Green Tea Doublemint Gum:
Jasmine Tea:
My Laundry Room:
My Light Switches:
Squat Toilets:
The View from My Office:
Running on the Beach Boardwalk:
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Monday, June 20, 2011
Leaving China, Part 5
Things I Will Miss:
Green Tea Doublemint Gum:
Jasmine Tea:
My Laundry Room:
My Light Switches:
Squat Toilets:
The View from My Office:
Running on the Beach Boardwalk:
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Green Tea Doublemint Gum:
Jasmine Tea:
My Laundry Room:
My Light Switches:
Squat Toilets:
The View from My Office:
Running on the Beach Boardwalk:
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Leaving China, Part 4
We had dinner with our driver, Liu, and his family to mark the end of our time in China. We invited them to our house for a traditional American Italian meal - spaghetti, chicken, bread, veggies and ranch dip. We all ate with chopsticks and everyone ate at least a little bit!
I think we all had a good time, in spite of the fact that they don't speak very much English and we don't speak very much Chinese!
Here is a picture of all of us. Liu's wife, Liu, me, Mike, Liu's dad, Liu's mom, Kiana, Liu's daughter and Kevin.
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I think we all had a good time, in spite of the fact that they don't speak very much English and we don't speak very much Chinese!
Here is a picture of all of us. Liu's wife, Liu, me, Mike, Liu's dad, Liu's mom, Kiana, Liu's daughter and Kevin.
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Sunday, June 12, 2011
Jacky Cheung
Wow! Last night I went to the Jacky Cheung concert (or Zhang Xue You as he's know here), a famous Chinese pop singer. What an awesome concert. Three hours of such a beautiful voice, great dancing and quite a show (on the scale of major concerts in the US). His singing ranges from rock to jazz to love songs and he was backed by a live orchestra. Wow!
Just a sample if you are interested:
The concert was at a huge outdoor soccer stadium. Huge! I was only one of the few foreigners there. I took my driver to the concert with me as a thank you for introducing me to Zhang Xue You and because I knew he would guide me through.
All of the people are sitting to the left of this picture. The other part of the stadium is full.
For the most part, it was like a concert in the US, with a few exceptions.
First, you buy seat cushions outside the stadium. People are selling handmade cushions for a few cents each. There are two reasons for this. One is that the seats are hard so it makes it a little bit softer. The other is that the seats are dirty, so it keeps you clean.
Second, there are very few concessions sold inside the stadium. I can't help but think of the Portland Rose Garden, where buying $10 nachos seems to help the stadium revenue as much as the actual event. I'm sure with their entrepreneurial spirit (like the seat cushions) China will catch on to this eventually.
Third, the bathrooms. We think the queue in the US is bad at major events. It is nothing like here, and for a bathroom that smells from 20 meters away. Anticipating this, I used the forced pre-dehydration method to avoid having to void.
Fourth, no lighters or cell phones held up in respect, but lots of adults with glowing, flashing light sabers and light-up hair bows.
And finally some differences that I felt. When Zhang Xue You came out on stage, I was momentarily surprised that he was singing in Chinese. All of my past cultural experiences have been in the US and in English, so even though I was in a stadium filled with Chinese people, and I knew he was a Chinese singer, somewhere in my brain I was still thinking it would be in English. Weird.
And one moment that reflects the end of my time in China. I am quite familiar with Jacky Cheung's songs. I've been listening to them frequently for the past year. But, I don't know the words as they are all in Chinese. I could sing something that sounds like the words, but it would be way off. Toward the end of the concert, as he was singing my favorite and his most loved songs, the entire stadium is singing along. Except me. I had an overwhelming feeling of not belonging. Which made me think....as much as I love China and wish I could stay longer, if I stayed, I still would never really belong. Never.
What an amazing experience at the end of my amazing experience. 11 more days to go.
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Just a sample if you are interested:
The concert was at a huge outdoor soccer stadium. Huge! I was only one of the few foreigners there. I took my driver to the concert with me as a thank you for introducing me to Zhang Xue You and because I knew he would guide me through.
All of the people are sitting to the left of this picture. The other part of the stadium is full.
For the most part, it was like a concert in the US, with a few exceptions.
First, you buy seat cushions outside the stadium. People are selling handmade cushions for a few cents each. There are two reasons for this. One is that the seats are hard so it makes it a little bit softer. The other is that the seats are dirty, so it keeps you clean.
