Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Blissfully ignorant...
I forgot all of the crap elements of US pop culture. When you say "TomKat" to me, I think of a stray feline that prowls the farm yard and my life is not adversely affected. Will I have to be reprogrammed for pop culture? I hope not.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
She's cookin' with gas now...
(pictures from left to right: (right)my cooking unit which consists of two gas burners, one is confirmed functional. (left) The prep area and no there is no other place for that plant, even though I'm pretty sure that it's dead)
Greetings from my little kitchen in the ghetto. I make fun of my apartment; great location, acceptable accommodations. And the kitchen is a little less user friendly than I would like. But it falls under the heading of "you get what you pay for" and I don't pay all that much for the place, so I eat out all the time. Then it hits me, I haven't really cooked for myself in ages (not including when I was visiting home). So now that the gas leak has been fixed in the kitchen, it's safe (relatively) to try my hand at cooking again.
Now, it's been a while and I don't have amazing facilities to work with, so what are my options for some hot chow? If you've been with me in China, you don't even need to rack your brain: Dumplings! Boil some water and in less than 10 minutes you all set. So Sunday, I went out and bought myself a pan and some dumplings. I love shopping by pantomime and pictures. It made me think about why we need language at all, just numbers. People understand what I'm saying through my broken Chinese/pantomime, I got my stuff and the store got it's money. A job well done.
In my day, I have been to some pretty grungy places, this includes houses that my friends live in. No big deal, everyone can do different things. But here's how my stove unit looks (see above picture). Please be sure to notice the plastic wrap that covers the back and right sides of the walls. What you can't fully see is said plastic wrap flapping in the breeze that the gas creates. It's a little disconcerting as I've never lived in a place that has a gas stove, and I've never really used one until February. Couple that with the fact that gas explosions are noticeably high, because of bad equipment. Great. Also note that there is newspaper stuffed into the right had side too. Ask my grandma how good of an idea that is. You are lucky you can't see the rust on the pans to the left, it would explain why I forked out the kuai to have my own.
But I love my dumplings, so I trudge on. Pretty much ignoring the "watched pot never boils" theory, I watch that baby like a hawk. After my minor ordeal with the police, I have no desire to deal with whatever the fire department holds. The whole thing turned out fine and I can add my Chinese culinary skills to my list o' accomplishments. Mmmmm, I'm a great cook.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Annie are you OK?
There's nothing like sitting down with a ridiculously big Japanese beer and writing. Here we go!
So I did not end up going to Tokyo on Friday night. It rained and I didn't have an umbrella or my Wellingtons. Not fun.
Here are two of my new favorite stories and reasons why I love California. I'm not the greatest story teller and I'm not going into great explanations of why these are so funny, so if you miss it let me know.
#1) This lady I had lunch with fist starts talking about how she used to be the dental hygienist for the Jackson family. Yes THE Jackson family, most of whom were head cases from an early age is what I gathered. Then she goes on to talk about how she happened to be in the same CPR class as Michael Jackson. Did I mention that I love California ;)? The dummy that people use for practice in CPR classes is called Resusci-Annie. As part of the CPR routine, you must speak to the victim to check their consciousness and make sure they are in need of help. So picture a young Michael Jackson asking, “Annie are you ok? Annie are you OK?”
Seriously I don’t make this up. I could have snorted a shrimp at one of the fanciest restaurants in Shanghai.
#2) Same fascinating lady. She is part of a winery (who has an amazing Chardonnay by the way) and happened to be out with her boss at a restaurant and they saw former President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty. Her boss instantly comes up with a brilliant idea, “Let's send a bottle of our wine to Gerald and Betty Ford." Now, think of things that are wrong with that statement. My lunch friend did and advised her boss, “No. We can’t send them a bottle of wine,” and added to us, her audience, that sometimes her boss may be a bit more determined to follow through with ideas. She calmly explained to him the reasons they could not send Gerald and Betty Ford a bottle of wine. He eventually relented, but it took much explaining.
That was the highlight of my day. I was actually speechless for a few minutes because I needed to recover from laughing.
