Another Beijing Review article:
On the first day of Christmas, China gave to me
A bird that can say ni hao
A partridge in a pear tree has nothing on a caged bird that will greet me in Chinese as I pass by-although I worry that one day I'll try to engage the bird in conversation and find out it speaks better Chinese than I do.
On the second day of Christmas, China gave to me
Two lucky apples
China is understandably short on Christmas traditions, but there is one: Some people eat apples on Christmas Eve for health and good luck in the coming year. The practice stems from the fact that the Chinese for Christmas Eve, Ping'anye, contains the character for apple, ping.
On the third day of Christmas, China gave to me
Three plastic Santas
For my Christmas decorations last year, I went to Carrefour to stock up on colored lights and Santa hats that were too small for my head. If only I had known about Beijing's Tianyi Market, which is probably better supplied than the North Pole. Want a life-size Santa and eight reindeer for your nonexistent lawn? (Or maybe a Christmas giraffe?) Done.
On the fourth day of Christmas, China gave to me
Four shopping malls
In its typical pragmatic way, China has taken this major Western holiday and distilled it into its purest commercial form. The Christmas trees, Santa Clauses and shiny gift boxes in store windows all suggest one thing: shopping.
On the fifth day of Christmas, China gave to me
Five Peking ducks!
Who needs turkey or ham when you can feast on crispy, succulent roast duck? When I eventually leave China, I just might insist on continuing it as a holiday tradition. Turkey is too dry anyway.
On the sixth day of Christmas, China gave to me
Six yams a-roasting
Cranberry sauce is hard to come by, but other foods available in China evoke a holiday meal back home. A hot sweet potato or bag of chestnuts from a street vendor is the perfect snack on a chilly winter night.
On the seventh day of Christmas, China gave to me
Seven crowds a-shoving
Christmas is about togetherness, and you don't get much closer to people here than on the subway. My favorite part is when I find myself surrounded by fur-lined winter coats, spitting out tiny hairs. The subway is also a great spot to catch that other yearly ritual, the Christmas head cold.
On the eighth day of Christmas, China gave to me
Eight horns a-honking
It's not exactly silverbells, but all the hustle and bustle lends Chinese cities a certain holiday cheer -- even if a chorus of car horns at four o'clock in the morning shatters peace on Earth and seriously erodes my goodwill toward men.
On the ninth day of Christmas, China gave to me
Nine cellphones ringing
It doesn't compare to the 600 million text messages sent on Spring Festival Eve this year, but cellphones rattle constantly with holiday greetings over Christmas as well -- often between friends making plans for a big meal out on Christmas Eve.
On the 10th day of Christmas, China gave to me
Ten vendors shouting
In China, there is no excuse for Christmas shoppers stumped for gift ideas. From Hello Kitty thermos sets to Yao Ming bobbleheads, the markets have something for everyone -- and if you're truly stuck, half a dozen people will be right there to guide you.
On the 11th day of Christmas, China gave to me
Eleven carols playing
It's no surprise that Starbucks started piping in Christmas music in November. But I didn't expect to hear the same music last year in a suburban shopping center, far from the downtown core where most foreigners congregate. I guess I wasn't the only person there whose music collection includes A Very Special Christmas 1989.
On the 12th day of Christmas, China gave to me
Twelve laoren laughing
Christmas is more popular among young urban Chinese than their parents or grandparents, but older people gathered around a mahjong game remind me of the lighthearted spirit and good company that make holidays special in every country.
All together now: On the 12th day of Christmas, China gave to me / Twelve laoren laughing / Eleven carols playing / Ten vendors shouting / Nine cellphones ringing / Eight horns a-honking / Seven crowds a-shoving / Six yams a-roasting / Five Peking ducks! / Four shopping malls / Three plastic Santas / Two lucky apples / And a bird that can say ni hao.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Elections from afar
I wrote this for this week's Beijing Review:
Packed into a Beijing café on November 5, 6,000 miles and 16 hours away from the U.S. presidential election, the crowd excitedly began counting down the seconds until West Coast polls closed: 10, 9, 8… Earlier voter surveys had shown Barack Obama would win California, Oregon and Washington by wide margins. Together with the states he had already won, these states would give him more than enough electoral votes. As soon as the countdown ended, up flashed on the TV screen: “Barack Obama Elected President.”
It was a very different scene on Election Day 2004. I was at university in Canada, where we gathered in the campus bar to watch the results. For people who hoped Americans would vote President George W. Bush out of office, it was a disappointing evening. I could feel the cold, accusing stares from the Canadians around me each time a state on CNN’s electoral map turned red for Bush.
By the next morning, when Bush’s victory was clear, discussion had already turned to what would happen in 2008. American presidential elections are years-long affairs –Obama formally announced his candidacy in February 2007, followed by John McCain two months later. They campaigned for well over a year before they officially became their party nominees.
Last spring I followed the Democratic and Republican primary elections with my students, who were leaving China to study in the United States. We watched American television news every day as the fight for the Democratic nomination dragged into June. English class became civics class as I explained that Americans don’t actually elect their president directly. “Electoral college” and “superdelegate” went up on the chalkboard as new vocabulary words. It was among my proudest moments as a teacher when a student sent me a text message to say Hillary Clinton had won the Pennsylvania primary.
So when it came time to vote in the general election, I wanted to be ready and assist others as well – no matter whom they were voting for. Requesting an absentee ballot can be a confusing process, especially if you can’t remember your Chinese address. Each state has different rules, requirements and, most importantly, deadlines, sneaking up on some overseas Americans a full month before the election.
I signed up to volunteer for Democrats Abroad. We set up at laowai hangouts around town and scoured the surrounding neighborhoods for any voting-age American we could find. It was a little intimidating at first to step out into the streets of Sanlitun, clipboard in hand, and canvass voters: “Excuse me, are you a U.S. citizen? Hi, are you American?” The responses I got mostly fell into five categories:
1. “Yes, but I’m already registered.”
2. “Yes, but I’m just visiting China.”
3. “Hell no.”
4. Obvious incomprehension, followed by a response in another language
5. “Where can I buy that Obama T-shirt you’re wearing?”
Occasionally, however, I encountered someone who wanted to vote but didn’t know how, or who was fretting because his or her absentee ballot hadn’t arrived yet. “No problem – come with me,” I’d say. “So, where are you from?” It turns out the United States is well represented in China. I met Americans from all corners, from Wisconsin to Hawaii to Washington, D.C. We even registered an Obama supporter from Wasilla, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s tiny Alaska hometown.
For Americans abroad, the U.S. election was an instant conversation starter, something to bond over. It also reignited my long-dormant patriotism. Watching the presidential debates had an entirely different meaning here than it would have at home. Sure, the candidates were pandering to undecided voters and distorting their records, but they were my pandering candidates, and watching them contort themselves into every possible position to win over Joe the Plumber filled me with absolute pride.
Watching the election from abroad, away from emotionally charged political rallies and constant cable news commentary, also gave us a broader perspective. Here it is actually possible for Americans on opposing political sides to have a reasonably calm discussion. We may not see eye to eye on much else, but we can agree that the divisiveness in American politics has to change.
Likewise, McCain and Obama agree that America’s reputation has suffered in the last eight years. Hopefully President-elect Obama will be able to repair some of the damage. The world is certainly rooting for him. A China Daily online poll showed that 75 percent of Chinese people support Obama, while an online poll by The Economist estimated that in a “global electoral college,” Obama would win every country but four.
The long, long presidential election is over. Americans in China, thank you for voting. But don’t tune out just yet: The 2010 midterm election is just around the corner.
Packed into a Beijing café on November 5, 6,000 miles and 16 hours away from the U.S. presidential election, the crowd excitedly began counting down the seconds until West Coast polls closed: 10, 9, 8… Earlier voter surveys had shown Barack Obama would win California, Oregon and Washington by wide margins. Together with the states he had already won, these states would give him more than enough electoral votes. As soon as the countdown ended, up flashed on the TV screen: “Barack Obama Elected President.”
It was a very different scene on Election Day 2004. I was at university in Canada, where we gathered in the campus bar to watch the results. For people who hoped Americans would vote President George W. Bush out of office, it was a disappointing evening. I could feel the cold, accusing stares from the Canadians around me each time a state on CNN’s electoral map turned red for Bush.
By the next morning, when Bush’s victory was clear, discussion had already turned to what would happen in 2008. American presidential elections are years-long affairs –Obama formally announced his candidacy in February 2007, followed by John McCain two months later. They campaigned for well over a year before they officially became their party nominees.
Last spring I followed the Democratic and Republican primary elections with my students, who were leaving China to study in the United States. We watched American television news every day as the fight for the Democratic nomination dragged into June. English class became civics class as I explained that Americans don’t actually elect their president directly. “Electoral college” and “superdelegate” went up on the chalkboard as new vocabulary words. It was among my proudest moments as a teacher when a student sent me a text message to say Hillary Clinton had won the Pennsylvania primary.
So when it came time to vote in the general election, I wanted to be ready and assist others as well – no matter whom they were voting for. Requesting an absentee ballot can be a confusing process, especially if you can’t remember your Chinese address. Each state has different rules, requirements and, most importantly, deadlines, sneaking up on some overseas Americans a full month before the election.
I signed up to volunteer for Democrats Abroad. We set up at laowai hangouts around town and scoured the surrounding neighborhoods for any voting-age American we could find. It was a little intimidating at first to step out into the streets of Sanlitun, clipboard in hand, and canvass voters: “Excuse me, are you a U.S. citizen? Hi, are you American?” The responses I got mostly fell into five categories:
1. “Yes, but I’m already registered.”
2. “Yes, but I’m just visiting China.”
3. “Hell no.”
4. Obvious incomprehension, followed by a response in another language
5. “Where can I buy that Obama T-shirt you’re wearing?”
Occasionally, however, I encountered someone who wanted to vote but didn’t know how, or who was fretting because his or her absentee ballot hadn’t arrived yet. “No problem – come with me,” I’d say. “So, where are you from?” It turns out the United States is well represented in China. I met Americans from all corners, from Wisconsin to Hawaii to Washington, D.C. We even registered an Obama supporter from Wasilla, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s tiny Alaska hometown.
For Americans abroad, the U.S. election was an instant conversation starter, something to bond over. It also reignited my long-dormant patriotism. Watching the presidential debates had an entirely different meaning here than it would have at home. Sure, the candidates were pandering to undecided voters and distorting their records, but they were my pandering candidates, and watching them contort themselves into every possible position to win over Joe the Plumber filled me with absolute pride.
Watching the election from abroad, away from emotionally charged political rallies and constant cable news commentary, also gave us a broader perspective. Here it is actually possible for Americans on opposing political sides to have a reasonably calm discussion. We may not see eye to eye on much else, but we can agree that the divisiveness in American politics has to change.
Likewise, McCain and Obama agree that America’s reputation has suffered in the last eight years. Hopefully President-elect Obama will be able to repair some of the damage. The world is certainly rooting for him. A China Daily online poll showed that 75 percent of Chinese people support Obama, while an online poll by The Economist estimated that in a “global electoral college,” Obama would win every country but four.
