1. got my first haircut by a Chinese person that wasn't a complete disaster
2. bought my first pair of boots (not snowboots or moonboots, just cute girly winter boots)
3. found petit ecolier cookies (biscuits with dark chocolate on top, I used to eat them all the time when I lived in France), bought them, and ate the whole pack in one sitting
.... well maybe eating all the cookies isn't an accomplishment but I feel good, so that's all that matters.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Road Rage
I ride my bicycle EVERYWHERE in Tianjin. Granted you can take the bus anywhere for just 1.5rmb ($.25) but riding bike here is good exercise, it's often faster than the local traffic (Tianjin has bad traffic flow problems), and riding bike, I'm convinced, greatly develops a persons motor skills.
My ride to work in the morning at 8am:
1. unlock my bike and get it out of the door of my building without touching my bike or the door with anything but my hands. Dirty dust settles instantaneously here. If I clean my bike seat the night before and bump against it the next morning before re-cleaning it I'll get a nice black smudge on my clothes.
2. swerve around a few buildings, cars that are parked in the middle of my housing area's driveway, and other early-morning bikers and pedestrians.
3. Once out of the gate of my housing area: Avoid cars coming in the wrong direction, potholes, and people walking in the middle of the road.
4. After riding beside a quaint but sometimes smelly little stream full of lotus flowers I arrive at the train tracks. Here it gets interesting. Hundreds of bikes and cars pile up and push push push their way through. Cars drive in the bike lane, completely cutting off the flow of bicycles, but that doesn't stop the bikes. We all just swerve right up onto the sidewalk.
5. Next I reach the traffic light which always has traffic police "directing" traffic in the morning because of the morning rush. Nobody obeys the traffic police or the lights. The rule in China is "Do what you need to do to get there faster". As traffic comes from the left (when traffic from my direction should be stopped) the bikes just skoot in through the oncoming traffic and as soon as they create a little traffic block, the cars from my direction follow. Horns honk, there are lots of fender-benders, and I've even been in a few crashes on occasion.
This is all the excitement I experience everyday on my way to work. I guess it's a little dangerous, but riding a bike in Tianjin (or about any place in China) is exhilarating. It's like an obstacle course or a video game that you win by arriving at your destination without having been hit and having caused as much destruction and chaos along the way as possible.
My ride to work in the morning at 8am:
1. unlock my bike and get it out of the door of my building without touching my bike or the door with anything but my hands. Dirty dust settles instantaneously here. If I clean my bike seat the night before and bump against it the next morning before re-cleaning it I'll get a nice black smudge on my clothes.
2. swerve around a few buildings, cars that are parked in the middle of my housing area's driveway, and other early-morning bikers and pedestrians.
3. Once out of the gate of my housing area: Avoid cars coming in the wrong direction, potholes, and people walking in the middle of the road.
4. After riding beside a quaint but sometimes smelly little stream full of lotus flowers I arrive at the train tracks. Here it gets interesting. Hundreds of bikes and cars pile up and push push push their way through. Cars drive in the bike lane, completely cutting off the flow of bicycles, but that doesn't stop the bikes. We all just swerve right up onto the sidewalk.
5. Next I reach the traffic light which always has traffic police "directing" traffic in the morning because of the morning rush. Nobody obeys the traffic police or the lights. The rule in China is "Do what you need to do to get there faster". As traffic comes from the left (when traffic from my direction should be stopped) the bikes just skoot in through the oncoming traffic and as soon as they create a little traffic block, the cars from my direction follow. Horns honk, there are lots of fender-benders, and I've even been in a few crashes on occasion.
This is all the excitement I experience everyday on my way to work. I guess it's a little dangerous, but riding a bike in Tianjin (or about any place in China) is exhilarating. It's like an obstacle course or a video game that you win by arriving at your destination without having been hit and having caused as much destruction and chaos along the way as possible.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
I made two young girls cry yesterday. This past week we gave mid-term exams at school and two, usually good students, didn't do so well on the exam. I showed my classes their exam scores and final class grades and they were not happy. Now I have the reputation as the mean teacher who gives difficult exams. ... That might not necessarily be a bad reputation to have though.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Comments again
Hey all, good news. I found a way to view your comments to my blog so you can start leaving me messages again!
The Life of Luxory
To celebrate my new, substantially higher-paying job, I just splurged and joined the poshest gym I would have ever imagined joining. Yesterday I joined the gym at the Sheraton Hotel. It's pricey according to Chinese standards but I have a better job, there are no other gyms in my area, and a coworker is going there too so we can be "gym buddies".
The gym has all the standard equipment plus big screen TVs that are connected to headphones at each machine so I can run on the treadmill and watch AMERICAN TV! IT has been so long since I've seen a TV show in English!
Plus, my membership is good for the hotel's spa with hot tubs and saunas....the best of it if the swimming pool. So today should be my first day to go to my new gym! Can't wait. I feel so frivolous.