Storytelling was the theme of the day. But before I get into the next one, let me digress for a minute. I truly understand the concept of being alone in a city of 20 million people. Don't feel bad for me; I'm not as homesick as I have been in the past. I just have more time to myself and focus on what I need to do for my own mental health. For someone who has been surrounded by family and friends for as long as I can remember, this is a pretty big change. I still keep up on what goes on at home (p.s. don't you dare tell me that nothing happens at home) but I do feel disconnected from my network. Segments of my life are not so closely integrated as in the States. Work is separate from spending time with my friends on the weekends which is separate from my week activities. Disconnected; but not terrible. Though if you still feel sorry for me, you can send a care package or a letter. Soot me an email and I'll give you my address.
Whew, done with that. I got in a cab on Friday night going from the restaurant to a live music bar (Turned out to be a pretty place cool except for the guy who tried to pick my nose. Um, who does that?). As I got in the cab and gave the driver my destination, he quickly turned the trip into an English lesson. But he was more interested in expressing his opinion than hearing me talk. He asked me if I worked in Shanghai to which I replied yes, then his next question was "Do you like Japan?" Before I could answer he said "Japan is sh*t." This took me a little aback, but I was ready to roll with it. He continued to state that President Hu Jintao was in the U.S., how the Japanese destroyed Nanjing and how he thought it was hilarious that the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. This made me sad that I was by myself because everyone I've told this story to in Shanghai wishes they would have been in that cab. He repeated his points a few times, peppered the conversation with the F word, and narrated the route ie “turn right on Hengshan Lu” and found my destination with no problems. As I am paying my fare and waiting for the receipt to print he asks me if I am familiar with Tongren Lu. When I said yes, he asked me if I knew a certain Russian lady, but he didn’t say lady. I said no but I did like Russia as a country. He gave me a few more choice pieces of advice about this Russian lady, Japan, and I was on my way. For comedic value, that ride was a bargain.
So I did not end up going to Tokyo on Friday night. It rained and I didn't have an umbrella or my Wellingtons. Not fun.
Here are two of my new favorite stories and reasons why I love California. I'm not the greatest story teller and I'm not going into great explanations of why these are so funny, so if you miss it let me know.
#1) This lady I had lunch with fist starts talking about how she used to be the dental hygienist for the Jackson family. Yes THE Jackson family, most of whom were head cases from an early age is what I gathered. Then she goes on to talk about how she happened to be in the same CPR class as Michael Jackson. Did I mention that I love California ;)? The dummy that people use for practice in CPR classes is called Resusci-Annie. As part of the CPR routine, you must speak to the victim to check their consciousness and make sure they are in need of help. So picture a young Michael Jackson asking, “Annie are you ok? Annie are you OK?”
Seriously I don’t make this up. I could have snorted a shrimp at one of the fanciest restaurants in Shanghai.
#2) Same fascinating lady. She is part of a winery (who has an amazing Chardonnay by the way) and happened to be out with her boss at a restaurant and they saw former President Gerald Ford and his wife Betty. Her boss instantly comes up with a brilliant idea, “Let's send a bottle of our wine to Gerald and Betty Ford." Now, think of things that are wrong with that statement. My lunch friend did and advised her boss, “No. We can’t send them a bottle of wine,” and added to us, her audience, that sometimes her boss may be a bit more determined to follow through with ideas. She calmly explained to him the reasons they could not send Gerald and Betty Ford a bottle of wine. He eventually relented, but it took much explaining.
That was the highlight of my day. I was actually speechless for a few minutes because I needed to recover from laughing.
Storytelling was the theme of the day. But before I get into the next one, let me digress for a minute. I truly understand the concept of being alone in a city of 20 million people. Don't feel bad for me; I'm not as homesick as I have been in the past. I just have more time to myself and focus on what I need to do for my own mental health. For someone who has been surrounded by family and friends for as long as I can remember, this is a pretty big change. I still keep up on what goes on at home (p.s. don't you dare tell me that nothing happens at home) but I do feel disconnected from my network. Segments of my life are not so closely integrated as in the States. Work is separate from spending time with my friends on the weekends which is separate from my week activities. Disconnected; but not terrible. Though if you still feel sorry for me, you can send a care package or a letter. Soot me an email and I'll give you my address.