The long, long presidential election is over. Americans in China, thank you for voting. But don’t tune out just yet: The 2010 midterm election is just around the corner.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Just so we're clear
In case any question remains about whether the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is using the Beijing Olympics for political gain, here's the answer, from a Xinhua interview last month with BOCOG President and CPC official Liu Qi:
China Fun Fact: At least 8 million people visited Beijing during the National Day Golden Week holiday from September 29 to October 5. The Bird's Nest and Water Cube received 493,000 visitors in one day, while the Forbidden City received about 100,000 visitors per day. To put those numbers in perspective, the Bird's Nest holds about 90,000 people.
The success of the Beijing Olympics is attributed to the strong leadership of the CPC and the Chinese Government and the concerted efforts of the Chinese people. It testifies to the need for us to unswervingly follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and make the most of its institutional advantage that allows us to concentrate resources on our major tasks.
China Fun Fact: At least 8 million people visited Beijing during the National Day Golden Week holiday from September 29 to October 5. The Bird's Nest and Water Cube received 493,000 visitors in one day, while the Forbidden City received about 100,000 visitors per day. To put those numbers in perspective, the Bird's Nest holds about 90,000 people.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Tai Shan
During the National Day holiday I went to Tai Shan, a Daoist mountain in Shandong Province (photos here). Apparently everyone else in China had the same idea, because it was packed.
On Monday I took the bus down to Tai'an, where I met some friends who teach in Zhengzhou. That afternoon we visited the Dai Temple in town, then wandered around looking for a place to eat dinner.
The next morning we left our bags at the train station and took the city bus to the Tai Shan entrance, where we began the steep four-hour climb to the top. The plan was to spend the night there and wake up early to catch the famed sunrise, but when we reached the top the hotel prices were so high we decided to turn around and climb back down the same day. The pollution at the top was so bad it wouldn't have been a great sunrise anyway.
I think this worked out for the best, because as we climbed down we passed hundreds of people climbing up, hiking overnight to arrive in time for the sunrise. Somehow I think jostling for a spot on the lookout with all these people, cameras raised, would spoil what should be a peaceful, reflective moment. We spent that night in town again and I returned to Beijing the next day.
On an unrelated note, this article made my blood boil. Xinjiang is a resource-rich autonomous region in western China that is home to the Uighur ethnic minority. Uighurs are Muslim and chafe under Chinese rule that denies them job opportunities and undermines their culture, with some calling for independence. Over the years the movement has occasionally become violent, with bomb attacks as recent as this summer. The United States lists the East Turkestan Islamic Movement as a terrorist organization.
The United States detained about 20 Uighur men with ETIM ties at Guantanamo Bay, with no evidence they posed any threat to the U.S., solely to maintain China's support in the war on terror. Seven years later, the Uighur detainees have been repeatedly cleared but now find they have no place to go. China might greet them with torture or execution, the U.S. won't let them set foot on American soil and no other country will accept them because they're afraid how China would react. On October 7 a U.S. District Judge ordered their release - they were supposed to stay with Uighur families in Florida - but the next day a three-judge panel granted an emergency stay while the Bush administration appeals the decision. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino had this to say, according to a Reuters report:
The district court's ruling, if allowed to stand, could be used as precedent for other detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, including sworn enemies of the United States suspected of planning the attacks of 9/11, who may also seek release into our country.
So because the U.S. knowingly rounded up people who bore no ill will toward the United States and grouped them with people who do, the former will end up with the same legal rights as the latter - that is, none at all.
China Fun Fact: The Chinese version of "cheese" when smiling for photos is chiezi, which means "eggplant."
Sunday, September 28, 2008
The Tomato Panic of '08
Earlier this year, farmers in China's Guizhou Province overestimated the demand for tomatoes and ended up with 60,000 kgs of tomatoes they couldn't sell. The local government's solution was to order public employees to buy 50 kg each. "Oh, China," I thought when I first read about this. "You are so zany."
But then I started thinking about the proposed bailout of the U.S. financial system, and parallels immediately appeared as I read a discussion about the tomato tempest in the magazine I work for.
Those who support the mandatory tomato purchases argue that the government has a responsibility to intervene to prevent further losses, even if it means violating market economy rules: "If it had done nothing in this crisis, the government would not be blamed for interfering with economic affairs, but the price to pay would have been a huge amount of tomatoes rotting in the fields."
Opponents say the farmers found themselves in this situation because they were left to their own devices, and that a better solution would be more government supervision (hello!).
But the comment I found most interesting came at the end: "Compared with guiding the restructuring of the entire agricultural sector, it's much easier to create a favorable market within a certain region, but this practice is in nature abusing the government's administrative power."
China Fun Fact: Big news this weekend as China conducted its first space walk. So here's a new vocabulary word: An American in space is an astronaut, a Russian in space is a cosmonaut, and a Chinese person in space is called a taikonaut.
But then I started thinking about the proposed bailout of the U.S. financial system, and parallels immediately appeared as I read a discussion about the tomato tempest in the magazine I work for.
Those who support the mandatory tomato purchases argue that the government has a responsibility to intervene to prevent further losses, even if it means violating market economy rules: "If it had done nothing in this crisis, the government would not be blamed for interfering with economic affairs, but the price to pay would have been a huge amount of tomatoes rotting in the fields."
Opponents say the farmers found themselves in this situation because they were left to their own devices, and that a better solution would be more government supervision (hello!).
But the comment I found most interesting came at the end: "Compared with guiding the restructuring of the entire agricultural sector, it's much easier to create a favorable market within a certain region, but this practice is in nature abusing the government's administrative power."
China Fun Fact: Big news this weekend as China conducted its first space walk. So here's a new vocabulary word: An American in space is an astronaut, a Russian in space is a cosmonaut, and a Chinese person in space is called a taikonaut.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Medal Count
In case you weren't following the Paralympics, which ended September 17, here is the final medal count:
China Fun Fact: It took a reporter 113 minutes to circle the 32.7-km Second Ring Road the morning after Olympic driving restrictions were lifted.
China Fun Fact: It took a reporter 113 minutes to circle the 32.7-km Second Ring Road the morning after Olympic driving restrictions were lifted.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Game Over
They’re over.
My friend David was here over the weekend, and I went with him to the men’s football final at the Bird’s Nest on Saturday (photos here). It was Argentina versus Nigeria, which eliminated the U.S. team on August 12. It was interesting to see how other countries have assimilated China’s “jia you” cheer, as in “Argentina, jia you!” The literal meaning, I think, is “add oil,” but it basically means something like, “Come on!” or “Let’s go!” It’s been a constant refrain for the last three weeks.
On Sunday we planned to watch the closing ceremony on a screen outside the Bird’s Nest so we could see the fireworks, but by the time we got there the crowd was overwhelming and police prevented us from getting any closer than a mile from the stadium. So I went back to my apartment with David, Brian and his girlfriend to watch it on TV with my roommate. We could hear the fireworks from my living room but buildings blocked our view.
China Fun Fact: This was the first time an American president attended an Olympics on foreign soil (and boy did he do us proud).
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Bird's Nest
Okay, so after all that, I went out and bought an Olympic ticket. It was an impulse buy. I was walking outside Beitucheng subway station, which has become a kind of scalper's bazaar, when I heard this Western guy shouting, "Athletics tickets! Athletics!" I thought he was trying to buy some, so I doubled back to tell him there were more people around the corner. It turned out he was selling. He was a Canadian guy from Fredericton - he's even going to McGill in the fall for a master's in law, small world - and some of his friends couldn't make it. I paid him RMB 1300 (US$189): 800 for the face value and 500 he said was a service charge from CoSport. This seemed like a reasonable purchase because a) I felt like I was buying from someone who hadn't deliberately bought extra tickets to flip them, and b) if his own ticket was a few seats away and we entered the stadium together, I could be sure he hadn't sold me a fake. On the train on the way to the stadium, he told me he had met an American girl at the women's gymnastics all-around the day before who had put a ticket for the same event on eBay and sold it to Donovan Bailey for $1,000.
I have to say, the seats were worth it - in Tier 1 next to the starting line for the men's 100 meters. It was also worth it to get close to the Bird's Nest and neighboring venues, especially lit up at night (photos here). I don't know what Beijing is going to do with these buildings once the Olympics are over, but they sure look spectacular now. From there I was able to walk home.
China Fun Fact: There are 21,600 journalists (at least!) in town to cover the Games. Canwest News Service has 28 reporters here, four for each medal Canada has won so far.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Olympic Notes
They're here.
I watched the opening ceremony with my roommate and her colleagues/friends in a bar at a foreigner-friendly shopping mall. It was fun watching the Parade of Nations with people from all over the world - Venezuela, Colombia, Russia and Germany all got big shout-outs as they entered the stadium.
Since then, though, all this patriotism has become a little tiresome. The women's gymnastics final happened to be on in the lunch hall at work on Wednesday, and everyone was watching, oohing and aahing as the Chinese team wrapped up the balance beam rotation. Then it was on to the floor. When the USA's Alicia Sacramone fell during her performance, many people in the room clapped and laughed. I know they wanted their country to win and Sacramone's slip-up all but guaranteed China its first women's team gold, but I still thought it was incredibly mean-spirited.
Maybe that's why I started to think about buying Olympic tickets. They're all sold out, of course, though you wouldn't know it from all the empty seats on TV. But there are always the scalpers. Olympic entrepreneurs stand outside venues and post classified ads, selling official tickets and occasional fakes for exorbitant prices. As I scrolled through the online ads, however, it occurred to me that there really isn't anything I'd pay (especially overpay) to see. I mean, gymnastics or diving would be fun and I wouldn't mind seeing the Bird's Nest, but why do I have to watch these events in person? It's not like I pay attention to them outside the Olympics. If I really cared, I would have made an effort to buy tickets earlier.
In other news, I'm almost finished jumping through the various bureaucratic hoops the Chinese have put in place to beat the spirit out of any foreigner who tries to live here. To recap:
1) Spending several hours the day I arrived looking for my local police station so I could apply for a temporary residence permit, only to find out I should have brought my lease;
2) Returning to the police station the next day with my lease, only to find out my apartment is not registered with the city and thus I would be ineligible for a temporary residence permit if I stayed at that apartment;
3) Being told by my company that I had to move;
4) Trotting out after work every day for a week to look at other apartments, all of which paled in comparison to my current one;
5) Giving up on the apartment hunt in despair;
6) Spending about an hour looking for the Beijing International Travel Health Care Center so I could hand in my medical records from home and receive my health certificate, only to realize once I arrived that I had left several key documents at home;
7) Going home to get them;
8) Returning to the health care center with complete documentation, only to find out I needed the original lab report, not a copy, and would have to pay RMB 600 to redo everything onsite;
9) Going to the police station with my roommate's friend, who very kindly agreed to say I live with her so I could get my temporary residence permit and stay in my current apartment (thank God);
10) With health certificate and temporary residence permit in hand, going to the Exit/Entry Administration to apply for my year-long visa, only to find out there were no more blank pages in my passport;
11) Going to the U.S. embassy to fix that;
12) Returning to the Exit/Entry Administration, where hopefully I'll pick up my visa next week.
