Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Kunming
Every year, Labor Day in the Unites States reminds us that summer is coming to a close and once that last dog is grilled and the last beach volleyball is spiked, Autumn along with it the monotony of labor rears its ugly head once again. In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival falling on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month reminds us of the same thing. This traditional festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is not too dissimilar to the customs of Thanksgiving in that it emphasizes family unity and the act of giving thanks. Moon cakes (representing unity because of their circular shape) are given out like rapid fire to family members, teachers, coworkers, friends and everyone in between. During this season, I end up eating my fair share of moon cakes, but when I reach that tipping point and can no longer stand the taste, I do what everybody else does and recycle these small gifts – unless its one of the new ice cream moon cakes from Haagen Dazs– I always have room for those. By the time someone actually eats a moon cake I wouldn't be surprised to find out that it had already changed through half a dozen hands.
Since this this one-day holiday gave us a day off on September 15th, I took this opportunity to take a 4 day vacation and fly down to Kunming to chill with a good friend (and his friend) who had been backpacking through China and Southeast Asia. I wasn't expecting to do much sightseeing but rather relax with my buddy and let the spontaneity of this lovely southern city take us for a ride. Kunming lies high in the foothills of Yunnan that eventually lead up to the plateaus of the Tibet. Although the city is not known for its attractions, it is well regarded as a base camp for some of the most spectacular treks through the mountainous regions in Northwest Yunnan (home of Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La). Kunming is also regarded as the gateway city to Southeast Asia considering its close proximity to the Vietnam in the South. Lying on the border of a country known for its jungle warfare and unruly inhabitants, however, makes Kunming notorious for being the premier gateway city for China's drug trade. And by judging from the hostel that I was staying at (The Hump), the aroma of Afghani ganja was all too present.
This holiday was unusual for me in the sense that my only priorities were to lounge around the hostel, explore the city, and rock hard all night. Actually, daily we made attempts to leave our beloved Hump Hostel by checking out every morning, but after eating an American breakfast on their patio overlooking the square, we found ourselves checking back in. Hump rubbed us the right way – we met interesting people, we ate comfort food, and we took full advantage of their pool table and free internet. It was also centrally located, in walking distance to most parts of the city, and was perched above a bar that was conveniently names Hump bar.
Since this this one-day holiday gave us a day off on September 15th, I took this opportunity to take a 4 day vacation and fly down to Kunming to chill with a good friend (and his friend) who had been backpacking through China and Southeast Asia. I wasn't expecting to do much sightseeing but rather relax with my buddy and let the spontaneity of this lovely southern city take us for a ride. Kunming lies high in the foothills of Yunnan that eventually lead up to the plateaus of the Tibet. Although the city is not known for its attractions, it is well regarded as a base camp for some of the most spectacular treks through the mountainous regions in Northwest Yunnan (home of Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La). Kunming is also regarded as the gateway city to Southeast Asia considering its close proximity to the Vietnam in the South. Lying on the border of a country known for its jungle warfare and unruly inhabitants, however, makes Kunming notorious for being the premier gateway city for China's drug trade. And by judging from the hostel that I was staying at (The Hump), the aroma of Afghani ganja was all too present.
This holiday was unusual for me in the sense that my only priorities were to lounge around the hostel, explore the city, and rock hard all night. Actually, daily we made attempts to leave our beloved Hump Hostel by checking out every morning, but after eating an American breakfast on their patio overlooking the square, we found ourselves checking back in. Hump rubbed us the right way – we met interesting people, we ate comfort food, and we took full advantage of their pool table and free internet. It was also centrally located, in walking distance to most parts of the city, and was perched above a bar that was conveniently names Hump bar.
During our days we would explore the city by foot, walk through the markets, stroll along the Green Lake, and get lost in the back run-down neighborhoods. Kunming is a slow placed city with nothing touristy about it – except for that it is a great destination to just sit back and recline. At night we would explore the nightlife on Wenlin Avenue, visit hotspots like Speakeasy and the clubs in Kundu. Although the local expat crowd seemed a little too burt out for me (I doubt half of them can even locate their passports), they all seemed gregarious enough.
The people we met during our days spent in Kunming really helped characterize the whole experience. A French backpacker named Phillipe who I had actually bumped into at the airport ended up accompanying us during our first night of charades – a mixture of live music bars, beer bars, street food shananigns and hard-edge clubbing. A Scotsman living in Chengdu but in town for weekend was staying at the hostel and had a nack for telling jokes like “what do you get when you cross a kangaroo and a sheep… a wooly jumper”- its much funnier in a Scotish accent. After hanging out with a heavily intoxicated Chinese group at one club, a Chinese girl who fancied my friend followed us back to Hump Hostel, and again the next night. One of the more peculiar encounters of my trip took place at 4 in the morning at the Hump bar while listening to this scruffy guy free-styling to the beat of a Chinese guitarist to his left. After suffering through a few minutes of deja vous, it hit me… I went to school with this guy back in Philadelphia. It was completely random – apparently he is the official Captain Morgan (hence the scruffy beard) for their Kunming launch – a dream job of his he claims.
On the last full day I was in Kunming, we decided to take an afternoon trip to the famous Stone Forest a few hour to the south of Kuming. The three of us, the Scotsman, and the Captain Morgan got on to a bus right next to the train station and made the haul out of the city, past Dianchi Lake, and into the Stone Forest. At first I was a expecting to see fields of petrified wood similar to the national park in central Arizona, but I quickly learned that the forest actually refers to the tall and jagged rock formation covering this beautiful area of land – however, one wrong step and you may find yourself impaled by a sharp rock. The landscape was so dreamlike and the weather was ideal that it took great efforts to head back to town… only to discover that the last bus heading to Kunming had just left. No worries – we ate a menial dinner, drank a few Dali beers (a local brew) and hitched a ride back in a van.
After four days in Kunming, I boarded a plane and returned back to normalcy.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Olympics - Final Notes
Before I start writing about my various journeys throughout the month of September and October, I suppose I should briefly wrap up my accounts during the Olympic summer. Unfortunately these wild memories are already becoming hazy.
Like I had stated in my earlier posts, my old Beijing schoolmates had made the return to partake in the festivities and much of my excitement was rooted in the fact that they were there to accompany me to many of these events and parties. My brother was also with me during the whole spectacle and only God knows what he had recorded on his video camera – especially while getting lucky with a Chinese girl named Ai (meaning love).
One memorable night came after the Dutch field hockey team had won the gold. The Heineken House was infamous for being the craziest of all the Olympic houses (others including the Bud House, the English House, and the Australian House) and being there the night of their victory was incredible. After walking into Beijing’s agricultural exhibition hall, we were confronted by a sea of tall people in orange (the Dutch national color) and of course, kegs upon kegs of Heineken. We drank, we danced, we sang local Dutch songs and American classics, and although cups of beer would go airborne every 30 seconds, it didn't matter – the place smelt like sweat, beer, and pure adrenaline. Finally the field hockey girls came on stage to receive a thunderous applause – and to the tune of a national favorite, the whole team decided to go crowd surfing with their gold medals hanging around their necks. European camaraderie, rooted in a deep passionate love for their country and countrymen, is something that I have never experienced living in Connecticut. When growing up in the States, competition with another country, especially on the sports field, was nearly nonexistent outside the Olympics or World Cup. Because I more akin to rooting for the New York Yankees or the Philadelphia Flyers rather than the USA, I will never be able to associate drinking with singing nationalistic songs with my neighbors. Don't get me wrong - I’m just as patriotic as the other guy, but I just can’t recall any instance when the whole country of America would celebrate at the expense of another nation’s loss (post WWII). Sometimes, I am amazed at how massive our country really is, and how fractured…For the remainder the night, we rocked out with our inebriated European cousins and it was glorious.
There were many other jovial occasions throughout the month, some blurrier than others, but all in all it was a wild and crazy time – by brother’s Olympic documentary will lay testament to this. Despite the controversies and scandals, the Olympics in Beijing, I believe, will go down in history as a great success. How has the world changed? How has Beijing changed? How has my life changed? I guess we will see.
Like I had stated in my earlier posts, my old Beijing schoolmates had made the return to partake in the festivities and much of my excitement was rooted in the fact that they were there to accompany me to many of these events and parties. My brother was also with me during the whole spectacle and only God knows what he had recorded on his video camera – especially while getting lucky with a Chinese girl named Ai (meaning love).
One memorable night came after the Dutch field hockey team had won the gold. The Heineken House was infamous for being the craziest of all the Olympic houses (others including the Bud House, the English House, and the Australian House) and being there the night of their victory was incredible. After walking into Beijing’s agricultural exhibition hall, we were confronted by a sea of tall people in orange (the Dutch national color) and of course, kegs upon kegs of Heineken. We drank, we danced, we sang local Dutch songs and American classics, and although cups of beer would go airborne every 30 seconds, it didn't matter – the place smelt like sweat, beer, and pure adrenaline. Finally the field hockey girls came on stage to receive a thunderous applause – and to the tune of a national favorite, the whole team decided to go crowd surfing with their gold medals hanging around their necks. European camaraderie, rooted in a deep passionate love for their country and countrymen, is something that I have never experienced living in Connecticut. When growing up in the States, competition with another country, especially on the sports field, was nearly nonexistent outside the Olympics or World Cup. Because I more akin to rooting for the New York Yankees or the Philadelphia Flyers rather than the USA, I will never be able to associate drinking with singing nationalistic songs with my neighbors. Don't get me wrong - I’m just as patriotic as the other guy, but I just can’t recall any instance when the whole country of America would celebrate at the expense of another nation’s loss (post WWII). Sometimes, I am amazed at how massive our country really is, and how fractured…For the remainder the night, we rocked out with our inebriated European cousins and it was glorious.
There were many other jovial occasions throughout the month, some blurrier than others, but all in all it was a wild and crazy time – by brother’s Olympic documentary will lay testament to this. Despite the controversies and scandals, the Olympics in Beijing, I believe, will go down in history as a great success. How has the world changed? How has Beijing changed? How has my life changed? I guess we will see.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Olympic Memories - Part 2
Although the Olympics is about much more than just sports, I think it would be insensitive not to mention them in my blog. A few days before the start of the Games, I was able to scrounge up a few more tickets from one of the websites that had bought a slew of leftovers and were now trying to unload them with haste. I was also lucky enough to get invited by friends and coworkers to a few of the events. Here is a list of Olympic events that I saw in no particular order:
Handball: This sport will forever remain one of my favorites of the Olympics. This unsung hero is packed with intense physical play, insane vertical jumps, and the stirring suspense associated with games where a single possession can make the difference between a win and a loss. The first match that I attended was between South Korea and Germany. Because of its relatively small court, the crowds at handball matches are more directly linked to the play than usual – often setting the tone for a run in goals or by assisting in energizing their teams. Both Germany and Korea had brought a presence to administer such fervor, however, Germany smuggled in a secret weapon sitting not more than a few seat behind me – Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Maverick’s monster center, winning the MPV Award in the 06-07 NBA Season). Dirk used to play handball in Germany before making his transfer to the NBA and is figuratively and physically their biggest fan. After cheering Germany to victory, Dirk and his teammates tried to flee the scene as dozens of Chinese NBA enthusiasts began to swarm their seats, and in the process ran by me to get to the closest exit – let’s just say that it was interesting to feel like a hobbit for a few fleeting seconds.
The second handball match I attended was between the Norwegian and Croatian (I think) women. Because this is something of a national sport to Norway, it wasn’t surprising to see the stadium mostly filled with red shirts and hats. They also had the most animated cheer of the Olympics, similar to the Florida State Seminole’s tomahawk chop, but instead this chop was more suiting for a raping a pillaging Viking. It was a close game to the very end, but very much to the liking of practically everyone in the stands including the king and queen of Norway, the Norwegian women pulled out with the win.
Weightlifting: Not exactly an action packed event, but it was…interesting. After stocking up on refreshments (they never had hotdogs, even though they are advertised, making popcorn the next best thing), my brother and I found our seats in this spanking new gymnasium on Beijing Aerospace and Aeronautics University’s campus. After learning how the scoring worked (taking up half of the time we were there), we spent the remaining time we had trying to guess which women lifters are better suited for the snatch and which are better suited for the clean and jerk. We concluded that shorter girls are better at the snatch (like this little Mongolian brut) and that all-around massiveness helps girls with the clean and jerk (like this Mexican giant). The American girls competing seemed the most jovial and always smiled and waved after a lift – this was a stark contrast to some of the surly-looking Soviet-block girls with coaches that seemed to be breathing down their necks.
Archery: This event was pretty cool. For one, I had no idea that the target was so far away. I found it incredible that they were even able to hit the target, much less the bulls-eye (I suppose these state-of-the-art bows and arrows perform a lot better than Robin Hood’s ever did). When my brother and I first arrived, the stands were full of South Koreans rooting for their star competitor. I found out later that the Koreans have excelled at this event for the past few Olympics and that their archers were expecting to nab a few golds. In fact, their best archer (last name Park of course) set a world record while we sat there, getting perfect 10s for ten of his twelve attempts. The crowd was wild. During the next round, an American kid easily beat his Chinese completion, but was later edged out by a Canadian lumber jack (he had a beastly beard). Even though the Koreans had chosen for some reason to side with the Canadian and thus, making a ruckus superior to ours, it was a blast to be able to cheer for the good old USA with my fellow compatriots. WOOW - USA!!!
Field Hockey: This was probably the least interesting of all the events that I attended during the Olympics. After finding our seats among a crowd of Chinese fans with some crazy face paint, we sat their for about 20 minutes looking at men running around with field hockey sticks before deciding to leave the game and walk around the park for a bit. In a team sport like field hockey, who would have thought China had a men’s team.
As a side note, at all of the Olympic events that I attended, the staggering number of empty seats was shocking – I thought everything was sold out. This stems from the fact that a large swath of China’s corporate sponsors and government officials chose not use most of their free tickets. This result was also exacerbated by speculators who bought the cheap tickets trying to make an extra buck from the over demand, but in the end failed to sell them. A few days into the events, the empty stands shown to TV viewers all over the world started to reflect poorly on the Games. The embarrassed Beijing Olympic committee hastily bused in annoying Olympic volunteers to fill in the empty seats. The unison cheer was always “JiaYou” (Turn on the Gas) and more often then note, they cheered during all the wrong times – these robotic cheerleaders may know how to smile, but you’d be lucky to find one that knew anything about the sport they were watching.
Boxing: There is nothing better than getting off work and heading straight to a boxing match with a bunch of guys where beers is less than a dollar and bets are exchanged after every round. This coliseum atmosphere was very much conducive to a rowdy crowd full of hecklers and popcorn throwers. Often I took blind bets with my friends (picking red or blue before knowing where the competitor was from) and because of this, I mostly lost, and was therefore relinquished to beer duty during most of the night. Strategically, I found that it was safe to pick a boxer from a –Stan country, and to never underestimate the pale white guys – they’re wiry. The night was full of “amazing” and “terrific” matches (those words flashed on the big screens almost every other round), but the icing on top was the last match when the American murdered the Russian – the group I was with began humming the Rocky soundtrack all at the same time. It was glorious.
