By jenny on Sun, 03 Jun 2007

Aaron and I finally got the chance to see “Pirates of the Caribbean - At World’s End.” It was a rather trying experience getting into the theater. We attempted to book seats at two different cinemas in Hong Kong Central but none were available. We ended up at Cyberport, which is on the south side of Hong Kong island. There were seats to be had but the theater was nearly full when the credits rolled. All the while I was wondering why the cinemas were so full. They hadn’t been like this for the other “box office hits” that we’ve recently seen.

Before I move onto the theme of this blog, Chinese Stars, I must first admit that the third “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie was by far the best pirate movie I’ve ever seen. It was everything a pirate movie should be.

So as Aaron and I were watching the pre-movie commercials (which only last a few min in comparison to 15 min in the States) a very involved VISA ad caught our eye. Starring Jackie Chan, Hong Kong native, the commercial was also set in Hong Kong. In his own comedic way, Jackie Chan bought athletic gear left and right to try and compete for a spot in the Olympic Games (which is a huge source of hype in these parts).

It didn’t take long for another Chinese star to take the screen. At the opening appearance of Chow-Yun Fat, someone cheered out “Chow-Yun Fat!” This was all very shocking because Chinese people don’t lose composure in this manner. But for such a super-star like Chow-Yun Fat I guess there are exceptions.

China doesn’t have many “Hollywood” names. Hong Kong at least has Jackie Chan and yes, Chow-Yun Fat. But Chow-Yun Fat didn’t grow up in the city. He was raised in a house without electricity on the southern side of Lamma Island. Yes, our fair island is home to a most beloved Chinese star. Chow Yun-Fat grew up working in the family fields and selling dim-sum and vegetables in the mornings with his mother. Before he turned 20 he responded to a talent search ad. Twenty-some years later he would star in “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”.

I wonder, along with other wondering and hopeful Chinese, if Chow-Yun Fat and Jackie Chan are the beginning of a trend in Chinese culture.

By jenny on Tue, 22 May 2007

Expect no one to talk to you on a Hong Kong subway. Expect everyone to give up their seat to a mother or to the elderly. Always read over someone’s shoulder if you’re bored. It’s okay. Everyone does it.

Hong Kong’s subway system is full of quirks just like any other city. For example, it’s impeccably clean. Chinese cleanliness and smiley-face Wal-Mart prices come from the same source… cheap labor. But the passengers play their own part in keeping aluminum benches shiny and laminate flooring sparkling. I’ve never seen a subway rule broken: no eating, drinking, or spitting. (The no spitting signs are everywhere in an attempt to eradicate a bad habit of older Chinese generations.)

And then there is securing an empty seat in a crowded car. It took me four weeks of consistent riding before I figured out how to be Chinese in getting a seat. I can’t rush in too fast or I risk looking like a jerk. I can’t be passive or I’ll forever be standing. The main trick is to situate myself in an aisle where it looks like people might be getting off. Someone clutching their bag is a good sign that they are getting up soon. And when they get up, I pause for a moment, like I’m waiting for a pregnant lady to take the seat, then walk to the empty seat at a speed that isn’t too forced. I can’t look greedy.

If there are a few inches of space on a bench seat it’s okay to approach the seat with full intention of sitting down. Not wanting to be sat on is a common human sentiment. And making like you’re going to sit on someone is completely Chinese and not offensive at all. I’ve lacked the bravery to try it but the Chinese successfully execute the “I’m going to sit on you” move all the time.

Here’s a final pointer about subways in general. If you don’t like to touch strangers or be touched by them, don’t ride.

By jenny on Sun, 20 May 2007

Today my mother boarded a plane in Beijing. After one full month in China she’ll likely go home and kiss US soil. I admire her adventurous spirit and never have to wonder where I get it from.

Almost two hours before my mother’s plane left Beijing, my mother in-law boarded a plane in LA headed for Hong Kong. They fly past each other with neither of them realizing it.

My mother in-law arrives tomorrow morning and is scheduled to stay for a whole 6 weeks. With no viable summer day-care for Maeli, good ol’ grandma comes to the rescue. This visit being longer than the last, we’ll take our time exploring Hong Kong. There will be no race to the finish but more lazy days on the beach.

Maeli is a pretty lucky kid to have been gone for a mere five months and already both grandmothers have flown exactly half way around the world to see her. From the look on her face she knows the power that she wields.

By jenny on Tue, 15 May 2007

95% of Hong Kong residents own Octopus cards. As of today, Aaron and I each have our own. Why did we join the 14 million other card holders?

An Octopus card is a money smart-card. These cards are so versatile as a payment method that I might as well give up credit cards and quit carrying cash. Although the biggest allure is the touch-and-go system. It is common to see people drag their purse or bag over this. That yellow infinity symbol means “Hey…lucky you! Don’t worry about fiddling with small change. Just get your card near this thing and then you can pass through the metal gate, or buy groceries, or pump gas, or even get some salty dried fish out of this vending machine.”

It costs about 6 USD to own one and “add-value” machines are sprinkled all over Hong Kong. I feel so high-tech carrying one of these. And honestly it shaves off 10 minutes from my daily commute. Two days out of the week I have to take a ferry, subway, light rail, and then bus to the school I work at. It’s an hour and forty-five minute commute. Before my octopus card I had to have exact change for each of these transits. Now I just breeze on through like everyone else.

The octopus card is only 10 years old in Hong Kong. In the early years only the subway systems accepted them. Now every public transportation system in Hong Kong does. That’s not to mention the 7-Elevens, McDonald’s, and other shops. In fact, so many people now use Octopus cards that some stores no longer take small coins (the little shop down the street from us, for example!).

Despite culture shock and daily misadventures, Hong Kong is becoming our home. Joining the card swiping masses is just another sign.

By jenny on Tue, 08 May 2007

Our first visitors to Asia have come and gone without any major trauma. My mother spent two weeks in Hong Kong while her friend joined us this past weekend. Tonight they leave on a two week hike and bike tour that romps through rural and urban China. They will cover thousands of miles on their way to Beijing.

I was able to warm them up with some adventurous days in Hong Kong. The following itinerary supposes you stay on the Kowloon side, which is common for tourists. Aaron and I recommend the Salisbury YMCA for a reasonable rate in a phenomenal location.

Day 1: Arrive in Hong Kong. Begin the slow process of adjusting your body to a very foreign time zone. When night takes the city, stroll down the promenade in Kowloon and stick around for the daily 8 PM light show. The choreographed music and dazzlement of Hong Kong cityscape will take the edge off the plane ride. Don’t forget to take some sleeping pills at night and have some melatonin on hand for when you wake up in the wee hours of the morning.

Day 2: Adventure back to the Kowloon promenade and visit the Hong Kong Art Museum. Familiarize yourself with relics of ancient worlds. Jade, copper, bronze… you name it. Then hop on the MTR subway transit to the Flower Market and Bird Market in northern Kowloon. Blocks and block and blocks of fresh flowers overwhelm the urban pollution. Rest at the Bird Market while watching old Chinese men gush over their caged beauties. Anytime after 4 PM hit the Temple Street night market in Kowloon for a dizzying array of knockoffs and Chinese gifts. Stop at one of the outside restaurants for some very fresh seafood with loads of MSG.

Day 3: Get ready to enter the belly of the beast. Take the seven minute ($0.27 USD) Star Ferry to Central. Walk to the Peak Tram and disorient yourself with a steep accent as skyscrapers fall behind. Hope for a clear day lending a most spectacular view from Victoria’s Peak. If you have the time and energy, take the one hour Morning Trail for more views of Hong Kong. Hop back on the Peak Tram and head to Maxim’s Restaurant on the 2nd floor of City Hall. Dim Sum anyone? They even have an English menu accompanied by a long line.

Day 4: Submerge once again into the MTR subway and head to Tung Chung. Transfer to the SkyRail for a 3.5 mile cable car ride overlooking Lantou Island. Arrive at Po Lin, home of the famous vegetarian monastery & cafeteria and giant Buddha statue. This trip is worth the commute because getting there is half the fun.

If you happen to be in Hong Kong on a Sunday, don’t miss the Kung Fu show in Kowloon Park. It’s a free show from 2:30-4:30. These amateurs put on a lovely show.

I’ve omitted dining options. Anywhere you go, it’s impossible to avoid a slew of restaurants in Hong Kong. However, expect MSG poisoning if you stick to Chinese cuisine.

Our first visitors enjoyed this schedule. They also got to visit Lamma Island (our home), however it’s a bit of a hike from Kowloon. If you happen to explore this eccentric side of Hong Kong, make sure you take a whole day to do it.

By jenny on Sun, 06 May 2007

Teaching in Hong Kong is rather hard to describe. It’s like explaining air travel. You could say, “It’s exciting but nerve wracking at the same time.” But that doesn’t provide the whole picture.

My dream job would have been at an international school. The pay is excellent, facilities are top of the line, and it’s good for networking. But most importantly the curriculum is loose and creative in comparison to local Chinese schools.

In mainland China it would have been easy to land an international position. Not many guilios (white ghosts) are willing to work in mainland. Frankly I just don’t have the proper credentials or experience to compete with Hong Kong ex-patriots.

So I work in Chinese kindergartens like other unqualified guilios in Hong Kong. And now that I’m with a placement agency, I’ve already been to four different schools in two weeks. Thus far my short experience as a teacher has spun me in circles.

Chinese kindergartens are much more strict than my own pre-school experience. For starters, there is the uniform. Every school has multiple uniforms that are required for different days of the week. This seems pretty hard to keep up with for the little ones. I always chuckle to myself when some of the kids are wearing the wrong uniform. Score one for diversity!

In kindergarten, the students are three to six years old. Once they turn six they can attend primary school. Kindergarten is like boot-camp for primary school. They beat the kids into submission with listening and rule-obeying skills.

The impression I get from the Chinese teachers is that fun is an after-school activity. Because this opposes my learning philosophies, I enter Chinese classes and get the kids moving and engage them in dramatic play. The teachers look worried. It’s like I’m the phys.ed. teacher in elementary school. Phys.ed. is the one class that EVERY student likes because thinking is not a requirement.

I often wonder how this strict environment effects these small children. Every class bows and chants in unison “Good Morning Miss Jenny” and the Chinese teachers are so proud. I wonder if these kids need to be making a mess with paints and getting muddy in the nearby creek.

The one reason that I appreciate this serious classroom style is because it nullifies any behavioral problems. Even three year olds will obey without a complaint. And they don’t pull the normal three year old trick of pretending that they don’t hear you. It would seem that respecting authority is drilled into Chinese from the womb.

But mostly I worry if the child-like spirit is drained at an early age. It makes me sad when I ask the students to play imaginary games and they look at each other in confusion.

Getting up in front of the class is also hard for these kids. They are used to collective games, not independent activities. I am sanding against the grain.

Over-obedient Chinese children make western children look like crazed squirrels. But Chinese children have trouble thinking for themselves. Although I prefer a western upbringing, when Maeli takes a fit in public I secretly praise what millions of Chinese mothers and teachers are doing.

By jenny on Sun, 22 Apr 2007

Our first visitor has arrived! As a rule grandmothers can’t stay away for long, especially if they only have one grandchild.

My mother arrived in Hong Kong looking typical of someone suffering fifteen hours in dry air. “Shouldn’t that flight be illegal” was my greeting. But because of her new Isagenix lifestyle, she hasn’t skipped a beat. We awoke this morning to attend Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Lamma. It’s always a pleasure to go to mass with family, bringing back memories of little girls giggling in the front pews.

Our plans are beginning to solidify for the coming weeks. The giant buddha, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Victoria’s Peak are just a few of our destinations. Of course we’ll have our share of lazy days on the beach.