Whew, done with that. I got in a cab on Friday night going from the restaurant to a live music bar (Turned out to be a pretty place cool except for the guy who tried to pick my nose. Um, who does that?). As I got in the cab and gave the driver my destination, he quickly turned the trip into an English lesson. But he was more interested in expressing his opinion than hearing me talk. He asked me if I worked in Shanghai to which I replied yes, then his next question was "Do you like Japan?" Before I could answer he said "Japan is sh*t." This took me a little aback, but I was ready to roll with it. He continued to state that President Hu Jintao was in the U.S., how the Japanese destroyed Nanjing and how he thought it was hilarious that the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on Japan. This made me sad that I was by myself because everyone I've told this story to in Shanghai wishes they would have been in that cab. He repeated his points a few times, peppered the conversation with the F word, and narrated the route ie “turn right on Hengshan Lu” and found my destination with no problems. As I am paying my fare and waiting for the receipt to print he asks me if I am familiar with Tongren Lu. When I said yes, he asked me if I knew a certain Russian lady, but he didn’t say lady. I said no but I did like Russia as a country. He gave me a few more choice pieces of advice about this Russian lady, Japan, and I was on my way. For comedic value, that ride was a bargain.
Friday, April 21, 2006
NPR is so helpful...
With Hu Jintao's visit to the US (not a state visit, nice way to drop the ball GW) I'm sure that trade with China questions have popped into your head once or twice. Even though I live here, sometimes it's hard to know all the facts on what should be done with trade. I found the following article on NPR's website and I hope you can find it helpful or at least interesting.
·NPR.org, April 20, 2006·
There are strong constituencies demanding that President Bush get tough on China during Thursday's summit with President Hu Jintao. Other Americans warn the president not to go so far that he causes a trade war. NPR's Adam Davidson has a primer on the sometimes conflicting views of trade between the United States and China.
Who is angry at China and why?
Probably the strongest critics of China are owners and workers at small U.S. manufacturing plants. These people make everything from plastic bottle tops to car parts. Many find that Chinese competition is dramatically hurting their business. Chinese-made goods are often sold in the United States for far less than what American manufacturers charge.
How can China afford to undersell U.S. manufacturers?
The main reason is that labor costs are much, much lower in China. Beyond that, many economists believe that the Chinese government keeps its currency artificially cheap by pegging the value of the yuan to the U.S. dollar. Some U.S. manufacturers argue that this keeps the price of Chinese-made products lower than they otherwise would be.
Who benefits from the current trade with China?
Retailers would argue that all Americans benefit. Chinese exports are generally cheaper than U.S.-made equivalents. Prices on many consumer products -- such as clothes and electronics and car parts -- have dropped because Chinese factories make them for a lot less. This means more money in Americans' pockets and higher profits for retailers. And of course, the more Chinese goods that American consumers buy, the more the Chinese economy grows.
Does trade with China offer U.S. manufacturers any advantages?
Many larger U.S. manufacturers take advantage of China's low production costs. Some firms such as Nike and other apparel companies make most of their products in China or other low-cost countries and then import them to the United States. Others, such as General Motors and Intel, have complex supply chains in which some of their products are made in the United States using components that were manufactured in China. They, too, are able to cut cost through trade with China.
So, who is right? Does trade with China hurt the U.S. economy or help it?
As with most economic issues, the answer is that some in the United States are hurt while others are helped. The pain is generally felt intensely by relatively small and specific groups of people, like laid-off textile workers. The benefits are spread diffusely across the entire population, in things like discounts on a broad range of consumer goods. As a general rule, the lower a person's education level, the more likely they are to be laid off or suffer pay cuts because of trade with China. Entire industries that rely on low-skill workers have been all but destroyed by Chinese competition. There are few companies left in the United States that make plush toys or clothes or plastic cooking utensils. Higher-skill manufacturing, such as precision aircraft parts or medical devices, have so far been spared the worst impacts of competition with China.