Baseball: The first game I went to was between the Dutch and the Japanese. Baseball games in general are pretty slow but I suppose it’s better than watching them on TV. The enjoyment I derive comes from sitting amongst a rambunctious crowd taken in by the suspense behind every pitch. On my right I had Dutch families with everything orange (their national color) dancing to music. To my left there was a large Japanese cheering squad repeating chants one after another without pause. The Japanese cheer captains had whistles and overpowering voices, which to my surprise lasted for all nine innings (I felt exhausted just looking at them). Minus the fact that I was in Beijing and the teams weren’t American, the experience was no dissimilar that those I’ve had at baseball stadiums at home - the 7th inning stretch, the wave, fighting over foul balls, constant heckling. I just wish they had ballpark hotdogs – that was a little frustrating. The Japanese ended up winning the game, but I think everybody was in high spirits on that beautiful night.
Thanks to a coworker who had a few extra tickets, I was able to score a game between the Japanese and the United States. Having your team on the field definitely added an extra element of excitement. The funny thing is that the Chinese spectators sitting around us chanted USA more often then we did (If you know anything about WWII history and the historical prejudices the Chinese have yet to overcome, this actually makes perfect sense). The game in itself was very uneventful. At the top of the 11th inning, the score was nill to nill. In a new Olympic rule, if you the score is tied going into the 11th, the batting team can start the inning with two runners on first and second base. This seemed like a crazy rule to me, but luckily it worked in our favor. The Americans scored four runs which was enough to hold back the Japanese team, only able to bring home three runs. It was an exciting 11th inning – I just wish I hadn’t wasted my time for the two hours that had proceeded.
The gold medal game which I was able to see on a big screen at a Korean owned bar was between Korea (naturally) and Cuba (the powerhouse). This was an amazing game that had everybody on the edge of their seats up until the end. The Koreans were up by one going into the bottom of the 9th but the Korean pitcher suddenly choked and before you knew it, the bases were loaded with only one out. All the Cuban batter had to do was hit a fly ball and they could at least tie the game, and even possibly win… smack, grab, toss, out at 2nd, throw, catch…OUT at first. DOUBLE PLAY!!! Korea wins!!! I, everybody at the bar, and I am sure the whole nation of South Korea sprung out of our seats consumed with pure ecstasy. It was so beautiful. Funny enough, this event that wasn’t even televised in China (the stream was coming from a Korean internet site) will go down as one of my favorite moments of the Beijing Olympics.
And Others: Of course other great athletic achievements and moments helped to define this Olympics: Bolt (fastest man ever), Phellps (8 golds), Liu Xiang (couldn’t take the pressure), Chinese women gymnasts (more like 14 year old girls), and of course the ReDeem Team (so sick). Naturally, I was disappointed to see the Americans achieve fewer golds than the Chinese, but in the end, we won more medals. The overall winner – debatable – but all in all, the Beijing Olympics brought about some of the most amazing moments in the history of athletic prowess and I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have been apart of them.
Handball: This sport will forever remain one of my favorites of the Olympics. This unsung hero is packed with intense physical play, insane vertical jumps, and the stirring suspense associated with games where a single possession can make the difference between a win and a loss. The first match that I attended was between South Korea and Germany. Because of its relatively small court, the crowds at handball matches are more directly linked to the play than usual – often setting the tone for a run in goals or by assisting in energizing their teams. Both Germany and Korea had brought a presence to administer such fervor, however, Germany smuggled in a secret weapon sitting not more than a few seat behind me – Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Maverick’s monster center, winning the MPV Award in the 06-07 NBA Season). Dirk used to play handball in Germany before making his transfer to the NBA and is figuratively and physically their biggest fan. After cheering Germany to victory, Dirk and his teammates tried to flee the scene as dozens of Chinese NBA enthusiasts began to swarm their seats, and in the process ran by me to get to the closest exit – let’s just say that it was interesting to feel like a hobbit for a few fleeting seconds.
The second handball match I attended was between the Norwegian and Croatian (I think) women. Because this is something of a national sport to Norway, it wasn’t surprising to see the stadium mostly filled with red shirts and hats. They also had the most animated cheer of the Olympics, similar to the Florida State Seminole’s tomahawk chop, but instead this chop was more suiting for a raping a pillaging Viking. It was a close game to the very end, but very much to the liking of practically everyone in the stands including the king and queen of Norway, the Norwegian women pulled out with the win.
Weightlifting: Not exactly an action packed event, but it was…interesting. After stocking up on refreshments (they never had hotdogs, even though they are advertised, making popcorn the next best thing), my brother and I found our seats in this spanking new gymnasium on Beijing Aerospace and Aeronautics University’s campus. After learning how the scoring worked (taking up half of the time we were there), we spent the remaining time we had trying to guess which women lifters are better suited for the snatch and which are better suited for the clean and jerk. We concluded that shorter girls are better at the snatch (like this little Mongolian brut) and that all-around massiveness helps girls with the clean and jerk (like this Mexican giant). The American girls competing seemed the most jovial and always smiled and waved after a lift – this was a stark contrast to some of the surly-looking Soviet-block girls with coaches that seemed to be breathing down their necks.
Archery: This event was pretty cool. For one, I had no idea that the target was so far away. I found it incredible that they were even able to hit the target, much less the bulls-eye (I suppose these state-of-the-art bows and arrows perform a lot better than Robin Hood’s ever did). When my brother and I first arrived, the stands were full of South Koreans rooting for their star competitor. I found out later that the Koreans have excelled at this event for the past few Olympics and that their archers were expecting to nab a few golds. In fact, their best archer (last name Park of course) set a world record while we sat there, getting perfect 10s for ten of his twelve attempts. The crowd was wild. During the next round, an American kid easily beat his Chinese completion, but was later edged out by a Canadian lumber jack (he had a beastly beard). Even though the Koreans had chosen for some reason to side with the Canadian and thus, making a ruckus superior to ours, it was a blast to be able to cheer for the good old USA with my fellow compatriots. WOOW - USA!!!
Field Hockey: This was probably the least interesting of all the events that I attended during the Olympics. After finding our seats among a crowd of Chinese fans with some crazy face paint, we sat their for about 20 minutes looking at men running around with field hockey sticks before deciding to leave the game and walk around the park for a bit. In a team sport like field hockey, who would have thought China had a men’s team.
As a side note, at all of the Olympic events that I attended, the staggering number of empty seats was shocking – I thought everything was sold out. This stems from the fact that a large swath of China’s corporate sponsors and government officials chose not use most of their free tickets. This result was also exacerbated by speculators who bought the cheap tickets trying to make an extra buck from the over demand, but in the end failed to sell them. A few days into the events, the empty stands shown to TV viewers all over the world started to reflect poorly on the Games. The embarrassed Beijing Olympic committee hastily bused in annoying Olympic volunteers to fill in the empty seats. The unison cheer was always “JiaYou” (Turn on the Gas) and more often then note, they cheered during all the wrong times – these robotic cheerleaders may know how to smile, but you’d be lucky to find one that knew anything about the sport they were watching.
Boxing: There is nothing better than getting off work and heading straight to a boxing match with a bunch of guys where beers is less than a dollar and bets are exchanged after every round. This coliseum atmosphere was very much conducive to a rowdy crowd full of hecklers and popcorn throwers. Often I took blind bets with my friends (picking red or blue before knowing where the competitor was from) and because of this, I mostly lost, and was therefore relinquished to beer duty during most of the night. Strategically, I found that it was safe to pick a boxer from a –Stan country, and to never underestimate the pale white guys – they’re wiry. The night was full of “amazing” and “terrific” matches (those words flashed on the big screens almost every other round), but the icing on top was the last match when the American murdered the Russian – the group I was with began humming the Rocky soundtrack all at the same time. It was glorious.
Baseball: The first game I went to was between the Dutch and the Japanese. Baseball games in general are pretty slow but I suppose it’s better than watching them on TV. The enjoyment I derive comes from sitting amongst a rambunctious crowd taken in by the suspense behind every pitch. On my right I had Dutch families with everything orange (their national color) dancing to music. To my left there was a large Japanese cheering squad repeating chants one after another without pause. The Japanese cheer captains had whistles and overpowering voices, which to my surprise lasted for all nine innings (I felt exhausted just looking at them). Minus the fact that I was in Beijing and the teams weren’t American, the experience was no dissimilar that those I’ve had at baseball stadiums at home - the 7th inning stretch, the wave, fighting over foul balls, constant heckling. I just wish they had ballpark hotdogs – that was a little frustrating. The Japanese ended up winning the game, but I think everybody was in high spirits on that beautiful night.
Thanks to a coworker who had a few extra tickets, I was able to score a game between the Japanese and the United States. Having your team on the field definitely added an extra element of excitement. The funny thing is that the Chinese spectators sitting around us chanted USA more often then we did (If you know anything about WWII history and the historical prejudices the Chinese have yet to overcome, this actually makes perfect sense). The game in itself was very uneventful. At the top of the 11th inning, the score was nill to nill. In a new Olympic rule, if you the score is tied going into the 11th, the batting team can start the inning with two runners on first and second base. This seemed like a crazy rule to me, but luckily it worked in our favor. The Americans scored four runs which was enough to hold back the Japanese team, only able to bring home three runs. It was an exciting 11th inning – I just wish I hadn’t wasted my time for the two hours that had proceeded.
The gold medal game which I was able to see on a big screen at a Korean owned bar was between Korea (naturally) and Cuba (the powerhouse). This was an amazing game that had everybody on the edge of their seats up until the end. The Koreans were up by one going into the bottom of the 9th but the Korean pitcher suddenly choked and before you knew it, the bases were loaded with only one out. All the Cuban batter had to do was hit a fly ball and they could at least tie the game, and even possibly win… smack, grab, toss, out at 2nd, throw, catch…OUT at first. DOUBLE PLAY!!! Korea wins!!! I, everybody at the bar, and I am sure the whole nation of South Korea sprung out of our seats consumed with pure ecstasy. It was so beautiful. Funny enough, this event that wasn’t even televised in China (the stream was coming from a Korean internet site) will go down as one of my favorite moments of the Beijing Olympics.
And Others: Of course other great athletic achievements and moments helped to define this Olympics: Bolt (fastest man ever), Phellps (8 golds), Liu Xiang (couldn’t take the pressure), Chinese women gymnasts (more like 14 year old girls), and of course the ReDeem Team (so sick). Naturally, I was disappointed to see the Americans achieve fewer golds than the Chinese, but in the end, we won more medals. The overall winner – debatable – but all in all, the Beijing Olympics brought about some of the most amazing moments in the history of athletic prowess and I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have been apart of them.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Olympic Memories - Part 1
WOW.WOW...WOW
You know that piercing feeling you get when walking into the glaring sun after spending what seems like an eternity at a matinee where you had just experienced all the sensations of life in an orderly yet chaotic stream of consciousness. This is how I would currently describe my state of being as my body, mind and soul recovers from what has been the most unruly month in my post-college years characterized by an unrelenting flow of hearty house guests, all night merrymakings, and of course, Olympic madness. (Lack of articulation seems to be a side effect so bare with me today.)
Because I have not written anything in over a month, I believe it would be more appropriate to run through a few select highlights of the Olympic Season. But before I do that, I would like to thank all the visitors who shared these experiences with me in Beijing, namely by brother, Dan, Chris, Jessica, Scott, Clara, Ben, and Ray. And of course, I would like to thank Beijing, despite all the mafan (trouble) it throws at me, for giving me the opportunity to experience the only Olympics I will probably ever be part of. The following are some Olympic memories and afterthoughts:
The Opening Ceremony: On the eve of the Olympics the city was anything but relaxed. There had been warning signs that terrorists were ready to strike, dissidents were being thrown into dark vans, rainstorms were brewing, and one simple question seemed to be on everybody’s mind: will Beijing really be able to pull this off?
Although most Chinese stayed at home to watch the ceremony on their televisions, my friends and I had decided to celebrate this festive occasion and citywide holiday (no work that Friday) at one of the city’s 18 big-screen outdoor TVs. The plan to watch on the big-screen inside Chaoyang Park was thwarted when we learnt that there were technical difficulties in getting the image to appear – this only made me more skeptical of China’s ability to hold the world’s biggest party. Finally, we decided to relocate to the big-screen outside the Worker’s Stadium near Sanlitun. By the time the countdown began at 8 pm, the pavement outside was covered with curious locals and jubilant foreigners. “Curious” because their eyes were fixed on the screen. “Jubilant” because we were making toasts, dancing, singing, and inviting all around us to join us in drinking games. Flags of various nations began to appear throughout the crowd and at first I, along with my Chinese counterparts, were taken back by this unprecedented loud show of foreign nationalism on Chinese soil. Foreign flags do not set well with a society that was plagues by wars and foreign invaders for over a century. Naturally, this was non-issue once the Olympics started.
To be honest, I only saw bits and pieces of the opening ceremony. I spent most of my time running amuck. The climax of my night came when the American Olympians finally entered the stadium – the order of teams this year was determined by the number of strokes in the first character of each country’s Chinese name, rather then using the trusty old Roman alphabet. At the sight of the American delegation, a boisterous guy with a large American flag emerged in front of me, and in my semi-intoxicated state I ran up to him to hold up the other end. Overflowing with utter excitement and the sheer pleasure of fulfilling our patriotic duties, we ran around the square waving the grand old red, white and blue high above the crowd. When we returned, we found ourselves being surrounded by dozens of young Chinese with digital cameras and a few real photographers (I was hoping to see a pic in the newspaper the next day). At this point, my brother also posed in front of the flag as the three of us began to sing the National Anthem. It was a glorious moment for all Americans everywhere.
After that, the program seemed to lag on and on. Hungry as a bear, most of us skipped across the street to dine in a small but scrumptious hole-in-the-wall Xinjiang restaurant, and on their TV, we were able to watch the lighting of the torch. The Olympics had officially begun, the fanfare was breath-taking, the performances were beautiful, the government had prevented rainstorms, terrorists, and any major screw-up… and the whole country exhaled that night as billions all over the world watched in awe – this night will be remembered by generations as China’s (much anticipated) coming out party.
(to be continued...)
You know that piercing feeling you get when walking into the glaring sun after spending what seems like an eternity at a matinee where you had just experienced all the sensations of life in an orderly yet chaotic stream of consciousness. This is how I would currently describe my state of being as my body, mind and soul recovers from what has been the most unruly month in my post-college years characterized by an unrelenting flow of hearty house guests, all night merrymakings, and of course, Olympic madness. (Lack of articulation seems to be a side effect so bare with me today.)
Because I have not written anything in over a month, I believe it would be more appropriate to run through a few select highlights of the Olympic Season. But before I do that, I would like to thank all the visitors who shared these experiences with me in Beijing, namely by brother, Dan, Chris, Jessica, Scott, Clara, Ben, and Ray. And of course, I would like to thank Beijing, despite all the mafan (trouble) it throws at me, for giving me the opportunity to experience the only Olympics I will probably ever be part of. The following are some Olympic memories and afterthoughts:
The Opening Ceremony: On the eve of the Olympics the city was anything but relaxed. There had been warning signs that terrorists were ready to strike, dissidents were being thrown into dark vans, rainstorms were brewing, and one simple question seemed to be on everybody’s mind: will Beijing really be able to pull this off?