So far, it’s interesting having our first visitor. On day one I feel like everything must be explained. Why do we take our shoes off in Church? Who set the standard for fashion here? Why are Chinese people the way they are?

For a foreigner, arriving in Hong Kong makes the transition a little easier. When it comes to modernization, Hong Kong is leagues ahead of mainland China. And quite honestly, even after traveling around Asia for 4 months I’m still trying to get a grasp on this culture. Slowly and painstakingly, I’m trying to fit in.

On the road to becoming Chinese, the first rule is to blend in. With Maeli that is near impossible. Since we now have a home in Hong Kong, at least we’re on our way.

The second rule is to respect authority. In church this morning one of the offertory prayers was for people who say “yes sir” all day. Oppression has been a long-standing trend in China and since rebels aren’t tolerated it’s just easier to say “yes sir.”

The third rule is the hardest for me: saving face. That generally means making people feel good about themselves even if you have to lie. Well, all I have to say about that is “crap.”

It’s a giant leap to move to Asia… especially for this Greener Grad who appreciates counter-culture. This visit from my mother is my first chance to explain a few things about how the world works on the other side of the globe. At least I realize that the true translation of “teacher” is “still learning.”

By jenny on Sat, 14 Apr 2007

In a few weeks I’ll join other tired women and become a working mom. I accepted a position at Language Tree, a placement agency in Hong Kong. They impressed me with extensive interviews and legitimate visa processes. A lot of employers just care about a white face. Some offer illegal methods for working papers or they want to pay under the table.

I’ll be working full time at a local kindergarten for the 2007-2008 school year. More details will be provided as September approaches. Until then I’ll pick up short term contracts. Language Tree has already promised me work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As jobs come up my week will fill in.

I’m looking forward to working part-time at first. Teaching is an intense profession with a lot of prep work. I don’t mind easing into it.

Next week I’ll be investigating schools for Maeli. I think she’s better off in school for at least a half day. Whenever we bump into other children she’s ready to make friends. And some days it feels like we’re an old married couple who’s been cooped up too long. Probably what Maeli needs is some simple consistency.

For me, having a year or so of work experience will be a nice break. In a few years I’ll be ready to take the motherhood plunge again. Until then I’ll join the work grind while Maeli becomes a little miss.

By jenny on Tue, 10 Apr 2007

My mother began the conversation with “your father had a little accident.” All the normal worries spun around—possible heart attack, car accident, or even death itself. The tone of my mother’s voice held a failed attempt at sounding calm for my sake. But then I relaxed knowing that nothing really serious could happen to dear old dad because, after all, he’s the toughest guy I know. He’s fallen off the roof, been though a war, and I even line drived him in the family jewels one summer playing softball. So what could possibly happen?

“Your father cut off some of his fingers” my mother continued.

This is the kind of thing to watch out for if you end up living in a foreign country. Expect odd news from home. So the story goes…

On Good Friday my father was putsing around the cellar cleaning up some old sawdust. He turned on the table saw so he could use the attached vacuum. A momentary lapse of memory (a senior moment?) caused his hand to run straight into the saw. Table saws aren’t forgiving. They grab and bite down. There is no clean cut.

But it happened so fast that all my dad saw was a mangled hand. He ran upstairs and started to towel off the blood. “Then I noticed that my finger was missing.” Hmmm…

Apparently the human body has a defense mechanism that prevents profuse pain when appendages detach. So my dad wrapped a towel and a 10 gallon zip lock bag around his wounded hand. He went back downstairs and started to get worried that the vacuum had sucked up his finger. He was just about to dig through the sawdust when he spotted the finger by his foot.

Working in a hospital lab for 25 years taught my dad a thing or two about medical procedures. He wrapped his pinky in a wet paper towel and put it next to the rest of his hand. “Those zip lock bags really come in handy for a number of different uses.” Spoken like an expert. I wouldn’t be surprised if zip lock uses his story for their next commercial.

Then my dad grabbed his keys and wallet and ran out the door. “Time was of the essence.” And of course there was no car in the driveway as my sister was borrowing his truck. So, what do you do when you’re all alone with missing fingers, bleeding in the driveway with no ride?

My dad jogged over to his only neighbor whose car never fails to sit in the driveway. The neighbor hasn’t driven it in years but keeps it maintained.

My dad knocked on the door and attempted to hide his hand. “Hello Lilly,” he began. “I had an accident with my hand. (trying to downplay the situation) Can I borrow your car?”

Lilly, being the kindhearted neighbor, didn’t even ask a question. She handed him her keys and they parted without a word.

Once my dad got to the ER he was told to wait in the hallway for a few minutes (probably to get a room prepared). Shock was starting to wear off with weakness taking its place. The ten gallon bag was filling with blood. He noticed a desk nearby and leaned on it. What he didn’t notice was the pot bellied security guard behind the desk munching on a donut.

“Hey you,” said the guard. “You can’t sit here.”

My dad explained his missing finger and that he was either going to lean on the desk or fall on the floor.

The guard pointed down the hall. “There are some chairs around the corner.”

There’s a lot to be said for bedside manner. Or shall we say desk-side manner?

After successfully ignoring the guard, my dad was whisked away to a private room. The nurses started unwrapping his towels to assess the damage. One nurse said, “Well, you only have four fingers here. Three on your hand and one in the bag.”

My dad started to get nervous. He pleaded, “My ring finger is hanging on by a thread.”

“Nope,” said the nurse. “It’s not here.”

My dad’s voice became urgent. “The ambulance is going to have to swing by my house on the way to Presbyterian Hospital to pick up my other finger.”

The nurse paused. “I don’t know if we can do that…oh, wait. Here it is.”

His ring finger was still hanging on by a thread but nestled in the palm of his hand.

Six hours later, after a helicopter ride to Presbyterian Hospital, my dad underwent an eight hour surgery. The surgeon called it a “super-bowl of all hand surgeries.”

Three days after the “accident,” my dad’s fingers are pink and circulating blood. They are still monitoring him in the hospital but he should be home in a few days.

I’ll keep my fingers crossed for him.

By jenny on Fri, 06 Apr 2007

We have booked a room in the Gold Coast Hotel for 9 nights. Along with the weekly discounted rate we also receive free use of the gym, pool, shuttle buses to Hong Kong Central and 8 pounds of laundry service. Gold Coast is treating us royally and frankly, just being on the property can make you feel rich. But because it’s in the middle of no where, the rates are cheaper than what we could find in the city. No complaints here as I was able to take a dip in the pool, hang out in the sauna and listen to music in the garden. It was the first time in a while that I was able to feel relaxed and begin to collect my thoughts about this trip.

Aaron and I have been migrants for three solid months now. About halfway into our trip we thought we had selected a home base but in the end, Zhuhai didn’t pan out. Now we’re searching for a new home and of course the sky is the limit. Being back at square one again is not the best feeling.

To begin our search we started on Lamma Island. Known in Hong Kong as the hippie island, Lamma is complete with organic farm, vegetarian cafes, smoothie shops, and lots of dogs. Weekends are flooded with tourists taking advantage of the cool bar/music scene and remote hiking trails. However, there are a few things that deter Hong Kongers from living on Lamma. One must take a half an hour ferry ride to get to Hong Kong central. Over here, that short commute is asking a lot. To us, it’s a trivial factor. The other drawback of Lamma is the coal burning power plant that sticks out like a sore thumb. The pollution is minimal and all I noticed emitting from the stacks was a stream of white smoke which means they must be using scrubbers. The coal plant is so high that the smoke most likely blows right into Hong Kong island. The air on Lamma is the cleanest I’ve smelled in all of Asia probably because no cars are allowed on the island. Consequently everything is in walking distance. With a population of 6,000 it’s also not too crowded. Bikes are popular but it only takes an hour and a half to get from one side of the island to the other on foot. Surprisingly enough, Lamma is Hong Kong’s third largest island. In short, Lamma is remote, charming, and cheap with the excitement of Hong Kong central only a half an hour away for a $2 USD ferry ride.

We like Lamma so much that we dove in and put down a deposit on a three bedroom apartment today. In two days we’ll pack our bags with relief that we’ll be unpacked for at least one year. Living on a quaint tropical island wasn’t what we expected when we started our adventure but I’m glad that life took us down this path. When Maeli grows up she can confuse people by saying that she grew up on a hippie island in Hong Kong.

By jenny on Thu, 29 Mar 2007

Tomorrow morning I will pick up my TESOL certification and feel like most other graduates: a lot smarter but with empty pockets.

I’d like to think that I’ve gained wisdom and experience from the past four weeks. But in such a short time, all I could really hope for was a better understanding of classroom logistics plus a piece of paper in my hand that says “This one did the time so she’s qualified.” Now that it’s all over I can confidently say that I did not waste my money. My learning expectations were exceeded and most of that was from watching my classmates bomb live lessons or perform exceptionally well.

I’ve also made ten really great friends from around the world. We’ve already started to make plans for getting together after class is over. Four of my classmates reside in Hong Kong so it will be nice to have those contacts, especially since we’ll be moving to Hong Kong tomorrow.

Yes, the Farr family has finally decided to move to Hong Kong. Wrapping up our past month in Zhuhai has been surprisingly painless. Maeli had her final day of kindergarten today. Of course she had a big photo shoot when I picked her up. No doubt Maeli will appear on the front of the school’s next brochure or advertisement. Tonight we’re getting out of the year lease we signed in Zhuhai which is our last loose end here. Tomorrow we are planning on packing yet again. This time I’m wondering if we should buy another suitcase.

All the excitement lately has made me feel rather exhausted so I treated myself to a massage and hair-cut today. The total bill came to $7 USD. Sad to say, I won’t be able to find a five dollar one-hour massage in Hong Kong.

However work is looking promising in Hong Kong. I have three interviews lined up for Monday. Hopefully by the end of next week I’ll have signed a year contract. Then we’ll just have to wait for our visas to process. That takes about three weeks. The missing link will be a kindergarten for Maeli and a place to live.

In the middle of April my mother will visit for two weeks. She’ll be just in time for us to move again. At least that will be the case if our current trend continues.

By jenny on Mon, 19 Mar 2007

I don’t know what I’d do without my iPod in the city. During my daily routine I have a few opportunities to plug in my headphones and zone into music land. Mostly I stick to tunes that transport me to the States so I can ignore street stares and bus elbows.

If I’ve had a long day at school I’ll listen to Rusted Root. All of a sudden I’m at the ‘96 New Year’s concert in the front row with my sisters and dancing long after the music stops. And then I bust out Bob Marley and I’m grooving with my best friends at Evergreen while we cook dinner on an open fire. Bob Dylan always takes me road tripping from Washington to Pennsylvania. Above any other artist I know, Bob Dylan never fails to make me feel appropriately placed in rural or urban China.

The artist that most connects me to the Chinese people is good old Bob Marley. My favorite for seven years now (after a 3 year run with Led Zeppelin), Bob is the voice of many nations…

some goin east
some goin west
some step aside to do their best
some livin big
but the most livin small
they can't even find no food at all

Every morning I pass an old woman rummaging through the garbage heap. In the mid afternoon I’ll see a woman and child sleeping in a cart on the sidewalk. I’ll think of this song when a man with no hands approaches me for a handout.