Second, there are very few concessions sold inside the stadium. I can't help but think of the Portland Rose Garden, where buying $10 nachos seems to help the stadium revenue as much as the actual event. I'm sure with their entrepreneurial spirit (like the seat cushions) China will catch on to this eventually.
Third, the bathrooms. We think the queue in the US is bad at major events. It is nothing like here, and for a bathroom that smells from 20 meters away. Anticipating this, I used the forced pre-dehydration method to avoid having to void.
Fourth, no lighters or cell phones held up in respect, but lots of adults with glowing, flashing light sabers and light-up hair bows.
And finally some differences that I felt. When Zhang Xue You came out on stage, I was momentarily surprised that he was singing in Chinese. All of my past cultural experiences have been in the US and in English, so even though I was in a stadium filled with Chinese people, and I knew he was a Chinese singer, somewhere in my brain I was still thinking it would be in English. Weird.
And one moment that reflects the end of my time in China. I am quite familiar with Jacky Cheung's songs. I've been listening to them frequently for the past year. But, I don't know the words as they are all in Chinese. I could sing something that sounds like the words, but it would be way off. Toward the end of the concert, as he was singing my favorite and his most loved songs, the entire stadium is singing along. Except me. I had an overwhelming feeling of not belonging. Which made me think....as much as I love China and wish I could stay longer, if I stayed, I still would never really belong. Never.
What an amazing experience at the end of my amazing experience. 11 more days to go.
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Tuesday, June 7, 2011
"China Normal" at School
Yesterday, Kiana came home and described a "China Normal" moment at school. In other words, a normal moment at school in China, that would never have happened in the US in the same way.
The 12 students in Language Arts were sitting on couches watching a movie.
The DVD (purchased at a local store) said "Property of ... do not copy."
The movie was PG-13, watched without parental permission slips required.
The 4 kids on Kiana's couch were from 3 different countries.
There were fireworks going off outside and no one appeared to notice.
This is China.
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The 12 students in Language Arts were sitting on couches watching a movie.
The DVD (purchased at a local store) said "Property of ... do not copy."
The movie was PG-13, watched without parental permission slips required.
The 4 kids on Kiana's couch were from 3 different countries.
There were fireworks going off outside and no one appeared to notice.
This is China.
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Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Shanghai Weekend
Maglev high-speed train from the airport to downtown.
The China Pavilion at World Expo. People waited up to 9 hours to see this pavilion during Expo. Expo is now closed, but the China Pavilion was open until June 1. It was beautiful and we are very happy we made it to Shanghai to see it!
The lines we didn't have to wait in!
A long video scroll inside the pavilion which depicts a famous Chinese painting.
The Bund at riverside at night. Many beautiful old buildings.
Pudong at night. Twenty years ago it was farmland.
A major pedestrian shopping street.
The Shanghai science museum. We like to visit science museums in the new cities we visit.
Kevin in the science museum.
Kiana in the science museum.
The view from our hotel. A small older neighborhood down below and a park in the distance. And, just out of range, the Apple Store and Gap.
Me in the Yu Yuan Garden.
Kiana in the Yu Yuan Garden.
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The China Pavilion at World Expo. People waited up to 9 hours to see this pavilion during Expo. Expo is now closed, but the China Pavilion was open until June 1. It was beautiful and we are very happy we made it to Shanghai to see it!
The lines we didn't have to wait in!
A long video scroll inside the pavilion which depicts a famous Chinese painting.
The Bund at riverside at night. Many beautiful old buildings.
Pudong at night. Twenty years ago it was farmland.
A major pedestrian shopping street.
The Shanghai science museum. We like to visit science museums in the new cities we visit.
Kevin in the science museum.
Kiana in the science museum.
The view from our hotel. A small older neighborhood down below and a park in the distance. And, just out of range, the Apple Store and Gap.
Me in the Yu Yuan Garden.
Kiana in the Yu Yuan Garden.
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Sunday, May 29, 2011
Shanghai Reflections
Almost 15 years ago, we moved into our home in a new housing development in Beaverton and met our new neighbors. They were a family - the parents (born and raised in China who came to the US for graduate school and would soon work at the same company as Mike) and their two young children. We became friends over the course of the 10 years that they lived next to us. I like to think that having a 4 foot instead of a 6 foot fence helped our friendship (a "good neighbor-style" fence we built together).