Although most Chinese stayed at home to watch the ceremony on their televisions, my friends and I had decided to celebrate this festive occasion and citywide holiday (no work that Friday) at one of the city’s 18 big-screen outdoor TVs. The plan to watch on the big-screen inside Chaoyang Park was thwarted when we learnt that there were technical difficulties in getting the image to appear – this only made me more skeptical of China’s ability to hold the world’s biggest party. Finally, we decided to relocate to the big-screen outside the Worker’s Stadium near Sanlitun. By the time the countdown began at 8 pm, the pavement outside was covered with curious locals and jubilant foreigners. “Curious” because their eyes were fixed on the screen. “Jubilant” because we were making toasts, dancing, singing, and inviting all around us to join us in drinking games. Flags of various nations began to appear throughout the crowd and at first I, along with my Chinese counterparts, were taken back by this unprecedented loud show of foreign nationalism on Chinese soil. Foreign flags do not set well with a society that was plagues by wars and foreign invaders for over a century. Naturally, this was non-issue once the Olympics started.
To be honest, I only saw bits and pieces of the opening ceremony. I spent most of my time running amuck. The climax of my night came when the American Olympians finally entered the stadium – the order of teams this year was determined by the number of strokes in the first character of each country’s Chinese name, rather then using the trusty old Roman alphabet. At the sight of the American delegation, a boisterous guy with a large American flag emerged in front of me, and in my semi-intoxicated state I ran up to him to hold up the other end. Overflowing with utter excitement and the sheer pleasure of fulfilling our patriotic duties, we ran around the square waving the grand old red, white and blue high above the crowd. When we returned, we found ourselves being surrounded by dozens of young Chinese with digital cameras and a few real photographers (I was hoping to see a pic in the newspaper the next day). At this point, my brother also posed in front of the flag as the three of us began to sing the National Anthem. It was a glorious moment for all Americans everywhere.
After that, the program seemed to lag on and on. Hungry as a bear, most of us skipped across the street to dine in a small but scrumptious hole-in-the-wall Xinjiang restaurant, and on their TV, we were able to watch the lighting of the torch. The Olympics had officially begun, the fanfare was breath-taking, the performances were beautiful, the government had prevented rainstorms, terrorists, and any major screw-up… and the whole country exhaled that night as billions all over the world watched in awe – this night will be remembered by generations as China’s (much anticipated) coming out party.
(to be continued...)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
One Day To Go
With the opening ceremony for the Olympics only one day away I thought I should write a brief post. What is the situation on the ground. As of right now my building is surrounded by Chinese SWAT, Bush will be arriving this evening, pollution looms over the city, traffic is horrid, protesters are already up to their stunts (2 Britons and 2 Americans scalled an electrical line to wave a Free Tibet banner), I have been harrassed constantly about my residency permit, and the police dogs are all over the city.
Security is tighter I have ever seen it and many diplomats are even comparing it to war zones they have lived in like Kosovo or even Iraq. Many of my favorite bars are closed because of "security reasons" and outside seating has been banned to prevent confrontations between foreigners and locals. Nerves are high, everybody has basically arrived , rain is in the forecast, and it's completely chaotic.
I thought Beijing was going to be a little more prepaared than this. Perhaps the official's only measure of success is not allowing terrorists to ruin the Games. Pollution, traffic, bad PR from throwing dissendents in jail or blocking websites, a no-fun Olympics - these matters although troubling to me do not seem particulary threatening to the organizers.
I am so anxious to see how the Games turn out. How the media reports it. And how the Dream Team performs. I recently went on a ticket buying spree, picking up tickets for Archery, Weighlifting, Boxing, Handball, Baseball, Field Hockey, and the last stretch of the Women's Marathon (as long as it's not delayed because of poor air quality.)
I have been typing this stream of consciousness for about 5 minutes now and its allready 6pm. Time to go home and get the party started. No work tomorrow. Citywide holiday for all. Rock on and lets see how this movie ends.
(I will talk to ya'll after the end of Olympics since I will be hosting family and friends and mainly because I will be having to much fun to post). One World One Dream --- ha ha!!!!
Security is tighter I have ever seen it and many diplomats are even comparing it to war zones they have lived in like Kosovo or even Iraq. Many of my favorite bars are closed because of "security reasons" and outside seating has been banned to prevent confrontations between foreigners and locals. Nerves are high, everybody has basically arrived , rain is in the forecast, and it's completely chaotic.
I thought Beijing was going to be a little more prepaared than this. Perhaps the official's only measure of success is not allowing terrorists to ruin the Games. Pollution, traffic, bad PR from throwing dissendents in jail or blocking websites, a no-fun Olympics - these matters although troubling to me do not seem particulary threatening to the organizers.
I am so anxious to see how the Games turn out. How the media reports it. And how the Dream Team performs. I recently went on a ticket buying spree, picking up tickets for Archery, Weighlifting, Boxing, Handball, Baseball, Field Hockey, and the last stretch of the Women's Marathon (as long as it's not delayed because of poor air quality.)
I have been typing this stream of consciousness for about 5 minutes now and its allready 6pm. Time to go home and get the party started. No work tomorrow. Citywide holiday for all. Rock on and lets see how this movie ends.
(I will talk to ya'll after the end of Olympics since I will be hosting family and friends and mainly because I will be having to much fun to post). One World One Dream --- ha ha!!!!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Shenyang
Finally, a free afternoon to do nothing but relax and update this Beijing blog that is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain – don’t expect another post any time in the near future. During the last two weeks, my time has been fully occupied, spending a few days each week on different business trips to the city of Shenyang.
Shenyang is the provincial capital of Liaoning Province and the transportation hub for Northeast China. This city of 7 million people was once the “Industrial Center” during China’s industrialization movement in the 1950’s focusing on steel production and chemical processing. After Deng Xioaping’s opening reforms, as the nation began to privatize, most of the state-owned enterprises in heavy industry went bankrupt in the region. This rust-belt city suffered for some time until the central government launched a set of initiatives and policy reforms to help “revitalize the Northeast” This “Pittsburg of China” is currently experiencing tremendous growth as MNCs expand into the city and as the disposable incomes of those living in the metropolitan area climb at an astounding rate.
My job is to research about Shenyang’s real estate markets (retail, residential, and office) and in doing so I have absorbed an incredible amount of information about the city. For example, Shenyang has become the retail hub for northeast China with currently more luxury and high-end retail space than Beijing. Since 90% of the companies in Shenyang are domestic firms that prioritize price of office space over quality, the majority of office buildings are crap – ugly low Grade B strata-titled towers. However, considering that all quality space is basically occupied, every developer and their mother has a Grade A office project in the works. And on the residential side of things, huge complexes are being erected to the south of the Hunnan River that bisects the city, where land is cheaper and where the Olympic Stadium (for soccer preliminaries) has been built. This second-tier city is going through a transformation that Beijing experienced maybe only 5 years ago. For someone like me, and especially for someone in real estate, this dynamic and fast-paced city is rather exhilarating. I prefer not to elaborate much further on property market activity and trends in Shenyang (mainly because that’s what I write about all week) but rather a few observations I made during my stay.
First of all, Shenyang gets a bad rap throughout China for its notorious organized crime syndicates and corrupt political leaders. In the past, I had heard of numerous shady business deals that were rooted in Shenyang, I had met a group of Shenyang gangster’s during a drunken escapade in Sanlitun (Beijing’s bar street), and before I left for the airport, my colleague advised me not to look at anybody directly in the eye unless I was indeed looking for trouble. I was expecting the worst… and was delighted to find the exact opposite. My encounters in Shenyang left me with a positive impression of the laobaixing (ordiary folk) of the city – in fact, they were friendlier and more hospitable than their Beijing counterparts. I spent a lot of time wondering the streets alone, exploring many run-down neighborhoods, chatting with old men playing chess, receiving smiles from xiaomaibu (convenient store) girls, and discussing my adoration for Shenyang with taxi drivers. One night, I stumbled upon two guys running a hole-in-the-wall chuanr (meat on a stick) joint, and because I was starving, I pulled up a stool and ordered 10 mutton chuanr. An hour and a few beers later, I found myself in a heated discussion over China’s new visa restrictions, Chinese soccer, and the pros and cons of living in Singapore. Before leaving, I told them that I would stop by during my next trip to the city and they said that a free bottle of Zero Beer (Shenyang’s local brew) would be waiting for me.
Shenyang may not be as international or as culturally dynamic as Beijing and thus the nightlife for an expat like myself may be limited to chuanr stands. However, with a bit of investigation, we were able to find one bar street – called XiTa Jie. This area, known as little Korea to the locals, is filled with Korean restaurants, Korean style bars (soju bars) and room saloons (KTVs where you can buy a girl for a night). This scene filled with neon lights and “girls for hire” did not surprise me at all. As I have mentioned before in my posts about Seoul and Dalian (another city with a high Korean population), Korean business men do not have any moral qualms with objectifying women as long as these women are not married. Korean wives, on the other hand, are expected to remain tolerant of this male-dominated practice which is deemed acceptable in a traditional society where ideology is focused around filial piety (obey thy husband, thy father, thy elder).
Lastly, I would like to say that Shenyang reinvigorated my love for life in China. Overshadowed by pollution, westernization, and of course Big Brother, Beijing has lost much of its glamour over the years. I came to China to learn Chinese, see the country modernize, and allow myself to grow with a global perspective. I believe that I have been successful in accomplishing much of this to a certain extent, but I can also see Beijing slowing down economically and beginning to plateau as a modern Asian city, too many people can speak English, and the familiarity of Beijing and its newly embraced sense of modernity is making life in Beijing somewhat monotonous. Perhaps, I’m just being a melancholy grouch today, but I am cogitating more and more how wonderful it would be to relocate to a second-tier city, where I can feel like I am in China again and find myself surrounded by the unfamiliar. Clearly, I am still at an age where personal discovery and free will are basic drivers that shape my existence – and while “stability and security” are still vying to dominate this approach to life, I should take advantage of my youth by maintaining a simple path towards personal enlightenment.
In other words, I am never complacent.
Shenyang is the provincial capital of Liaoning Province and the transportation hub for Northeast China. This city of 7 million people was once the “Industrial Center” during China’s industrialization movement in the 1950’s focusing on steel production and chemical processing. After Deng Xioaping’s opening reforms, as the nation began to privatize, most of the state-owned enterprises in heavy industry went bankrupt in the region. This rust-belt city suffered for some time until the central government launched a set of initiatives and policy reforms to help “revitalize the Northeast” This “Pittsburg of China” is currently experiencing tremendous growth as MNCs expand into the city and as the disposable incomes of those living in the metropolitan area climb at an astounding rate.
My job is to research about Shenyang’s real estate markets (retail, residential, and office) and in doing so I have absorbed an incredible amount of information about the city. For example, Shenyang has become the retail hub for northeast China with currently more luxury and high-end retail space than Beijing. Since 90% of the companies in Shenyang are domestic firms that prioritize price of office space over quality, the majority of office buildings are crap – ugly low Grade B strata-titled towers. However, considering that all quality space is basically occupied, every developer and their mother has a Grade A office project in the works. And on the residential side of things, huge complexes are being erected to the south of the Hunnan River that bisects the city, where land is cheaper and where the Olympic Stadium (for soccer preliminaries) has been built. This second-tier city is going through a transformation that Beijing experienced maybe only 5 years ago. For someone like me, and especially for someone in real estate, this dynamic and fast-paced city is rather exhilarating. I prefer not to elaborate much further on property market activity and trends in Shenyang (mainly because that’s what I write about all week) but rather a few observations I made during my stay.
First of all, Shenyang gets a bad rap throughout China for its notorious organized crime syndicates and corrupt political leaders. In the past, I had heard of numerous shady business deals that were rooted in Shenyang, I had met a group of Shenyang gangster’s during a drunken escapade in Sanlitun (Beijing’s bar street), and before I left for the airport, my colleague advised me not to look at anybody directly in the eye unless I was indeed looking for trouble. I was expecting the worst… and was delighted to find the exact opposite. My encounters in Shenyang left me with a positive impression of the laobaixing (ordiary folk) of the city – in fact, they were friendlier and more hospitable than their Beijing counterparts. I spent a lot of time wondering the streets alone, exploring many run-down neighborhoods, chatting with old men playing chess, receiving smiles from xiaomaibu (convenient store) girls, and discussing my adoration for Shenyang with taxi drivers. One night, I stumbled upon two guys running a hole-in-the-wall chuanr (meat on a stick) joint, and because I was starving, I pulled up a stool and ordered 10 mutton chuanr. An hour and a few beers later, I found myself in a heated discussion over China’s new visa restrictions, Chinese soccer, and the pros and cons of living in Singapore. Before leaving, I told them that I would stop by during my next trip to the city and they said that a free bottle of Zero Beer (Shenyang’s local brew) would be waiting for me.
Shenyang may not be as international or as culturally dynamic as Beijing and thus the nightlife for an expat like myself may be limited to chuanr stands. However, with a bit of investigation, we were able to find one bar street – called XiTa Jie. This area, known as little Korea to the locals, is filled with Korean restaurants, Korean style bars (soju bars) and room saloons (KTVs where you can buy a girl for a night). This scene filled with neon lights and “girls for hire” did not surprise me at all. As I have mentioned before in my posts about Seoul and Dalian (another city with a high Korean population), Korean business men do not have any moral qualms with objectifying women as long as these women are not married. Korean wives, on the other hand, are expected to remain tolerant of this male-dominated practice which is deemed acceptable in a traditional society where ideology is focused around filial piety (obey thy husband, thy father, thy elder).
Lastly, I would like to say that Shenyang reinvigorated my love for life in China. Overshadowed by pollution, westernization, and of course Big Brother, Beijing has lost much of its glamour over the years. I came to China to learn Chinese, see the country modernize, and allow myself to grow with a global perspective. I believe that I have been successful in accomplishing much of this to a certain extent, but I can also see Beijing slowing down economically and beginning to plateau as a modern Asian city, too many people can speak English, and the familiarity of Beijing and its newly embraced sense of modernity is making life in Beijing somewhat monotonous. Perhaps, I’m just being a melancholy grouch today, but I am cogitating more and more how wonderful it would be to relocate to a second-tier city, where I can feel like I am in China again and find myself surrounded by the unfamiliar. Clearly, I am still at an age where personal discovery and free will are basic drivers that shape my existence – and while “stability and security” are still vying to dominate this approach to life, I should take advantage of my youth by maintaining a simple path towards personal enlightenment.
In other words, I am never complacent.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Stupid and Sad
Below is a post I found on a popular blog about China. It discusses the effects of China's new visa policy which has been used to deport most expats and limit visitors to the country. Clearly the author has very little respect for the cultural significance of free-lance writers and English teachers, but his portrayal of how the new visa policy is distrupting manufacturers in China is interesting... and alarming. Another reason why I am not a fan of the Olympics.
The China visa issue is now becoming more unpleasant than a stroll on a Qingdao beach (who said it wouldn't be a 'Green Olympics'?). We're not that bothered about the clear out of wannabe freelance hacks dodging tax, or the legion of Eurotrash and American trustafarians who've been slumming it in Shanghai and Beijing for years on dad's money. And we're certainly not bothered about the rumours that all chamber of commerce staff in Shanghai are having their visas denied - AmScam, BritScam, EUScam, etc. outside of Beijing (which recognises only one office per organisation and that is in Beijing), which have always technically been illegal. True or not, the world will go on without AmScam or BritScam we suspect... Indeed we suspect it will be a better place.
The real adverse effects of the visa crackdown will be felt and suffered by Chinese people and businesses. Consider the following problems we've encountered in the last couple of weeks:
A number of brands manufacturing in China need to place Xmas orders. They have policies that independent factory inspections must occur to ensure working conditions etc as part of their CSR. They don't use local inspectors given the problems with those and formula box ticking scams. However, their inspectors cannot get a visa, and so cannot approve the factory and so the contract cannot be awarded. While Beijing may think the Olympics is worth all this, the fact is that the West cannot move Xmas to late February. Even if (and there are no guarantees) things return to normal in September, it will be too late for these firms who need to get gear on boats in October for the holidays. Now many are scrambling to find capacity in Vietnam, Bangladesh, etc., while any number of Chinese garment manufacturers (two thirds of whom operate on margins of less than 1.5% already) will go under.