And the song continues:

stop that train 
I'm leavin

The older Chinese generations know all too well the effects of poverty and hunger. The rising generations have learned from their parents that being a fisherman or a farmer is much harder than factory work. Rural life doesn’t always pay the bills either. Within the last ten years, the great migration from rural life to an urban one has been progressively speeding up.

stop that train 
I'm leavin

And interestingly enough the rising generation are products of the one child policy. Imagine a whole population growing up without having to share toys or learn how to argue with a sister or brother. But, unlike previous generations, this generation has much more influence from the outside world. The government may have a tight grip on China’s media influence, but I agree with Bob when he sings:

You teach the youths to learn in school
That the cow jumped over the moon.
You teach the youths to learn in school
That the dish ran away with the spoon.
But you can't blame the youths
of today.
You can't fool the youths.

Yes, you can’t fool the youths. But children do have a surprising way of modeling their parents. It seems that Chinese of all ages share a general passivity. If someone cuts in line, the rest of the line fails to speak up. It shows in their “face”. The Chinese are leagues ahead of Americans when it comes to holding back emotion. Let me use the line cutting example. I bet every person in a Chinese line is ticked off at the line cutter, but it won’t show. It’s rude to get angry at someone. And if something or someone makes them feel uncomfortable, they just laugh in a low tone like a chuckle. Chinese rarely show their discomfort. It makes other people feel uncomfortable, and who would want to disturb the peace? The only instance that I appreciate the “saving face” phenomenon is on the road. There is no road rage here, just very loud horns. I wish that this practice would carry into the States. I can’t remember how many times I got a mad fist in the air or some other appendage directed at me followed by some cursing. Americans could lighten up in this area. Speaking of lightening up, Bob Marley has the perfect song for this:

Be what you want to be
Lively up yourself
Don't be no drag

On most days, I feel like singing this song at the top of my lungs. But in the end I am only a wei-guo-ren. I am a stranger in a strange land and all I really have are my skewed observations without the means to communicate or actualize them. All that’s left is my iPod and my friend Bob.

By jenny on Sun, 11 Mar 2007

Now that we are living in China instead of hotel hopping, we’ve made some interesting observations about our new apartment and Chinese life in general.

First of all, tropical apartments are not set up for comfortable living during winter months. Our entire apartment floor is made of white ceramic tile which is great for cleaning purposes and effective for keeping cool in the summer. But for little two year olds who hate to be anything but barefoot, you end up with cold and dirty feet. Aaron picked up some .70 USD Hello Kitty sandals that are perfect for Maeli but we’re still having trouble keeping them attached to her. In reality we worry too much about Maeli’s body temperature. Have you noticed how little kids have this amazing capacity to wear tee-shirts in the snow?

Speaking of Maeli’s new sandals, there is a sandal phenomenon in China. It is EXTREMELY impolite to wear shoes inside anyone’s home. Instead you take your shoes off when entering a house and slip into something more comfortable. I guess this all depends on your idea of comfort considering that most Chinese will offer you plastic shower sandals. Aaron and I have gotten into this Chinese custom especially since our floor gets noticeably dirty with the use of street shoes.

On the note of cleaning, our apartment is missing a dish washer. I’m not sure if this is standard but I remember that Mrs. Li’s modern Chinese house was also lacking a dish washer. However, our kitchen is equipped with an ozone dish dryer. I’ve never seen one of these things in my life. Aaron has assured me that it’s purpose is to kill the bacteria off of the dishes after you hand wash them. The tap water is so dirty and unsafe that you need to blast them with a laser beam or whatever the heck that blue light is that saturates our dishes. Whatever the case, it scares me.

Our apartment is also missing an oven, paint on the walls, and a clothes dryer. I guess the Chinese consider a clothes dryer a waste of precious energy. So far the weather has been cool and balmy which is not ideal for line drying. The other big bummer to this scenario is that our clothes drying area is inside of our balcony so the sun can’t do it’s bleach effect. As far as I can tell, the Chinese don’t have the same bleach standard cleanliness that Americans do.

We are also missing a bathtub and shower curtain. According to some of my classmates, a lot of Chinese use a simple bucket and cup to wash themselves. At least we’re a step ahead on this basic necessity. But like most Chinese shower setups, we are minus a shower curtain. Ah…you’re asking, “Doesn’t the water get all over the bathroom?” Why, yes it does! And it gets all over the toilet and the floor and the walls, etc. But the remedy is a handy dandy floor mop. The only reason I like this solution is that the bathroom floor is NEVER dirty. And by the way, you have a special pair of sandals for the bathroom so you don’t track water through the rest of the house. Although one of my classmates only uses the sandals to avoid “Hong Kong foot” or in other words, athletes foot.

Since I’m on the topic of life’s unpleasantries, our apartment is unpleasantly loud. We only have a few neighbors and it’s not them who are noisy. Like most apartment complexes in China, it’s brand new. The industrial revolution is sweeping the nation and the nation is sweeping to the cities. That means construction and lots of it. So during working hours all we hear are drills, hammers, and a slew of other unidentifiable noises. Aaron’s Ipod is becoming more of a work essential rather than a perk.

Even though differences abound in our new Chinese apartment, things really aren’t that bad. It’s nice to have a home again.

Add an image from Flickr here:

By jenny on Fri, 09 Mar 2007

The Global Language Village (GLV) is my new school in Zhuhai for the next three weeks. I’ve almost completed the first week of the TESOL certification course. Each day starts at 9am and ends just before 5pm. Eight other classmates are with me for the long haul. Surprisingly, four of them are from the US. Betsy and Chris are west coasters from Oregon and Washington, and they’ve both heard of Evergreen so we’ve made some friendly jokes on that point of interest. Ron, in his fifties, is from Wisconsin and his background is rather bland up until this past week which marked his first international journey and third plane ride ever. Tom is from LA but of Chinese descent. Then there is Alex from England. He is the most animated of the bunch and has fulfilled my expectations of British slapstick comedy. Finally, Amy is from Malaysia and Dee is from Indonesia. It has amazed me to no end that this is my first classroom experience EVER in which everyone gets along famously. There is no odd man out.

Our new teachers include Brad from Australia and Jenny from mainland China. They balance each other because Brad presents the slow methodical teaching style while Jenny lets us loosen up and keep the jokes rolling.

With our tuition of 1,200 USD we are welcome to three meals a day in the GLV cafeteria. Everyone is impressed with the high quality and quantity of the cafeteria food. The only stipulation to the free meals is that we are strongly advised to sit with the GLV students who are learning English. They are all Chinese who are taking extra English classes for work, travel, and personal interest. They get to pick their own English names so you get some interesting ones like Yo-Yo. But in their eyes these names aren’t funny, just functional.

If I would have paid a couple extra hundred dollars I’d be staying with the rest of my classmates on campus. Actually Amy is the only other classmate opting for off-campus housing because her husband is also living in Zhuhai. Everyone else has flown in to take the class and then move on. They’re all jealous of my off campus arrangement because of the colorful experiences like rodents and cold showers. A few days ago Alex and Chris began our morning session with a story of a rat twitching on rodent paper in their apartment. They left a note for the maid to dispose of it. And Alex warned the rest of the class not to touch the rodent paper on the kitchen counter because he lost the skin on his forefinger that way. These kinds of stories keep us all in stitches.

This week I’m not the only family member with a big change. Aaron is nesting into his role as Mr. Mom. He’s been lectured by his lovely wife (along with a chorus of locals) about one thing or another concerning Maeli’s care. But tomorrow his short lived days as Mr. Mom will come to an end with Maeli’s first full day in a Chinese Kindergarten. Maeli calls it “church” because it reminds her of her former nursery classroom. She attended a half day today with Aaron by her side and tomorrow he will cut the leash so Maeli can spread her wings and fly.

As the British say, “I’ll carry on for now” and keep the stories coming if I can just convince my new teachers to lighten up on the homework.

By jenny on Sat, 03 Mar 2007

We’re finally back in Zhuhai. We were forced to spend a costly week in Hong Kong due to an unexpected twist in our visa situation. The six month multiple entry business visas we hoped for turned into one month single entry visas. Since I have to be in TEFL classes for the whole month of March, we couldn’t arrive in Zhuhai too early. This was a problem because we needed to find an apartment, a daycare, and a sense of home. We set foot in Zhuhai 30 hours ago and as miracles would have it, Maeli is enrolled in a daycare and tomorrow we move into our first overseas apartment. And just in the nick of time since my orientation is tomorrow afternoon.

In between all this searching madness we ended up at the local children’s health clinic. Don’t worry grandmas, Maeli is fine… she just needed to get a check-up so we can conjoin her with 15 other toddlers in her new daycare. Actually, they don’t call it daycare here. If your kid is too young for elementary school you send them to “kindergarten.” It’s formatted like elementary school but with more play time, a two hour nap, and they even potty train your kid.

Enrollment into a school requires a health check-up. That means going to the clinic. How to describe it? First of all, have you ever seen a bumper car ride in the middle of a health clinic, or a balloon man posted at the front gates? Have you ever seen a mini slide and rocking toys in the waiting room of a health clinic? Once I got over the amusement park atmosphere I had to deal with the swarms of people fighting for places in lines and seats. Of course everyone had to stop and admire Maeli. One nurse would spot Maeli and bring other nurses over to giggle and point. It made me miss being in Hong Kong where we were just another foreign family.

Being in mainland means that rules are tight and everyone is in a hurry. Now that I’ll be starting school in two days, Maeli will dive into her new environment and Aaron will become one with his code. We’ll be like other busy Chinese families or at least we’ve started off that way.

By jenny on Tue, 27 Feb 2007

Throughout cities in the far east I have seen a common sight…the homeless. I’ve been in many major US cities like New York, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans (before Katrina), San Diego, Seattle, and Portland. My impression of the US urban homeless is that they are either in a transitory state, addicts or mentally ill.

When I was at The Evergreen State College I wrote a short narrative non-fiction piece about the homeless in Olympia, Wa. About five times a week for a month I went to the local soup kitchen and tried to pose as a homeless person. I don’t think I fooled anyone but almost everyone was willing to talk to me. After all, they had a lot of time on their hands. Some were convicts that just became freed men not really knowing the next step. A lot of them were hard on their luck, coming from bad families, or general outcasts.

Here in Asia the homeless scene seems to be very different. You don’t see as many but when you do it’s painful. About 80% of the homeless beggars I’ve seen have missing limbs and they want you to see it. It hurts to walk by them without helping. But as I learned from my oldest sister, Angela, never give a homeless person money. Give them food or clothing or a helping hand. Angela worked one year for a Catholic Worker House in San Antonio TX. I visited her for 3 weeks and she gave me a first hand look at how the homeless operate.

But are the homeless in the US that much different from those in Asia? That question is going to take a lot more research than I have done. An article from China Daily stated that there is usually aid in urban settings for the homeless. However, most homeless are from rural areas and they are unaware of any relief organizations. A report written by a graduate student from Osaka City University said that urban homelessness is increasing because of the recent migrant movement in China.

Through my narrow research, it was difficult to find statistics or case studies on certain types of homeless. Maybe this research isn’t available because it’s a newer issue. I’ve always considered the Chinese to be very good at taking care of their own. It’s hard to find nursing homes in Asia. But modern China is on the move. For a young person to stay in the same place for a lifetime with a close social network is becoming a thing of the past.

Even though I’m uncertain about the homeless situation in Asia, I’m still reluctant to give out monetary handouts. I’ll be reverting back to my days in the US with food handouts. But the big difference is that in the US I haven’t run into many disabled beggars, and if they were handicap it wasn’t in my face. I’ll have to address my fears and remember that whatever the circumstance, we are all merely human.