What really irks me about these rules is that people just bypass them when they become inconvenient. It's actually quite common for both foreigners and Chinese to say they're living somewhere else. Foreigners are supposed to apply for their temporary residence permit within 24 hours after arrival, and I was worried that I would be fined for showing up at the police station two weeks past that. My roommate's friend explained to the police officer that she had burned her feet with scalding water, and that's why we hadn't been able to come earlier. It seemed to me a risky excuse, although she did actually burn her feet. But he accepted it and waived the fine, either believing she had told the truth or, more likely, not caring. That's the way things go here.
China Fun Fact: China spent about $42 billion on these Olympic Games, mostly on public transportation and other infrastructure projects.
I watched the opening ceremony with my roommate and her colleagues/friends in a bar at a foreigner-friendly shopping mall. It was fun watching the Parade of Nations with people from all over the world - Venezuela, Colombia, Russia and Germany all got big shout-outs as they entered the stadium.
Since then, though, all this patriotism has become a little tiresome. The women's gymnastics final happened to be on in the lunch hall at work on Wednesday, and everyone was watching, oohing and aahing as the Chinese team wrapped up the balance beam rotation. Then it was on to the floor. When the USA's Alicia Sacramone fell during her performance, many people in the room clapped and laughed. I know they wanted their country to win and Sacramone's slip-up all but guaranteed China its first women's team gold, but I still thought it was incredibly mean-spirited.
Maybe that's why I started to think about buying Olympic tickets. They're all sold out, of course, though you wouldn't know it from all the empty seats on TV. But there are always the scalpers. Olympic entrepreneurs stand outside venues and post classified ads, selling official tickets and occasional fakes for exorbitant prices. As I scrolled through the online ads, however, it occurred to me that there really isn't anything I'd pay (especially overpay) to see. I mean, gymnastics or diving would be fun and I wouldn't mind seeing the Bird's Nest, but why do I have to watch these events in person? It's not like I pay attention to them outside the Olympics. If I really cared, I would have made an effort to buy tickets earlier.
In other news, I'm almost finished jumping through the various bureaucratic hoops the Chinese have put in place to beat the spirit out of any foreigner who tries to live here. To recap:
1) Spending several hours the day I arrived looking for my local police station so I could apply for a temporary residence permit, only to find out I should have brought my lease;
2) Returning to the police station the next day with my lease, only to find out my apartment is not registered with the city and thus I would be ineligible for a temporary residence permit if I stayed at that apartment;
3) Being told by my company that I had to move;
4) Trotting out after work every day for a week to look at other apartments, all of which paled in comparison to my current one;
5) Giving up on the apartment hunt in despair;
6) Spending about an hour looking for the Beijing International Travel Health Care Center so I could hand in my medical records from home and receive my health certificate, only to realize once I arrived that I had left several key documents at home;
7) Going home to get them;
8) Returning to the health care center with complete documentation, only to find out I needed the original lab report, not a copy, and would have to pay RMB 600 to redo everything onsite;
9) Going to the police station with my roommate's friend, who very kindly agreed to say I live with her so I could get my temporary residence permit and stay in my current apartment (thank God);
10) With health certificate and temporary residence permit in hand, going to the Exit/Entry Administration to apply for my year-long visa, only to find out there were no more blank pages in my passport;
11) Going to the U.S. embassy to fix that;
12) Returning to the Exit/Entry Administration, where hopefully I'll pick up my visa next week.
What really irks me about these rules is that people just bypass them when they become inconvenient. It's actually quite common for both foreigners and Chinese to say they're living somewhere else. Foreigners are supposed to apply for their temporary residence permit within 24 hours after arrival, and I was worried that I would be fined for showing up at the police station two weeks past that. My roommate's friend explained to the police officer that she had burned her feet with scalding water, and that's why we hadn't been able to come earlier. It seemed to me a risky excuse, although she did actually burn her feet. But he accepted it and waived the fine, either believing she had told the truth or, more likely, not caring. That's the way things go here.
China Fun Fact: China spent about $42 billion on these Olympic Games, mostly on public transportation and other infrastructure projects.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Tea
One week to go.
Thursday night my company (I have a new job) took foreign staff to a performance at the new National Center for the Performing Arts, an ellipsoid known locally as the Egg. Tea, an English-language opera by composer Tan Dun (he won the Best Original Score Oscar for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), uses multimedia and experimental music to tell a story blending Chinese and Japanese legends. Although the opera is set in China and has been performed all over the world, this is the first time it's been on a Chinese stage. All I can say is English should not be an operatic language.
The only way to enter the Egg is through an underwater tunnel, so as not to disturb the building's integrity. Ticketholders have to pass through an X-ray screening and hand over their cameras at security (not that that stops camera phones, or even all cameras, from getting in). Interestingly, an exhibition inside displays the winning design alongside photos and scale models of the submissions that did not succeed. I wonder how the architectural firms behind those bids feel about that.
Officials are ramping up security and trying to contain pollution in the lead-up to the opening ceremony next Friday. Baggage screenings have been set up at subway stations, though strangely not all of them. About 400,000 security volunteers will be on the streets during the Olympic Games. During the "Olympic Period," July 20-September 20, drivers must observe strict traffic regulations that include special Olympic lanes and designated driving days for even and odd-numbered license plates.
The city has also provided locals with "Eight don't asks" to help them avoid offending foreign sensibilities. I had dinner with my Chinese teacher last night and she told me most students receive a similar education upon entering university. Hers was expanded, though, to remind students that Taiwan is part of China no matter what their foreign classmates say.
And of course, there are the visa issues. China has put a halt to all business visas through September, except for contract signings. Many students have had to return to their home countries to renew their visas and won't be allowed to return until September. My roommate and I were discussing this the other night. While the Olympics are great for China, she said, they've seriously disrupted people's lives. After all, the Olympics and Paralympics are not the only things happening in China for the next two months.
China Fun Fact: The National Center for the Performing Arts seats 6,500 people in three halls and covers almost 200,000 square meters.
Thursday night my company (I have a new job) took foreign staff to a performance at the new National Center for the Performing Arts, an ellipsoid known locally as the Egg. Tea, an English-language opera by composer Tan Dun (he won the Best Original Score Oscar for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), uses multimedia and experimental music to tell a story blending Chinese and Japanese legends. Although the opera is set in China and has been performed all over the world, this is the first time it's been on a Chinese stage. All I can say is English should not be an operatic language.
The only way to enter the Egg is through an underwater tunnel, so as not to disturb the building's integrity. Ticketholders have to pass through an X-ray screening and hand over their cameras at security (not that that stops camera phones, or even all cameras, from getting in). Interestingly, an exhibition inside displays the winning design alongside photos and scale models of the submissions that did not succeed. I wonder how the architectural firms behind those bids feel about that.
Officials are ramping up security and trying to contain pollution in the lead-up to the opening ceremony next Friday. Baggage screenings have been set up at subway stations, though strangely not all of them. About 400,000 security volunteers will be on the streets during the Olympic Games. During the "Olympic Period," July 20-September 20, drivers must observe strict traffic regulations that include special Olympic lanes and designated driving days for even and odd-numbered license plates.
The city has also provided locals with "Eight don't asks" to help them avoid offending foreign sensibilities. I had dinner with my Chinese teacher last night and she told me most students receive a similar education upon entering university. Hers was expanded, though, to remind students that Taiwan is part of China no matter what their foreign classmates say.
And of course, there are the visa issues. China has put a halt to all business visas through September, except for contract signings. Many students have had to return to their home countries to renew their visas and won't be allowed to return until September. My roommate and I were discussing this the other night. While the Olympics are great for China, she said, they've seriously disrupted people's lives. After all, the Olympics and Paralympics are not the only things happening in China for the next two months.
China Fun Fact: The National Center for the Performing Arts seats 6,500 people in three halls and covers almost 200,000 square meters.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Gaokao
This weekend graduating high school students across China took the gaokao, a high-stakes test if there ever was one. The gaokao, which literally means "high test," is the only basis for determining which university each student attends, if they attend at all - 10 million students compete for 5.7 million spots. There are no essays or application forms here. Students list their preferred programs and universities, then wait for the government to tell them where they've been assigned. (My two students didn't take it because they're going to the U.S.)
The test takes two days and covers Chinese, math, a foreign language (usually English) and three other subjects in either the humanities or sciences, depending on your high school track. Since cheating is a concern, security is always high during the exam period. Officials at our school even issued the foreign teachers special badges so we could access our dorm on campus.
Earlier this year another foreign teacher told me that parents wait anxiously for their kids outside the school gates when the test is over, and she wasn't kidding:
I've heard stories about students leaving the test in tears because they know they've failed and feel they have no future, but that wasn't the case today. Mostly the kids seemed happy and relieved. For them it marks the end of three high-stress years and the beginning of an extra-long summer.
The test takes two days and covers Chinese, math, a foreign language (usually English) and three other subjects in either the humanities or sciences, depending on your high school track. Since cheating is a concern, security is always high during the exam period. Officials at our school even issued the foreign teachers special badges so we could access our dorm on campus.
Earlier this year another foreign teacher told me that parents wait anxiously for their kids outside the school gates when the test is over, and she wasn't kidding:
I've heard stories about students leaving the test in tears because they know they've failed and feel they have no future, but that wasn't the case today. Mostly the kids seemed happy and relieved. For them it marks the end of three high-stress years and the beginning of an extra-long summer.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Countryside
Yesterday a student I know, Michelle, invited me to her home in the countryside. It was only a 40-minute bus ride from our school in the city's eastern outskirts, but for most Beijingers it might as well be a world away.We got there early, about 8:30 a.m. Our first stop was Michelle's primary school, where she wanted me to meet her "little sister" (in one-child China, people often refer to their cousins and even close friends as brothers and sisters). We didn't get to see her, but Michelle showed me around and brought me to the teachers' lounge during recess.
From there we walked to her house, where I met her parents and Michelle showed me the various Chicken Soup books she had ordered online. We didn't stay there long, however, as we were slated to have lunch with her grandparents and "little sister." Since they lived farther away, her parents brought out bikes for us. Now, I hadn't been on a bike in a long time, so it was a rather wobbly affair. In fact, as we rounded the corner and went down our first hill I had a brief moment of panic as I backpedaled but failed to slow down. It was with relief that I found the brakes on the handlebars.
Once I got the hang of it, we had a nice ride over country roads and through wheat fields. I have to admit it was a welcome break from the city. Her grandparents had laid out a lovely meal, and we stayed there for several hours. In the afternoon we rode our bikes back into town to see Michelle's middle school, where apparently she was a star. (Only the top students from each school, plus those whose parents can buy their admission, attend the high school where I teach.) I met with some teachers, one of whom asked me to speak in her class. It was the first time many students had met a foreigner, so they had all kinds of questions. Then two or three students from that class and several others were chosen to meet with me in a conference room down the hall, which could only fit so many people. We talked about books (Harry Potter), movies (also Harry Potter), the Olympics and what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was a fun afternoon.We had dinner back at Michelle's house, where her mother kept entreating me, "Chi ba!" ("Eat!"). I really had no choice since any time I made a dent in my food she replaced what I had eaten and then some. It was some time before I was able to convince her, "Wo chi bao" ("I'm full"). After dinner, Michelle walked me to the bus stop and I headed back to school.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Love Moon
Last month I was standing outside the bank when two women came by and struck up a conversation. They told me they worked for Mary Kay and asked for my phone number, which I gave them, telling them to send me a text message so I could take my time deciphering the Chinese. On Tuesday the text message arrived. Even after I called back, I wasn't totally sure it was them since I hadn't written down their phone numbers, but we made plans to meet anyway.