The gym has all the standard equipment plus big screen TVs that are connected to headphones at each machine so I can run on the treadmill and watch AMERICAN TV! IT has been so long since I've seen a TV show in English!
Plus, my membership is good for the hotel's spa with hot tubs and saunas....the best of it if the swimming pool. So today should be my first day to go to my new gym! Can't wait. I feel so frivolous.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Me, me, me
Despite the few people who do have respect for others, I find that many or dare I say, most, Chinese people seem to have little respect for those around them. I mean this in terms of personal space and waiting in lines. Two days ago I went to the Tianjin History Museum. I'm standing about a foot from a glass encasement looking at a paining and a 60 something Chinese woman walks up beside me and scooches right in front of me! I was the only one there and she had to place herself right in front of me.
Another instance, well many instances actually, when I'm at the grocery store, shopping mall, etc., a Chinese person will walk fast to get around me then cut in front of me and stop to look around. This just drives me insane! The worst is when I"m waiting in line to buy something at the supermarket and the person behind me keeps inching closer and closer. So close that their cart or basket is pushing into my back. No, I was wrong. Worse still is when you're next to get on the bus and some old lady walks up beside you, sticks her arm in front of you and pushes onto the bus. errrr If its a younger person I'll fight for my place but I have enough decency to not be abusive with an old person. All I can say though, is that old folks in China are feisty.
Other than these things that drive me up a wall, their lack of respect for personal space can be sometimes funny. Again, at the grocery store, it never fails that people will walk up beside me and look into my basket to check out what I'm buying. I guess they're just interested to see what American's buy to eat. Sometimes the more daring curious person will actually pick something up from my basket and examine it.
I have my days when all the staring and random "hello's!" get to me. But I've been here in China long enough to block it out most of the time. And I just have to shrug it off when someone cuts in front of me, pushes, or examines the contents of my shopping cart.
Another instance, well many instances actually, when I'm at the grocery store, shopping mall, etc., a Chinese person will walk fast to get around me then cut in front of me and stop to look around. This just drives me insane! The worst is when I"m waiting in line to buy something at the supermarket and the person behind me keeps inching closer and closer. So close that their cart or basket is pushing into my back. No, I was wrong. Worse still is when you're next to get on the bus and some old lady walks up beside you, sticks her arm in front of you and pushes onto the bus. errrr If its a younger person I'll fight for my place but I have enough decency to not be abusive with an old person. All I can say though, is that old folks in China are feisty.
Other than these things that drive me up a wall, their lack of respect for personal space can be sometimes funny. Again, at the grocery store, it never fails that people will walk up beside me and look into my basket to check out what I'm buying. I guess they're just interested to see what American's buy to eat. Sometimes the more daring curious person will actually pick something up from my basket and examine it.
I have my days when all the staring and random "hello's!" get to me. But I've been here in China long enough to block it out most of the time. And I just have to shrug it off when someone cuts in front of me, pushes, or examines the contents of my shopping cart.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Bicycle Thief
October 1st is China's national day (like the 4th of july in the US, except the Chinese aren't celebrating independence from anybody) so I have the entire week off of work. That's it for good news...
Sadly, my beloved bicycle, which I bought just 2 and a half weeks ago was stolen the other day. Its not a rare occurance here in China. I had it locked up with a massive chain and it was even hooked to a building but if theifs want it they'll take it. The Australian guy who sits beside me at work said he's had four bikes stollen in the past year. Well I went and bought a new bike today. Its more the hassle of buying a new bike than the money that bothers me. It costs just about $20 for a new bike but to buy one you have to first buy a lock from a store that sells bike locks, then you go to the store that sells bikes, then you ride your bike to a bicycle repairman sitting alongside the road and buy a basket. ..a basket might sound dorky but believe me, it's indispensible!
Well, lets see how long this new bike lasts. I give it 2 weeks. When this one gets stollen I'm going to get my 3rd one from the black market bike lot. They're all "used" and cost about $8 each. Who knows, I might even find the bike that was stolen from me there!
Sadly, my beloved bicycle, which I bought just 2 and a half weeks ago was stolen the other day. Its not a rare occurance here in China. I had it locked up with a massive chain and it was even hooked to a building but if theifs want it they'll take it. The Australian guy who sits beside me at work said he's had four bikes stollen in the past year. Well I went and bought a new bike today. Its more the hassle of buying a new bike than the money that bothers me. It costs just about $20 for a new bike but to buy one you have to first buy a lock from a store that sells bike locks, then you go to the store that sells bikes, then you ride your bike to a bicycle repairman sitting alongside the road and buy a basket. ..a basket might sound dorky but believe me, it's indispensible!