What kind of concessions do critics want from China?
No one is calling to stop all trade with China. But leading domestic manufacturing and labor voices say free trade with China has to be fair trade. Critics argue that China doesn't play fair because it ignores international trade rules on copyrights and trademarks. Pirated versions of everything from toothpaste to motorcycles to software are readily and cheaply available on the streets of China. U.S. firms argue that this costs them billions of dollars in lost revenue each year; they want China to step up enforcement of copyright protections.
The U.S. government has repeatedly called on China to change the way the yuan is valued so that it is more responsive to market changes. Most multinational corporations also want the Chinese government to ease restrictions on foreign investment. Large U.S. financial institutions, for example, want to be able to sell their products to Chinese consumers just like Chinese manufacturers sell their products to Americans. U.S. industries also want a crackdown on corruption, legal reforms and fewer government subsidies for Chinese manufacturers.
What does the future hold for China and the United States?
Many economists say things are much better for the United States than the average person might imagine. The United States still has the world's largest economy and is the world's biggest manufacturer. It will most likely take China decades of continued aggressive growth to unseat the United States. The United States is even farther ahead of China in the non-manufacturing sector. America has far better developed financial and legal systems. The United States is the world leader in innovation, especially in high-value industries such as aerospace, medical-device and precision-equipment manufacturing. These economists argue that the United States can continue as the world's strongest economy indefinitely, so long as U.S. workers and companies focus on high-skill, high-value products. Of course, this is little comfort to someone who has lost a job and sees little or no opportunity for a new one.
·NPR.org, April 20, 2006·
There are strong constituencies demanding that President Bush get tough on China during Thursday's summit with President Hu Jintao. Other Americans warn the president not to go so far that he causes a trade war. NPR's Adam Davidson has a primer on the sometimes conflicting views of trade between the United States and China.
Who is angry at China and why?
Probably the strongest critics of China are owners and workers at small U.S. manufacturing plants. These people make everything from plastic bottle tops to car parts. Many find that Chinese competition is dramatically hurting their business. Chinese-made goods are often sold in the United States for far less than what American manufacturers charge.
How can China afford to undersell U.S. manufacturers?
The main reason is that labor costs are much, much lower in China. Beyond that, many economists believe that the Chinese government keeps its currency artificially cheap by pegging the value of the yuan to the U.S. dollar. Some U.S. manufacturers argue that this keeps the price of Chinese-made products lower than they otherwise would be.
Who benefits from the current trade with China?
Retailers would argue that all Americans benefit. Chinese exports are generally cheaper than U.S.-made equivalents. Prices on many consumer products -- such as clothes and electronics and car parts -- have dropped because Chinese factories make them for a lot less. This means more money in Americans' pockets and higher profits for retailers. And of course, the more Chinese goods that American consumers buy, the more the Chinese economy grows.
Does trade with China offer U.S. manufacturers any advantages?
Many larger U.S. manufacturers take advantage of China's low production costs. Some firms such as Nike and other apparel companies make most of their products in China or other low-cost countries and then import them to the United States. Others, such as General Motors and Intel, have complex supply chains in which some of their products are made in the United States using components that were manufactured in China. They, too, are able to cut cost through trade with China.
So, who is right? Does trade with China hurt the U.S. economy or help it?
As with most economic issues, the answer is that some in the United States are hurt while others are helped. The pain is generally felt intensely by relatively small and specific groups of people, like laid-off textile workers. The benefits are spread diffusely across the entire population, in things like discounts on a broad range of consumer goods. As a general rule, the lower a person's education level, the more likely they are to be laid off or suffer pay cuts because of trade with China. Entire industries that rely on low-skill workers have been all but destroyed by Chinese competition. There are few companies left in the United States that make plush toys or clothes or plastic cooking utensils. Higher-skill manufacturing, such as precision aircraft parts or medical devices, have so far been spared the worst impacts of competition with China.
What kind of concessions do critics want from China?
