Sickness = Hiatus in Blogging

11/30/09

Before disaster struck, Uncle Hal visited Shanghai, which meant Hallie and I got a social life and good food.  The incredible restaurant list included: Lost Heaven, a tasty Western Chinese food restaurant, continued with some of the best sushi ever at a place called Haiku, fajitas at Blue Frog and an amazing show at the Shanghai Circus.  The Shanghai Circus was a highlight if I do say so myself.  I was on the edge of my seat with sweaty palms the whole time!  Between the canister tosser, the motorcycle pack, the contortionists, and the hoop boys, I was really impressed.  But my amazement did not stop there.  After the show, the encore performance took place.  We hopped in a taxi and dropped Uncle Hal off at his hotel.  After that, Hallie and I headed back to our apartment.  But our trip back took longer than expected.  Our taxi driver hit a curb when he accidentally ended up in the biker’s lane.  A loud noise and some Chinese mutter filled the car.  We popped the front, left tire.  And our driver got out in the pouring rain to jack the car up (with us inside) and changed the tire in less than 10 minutes, no lie.  They don’t mess around over here with time!  Best and only tip I’ve given in China…to a well-deserved taxi driver.

As my school week continued I started feeling sick.  I spent three days in bed and didn’t see the light of day.  I got a little panicky, needless to say, but I was reassured I was going to make it.  My trustee lab rats (Dad, Grumpy, and Dr. Galen) and concerned Mom came to the consensus that I had a respiratory infection and gave me the go to start a Z-Pack.  Being sick gives you free reign to be as lazy as possible; a task that I don’t do well.  But, I embraced it for what it was and did a pretty good job of assuming my given role.  My agenda from Thursday through Saturday: watching as much online TV/movies as humanly possible.  I got through Adventureland, Lords of Dogtown, The September Issue, and a whopping seven episodes of Glee.  Not to mention my uncanny ability to MAKE Hallie become lazy too (at a distance, of course).  We managed to get through three seasons of Dexter a little too fast.

So I missed out on Uncle Hal’s last few days in Shanghai, which was a big bummer.  I had a lot of fun being included in his China adventure.  But, I’m feeling better despite my lingering cough that I can’t seem to get to go away.  We enjoyed our first big holiday away from home and managed to have a pretty good time.  All the foreign teachers (ie: Americans) pitched in and bought a turkey.  We each made a side and feasted at Josh and Becky’s apartment, where our Chinese colleagues joined us.  The Americans brought mashed potatoes (Me), pumpkin pie (Hallie), green beans, soup, salad, etc, while our Chinese friends brought sushi, Korean dishes, and a really questionable looking fish.  Although far from traditional, Thanksgiving was ‘lovely’ as they would say in China.  The best part, it felt nothing like the real holiday, so there was no way I could get to my saddest potential.  Sounds kinda pathetic, but it was a grand feast and I enjoyed myself with my new friends.  I didn’t have to miss my family and friends until the next day (Thanksgiving Day in the states), which was more tolerable after the holiday had technically ended here.

My first weekend back in action was spent outside thank goodness!  We went to Yu Gardens on Friday and it was such a delight to see old China in our new Shanghai.  The greenery, the gardens, the architecture was perfect.  Not to mention the HUGE bizarre located outside of the tourist attraction.  Who says there’s no Christmas in Shanghai?  No one anymore!  There were more trinkets and decorations filled on the streets than back in the states.  Hallie and I spent a few too many RMBs on decorations for our apartment.  Plastic ornaments, puffy snowflakes, and our very own artificial evergreen tree now grace our apartment, bringing in holiday cheer.

Saturday we went to the Fabric Market to get coats made.  We have yet to see the end product, but anxiously await our handmade treasures!  I opted for a cream, patched pea coat and Hallie went for a grey wrap one.  Can’t wait to pick them up in a week!  But what I really can’t wait for is my Mom and Mimi’s arrival to China!  The countdown is on and I’m merely days away from seeing them!  They’re stopping in Beijing first, we’re meeting them in Xi’an, we’re all coming back to Shanghai together, and then they’re making a stop in Hong Kong before they head home.

I’m thankful for my health getting back to normal, for my friends and family back home who care about me, for new friends, for a grand, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for my kids (who probably got me sick, but I love them anyway), for Hallie, for our visitors, for City Shop, for getting to see my Mom and grandma in a few days, for having individual freedom, for being American, and for coming home in two months and counting…giving thanks couldn’t feel better.