Well, lets see how long this new bike lasts. I give it 2 weeks. When this one gets stollen I'm going to get my 3rd one from the black market bike lot. They're all "used" and cost about $8 each. Who knows, I might even find the bike that was stolen from me there!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Posting comments
If you've posted comments for me and I haven't responded its because the Chinese gov. has blocked my ability to read them. I can see if I have any comments on a post but unfortunately I can't get to the page that tells me who wrote it and what they wrote :(
So keep reading and and send emails. Sorry I can't respond to your comments
So keep reading and and send emails. Sorry I can't respond to your comments
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
An Exhausting Day Off
Well, everything is going well here. Yesterday was a vacation day for the Korean School because it was the Korean moon festival (I think). Rajdeep also had off so we spent the day together. I woke up early and made French toast for breakfast mmm then we set off on our bikes for what would be a 6 hour journey all over the city. First, we went to a furniture store and bought a nice comfy sofa for my apartment. Then we went to a culinary school where Rajdeep and his friend arranged a private vegetable carving course. Their teacher is amazing. In 5 minutes he showed us how to carve an intricate dragon head out of a gourd!
Then we rode our bikes to the other side of the city to look for a clothing market and a store that my Korean friend said makes inexpensive curtains. We rode and rode but never found it. ... Then back closer to my home we found another huge clothing market and we found a fabric store. I decided to ask the woman if she could make me some curtains. I chose the fabric, she measured, cut it, and sewed it within 10 minutes. And it only cost 50 yuan (about $6) for the whole thing! Now I can change in my bedroom without worrying if the neighbors can see.
After that Rajdeep and I watched a new movie "The Namesake" about a Bengali family living in America. It was really good. And finally, Rajdeep taught me how to make Chicken Biriyani, my favorite Indian dish!
It was a looooong day but I accomplished so much. Next week we have the entire week off work for China's National Day Holiday!
Then we rode our bikes to the other side of the city to look for a clothing market and a store that my Korean friend said makes inexpensive curtains. We rode and rode but never found it. ... Then back closer to my home we found another huge clothing market and we found a fabric store. I decided to ask the woman if she could make me some curtains. I chose the fabric, she measured, cut it, and sewed it within 10 minutes. And it only cost 50 yuan (about $6) for the whole thing! Now I can change in my bedroom without worrying if the neighbors can see.
After that Rajdeep and I watched a new movie "The Namesake" about a Bengali family living in America. It was really good. And finally, Rajdeep taught me how to make Chicken Biriyani, my favorite Indian dish!
It was a looooong day but I accomplished so much. Next week we have the entire week off work for China's National Day Holiday!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sofa hunting
My apartment here is pretty nice: 2 bedrooms, modern, nice little kitchen which is my favorite room in the house, and a hard leather sofa. That sofa has got to go. I'll be living in the place for at least a year and I want to be comfortable so yesterday I set out on an epic bike ride across Tianjin to hunt for a new sofa. I found a few furniture places but they're a little too posh and pricy for my tastes. I'll try again tonight or tomorrow.
I also need to get some curtains. In the meantime I turn off the lights when I need to change my clothes. Who knows if the neighbors across from me are looking out their windows at me. I went to the Home Depot across the road to price curtains and they are not cheap! 180rmb per meter!!? That's like $23 per meter. NO Way. I'm going to find a tailor and have them made that way.
Tomorrow I have off because its the Korean mid autumn festival and I have all of next week off for the chinese national day and mid autumn festival!! I love working at an international school...we get both countries' holidays off!
I also need to get some curtains. In the meantime I turn off the lights when I need to change my clothes. Who knows if the neighbors across from me are looking out their windows at me. I went to the Home Depot across the road to price curtains and they are not cheap! 180rmb per meter!!? That's like $23 per meter. NO Way. I'm going to find a tailor and have them made that way.
Tomorrow I have off because its the Korean mid autumn festival and I have all of next week off for the chinese national day and mid autumn festival!! I love working at an international school...we get both countries' holidays off!
Friday, September 21, 2007
Hey everyone! I"m getting settled back into life in Tianjin. I've been back 3 weeks, I have a nice apartment near the school where I'm teaching, and I'm learning to cook Indian and Chinese food pretty well. I cook all my meals at home so I'm getting lots of practice. In case you didn't know, my boyfriend, Rajdeep, is and Indian chef here in Tianjin. That's why I'm learning Indian cooking.
I'm teaching at the Korean International school and its a great job. Everyday from 8:30-5pm is tiring but its nice to have a full time teaching job. I'm getting to know my students well and even the kids who were bad in the beginning are behaving much better now that they are used to having class with me everyday. The 8 other native English teachers at the school are great too...as well as the Korean teachers.
Well I'll update more when I get another chance. For now, here's my mailing address!
中国 天津市
河西区，梅江
玉水园 25号楼，2门，502号
CHINA
I hope to hear from you all! Keep in touch and I'll try my best to update the blog
I'm teaching at the Korean International school and its a great job. Everyday from 8:30-5pm is tiring but its nice to have a full time teaching job. I'm getting to know my students well and even the kids who were bad in the beginning are behaving much better now that they are used to having class with me everyday. The 8 other native English teachers at the school are great too...as well as the Korean teachers.
Well I'll update more when I get another chance. For now, here's my mailing address!