No one is calling to stop all trade with China. But leading domestic manufacturing and labor voices say free trade with China has to be fair trade. Critics argue that China doesn't play fair because it ignores international trade rules on copyrights and trademarks. Pirated versions of everything from toothpaste to motorcycles to software are readily and cheaply available on the streets of China. U.S. firms argue that this costs them billions of dollars in lost revenue each year; they want China to step up enforcement of copyright protections.
The U.S. government has repeatedly called on China to change the way the yuan is valued so that it is more responsive to market changes. Most multinational corporations also want the Chinese government to ease restrictions on foreign investment. Large U.S. financial institutions, for example, want to be able to sell their products to Chinese consumers just like Chinese manufacturers sell their products to Americans. U.S. industries also want a crackdown on corruption, legal reforms and fewer government subsidies for Chinese manufacturers.
What does the future hold for China and the United States?
Many economists say things are much better for the United States than the average person might imagine. The United States still has the world's largest economy and is the world's biggest manufacturer. It will most likely take China decades of continued aggressive growth to unseat the United States. The United States is even farther ahead of China in the non-manufacturing sector. America has far better developed financial and legal systems. The United States is the world leader in innovation, especially in high-value industries such as aerospace, medical-device and precision-equipment manufacturing. These economists argue that the United States can continue as the world's strongest economy indefinitely, so long as U.S. workers and companies focus on high-skill, high-value products. Of course, this is little comfort to someone who has lost a job and sees little or no opportunity for a new one.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Plans for Friday...
Friday I'm helping out a trade group from California. Here is the schedule as I recieved it:
9:45am - Pick up at Hotel Lobby
10:30am - Carrafour Gubei Market Explore
11:15am - Parkson Gubei Shop
12:00am - City Shop
12:30am - Lunch at Whampoa
2:45 pm - Bund 3
4:00 pm - Pudong Pines Supermarket
4:30 pm - Back to Hotel
Evening: maybe to Tokyo
Doesn't that sound fun? If we get bored on Friday night, maybe we'll just go to Tokyo.
9:45am - Pick up at Hotel Lobby
10:30am - Carrafour Gubei Market Explore
11:15am - Parkson Gubei Shop
12:00am - City Shop
12:30am - Lunch at Whampoa
2:45 pm - Bund 3
4:00 pm - Pudong Pines Supermarket
4:30 pm - Back to Hotel
Evening: maybe to Tokyo
Doesn't that sound fun? If we get bored on Friday night, maybe we'll just go to Tokyo.
Monday, April 17, 2006
I just have to say...
Last night I watched TRON. Yes, the movie from the 80's. It was awesome. Great special effects for the time and it came from Disney. Go out and see it, get that nostalgic glow.
Cha bu duo yi nian...or 差不多一年
(You might want to enable your computer to see characters to fully see the title of today's randomness.)
Opening get to know you question in this town is “How long have you been in China/Shanghai?” I can now start answering that question “about one year.” How have I been living overseas for nearly a year? This does put another check mark on the list of things I want to do in my life, but I feel like I never made the conscious decision of “Yep I want to live in China.” Things just kept coming up and I kept coming back/staying. Will something come up to keep me here again? Maybe, but I’m going to let it find me because I’m not really searching that hard. But I am coming back to the US for sure in July for at least a month because my visa runs out and I have to leave the country.
Now I know that everyone who reads this isn’t necessarily a techie, but I think that pod casting may have saved my life. It’s common knowledge (speaking of which where’s David Brenner these days?) that I can’t live without music. Not the biggest fan of downloading, but I live in a country that doesn’t have record stores so I do what I can to survive. But through a certain program that starts with i and ends in Tunes, I’ve been introduced to a few individuals that are knock down drag out funny and/or thought provoking.
The first is Harry Sheerer and his program called “Le Show” form KCRW in Santa Monica. Brilliant. He does great political impersonations (no real surprise) and just when you think he’s gone to far he’ll break out the skit where Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton have a secret love affair. He’s done some great things for New Orleans and even moved his show there for a while right after the hurricane.