A number of companies with production runs already underway are having to stall or delay work as they cannot get visas for their Quality Assurance (QA) staff to enter China. Few are willing to let 500,000 leather jackets be produced without getting someone to do some QA, so delays are occurring, meaning factories will get paid late or have orders cancelled. In Hong Kong last week, Access Asia was offered US$1,000 for every referral of a qualified, experienced China-based QA person we could find as desperation sets in.
Sourcers are finding visas problematic. Canton Fair this year was a bust, and now major sourcing centres such as Yiwu and Wenzhou are empty and local traders are disgruntled as they can't get deal volume as in the past due to regular customers being denied visas.
Several language training companies we know (the sort that do specialist corporate language training so all staff can do their jobs better and remain connected with the rest of the world) cannot get visas for their trainers to travel in and run classes - contracts lost, staff not receiving training.
All of the visa problems above are of course not about twenty-something foreigners hanging out in Shanghai bars, shonky English teachers boltholing in China or tax dodging. This sort of stuff will ultimately force business failures, job losses and, ultimately, disgruntlement. Traders we talked to at Wenzhou and Yiwu recently agreed with us that none of this was worth it in the name of a couple of weeks of minority sports.
A major fall out will be that people who have talked about moving production to other countries for some time are now actually having to do it to meet deadlines. Smart manufacturers in those countries are offering keen prices and will go all out to do a good job - they know this is their moment in the sun, and a chance to win serious business away from China. For many brands (once they have made the move, and if a good job is done) the inclination will be not to bother to go through the process of moving production back to China all over again. Whether China wins the Olympics or not, the long lasting fall out from these silly Games will be serious and terminal for a lot of business people as a significant percentage of business moves elsewhere and doesn't come back once the Olympics are over.
The fact is that many good manufacturers have survived and absorbed energy costs, rising transport costs, high input and commodity costs, soaring freight costs, rising wage bills and new labour laws (not to mention tough western companies looking for cheap, cheap prices). But they may not be able to survive the actions of the visa issuing department. Stupid and sad.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Some Highlights
Well, let me just say that it has been a crazy few weeks packed with work, athletic contests, and a slew of social events. Clearly, I am enjoying my time here in Beijing, allowing me very little free time to update this blog – so it goes. Instead of focusing on any particular event or theme (which seems to be my style of posting) I will now give you the highlight reel of the last three weeks in chronological order...
Obama Fundraiser. I am a news junkie and during the recent primary season, I have been following the latest on each presidential candidate through an array of online media outlets including Youtube, NYTimes, CNN, Politico, and of course Drudge Report. I am also a staunch Obama supporter, having already contributed money to his campaign back in February. When I heard that two of his foreign policy advisers were hosting a fundraiser here in Beijing, I could not resist. This American-only event was held in a club at a high-end residential complex called the Embassy House featuring a band, an open bar, imported treats like hummus and Tostitos, and an outside patio dominated by a grizzly man in Red Sox hat grilling hotdogs and barbeque ribs by the dozens. It felt like home. Obama’s advisors spoke briefly followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Most of what was said concerning policy was already known to me (and of course diplomatic answers were given when asked about Obama’s approach to China), however, I found it rather motivating when they gave personal accounts about how they were inspired to join up with Barack following his 2004 Democratic convention speech. These ex-Bill Clinton foreign policy advisors exuded hope for our country and this enthusiasm was gleefully embraced by over two hundred Americans living and studying in Beijing. I doubt that that will be the last $25 donation I make before November.
Birthday Bash. My birthday was celebrated in proper fashion: a mix of good friends, Korean barbeque, and countless pitchers of green tea and whiskey. I suppose I should stop treating every birthday like it’s my 21st (for my liver’s sake), however, in Chinese tradition every birthday that falls on your Chinese Zodiac year (occurring once every twelve years) should call for a special celebration. I am a rat, 2008 is the year of the rat, I am not 12 nor am I 36… if you can’t guess how old I am please go back to school. All in all, the party was marvelous in every way and I have many to thank for that, especially my girlfriend, who also treated me to a lovely birthday dinner the following week at a restaurant called Dali Courtyard, a hidden gem in a random hutong serving authentic and rather delightful Yunnan cuisine.
Lax Tourney. As you may or may not know from a previous blog, I belong to a men’s lacrosse league here in Beijing. We practice every Sunday morning and sometimes Thursday evenings and although we play for the love of the game and the fulfillment of camaraderie, we always talk about winning the Beijing Cup that has taken place every June for the past 6 years. This year, this weekend tournament was attended by a Japanese team, a Hong Kong Team, two Korean teams, a Chinese team (groomed by us), an under-19 California All-star team, and of course our team, the laxpats (lacrosse expats). Corresponding girls’ teams also contested on adjacent fields. Historically, our greatest challengers have been the American teams and Japanese teams – the Japanese are outstanding players and the Japanese expats on our team, including the goalie, were major assets to our squad. In fact, because of the depth on our team which included three ex-national-team players (from America, Canada, and Japan), we found ourselves overpowering every team during the first day of competition - granted we were playing in the blistering heat and many of the younger players on the other teams were suffering from jet lag, Chinese food, and Beijing smog. On the other hand, many of our guys are balding out-of-shape cigarette smokers, who preferred drinking beer on the sidelines to water. After 4 forty minute games throughout Saturday, our bodies were in complete shock, our feet were covered in blisters, and our bare shoulders were raw from the sun (I currently have the world’s worst farmer tan). On Sunday, we easily beat the Japanese team in the morning and because the fields were out far in West Beijing and we were only team without a nearby hotel, we had no choice but to find something to do for six hours until the championship game. Instead of burning alive in the sun, we spend the whole afternoon chilling in KFC followed by hanging out in the neighborhood pool club relaxing in the water and making fun of the Chinese men in Speedos – we clearly took the championship seriously. After a full 60 minutes of lacrosse against the California kids, we emerged victorious – winning the Beijing Cup for the first time ever. By the end of the weekend, my body was completely numb, my skin was peeling, and my urine was dark yellow – it was the longest, most exhausting yet most exhilarating weekend I’ve had in a long time. *Sigh*
Great Wall Rave. Last weekend, I attended the annual Great Wall Party that usually draws a crowd of over three to four hundred eccentric young Beijing expats looking for a crazy night at an unconventional venue. Imagine the Great Wall, a beach, a dance party, techno music combined with all the sinful happenings of today’s youth fused together for one night of insidious bliss. Personally, I had more fun pre-partying on the four hour bus ride on the way up defined by karaoke, baijiu (Chinese liquor) guzzling, and random stops at rest stops with enormous neon signs that said “TOILET”. At the beach (where the Great Wall ends) I vaguely remember hotdogs, blue face paint, and a monsoon type rain storm – all other disreputable details I may have witnessed in this haven of hedonistic havoc will not be disclosed on this blog. It was a blast, but let’s just say that I’m glad to be back in reality.
Not Ready. Yesterday, about to get on the subway, a security woman said something to me (in Chinese) and pointed at the X-ray machine indicating that they wanted to check my bag for explosives or other harmful materials. I smiled (already late for work) and walked past her. Beefing up security seems useless if dangerous folk could voluntarily opt out of the screening process. A little while later, about to get off the metro, I and my fellow commuters were stuck in our subway while it took 10 minutes for the driver to figure out how to open the doors. People were so mad that some threatened to break down the door. Is Beijing prepared for the Olympics? Ha.
Obama Fundraiser. I am a news junkie and during the recent primary season, I have been following the latest on each presidential candidate through an array of online media outlets including Youtube, NYTimes, CNN, Politico, and of course Drudge Report. I am also a staunch Obama supporter, having already contributed money to his campaign back in February. When I heard that two of his foreign policy advisers were hosting a fundraiser here in Beijing, I could not resist. This American-only event was held in a club at a high-end residential complex called the Embassy House featuring a band, an open bar, imported treats like hummus and Tostitos, and an outside patio dominated by a grizzly man in Red Sox hat grilling hotdogs and barbeque ribs by the dozens. It felt like home. Obama’s advisors spoke briefly followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. Most of what was said concerning policy was already known to me (and of course diplomatic answers were given when asked about Obama’s approach to China), however, I found it rather motivating when they gave personal accounts about how they were inspired to join up with Barack following his 2004 Democratic convention speech. These ex-Bill Clinton foreign policy advisors exuded hope for our country and this enthusiasm was gleefully embraced by over two hundred Americans living and studying in Beijing. I doubt that that will be the last $25 donation I make before November.
Birthday Bash. My birthday was celebrated in proper fashion: a mix of good friends, Korean barbeque, and countless pitchers of green tea and whiskey. I suppose I should stop treating every birthday like it’s my 21st (for my liver’s sake), however, in Chinese tradition every birthday that falls on your Chinese Zodiac year (occurring once every twelve years) should call for a special celebration. I am a rat, 2008 is the year of the rat, I am not 12 nor am I 36… if you can’t guess how old I am please go back to school. All in all, the party was marvelous in every way and I have many to thank for that, especially my girlfriend, who also treated me to a lovely birthday dinner the following week at a restaurant called Dali Courtyard, a hidden gem in a random hutong serving authentic and rather delightful Yunnan cuisine.
Lax Tourney. As you may or may not know from a previous blog, I belong to a men’s lacrosse league here in Beijing. We practice every Sunday morning and sometimes Thursday evenings and although we play for the love of the game and the fulfillment of camaraderie, we always talk about winning the Beijing Cup that has taken place every June for the past 6 years. This year, this weekend tournament was attended by a Japanese team, a Hong Kong Team, two Korean teams, a Chinese team (groomed by us), an under-19 California All-star team, and of course our team, the laxpats (lacrosse expats). Corresponding girls’ teams also contested on adjacent fields. Historically, our greatest challengers have been the American teams and Japanese teams – the Japanese are outstanding players and the Japanese expats on our team, including the goalie, were major assets to our squad. In fact, because of the depth on our team which included three ex-national-team players (from America, Canada, and Japan), we found ourselves overpowering every team during the first day of competition - granted we were playing in the blistering heat and many of the younger players on the other teams were suffering from jet lag, Chinese food, and Beijing smog. On the other hand, many of our guys are balding out-of-shape cigarette smokers, who preferred drinking beer on the sidelines to water. After 4 forty minute games throughout Saturday, our bodies were in complete shock, our feet were covered in blisters, and our bare shoulders were raw from the sun (I currently have the world’s worst farmer tan). On Sunday, we easily beat the Japanese team in the morning and because the fields were out far in West Beijing and we were only team without a nearby hotel, we had no choice but to find something to do for six hours until the championship game. Instead of burning alive in the sun, we spend the whole afternoon chilling in KFC followed by hanging out in the neighborhood pool club relaxing in the water and making fun of the Chinese men in Speedos – we clearly took the championship seriously. After a full 60 minutes of lacrosse against the California kids, we emerged victorious – winning the Beijing Cup for the first time ever. By the end of the weekend, my body was completely numb, my skin was peeling, and my urine was dark yellow – it was the longest, most exhausting yet most exhilarating weekend I’ve had in a long time. *Sigh*
Great Wall Rave. Last weekend, I attended the annual Great Wall Party that usually draws a crowd of over three to four hundred eccentric young Beijing expats looking for a crazy night at an unconventional venue. Imagine the Great Wall, a beach, a dance party, techno music combined with all the sinful happenings of today’s youth fused together for one night of insidious bliss. Personally, I had more fun pre-partying on the four hour bus ride on the way up defined by karaoke, baijiu (Chinese liquor) guzzling, and random stops at rest stops with enormous neon signs that said “TOILET”. At the beach (where the Great Wall ends) I vaguely remember hotdogs, blue face paint, and a monsoon type rain storm – all other disreputable details I may have witnessed in this haven of hedonistic havoc will not be disclosed on this blog. It was a blast, but let’s just say that I’m glad to be back in reality.
Not Ready. Yesterday, about to get on the subway, a security woman said something to me (in Chinese) and pointed at the X-ray machine indicating that they wanted to check my bag for explosives or other harmful materials. I smiled (already late for work) and walked past her. Beefing up security seems useless if dangerous folk could voluntarily opt out of the screening process. A little while later, about to get off the metro, I and my fellow commuters were stuck in our subway while it took 10 minutes for the driver to figure out how to open the doors. People were so mad that some threatened to break down the door. Is Beijing prepared for the Olympics? Ha.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Egg
Sometimes, a journey is as interesting as the destination, and that's what French architect Paul Andreu has designed for the China National Grand Theatre: An artistic ambience on the way to a show. Walk across the greenery at the west of Tiananmen Square step down 7 meters and enter an 80-m-long underground gallery with a bright glass roof where water ripples overhead. At the end of the gallery is a huge lobby, probably the largest in a theatre anywhere in the world. From the window, you can see the clouds in the sky and the traffic on Chang'an Avenue to the north. It leads to the magnificent Opera House with 2,398 seats. The concert hall which can seat 2,019 is on the east and the theater with a capacity of 1,035 is on the west.
Nicknamed “the egg”, this recent addition to Beijing’s cityscape has not come to fruition without controversy. The location of this avant-garde bubbly structure lays adjacent to the monolithic Stanlist-style Great Hall of the People. Additionally, the surrounding hutongs clash with the egg’s sleek exterior – a perfect juxtaposition demonstrating China’s growing pains as it tries to conserve the old while making way for the new.
Recently I went to China’s newly constructed national theater to see Swan Lake performed by the Swedish Royal Ballet Company. I was heavy-eyed walking in, but due to the sheer excitement of visiting one of Beijing’s most extravagant buildings compounded by the fact that I had never seen an authentic ballet before, I am proud to say that I didn’t even sleep a wink. The experience was unique, the venue was breathtaking, and the ballet was interesting – a cultured young man I am becoming, indeed.
But here comes my two cents…
Firstly, the seats were too small, even smaller than the seats on China Eastern’s planes, the ugly duckling of all Chinese airlines. It’s simply criminal to construct a state-of-the-art national theater but fail to make the seats big enough - another example of how the “big picture” trumps individual satisfaction in this frustrating holistic society. On the bright side, the agony in my knees and angles kept me from getting too comfortable during the slow scenes.
Secondly, the concession counter was a mess. Nothing was refrigerated, there was only one menu and one cash register, and most of the items were unavailable. Perhaps this will all change in time considering that this performance hall is still working out the kinks, but I would hope that they spend a little more money and effort on trying to enhance the services within the facility.