A woman met me at the bus stop and I followed her to a nearby apartment, fully expecting a pitch for Mary Kay. During our initial meeting they kept pointing to my face and using the word makeup (huazhuang), a word I had only learned the previous week. Okay, I'll just listen politely, I thought, but I won't buy anything.
There were four other people there when we arrived: a woman I had previously met, plus three men sitting in the corner and looking on curiously. The woman sat me on the couch and opened her laptop to show me a brief video promoting a company calling itself, I kid you not, Success Unlimited. It was the kind of slick corporate video that talks about mission and philosophy without ever saying what the company actually does.
It does not sell Mary Kay. Since our first meeting, the woman had joined another network marketing company that sells one product and one product only: sanitary napkins. She and her partner proceeded to read from their English script while I sat through various absorbency tests. The product line is called Yuelang, which means Love Moon.
They also showed me bilingual company literature, some of which was probably not meant for me to see. Flipping through it, I quickly found this gem: "The principle of making money according to the Jews - it is 10 times easier to make money from women than men." The next page elaborated that since women run the family, they hold the power to consume.
At the end I explained that I was about to leave the country for four weeks and really had no place for a bulk maxi pad supply. They said they were happy just to tell me about their company. Amway and similar companies have really taken off here in the last few years, often offering enterprising employees substantially higher incomes.
A woman met me at the bus stop and I followed her to a nearby apartment, fully expecting a pitch for Mary Kay. During our initial meeting they kept pointing to my face and using the word makeup (huazhuang), a word I had only learned the previous week. Okay, I'll just listen politely, I thought, but I won't buy anything.
There were four other people there when we arrived: a woman I had previously met, plus three men sitting in the corner and looking on curiously. The woman sat me on the couch and opened her laptop to show me a brief video promoting a company calling itself, I kid you not, Success Unlimited. It was the kind of slick corporate video that talks about mission and philosophy without ever saying what the company actually does.
It does not sell Mary Kay. Since our first meeting, the woman had joined another network marketing company that sells one product and one product only: sanitary napkins. She and her partner proceeded to read from their English script while I sat through various absorbency tests. The product line is called Yuelang, which means Love Moon.
They also showed me bilingual company literature, some of which was probably not meant for me to see. Flipping through it, I quickly found this gem: "The principle of making money according to the Jews - it is 10 times easier to make money from women than men." The next page elaborated that since women run the family, they hold the power to consume.
At the end I explained that I was about to leave the country for four weeks and really had no place for a bulk maxi pad supply. They said they were happy just to tell me about their company. Amway and similar companies have really taken off here in the last few years, often offering enterprising employees substantially higher incomes.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Dizhen (Earthquake)
I was already late for my last Chinese lesson when I got on the bus today. We were sitting at an intersection a block away from home when traffic stopped, a police officer strode to the center and everyone started deliberately laying on their horns. Everyone on the bus stood up and I then realized it was 2:28 p.m. The nation was observing three minutes silence to mourn those killed in last week's earthquake, whose magnitude has now been revised to 8.0.
Eight is an auspicious number here - cellphone numbers with multiple 8's are more expensive - but events this year have caused some people to question the superstition. China's worst snowstorm in 50 years hit on 1.25 (1 + 2 + 5 = 8), the earthquake shook Sichuan on 5.12 (5 + 1 + 2 = 8), and protests in Tibet turned violent on 3.14 (you get the idea). The Olympics start on August 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. local time.
China started a three-day mourning period today, which newspapers marked this morning by removing color from their front pages. Flags will fly at half-mast and the Olympic torch relay has been suspended. Also in observance, the government has ordered entertainment and gaming websites to suspend operations and post mourning messages instead. Beijing's Houhai bar district will turn off its music this week, while some movie theaters and KTV (karaoke) chains will shut down completely.
People were still being rescued Sunday, seven days after being buried. On Sunday night my Chinese teacher watched a TV special that included many stories from survivors. She told me about one girl who turned 20 the same day the earthquake struck. Before it happened, she was wondering what she would get for her birthday - flowers, clothing, etc. After a building collapsed on her, she waited several days for rescue teams to find her. In the end, she said, her birthday gift was her life.
China Fun Fact: Officially, the current toll is 34,073 dead and 245,108 injured.
Eight is an auspicious number here - cellphone numbers with multiple 8's are more expensive - but events this year have caused some people to question the superstition. China's worst snowstorm in 50 years hit on 1.25 (1 + 2 + 5 = 8), the earthquake shook Sichuan on 5.12 (5 + 1 + 2 = 8), and protests in Tibet turned violent on 3.14 (you get the idea). The Olympics start on August 8, 2008 at 8 p.m. local time.
China started a three-day mourning period today, which newspapers marked this morning by removing color from their front pages. Flags will fly at half-mast and the Olympic torch relay has been suspended. Also in observance, the government has ordered entertainment and gaming websites to suspend operations and post mourning messages instead. Beijing's Houhai bar district will turn off its music this week, while some movie theaters and KTV (karaoke) chains will shut down completely.
People were still being rescued Sunday, seven days after being buried. On Sunday night my Chinese teacher watched a TV special that included many stories from survivors. She told me about one girl who turned 20 the same day the earthquake struck. Before it happened, she was wondering what she would get for her birthday - flowers, clothing, etc. After a building collapsed on her, she waited several days for rescue teams to find her. In the end, she said, her birthday gift was her life.
China Fun Fact: Officially, the current toll is 34,073 dead and 245,108 injured.
Fenqing
Fenqing = angry youth who display a high level of Chinese nationalism
China Fun Fact: China has 160 cities with populations over 1 million (the U.S. has nine).
China Fun Fact: China has 160 cities with populations over 1 million (the U.S. has nine).
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Longtime reader, first-time fake letter writer
I never read the letters to the editor in China Daily, so it wasn't until recently that I noticed how outrageously fake they are - especially when it comes to recent events. To wit:
I have visited Tibet on three occasions. People there live a happy and peaceful life and their livelihood has been improved greatly.
Each time I visit, I notice new progress. Roads and highways are becoming better and the cities more beautiful.
I am dismayed that the recent violence had disrupted the peace and stability of the people. I strongly oppose such violent incidents that target innocent civilians. I hope it will not be too long before I can visit Tibet again to enjoy the peace and serenity of the region.
"Giuseppe from Italy"
I knew from the very beginning that the riots in Tibet were instigated by some ill-intentioned people to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games.
I watched a CCTV 4 news report in which five innocent girls were burnt to death by the mobs. It was quite brutal and horrifying. In my country, there are not many people who are aware of the fact that Tibetan people are enjoying a lot of autonomous rights.
I hope the Chinese government can bring the situation under control as soon as possible so that the people can return to their peaceful lives. I also think German media needs to take a fresh look at the way they report the news. The untrue reports spread quickly but not the apologies.
"Helmut Matt from Germany"
I felt very sorry and angry about the violent incident in Tibet on March 14. Many innocent people lost their lives in the riots and it has greatly undermined social order and stability in Tibet.
All the evidence shows that the Dalai Lama clique attempted to clash with the Chinese government in order to seek Tibet independence.
But I firmly believe that the temporary chaos will end soon and the Chinese government will handle the situation properly and effectively. The Beijing Olympic Games will be held successfully in August.
"Ricardo Santos from Brazil"
The Qinghai-Tibet railway is one of many examples that show Tibet's economic development and people's living standards have improved significantly in the past few decades.
All this relies on favorable government policies and the support of all Chinese people. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is against the will of the people.
"Huajin from Spain"
China is a country of great culture and history. The 2008 Beijing Olympics bear special significance for the Chinese people.
The world's attention is on China and we are looking forward to a successful Beijing Olympics.
The games is a world event, therefore to disrupt it is to go against the wishes of the people around the world, and people who love China.
As a religious person, I want to tell Chinese religious believers that they should be careful not to be used by a few criminals who harbor ill intentions. We need to work together to achieve social harmony, national stability and world peace.
"Idris Bu Vadinar from Morocco"
[4/10/2008]
China Fun Fact: In a poll last year asking urban Chinese how much Japan respects China, almost 75% said "not much" or "not at all." President Hu Jintao is in Japan this week - the first such visit in a decade.
I have visited Tibet on three occasions. People there live a happy and peaceful life and their livelihood has been improved greatly.
Each time I visit, I notice new progress. Roads and highways are becoming better and the cities more beautiful.
I am dismayed that the recent violence had disrupted the peace and stability of the people. I strongly oppose such violent incidents that target innocent civilians. I hope it will not be too long before I can visit Tibet again to enjoy the peace and serenity of the region.
"Giuseppe from Italy"
I knew from the very beginning that the riots in Tibet were instigated by some ill-intentioned people to disrupt the Beijing Olympic Games.
I watched a CCTV 4 news report in which five innocent girls were burnt to death by the mobs. It was quite brutal and horrifying. In my country, there are not many people who are aware of the fact that Tibetan people are enjoying a lot of autonomous rights.
I hope the Chinese government can bring the situation under control as soon as possible so that the people can return to their peaceful lives. I also think German media needs to take a fresh look at the way they report the news. The untrue reports spread quickly but not the apologies.
"Helmut Matt from Germany"
I felt very sorry and angry about the violent incident in Tibet on March 14. Many innocent people lost their lives in the riots and it has greatly undermined social order and stability in Tibet.
All the evidence shows that the Dalai Lama clique attempted to clash with the Chinese government in order to seek Tibet independence.
But I firmly believe that the temporary chaos will end soon and the Chinese government will handle the situation properly and effectively. The Beijing Olympic Games will be held successfully in August.
"Ricardo Santos from Brazil"
The Qinghai-Tibet railway is one of many examples that show Tibet's economic development and people's living standards have improved significantly in the past few decades.
All this relies on favorable government policies and the support of all Chinese people. Any attempt to separate Tibet from China is against the will of the people.
"Huajin from Spain"
China is a country of great culture and history. The 2008 Beijing Olympics bear special significance for the Chinese people.
The world's attention is on China and we are looking forward to a successful Beijing Olympics.
The games is a world event, therefore to disrupt it is to go against the wishes of the people around the world, and people who love China.
As a religious person, I want to tell Chinese religious believers that they should be careful not to be used by a few criminals who harbor ill intentions. We need to work together to achieve social harmony, national stability and world peace.
"Idris Bu Vadinar from Morocco"
[4/10/2008]
China Fun Fact: In a poll last year asking urban Chinese how much Japan respects China, almost 75% said "not much" or "not at all." President Hu Jintao is in Japan this week - the first such visit in a decade.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Xinjiang
Last weekend was China's Labor Day holiday, so Niall and I took off a few extra days and traveled to China's western edge (photos here).