The second is Ricky Gervais with help from Steve and Karl Pilkington. It’s the called “The Ricky Gervais Show” and it’s done from the UK (they’re all British). Ricky and Steve created the TV show the Office and if half of what their podcast has is in The Office I should have been watching both the US and UK versions. This show is really too good for words. And I can only sum it up in the following quote.
Steve: Karl, I know you’re fascinated with doppelgangers, so if you could spend a day with an exact replica of you, what would you do? How would you utilize him for one day? What would you talk about?
Karl: What would do me head in is, how would I know which one I was?
Ricky: Because you’d be you. That’s amazing! That is the most stupid thing ever said by a human being. Can we get the Guinness book of world records on this?
Granted it’s British and it doesn’t really translate in a transcript but trust me it great. I’m trying to collect all of the first season and I just got the whole second season. Downloading... means to an end.
Abruptly switching topics…
Have you ever turned on the lights and seen the cockroaches scatter? Neither have I but you’ve got the picture in your mind now. That’s what it’s like to see a bunch of people selling DVDs out of suitcases on the street and someone yells that the cops are coming. Thank you IPR crackdown.
Opening get to know you question in this town is “How long have you been in China/Shanghai?” I can now start answering that question “about one year.” How have I been living overseas for nearly a year? This does put another check mark on the list of things I want to do in my life, but I feel like I never made the conscious decision of “Yep I want to live in China.” Things just kept coming up and I kept coming back/staying. Will something come up to keep me here again? Maybe, but I’m going to let it find me because I’m not really searching that hard. But I am coming back to the US for sure in July for at least a month because my visa runs out and I have to leave the country.
Now I know that everyone who reads this isn’t necessarily a techie, but I think that pod casting may have saved my life. It’s common knowledge (speaking of which where’s David Brenner these days?) that I can’t live without music. Not the biggest fan of downloading, but I live in a country that doesn’t have record stores so I do what I can to survive. But through a certain program that starts with i and ends in Tunes, I’ve been introduced to a few individuals that are knock down drag out funny and/or thought provoking.
The first is Harry Sheerer and his program called “Le Show” form KCRW in Santa Monica. Brilliant. He does great political impersonations (no real surprise) and just when you think he’s gone to far he’ll break out the skit where Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton have a secret love affair. He’s done some great things for New Orleans and even moved his show there for a while right after the hurricane.
The second is Ricky Gervais with help from Steve and Karl Pilkington. It’s the called “The Ricky Gervais Show” and it’s done from the UK (they’re all British). Ricky and Steve created the TV show the Office and if half of what their podcast has is in The Office I should have been watching both the US and UK versions. This show is really too good for words. And I can only sum it up in the following quote.
Steve: Karl, I know you’re fascinated with doppelgangers, so if you could spend a day with an exact replica of you, what would you do? How would you utilize him for one day? What would you talk about?
Karl: What would do me head in is, how would I know which one I was?
Ricky: Because you’d be you. That’s amazing! That is the most stupid thing ever said by a human being. Can we get the Guinness book of world records on this?
Granted it’s British and it doesn’t really translate in a transcript but trust me it great. I’m trying to collect all of the first season and I just got the whole second season. Downloading... means to an end.
Abruptly switching topics…
Have you ever turned on the lights and seen the cockroaches scatter? Neither have I but you’ve got the picture in your mind now. That’s what it’s like to see a bunch of people selling DVDs out of suitcases on the street and someone yells that the cops are coming. Thank you IPR crackdown.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Working with no weekend, and no Cadbury Cream Eggs...
There are some expats that live for the days when they can forget they are in China. I revel in the moment for a short time, but I actually do enjoy living here. There are days when I want to body check every other person, but on the whole living in Shanghai is like living in any other gigantic city.