Lastly, I always enjoyed going to the theater, ballet or opera chiefly because it felt like a special occasion, but also because it was an excuse to wear formal attire and mingle with the intelligentsia of society. Go to Carnegie Hall or the Kennedy Center and you will see people in tuxedos and gowns treating the event in an almost ceremonial way. In China, the people in the audience at these performances (although upper class) often wear flip-flops, shorts, and sometimes wife beaters. Naturally, Westerners that attend would be well dressed. This striking difference demonstrates the culture clashes that still exist between China and the West. Not so long ago, Communist leaders held meetings in their underwear while most women had only seen dresses from Eastern European films. The accepted standards and tenets of proper etiquette, contemporary civility, and even chivalry are all concepts that have been discussed and debated in every American college classroom for as long as I know – and how they are perceived in a Chinese context is too complex for today’s post. But, to get to the point, I find the way the Chinese treat the ballet detracts from its overall charm – perhaps, they may be more suited for Lion King on Ice.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Hangzhou - Part 2
SUNDAY
After catching up on some much needed sleep, we left the hotel in late morning and had the taxi driver drop us off on the south-east corner of the lake. As expected, tourists were out and about in full numbers and although people had warned me off their overwhelming presence in Hangzhou, it seemed very natural to me – after living in China long enough, the masses become unexceptional.
Starting at 10:30 am we began our extensive stroll around the massive West Lake. The haze had made the opposite side of the lake disappear, thus adding a mystical appeal as you looked across into an infinite vaporous void. Along the lake, there were walkways, lush parks, sporadic pagodas, small food vendors, and many places where one could set sail in boats of all sizes – ranging from large tour boats to those you paddle with your feet. I can not express how divine it was to meander around these dewy parks, go stone hopping down uncharted brooks, and imagine that you were in fact surrounded by endless wilderness. The Chinese tourists are not known explorers, mainly sticking to the beaten paths, following guides with loudspeakers, or taking full advantage of shuttle golf carts that almost ran me into the lake more than a few times that day. I also found these tourists exceptionally interested in the most mundane of wildlife – I can not count how many times I saw people photographing a frog or a squirrel.
As we headed north we found that a few commercial establishments had somehow acquired waterfront property, including a cluster of modern and trendy eateries and coffee shops, an Indian restaurant, and a high-end hotel that forced the lakeside pathway to become a boardwalk around the property. This boardwalk had no rails and would not have seemed that treacherous if not for the hundreds of people marching on it in both directions – I am certain that a least one pour soul falls into the water every day.
Eventually, we made it to where the lake and Nanshan Road practically intersect and where a large commercial area begins. A development facing the lake, called One West, houses a few patio bars and number of luxury-brand outlets such as Armani, Zara, and Gucci. In terms of high-end retail, Hangzhou is on par with Beijing and given the socio-economic contrast, I am fairly surprised. The retail industry in Hangzhou has experienced a major transformation in the last few years and according to the billboards that surround empty lots, many more retail properties will be entering the market in the coming years. The most logical rationale explaining this phenomenon is that the tourism industry has considerably accelerated its prime retail markets in West Hangzhou.
At this point, we had reached the north-east tip of the lake, and were determined to continue the trek. We walked over a long causeway that was connected to an island with teahouses, over-priced restaurants, and a museum. After making it back to shore, we finally decided to grab some lunch. At a small but raucous xiaochi (eatery) we let our legs rest for a while as he consumed local dishes and Xihu Pijiu (West Lake beer).
With satisfied stomachs we left the lake and took a bus into the woods until arriving at the bottom of a valley where the Lingyun Temple (The Temple of Soul’s Retreat) had been built1,600 years ago by an Indian monk. The Lingyin Temple is without a doubt a premier showpiece in the West Lake environs and is notable also as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China. The Lingyin Temple received it name from its tranquil surroundings provided by forested hills on three sides. Walking up the narrow valley to the temple, we were also treated with dozens of Buddhist rock carving along the cliffs and in the caves. The trails that lead to many of these impressive ancient works of art were slick and high up – a precarious future for anyone who dared to have a gander. The temple itself is probably the most extraordinary Buddhist temple I have seen in China, and believe me folks, I have seen more than I can count. I suppose the grand halls, the caldrons of fire (to light prayer sticks) and the massive golden statutes are to be expected. I, however, loved how this temple ascended the mountain with each massive hall looking over the last and the striking coexistence of nature and the temple as they seemed as one up in the trees. After living in a sometimes drab Beijing, this natural beauty reminiscent of home (minus the bamboo) combined with the spiritual overtones was just what the doctor had ordered.
On the bus ride back to the hotel, we passed through some amazingly beautiful country, especially in the valleys that grow Longjing Tea (a very famous brand of tea in China). Much of this area was rather secluded despite a few tourist traps (like the Longjing tea village) and given the opportunity to return to Hangzhou, I would definitely like to go hiking through the hills and valleys of this region. Before reaching the hotel, we stopped to take a quiet walk in a park full of cottages, broad slopping lawns and a pond that perfectly reflected the regal rolling hills from above – if my memory serves me correctly, this land once belonged to a British lord. Finally, after 8 hours of exploring the beauties of Hangzhou, we went back to our resort for a little rest and relaxation.
At the appropriate hour we returned to the city to see what Hangzhou had to offer in terms of nightlife. After checking out dozens of options, including a few interesting waterfront restaurants in a complex called Xihu Tiandi (West Lake Heaven on Earth) and after walking nearly the length of the lake (again) we found the perfect venue to satiate our appetites and the perfect food including fish, an array of well-prepared local dishes, and Qiandao Pijiu (One Thousand Island Beer) – a local beer slightly more alcoholic than water. We sat on the third floor of this lavish restaurant taking in the accomplishments of the day. To reward ourselves further, we stopped by a few bars on the way home: an up-scale patio bar next to the Armani store, a salsa bar, and a live-music/sports bar that ended up being the most fun. It was nice to hang out at a Chinese bar for once, listen to Chinese rock songs, and feel like a part of the community (not a subset). Certainly venues like this exist in Beijing, however, they are few and far between. And while the majority of social events still happen around the dinner table, the younger generation is transforming rapidly, and as shown here in a Hangzhou dive bar, drinking games, rock shows, and large screens showing football (soccer) games is the future of Chinese nightlife. My girlfriend and I found this bar most enjoyable, but when we both realized we don't care much for the teams in the European Cup, we made for the door.
Hangzhou exceeded my expectations and is truly worthy of the label “Heaven on Earth” or as the ancient Chinese saying goes:
“Above is heaven, below is Hangzhou”
After catching up on some much needed sleep, we left the hotel in late morning and had the taxi driver drop us off on the south-east corner of the lake. As expected, tourists were out and about in full numbers and although people had warned me off their overwhelming presence in Hangzhou, it seemed very natural to me – after living in China long enough, the masses become unexceptional.
Starting at 10:30 am we began our extensive stroll around the massive West Lake. The haze had made the opposite side of the lake disappear, thus adding a mystical appeal as you looked across into an infinite vaporous void. Along the lake, there were walkways, lush parks, sporadic pagodas, small food vendors, and many places where one could set sail in boats of all sizes – ranging from large tour boats to those you paddle with your feet. I can not express how divine it was to meander around these dewy parks, go stone hopping down uncharted brooks, and imagine that you were in fact surrounded by endless wilderness. The Chinese tourists are not known explorers, mainly sticking to the beaten paths, following guides with loudspeakers, or taking full advantage of shuttle golf carts that almost ran me into the lake more than a few times that day. I also found these tourists exceptionally interested in the most mundane of wildlife – I can not count how many times I saw people photographing a frog or a squirrel.
As we headed north we found that a few commercial establishments had somehow acquired waterfront property, including a cluster of modern and trendy eateries and coffee shops, an Indian restaurant, and a high-end hotel that forced the lakeside pathway to become a boardwalk around the property. This boardwalk had no rails and would not have seemed that treacherous if not for the hundreds of people marching on it in both directions – I am certain that a least one pour soul falls into the water every day.
Eventually, we made it to where the lake and Nanshan Road practically intersect and where a large commercial area begins. A development facing the lake, called One West, houses a few patio bars and number of luxury-brand outlets such as Armani, Zara, and Gucci. In terms of high-end retail, Hangzhou is on par with Beijing and given the socio-economic contrast, I am fairly surprised. The retail industry in Hangzhou has experienced a major transformation in the last few years and according to the billboards that surround empty lots, many more retail properties will be entering the market in the coming years. The most logical rationale explaining this phenomenon is that the tourism industry has considerably accelerated its prime retail markets in West Hangzhou.
At this point, we had reached the north-east tip of the lake, and were determined to continue the trek. We walked over a long causeway that was connected to an island with teahouses, over-priced restaurants, and a museum. After making it back to shore, we finally decided to grab some lunch. At a small but raucous xiaochi (eatery) we let our legs rest for a while as he consumed local dishes and Xihu Pijiu (West Lake beer).
With satisfied stomachs we left the lake and took a bus into the woods until arriving at the bottom of a valley where the Lingyun Temple (The Temple of Soul’s Retreat) had been built1,600 years ago by an Indian monk. The Lingyin Temple is without a doubt a premier showpiece in the West Lake environs and is notable also as one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China. The Lingyin Temple received it name from its tranquil surroundings provided by forested hills on three sides. Walking up the narrow valley to the temple, we were also treated with dozens of Buddhist rock carving along the cliffs and in the caves. The trails that lead to many of these impressive ancient works of art were slick and high up – a precarious future for anyone who dared to have a gander. The temple itself is probably the most extraordinary Buddhist temple I have seen in China, and believe me folks, I have seen more than I can count. I suppose the grand halls, the caldrons of fire (to light prayer sticks) and the massive golden statutes are to be expected. I, however, loved how this temple ascended the mountain with each massive hall looking over the last and the striking coexistence of nature and the temple as they seemed as one up in the trees. After living in a sometimes drab Beijing, this natural beauty reminiscent of home (minus the bamboo) combined with the spiritual overtones was just what the doctor had ordered.
On the bus ride back to the hotel, we passed through some amazingly beautiful country, especially in the valleys that grow Longjing Tea (a very famous brand of tea in China). Much of this area was rather secluded despite a few tourist traps (like the Longjing tea village) and given the opportunity to return to Hangzhou, I would definitely like to go hiking through the hills and valleys of this region. Before reaching the hotel, we stopped to take a quiet walk in a park full of cottages, broad slopping lawns and a pond that perfectly reflected the regal rolling hills from above – if my memory serves me correctly, this land once belonged to a British lord. Finally, after 8 hours of exploring the beauties of Hangzhou, we went back to our resort for a little rest and relaxation.
At the appropriate hour we returned to the city to see what Hangzhou had to offer in terms of nightlife. After checking out dozens of options, including a few interesting waterfront restaurants in a complex called Xihu Tiandi (West Lake Heaven on Earth) and after walking nearly the length of the lake (again) we found the perfect venue to satiate our appetites and the perfect food including fish, an array of well-prepared local dishes, and Qiandao Pijiu (One Thousand Island Beer) – a local beer slightly more alcoholic than water. We sat on the third floor of this lavish restaurant taking in the accomplishments of the day. To reward ourselves further, we stopped by a few bars on the way home: an up-scale patio bar next to the Armani store, a salsa bar, and a live-music/sports bar that ended up being the most fun. It was nice to hang out at a Chinese bar for once, listen to Chinese rock songs, and feel like a part of the community (not a subset). Certainly venues like this exist in Beijing, however, they are few and far between. And while the majority of social events still happen around the dinner table, the younger generation is transforming rapidly, and as shown here in a Hangzhou dive bar, drinking games, rock shows, and large screens showing football (soccer) games is the future of Chinese nightlife. My girlfriend and I found this bar most enjoyable, but when we both realized we don't care much for the teams in the European Cup, we made for the door.
Hangzhou exceeded my expectations and is truly worthy of the label “Heaven on Earth” or as the ancient Chinese saying goes:
“Above is heaven, below is Hangzhou”
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Hangzhou - Part 1
Last Sunday, the Chinese celebrated a traditional festival called Duanwu Jie – or Dragon Boat Festival. The most widely accepted version of the origin of this holiday is that it commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan, who rose to fame during in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty. A descendant of Chu royalty, when the king allied with the rival state of Qin, Qu Yuan was banished for his vocal opposition of the alliance. Throughout his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, and when the Qin eventually conquered his beloved Chu capital, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month of the traditional lunar calendar, which falls on June 8 this year. When villagers took their boats out into the river to collect his body, they would throw zongzi (a Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves) into the river to ward of the hungry fish from eating Qu’s body.
The three most widespread activities for the Duanwu Festival are preparing and eating zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats. Some also adorn their house with images of guardian Zhong Kui, hang up mugwort, take long walks, and wear perfumed medicine bags, leading some modern researchers to conclude that the holiday was superimposed upon an ancient traditional holiday designed to ward off summer disease and evil.
Because this year marks the commencement of a new holiday schedule, which saw the shortening of the Golden Week period in early May, and the addition of several shorter holidays throughout the year, although Dragon Boat Festival fell on a Sunday this year, Monday became a public holiday. The festival has certainly been popular for a very long time, and is celebrated in various forms throughout many Asian countries. Now that it is an official holiday in China, it may rise in significance, though not perhaps for the reasons intended.
Taking advantage of every public holiday they throw at us, my girlfriend and I decided to spend the three day weekend in the city of Hangzhou – a city a few hours west of Shanghai, known as the starting point for China’s Grand Canal (one of the eight ancient wonders of the world), and a place unanimously described in state-run TV commercials as “the most beautiful city in China.”
SATURDAY
After a two hour flight, we arrived in Hangzhou on a misty Saturday morning. I hate early flights, especially after a long rigorous week, even if they are cheaper. From the Hangzhou airport which had just started constructing an adjacent terminal, we jumped into a pink taxi (a horse of a different color) and headed north into the center city. On the way in, I noticed run-down neighborhoods half resembling the less modern parts of Shanghai that are covered by 3-4 story traditional linong buildings (analogous to Beijing’s hutongs) and half resembling the ghetto along the tracks in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Once we approached the river, however, large office buildings and brand-new apartment complexes appeared – undoubtedly a section of the city that was nothing but grass fields only a few years ago. After crossing the surging Qiantang River and navigating through a few valleys and tunnels, we finally made it to our picturesque hotel resort.
The location of our hotel was just south of Hangzhou’s famed West Lake where the urban landscape to the east gives way to lush rolling hills and tea farms in the west. We had received ominous weather forecasts for the weekend but were nevertheless determined to make the best of it. While eating lunch at a small rural restaurant on the road, a short thunderstorm passed over. Luckily these flashes of rain did very little to hamper our plans since they never lasted for more than 30 minutes – of course, the darkness and wetness that characterized the weekend restricted us from fully capturing Hangzhou’s beauty in a photographic sense at least.
After mapping out the day, we walked to the end of the road to catch a bus into town. I was surprised to find myself using the buses frequently throughout the weekend. In Beijing, I try to avoid buses in every possible way since most are packed like clown cars without sufficient air supply and with passengers who have never used deodorant. Hangzhou buses, on the other hand, were properly ventilated, often had open seats, and the drivers were more often than not gregarious and informative. The biggest problem we had with the buses was producing the exact change for the 2 kuai rides. Because many tier two and tier three cities like Hangzhou are still in the habit of using 1 kuai coins, I would learn to collect them in my pocket just for future bus fares – but more than once we had no choice but to put a larger bill in the slot.
Heading north along the eastside of the lake, we were able to capture the splendor of the most pleasant road in Hangzhou, Nanshan Road. This curvy tree-lined road is like nothing found in Beijing, radiating charm with its many quaint coffee shops, restaurants and European-style buildings while the shade from its trees gives this area along the West Lake the allure of a tranquil summer sanctuary.