Xinjiang (which means "New Frontier") is more Central Asia than Far East, but the Chinese government cares deeply about it for two main reasons. One, it has significant oil and natural gas reserves. Two, it has enormous geopolitical importance since it borders eight countries: Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The giant province is home to the Uighur people, who practice Islam and use Arabic script - although their numbers have dropped below 50% as Beijing has flooded the region with Han Chinese settlers. Xinjiang's situation is similar to Tibet in that the government has spent billions on development while relegating native ethnic groups to second-class status. In recent years there have been sporadic, and sometimes violent, separatist movements, but while Uighurs generally resent Chinese rule many are resistant to the idea of independence. Speaking to Uighur students in Beijing has given me the impression they see their fate as linked to Tibet's, so they're not crazy about independence for that region either.
Having flown into Urumqi (the capital) the night before, we spent last Sunday wandering through the touristy Erdaoqiao Market before heading back to the airport for our flight to Kashgar. One thing I should mention: China has a "one country, one time zone" policy, which means officially it's the same time in Xinjiang as it is in Beijing 3,000 km away. This makes for some very late sunsets. Bus stations, airports and government offices all run on Beijing time, but for the most part people in Xinjiang live on their own schedule two hours behind. What's great about this is each day felt that much longer - I could wake up at 9:00 Beijing time and feel rested, then mentally switch to Xinjiang time in the afternoon and add two more hours to my day. But it can also occasionally lead to confusion, say when arranging private tours with a driver: "What time shall we leave? 8:00? OK - wait, is that Beijing time or Xinjiang time?"
In Kashgar we stayed at a fantastic hotel (the dorms had private bathrooms!), housed in the former British consulate. We saw the Id Kah Mosque and ate at the night market, then left early the next morning on a bus to Tashkurgan, a small town near the China-Pakistan border. The 300-km drive took us along the Karakoram Highway, which transitions from desert to red rock cliffs to snow-capped mountains as it climbs to 3,600 meters.
Once we arrived in Tashkurgan, however, we discovered there was not much to do. It was a long night playing cards in the lobby, but while there we met a man who offered to drive us back to Kashgar the next day for slightly more money than the bus. It was worth it to be able to pull over and take pictures, so we set off along with a young Korean man who was also in our dorm room. The drive back was faster, with the driver pointing out interesting sights; at one point, he told us we were 14 km from Tajikistan.
There is no escaping the Olympics anywhere in this country. Even in Kashgar, which is about as far away from Beijing as you can get, signs along the street were plastered with the "One World, One Dream" theme. No sooner had we commented on this than we entered People's Square, where a dance practice was under way. It's not unusual to see people in public squares sweating along to some post-work exercise music, but this was special. Most people wore the same T-shirt - some red, some yellow, blue, etc. - and then they broke into the different-colored Olympic rings. In each ring one or two people simulated a different sport: ping-pong, basketball, running. It looked like they were preparing for the opening ceremony, or perhaps for something similar when the torch passes through Xinjiang over the summer.
On Wednesday we doubled back to Urumqi, our central hub. Once in the air, the pilot announced we were 100 days away from the Olympic opening ceremony. Meanwhile, back in Beijing, our school coordinator had informed all the foreign teachers they were to participate in an event commemorating the 100-day countdown. I hadn't told the school I was leaving, so Brian and Tienie covered for me by saying I'd be taking a Chinese exam. All the teachers at the school, foreign and Chinese, gathered at the track, each receiving an Olympic flag and a Chinese flag. Then they hoisted their flags high and marched around the track four times (about a mile), with video cameras and a few students watching. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and Brian said they received soap and laundry detergent as a reward.
In the afternoon we took another bus to Turpan, about three hours away. Turpan sits in the Tarim Basin, the second-lowest depression in the world (after Death Valley) and the hottest spot in China. The town itself is an oasis and major grape producer, although we were a little early for grape season. The next day we took a private car to see the sand dunes, about 100 km away. The driver pulled off the road and we walked a kilometer into the desert, where the sand stretched into the horizon and we were the only people around.
On the way to Tuyoq, a hokey "traditional" Uighur town (think Xinjiang's Williamsburg), the driver pulled over at a police checkpoint and got out to speak with the officers. When he returned, we asked him why the police stopped him and he said something about the Olympics. Why would that matter in Xinjiang, which is so far away? we asked. "Because they're scared," he said.
We returned to Urumqi once again in the afternoon, then spent an uneventful day there on Friday. The May 1 holiday was also the start of a planned boycott against Carrefour, the French Wal-Mart. The Chinese are très irrités for two reasons: 1) the unfriendly reception the torch received in Paris last month and 2) reports that Nicolas Sarkozy may not attend the opening ceremony (never mind the fact that Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Stephen Harper, Ban Ki-moon and all three U.S. presidential candidates have said they will definitely not attend). We stopped at Carrefour after dinner and noticed a sign reassuring customers that the company fully supports the Olympics and has neither directly nor indirectly aided "splittist" groups. We tried to take a picture, but a security guard stopped us. Lines in the store were ridiculous as usual. Even China Daily, which ran a front-page story, admitted support for the boycott was tepid at best.
On Saturday we flew back to Beijing from Urumqi, which wouldn't have been noteworthy except we were all pulled off the plane because one passenger had cancelled at the last minute and the airline wanted to do another security check. Militants reportedly tried to hijack a Beijing-bound plane in March, so I can understand why the airline might be jumpy, but the announcement met with groans from less concerned passengers. We landed in Beijing's brand-new terminal, which is beautiful but requires a long walk from the gate to the baggage claim.
China Fun Fact: Almost 1.4 million Olympic tickets went on sale today.
Xinjiang (which means "New Frontier") is more Central Asia than Far East, but the Chinese government cares deeply about it for two main reasons. One, it has significant oil and natural gas reserves. Two, it has enormous geopolitical importance since it borders eight countries: Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The giant province is home to the Uighur people, who practice Islam and use Arabic script - although their numbers have dropped below 50% as Beijing has flooded the region with Han Chinese settlers. Xinjiang's situation is similar to Tibet in that the government has spent billions on development while relegating native ethnic groups to second-class status. In recent years there have been sporadic, and sometimes violent, separatist movements, but while Uighurs generally resent Chinese rule many are resistant to the idea of independence. Speaking to Uighur students in Beijing has given me the impression they see their fate as linked to Tibet's, so they're not crazy about independence for that region either.
Having flown into Urumqi (the capital) the night before, we spent last Sunday wandering through the touristy Erdaoqiao Market before heading back to the airport for our flight to Kashgar. One thing I should mention: China has a "one country, one time zone" policy, which means officially it's the same time in Xinjiang as it is in Beijing 3,000 km away. This makes for some very late sunsets. Bus stations, airports and government offices all run on Beijing time, but for the most part people in Xinjiang live on their own schedule two hours behind. What's great about this is each day felt that much longer - I could wake up at 9:00 Beijing time and feel rested, then mentally switch to Xinjiang time in the afternoon and add two more hours to my day. But it can also occasionally lead to confusion, say when arranging private tours with a driver: "What time shall we leave? 8:00? OK - wait, is that Beijing time or Xinjiang time?"
In Kashgar we stayed at a fantastic hotel (the dorms had private bathrooms!), housed in the former British consulate. We saw the Id Kah Mosque and ate at the night market, then left early the next morning on a bus to Tashkurgan, a small town near the China-Pakistan border. The 300-km drive took us along the Karakoram Highway, which transitions from desert to red rock cliffs to snow-capped mountains as it climbs to 3,600 meters.Once we arrived in Tashkurgan, however, we discovered there was not much to do. It was a long night playing cards in the lobby, but while there we met a man who offered to drive us back to Kashgar the next day for slightly more money than the bus. It was worth it to be able to pull over and take pictures, so we set off along with a young Korean man who was also in our dorm room. The drive back was faster, with the driver pointing out interesting sights; at one point, he told us we were 14 km from Tajikistan.
There is no escaping the Olympics anywhere in this country. Even in Kashgar, which is about as far away from Beijing as you can get, signs along the street were plastered with the "One World, One Dream" theme. No sooner had we commented on this than we entered People's Square, where a dance practice was under way. It's not unusual to see people in public squares sweating along to some post-work exercise music, but this was special. Most people wore the same T-shirt - some red, some yellow, blue, etc. - and then they broke into the different-colored Olympic rings. In each ring one or two people simulated a different sport: ping-pong, basketball, running. It looked like they were preparing for the opening ceremony, or perhaps for something similar when the torch passes through Xinjiang over the summer.
On Wednesday we doubled back to Urumqi, our central hub. Once in the air, the pilot announced we were 100 days away from the Olympic opening ceremony. Meanwhile, back in Beijing, our school coordinator had informed all the foreign teachers they were to participate in an event commemorating the 100-day countdown. I hadn't told the school I was leaving, so Brian and Tienie covered for me by saying I'd be taking a Chinese exam. All the teachers at the school, foreign and Chinese, gathered at the track, each receiving an Olympic flag and a Chinese flag. Then they hoisted their flags high and marched around the track four times (about a mile), with video cameras and a few students watching. The whole thing took about 30 minutes and Brian said they received soap and laundry detergent as a reward.
In the afternoon we took another bus to Turpan, about three hours away. Turpan sits in the Tarim Basin, the second-lowest depression in the world (after Death Valley) and the hottest spot in China. The town itself is an oasis and major grape producer, although we were a little early for grape season. The next day we took a private car to see the sand dunes, about 100 km away. The driver pulled off the road and we walked a kilometer into the desert, where the sand stretched into the horizon and we were the only people around.
On the way to Tuyoq, a hokey "traditional" Uighur town (think Xinjiang's Williamsburg), the driver pulled over at a police checkpoint and got out to speak with the officers. When he returned, we asked him why the police stopped him and he said something about the Olympics. Why would that matter in Xinjiang, which is so far away? we asked. "Because they're scared," he said.
We returned to Urumqi once again in the afternoon, then spent an uneventful day there on Friday. The May 1 holiday was also the start of a planned boycott against Carrefour, the French Wal-Mart. The Chinese are très irrités for two reasons: 1) the unfriendly reception the torch received in Paris last month and 2) reports that Nicolas Sarkozy may not attend the opening ceremony (never mind the fact that Angela Merkel, Gordon Brown, Stephen Harper, Ban Ki-moon and all three U.S. presidential candidates have said they will definitely not attend). We stopped at Carrefour after dinner and noticed a sign reassuring customers that the company fully supports the Olympics and has neither directly nor indirectly aided "splittist" groups. We tried to take a picture, but a security guard stopped us. Lines in the store were ridiculous as usual. Even China Daily, which ran a front-page story, admitted support for the boycott was tepid at best.
On Saturday we flew back to Beijing from Urumqi, which wouldn't have been noteworthy except we were all pulled off the plane because one passenger had cancelled at the last minute and the airline wanted to do another security check. Militants reportedly tried to hijack a Beijing-bound plane in March, so I can understand why the airline might be jumpy, but the announcement met with groans from less concerned passengers. We landed in Beijing's brand-new terminal, which is beautiful but requires a long walk from the gate to the baggage claim.
China Fun Fact: Almost 1.4 million Olympic tickets went on sale today.