Weijing: MSG

Thanks to Gam and Grump for my AWESOME care package!  I will no longer be cold =)

This is Not the Greatest Entry in the World, It's Just a Tribute

11/13/09

‘Northern Winds’ and torrential downpours have swept through Shanghai the past few days.  The temperature has dropped in an extreme way.  Under Chinese law, no provinces located under the Yangze River (ie. Shanghai) are allowed central heating (cough it’s too expensive for the government to fund).  What I mean is that it’s cold EVERYWHERE.  Last night was my first uncomfortable freezing sleep, which resulted in a sore shoulder and a pink nose. {*Sore shoulder: I bought an extra comforter that I usually sleep on top of because my bed is so hard.  Now I sleep under it, therefore sleeping on my rock hard bed.}  NOTE:  Since first starting this entry, we have figured out our “heater” in our apartment.  While it does get a bit warmer, it is still pretty chilly (inside) when it’s really cold outside.

The American teachers from last year told us that the cold in Shanghai is inescapable.  For all who know me well, know that I LOATHE being cold.  I turn into a scary monster when I’m without heat/coat/gloves/hat.  {Sidenote: I used to secretly turn on the heat in my Mom’s house without her or Lee knowing.  If I felt like being really sneaky, I’d do it in the middle of the night.  They’d start sweating while I was de-thawing, feeling perfect.}

There is a temporary cure for my little problem.  Enter: Starbucks.  Western places can operate in whatever way they please.  So after school on Tuesdays at 10:45 AM, I head to Starbucks (about a 15 minute walk) and am greeted with a burst of warm air.  I order my 30 Yuan beverage and take it upstairs.  I plop down on a big cushiony chair while the few Chinese briefly stare but then go back to previous conversations.  I whip out my book, clutch my cup, and read while my hands gain back warm feeling from palm to fingers.  I even put my cup up to my nose and cheeks to get the blood flowing again.

Who knew Starbucks could save me all the way across the world?  The place that once saved me before in all night cram sessions or gave me a little perk before a night out with friends has come to my rescue.  Because of its efforts, Starbucks should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  It aids to my awareness, kindness towards others and my students, and to my ever-depleting energy level.  Thank you Starbucks for keeping me sane while I’m away.  I owe you a big one.

 Stop talking: Bu yao shuo hua

Hangzhou and Dad

11/6/09

Our first visitor to China was the infamous Joe Golias.  We have quite the {visitor} list accumulating, including Hallie’s Uncle Hal, my mom, and Mimi.  We started with a bang by having my dad here.  And this is how our time was spent:

Wednesday:

After my afternoon of teaching we met my dad at his hotel off of Caobao Rd.  I was so excited to see him that I falsely identified him as a Chinese man who rolled up in a taxi about 5 minutes before my dad actually came.  We went to Xintiandi (an Expat hangout equipped with nice restaurants) and ate at a dumpling place called Din Tai Fung.  It was delicious and was even written up in the New York Times.  After, we ate Coldstone ice cream.  Because we bought four treats (me, dad, Hallie and a colleague of my dad’s) the employees gave us a gift card for next time and a cookbook…yep.  COFAG. Or COFAW. (*COFAG.  Mel and Leighton’s amazing acronym for ‘Confessions of a Fat Girl.’  I entered the ‘W’ for Westerner.)  We walked around the area, ate our ice cream, and then found a cigar and wine bar.  We sat in there and told Hallie all about our crazy family.  She may or may not have gotten more than she bargained for…

Thursday:

I taught my usual day at Xiang Yang and Jian Guo.  But bolted home to finish packing to catch our 7:03 PM train to Hangzhou.  Dad got to see my apartment and he was either speechless or chose to remain mute.  Child’s bed, flat screen TV, and mis-matched décor may have been why.  We walked to Shanghai South Railway and ate at the new Subway.  This is where the jokes started flying.  My dad thought that when he asked for pickles, which they didn’t have, if China was a Communist country {to the young sandwich-maker employees}.  They looked at him like he was crazy.  This wouldn’t be the last time he asked the question and wouldn’t be the last time a Chinese person stared at him perplexed.

We boarded the train and thanks to Sue, Hallie and I had some serious reading material to pass the time. We opened the fashion magazines and dad said that we looked like we were reading something of utmost importance.  Instyle, Vogue…very important.  We got to Hangzhou around 8:30 PM and checked into the Sofitel Westlake Hotel.  I about fainted when I walked into the room.  Two DOUBLE beds, nice linens, a shower AND a bathtub, TV channels in English.  We had struck gold!  After the initial shock of feeling like a queen faded, we strolled around the West Lake, Hangzhou’s biggest attraction.  It was quaint, pretty, and low key compared to Shanghai.  Our crowd turned in early and I went to sleep after watching HBO and CNN and of course, with my Instyle clutched in between my fingers.