By jenny on Sun, 25 Feb 2007

Today was one of those charming days with cool breezes and smiling Hong Kongers. It started out with Aaron and I sandal shopping for Maeli because little feet are quick to grow and summer is fast approaching. We didn’t buy anything and ended up at an indoor play gym. All over China we’ve been to play areas where we pay around a dollar for Maeli to take on a giant climbing maze full of plastic balls. She can’t get enough of them. During this outing I noticed that I had no diapers left and of course as the laws of diapering go, Maeli needed changed shortly after. Aaron had just left us to work in the hotel room so I didn’t have enough money to buy any. I ended up approaching a nice foreign father who was kind enough to give me an extra diaper he had on hand. This started out my day of give and take.

Maeli and I then headed to Kowloon Park in hopes of catching the free Kung Fu show. On the way, we ran into two girls looking for the subway. To my surprise, I was able to help them out. We parted ways with a lift in my step and pride written all over my face.

When we arrived at the enormous Kowloon Park it was up to the kindness of others to help us find the Kung Fu show. I asked stall workers, police men, passersby and of course no one knew anything about it. However, we did catch the last bit of a cultural dance. The professional photographers were glad to see us as they all got shots of Maeli doing her groove thing.

Undaunted, we searched again for the Kung Fu show. After more enquires and a flights of stairs (always fun with a stroller), we found the it. Excited by the opening music, Maeli dropped her snack. The man next to us was so concerned she was still hungry that he went and bought her a muffin. If you haven’t noticed it by now, there is a trend during our travels of strangers catering to Maeli. If we wrote about all the random acts of kindness towards her, this blog would be nothing else. During the show a Chinese woman volunteered as a translator for me and explained the presentation was a mix of Tai Chi and martial arts.

I was so touched by the kindness of strangers that I now feel guilty about all the times I cursed line cutters and crowd pushers. I suppose that for an optimist like myself it only takes one day of kindness to make up for weeks of rude behavior.

By jenny on Sat, 24 Feb 2007

Finally we have traveled to a place that we have been before… good old Hong Kong. It’s nice to know my way around and easily use the local money and public transportation.

Aside from stressful visa experiences, we’ve been enjoying our time with late nights and late mornings. The maids prompt Maeli and I to get dressed in the morning which encourages us to make a plan. We are biding our time here until we leave for Zhuhai in 5 days.

In our two days we’ve already made some memories with escargot and a boiled frog dish at Temple Night Market. Maeli and I checked out some famous day markets like the goldfish market, the flower market, and the bird market. The bird market was by far the nicest because it’s in a park setting away from traffic. Keeping caged birds is popular among older men who bring their pets to the market. You can see congregations of bird owners chatting and simply admiring each other’s caged creatures. Maeli enjoyed running around like a wild goose.

We’ve also stomped around Kowloon Park as a family. Aside from the water garden, aviary and pool, this park has an enormous kid’s area. Maeli has been to more playgrounds than I can count or remember. Aaron and I joke that she’s becoming a playground connoisseur.

While Maeli was running from one slide to the next, Aaron picked up an on-going conversation we’ve been having about getting a new laptop. He’s always going over the pros and cons of the purchase, trying to figure out if or when we should buy one. I asked if he consulted his business partner, William.

“Oh yeah,” Aaron smiled. “William said to figure out what’s necessary and not what my geek gut tells me.”

Aaron left the park early in search of a voice recorder for my upcoming classes. I came back to the hotel room to find this.

I’m still not sure if it was necessary or just a geek’s gut. Either way, I finally have my own laptop!

By Jenny on Tue, 20 Feb 2007

Tomorrow we leave Dounan. The last few days the Li family has spared no expense to make us feel at home and keep us well entertained.

Yesterday we drove to Lukang, an old port town that the Dutch occupied in the 17th century. The city has been very well preserved and tourists flock to the many temples and the older style Chinese houses. Lukang also has a fabulous street market that winds so many ways that even our tour guides got lost. At the market I was sure to utilize Mrs. Li as a translator to inquire after some Chinese medicines. I enjoyed the lotus juice and the coral drink. We also bought preserved fruit with a peppermint infusion. As usual, there was no shortage of food vendors. As sharing meals is customary, we all tried the fried mushrooms, salty cake, fried mini eggs on a stick, meat dumplings, and candied strawberries (my favorite). (Aaron: Don’t forget the fried squid!)

To finish off our tour of Lukang, we visited the Folk Arts Museum. Among Qing Dynasty furniture we also saw displays of shoes worn by foot-bound women, opium smoking devices, puppets, street performers’ knives, and agricultural equipment.

Later that evening we sat around the Li’s table and ate duck, rice cakes and freshly picked papaya from their tree. Like any close family we chatted about politics and religion.

Today we climbed “coffee mountain.” I’ve never before seen coffee plants and I expected them to be taller. The drive through the country also offered views of pineapple, bamboo, and sugarcane fields. And of course, there is never a shortage of rice fields.

Tonight the Li Family is hosting a large barbecue. Apparently they bought six chickens and a duck which will all be roasted whole. Also on the menu is fresh pineapple along with roasted sweet potato and sweet corn. And Mrs. Li keeps telling me that there will be a karaoke party until early morning.

When we take the bus to Taipei tomorrow I will miss the company of Mrs. Li. It’s also been nice not having to figure out meals. One of our big stresses on this trip is picking restaurants everyday. But in two days I’ll be back in Hong Kong and soaking up the city life.

By Jenny on Sun, 18 Feb 2007

The year of the pig is here. That’s if you follow the Chinese Zodiac or if you’re in China right now.

This is Aaron’s third Chinese New Year celebration and it’s obvious. He mingles in the conversations and laughs just like an old Chinese man. I, on the other hand, have no idea what anyone is saying. I’m reminded of an old school poster than hung in my eighth grade English class. Garfield is laying on a pile of books and the caption reads “learning through osmosis.” And then there’s our little girl who is in heaven because every visitor and their cousin gives her candy.

But it’s only the first day of the New Year. The season goes on until the Lantern Festival closes the celebration in 15 days. The Chinese sweep out cobwebs of the past year, pay homage to ancestors, settle debts, and visit family. It’s also a time to blow up a bunch of explosives and eat till you can’t move.

So far, the food has been the most impressive display. At every meal it seems that there is no room on the table to set your bowl. But the Chinese usually hold their bowl to eat anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

Mrs. Li, who luckily speaks English, has been so gracious to explain why they eat what they do during the New Year. Rice is simply a staple, and the Chinese have endless ways of preparing it. What’s common throughout all the meals is rice cake. A rice cake is made by grounding raw rice to a powder and then mixing it with water. That is steamed for 6 hours until it reaches a consistency of thick jello. Then it’s cut up into squares and fried. It’s best enjoyed with sauce. All kinds of meats are prepared but fish is a must-have. The Chinese word for fish closely resembles a word that means plentiful. Long leafy green vegetables (never cut) are always served, wishing for a long life. Dumplings are popular because they resemble ancient Chinese gold. Unleavened bread is served and Mrs. Li commented on how it’s very similar to passover bread in the old testament. That, along with the red banners on everyone’s door to ward off evil, reminds her of jewish traditions.

Mrs. Li let me help her a little in the kitchen and I feel apart of the family already. She has the kindest heart I’ve met in Asia and I hope to keep in touch with her. By getting to know her better I can see why so many people have invited us to meals and why visitors pop in and out of the house with gifts and well wishes. Mr. Li is also quite a personality, although because we can’t verbally communicate I haven’t gotten to know him as well. But it isn’t hard to tell that he is gentle, kind, and always good for a laugh.

The Li’s have four children but none of them were able to come home this year for the New Year. And since New Year is mostly about being with family, the Li’s are happy to have us and we are grateful to soak up the food, fireworks, and family.

By Jenny on Sat, 17 Feb 2007

We’ve been staying with the Li Family for the past two nights and we’ll be here in Dounan for another four. They live in a three story country home, which is somewhat unusual for an island that has one of the highest population densities in the world. Then again, the town of Dounan isn’t too crowded to begin with.

The Li Family is very Taiwanese—hospitable almost to a fault. We’re made to feel as though it’s their one chance to have guests in the house and they don’t want to mess it up. They own and operate a kindergarten right next to the house. The school enrolls over a hundred children from two to six years old.

Maeli and I were lucky enough to visit the kindergarten on the last day before spring vacation. Having days off from school is a big deal for a Chinese kid. If you think that American school children are pressured with tests and school performance, think again. The harsh emphasis the Chinese place on their offspring to excel often puts them through evening and summer school classes in hopes to be accepted into the best colleges. From my experience at The Evergreen State College, I under-appreciate conventional testing methods which leaves me with a lot of empathy for these kids.

Even with all the pressure, these kids’ spirits aren’t hampered. At the school, we witnessed lots of playing, laughter, up-beat morning exercises and even a magic show. The show included fireworks spouting out of a cardboard box, something that would never get by kindergarden security in the US. When recess came around, Maeli was a super star. She had at least three children following her around at all times. They would lift her onto the swing, push her on the mini-cars, help her up the stairs, and lead her down the slide. All the while, little girls would pet her golden curls and make sure she had water and food. I was concerned that it would be too overwhelming for Xiao Mei, Maeli’s Chinese nickname, but she seemed content with all the attention. Mrs. Li took us to a handful of classrooms where Maeli shared some jelly beans in exchange for the other children’s rice creams, milk candies and seaweed chips.

It was nice to get a glimpse of how a Chinese kindergarten is run so that I can make a better decision of where to place Maeli someday. The other option is an international school where only English is spoken. But I’m more interested in having Maeli submersed in Chinese even though all the accolades go to the international schools.

For now, Maeli is content being a little American super star while mommy is close by.

By Jenny on Fri, 16 Feb 2007

It’s official… I’m 27 years old. I’ve been checking for wrinkles on my face and sagging body parts and things are about the same as when I was 26. But 27 sure does feel a lot older just because of the number. I’m a lot closer to 30 now and it seems like someone in their 20’s is more likely to play with life and do impulsive things. What I’m trying to get at is that I never want to grow into a static adult routine. All of this traveling is reminding me of how opportunistic the world is and why living is so important rather than simply going through the motions and one day realizing that old age has caught up with you.

So Aaron and I are seizing our moments and he is surely treating me with special care. For my birthday this year, he out did any of my past surprises. It sure is nice to be loved.

Knowing how much I miss the sight of forests and smelling fresh air, Aaron took me to Beitou which is a hot springs haven nestled in the mountainous tropics. For 2 nights, we stayed in a resort that has it’s own springs on-site surrounded by lush gardens. It’s a Japanese style hotel where you leave your shoes in the lobby and wear slippers to your room. Each room offers woven mats on the floor with a low table and pillows for seats. One of my favorite services offered here is a large thermos of hot tea brought every morning to the room. It stays hot even into the evening.

The owner and operator is an old Chinese woman who’s been living and working here since her teens. If only I could speak Chinese I would love to question her about a more detailed history of the place. One tidbit that we do know is that Japanese kamikaze pilots spent their last nights here during World War II.

And this would be a terrific place to spend that last night of your life. It’s calm and meditative. We opened our windows in the morning to hear birds instead of traffic and at night I cherished the sounds of dogs barking in their yards. In between those nature sounds was a lot of silence.

So with that silence we spent a lot of time in our room relaxing and celebrating an older Jenny. Actually, this year I felt like I had two days of birthday celebrations. Because we are 13 hours ahead of the States, when the 14th rolled around it was still my birthday in the US. To fully appreciate this, on the 13th we had an ice-cream party in our room, and on the 14th we had cake.

Tomorrow we leave for Huwei where we’ll stay with some of Aaron’s old friends for the week of Chinese New Year. I’ll be breathing deep until then.