中国 天津市
河西区，梅江
玉水园 25号楼，2门，502号
CHINA
I hope to hear from you all! Keep in touch and I'll try my best to update the blog
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
I'm back in China
Well I arrived last Friday back in my home away from home, Tianjin, China. Being back seems perfectly normal but living and working in a new area of the city with different people is strange. I started work at Tianjin's Korean International School yesterday and today was my first day teaching. All of the students and teachers at the school are Korean except for 9 foreign English teachers and 12 Chinese teachers. There's actually a large population of Koreans here in Tianjin...mostly businessmen and their families.
I'm living in a hotel, provided by my school, until I find an apartment. I've GOT to find one quickly, living in a hotel is just hectic!
Anyway, it's nice to be back in China. I really enjoy living here and I have a good job. La vie est belle :)
I'm living in a hotel, provided by my school, until I find an apartment. I've GOT to find one quickly, living in a hotel is just hectic!
Anyway, it's nice to be back in China. I really enjoy living here and I have a good job. La vie est belle :)
Thursday, August 30, 2007
I just can't stay away from China...
Or you could say I just can't stay in the states too long...
I'm heading back to Tianjin, China tomorrow morning. I've got a new teaching job at the Korean International School in Tianjin, the pay is better which is not only great but necessary. I need to save up for grad school next year (that's the plan anyway). I've only signed on to this new job for 1 year so I'm sure I'll be back in PA to see you all again next year.
Teaching at a Korean school will certainly be a new experience. The school is grades 1-12, all the students are Korean and all of their classes are taught in Korean, except for English and Chinese of course. Who knows, maybe Korean will be the 7th language I tackle :p
I'll do my best to keep you all updated and to clue you in to cultural tidbits and stories from my adventures in China. Keep in touch and wish me a safe journey!
I'm heading back to Tianjin, China tomorrow morning. I've got a new teaching job at the Korean International School in Tianjin, the pay is better which is not only great but necessary. I need to save up for grad school next year (that's the plan anyway). I've only signed on to this new job for 1 year so I'm sure I'll be back in PA to see you all again next year.
Teaching at a Korean school will certainly be a new experience. The school is grades 1-12, all the students are Korean and all of their classes are taught in Korean, except for English and Chinese of course. Who knows, maybe Korean will be the 7th language I tackle :p
I'll do my best to keep you all updated and to clue you in to cultural tidbits and stories from my adventures in China. Keep in touch and wish me a safe journey!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Home, home on the range...
Yes folks, I'm back in the good ol' USA. Let's flash back to Friday June 29th when I was scheduled to leave China and return....
My flight was scheduled for 6:30pm. I planned it so I could lug my two gigantic suitcases (it's a miracle they weren't over-weight) down 5 flights of stairs, take a 30min taxi ride to the bus station, take the 2-3.5 hour bus ride to the Beijing airport (it depends on traffic and how sturdy the bus is), and arrive at the airport 2 hours early.
I took this long, tiring journey only to arrive at the airport and find out my flight was canceled. Supposedly the airline knew it would be canceled 36 hours earlier but neglected to inform the passengers. HOW CONVENIENT!
So, I took the looong journey back to Tianjin and I had to wait 3 days before they could get me on another flight.
Long story short, I took the long tedious journey back to the Beijing airport yet again on June 2nd, got bumped up to business class, had the most comfortable flight ever, and boom I was back in the US.
It's good to be back and see family and friends again. But I really do miss Tianjin! I've been looking for jobs back there so I can head back. I think I just got accepted to one and I'll update you on that shortly!!
My flight was scheduled for 6:30pm. I planned it so I could lug my two gigantic suitcases (it's a miracle they weren't over-weight) down 5 flights of stairs, take a 30min taxi ride to the bus station, take the 2-3.5 hour bus ride to the Beijing airport (it depends on traffic and how sturdy the bus is), and arrive at the airport 2 hours early.
I took this long, tiring journey only to arrive at the airport and find out my flight was canceled. Supposedly the airline knew it would be canceled 36 hours earlier but neglected to inform the passengers. HOW CONVENIENT!
So, I took the looong journey back to Tianjin and I had to wait 3 days before they could get me on another flight.
Long story short, I took the long tedious journey back to the Beijing airport yet again on June 2nd, got bumped up to business class, had the most comfortable flight ever, and boom I was back in the US.
It's good to be back and see family and friends again. But I really do miss Tianjin! I've been looking for jobs back there so I can head back. I think I just got accepted to one and I'll update you on that shortly!!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Down to the wire
My last few days have been hectic. There are so many things to do:
Close my bank account
exchange money
cancel my cell phone plan
buy a luggage tag
pack and repack until everything fits and is under the weigt limit
buy stuff I need that is cheaper here than in the states: webcam, glasses...
ahhhh too much to do!
Last night my friends and I went out to Alibaba's, the local expat hangout, for one last night out. Plus, it's the bar's tradition to let everyone write on the walls so I left a little note to commemorate my departure.
