must be down, so they cannot cool it any more. 2. When the weather is humid and hot, do not eat hot pot. It will make your face break out and will create pimples. 3. Fish is good for the memory. 4. Spicy food makes you break out like crazy. 5. Walking slowly after eating REALLY helps digestion (actually about 20 minutes after eating). 6. Eat vegetables with your meal, especially if you eat spicy food. 7. Do not eat too much spicy food (for many reasons. I know this because I DO eat too much spicy food). Chinese always try to find a balance in the diet, with foods that go together. Actually in Lily's kitchen, there is a table of food to not eat together, and I'm assuming it's based on Chinese medicine. 8. Don't exercise when on your period. 9. Practice traditional Chinese medicine techniques such as massages, Gua Sha, cupping, herbal medicine, etc.

Break Time

At 3 30PM everyday, the intercom plays some Chinese music to remind everyone to take a break and relax for a few minutes. At this time we usually eat something like green bean soup (which we had today) or that fungus soup I wrote about before. This time is called afternoon tea time (although it involves no tea whatsoever). We also do some stretches and exercises next to our desk. Hahahha funny, believe me. Especially since everyone counts in Chinese and some of these moves are just weird (like rotating your hips in a circle for four counts of eight). Getting tired now. Goodnight

Sharpest Tool in the Box

So maybe I'm not as smart as I think I am, but actually I made a little comparison between Chinese words today, specifically the character 老. The pinyin for this is lǎo. I was curious about this character specifically because as some of you might have noticed, I call Lily my Jie Jie (姐姐) which means older sister. She calls me her Mei Mei (妹妹) which is younger sister. In addition, I call Bobo (her boyfriend) my jiĕfu (姐 夫) which actually means brother in law (and Lily would then call my boyfriend or future husband if it were that serious, 妹 夫 [mèifu]). Recently Lily told me that if I wanted to I could call her Lao Jie (老姐). She explained that this means that we are actual sisters, not just call each other sisters because we are close. I thought before that "sister" was the closest relation you could call someone who actually isn't a part of your blood family, but it turns out if you add "lao" it's more special. So now I call her LaoJie and she calls me LaoMei (the funny thing is when we are chatting online or texting she'll text me in Pinyin which is very UNCOMMON here. She only does it because I cannot read Chinese characters but can somewhat pronounce if something is written in pinyin, especially without the tones). Anyway, my point is that a few days ago I noticed that someone referred to me as LaoShi (老师): teacher. So of course I put two and two together and wanted to see if the two characters were actually the same (the character from teacher AND the character from LaoMei). They are. Basically when it comes to Lǎoshī (teacher) the word Lao means old aged or experienced. When used in front of a a family member's relation or a name it means "a term of affection" (preceding a surname) or "a prefix denoting respect or closeness, used in several fixed terms". Even better is the fact that Shī (师) means "teacher, master, specialist". So when Chinese people say "teacher" they are very respectful, because it's not just regular "teacher" but a close, RESPECTED, teacher. Through just these few words and meanings alone, we can see how much respect Chinese give the elderly because if you call someone Lao it denotes old age and/or experience and ALSO a synonym for endearment, so it's not offensive to be called "old" but actually something that is honored.

Enough of my rant about something cool I figured out all by myself here. Hopefully in the next few months I'll learn much more that I can share on my blog.