By Jenny on Thu, 15 Feb 2007

We’ve been in Taiwan for 6 days and I’ve been stalling this blog entry. At first I wasn’t too thrilled with Taiwan. The pollution here is just as bad as Beijing’s air quality. But instead of factory pollution, the foul smell comes straight into your face from the scooters. And when a burst of exhaust fumes isn’t hazing up your nostrils, then something else, like sewage, stinky tofu (a Taiwanese dish), or wet dog is sure to catch your every breath. No two inhalations are alike and I can’t foresee an end to bad smells in Taiwan, although the occasional whiff of incense is always welcome. I am now completely aware and empathetic to the cause of Aaron’s poor sinus issue. But now I’m wondering if he has any sinus tissues left to be repaired.

Furthermore, the sidewalks are not uniform and so it’s very difficult to get anywhere with a stroller. Most of the time we are forced to walk on the streets and pray not to get hit by traffic. These people are absolutely nuts! I have to cross my fingers and do the sign of the cross each time I attempt to risk our lives by just getting from one street to the next. Stop signs do not exist here and I’m sure you can’t find driving schools either…especially for learning how to drive a scooter.

Okay…now that my rant is out of the way I can focus on the good things about Taiwan.

What I’ve read about the people being so friendly here is really true. They are not visibly afraid of us and strangers who know even a little English are willing to strike up a conversation. This is in great contrast to mainland China where you are seen as a threat by most older people and the younger ones are just too shy to approach you (unless they want your money). And in Macau and Hong Kong, foreigners are so common that no one really cares to talk to you. So, being the minority in Taiwan in interesting, and it’s nice to be appreciated here. I’ve had many young men openly flirt with me in the awkward Chinese way of shouting out that I’m beautiful and giving me the thumb’s up sign. Of course Aaron is never around to see this.

Another very charming aspect of Taiwan is the small businesses. I would kill for some of these fresh squeezed juice stands in the U.S. For 80TWD (under 3USD) you can watch your fruit being turned into juice and walk away with a liter of orange or grapefruit refreshment. Because sidewalk food vendors abound, there is never any need to go hungry in Taiwan even if you are on a time or money restriction. And if rice rolls or fried fish meal doesn’t suit your fancy, there is always a Starbucks, Subway or Pizza Hut nearby. However, the local pizza is just as bad as it was in Beijing. The Chinese have no concept of good crust or toppings. I’ve experienced orange oil on one pizza, and corn seems to be the standard topping like pepperoni is in the states.

Although the people are friendly and the food is convenient, I am more partial to some other areas we’ve been. I guess everywhere I go in Asia I’ll say things like, “This is no Hong Kong.” But I’m still looking forward to visiting Thailand someday and spending an entire day on the beach with cheap Thai massages. And then my phrase will become, “This is no Thailand.”

By Jenny on Fri, 09 Feb 2007

Reading both River Town and Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler heightened my understanding and appreciation of Chinese history and culture.

Hessler’s first piece of narrative non-fiction, River Town, portrays the life of an ambitious Peace Corps volunteer during his 2 year stay at a small Chinese fishing town on the Yangtze river. Hessler is honest from the start by pointing out that his impressions only cover a miniscule glimpse of a small section of China. His appreciation for the expanding economic culture and political issues in China are further explored in Oracle Bones through many interviews and even intimate relationships with a range of personalities.

Even if readers possess very little understanding of Chinese culture or history, Hessler’s insights and descriptions are easy to understand and even relate to. In Oracle Bones, Hessler strives for more historical content in order for the reader to gain a clearer picture of the whirlwind changes that China is currently undergoing.

Hessler gets his feet wet with minor character development in River Town and then dives in detailing a wide range of personalities in Oracle Bones. Having not read River Town, it is still possible to follow the characters of Oracle Bones even those some of them surface in both books.

Hessler is a main character in both books, and his growth from River Town to Oracle Bones is nothing short of inspiring. From the start, it’s obvious that Hessler’s bravery and adventurous spirit create a fascinating tale. He starts out not knowing a lick of Mandarin Chinese and by the end of Oracle Bones, he chats with people like he’s lived in Beijing all of his life.

I have little negative to say about these two books. River Town is a fine introduction to Chinese characteristics and quite simply, it’s a charming tale. The story line is easy to follow and pretty straight forward. Hessler tackles a much larger range of characters and issues in Oracle Bones. Stylistically, the chapters are very short and he switches between “Chapters” and “Artifacts” sections. This is not necessary nor does it add any type of clarification to the jumpy nature of the first dozen chapters. After Hessler finally settles in and described a handful of characters, the book begins to flow quite nicely. Toward the end I was worried how he was going to pull everything together. In the last chapter, his conclusion is smooth but it’s held together by a shoestring. That said, it is amazing that he covered as many subjects as he did. His subjects portrayed the lives of young and old Chinese from all different regions and socio-economic situations. Oracle Bones is jam packed and it offers the reader a huge window into Chinese culture and history.

These books have been a God-send to me. I’ve been traveling throughout China for the past month and Hessler’s insights have eased the transition from the US. Without these books, I would be more confused and shocked by Chinese culture. Thank you, Mr. Peter Hessler.

By Jenny on Tue, 06 Feb 2007

We’ve spent 5 days in Hong Kong and I have to say that it’s my favorite place so far. Since we’ve decided on living in Zhuhai (at least for the month of March) I’m glad that Hong Kong is only an hour away by ferry.

It would be easy to live a western life in Hong Kong. All the modern conveniences abound here and of course they come at a great price.

But, Aaron and I didn’t come to Asia to live a western lifestyle. We came to immerse ourselves in the language and culture and to live in a small apartment like almost every other Chinese city dweller.

I have enrolled into a 4 week full-time course in Zhuhai in order to gain my TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. I’m hoping on landing a position at a local international school in Zhuhai. Nothing is set in stone, and we like the flexibility of our situation.

Tomorrow we’ll take an afternoon flight to Taipei, Taiwan. From there we’ll take the train to Hsinchu. We’ll spend the next 3 weeks in Taiwan for Chinese New Year.

For now we’ll say goodbye to Hong Kong and we look forward to seeing her again.

By Jenny on Mon, 05 Feb 2007

Hong Kong has a fabulous boardwalk. It’s not busy with shops or food stalls like a US boardwalk. It’s all about the view. Ships breeze past in the warm night as lights glint off the choppy water. Skyscraper after skyscraper shout against the night sky in brilliant color. And you can’t take it in with just one look. You have to keep turning your head because these skyscrapers don’t know where to end.

In fact, it’s kind of nice to have a slow boardwalk with wide lanes. People take lots of photographs and Aaron points out that most of them won’t turn out due to short exposure time. And really even Aaron’s fancy dancy camera can’t capture the brilliancy of Hong Kong at night.

As we strolled down the quiet boardwalk we noticed a break in the quiet on one of the blocks. There was a great crowd of people gathered around a rusty rock ‘n roll sound. Speakers were lined up against the rail and as we approached the throng of people I finally spotted a Chinese band entertaining a lively bunch of Hong Kongers. From the sound, it was obvious that rock ‘n roll didn’t originate in the Middle Kingdom. I was immediately reminded of high school days of pimply boys imitating cover songs in some parent’s garage. Even though the music was just so-so, many couples were dancing in a fox trot sort of way. Everybody was having a great time.

“Wipe out”, the famous Beach Boy’s song, began to play. I did the crocodile dance, the swim, and I didn’t forget to hold my nose and take the plunge.

Some dancers in the crowd manifested two long scarves and everyone lined up for the limbo. I couldn’t pass up the chance to be the only American in a Chinese limbo line. I danced my way through the line about a dozen times and each time I passed the band I sang along with them. They all found this very entertaining and soon enough I was pushed onto the stage and handed a microphone. I had no problem belting out the words…

“Every limbo boy and girl
All around the limbo world
Gonna do the limbo rock
All around the limbo clock…”

We went through the whole song at least twice because everyone was really getting into it. Lots of people were taking pictures and cheering us on. They even let me do some solo parts. I was a real star in Hong Kong, even if it was only for a few minutes with a rusty rock ‘n roll band.

By Jenny on Sun, 04 Feb 2007

I finally wore Aaron down with comments like, “This walk would be so much easier with a stroller.” And even when I wouldn’t say anything, in certain situations he could read my mind. So we decided to add one more piece of luggage to our already cumbersome load.

At least we went for the lightest reclining umbrella stroller that Toys R Us had to offer. Yeah, there are a lot of American companies in China, but mostly they are restaurants. I’ve seen more American brands in Hong Kong than in mainland. It was surprising to see Outback Steakhouse and Haagen Das, but McDonalds, KFC, and Starbucks are no new thing even on the other side of the planet. Actually, McDonalds has done such a wonderful job of marketing to the Asian public. The New York Times conducted a study and found that almost half of Asian children under the age of 12 believe that McDonalds is a domestic brand. My hats off to you, Ronald.

But anyway, back to the umbrella stroller. After the $50 USD purchase, I looked on-line and would have only saved $5 USD if I bought it over the internet. So with our smart purchase in hand, the Farr Family celebrated by taking a long adventure into the heart of Hong Kong.

We boarded the Star Ferry, which is a must-do in Hong Kong. For under $1 USD, it’s possible to island hop and at a rather speedy rate. From Kowloon (where our hotel is) the ride into Hong Kong central is only 7 minutes.

We hopped off the ferry and did a little sight seeing. I was pleased to walk through the only garden in Hong Kong central which boasts of many water fountains and meticulously landscaped paths.

Tickets onto the peak tram were only slightly more expensive than the star ferry and the ride was just as exciting. The peak tram looks like Pittsburgh’s incline but once you’re on it, the feeling is more like the accent of a roller coaster. The gravity weighs your whole body and the view of cutting skyscrapers at odd angles makes the experience surreal.

Once on top of Victoria Peak, we basked in the night lights of Hong Kong. The full orange moon had just risen over the endless lights and sparkling water; such beauties are hard to compare.

We didn’t walk around Victoria peak as much as we would have liked but we got a glimpse of the expensive shops and restaurants. The peak has always been the haven for Hong Kong’s rich. Because of building restrictions on the mountain, you won’t find any high rise accommodations. Residents enjoy free standing homes and they pay out the wazzoo for it.

Since our first stroller adventure in Hong Kong, I can’t shut up about how much I love our new purchase. When questioned, Aaron assures me that he doesn’t mind my constant praise and he “would rather hear that than all those complaints.”

By Jenny on Fri, 02 Feb 2007

We have made it to Hong Kong. As Aaron put it, “It feels like NYC‘s Chinatown has exploded!” But really, it’s hard to compare Hong Kong to any other city on earth. It has it’s own rhythms and impressive skylines. From our hotel window, the never ending docks and water traffic mesmerize us.

Anything goes in this booming metropolis. The people of Hong Kong remind me of an Ani DeFranco line, ”(In) New York City where at least when I walk down the street nobody ever hesitates to tell me exactly what they think of me” I’ve always taken this line to mean that New Yorkers are not afraid to express themselves however they choose. With the uncensored media, it’s easier to do that in Hong Kong too.

Amid this freedom there is also an admirable respect for law and order. People actually waited at the crosswalk for green “walk now” light to signal. It was a small, one way street, with no real traffic at the moment, and people waited. Well, most of them at least. This sort of behavior was unthinkable in mainland. The only reason you didn’t cross the street at anytime and place was to avoid being crushed by a bus. But all that civility aside, they still drive on the wrong side of the street here.

We have settled at the Salisbury YMCA. It’s like no YMCA that we’ve seen in the states. This 14 story hotel is complete with restaurants, viewing decks, play gym, 2 pools, beauty salon and more. We are very satisfied with our suite accommodations, which equips us with a pull out bed for Maeli. Aaron finally got a good night sleep without little feet kicking him in the wee hours.