As we veered off Nanshan Road into more hectic commercial neighborhoods, I was finding Hangzhou’s streets more vibrant that Beijing’s. Because Beijing is a “suburban city” of sorts, a vast metropolitan divided by wide avenues and walls and where walking to most places in the city is considered inconceivable, the street life lacks the pulsating and fast-paced culture characteristic of mega-cities. In cities like Shanghai, New York and even Hangzhou where there are many layers of society that are crammed together to make for a more dynamic urban sprawl, sidewalks are flooded with people from all walks of life, office buildings are accessible from the street (not inside a compound with a driveway), and your apartment building has a doorman (not a gate keeper). Even though I love Beijing for its other qualities I am not a fan of its daqi (grandiose atmosphere) and personally prefer any city that resembles the electricity produced in the Big Apple – but that’s just me.
Eventually we made our way to the ferry (or river bus if translated into English) on one of Hangzhou’s many canals. This commuter vessel only stops at a handful of stations, but for out-of-towners like ourselves, we found much pleasure in just taking it for a ride through this remarkable city. We saw teahouses galore, waterside parks, traditional Chinese arching bridges, and of course developments being erected everywhere. Traffic on the canal is mainly attributed to long flat freight boats that transport coal and other minerals from one side of the city to the other. The men on these long slabs of iron were entertaining, often perched in front with nothing but tighty whiteys on while washing the remainder of their clothes in a bucket.
After hitting the last stop on the circuit, we walked through some of parks and over some of the bridges we had seen on the way upstream. Although the rain had seemed to be letting up, we were starving and immediately took a bus back to the main commercial drag closer to the lake. After perusing the block and discussing our options, we decided upon a restaurant that didn't need a menu – you could literally walk up to the few dozen buckets and baskets downstairs and point at random sea creatures, vegetables, and parts of chickens (like the feet). We eventually ordered green beans, asparagus, and a big lake fish (that came with Hangzhou’s special sauce). Although the fish was delicious, it was extremely hard to eat considering how tiny the bones are to avoid in fresh water fish.
Eating my fish on a makeshift rooftop patio while soaking in Hangzhou was definitely how I had envisioned the weekend, but halfway through thee meal, Hangzhou starting soaking us. Actually, due to a large table umbrella we were protected for the most part, but when this torrential monsoon-like shower started pounding the ground, it felt like it was raining from below us. Since living in China, I have never seen it rain so heavily and so violently. Living in a dry city like Beijing, we would be lucky to see that much rainfall in a whole month or two or three.
After eating a large bowl of noodles while waiting for the rain to stop, we made a quick exit, got on a bus and headed back to the warmth and comfort of our huge hotel room. It was a long day and even a longer day was to follow – after watching a few music videos of Channel V (China's MTV) I dozed off.
To be continued…..
The three most widespread activities for the Duanwu Festival are preparing and eating zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats. Some also adorn their house with images of guardian Zhong Kui, hang up mugwort, take long walks, and wear perfumed medicine bags, leading some modern researchers to conclude that the holiday was superimposed upon an ancient traditional holiday designed to ward off summer disease and evil.
Because this year marks the commencement of a new holiday schedule, which saw the shortening of the Golden Week period in early May, and the addition of several shorter holidays throughout the year, although Dragon Boat Festival fell on a Sunday this year, Monday became a public holiday. The festival has certainly been popular for a very long time, and is celebrated in various forms throughout many Asian countries. Now that it is an official holiday in China, it may rise in significance, though not perhaps for the reasons intended.
Taking advantage of every public holiday they throw at us, my girlfriend and I decided to spend the three day weekend in the city of Hangzhou – a city a few hours west of Shanghai, known as the starting point for China’s Grand Canal (one of the eight ancient wonders of the world), and a place unanimously described in state-run TV commercials as “the most beautiful city in China.”
SATURDAY
After a two hour flight, we arrived in Hangzhou on a misty Saturday morning. I hate early flights, especially after a long rigorous week, even if they are cheaper. From the Hangzhou airport which had just started constructing an adjacent terminal, we jumped into a pink taxi (a horse of a different color) and headed north into the center city. On the way in, I noticed run-down neighborhoods half resembling the less modern parts of Shanghai that are covered by 3-4 story traditional linong buildings (analogous to Beijing’s hutongs) and half resembling the ghetto along the tracks in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Once we approached the river, however, large office buildings and brand-new apartment complexes appeared – undoubtedly a section of the city that was nothing but grass fields only a few years ago. After crossing the surging Qiantang River and navigating through a few valleys and tunnels, we finally made it to our picturesque hotel resort.
The location of our hotel was just south of Hangzhou’s famed West Lake where the urban landscape to the east gives way to lush rolling hills and tea farms in the west. We had received ominous weather forecasts for the weekend but were nevertheless determined to make the best of it. While eating lunch at a small rural restaurant on the road, a short thunderstorm passed over. Luckily these flashes of rain did very little to hamper our plans since they never lasted for more than 30 minutes – of course, the darkness and wetness that characterized the weekend restricted us from fully capturing Hangzhou’s beauty in a photographic sense at least.
After mapping out the day, we walked to the end of the road to catch a bus into town. I was surprised to find myself using the buses frequently throughout the weekend. In Beijing, I try to avoid buses in every possible way since most are packed like clown cars without sufficient air supply and with passengers who have never used deodorant. Hangzhou buses, on the other hand, were properly ventilated, often had open seats, and the drivers were more often than not gregarious and informative. The biggest problem we had with the buses was producing the exact change for the 2 kuai rides. Because many tier two and tier three cities like Hangzhou are still in the habit of using 1 kuai coins, I would learn to collect them in my pocket just for future bus fares – but more than once we had no choice but to put a larger bill in the slot.
Heading north along the eastside of the lake, we were able to capture the splendor of the most pleasant road in Hangzhou, Nanshan Road. This curvy tree-lined road is like nothing found in Beijing, radiating charm with its many quaint coffee shops, restaurants and European-style buildings while the shade from its trees gives this area along the West Lake the allure of a tranquil summer sanctuary.
As we veered off Nanshan Road into more hectic commercial neighborhoods, I was finding Hangzhou’s streets more vibrant that Beijing’s. Because Beijing is a “suburban city” of sorts, a vast metropolitan divided by wide avenues and walls and where walking to most places in the city is considered inconceivable, the street life lacks the pulsating and fast-paced culture characteristic of mega-cities. In cities like Shanghai, New York and even Hangzhou where there are many layers of society that are crammed together to make for a more dynamic urban sprawl, sidewalks are flooded with people from all walks of life, office buildings are accessible from the street (not inside a compound with a driveway), and your apartment building has a doorman (not a gate keeper). Even though I love Beijing for its other qualities I am not a fan of its daqi (grandiose atmosphere) and personally prefer any city that resembles the electricity produced in the Big Apple – but that’s just me.
Eventually we made our way to the ferry (or river bus if translated into English) on one of Hangzhou’s many canals. This commuter vessel only stops at a handful of stations, but for out-of-towners like ourselves, we found much pleasure in just taking it for a ride through this remarkable city. We saw teahouses galore, waterside parks, traditional Chinese arching bridges, and of course developments being erected everywhere. Traffic on the canal is mainly attributed to long flat freight boats that transport coal and other minerals from one side of the city to the other. The men on these long slabs of iron were entertaining, often perched in front with nothing but tighty whiteys on while washing the remainder of their clothes in a bucket.
After hitting the last stop on the circuit, we walked through some of parks and over some of the bridges we had seen on the way upstream. Although the rain had seemed to be letting up, we were starving and immediately took a bus back to the main commercial drag closer to the lake. After perusing the block and discussing our options, we decided upon a restaurant that didn't need a menu – you could literally walk up to the few dozen buckets and baskets downstairs and point at random sea creatures, vegetables, and parts of chickens (like the feet). We eventually ordered green beans, asparagus, and a big lake fish (that came with Hangzhou’s special sauce). Although the fish was delicious, it was extremely hard to eat considering how tiny the bones are to avoid in fresh water fish.
Eating my fish on a makeshift rooftop patio while soaking in Hangzhou was definitely how I had envisioned the weekend, but halfway through thee meal, Hangzhou starting soaking us. Actually, due to a large table umbrella we were protected for the most part, but when this torrential monsoon-like shower started pounding the ground, it felt like it was raining from below us. Since living in China, I have never seen it rain so heavily and so violently. Living in a dry city like Beijing, we would be lucky to see that much rainfall in a whole month or two or three.
After eating a large bowl of noodles while waiting for the rain to stop, we made a quick exit, got on a bus and headed back to the warmth and comfort of our huge hotel room. It was a long day and even a longer day was to follow – after watching a few music videos of Channel V (China's MTV) I dozed off.
To be continued…..
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
2008
Five months ago I would have overtly broadcasted the positive effects of China hosting the Summer Olympics and would have assured others that 2008 would be a transformative year for this rising Asian power as it dazzled the world with its rapid economic success and astonishing hospitality – a coming out party if you will. Although my convictions have not publicly wavered since, I must admit that in these turbulent months I have developed reservations and a sense of skepticism and uncertainly that is uncharacteristic to my time in Beijing. In 2008, in the run up to the Olympics, China has experienced a crippling snow storm followed by a virtual collapse in infrastructure and telecommunications, violent riots in Tibet, protests along almost every leg of the international torch relay, a hand-mouth-foot virus hospitalizing thousands of rural children, and a massive earthquake in Sichuan Province killing at least 70,000 Chinese and potentially reeking devastating economic and social consequences. In addition, soaring inflation, a major stock market correction, and a slowdown in exports caused by a US recession are all threatening the financial and economic stability of this country. I initially thought 2008, a year ending in eight (a number associated with “prosperity” according to Chinese superstition), the 30th year anniversary of Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms, the Olympic year, was intended to be absolutely glorious for the Chinese civilization…. what happened?
Unfortunately, Scott McClellan is too busy signing books so we may have to wait until after it's too late (again) to get the answers. Perhaps 2008 has already thrown everything it could at the Chinese, and from today the Dalai Lama and the Communist Party begin a series of “meaningful” dialogues, the Olympics is a huge success and the world economy gets back on track - and this post will capture a moment of superfluous anxiety during my stay in Beijing. However, the Chinese may direct their newly energized nationalism to strike down foreign dissidents in Beijing (captured by CNN), a Xinjiang terrorist may seek vengeance at an Olympic event, Chinese journalists may turn against the government if they are not permitted to the same amount of openness as they have been granted during the aftermath of the quake, or more likely than not, the economy stumbles and social unrest escalates to the brink of revolution. Either way, it is an exciting time to live here and I would be deeply depressed if I was anywhere else.
Lucky for me, I have a one year working visa and will be able to observe the whole show without worrying about getting the boot from the authorities like everybody else. Because of new visa restrictions, many expats living in Beijing will have to go home for at least three months. If you don’t have a working visa (only given by multi-national companies and those well organized and connected small and medium sized enterprises) you are out of luck. Chinese embassies all over the world have shortened the visiting period for tourists to 30 days, have cancelled all multi-entry visas, and have made it difficult (and in some places impossible) to renew visas in embassies outside your mother country – basically, no more visa trips to Hong Kong and Macau. Scores of teachers, musicians, artists, free-lance writers, bar and restaurant owners, and many of my friends are being forced to leave the country (and many won’t come back). Businessmen in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia are furious that they now have to apply and reapply every time they want to visit their factories – sometimes twice a week. My brother, when applying for a tourist visa to visit me, will have to show the consulate in New York an invitation letter from me, a copy of his plane ticket, and a copy of my residency permit (since he will be staying in my apartment and not a hotel) – the good old days of walking in with 60 buck and 2 passport sized photos are over.
When asked about these newest restrictions, the Chinese public relations minister played dumb and simply said “we welcome all visitors”. The government may be trying to flush out all the foreign free-thinkers (with loud English-speaking mouths) who haven't gone corporate yet and are not afraid of communicating their opinions and experiences to the visitors. Migrant workers are being expelled because they look poor and dirty. We are being expelled because we know too many of China's secrets and lies and with the use of our tongue, we could tarnish China's image in the eyes of first-time visitors.
In my opinion, the government is shooting themselves in the foot. Besides the masses of angry business investors, the hundreds of peeved cultural organizations and publishing groups, and the millions of saddened students that have to say goodbye to their English teachers, the more indirect repercussions are much more harmful. What this overly-confident simple-minded authoritarian government doesn't realize is how badly they need us - expats. If you have been reading the newspapers lately, you would notice that the international community and China are not on particularly great terms. It seems that the only people defending China and trying to help others understand China and the Chinese people are those who live or have lived in this incredible country. We know China the best, can speak Chinese and are always happy acting as the liaison – we want to show people why we love China so much. We are a vital and intricate part in this country's diplomatic relationships with the rest of the world and unless they are preparing for a war, there is no logical reason for deporting those that can help you.
Why is there so much hostility to foreigners who have invested their lives and money in Beijing? When I asked Judy, the owner of a Mexican restaurant that has been in Beijing for 20 years and who recently found out that she has couldn’t get a visa to stay for the Olympics, see simply said “politics sweetie.” She's just glad that her restaurant will not be shut down like other newer foreign joints for not fulfilling ambiguous health standards – 20 years of guanxi (relationships) means the local police don't pick on you anymore.
2008 will certainly continue to be a rollercoaster ride with fanfare and protest, passion and confrontation and has been and will continue to be an overwhelming experience with an unpredictable outcome – brimming with a sense of anxiety and excitement – like a book you can never put down. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time and despite my newly found reservations in China's future I would be lying if I said I wasn't content.
“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.” – William Allen White
Unfortunately, Scott McClellan is too busy signing books so we may have to wait until after it's too late (again) to get the answers. Perhaps 2008 has already thrown everything it could at the Chinese, and from today the Dalai Lama and the Communist Party begin a series of “meaningful” dialogues, the Olympics is a huge success and the world economy gets back on track - and this post will capture a moment of superfluous anxiety during my stay in Beijing. However, the Chinese may direct their newly energized nationalism to strike down foreign dissidents in Beijing (captured by CNN), a Xinjiang terrorist may seek vengeance at an Olympic event, Chinese journalists may turn against the government if they are not permitted to the same amount of openness as they have been granted during the aftermath of the quake, or more likely than not, the economy stumbles and social unrest escalates to the brink of revolution. Either way, it is an exciting time to live here and I would be deeply depressed if I was anywhere else.
Lucky for me, I have a one year working visa and will be able to observe the whole show without worrying about getting the boot from the authorities like everybody else. Because of new visa restrictions, many expats living in Beijing will have to go home for at least three months. If you don’t have a working visa (only given by multi-national companies and those well organized and connected small and medium sized enterprises) you are out of luck. Chinese embassies all over the world have shortened the visiting period for tourists to 30 days, have cancelled all multi-entry visas, and have made it difficult (and in some places impossible) to renew visas in embassies outside your mother country – basically, no more visa trips to Hong Kong and Macau. Scores of teachers, musicians, artists, free-lance writers, bar and restaurant owners, and many of my friends are being forced to leave the country (and many won’t come back). Businessmen in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia are furious that they now have to apply and reapply every time they want to visit their factories – sometimes twice a week. My brother, when applying for a tourist visa to visit me, will have to show the consulate in New York an invitation letter from me, a copy of his plane ticket, and a copy of my residency permit (since he will be staying in my apartment and not a hotel) – the good old days of walking in with 60 buck and 2 passport sized photos are over.