Here are some pics...
Last night at Alibaba's : L to R : David, Marie, Ankur, Liz, Sarah, me, and Rajdeep
Liz is taking a Chinese cooking class so she make me a fairwell lunch
L to R: Sarah, me , Liz
Close my bank account
exchange money
cancel my cell phone plan
buy a luggage tag
pack and repack until everything fits and is under the weigt limit
buy stuff I need that is cheaper here than in the states: webcam, glasses...
ahhhh too much to do!
Last night my friends and I went out to Alibaba's, the local expat hangout, for one last night out. Plus, it's the bar's tradition to let everyone write on the walls so I left a little note to commemorate my departure.
Here are some pics...
Last night at Alibaba's : L to R : David, Marie, Ankur, Liz, Sarah, me, and Rajdeep
Liz is taking a Chinese cooking class so she make me a fairwell lunch
L to R: Sarah, me , Liz
That's all I have time for now, see you all soon!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
a few last thoughts on China...
Well it's been a rough past few weeks as far as using the internet and blogging goes. First, about a month ago my hard drive died. It was a cheap chinese brand so I guess I had it coming. But no worries, I still had all of my photos and important papers saved on my lap top. ... well my laptop died last week so now I've lost everything :( all of my photos, all of my documents, and my research from India last year
So this will most likely be my last post before I head back to the states this friday. I can't believe how fast time has gone. I have just a few days left in China and I feel like I just arrived. My Chinese is at a point where I really don't want to go without practicing for a long time or I will lose it but if I continue I think I can become fluent.
So the TENTATIVE PLAN is:
I will apply for a scholarship to study Chinese at a university in China. I'll probably apply for a university here in Tianjin because I feel so comfortable in this city and all of my friends are here. If I get it I'll study 2 years for a degree in Chinese language.
PLAN B: If I don't get the scholarship to study Chinese there is an MBA program here in Tianjin that is run throught the Univeristy of Oklahoma City so I could study for an MBA in China but earn an American degree.
ohhhh who knows what will happen. At the moment all I can think about is coming home. So I'll leave these big decisions for a later date.
See you all soon!
So this will most likely be my last post before I head back to the states this friday. I can't believe how fast time has gone. I have just a few days left in China and I feel like I just arrived. My Chinese is at a point where I really don't want to go without practicing for a long time or I will lose it but if I continue I think I can become fluent.
So the TENTATIVE PLAN is:
I will apply for a scholarship to study Chinese at a university in China. I'll probably apply for a university here in Tianjin because I feel so comfortable in this city and all of my friends are here. If I get it I'll study 2 years for a degree in Chinese language.
PLAN B: If I don't get the scholarship to study Chinese there is an MBA program here in Tianjin that is run throught the Univeristy of Oklahoma City so I could study for an MBA in China but earn an American degree.
ohhhh who knows what will happen. At the moment all I can think about is coming home. So I'll leave these big decisions for a later date.
See you all soon!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
photos
Hi folks. In case you didn't know you can check out my photos online from adventures in China and some from my Spring Festival trip to Thailand. go to http://community.webshots.com/user/biddle2
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Indian breakfast: I choose my aquaintences wisely!
My friends here in China come from a variety of backgrounds; some Americans, Canadian, British, a number of Chinese, Nepali, and Indian. Rajdeep is Indian, from the northeast part called Assam. He's head chef at Alibaba's Indian restaurant here in Tianjin which means one very important thing: lots of free delicious Indian cooking!
He told me last week that he missed having breakfast with his family so he offered to cook up an Indian style breakfast for my friends so we could all eat together. I had to leave for work by 8am so we stayed up until 3am preparing the night before and woke back up at 6:30 to finish ... in the end, the lack of sleep was worth it.
A delicious breakfast of (poori (hollow bread), aloo parattha (a type of flat bread with potato and masala), bhaji (like a curry with different types of vegetables and masala, and kheer (a sweet dish made of milk, sugar, rice, raisins, and some different spices) mmmmmm
He told me last week that he missed having breakfast with his family so he offered to cook up an Indian style breakfast for my friends so we could all eat together. I had to leave for work by 8am so we stayed up until 3am preparing the night before and woke back up at 6:30 to finish ... in the end, the lack of sleep was worth it.
A delicious breakfast of (poori (hollow bread), aloo parattha (a type of flat bread with potato and masala), bhaji (like a curry with different types of vegetables and masala, and kheer (a sweet dish made of milk, sugar, rice, raisins, and some different spices) mmmmmm
Coming home...
June 29th!
I finally bought my plane ticket. It cost an arm and a leg but my company will pay for an arm's worth. I can't wait to see family and friends again. I am also quite looking forward to trash-free streets, clean air, and free refills at restaurants!