But by far, the best of the best that this hotel has to offer (for me) is the guest laundry room. In every city that we’ve been, I’ve looked high and low for a laundry mat. At first I used the hotel services, but after being charged $35 USD for a small load, and they didn’t even get the stains out, I swore off any service.

As I walked into the guest laundry room at the Salisbury, I stood in silence for a few minutes… soaking in the sight of three gleaming washers and dryers. For a little over $15 USD, I did three loads of laundry.

Of course this doesn’t mean that my days of bathtub laundry are over. I’m sure we’ll see another load or two of clothes draped all over the room. But for our short time in Hong Kong, the Salisbury has relieved me of at least one domestic duty.

By Jenny on Wed, 31 Jan 2007

Even though Macau is trying to be the Las Vegas of the East, don’t let it fool you. There are a few parts of Macau that are still very rural and exotic.

After a plentiful hotel breakfast (free with the room), the Farr Family set out to Coloane, a no-name village on the far end of Macau. This little island has a colorful history. The Song Dynasty extracted most of the salt for China in Coloane from the 900’s until the Portuguese arrived in 1864. They utilized Macau as a trading port but left Coloane untouched. Mostly pirates used it for a base until the early 1900’s. Lucky for us, all the pirates have left and now the island is inhabited by a very small population. This is in great contrast to downtown Macau, which has the second highest population density in the world.

Three bridges connect Coloane and Macau. We got there by way of bus #25, which took less than an hour. This is the first bus we’ve experienced in Asia. I’ve always observed the buses from the street and never really wanted to take part in the constant bobbing of heads and jam packed feeling. We were lucky enough to score some seats for most of the journey.

Coloane is a sleepy little fishing town with beautiful architecture left by the Portuguese. Of course the Chinese have their marks too, by way of Daoist temples and such. We saw no high-rise anything in Coloane, only winding streets and quiet little neighborhoods.

We made our way around one of the mountains. The scaling road gave an excellent view of the surrounding islands. I spotted a rough trail that led to the beach. After soothing Aaron with stories of much rougher paths that I’ve taken Maeli on, he agreed to take the downward descent to the secluded beach.

We were greeted by a beach full of washed-up garbage and a dying dog.

“See honey, aren’t you glad we came this way,” was my response.

After we got past a rough start, the beach turned out to be exceptionally beautiful. It was a tremendous feeling to gaze into the never-ending Pacific contrasting the cramped city living of these last four weeks.

As we took bus 25 back into downtown, with its cramped spaces and unbreathable air, we both hoped we’d have good reasons to escape to the village again. With our time in Macau now coming to a close, that means we need one of you to visit us so we can take you there!

By Jenny on Tue, 30 Jan 2007

There have been a few times on our trip when Aaron and I look at each other like, “What are we doing in China with a 2 year old…have we lost our senses?”

Luckily the good moments on our adventure have outweighed the bad. By far, the most challenging aspect of the trip has been traveling with a 2 year old.

Maeli is a willful child. Aaron’s mother said, “She reminds me of someone I know.” However, almost all 2 year olds are willful and it’s hard to break their determination.

There have only been a small handful of days when we haven’t left the hotel. Those reasons included minor colds and utter fatigue. Other than that, we’ve gone out everyday. Going out in a major city with crazy traffic patterns can be dangerous for a 2 year old without a stroller. We’re trying to train Maeli to hold our hand when we are on the sidewalk. Of course she doesn’t want to hold our hands. There is so much to climb on and neat things to touch. And most importantly, she wants to do the opposite of whatever we say.

So we end up making a scene. Our voices rise, “If you do not hold my hand, I WILL HOLD YOU.” She starts to run away and we jerk her up into our arms and let her know how sad/mad we are that she’s not listening.

What I wouldn’t give for a stroller on this adventure. But we have too much to carry as it is. It’s near impossible to get our 3 and 1/2 pieces of luggage from A to B without another thing to lug up the stairs.

And then there are the restaurant scenes. Two year olds don’t want to sit down for half an hour. They don’t want to wait for food when they are hungry. Two year olds have their own agenda. Eating out is supposed to be a relaxing time. We prefer eating on our hotel bed and letting Maeli do whatever she pleases without breaking glasses and making messes.

I sometimes wonder if she would be acting this way if we were still close to family and she had her familiar places. Maeli can’t tell me if she misses home. We certainly talk about home every day and remember our family and friends. We like to pretend that her family back home is wondering what she’s doing. Is she walking up stairs, looking at birds, going down a slide, or eating an orange? Is Maeli being a good girl and listening to her mama and daddy when they tell her to hold hands?

The one thing that keeps reassuring me that we’re doing the right thing is that she has endless stimulation on our travels. She sees something new everyday. The sounds of the motorcycles and scooters always excite her. The smells can range from pleasant to “we wouldn’t smell that at home.” She has been eating more squid than ever. So it’s a comfort to know that her little brain is growing and making all kinds of connections at a young age. I just hope that the listening receptor starts to kick in.

By Jenny on Mon, 29 Jan 2007

So, how do you communicate to someone that you want your hair cut without using words? I was lucky enough to find that out today.

Maeli and I strolled up to the front desk of the Pousada de Mong-Ha (fancy phrase for our hotel). I asked the clerk how much it usually costs to get a haircut. He said that if I went to an expensive salon it should run about 150 Patacas (19USD) but if I went somewhere cheap I could spend around 60 Patacas (7.50USD). I didn’t have 150 Patacas with me because I really didn’t want to spend that much on a haircut. I left the front desk with a recommendation for a “nice” salon and about 100 Patacas in my pocket.

We didn’t even look for the “nice” salon. A few days ago I noticed some cheap looking salons behind our hotel. I walked up to one and the door had some Chinese characters on it. What the hay! We walked in and it wasn’t busy at all.

A chinese man approached us with a look like, “Are you lost?” Of course not, Mister. We’re the crazy foreigners who come to the cheap Chinese place to get our hair cut to make your day just a little more interesting.

So I motioned that Maeli needed her bangs cut and I needed my hair trimmed. He seemed fine with that request and ushered us to some seats. He pulled out a pink booster seat for Maeli and decided that she would be first. I was hoping that he would do my hair first so that Maeli could get used to the whole idea of a strange man cutting Mommy’s hair. But, no… we were just going to dive in.

This Chinese man was probably in his late thirties but he was going for the early twenties look with faded tight jeans and cool sweater with English words scrambled all over. He had the hair and lips of Mac Jagger and the face of Johnny Depp… I mean the Chinese version of Johnny Depp. To top it off he had a silver stud in his left ear.

So Mac Jagger put a cape on Maeli and combed her hair all pretty. Then he crouched down so he could chop off a straight line of hair and Maeli started to cry. “Who is this spiky hair guy in my face with scissors???”

Like most Chinese, this guy was fast on his feet. He swung around behind Maeli and switched from the regular sheers to the thinning sheers. In about 4 minutes, he successfully cut her bangs without any more crying. She now has a nice feathered look in the front.

My turn! I gave Maeli some crackers and a book and then the cape was around my neck. He took a hair dryer and comb and started styling the back of my already dry hair. At home, Aunt Linda always wet and then divided my hair into neat sections. I was going to say something but I took the Aaron approach and let the situation ride out.

After my hair was combed under, The Johnny Depp side to this guy started to emerge. He cut the back of my hair like Edward Scissorhands. Fast snipping and erratic combing were all I could see in the mirror. Johnny Depp must have barely beat this guy for the role. I was beginning to feel like one of those lawn bushes.

When all was said and done, not a lick of English was spoken during the whole event. He only charged 45 Patacas for my cut and 20 Patacas for Maeli. I gave him 5 Patacas extra for the entertainment.

By Jenny on Mon, 29 Jan 2007

Hong Kong is a pulsating, superlative-ridden fusion of West and East, an exercise in controlled chaos, a densely populated place that simply ‘shouldn’t be, but is.’ Hong Kong is like no other city on earth. - Steve Fallon, author of Hong Kong & Macau

There you have Hong Kong in a nutshell. Aaron and I almost went there today. We were at the ferry docks in our Sunday best about 5 minutes too late. As we would say playing pinocle back home, “This hand is a day late and a dollar short.”

“Oh well,” we said. “Let’s see what Macau has to offer.” Yes, Macau… we have discovered the New Jersey of Asia. (They may say it’s the Las Vegas of the East but we know better.) Now long in Hong Kong’s shadow, Macau is often passed over. Casinos and unique architecture still draw tourists to this quaint, quiet backwater though. We haven’t yet seen much of the architecture yet, but we did see the casino with the mini volcano.

I’ll tell you what though, I like this place. Nobody stares at us here. Folks are relaxed. I have yet to be harassed by a small business owner and we even went to a night market. It still feels like we’re in Asia, but we’re not in mainland… that’s for certain.

Aaron’s note: Macau is also amazingly dense, second highest in the world in fact. And it’s small. Who knew the map they gave us was life sized? Walking the streets of Macau feels like hiking the narrows of Zion—a stream of people, cars and scooters flowing at the bottom and walls of concrete and drying laundry towering above.

Hong Kong and Macau are Special Economic Regions (SARs) in the Chinese Government. That basically means that there is an open market and local government control. It shows. With a freer market, the people tend to be less weary of outsiders and more importantly, more accustomed to outside influences.

So Macau is my first taste of Asia outside of mainland China and I’m excited to get a bigger bite, of Hong Kong, that is.

By Jenny on Fri, 26 Jan 2007

Our time in Zhuhai has been relaxing and truth be told, I am in need of a little relaxation. Actually Zhuhai is a resort for many Chinese honeymooners. It feels like California with all the palm trees, breezy air, and well tended landscaping. However, these city dwellers are far from Californians. People in Zhuhai aren’t as stylish as those in Shanghai and aren’t as proud as those in Beijing. Being in the tropics, you can find more leisure activities in the parks and malls. Other than relax in our hotel room, the only activity that we’ve done in Zhuhai is take Maeli to the jungle gyms and parks. Zhuhai parks remind me of Starbucks in Seattle. People are taking a break, enjoying themselves, and there are so many of them that sometimes you can see a Starbucks from a Starbucks.

Unlike it’s neighbors Macau and Hong Kong, Zhuhai isn’t known for much in the outside world. It’s size and population is comparable to Pittsburgh, PA. There are wide bike lanes with less bike traffic than in Beijing. The street vendors still haggle and passersby still stare, so at least that much hasn’t changed.

I’m getting used to the idea that we’ll be living out of our suitcases for at least another month and that idea can weigh me down. Our plans for Taiwan are still not solid as we can’t easily find the kind of hotels we want over the Internet. When we get there we’ll have to do some quick thinking and fast acting. So the stresses of traveling can make one feel like they need a little relaxation. Luckily Zhuhai is just the place for that.

By Jenny on Wed, 24 Jan 2007

We’ve only been in China for a little less than 3 weeks. According to some culture shock has 5 stages.

1. honeymoon phase
2. rejection phase
3. regression phase
4. recovery phase
5. reverse culture shock

Most of the time I’m stuck in the honeymoon phase because we haven’t settled down yet. However, I have gone through some of the rejection and regression phases.

The rejection phase means that you start to become disenchanted with the new surroundings. I can recall a number of times that I’ve felt myself “reject” China.

I get stressed out when I stand in line and a number of people cut in front of me. It’s not like they don’t see me. They just don’t care. The phrase “every man for himself” applies here.

The constant stares really get to me sometimes. Everywhere we’ve gone, besides Shanghai, the Farr Family is on show. Maeli heightens the attraction but even left to myself, I constantly turn heads.