When asked about these newest restrictions, the Chinese public relations minister played dumb and simply said “we welcome all visitors”. The government may be trying to flush out all the foreign free-thinkers (with loud English-speaking mouths) who haven't gone corporate yet and are not afraid of communicating their opinions and experiences to the visitors. Migrant workers are being expelled because they look poor and dirty. We are being expelled because we know too many of China's secrets and lies and with the use of our tongue, we could tarnish China's image in the eyes of first-time visitors.
In my opinion, the government is shooting themselves in the foot. Besides the masses of angry business investors, the hundreds of peeved cultural organizations and publishing groups, and the millions of saddened students that have to say goodbye to their English teachers, the more indirect repercussions are much more harmful. What this overly-confident simple-minded authoritarian government doesn't realize is how badly they need us - expats. If you have been reading the newspapers lately, you would notice that the international community and China are not on particularly great terms. It seems that the only people defending China and trying to help others understand China and the Chinese people are those who live or have lived in this incredible country. We know China the best, can speak Chinese and are always happy acting as the liaison – we want to show people why we love China so much. We are a vital and intricate part in this country's diplomatic relationships with the rest of the world and unless they are preparing for a war, there is no logical reason for deporting those that can help you.
Why is there so much hostility to foreigners who have invested their lives and money in Beijing? When I asked Judy, the owner of a Mexican restaurant that has been in Beijing for 20 years and who recently found out that she has couldn’t get a visa to stay for the Olympics, see simply said “politics sweetie.” She's just glad that her restaurant will not be shut down like other newer foreign joints for not fulfilling ambiguous health standards – 20 years of guanxi (relationships) means the local police don't pick on you anymore.
2008 will certainly continue to be a rollercoaster ride with fanfare and protest, passion and confrontation and has been and will continue to be an overwhelming experience with an unpredictable outcome – brimming with a sense of anxiety and excitement – like a book you can never put down. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time and despite my newly found reservations in China's future I would be lying if I said I wasn't content.
“I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.” – William Allen White
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Tank Man
With the anniversary approaching, I thought it would be educational to learn more about "the tank man". The following link is a video documentary that describes the tragic incidents that unravelled during 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square and how China has transformed itself since. Enjoy.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3219548376600109729&q=&hl=en
In addition, here is a montage I found that will give you goosebumps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGJoaHr2QdM
If you have any comments, please don't be shy.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3219548376600109729&q=&hl=en
In addition, here is a montage I found that will give you goosebumps:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGJoaHr2QdM
If you have any comments, please don't be shy.
Bird's Nest
Nicknamed the Bird's Nest for its elaborate network of steel girders, Beijing's Olympic Stadium has already become a symbol of the 2008 games. Around 41,000 tons of steel were used to build the outer nest, which measures 320 meters by 297 meters. And up to 7,000 migrant workers at a time have been on site for years to build the stadium, which is the creation of Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron working with Arup, a British design company.
Although this mammoth structure along the Fourth Ring Road has been erect and visible for quite some time, only recently has the stadium been completed and open to the public. On Sunday night, my girlfriend and I attended the Good Luck Beijing China Athletics Open, our last chance to look around inside (the only Olympics tickets I've been able to scrounge up include preliminaries in Handball and Weightlifting held at other venues). Although most of the 90,000 or so seats were empty, I was still very much impressed by the scores of Chinese spectators that came to this weekend event. Clearly, many of them also felt the need to use this opportunity to experience the magic of China's showcase Olympic venue and one of the word’s newest and most impressive engineering feats. In a city known for its dowdy image, the Bird's Nest along with other avant-garde structures popping up around Beijing have undoubtedly made a big splash – with many branding these lavish stokes as both bold and brazen.
I certainly welcome these radical designs and hope Beijing's municipal government continues to ride this wave of architectural experimentation into a new dawn of spatial conceptualization with Chinese characteristics. To illuminate their engineering prowess and their newly found adoration for aesthetics, Beijing's newer additions to their cityscape are or more or less on par with American city's brand of flamboyant self-expression. China and America are both driven to reach for the stars, to erect skyscrapers, to build enormous stadiums and shopping malls, construct the most magnificent and grandiose of all man-made structures, and to flaunt our might and power to the world. Unlike the Europeans, Americans and Chinese share a rags-to-riches story and with our commanding territories, populations, and massive economies (China’s obviously being more recent), our societies have both developed a yuppie mentality focused on superlatives – in other words, the Chinese are beginning to also show their “bling”.
The Bird's Nest (bling bling) can be certainly labeled as one of China's newest marvels. When I first walked inside, I was surprised that despite the obvious elaborate network of steel beams that permeated thunderous strength, the structure managed to retain both grace and beauty. Perhaps I'm being a little too dramatic with my verbiage, but it was definitely “dope”. The only failing point worth divulging has to do with amenities. If you plan on running a successful sporting event do not make fans stand in line at the concession stand for 30 minutes, and never ever run out of hot dogs!
The event itself, although trivial to me, ended up being fairly entertaining. I saw a few exciting track events such as the men's and women's 200 meter, 800 meter, and relay. Most of the athletes were Chinese and were at this open representing their provinces. When the men’s relay team from Sichuan won the gold, the crowd went absolutely wild and when the athlete’s tears of joy were shown up on the big screen I (and everybody else) felt extremely moved. Although this was a Chinese Open, I would have liked to see more foreigners only because I was kind of tired of standing up every 30 minutes for the victory ceremonies and listen to the Chinese National Anthem. Throughout the whole night the only other anthems played were those of Great Britain and Sudan – I don't think their were any American athletes even competing. On a side note, I was told that many Chinese spectators refused to stand for the Japanese national anthem the previous night – behavior that will certainly not be ignored by Western media during the Olympics.
Off the track, there was javelin which was only cool because the spears were returned to athletes by remote controlled cars. There was also long jump which was boring to say the least. Without a doubt, the most entertaining event that night was the men's high jump. High jump is fun because there is a level of suspense unparalleled in the other events. And because every athlete gets three tries to clear a certain height, the process is long, and personalities are exposed. This one guy from Tianjin was a real crowd pleaser. Each time he was up, he would wave his hands to get everybody to clap in rhythm, and when he made it over the bar, we would perform a touchdown dance of sorts (and if he failed, we would slap his body against the mat in disappointment). He also wore pink. Although he was unable to clear 2.40 meters, he was awarded the silver medal and thanked everyone in the crowd for their boisterous support – certainly not one of your typical robotic Chinese athletes.
With the Olympics approaching, all the pieces have started to come together. The venues are finished and major infrastructural improvements are almost online. Although traffic and pollution are still looming challenges, what worries me most would be far more devastating to China's image and to global stability following the games. For more on that subject, tune in next week…
Although this mammoth structure along the Fourth Ring Road has been erect and visible for quite some time, only recently has the stadium been completed and open to the public. On Sunday night, my girlfriend and I attended the Good Luck Beijing China Athletics Open, our last chance to look around inside (the only Olympics tickets I've been able to scrounge up include preliminaries in Handball and Weightlifting held at other venues). Although most of the 90,000 or so seats were empty, I was still very much impressed by the scores of Chinese spectators that came to this weekend event. Clearly, many of them also felt the need to use this opportunity to experience the magic of China's showcase Olympic venue and one of the word’s newest and most impressive engineering feats. In a city known for its dowdy image, the Bird's Nest along with other avant-garde structures popping up around Beijing have undoubtedly made a big splash – with many branding these lavish stokes as both bold and brazen.
I certainly welcome these radical designs and hope Beijing's municipal government continues to ride this wave of architectural experimentation into a new dawn of spatial conceptualization with Chinese characteristics. To illuminate their engineering prowess and their newly found adoration for aesthetics, Beijing's newer additions to their cityscape are or more or less on par with American city's brand of flamboyant self-expression. China and America are both driven to reach for the stars, to erect skyscrapers, to build enormous stadiums and shopping malls, construct the most magnificent and grandiose of all man-made structures, and to flaunt our might and power to the world. Unlike the Europeans, Americans and Chinese share a rags-to-riches story and with our commanding territories, populations, and massive economies (China’s obviously being more recent), our societies have both developed a yuppie mentality focused on superlatives – in other words, the Chinese are beginning to also show their “bling”.
The Bird's Nest (bling bling) can be certainly labeled as one of China's newest marvels. When I first walked inside, I was surprised that despite the obvious elaborate network of steel beams that permeated thunderous strength, the structure managed to retain both grace and beauty. Perhaps I'm being a little too dramatic with my verbiage, but it was definitely “dope”. The only failing point worth divulging has to do with amenities. If you plan on running a successful sporting event do not make fans stand in line at the concession stand for 30 minutes, and never ever run out of hot dogs!
The event itself, although trivial to me, ended up being fairly entertaining. I saw a few exciting track events such as the men's and women's 200 meter, 800 meter, and relay. Most of the athletes were Chinese and were at this open representing their provinces. When the men’s relay team from Sichuan won the gold, the crowd went absolutely wild and when the athlete’s tears of joy were shown up on the big screen I (and everybody else) felt extremely moved. Although this was a Chinese Open, I would have liked to see more foreigners only because I was kind of tired of standing up every 30 minutes for the victory ceremonies and listen to the Chinese National Anthem. Throughout the whole night the only other anthems played were those of Great Britain and Sudan – I don't think their were any American athletes even competing. On a side note, I was told that many Chinese spectators refused to stand for the Japanese national anthem the previous night – behavior that will certainly not be ignored by Western media during the Olympics.
Off the track, there was javelin which was only cool because the spears were returned to athletes by remote controlled cars. There was also long jump which was boring to say the least. Without a doubt, the most entertaining event that night was the men's high jump. High jump is fun because there is a level of suspense unparalleled in the other events. And because every athlete gets three tries to clear a certain height, the process is long, and personalities are exposed. This one guy from Tianjin was a real crowd pleaser. Each time he was up, he would wave his hands to get everybody to clap in rhythm, and when he made it over the bar, we would perform a touchdown dance of sorts (and if he failed, we would slap his body against the mat in disappointment). He also wore pink. Although he was unable to clear 2.40 meters, he was awarded the silver medal and thanked everyone in the crowd for their boisterous support – certainly not one of your typical robotic Chinese athletes.
With the Olympics approaching, all the pieces have started to come together. The venues are finished and major infrastructural improvements are almost online. Although traffic and pollution are still looming challenges, what worries me most would be far more devastating to China's image and to global stability following the games. For more on that subject, tune in next week…
Friday, May 23, 2008
Restlessness
After rereading my last post, I find myself cringing. Where ever I am and what ever I’m doing, it is in my nature to be overly critical (the irony is that I am now critical of myself being critical). Living around the world, I constantly find myself torn between different cultures, different peoples, and different ways of thinking. To my American friends at home, I am regularly defending China, but to my Chinese friends here, I am persistently illuminating China’s faults. It’s not my wish to be the devil’s advocate, but rather a mediator that wishes to facilitate empathy and promote mutual understanding. Concerning the Sichuan earthquake, for example, I have endured a wide range of emotions: teary-eyed by the carnage, surprised by the openness of the central government, touched by the local support, critical of Chinese reporters, annoyed by Chinese nationalism (maybe because I'm not Chinese), frustrated by the legitimacy given to the Party, confused by competing schools of thought and value systems, and mostly anxious concerning China's future, America's future, the world's future… a restless existence indeed. Actually, for 90% of my day I live a pretty stable life surrounding myself with work, good people, and the ephemeral pleasures of my liking. A few unfortunate individuals and especially this blog allows me to cathartically tame this restlessness that rattles inside me, and for that I thank you.
On a side note, here is another young man from China who wants to say thank you. Please take a moment to watch this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS3DWZ8h9RI
Anyway…today I am too tired to write anything of any substance (because it’s Friday!) but I thought it would at least be fun to show you what I read in the “China Daily’ newspaper every day on my way to work. Here are a few stories from today:
“The United States is known for "melting-pot" culture, and the dangling "American dream" which have inspired people of different colors to emigrate to it. However, the like of Jack Cafferty, sitting before TV screens watched by tens of thousands of audiences in America and elsewhere, and attacking Chinese people, is nothing but showing its rudeness, arrogance, ignorance and hostility towards China. After years of efforts by some Western media to demonize China has failed, the ink of Cafferty have come to the forefront to directly assault China, which reflects the utter frustration and despair of some wicked men and women.”
“Against the backdrop of economic globalization, China has also been going through a social transformation. To resolve the problems and conflicts arising during the transformation, the country needs to develop its legal system to strengthen the regulation of State power and to safeguard citizens' rights. China's social transformation means transformation from a planned economy to a market economy, from a single-sector system of public ownership to a system under which public ownership plays the dominant role and diverse forms of ownership coexist, from the rule of men to the rule of law, and from absolute, managerial government to limited, service-oriented government, from being closed or semi-closed to complete opening-up, and from a highly centralized structure of state and society to a dual structure. China does not try to achieve social transformation overnight but seeks a gradual progress. A consultative mechanism with Chinese characteristics and a mixed governance model that combines soft with hard laws has been created.”
“NANNING - A man was detained for spreading on-line rumors about earthquakes in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local police confirmed on Thursday. A post saying that quakes of at least magnitude 7 would hit northwestern Shaanxi and Gansu provinces within two weeks caught the eyes of police in Beihai City of Guangxi early on Tuesday. As of Wednesday, police across China had reported 55 similar cases and detained 13 people. Under Chinese law, information on earthquakes should be issued by the authorities of provinces, municipalities or autonomous regions. One who spreads rumors about dangers or diseases can be sentenced to up to five days in custody or fined up to 500 yuan (US$71).”
“President Hu Jintao and Putin met five times last year and laid out a blueprint for the development of the strategic partnership of cooperation in the second decade after its birth. Hu and Medvedev are expected to expand and clarify their thoughts on making the blueprint a reality. They will discuss issues concerning the strengthening of mutual trust, trade, energy, people-to-people exchanges and international affairs.”
“CANBERRA -- An Australian sex researcher has found that about 55 percent of Australian women are not satisfied with their sexual life or have difficulty in having orgasm.”
“ATHENS- A 9-year-old girl who went to hospital in central Greece suffering from stomach pains was found to be carrying her embryonic twin, doctors said Thursday.”
“Words of Wisdom: ‘All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.’ – Mark Twain”
By the time I get to work my legs are stiff from standing for over an hour on the subway and my brain has overheated and shut down. After 15 minutes of reading Obama news on Drudge Report and perusing on Facebook, I'm usually back to normal.
TGIF
On a side note, here is another young man from China who wants to say thank you. Please take a moment to watch this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS3DWZ8h9RI
Anyway…today I am too tired to write anything of any substance (because it’s Friday!) but I thought it would at least be fun to show you what I read in the “China Daily’ newspaper every day on my way to work. Here are a few stories from today:
“The United States is known for "melting-pot" culture, and the dangling "American dream" which have inspired people of different colors to emigrate to it. However, the like of Jack Cafferty, sitting before TV screens watched by tens of thousands of audiences in America and elsewhere, and attacking Chinese people, is nothing but showing its rudeness, arrogance, ignorance and hostility towards China. After years of efforts by some Western media to demonize China has failed, the ink of Cafferty have come to the forefront to directly assault China, which reflects the utter frustration and despair of some wicked men and women.”
“Against the backdrop of economic globalization, China has also been going through a social transformation. To resolve the problems and conflicts arising during the transformation, the country needs to develop its legal system to strengthen the regulation of State power and to safeguard citizens' rights. China's social transformation means transformation from a planned economy to a market economy, from a single-sector system of public ownership to a system under which public ownership plays the dominant role and diverse forms of ownership coexist, from the rule of men to the rule of law, and from absolute, managerial government to limited, service-oriented government, from being closed or semi-closed to complete opening-up, and from a highly centralized structure of state and society to a dual structure. China does not try to achieve social transformation overnight but seeks a gradual progress. A consultative mechanism with Chinese characteristics and a mixed governance model that combines soft with hard laws has been created.”