Friday:

Hallie and I woke up early to run in the exercise room.  Felt so nice!  Running outside in Shanghai is really tough on the lungs, so running on a treadmill felt like frolicking around on clouds.  If that’s a good feeling.  After our workout we ate a HUGE breakfast of French toast, omelets, banana bread, pastries, mango juice, and coffee.  The buffet was located on the roof/terrace of the hotel.  So delicious and so beautiful!  After too much food and eating like I wasn’t going to be able to eat for a week, we set out to conquer the West Lake.

We hopped on “The Pleasure Boat” to take us to a couple different islands.  We visited ‘The Three Pools Mirroring the Moon’ and another boat to see Yue Fei’s Mausoleum.  The scenery was literally breath taking.  The one thing that seems to ruin anything about China is the smog.  I could have handled less haze, but the lakes, lily pads, bridges, boats, and fish all tied together a perfect picture.  A hilarious encounter that happens to Hallie and I a lot is Chinese people wanting to take photos with us.  (I know, the closest that I’ll ever come to being a celebrity.)  However, my dad was a littler newer to this game.   A Chinese family stopped us to video/take pictures of us.  Dad got really into it.  He taught them the ‘Hook ‘Em’ sign and was chatting up a storm, throwing in very few, but terribly pronounced Chinese words.  After his final ‘shay shay,’ they gave us directions to Yue Fei’s Temple.  Nice little people.

We walked to General Yue Fei’s Temple. {*A brief history note thanks to Lonely Planet: Yue Fei was a seasoned Commander of one of the southern Song armies who won many battles.  However after some miscommunication, he was executed under the Song court, but was later reburied at this temple.} The Mausoleum was enriched with beautiful greenery, quaint bridges, and statues.  The General is buried under a massive grass dome.  It wouldn’t be a traditional site without a hilarious Chinese tour going on.  This one was old people with purple hats.  You ask, what did my dad do/say/yell around these guys?  In a rough, Texan accent, “Hey look!  Go Tigers!  Look Buff, they’re some Tiger fans here!”

After sweet orange iced tea in individual pitchers and a short rest at a little spot off the Lake, we walked over to The Baochu Pagoda.  After climbing too many stairs, we saw the skinny, concrete monument.  It was built for a Prince so he would have ‘reason’ to come home.  (And it was supposed to resemble a beautiful girl, “Because if it’s elegant and smooth outline.”  It was apparently rebuilt over seven times.)  While Hallie headed back to the hotel, Dad and I took a taxi to the Linyin Temple, Hangzhou’s biggest temple (and biggest attraction, next to the West Lake).  Approaching the actual temple was a long wall with over 450 Buddhist carvings.  Named, ‘Temple of the Soul’s Retreat,” the palace was built in 326 AD.   When we entered the grounds there were tons of people burning incense and praying to Buddha.  After walking up each staircase or incline only to find a bigger Buddha, we finally reached the top.  We saw gold Buddhas with blue hair, bronze warriors with weapons, wishing wells and walls, and thrones fit for a king.  Feeling accomplished, we decided to end our day and go back to the hotel to rest before our night activities.   Little did we know the adventure was about to begin…

So we couldn’t find a taxi to get home.  There were hundreds of people at the Temple, but they seemed to all be on a tour (and they were all Chinese).  The few taxis that we saw seemed to be reserved for the day because none would pick us up.  After hearing, “It’s only ten more minutes to that big intersection,” and “Oh, I think that taxi might pick us up,” and “You know hun, at least we’re going downhill,” we started feeling pretty desperate.  On top that, our mile long detour through a residential neighborhood, landed us walking about 4 miles to civilization.  The empty promises didn’t bother me at this point, but we had already put in around 10 miles that day.  Also, the public bathroom we stumbled upon was a treat to say the least.  After we walked the distance of our taxi ride to the Temple, we hopped in a taxi and went back to hotel to get dressed for the Impression Westlake water show.

The show was really amazing with all the lights and so many participants.  The story seemed to be about a Chinese man with a parasol and a Chinese woman torn apart by ninjas and fish.  All the dancers were skilled enough to dance and run in the water without falling.  Very impressive.  The message of the story may have been a little lost in translation, but was still really fascinating.  The costumes were also ornate and beautiful.  After the show we ‘walked’ to a restaurant and all they had to eat was shark lips and pig ears, so we made a run for it.  We ended up eating a buffet near the hotel and passed out.