I finally bought my plane ticket. It cost an arm and a leg but my company will pay for an arm's worth. I can't wait to see family and friends again. I am also quite looking forward to trash-free streets, clean air, and free refills at restaurants!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Visuals
Left to right: Sarah (my Chinese-Canadian flatmate, she teaches at the same company), ME, and Liz (my Vietnamese flatmate, she teaches me Chinese and cooks for me)
Maybe this picture is a tad cliche but hey, I'm in China. It's to please the folks back home :) This is yours truly in Tiananmen Square with the Forbidden City in the background. I've visited this place a few too many times so it's sadly lost its oooh ahhhh appeal.
At a lantern shop during Spring Festival (February). Families decorate their homes with red lanterns and images of the character 福 which means happiness. At midnight on China's New Year's Eve eveyone and their mother comes out into the street and sets of a dazzling displace of fireworks. The kind of fireworks you see at a professional show in the use for July 4th can be bought by a child on the street corner. .. I'm just guessing but I bet the hospitals get a lot of business at that time of the year!
Monday, May 28, 2007
FINALLY made it Shanghai
Once upon a time (in November 2003 to be exact), while my dear parents were visiting me in Tianjin we bought train tickets for a short trip to the grand city of Shanghai. After buying our tickets I quickly glanced at them to see what time our train would leave. 10:18. We left for the station in plenty of time but upon arriving at the station we were told our train had already left. 2 hours ago! Looking at the tickets a second time I realized the time read 20:18 not 10:18. Lyndsey you stupid girl. Although the story of "the time we almost went to Shanghai" is a good memory, I've learned to tell time now and still wanted to go back. So, almost 4 years later I thought I'd try again. Bought my ticket, checked the time a few times, and set off for a 5 day trip to Shanghai.
Here I am with a view of modern Shanghai in the background
These lions are a common sight outside old Chinese buildings, and a lot of big restaurants and stores place them in front these days too. After just confering with my Vietnamese flatmate, we agree their purpose is to protect the building.
This is Yuyuan garden and bazaar. The area is full of old-style Chinese buildings and tons of craft and Chinese souvenir shops. The crowds were a little overwhelming but the place is beautiful.
I had never seen such organized traffic in China as in Shanghai. Every street corner had a crossing guards who took their jobs very seriously. I say them giving out tickts left and right to bicyclists who didn't stop for the red light and for pedestrians who bolted across the road before the green walk sign came on...funny though, the tickets they were giving out were just 10rmb ($1.25). The lawbreakers just reached in their pockets, handed the policeman 10rmb, and continued on their way. ... I wonder if the money collected for those tickets is actually handed over to the authorities?
Nanjing Road
This is a famous pedestrian-only shopping street in Shanghai. Notice the lady with her umbrella. Also notice that it is not raining. In China, when the sun comes out, everyone pops open their umbrellas.
Nightime view of the Pearl Tower - sadly my camera is fickle with night shots
Last but not least, a night view of the Bund. This is the bank of the river where the British set up headquarters back in the days of their "settlement in Shanghai
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Well folks I just returned from my first visit to Shanghai. Its the largest city in China. It really feels like you're in New York City with all of the skyscrapers, traffic jams, and convenience stores on every corner, and an overwhelming feeling that China is becoming more and more westernized. I'm not used to seeing westerners here in Tianjin but in Shanghai they were everywhere... you know, I should stop criticizing the Chinese for staring at me because when I see other westerners I can't help but stare as well.Here I am with a view of modern Shanghai in the background
These lions are a common sight outside old Chinese buildings, and a lot of big restaurants and stores place them in front these days too. After just confering with my Vietnamese flatmate, we agree their purpose is to protect the building.
This is Yuyuan garden and bazaar. The area is full of old-style Chinese buildings and tons of craft and Chinese souvenir shops. The crowds were a little overwhelming but the place is beautiful.
I had never seen such organized traffic in China as in Shanghai. Every street corner had a crossing guards who took their jobs very seriously. I say them giving out tickts left and right to bicyclists who didn't stop for the red light and for pedestrians who bolted across the road before the green walk sign came on...funny though, the tickets they were giving out were just 10rmb ($1.25). The lawbreakers just reached in their pockets, handed the policeman 10rmb, and continued on their way. ... I wonder if the money collected for those tickets is actually handed over to the authorities?
Nanjing Road
This is a famous pedestrian-only shopping street in Shanghai. Notice the lady with her umbrella. Also notice that it is not raining. In China, when the sun comes out, everyone pops open their umbrellas.
Nightime view of the Pearl Tower - sadly my camera is fickle with night shots
Last but not least, a night view of the Bund. This is the bank of the river where the British set up headquarters back in the days of their "settlement in Shanghai
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Hangzhou: Paradise on Earth
So I am writing from the beautiful town of Hangzhou just 2 hours west of Shanghai. I took a few vacation days from work and took the overnight train to Shanghai on Wednesday night to meet a friend and explore Shanghai together. Today we took a day trip to Hangzhou. There is some old saying that goes something like this: "In heaven there's paradise, on earth there's Hangzhou".