Aside from the grocery store where prices are clearly labeled, shopping is almost always a nightmare. People get in my face if I pause for a moment to look over their goods. Girls start to grab at my coat and try to herd me into their stores. They put things in my hand and shove things in my face. If I only knew how to tell them to “shove off”.

Some people skip past the regression stage altogether. This phase occurs because there is so much contempt for the new culture that you begin to speak and act according to your home culture.

Sometimes my thoughts return to America. I found myself writing a list of the things I miss most about home. In less than a minute I jotted the following:

1. family
2. English
3. health food stores
4. public toilets
5. Americans
6. my bed
7. laundry machines

I asked Aaron to make the same list. He had to strain some brain cells to come up with the following:

1. reliable high-speed Internet
2. catalytic converters
3. restrooms that are clean enough to change a diaper
4. free media (critical news sources)

It’s pretty obvious that I’m regressing more than Aaron.

So, I’m looking forward to reaching the recovery stage but I doubt that will happen until we settle. Right now I feel like we’re on vacation.

And then of course there is the fifth stage, which is unavoidable…reverse culture shock. Aaron claims that this is the hardest phase and one day I’ll find out when I set foot on the “Land of the Free”.

By Jenny on Sun, 21 Jan 2007

Aaron is pretty tied up with the computer during business hours. Sometimes he’ll go along for a day trip, but usually us girls fend for ourselves in the day time. This leads to more eventful trips than if Aaron were with us.

Our first day in Shanghai, Maeli and I decided to wander around the surrounding streets of The Astor Hotel. Of course we neglected to go to the main avenues. Why not see what the locals are doing on the back streets?

There is no end to small business on these alleyways. “Wanna take a looka?” are the shouts we get from the storefronts which basically consist of a miniature doorway. My rule of thumb is to sneak a peek at something when nobody knows I’m there. Once they spot me and begin to approach, I split. Otherwise, it’s easy to get stuck and hard to break away without being rude.

Maeli and I pass the shops: magazines, tobacco, fruit, shoes, keys, etc. Then we stumble upon a small food market. Butchers chop bones on the sidewalk with blood smeared everywhere. Dried fish stretches tight on bamboo sticks. Swarms of live fish grasp for dear life in big buckets. Chickens roast inside glass rotisseries. Piles of vegetables line the sidewalk while scooters zoom past. All of these vendors and more squeeze together in a small alley. We are spellbound…and consequently hungry.

So I spot a little shop that has some chairs and it looks like a huge pot is steaming. It smells good enough. We hesitantly walk in and motion to sit down. The owner points me to a glass encasement and inside are food looking things. What are these food looking things? I had never seen these types of food things in my life. There are about forty different bins and each has a different food type thing inside. I scan the selection and I get very worried.

In an attempt to get something in my stomach I say, “noodles”. The owner hands me a small plastic basket and points to the glass. Then I remember a Chinese food word. I say, “Dofu” which means tofu. He shows me the tofu on the counter next to the glass and puts some into my basket. I start to think that I’m going to bring home some uncooked tofu. So I motion that I want to sit down and eat. He seems to understand and keeps pointing to the glass. I look again and see some mushrooms so I put a couple of those in my basket. Maeli keeps pointing to the miniature eggs. I put four ofthose in the basket and by this point I am nervous. So I hand the guy my basket and he looks just as confused as me. He takes the basket and dumps it into a strainer bowl that sits inside the big steaming pot. Inside the pot there is thick brown broth. He then cooks my tofu, mushrooms, and eggs.

Maeli and I sit down and some other people stroll in. They fill their baskets to the top and end up having a full bowl of food rather than some broth with tofu floating on top. Oh, well. After we ate our soup, I picked up another basket, filled it full of goodies and took a hotpot home to Aaron. Even though I was fully embarrassed, he was very proud of me.

By Jenny on Sat, 20 Jan 2007

Little ears are quick to hear just as little feet are quick to wander. As we left the Haoyuan Hotel, the clerk said “Hello” to Maeli and she responded, “Ni Hao.” I was shocked.

Since our arrival I’ve been so concentrated on grasping a few Chinese words that I haven’t worked on Maeli’s language skills. More importantly, I’ve been trying to keep her brain in English mode to lessen the confusion of our big move.

Shortly after the “ni hao” experience, the Farr family was whisked away to the train station. We arrived at the station and I thanked the cabbie in Chinese. Maeli was quick to say, “xie xie”. This has become her favorite Chinese expressions. It sounds like “shay shay”.

Now when strangers approach to see the blue eye, blond hair wonder it doesn’t take much prompting for Maeli to spout out some Chinese greeting. We are still working on “zia jian” which means “goodbye.” Pronounced “Zye Gee En”, this word is harder for little lips to say.

After we get Maeli in a Chinese day care, I’ll have no idea what she’s talking about!

By Jenny on Thu, 18 Jan 2007

Chaotic whirlwind of street madness pretty much sums up the traffic situation in Beijing. It’s every man for himself. I saw an old woman on a rusty bicycle get creamed the other day. She didn’t seem too phased. In fact, traffic doesn’t seem phased by much. It’s midnight and the temperature is in the teens and no doubt there will be a steady stream of bicycles on Wangfujing Street. Yeah, some are wearing scarves around their faces, but some aren’t even wearing hats or gloves. These people are hard core!

And then there are the bicycles that have some kind of jerry-rigged cart on their back axis. Some guy carries a hundred and one brooms, another has a piping hot garbage can with sweet potatoes on top of coals, another carries recyclables, desks, chairs, you name it. Oh yeah, and the people! There is no end to the creative techniques for carrying a person on the back of a bike. I’ve seen babies to old ladies in wheelchairs.

Aaron and I suspect that Beijing is still bustling with bikes because of Communist subsidies in the 50’s. From the looks of some of these doozies, you can tell that they are sixty years old. Surprisingly scooters are comparatively rare. The low average income (under $3000 USD annually in Beijing) probably has something to do with that.

But the saving grace of the whole chaotic whirlwind of street madness is speed or lack thereof. I’ve accidentally stepped in front of some cars and bikes during my 2 weeks in Beijing and their slow pace saved my face. It reminds me of an old rusty button that once adorned my jeep’s visor: Buckle up! Save your ugly face

The pedestrians are pretty nuts too. Jaywalking is either legal or not enforced enough to deter the general public. I’ve learned that the person with the sternest look wins the right away. I’ve given a few looks myself but mine consist of, “If you hit me or my child, I will kill you.” That look has never failed me.

And then there is my favorite category in the chaotic whirlwind of street madness: cabbies. Most of the cabbies in Beijing are proud of their license and position in society. They keep their cars clean and buy special pads to make the ride more comfortable (and washable). The Beijing Taxi Company tries especially hard to cater to foreigners buy playing an introductory tape once you enter the vehicle. (Read with a chinese accent:)

Hello.  Welcome to Beijing.  
We are glad you chose our cab services.  
Please let the driver know if you have any
  comments about the drive.  
Thank you and have a nice ride.

I think my favorite thing about the cabbies is that they have no idea where anything is. Of course this isn’t their fault. One of the first things you notice about Beijing is all the construction. Old courtyards, which take up a lot of space because they are ground level houses, are being demolished left and right. A common scene: bricks, dust, brooms, bricks, dust, brooms. And what goes up in their place? High rise apartments, stores, office buildings and the like. And the 2008 Olympics aren’t helping matters. The government is going to pain staking efforts to clean up and clean out the city.

So this leaves the cabbies in quite a predicament. I’ve gotten into cabs, given the cab driver a business card with a full street address, chinese characters and all, and the cab looks at me like, “So, you wanna go to mars?”

Because this is probably an unpleasant experience for the cabbie, I’ve seen some cabs take one look at my foreign fingers in the air and drive on by. I don’t blame them, but their charm adds a whole lot to Beijing.

By Jenny on Wed, 17 Jan 2007

When our little family was back in the states, Maeli and I loved to visit the west coast. We made a total of 4 trips during Maeli’s first 2 years. Probably the most challenging aspect of traveling across the country was the time zone change of 3 hours. Children are like clockwork with eating, diapering, and naps. A mere 3 hours can throw the whole family off for a while.

Experts say that it takes about a week for little ones to adjust to such differences. I’ve also read that it takes one day to adjust for every timezone crossed. Seeing that we’ve been in China for 13 days, that means we should be back on track today. That isn’t too far from the truth.

Aaron was the first to adjust to the time difference with no help other than his own will power. He forced himself to stay in bed even when he was wide awake. I couldn’t muster up such discipline and during the first week, you could find me on the computer at 3am. Consequently, I was the last to adjust.

To ease the adjustment I relied on melatonin extract. Taking one pill would knock me out in the nighttime but wouldn’t help me from waking up 4 hours later in a “go get ‘em” mood. After that first week of insomnia, I finally began to sleep through the night. And then my body wanted to play catch-up. In the daytime, I found myself napping with Maeli.

Between the two of us, Maeli benefited the most from the melatonin extract. Because they taste like peppermint, she had no problem chewing half a tablet which is about 1.25mg. In the beginning I experimented with a quarter tablet, as the bottle suggests not giving these pills to children at all. From past experiences I understand that almost all herbs are not recommended for children for no good reason what so ever. It took Maeli about a week to adjust. She would wake up between 1-3am and I’d quickly give her a melatonin. After a half hour of rolling around in bed, she’d fall fast asleep.

Slowing things are getting back to normal. But my mother is quick to point out (quoting Patsie Clairmont) that “normal is just a setting on your dryer”.

By Jenny on Tue, 16 Jan 2007

Traveling throughout most of China is cheap if you have your wits about you. Hong Kong is an exception with the ranking of 4 on the list of Most Expensive Cities in the World. Our own big apple, NYC, is ranked 10. However through our own follies, Aaron and I have been charged the foreigner price on a number of things in Beijing.

When we first arrived, we needed a taxi to get to our hotel. We just got off a 13 hour flight and not all of our cylinders were rapidly firing. While exiting the airport we were approached by a man wearing business casual slacks and coat. He flashed a business card and said, “Taxi?” Business cards are important to the Chinese entrepreneur. Not only do they translate into “professional”, but they are a nice excuse to demand unfair prices.

Aaron (Commander in Charge) went for it hook, line and sinker. We were whisked into a taxi cab and then told how much the ride would cost. For the 35 kilometer ride we would be fined 400 RMB or about 51 USD. In the city, cabbies charge 10 RMB just to get in and then an additional 2 RMB for every kilometer. For the airport taxi, we were charged 5 times the going rate. Ripped off! To add insult to injury, the cabbie asked for a tip, which is unheard of in the city. Aaron, always saving face, gave him a dollar tip. I wouldn’t have been so kind.

Once we got to the hotel, things weren’t any better. We came to realize that if we got any service that had a western flare, we were going to be overpriced. For admittance into the pool, the hotel charges 60 RMB or 8 USD for visitors (including children). Last time I used a pool in the US, I was charged 6 bucks.

After the first day of jet lag and insomnia, Maeli began to run out of diapers. Aaron and I wanted to explore the city anyway so we walked up Beijing’s version of 5th Ave, NYC. We quickly found a mall that carried one brand of European diapers. We paid 168 RMB for 42 diapers which is about 21 USD. Are you starting to get the trend here? If you look western or shop at western places, you are going to pay western prices. A week later I discovered a Chinese grocery store. I found Pampers and Huggies brand diapers. For 33 RMB, I bought a package of 28 diapers… 4 bucks.