Sexy Beijing
Thought I'd throw up a link to this Sex and the City spoof, which takes on dating, politics and other issues where cultures collide using SJP's trademark "I couldn't help but wonder..." narration and hilarious man-on-the-street interviews with Beijingers. Start with "Looking for Double Happiness" and "Beijing Caucus."
China Fun Fact: 100,000 Chinese and foreign nationals will volunteer at the Olympics and Paralympics.
China Fun Fact: 100,000 Chinese and foreign nationals will volunteer at the Olympics and Paralympics.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Two headlines
International Herald Tribune: Torch draws protest fury in London's Olympic run
China Daily: Warm reception in cold London
China Fun Fact: Beijing has 70,000 taxis.
China Daily: Warm reception in cold London
China Fun Fact: Beijing has 70,000 taxis.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Trivia challenge: Which two Asian countries are predominantly Catholic?
Here's a disturbing experience I had in a Beijing taxi recently: Last week I went to a trivia night (my team won, due in part to my unhealthy knowledge of the TV show Friends) at a bar way across town, and the subway stopped running before I made it all the way home. Outside the subway station I jumped in an unofficial taxi, which is how many people here make a living. Sometimes drivers hang around to see if they can pick up a couple extra people, as this driver did, so there were two other passengers with me.
The driver did the thing where he went the wrong way up the off-ramp, which was old hat to me except I would have preferred to have a seatbelt since I was in the front seat. Then we got off the expressway and onto the frontage road, where he really started to make me nervous.
I hadn't noticed that the sun visor on the passenger side had a DVD player in it. I watched as the driver inserted a DVD and resumed watching a movie as he swerved in and out of traffic in the dark. His eyes darted between the road and two leather-bound chicks fighting each other on motorcycles, I don't know what it was - Ice Cube was in it. I mean, just what he needed to be watching: a movie about reckless driving where no one gets hurt.
On an unrelated note, here is an old but excellent Atlantic article that explains how China views Tibet.
Also, the Olympic torch was re-lit in Tiananmen Square today.
China Fun Fact: 1.28 million Chinese people die from lung disease each year.
The driver did the thing where he went the wrong way up the off-ramp, which was old hat to me except I would have preferred to have a seatbelt since I was in the front seat. Then we got off the expressway and onto the frontage road, where he really started to make me nervous.
I hadn't noticed that the sun visor on the passenger side had a DVD player in it. I watched as the driver inserted a DVD and resumed watching a movie as he swerved in and out of traffic in the dark. His eyes darted between the road and two leather-bound chicks fighting each other on motorcycles, I don't know what it was - Ice Cube was in it. I mean, just what he needed to be watching: a movie about reckless driving where no one gets hurt.
On an unrelated note, here is an old but excellent Atlantic article that explains how China views Tibet.
Also, the Olympic torch was re-lit in Tiananmen Square today.
China Fun Fact: 1.28 million Chinese people die from lung disease each year.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Blackout
So, about Tibet.
Finding reliable news updates is frustrating because third-party reporting is available only from the few foreign correspondents who were already in Lhasa. Otherwise everything we get is from the Chinese government, which isn't entirely true, or the Tibetan exile government, which isn't entirely true either. It's in the papers here, with an emphasis on how it's a political conspiracy by the Dalai Lama and everyone in Tibet is united in opposition to it except for a few misguided souls (of course, they can also always blame Björk).
American broadcast news rarely carries any international stories, except for the occasional, reluctant tour through half a dozen countries in two minutes. So I was surprised when NBC Nightly News, which I download and play in class every morning, included a lengthy segment on Friday about what's happening in Tibet - 2 minutes, 44 seconds, in fact. That's an eternity. We watched it in class earlier this week and had a brief discussion about it. My students know that Tibetans are unhappy but think they should remain part of China; they're justifiably concerned that this will tarnish the Olympics and hope the conflict can be resolved quickly, although they didn't say how.
The Chinese government is not messing around with this. YouTube is blocked (again). I don't get BBC or CNN in my room, but if I did I would see them black out at regular intervals. (As one online commenter described it, "CNN International, viewable here in Beijing, keeps cycling every half hour or so to coverage of the Tibet protests, whereupon the TV goes blank, then comes back on right when CNN moves on to covering the McCartney-Mills divorce.") Then there's this report about Beijing police barring expat Cub Scouts from meeting the Dodgers last weekend at China's first MLB exhibition game. There's no evidence linking that decision to the turmoil in Tibet, but it's not implausible.
So all this was making me a little paranoid this morning when the NBC Nightly News podcasts for the last couple days were nowhere to be found. Thinking maybe NBC had neglected to update its site, I tried ABC and CBS as well, with no luck. Is China blocking podcasts with coverage of Tibet? I wondered. But this afternoon I was able to download what I needed, and the news is back to normal: Obama-Clinton-economy-What-are-gas-prices-like-today?-Boy-that-Spitzer-really-screwed-up-And-now-for-some-random-celebrity-news-And-finally-new-research-revealing-something-we-already-knew (news flash: Americans don't get enough sleep and that makes them tired!).
Finally, in a case of extremely bad timing, last week China released its U.S. human rights report, the full text of which was printed over three pages in China Daily on Friday. The annual report is a response to the State Department's country reports, and basically says 1) violent crime is increasing, 2) law enforcement officials abuse their power, with police brutality rampant in Chicago (also the U.S. has the world's largest prison population), 3) the American government has tossed civil rights out the window to fight its war on terror, 4) homelessness and food insecurity are on the rise, 5) women and minorities still face discrimination, 6) the U.S. condones and practices torture overseas and at Guantanamo, and 7) the U.S. should STFU and address its own problems. Some valid points, to be sure, but it's hard to take them seriously when paired with statements like, "Almost every American, even ex-criminals with felony records and minors, has firearms" and criticism that the U.S. restricts union membership (whereas in China, independent unions are flat-out illegal).
China Fun Fact: Sixteen of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China.
Finding reliable news updates is frustrating because third-party reporting is available only from the few foreign correspondents who were already in Lhasa. Otherwise everything we get is from the Chinese government, which isn't entirely true, or the Tibetan exile government, which isn't entirely true either. It's in the papers here, with an emphasis on how it's a political conspiracy by the Dalai Lama and everyone in Tibet is united in opposition to it except for a few misguided souls (of course, they can also always blame Björk).
American broadcast news rarely carries any international stories, except for the occasional, reluctant tour through half a dozen countries in two minutes. So I was surprised when NBC Nightly News, which I download and play in class every morning, included a lengthy segment on Friday about what's happening in Tibet - 2 minutes, 44 seconds, in fact. That's an eternity. We watched it in class earlier this week and had a brief discussion about it. My students know that Tibetans are unhappy but think they should remain part of China; they're justifiably concerned that this will tarnish the Olympics and hope the conflict can be resolved quickly, although they didn't say how.
The Chinese government is not messing around with this. YouTube is blocked (again). I don't get BBC or CNN in my room, but if I did I would see them black out at regular intervals. (As one online commenter described it, "CNN International, viewable here in Beijing, keeps cycling every half hour or so to coverage of the Tibet protests, whereupon the TV goes blank, then comes back on right when CNN moves on to covering the McCartney-Mills divorce.") Then there's this report about Beijing police barring expat Cub Scouts from meeting the Dodgers last weekend at China's first MLB exhibition game. There's no evidence linking that decision to the turmoil in Tibet, but it's not implausible.
So all this was making me a little paranoid this morning when the NBC Nightly News podcasts for the last couple days were nowhere to be found. Thinking maybe NBC had neglected to update its site, I tried ABC and CBS as well, with no luck. Is China blocking podcasts with coverage of Tibet? I wondered. But this afternoon I was able to download what I needed, and the news is back to normal: Obama-Clinton-economy-What-are-gas-prices-like-today?-Boy-that-Spitzer-really-screwed-up-And-now-for-some-random-celebrity-news-And-finally-new-research-revealing-something-we-already-knew (news flash: Americans don't get enough sleep and that makes them tired!).
Finally, in a case of extremely bad timing, last week China released its U.S. human rights report, the full text of which was printed over three pages in China Daily on Friday. The annual report is a response to the State Department's country reports, and basically says 1) violent crime is increasing, 2) law enforcement officials abuse their power, with police brutality rampant in Chicago (also the U.S. has the world's largest prison population), 3) the American government has tossed civil rights out the window to fight its war on terror, 4) homelessness and food insecurity are on the rise, 5) women and minorities still face discrimination, 6) the U.S. condones and practices torture overseas and at Guantanamo, and 7) the U.S. should STFU and address its own problems. Some valid points, to be sure, but it's hard to take them seriously when paired with statements like, "Almost every American, even ex-criminals with felony records and minors, has firearms" and criticism that the U.S. restricts union membership (whereas in China, independent unions are flat-out illegal).
China Fun Fact: Sixteen of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in China.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Accepted
I spent all day Saturday with one of my students, who invited me to a college fair at a downtown hotel. The day started off well when I checked my e-mail to find a message from the University of Colorado at Boulder saying the school has granted her admission. It was nice when I met her dad to be able to say, “Nice to meet you – by the way, your daughter has been accepted to college.”
After the fair we went to Jingshan Park and Beihai Park, both ancient imperial gardens. During a peasant revolt in 1644, the last Ming emperor hanged himself in Jingshan Park when it became clear that it was over for him anyway. At Beihai Park, I randomly ran into someone from my Chinese class at McGill (amazing that I recognized anyone from that class, considering how often I went, and remembered his name; even more amazing that he remembered mine). We’re having dinner this week.
We had then planned to take a driving tour around Tiananmen Square, but traffic was bad due to the “two meetings” in progress – the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress. Police brought traffic to a halt on our side of the street so the other side would be clear for party officials leaving that day’s session. We waited about 20 minutes until several charter buses drove by in the opposite direction. I observed that they were mostly empty, but my student wasn’t surprised.
“They are the important people in China,” she said with unusual force and resentment. “So they can waste the resources.”
We continued on to her apartment, where I met her mother and we chatted before going to dinner at a Sichuan restaurant.
On Sunday Niall and I had dinner at Beijing’s first Ethiopian restaurant, which opened last week.
China Fun Fact: Beijing’s subway network set a new one-day record two weeks ago, with 3.5 million passenger trips (Washington, D.C. tops out at about 800,000).
After the fair we went to Jingshan Park and Beihai Park, both ancient imperial gardens. During a peasant revolt in 1644, the last Ming emperor hanged himself in Jingshan Park when it became clear that it was over for him anyway. At Beihai Park, I randomly ran into someone from my Chinese class at McGill (amazing that I recognized anyone from that class, considering how often I went, and remembered his name; even more amazing that he remembered mine). We’re having dinner this week.
We had then planned to take a driving tour around Tiananmen Square, but traffic was bad due to the “two meetings” in progress – the National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Congress. Police brought traffic to a halt on our side of the street so the other side would be clear for party officials leaving that day’s session. We waited about 20 minutes until several charter buses drove by in the opposite direction. I observed that they were mostly empty, but my student wasn’t surprised.
“They are the important people in China,” she said with unusual force and resentment. “So they can waste the resources.”