It really is a beautiful city. The west lake and its surrounding area are where all the beauty lies. The lake is large with mountains surrounding it. Old chinese-style boats float around the lake and on the opposite shores there are a few pagodas and temples. Surrounding the lake are cobble-stone walkways and large willow trees. It is such a relaxing break from the fast pace and lack of nature found back in Tianjin.
But I'm sooo tired. Walking all day wears on me...and my shoes too. I think I need to buy a new pair. My right shoe has worn a big hole in bottom and when it rains my right foot gets soaked :p
Well its time to catch the bus back to bustling Shanghai. More stories and photos to come once I get back to Tianjin on Monday.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Unpredictable Weather
Call it the effects of global warming, or maybe its from being located so close to the ocean, but the weather in this city is just bizarre.
Autumn: Simlar temperaturewise to Autumn in Pennsylvania, warm at its start and chilly by its end, but there really isnt a period where the leaves change colors, and the dust storms and pollution seem to progressively get worse by the end of the season.
Winter: Dismal and gray. Gray, not because the sun isn't shinging, but gray because the pollution is so bad it blocks the sun's rays. Actually, it blocks the entire sun. Many days you can't even guess where the sun is in the sky. Every see images of Chinese cities on the news and everyone is shown wearing what you believe to be a "SARS" mask? Well it's not for SARS, its to keep from breathing in the dirty air and because the air is so cold, your face is warmer when wearing a mask. I can deal with cold temperature as long as I get to see some fluffy white snow in exchange. But not in Tianjin. The most snow you can expect is an inch or less and it instantly turns into brown slush.
Spring: Winter abruptly ends and BAM!, its warm. You go from wearing a heavy winter coat to short sleeves in a matter of a few days. ...one week later, spring is over.
Summer: Summer is hot, sticky, and I just can't handle it! It's only May and already temperatures are up in the 90's! I'm glad I'll be back in the US before the worst of it comes.
..............................................
Well it poured down rain today. This is a rare event here; it rains just a few days out of the year. OF COURSE this day would come on the day I don't take an umbrella to work! It started raining while I was teaching at a high school. Then, to go home, I had to wait 20 minutes for the bus to come! It's amazing how many Chinese people with umbrellas will stand there and watch the foreign girl get soaked. It wasn't until a minute before the bus arrived that someone offered to let me stand under their umbrella. By that point I was soaked through and through so it didn't make much of a difference but its good to know there's at least one kind person out there. Now I know I'm going to get sick and that's no good because I'm taking the train to Shanghai tomorrrow evening for vacation! errrrrrrgh
Autumn: Simlar temperaturewise to Autumn in Pennsylvania, warm at its start and chilly by its end, but there really isnt a period where the leaves change colors, and the dust storms and pollution seem to progressively get worse by the end of the season.
Winter: Dismal and gray. Gray, not because the sun isn't shinging, but gray because the pollution is so bad it blocks the sun's rays. Actually, it blocks the entire sun. Many days you can't even guess where the sun is in the sky. Every see images of Chinese cities on the news and everyone is shown wearing what you believe to be a "SARS" mask? Well it's not for SARS, its to keep from breathing in the dirty air and because the air is so cold, your face is warmer when wearing a mask. I can deal with cold temperature as long as I get to see some fluffy white snow in exchange. But not in Tianjin. The most snow you can expect is an inch or less and it instantly turns into brown slush.
Spring: Winter abruptly ends and BAM!, its warm. You go from wearing a heavy winter coat to short sleeves in a matter of a few days. ...one week later, spring is over.
Summer: Summer is hot, sticky, and I just can't handle it! It's only May and already temperatures are up in the 90's! I'm glad I'll be back in the US before the worst of it comes.
..............................................
Well it poured down rain today. This is a rare event here; it rains just a few days out of the year. OF COURSE this day would come on the day I don't take an umbrella to work! It started raining while I was teaching at a high school. Then, to go home, I had to wait 20 minutes for the bus to come! It's amazing how many Chinese people with umbrellas will stand there and watch the foreign girl get soaked. It wasn't until a minute before the bus arrived that someone offered to let me stand under their umbrella. By that point I was soaked through and through so it didn't make much of a difference but its good to know there's at least one kind person out there. Now I know I'm going to get sick and that's no good because I'm taking the train to Shanghai tomorrrow evening for vacation! errrrrrrgh
Monday, May 21, 2007
Oh baby!
My sister had a baby boy yesterday morning. Gaige McClain Wingert. Only one month to go before I can go home and start the spoiling!
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Only Children in China
You've probably heard about China's "One Child Policy". It's China's way of trying to control its huge and growing population. The policy is enforced fairly well except in more remote rural areas where the government is less present. I teach in one middle school and one high school and I don't even have to ask, I know every student is an only child.
Imagine a society of only-children. The social consequences must be horrible. Children don't learn how to interact with other children. No sharing, no playing with brothers and sisters, and so much pressure from parents to excel in school, plus sole responsibility to care for the parents as they age. That is a lot of pressure!