After a week of shopping around and sight seeing, I began to feel like a walking money sign. People approached me and looked at me like I wore a suit of twenty dollar bills. A young fruit vendor thought it rather appropriate to charge me 13 USD for some cherries. Of course I declined and eventually got him to come down on the price of another smaller package of cherries. After frequenting the grocery store where all prices are clearly labeled, I realized that the young fruit vendor was charging me twice as much for the going price of oranges.

Sometimes it doesn’t even matter if the price is clearly labeled. When Maeli and I were at the Museum of Natural History my camera battery ran out. I found a little shop inside of the museum that sold AA batteries. The price was clearly marked…2.5 RMB for 4 batteries. I showed the clerk my 2 old batteries. She opened the new package, took out 2 batteries and put her hand up to indicate the number 5. I reluctantly handed her 5 RMB and waited for change. She pretended not to notice. Ripped off!

Once we settle down I am anxious to take formal lessons in Chinese. I’m kicking myself for not taking lessons before we left. What was I thinking? Because of the language barrier, it is much easier to be cheated out of money and do absolutely nothing about it.

By Jenny on Sun, 14 Jan 2007

We splurged the other night and got 380RMB ($50) VIP seats at the Chinese Acrobatic show. Every penny was worth it.

All of us were transfixed with mouths wide open during the hour-long show. At one point, when the foot jugglers were tossing balls across the stage, Maeli whispered "wow."

Apparently, Chinese acrobats have been performing since 500bc. In Beijing alone, there are at least five theaters that perform nightly shows. I'm not going to attempt to explain the awe-inspiring feats of these performers. I will say that no trip to China is complete without an acrobatic show.

Other outings in Beijing include The Natural History Museum and The Temple of Heaven. The family split up in an attempt to target more sights around the city. I guided Maeli through dinosaur bones, life size replicas of hundreds of animals, and a very exciting toddler play area. While Maeli and I were digging through fossils, Aaron was gazing at temples and posing as the tourist with the over-sized camera. Each of these tickets cost 30RMB (less than $4). However, in every ticket instance so far, Maeli is free of charge.

By Jenny on Fri, 12 Jan 2007

In the United States, I've heard it said that all Chinese people look alike. I never really agreed with that, but after being here for a few days it's making more sense as to why they would come to that conclusion.

In Beijing I've been frequenting a restaurant with some young female employees. At first I thought that 4 girls worked there because the restaurant was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After my fifth visit there I realised that only 2 girls worked there but it was still hard for me to tell them apart. One of the girls wears her bangs in her eyes and the other has her hair pulled back. Aside from those differences, these girls have the same body type, eye color, and mannerisms. Like most Asians, physical differences are in the subtleties.

I get just as confused when I watch Chinese TV programs. Now, granted, I'm watching television geared toward young children. Nonetheless, it seems like the same exact girl is hosting every program. She has the same voice, the same type of mini-skirt and above all else, the same face.

So I got to thinking about why they all look the same. As babies, when we first open our eyes, we are programmed to recognize faces. We immediately begin to study faces; and we study the faces from our homelands.

In high school, my parents hosted a foreign exchange student named Xavi. He had this skewed perception of the United States based on the hit TV show "Baywatch." Xavi thought that all Americans girls were blond and big breasted, and he thought the men were ripped and suave. He was really shocked when he arrived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where most of the girls in our high school had brown hair.

It's a little different in China. Chinese body types don't vary much, and I've yet to see a natural blond or blue eyes. The diversity is in the subtleties. And since I've been unconsciously studying American faces for 26 years, it might take a little time to distinguish between these little nuances.

By Jenny on Thu, 11 Jan 2007

The cuisine in China is absolutely fabulous. Candied lotus root, sweet spring rolls, and ginger eggplant are some of my favorites so far. However it can be a challenge to take a 2 year old to a restaurant. This morning she broke a glass, and we never leave somewhere without rice on the floor.

So last night, to take a break from being a public spectacle, we decided to get take-out pizza. I spotted a little joint called "Origus" and it claimed to be a pizza buffet. Aaron and Maeli camped in the hotel room while I sojourned into the night streets for some greasy American food.

Origus tries really hard to be American. The paintings on the wall resemble a cross between the decor of Panera Bread and Quiznos. Like most Chinese establishments, they are way overstaffed. Six people work the small front desk where you order.

So, I walk up to the desk and say, "Pizza, wai dai?" which means, "Pizza, takeout?". Because of the buffet sign, I was worried that they didn't offer takeout. A young Chinese man nodded and handed me a menu.

Okay...the menu is mostly in Chinese. The only English parts are the titles like:

Dish
Soup
Salad
Beverage
Dessert

Then I notice that you can order spaghetti and wings. Nope, I want some Pizza! Oh yes, here it is:

ORIGUS Deluxe Pizza
Florida Beach Pizza
Boss Pizza
Double Flavor Pizza
Ranchero Pizza
Western Scenery Pizza
Strong Affection Pizza
Sunshine Beach Pizza
Heart Pizza

Hmmm....what to do? Wait, what do I see? ...a Vegetable Pizza. Score!

So, after I painstakingly figured out that they had different sizes, I ordered the largest Vegetable Pizza which came to 68RMB, or about 9 bucks.

The nice Chinese clerk directed me to the waiting area and served me hot water. Chinese people usually don't drink cold beverages. I prefer hot water to cold anyway, so good for me.

Finally the pizza came and with my handy dandy Chinese/English dictionary I asked for a takeout menu. The nice young Chinese clerk looked confused and then in an attempt to save face, his finger shot up and he said, "Uh HUH!". He went to the desk and brought me a receipt. Oh well...can't have everything.

Back at our hotel room, Aaron and Maeli were patiently waiting for dinner. I slowly opened the box and "ta-da", it actually looked like pizza!

Surprisingly enough it tasted like pizza too, but the kind that you'd get at a roller rink or an elementary school cafeteria. The dough was like thick bread and there wasn't much sauce. The cheese tasted okay and it was topped with corn, black olives, red and green peppers and mushrooms.

If I had to do it over again, I'd probably order the Heart Pizza or the Strong Affection Pizza.

By Jenny on Wed, 10 Jan 2007

The more I learn about Chinese people, the more I know that I'm not going to fit in easily over here. Aaron on the other hand is very Chinese. He doesn't laugh in public or break the rules in any way. Nor does he say "no" if it's going to make someone feel awkward or embarrassed. Now, if Aaron learned these character traits on his two year tour in Taiwan or if he was always this way is a guessing game for me. Either way, he knows how to act here while I feel like a fish out of water.

I'm not shy to admit that I sometimes embarrass Aaron in public. At least he hasn't been to the pool with me yet. He'd be red for a week.

The pool of the Wangfujing Grand Hotel is designed as a lap pool, located on the basement floor. Both ends are about 4ft deep while the middle dips into 8ft. Bathing caps and sandals are required as well as a quick shower and a frigid foot bath. The on-duty lifeguards are very particular about these rules as I have found out through my own mistakes.

Yes, I've gone into the pool without my bathing cap, I've been inside the male sauna, and I've felt the lifeguards eyes watch my every move.

Every Chinese person I've seen at the pool does the exact same thing. They swim calculated laps in sets and with each new set comes a different stroke.

And then there's me. I don't wear goggles (I'm actually surprised that these aren't mandatory since I'm the only one who doesn't wear them). I start at one end of the pool and kick off into an underwater rage to the middle deep. When I get there I tread water for a while and do some somersaults, forward and backward. Then I do a series of strokes to the end and thus continue in no pattern whatsoever.

I must look absurd to the lifeguards who seem entranced at my erratic behavior. I imagine them thinking, "Look at the American who has ADD."

By Jenny on Mon, 08 Jan 2007

I find more written English here in the city than I had originally imagined. None of it appears directed toward foreigners. Instead its purpose, as best as we can devine, is to help an establishment look credible or cool. A lot of it doesn't make any sense nor is it spelled correctly. Here is an excerpt from our hotel literature about the "Sunshine Club" which occupies the 3rd floor. It's an entertainment center, like something out of Las Vegas. Okay, embrace yourself for special English:

Get rid of bluation accumulated from depressing
Take a sip of wine, meet yourself into the wine
thus get inlight of koth wine and human.
   

The funny thing about this is that it is directed toward foriegners.

Okay...here's another one:

In the day time, the
fragrance of flower
would be elegant, the
music could make you
comfort, the wine made you
indulgent, the attractions would
made you lingering.  All the things
happened at these moments would bring
you the feeling of flying on the clouds.
There is a International Performance, Hall more
than 3000 square meters with 3 telescopic
Tstages, 32-sets-display walls, various video
receivers, PM2800M professional monitor tuning plate
,BaoSha 108 rule light-controlled plate Renkus-Heinz
stage amplifier, 18 professional golden computer-contralled
lights, smoking-maker and other first-class sound speakers.  It's
quite fit for vocal concert, press conference, sodality, fair and
other conferences.

So, yeah. This is what I'm dealing with. I'm glad I brought some good books to help me forget "special English" for a while!

By Jenny on Sun, 07 Jan 2007

Getting to China really isn't that difficult. From Chicago it takes approximately 13 hours directly to Beijing. What I didn't realize is that the flight path is over the north pole and Siberia at an altitude of 6 miles and a temperature of over -100 degrees Fahrenheit.

So the steward approaches my seat with a yellow piece of rubber stuffed in a plastic bag.

"Ma'am," he politely interrupted me, handing me the bag.

He continued, "Here is an infant life preserver. Just put it under the seat in front of you."

I replied with a quick thank you. If only I had that moment back. I might have asked what were the chances of anyone surviving a float in the Arctic Ocean. I guess some people might be content with the false comfort of a life jacket. Aaron and I just laughed.

Neither of us have much to complain about now with some of the best food in the world and people smiling at us (really Maeli) everywhere we go.

This morning, at our free breakfast buffet that the hotel provides, I cleaned my plate. Piled on were fried rice with egg, steamed pumpkin, steamed zucchini with gogi berries, steamed bok choy with mushrooms, and lots of fresh fruit. At this rate, I don't know how it can get any better.

Even though we've killed a giant cockroach in the bathroom this morning, our electricity went out all night, and the city is so hazy with pollution that it's hard to breathe, we love our little adventure so far. Day one is a success.

By Jenny on Tue, 26 Dec 2006

Ancient China looms in the future while I savor some last morsels of southwestern Pennsylvania. In two weeks I’ll be overlooking the Forbidden City in Beijing. It’s hard to imagine what that will be like with everyone buzzing around “sparkle season”. My little two-year old, Maeli, rode the mall train today with other American kids. In a few weeks all she’ll see are Chinese faces, but will she even notice with those innocent eyes? I know I will. It will take strength to be confident in a minority situation. My cheeks will hurt at the end of the day with all the forced smiling, trying to be a pleasant foreigner. Aaron will be in his bliss though. Re-leaning the language will be his main focus from the start while I will try to make Maeli feel as comfortable as possible. We are planning on staying in 5 different cities in mainland China. After that first month, we’ll think about stabilizing in Hsinchu, Taiwan. However, as Taiwan is the size of Connecticut and Massachusetts combined, it will be easy to travel and take advantage of hot springs, old temples, and city life. No doubt Chinese New Year will be a jewel in our trip with old paper lanterns lit on the street, unfamiliar customs, foods, and traditions. It’s difficult to write an intro for our China/Taiwan adventure because I just have no idea what I’m in store for. At least I am brave, Maeli loves the city and bright lights, and Aaron knows the language. That combination should cash in on a slew of good stories. No doubt we are going to a culture that has more than a slew of good stories; rather they monopolize on the beginnings of language and culture. So, tune in and see how we add some charm to what is known as The Middle Kingdom.