We continued on to her apartment, where I met her mother and we chatted before going to dinner at a Sichuan restaurant.
On Sunday Niall and I had dinner at Beijing’s first Ethiopian restaurant, which opened last week.
China Fun Fact: Beijing’s subway network set a new one-day record two weeks ago, with 3.5 million passenger trips (Washington, D.C. tops out at about 800,000).
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Xi'an
My six-week vacation is finally over. The last two weeks were largely uneventful except for a visit from Mark, a friend from McGill, and his boyfriend Andy. I met them in Tiananmen Square and we spent an hour or so at a nearby teahouse. Other than that I slept in most days and continued working my way through The West Wing.
So it was a relief to set off Wednesday night for two days in Xi'an (photos here), which is about 12 hours away by train. Someone from the hostel met us at the train station and waited while we went to buy return tickets, but we couldn't get tickets for the day we wanted because Spring Festival was ending and all the students were traveling back to school. Buying tickets for the next day would have required standing in a different line, so we decided to get settled at the hostel and worry about it later.
First on the list, of course, were the world-famous terracotta warriors. On the way there we stopped at the train station to have another try at buying return tickets. The ticket windows were crowded and the staff had no patience for foreigners, trying to direct us to another line, but we persisted until they sold us something. We weren't clear on the details, but based on the price we assumed we were taking the bullet train. Everywhere we turned someone was talking at us, like the woman who kept saying, "Shí diǎn lái" ("Be here at 10 a.m."). People in China are very friendly and eager to help, but when you're surrounded by several people talking at once it can be overwhelming. We couldn't figure out why they were treating us like such idiots.
We pushed our way out and found the bus to the Army of Terracotta Warriors, which is about an hour outside the city. The warriors, elaborately detailed and each with a unique facial expression, were meant to help Emperor Qin Shi Huang rule the heavens as he had ruled in life. During his 36-year reign (247-210 B.C.) he unified China, built roads and standardized currency, measurements and writing. Local farmers discovered the first pit in 1974 while drilling a well, and the three pits together have yielded some 8,000 warriors, horses, chariots and bronze weapons.
Thursday was the Yuan Xiao (Lantern) Festival, marking the end of New Year celebrations, which meant more fireworks. After dinner we spent a quiet evening at the hostel playing cards.
On Friday we walked to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, which both date from the 14th century and once contained bells that were rung at dawn and dusk, respectively. We wandered through the Muslim Quarter on the way to the Great Mosque, then stopped at a restaurant to try yángròu pàomó, a Xi'an specialty combining lamb, bread cubes, rice noodles and broth.
Before heading back to the hostel we walked along the City Wall, which was built in 1370 and encloses the city. We lay around for a few hours, then joined the hostel's weekly dumpling party - rolling dough, spreading the pork filling and trying in vain to match the artful examples provided by the chefs. Then we spent another night playing cards and shooting pool with the hostel manager, whose English name was Jim Beam.
We took a cab to the train station the next morning and plodded along in the line to get in. When the attendant looked at our tickets, however, he paused and held us back.
"These are bus tickets," he told us.
Sure enough, when we looked at the tickets more closely they said "qìche" in big red characters at the top. It turns out the bus station and train station were right next to each other and we had failed to notice. From across the street we could even see the building was labelled, in Chinese, "Xi'an Bus Station."
They must have been waiting for us. We entered the waiting hall at the bus station, but didn't see our bus on the boards. As we stood in the corner a man came up to us and asked, "Beijing?" then motioned for us to follow him. He led us through a maze of buses and deposited us at the right one, which we never would have found by ourselves. As we boarded, the driver handed us plastic bags in which to place our shoes (?) and directed us to the right bunks. The other passengers looked at us like we were from another planet.
Bus travel in China worries me, because every so often you hear about one tumbling off a cliff and everyone being killed. But there would be no bullet train for us. Instead, we were in for a 14-hour bus ride on a sleeper, which has about 35 or 40 narrow bunks arranged such that it is absolutely impossible to sit up. We had no way to play cards, almost no food and no reading lights. And oh, the smell.
To our surprise, it wasn't that bad - except for the last couple hours in the dark, which were agonizing. We only stopped when it was time to switch drivers, although one time they made the switch while the bus was in motion on the highway. The bus dropped us off just after 1 a.m. not far from Niall's neighborhood, so he got in one cab and Brian and I took another across the city.
Classes resume tomorrow, and as usual no one has told us our schedules. Fortunately, one of my students called (because students always know these things before the teachers) to inform me we have class for four hours in the morning. I guess I'll find out about the rest of the week then.
China Fun Fact: Beijingers alone sent out 600 million text messages on New Year's Eve, about 38 per person (I got two from my students).
So it was a relief to set off Wednesday night for two days in Xi'an (photos here), which is about 12 hours away by train. Someone from the hostel met us at the train station and waited while we went to buy return tickets, but we couldn't get tickets for the day we wanted because Spring Festival was ending and all the students were traveling back to school. Buying tickets for the next day would have required standing in a different line, so we decided to get settled at the hostel and worry about it later.
First on the list, of course, were the world-famous terracotta warriors. On the way there we stopped at the train station to have another try at buying return tickets. The ticket windows were crowded and the staff had no patience for foreigners, trying to direct us to another line, but we persisted until they sold us something. We weren't clear on the details, but based on the price we assumed we were taking the bullet train. Everywhere we turned someone was talking at us, like the woman who kept saying, "Shí diǎn lái" ("Be here at 10 a.m."). People in China are very friendly and eager to help, but when you're surrounded by several people talking at once it can be overwhelming. We couldn't figure out why they were treating us like such idiots.
We pushed our way out and found the bus to the Army of Terracotta Warriors, which is about an hour outside the city. The warriors, elaborately detailed and each with a unique facial expression, were meant to help Emperor Qin Shi Huang rule the heavens as he had ruled in life. During his 36-year reign (247-210 B.C.) he unified China, built roads and standardized currency, measurements and writing. Local farmers discovered the first pit in 1974 while drilling a well, and the three pits together have yielded some 8,000 warriors, horses, chariots and bronze weapons. Thursday was the Yuan Xiao (Lantern) Festival, marking the end of New Year celebrations, which meant more fireworks. After dinner we spent a quiet evening at the hostel playing cards.
On Friday we walked to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower, which both date from the 14th century and once contained bells that were rung at dawn and dusk, respectively. We wandered through the Muslim Quarter on the way to the Great Mosque, then stopped at a restaurant to try yángròu pàomó, a Xi'an specialty combining lamb, bread cubes, rice noodles and broth.
Before heading back to the hostel we walked along the City Wall, which was built in 1370 and encloses the city. We lay around for a few hours, then joined the hostel's weekly dumpling party - rolling dough, spreading the pork filling and trying in vain to match the artful examples provided by the chefs. Then we spent another night playing cards and shooting pool with the hostel manager, whose English name was Jim Beam.
We took a cab to the train station the next morning and plodded along in the line to get in. When the attendant looked at our tickets, however, he paused and held us back.
"These are bus tickets," he told us.
Sure enough, when we looked at the tickets more closely they said "qìche" in big red characters at the top. It turns out the bus station and train station were right next to each other and we had failed to notice. From across the street we could even see the building was labelled, in Chinese, "Xi'an Bus Station."
They must have been waiting for us. We entered the waiting hall at the bus station, but didn't see our bus on the boards. As we stood in the corner a man came up to us and asked, "Beijing?" then motioned for us to follow him. He led us through a maze of buses and deposited us at the right one, which we never would have found by ourselves. As we boarded, the driver handed us plastic bags in which to place our shoes (?) and directed us to the right bunks. The other passengers looked at us like we were from another planet.
Bus travel in China worries me, because every so often you hear about one tumbling off a cliff and everyone being killed. But there would be no bullet train for us. Instead, we were in for a 14-hour bus ride on a sleeper, which has about 35 or 40 narrow bunks arranged such that it is absolutely impossible to sit up. We had no way to play cards, almost no food and no reading lights. And oh, the smell.To our surprise, it wasn't that bad - except for the last couple hours in the dark, which were agonizing. We only stopped when it was time to switch drivers, although one time they made the switch while the bus was in motion on the highway. The bus dropped us off just after 1 a.m. not far from Niall's neighborhood, so he got in one cab and Brian and I took another across the city.
Classes resume tomorrow, and as usual no one has told us our schedules. Fortunately, one of my students called (because students always know these things before the teachers) to inform me we have class for four hours in the morning. I guess I'll find out about the rest of the week then.
China Fun Fact: Beijingers alone sent out 600 million text messages on New Year's Eve, about 38 per person (I got two from my students).
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
New Year
Last week I was in Nanjing and Shanghai. Highlights:
The trip started out on a low note when someone lifted my cell phone from my pocket on the way to the train station. Brian and I were meeting friends for dinner before we left, and the taxi pulled up next to two men who were selling tickets for something. I put the phone in my jacket pocket as I got out, said no to their offer and went around the back of the car to get my bag. I immediately felt something missing, but it was too late. The phone had already been powered off by the time we called it. So no more phone.
I didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, since our train was leaving soon. We met Niall at the station and took the sleeper train to Nanjing - we had bunks this time so it was an easy trip.
Once at the hostel we met up with David, who teaches in Zhengzhou. He had been stuck in nearby Hangzhou for several days due to the snow on the roads - and once he finally got out, what should have been a 4-hour bus ride to Nanjing ended up taking more like 28. The unusual winter storm everyone's been hearing about came just before the annual Spring Festival, the most important holiday in China. Over the course of about two weeks people make 2.37 billion journeys by car, train and plane, making it the single largest annual human migration in the world. The worst delays were in the south, however, with as many as 500,000 people stranded at the Guangzhou train station. One woman was trampled in a stampede. I was worried we'd run into similar delays, but we didn't have a single problem.
Our first day in Nanjing (photos here) we went to the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre. Over six weeks, starting on December 13, 1937, the Japanese army killed more than 300,000 soldiers and civilians, raped 20,000 women and destroyed the city, which was then the capital. Crazed Japanese soldiers would hold killing contests, dividing people into groups around a pit to be shot, beheaded or bayoneted. Two officers in particular couldn't agree on which of them had been the first to kill 100 people, so they set 150 as the new marker. Chinese people were conscripted to dispose of the bodies, then executed. You can find out more here.
We spent a few hours at the museum, which is on the site of a partially excavated mass grave. Maybe it was my overactive imagination, but as I was standing there reading about where we were it was like I could feel an energy under my feet. The thick layer of newfallen snow had an added effect, something so pure and untouched blanketing something so ugly.
The next day we started at the Fuzi Confucian Temple, around the corner from the hostel, which was all dressed up for the Spring Festival. From there we went to Zhonghua Men, one of the original 13 gates built to encircle the city during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
On the last day we made our way to Purple Mountain, which was a nice escape from the smog in the city. The Sun Yatsen Mausoleum is there, but we opted instead to see the Ming Xiaoling Tomb - belonging to Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.
Tuesday morning we took the train a short two hours to Shanghai (photos here). I was there for a few days in August for my training seminar, but the hotel was out by the airport and there was no time for us to go downtown. At the hostel we met up with Sam, a friend from Tribune days, who took us on a walking tour down East Nanjing Road and along the Bund. We met his girlfriend Angel for dinner somewhere in the French Concession.