.................................................
Only Children in China
You've probably heard about China's "One Child Policy". It's China's way of trying to control its huge and growing population. The policy is enforced fairly well except in more remote rural areas where the government is less present. I teach in one middle school and one high school and I don't even have to ask, I know every student is an only child.
Imagine a society of only-children. The social consequences must be horrible. Children don't learn how to interact with other children. No sharing, no playing with brothers and sisters, and so much pressure from parents to excel in school, plus sole responsibility to care for the parents as they age. That is a lot of pressure!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Tianjin: my home away from home
Tianjin has become my home away from home. It is a port city in northeast China (two hours south of the capitol Beijing). With a population of about 11 million people it is China's 3rd largest city. And a lot of people equals a lot of cars, a lot of crowds, and a sea of bicycles. Although more and more people are buying cars these days, there are still bike lanes running alongside every street and bicycle parking lots outside of every store and apartment building.
I wouldn't call Tianjin a tourist city. There is an amusement park with a rollercoaster that looks like it would give you whiplash and a water park which I think has some rides and a presumably delapidated zoo but I wouldn't know because I'm too cheap to pay the 30 yuan ( $4.50) to enter. This city's claim to fame is its TV tower. It looks like the Seattle Space Needle and can be seen from all over the city.
Speaking of being cheap, I have become a very "thrifty" person. I found myself trying to bargain with a man for 15 minutes because his price was 5 yuan more than what I wanted to pay. That's about 60 cents. What am I going to do when I return to the US?? Thank God I'll have my parents to feed me, otherwise I might be too cheap to buy myself food.
So in a nutshell: Tianjin is dirty. The air is heavily polluted, people shamelessly throw trash onto the sidewalk right and left, men spit all over the place (I even saw one guy do it in the supermarket!) and even my apartment gathers an inch of dust every day. But I love living here. The people here are welcoming and very friendly, more so than in other Chinese cities. I enjoy my teaching job, I have good Chinese and foreign friends, and because it's a big city the transportation is great and its so close to Beijing. The city has anything I could want, it's got character, and I'm comfortable here. It really has become my home away from home.
I wouldn't call Tianjin a tourist city. There is an amusement park with a rollercoaster that looks like it would give you whiplash and a water park which I think has some rides and a presumably delapidated zoo but I wouldn't know because I'm too cheap to pay the 30 yuan ( $4.50) to enter. This city's claim to fame is its TV tower. It looks like the Seattle Space Needle and can be seen from all over the city.
Speaking of being cheap, I have become a very "thrifty" person. I found myself trying to bargain with a man for 15 minutes because his price was 5 yuan more than what I wanted to pay. That's about 60 cents. What am I going to do when I return to the US?? Thank God I'll have my parents to feed me, otherwise I might be too cheap to buy myself food.
So in a nutshell: Tianjin is dirty. The air is heavily polluted, people shamelessly throw trash onto the sidewalk right and left, men spit all over the place (I even saw one guy do it in the supermarket!) and even my apartment gathers an inch of dust every day. But I love living here. The people here are welcoming and very friendly, more so than in other Chinese cities. I enjoy my teaching job, I have good Chinese and foreign friends, and because it's a big city the transportation is great and its so close to Beijing. The city has anything I could want, it's got character, and I'm comfortable here. It really has become my home away from home.
Friday, May 18, 2007
The start of something?
Let's hope so. I don't know why I didn't start a blog of my adventures sooner. I had heard of others doing it and thought it would be a good way to keep in touch with friends and family back home but for some reason it took me till now to start.
I wish I had started to keep track of my time in China when I first came but now I've about a month and a half left here. Well, it's better late than never, right? I hope with this blog to let all of you back home and far far away where I am, what I'm experiencing, and hopefully I can share some interesting stories.
My tentative plan for...dun dun duuun the future:
August 2006 - the end of June 2007 I've been teaching English in Tianjin, China (I'll try to keep you updated until the end of my time in China.
June 2007 - September 2007 home sweet home
September 2007-November 2007 I'll be exploring the middle east, staying with friends who live there, and learning some arabic! (I'll start keeping this journal again at this time)
Ok, if you have any questions about life in China, Chinese culture, language, anything.. ask and I will respond!
I wish I had started to keep track of my time in China when I first came but now I've about a month and a half left here. Well, it's better late than never, right? I hope with this blog to let all of you back home and far far away where I am, what I'm experiencing, and hopefully I can share some interesting stories.
My tentative plan for...dun dun duuun the future:
August 2006 - the end of June 2007 I've been teaching English in Tianjin, China (I'll try to keep you updated until the end of my time in China.
June 2007 - September 2007 home sweet home
September 2007-November 2007 I'll be exploring the middle east, staying with friends who live there, and learning some arabic! (I'll start keeping this journal again at this time)
Ok, if you have any questions about life in China, Chinese culture, language, anything.. ask and I will respond!
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