Fast forward to today. Our old neighbor, who years ago became an American citizen, is now working in Shanghai. Today, he was kind enough to take us on a tour of expat life in Shanghai. We had lunch in Jinqiao, a planned neighborhood in the outskirts of Pudong that was specifically designed for expat families. Wide streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, trees, a Catholic Church and Christian Church, high-end medical facilities, a 50's style diner, New York style pizza, Mexican restaurant, play areas for kids, and bathrooms with soap, toilet paper AND paper towels. It looked like southern California. A "little America" inside of China.
We can't help but reflect on what expat life would be like there compared to Dalian. I like the experience we've had in Dalian better than what we might have had in Shanghai. In Dalian, we couldn't coast by living an American-like life within China. We've had to find out how to live in China. With limited restaurant choices, we've had to learn to eat local or make it ourselves. With limited food choices at the market, we've had to learn to adapt our diet to what's available. With limited recreation options, we've had to learn to be creative and have enjoyed the benefit of playing outdoors more. Without local vendors who speak English, we've had to learn Chinese (well, the kids had to learn it at school anyway!). I feel like we've really lived in China.
And because we've really lived in China, we appreciate what we will have when we go "home home" in 25 days. I hope that appreciation stays with us for a long time...
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Fast forward to today. Our old neighbor, who years ago became an American citizen, is now working in Shanghai. Today, he was kind enough to take us on a tour of expat life in Shanghai. We had lunch in Jinqiao, a planned neighborhood in the outskirts of Pudong that was specifically designed for expat families. Wide streets, bike lanes, sidewalks, trees, a Catholic Church and Christian Church, high-end medical facilities, a 50's style diner, New York style pizza, Mexican restaurant, play areas for kids, and bathrooms with soap, toilet paper AND paper towels. It looked like southern California. A "little America" inside of China.
We can't help but reflect on what expat life would be like there compared to Dalian. I like the experience we've had in Dalian better than what we might have had in Shanghai. In Dalian, we couldn't coast by living an American-like life within China. We've had to find out how to live in China. With limited restaurant choices, we've had to learn to eat local or make it ourselves. With limited food choices at the market, we've had to learn to adapt our diet to what's available. With limited recreation options, we've had to learn to be creative and have enjoyed the benefit of playing outdoors more. Without local vendors who speak English, we've had to learn Chinese (well, the kids had to learn it at school anyway!). I feel like we've really lived in China.
And because we've really lived in China, we appreciate what we will have when we go "home home" in 25 days. I hope that appreciation stays with us for a long time...
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Monday, May 16, 2011
Hey Lady - Beijing with the Girls
Walking through the Silk Market (which doesn't just sell silk, but a huge variety of counterfeit, black market or grey market items) what you hear constantly is "Lady, what bag you want" "Lady, what shoes you need" "Lady, polo shirts" "Lady" "Lady" "Lady." I could only last two hours, then I had enough. Some people have much more stamina than I do and stay all day!!
During the weekend with my girlfriends in Beijing, we also went to the Dirt Market, which doesn't sell dirt, but a variety of "antiques" and collectibles. This was much more fun. It is outdoors and the items are very interesting to look at. I liked the vendors there better too. They seemed more like personal shop owners instead of people hawking for business.
The best part of the trip was biking in Beijing. With my friends, Susanne and Yukiko, we biked for 4 hours through old hutong neighborhoods, parks and city streets. Double click on the album to see the pictures.
And a close second best was the beautiful courtyard restaurant area where we had dinner (Mexican!!!!). And frozen yogurt for dessert - it doesn't get much better than that!
And a few final pictures of the local school outside our hotel window. I had a birds-eye view of their morning flag salute and exercises.
It was a great weekend!!
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During the weekend with my girlfriends in Beijing, we also went to the Dirt Market, which doesn't sell dirt, but a variety of "antiques" and collectibles. This was much more fun. It is outdoors and the items are very interesting to look at. I liked the vendors there better too. They seemed more like personal shop owners instead of people hawking for business.
The best part of the trip was biking in Beijing. With my friends, Susanne and Yukiko, we biked for 4 hours through old hutong neighborhoods, parks and city streets. Double click on the album to see the pictures.
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| Biking in Beijing |
And a close second best was the beautiful courtyard restaurant area where we had dinner (Mexican!!!!). And frozen yogurt for dessert - it doesn't get much better than that!
And a few final pictures of the local school outside our hotel window. I had a birds-eye view of their morning flag salute and exercises.
It was a great weekend!!
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