On Wednesday (New Year's Eve), we visited the Shanghai Museum, displaying thousands of years of Chinese painting, seals, coins, calligraphy, sculpture, costume and metalwork. Then we took the touristy Bund Sightseeing Tunnel across the Huangpu River to the Pudong New Area, which in the past 20 years has been transformed into a thriving financial and shopping district. We bypassed the Oriental Pearl Tower in favour of the Jinmao Tower, China's tallest building at 420 meters (although it's set to be surpassed by the 492-m Shanghai World Financial Center being constructed next door). The 53rd to 87th floors are occupied by the Hyatt, with an expensive bar at the top. From our table we watched fireworks explode all over the city... but the real fireworks wouldn't start until later.
Back at the hostel bar David spotted Yuko, a Japanese teacher he knows in Zhengzhou whom we had met in Qingdao back in November. She was in town for the night on her way back to Japan, so she joined us for dinner at a place called Peter's Tex-Mex. The Mexican food was decent, but more importantly they had the most amazing chocolate cake at a time I was really craving it.
We retired to the hostel, interrupting our card game just before midnight when the constant fireworks drew us outside. I don't have video, but here's an example someone took in Beijing:
So you can imagine what it was like on the ground. One woman told us that families might spend RMB 3,000-4,000 (US$418-557) on firecrackers, rockets, sparklers, etc. to scare away evil spirits as they usher in the new year. Not surprisingly, China is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks (75%).
On New Year's Day we met up with Anna, also from Zhengzhou, and went to the Yuyuan Bazaar (above) for jiaozi (dumplings) before touring the famous Ming gardens, which were built from 1559 to 1577.
On Friday we visited the Propaganda Poster Art Centre, a small gallery displaying posters from 1949 to 1979. Deng Xiaoping discontinued their use in 1979 and many were destroyed, but some have survived. The gallery owner started collecting them 12 years ago and now has more than 5,000. The posters glorify Mao, demonize his opponents, urge support for the North Koreans in the Korean War and resistance against American imperialism, demand increased steel production and encourage the Chinese to support Vietnam protestors in the U.S. and fight for social justice around the world.
Not far from the gallery was the Site of the 1st National Congress of the CCP, where Mao, 11 other Chinese and two Russian observers met in July 1921 to establish party principles while authorities searched them out.
We spent our last day in Shanghai at the Jade Buddha Temple and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, which contains historic photographs and a large scale plan of the city as well as exhibits on Shanghai real estate, transportation, tourism, airports and development in Pudong. We were left with just enough time to stand in line for fried dumplings at a very popular place we had passed the day before. Back at the hostel we said goodbye to Anna, who was staying a few more days, and David, who was catching a flight to Guangzhou, and headed to the train station.
The trip back was uneventful, but in the meantime Sam and Angel had flown up to Beijing for a few days, so I was able to see them, Angel's brother and sister-in-law for dinner Sunday night before they returned to Shanghai the next day.
So that was the trip - and I still have almost two weeks left before classes start! I figure I'll hang around here for a few days and probably go to Xi'an before the break ends.
(Also, the week before Nanjing we visited Dong Yue Miao, a Daoist temple in downtown Beijing. Photos are here.)
China Fun Fact: Tibet (pop. 2.8 million) received 4 million visitors last year.
The trip started out on a low note when someone lifted my cell phone from my pocket on the way to the train station. Brian and I were meeting friends for dinner before we left, and the taxi pulled up next to two men who were selling tickets for something. I put the phone in my jacket pocket as I got out, said no to their offer and went around the back of the car to get my bag. I immediately felt something missing, but it was too late. The phone had already been powered off by the time we called it. So no more phone.
I didn't have much time to dwell on it, however, since our train was leaving soon. We met Niall at the station and took the sleeper train to Nanjing - we had bunks this time so it was an easy trip.
Once at the hostel we met up with David, who teaches in Zhengzhou. He had been stuck in nearby Hangzhou for several days due to the snow on the roads - and once he finally got out, what should have been a 4-hour bus ride to Nanjing ended up taking more like 28. The unusual winter storm everyone's been hearing about came just before the annual Spring Festival, the most important holiday in China. Over the course of about two weeks people make 2.37 billion journeys by car, train and plane, making it the single largest annual human migration in the world. The worst delays were in the south, however, with as many as 500,000 people stranded at the Guangzhou train station. One woman was trampled in a stampede. I was worried we'd run into similar delays, but we didn't have a single problem.
Our first day in Nanjing (photos here) we went to the Memorial Hall of the Nanjing Massacre. Over six weeks, starting on December 13, 1937, the Japanese army killed more than 300,000 soldiers and civilians, raped 20,000 women and destroyed the city, which was then the capital. Crazed Japanese soldiers would hold killing contests, dividing people into groups around a pit to be shot, beheaded or bayoneted. Two officers in particular couldn't agree on which of them had been the first to kill 100 people, so they set 150 as the new marker. Chinese people were conscripted to dispose of the bodies, then executed. You can find out more here.
We spent a few hours at the museum, which is on the site of a partially excavated mass grave. Maybe it was my overactive imagination, but as I was standing there reading about where we were it was like I could feel an energy under my feet. The thick layer of newfallen snow had an added effect, something so pure and untouched blanketing something so ugly.The next day we started at the Fuzi Confucian Temple, around the corner from the hostel, which was all dressed up for the Spring Festival. From there we went to Zhonghua Men, one of the original 13 gates built to encircle the city during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
On the last day we made our way to Purple Mountain, which was a nice escape from the smog in the city. The Sun Yatsen Mausoleum is there, but we opted instead to see the Ming Xiaoling Tomb - belonging to Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.
Tuesday morning we took the train a short two hours to Shanghai (photos here). I was there for a few days in August for my training seminar, but the hotel was out by the airport and there was no time for us to go downtown. At the hostel we met up with Sam, a friend from Tribune days, who took us on a walking tour down East Nanjing Road and along the Bund. We met his girlfriend Angel for dinner somewhere in the French Concession.
On Wednesday (New Year's Eve), we visited the Shanghai Museum, displaying thousands of years of Chinese painting, seals, coins, calligraphy, sculpture, costume and metalwork. Then we took the touristy Bund Sightseeing Tunnel across the Huangpu River to the Pudong New Area, which in the past 20 years has been transformed into a thriving financial and shopping district. We bypassed the Oriental Pearl Tower in favour of the Jinmao Tower, China's tallest building at 420 meters (although it's set to be surpassed by the 492-m Shanghai World Financial Center being constructed next door). The 53rd to 87th floors are occupied by the Hyatt, with an expensive bar at the top. From our table we watched fireworks explode all over the city... but the real fireworks wouldn't start until later.
Back at the hostel bar David spotted Yuko, a Japanese teacher he knows in Zhengzhou whom we had met in Qingdao back in November. She was in town for the night on her way back to Japan, so she joined us for dinner at a place called Peter's Tex-Mex. The Mexican food was decent, but more importantly they had the most amazing chocolate cake at a time I was really craving it.
We retired to the hostel, interrupting our card game just before midnight when the constant fireworks drew us outside. I don't have video, but here's an example someone took in Beijing:
So you can imagine what it was like on the ground. One woman told us that families might spend RMB 3,000-4,000 (US$418-557) on firecrackers, rockets, sparklers, etc. to scare away evil spirits as they usher in the new year. Not surprisingly, China is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks (75%).
On New Year's Day we met up with Anna, also from Zhengzhou, and went to the Yuyuan Bazaar (above) for jiaozi (dumplings) before touring the famous Ming gardens, which were built from 1559 to 1577.
On Friday we visited the Propaganda Poster Art Centre, a small gallery displaying posters from 1949 to 1979. Deng Xiaoping discontinued their use in 1979 and many were destroyed, but some have survived. The gallery owner started collecting them 12 years ago and now has more than 5,000. The posters glorify Mao, demonize his opponents, urge support for the North Koreans in the Korean War and resistance against American imperialism, demand increased steel production and encourage the Chinese to support Vietnam protestors in the U.S. and fight for social justice around the world.
Not far from the gallery was the Site of the 1st National Congress of the CCP, where Mao, 11 other Chinese and two Russian observers met in July 1921 to establish party principles while authorities searched them out.
We spent our last day in Shanghai at the Jade Buddha Temple and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, which contains historic photographs and a large scale plan of the city as well as exhibits on Shanghai real estate, transportation, tourism, airports and development in Pudong. We were left with just enough time to stand in line for fried dumplings at a very popular place we had passed the day before. Back at the hostel we said goodbye to Anna, who was staying a few more days, and David, who was catching a flight to Guangzhou, and headed to the train station.
The trip back was uneventful, but in the meantime Sam and Angel had flown up to Beijing for a few days, so I was able to see them, Angel's brother and sister-in-law for dinner Sunday night before they returned to Shanghai the next day.
So that was the trip - and I still have almost two weeks left before classes start! I figure I'll hang around here for a few days and probably go to Xi'an before the break ends.
(Also, the week before Nanjing we visited Dong Yue Miao, a Daoist temple in downtown Beijing. Photos are here.)
China Fun Fact: Tibet (pop. 2.8 million) received 4 million visitors last year.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Bored (and lazy)
My classes ended on Tuesday, so I'm on break until February 24. Travel plans in the works include Nanjing/Shanghai early next month. Until then I need to find something better to do with my time – finally get serious about studying Chinese, perhaps?
Here's an example of where China is willing to take steps many other countries are not: Starting in June, it will be illegal to produce certain plastic bags, and stores will have to charge for their use. Some stores have already started, as I found out last week. According to the article, China uses up to 3 billion plastic bags a day.
I had heard that the Writers Guild Web site was blocked here (unions = bad), but it seems to work fine. AFL-CIO, on the other hand, does not.
I also found this old article about Chinese students who study abroad. I guess this shouldn't really come as a surprise, but apparently 14 percent of international students are from China, more than any other country.
Finally, check out this Wall Street Journal article on mental health care in the countryside.
China Fun Fact: China has become the world's top apple grower, harvesting 26 million tons last year (the world total is 46 million tons). This year the country is also on course to produce 800,000 tons of apple juice, almost all of which will be exported (the U.S. is the world's main importer).
Here's an example of where China is willing to take steps many other countries are not: Starting in June, it will be illegal to produce certain plastic bags, and stores will have to charge for their use. Some stores have already started, as I found out last week. According to the article, China uses up to 3 billion plastic bags a day.
I had heard that the Writers Guild Web site was blocked here (unions = bad), but it seems to work fine. AFL-CIO, on the other hand, does not.
I also found this old article about Chinese students who study abroad. I guess this shouldn't really come as a surprise, but apparently 14 percent of international students are from China, more than any other country.
Finally, check out this Wall Street Journal article on mental health care in the countryside.
China Fun Fact: China has become the world's top apple grower, harvesting 26 million tons last year (the world total is 46 million tons). This year the country is also on course to produce 800,000 tons of apple juice, almost all of which will be exported (the U.S. is the world's main importer).
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