Saturday:

After our exhausting day of walking and no taxis, my dad made the executive decision to rent a cab for the day to prevent having previous problems.  Museums were on the list of things to do on Saturday.  We had the pleasure of riding with Mr. Chun who took care of us all day.

First up on our list, we went to what we thought was the Chinese Medicine Museum, which ended up being a huge market of ancient Chinese medications.  (Also called Qinghefang Old Street)  Store after store was filled with roots, hog legs, and herbal remedies.  There was music and performances by Chinese people happening in the small allies.  There were many trinket shops too.  My dad was intrigued by this tacky crystal glass store.  It was filled with cheesy photos of people etched in crystal cubes, hearts, and keychains.  We bought a chiseled glass square with our picture in it.  It’s my newest piece of artwork that sits on my bedside table.  It fits in nicely with my apartment’s kitschy décor.

Mr. Chun drove us to the Porcelain Museum next.  All we kept saying was, “I’m so glad we rented a taxi today.  We would have been stranded out here.”  Which would have been completely true at the Porcelain Museum.  The museum gave explanations about what Chinese porcelain was used for in which period of time.  We’ve found that it’s very hard to keep up with the time periods and which dynasty ruled when.  A lot of these museums are overwhelming with information; much of it goes over my head.

The China Silk Museum mainly told about the history of silk.  We all learned about how silk was made, which ended up being a lesson to all, even Joe!  The silk worm's nutrients comes from a mulberry tree.  Who knew?!  The museum had the different types, structures, styles, and patterns on display too.  Again, each dynasty favored wearing their silk tunics differently.  One liked the front to cross diagonally, while another chose a flat front.  Tomato, Tomahto if you ask me.  However, the ancient tunics there were beautiful and the history of silk was interesting.  The fabrics and colors signified royalty and how things changed over time…

The Six Harmonies Pagoda, named after the six codes of Buddhism, is by far the city’s biggest pagoda.  It lacked {English} history notes so we were not sure why it was built.  But later I found that the Chinese people thought it to be magical.  There are also quaint gardens located behind it.  We climbed up a few levels of stairs inside the pagoda to see beautiful views of the city.

The National Tea Museum was located in the Longjing Tea Village.  Mr. Chun took us for quite a ride to get there and this was our last stop.  And this was when we were REALLY grateful for renting a taxi for the day.  We drove through tea tree field after tea tree field to get to the museum.  The greenery was amazing!  Once we made it, the museum offered us the history of tea, how each kind was made, and China’s great part in making tea become a world commodity.  It also told about many different teas: mainly Green, but also Black, Oolong, White, etc.   All of which China is known for producing. 

After our long day we caught our train back to Shanghai and dad and I ate at a place called Element Fresh.  Good American café that I can’t afford to go to all the time.  What a special treat.  It was Halloween, and I did deserve a treat right?

Sunday:

I woke up early to teach my normal schedule on Sunday.  It definitely went by faster knowing that I got to meet up with my dad after school.  And even better, we had a great plan.  There’s a Texas bar and grill here called Bubba’s BBQ that plays big college football games on Sundays.  The place is owned by an Austin native, a man I accidentally named ‘Mr. Kenny.’  (He goes by Ken, but Mr. Kenny seemed to tickle him and his employees.)  Mr. Kenny uses a ‘sling box,’ a DVR hooked up back in the states, to stream the games.  Located kind of in the middle of nowhere on Hongqio Rd, I set out to meet up with big, bad Joe.

As I walk in, I find that my dad has been there for four hours.  He went early to watch the Florida game and had befriended, well the whole bar.  I saw a couple guys we met through Thomas {Verity} and went up to say hi.  I told them I was meeting my dad and they replied, “Oh, that’s your dad.  Hah he’s been yelling at the TV and cracking jokes since we’ve been here.  That’s awesome.”  Yeah….

So I sit next to Mr. Social and by this time Hallie has come to meet us.  We order a couple of beers and start watching the UT vs. OSU game.  The afternoon ended perfectly.  Texas played an awesome game, I felt like I was at home, I was with my dad, and we ate barbeque.  Our three delicious chopped beef sandwiches were consumed in happy silence. 

Now that my dad left, we anxiously await Uncle Hal’s arrival.  He comes on Tuesday and we are thrilled.  And I’m even more excited come December when I get to see my mom and Mimi.  Living for the weekends and visitors is what my life has been consumed with lately.

Left: Zuo Bian

Right: You Bian