“NANNING - A man was detained for spreading on-line rumors about earthquakes in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local police confirmed on Thursday. A post saying that quakes of at least magnitude 7 would hit northwestern Shaanxi and Gansu provinces within two weeks caught the eyes of police in Beihai City of Guangxi early on Tuesday. As of Wednesday, police across China had reported 55 similar cases and detained 13 people. Under Chinese law, information on earthquakes should be issued by the authorities of provinces, municipalities or autonomous regions. One who spreads rumors about dangers or diseases can be sentenced to up to five days in custody or fined up to 500 yuan (US$71).”
“President Hu Jintao and Putin met five times last year and laid out a blueprint for the development of the strategic partnership of cooperation in the second decade after its birth. Hu and Medvedev are expected to expand and clarify their thoughts on making the blueprint a reality. They will discuss issues concerning the strengthening of mutual trust, trade, energy, people-to-people exchanges and international affairs.”
“CANBERRA -- An Australian sex researcher has found that about 55 percent of Australian women are not satisfied with their sexual life or have difficulty in having orgasm.”
“ATHENS- A 9-year-old girl who went to hospital in central Greece suffering from stomach pains was found to be carrying her embryonic twin, doctors said Thursday.”
“Words of Wisdom: ‘All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.’ – Mark Twain”
By the time I get to work my legs are stiff from standing for over an hour on the subway and my brain has overheated and shut down. After 15 minutes of reading Obama news on Drudge Report and perusing on Facebook, I'm usually back to normal.
TGIF
Monday, May 19, 2008
3 Days of Mourning
A week after a colossal earthquake (recently upgraded to an 8.0) devastated parts of Sichuan Province, the government has launched a 3 day mourning period across China as the chances of pulling out any further survivors from the rubble begins to look rather grim. Over 50,000 lives are feared to have perished from this natural catastrophe while 10 million Chinese (exceeding the populations of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas combined) have been left without homes. In the face of such tragedy, the Chinese flag has been lowered to half mass (a first for many of my younger Chinese colleagues). And at 2:28 pm today, exactly one week after the earth violently shook instantly reducing cities to piles of concrete and destroying millions of lives, the nation held a moment of silence. In downtown Beijing, tens of thousands of Chinese poured out of office buildings, shopping centers, and restaurants, traffic on all roads and highways came to a standstill, and even hard-hat migrant workers stood in single file along steel frames of unfinished buildings. When the clock struck 2:28 pm, the country’s automobiles and emergency response vehicles honked their horns and sounded their sirens unremitting for 3 minutes – an unforgettable howl demonstrating the immense collective sorrow of the mighty Chinese Dragon. It was simply surreal but also quite touching.
During the next 3 days, all forms of entertainment are to be suspended - no music, no KTV, no movies, no cheerful activities of any kind. I am not exactly sure how well this will be applied to some of Beijing’s and Shanghai’s more lively food & beverage venues, but in a purely economic sense, the next few days will be tough for many small businesses. I consider myself a compassionate human being, but three days of stagnation in China’s entertainment industry and similar growth markets may heed a noticeable negative impact. Being non-Chinese, I am certainly farther removed from this calamity than those around me, but I don’t think that I am the only one that has reservations. In a country where “to get rich is glorious” while political dogma has diminished during the past 30 years, money trumps everything. When it comes to money, many Chinese still draw a circle around themselves and their families and are often unphased by events happening elsewhere. However, I must admit that in light of this recent disaster, public support, especially in the form of donations, has been unprecedented in its selflessness….even though I hear stories of bosses mandating contributions from their employees.
In China’s dog-eats-dog environment, a healthy level of patriotism and shared respect is sustainable especially in regards to honoring the dead, but when one’s business and livelihood is threatened, Chinese are quick to throw these principles out the window. Therefore, I doubt we will see these businesses fully scale back their entertainment services. I, for one, plan on going to a Happy Hour get together tomorrow evening – I mourn differently, I guess.
During the next 3 days, all forms of entertainment are to be suspended - no music, no KTV, no movies, no cheerful activities of any kind. I am not exactly sure how well this will be applied to some of Beijing’s and Shanghai’s more lively food & beverage venues, but in a purely economic sense, the next few days will be tough for many small businesses. I consider myself a compassionate human being, but three days of stagnation in China’s entertainment industry and similar growth markets may heed a noticeable negative impact. Being non-Chinese, I am certainly farther removed from this calamity than those around me, but I don’t think that I am the only one that has reservations. In a country where “to get rich is glorious” while political dogma has diminished during the past 30 years, money trumps everything. When it comes to money, many Chinese still draw a circle around themselves and their families and are often unphased by events happening elsewhere. However, I must admit that in light of this recent disaster, public support, especially in the form of donations, has been unprecedented in its selflessness….even though I hear stories of bosses mandating contributions from their employees.
In China’s dog-eats-dog environment, a healthy level of patriotism and shared respect is sustainable especially in regards to honoring the dead, but when one’s business and livelihood is threatened, Chinese are quick to throw these principles out the window. Therefore, I doubt we will see these businesses fully scale back their entertainment services. I, for one, plan on going to a Happy Hour get together tomorrow evening – I mourn differently, I guess.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tragedy Shakes China
Yesterday afternoon whilst drafting a report about a Singaporean real estate developer and their connections to Wal-Mart, a Chinese colleague of mine ran into my corner of the office frantically asking people “you ganjue ma?” or “did you feel it?”. I thought maybe this was a Chinese inside joke so I returned to my Excel file. When everybody got up and went to the window to look at the newly erected CCTV Tower, which I thought was abnormal, I zoned in my Mandarin skills in an attempt to understand what all of the commotion was about. When the word “dizhen” meaning “earthquake” popped up more than once, I sprung up out of my seat and joined in on the hysteria (it seems that my colleagues were worried that the leaning CCTV tower would fall over from the quake – it didn’t.)
Being on a lower floor, I did not feel my office building sway. Apparently, most people working downtown did however. Looking out the window we could watch the mad exodus of office buildings as crowds filled the plazas and sidewalks. Although a few individuals were genuinely terrified, evacuations were mainly precautionary measures while most workers were just happy to get a little fresh air. My office did not evacuate, for example, but I did accompany some of my colleagues who smoke cigarettes in the stairwell – from movies I have learnt that the stairwells and elevator shafts are the strongest parts of a building. After an hour or so, Beijing was back to normal.
The news said that the epicenter was located in Sichuan Province near Chendgu, a city of 2 million, but could be felt as far as Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and even Taiwan. The initial reports coming out of Sichuan province did not look so bad – 5 children dead from a collapsed school was all I heard before I left work. I was a little surprised that an earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale occurring in one of the most densely populated regions in the world had not produced more gruesome results. Clearly (and unfortunately), I was wrong. Today I learned that Sichuan’s telecommunication systems had been crippled by the earthquake, cutting off all infromation, and that in fact, thousands had perished under rubble in counties around the city of Chengdu. As of now, over 10,000 are reported dead, whole counties have been left in ruins, and the numbers are feared to drastically rise in the coming days as China’s 50,000 PLA soldiers begin to reach areas that are still cut-off from the rescue efforts.
This is a tragedy of huge proportions and is reminiscent of the 1976 earthquake that struck the city of Tangshan just northeast of Beijing killing over a quarter of a million Chinese – a natural disaster largely covered-up my Mao and the Party. Current leaders however, learning from the mistakes of the past, have publicly rushed to ground zero and are genuinely trying to assist with the rescue efforts by uniting the support of the regional leaders and agencies. The world is watching the scaale of this disaster unfold on their tv screen and "our prayers are with the families of the victims."
Natural disasters are indeed natural. But it is clear that just like in New Orleans, infrastructure needs to be better suited to withstand such natural calamities. Also, better instruments and more efficient earthquake monitoring agencies should be in place. A few days before the quake, thousands of toads in Chengdu had resurfaced from sewer drains noticeably indicating something was awry. A local official was quoted saying it was because of changing weather patterns – he is probably wishing he had never said that.
Although it seems the government has been quite responsive as rescue efforts become a “top priority”, disgruntled Chinese bloggers are already attacking the local governments. One blogger complained about his tax dollars were being wasted funding a useless earthquake monitoring agency which failed to warn residents when early micro-seismic tremors began to occur – instead, he insisted that the country was better off investing in toad farms,
Being on a lower floor, I did not feel my office building sway. Apparently, most people working downtown did however. Looking out the window we could watch the mad exodus of office buildings as crowds filled the plazas and sidewalks. Although a few individuals were genuinely terrified, evacuations were mainly precautionary measures while most workers were just happy to get a little fresh air. My office did not evacuate, for example, but I did accompany some of my colleagues who smoke cigarettes in the stairwell – from movies I have learnt that the stairwells and elevator shafts are the strongest parts of a building. After an hour or so, Beijing was back to normal.
The news said that the epicenter was located in Sichuan Province near Chendgu, a city of 2 million, but could be felt as far as Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and even Taiwan. The initial reports coming out of Sichuan province did not look so bad – 5 children dead from a collapsed school was all I heard before I left work. I was a little surprised that an earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale occurring in one of the most densely populated regions in the world had not produced more gruesome results. Clearly (and unfortunately), I was wrong. Today I learned that Sichuan’s telecommunication systems had been crippled by the earthquake, cutting off all infromation, and that in fact, thousands had perished under rubble in counties around the city of Chengdu. As of now, over 10,000 are reported dead, whole counties have been left in ruins, and the numbers are feared to drastically rise in the coming days as China’s 50,000 PLA soldiers begin to reach areas that are still cut-off from the rescue efforts.
This is a tragedy of huge proportions and is reminiscent of the 1976 earthquake that struck the city of Tangshan just northeast of Beijing killing over a quarter of a million Chinese – a natural disaster largely covered-up my Mao and the Party. Current leaders however, learning from the mistakes of the past, have publicly rushed to ground zero and are genuinely trying to assist with the rescue efforts by uniting the support of the regional leaders and agencies. The world is watching the scaale of this disaster unfold on their tv screen and "our prayers are with the families of the victims."
Natural disasters are indeed natural. But it is clear that just like in New Orleans, infrastructure needs to be better suited to withstand such natural calamities. Also, better instruments and more efficient earthquake monitoring agencies should be in place. A few days before the quake, thousands of toads in Chengdu had resurfaced from sewer drains noticeably indicating something was awry. A local official was quoted saying it was because of changing weather patterns – he is probably wishing he had never said that.
Although it seems the government has been quite responsive as rescue efforts become a “top priority”, disgruntled Chinese bloggers are already attacking the local governments. One blogger complained about his tax dollars were being wasted funding a useless earthquake monitoring agency which failed to warn residents when early micro-seismic tremors began to occur – instead, he insisted that the country was better off investing in toad farms,
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Seoul - Part 4
Saturday
I certainly did not want to spend my last full day in Seoul wasting away in bed even though my body was telling me otherwise. After calling the other two guys that had gone out with us the first night, we rendezvoused on the street and then trekked 30 minutes until finally reaching a sanctuary that was assured to pacify our ravenous appetites – Burger King. Living in the Orient where fast food is monopolized by McDonalds, KFCs, and Pizza Huts, it was nice to throw down a Whooper at a Korean BK. Seoul’s diverse fast-food market includes chains like Quizznos, Dunkin Donuts, and Wendy’s. Unfortunately, my acidic stomach was unpleased by the intrusion of greasy American food, thus forcing me to only eat half of my burger – Seoul had already drained the life out of me, transforming me into a scruffy vampire that can’t even finish a whole Whopper.
To reboot, my friend and I decided to take a stroll in “Seoul’s Forest” – basically a park with trees. This park was very much to my liking in that it reminded me of the open spaces in New York’s Central Park. Families were picnicking, teenagers were tossing a Frisbee, and children ran around in a huge playground which included a monstrous jungle-gym in the shape of a person, man-made streams and tunnels, and the longest old-school metal slide I had ever seen. Until then, I had completely forgotten how much I love parks. In Beijing the parks charge a small entrance free, are mainly populated by senior citizens practicing taiqi or playing Chinese Chess, and by no means are you allowed to walk on the grass. What is the point of the park if you can not walk, sit, or play in the grass!
The highlight of our leisurely walk came when we happened upon a traditional Korean dance performance given on a stage in front of dozens of Korean families sitting on blankets. As we sat down (on the grass) to rest and take in the seemingly Asian melodies, I became increasingly nostalgic. Responsibilities, girls, and alcohol had taken away my youth and landed me in my twenties – before all that, I recall going to see Shakespeare in the Park with my parents and jumping into streams barefoot looking for salamanders. I missed having wholesome fun. Engulfed in nostalgia, sober as a bird, and trapped in a state of bliss, I relaxed in the grass for the first time in months and watched a beautiful performance – there’s something about the combination of nature, music, and warm summer nights that puts me totally at peace.
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After watching men shake there heads to maneuver their long twirling hats while dancing for over 45 minutes (a workout I thought), we decided it was time to meet up with my girlfriend and have one more night out on the town. We met my girlfriend in a coffee shop up in Insadong where we soaked in the calm with an ice coffee and a rooftop view of the neighborhood. Before heading to our final destination we decided to stop by Sinchon, another bar area, to get some food. This area seemed more compact than others (if that's possible) and possessed a back-street aura. It was great. We settled on an outdoor Korean barbeque joint and destroyed three large slabs of pork (after it is cooked you must cut the meat into smaller pieces using scissors).
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During our meal, I noticed a child running amuck – I definitely feel bad for any poor soul who has to grow up in any one of these mini sin cities. Before leaving Sichon, we took a stab at a random bar called “music bar” …and we missed. The bar had terrible music, was located in an underground crave (similar to a bar they would have on The Flintstones) and the waiter accidentally served us the largest jug of beer they had – it was rough going down. The best thing the bar had to offer was a free basket of “air puffs” similar to cheese puffs minus the taste and minus the crunch.
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We eventually made our way to the bar area next to Hongdae University which was naturally filled with young students. The area was quite expansive (it took us 15 minutes to walk to our first bar) and many of the Koreans that I saw walking around in this area seemed more atypical and expressive in their forms of style. It was nice to be in a place less vain and mainstream filled with young open-minded individuals hanging out and having fun …at least before society sucks away their ideals. After much exploration, I was really impressed by some of the amazing venues I saw in Hongdae. During the rest of the night, we visited a hookah bar, a bar and night club that catered to foreigners, and a place with bars attached to the ceiling for those who enjoyed dancing on tables. The night was long but enlightening. At 5 am, although the subways had started running again, we took a cab home.
2 hours of sleep, a bus ride, a short flight, a taxi ride and I was back in my Beijing bed. I was exhausted, my holiday was over, and my life in Beijing would continue once again.
First of all, I have to thank my friend Ray (I don’t know why I’ve been concealing his name this whole time, Chinese police can’t get to him) and my girlfriend (no name) for showing me an absolutely amazing time – I wouldn’t have expected anything less - Kamahamnida. As you may know, I find passion in exploring foreign lands and learning new cultures, and I love being with friends and sharing my experiences with them – all in all, Seoul was a great success and I look forward to my next adventure to wherever the winds may take me.
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