Spent the weekend half working, half living the high life. Friday was work release and a return to the JW Marriott that has held many fond memories, holiday and otherwise. I expected a small intimate crowd for martinis, but ended up in a private room with a revolving crowd of about 20. I knew a few people but ended up talking to a whole different bunch. I got harassed for the Sioux losing for the second time in two weeks. To make it worse, last week it was a bunch of Badgers. It made me feel like home. After realizing that we were in some desperate need of Thai food, about 5 of us piled into one of the guy’s car…a mini van with his own driver. That’s definitely the way to roll in Shanghai. Ended up being another rotating group but Thai food is great so I didn’t really mind. After that I was pretty tired and considering I had to be at work at 8am on a Saturday I wasn’t up for an all night rager. Some of the group was going to this club that I’ve wanted to check out, mostly because it’s right down the street from my house and people like Paul van Dyke and Oakenfold have played there. Trust me, after going there, I would be pissed if I were those guys. The whole place is set up so nearly no dancing can take place and everyone who thinks they’re cool needs to reserve a table and shout at each other all night long over some actually good music. Local crowd, good music… who knows if I’ll go back there but now I know what it's like.
Saturday was spent with the Chiner-ized version of going to the beach. We had an event for work in support of a pet food group that is promoting US imported pet food. Fun right? Dogs, sun, sand…that was all there but in a different context. People in China like pets. Because you only get one kid and that’s a huge time and money investment, some days it’s easier having a dog. Who’s going to argue that one with me? Well, the Chinese really know their pets, but they are not always fully aware of what their pets are capable of. I saw a few German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and endless Labs and Golden Retrievers. Well these dogs like being outside, but they don’t always like being around other dogs. Tough call where there are about 200 in a small area. I saw numerous near dog fights and one lady sitting right in front of me got bitten, bad enough that any Westerner would have gone straight to the doctor. It broke the skin and didn’t look so good. Instead someone put some “Chinese medicine” (aka Iodine, the concept that just because something is written in Chinese makes it Chinese medicine still amazes me) and she was there for the rest of the day. Now for the beaches. (Some people who will remain nameless may remind me that I’m a little beached out and they would be also after this.) So after lunch the people from my office ventured over to the “beach” area that was really a bunch of white sand that had been hauled in and a fence at the edge to prevent anyone from going into the water. I saw the water. You didn’t need a fence to keep me away. It was someone had siphoned off all the stagnant water from a bunch of sloughs/marshes and brought it to China. Yuck!
As you may or may not know, or in my case, you may or may not care, the Rolling Stones were in Shanghai last weekend. This was only a big deal if you are in the expat community. Many Chinese did not even have a clue. Tickets were outrageous and I explained the reason I did not go as thus:
“Did you see the Super Bowl? Do you think Keith Richards had any idea what planet he was on? I’m not paying $150 to see that. Got that show for free.”
I didn’t hear any rave reviews and my guess was that it was for one of the following reasons. 1. They’re old and aging rockers are not always on their game. 2. The concert goer didn’t really know who the Rolling Stones were. 3. The ticket was a status symbol and the people would have bought that ticket weather it was the second coming of Christ or Yanni, as long as people said it was THE event to go to.
Oh yeah, Sunday was Easter. Now the string of consecutive holidays away from home is 4 (or 5 depending if you count Christmas as two days). I went to Sunday brunch with my friends Beth and Meghan and didn’t go to church because I found out the time too late to go. It was a beautiful sunny day and the only downside is that I did not eat any ham. Plenty of salmon sashimi though. (Yum!)
Spent the weekend half working, half living the high life. Friday was work release and a return to the JW Marriott that has held many fond memories, holiday and otherwise. I expected a small intimate crowd for martinis, but ended up in a private room with a revolving crowd of about 20. I knew a few people but ended up talking to a whole different bunch. I got harassed for the Sioux losing for the second time in two weeks. To make it worse, last week it was a bunch of Badgers. It made me feel like home. After realizing that we were in some desperate need of Thai food, about 5 of us piled into one of the guy’s car…a mini van with his own driver. That’s definitely the way to roll in Shanghai. Ended up being another rotating group but Thai food is great so I didn’t really mind. After that I was pretty tired and considering I had to be at work at 8am on a Saturday I wasn’t up for an all night rager. Some of the group was going to this club that I’ve wanted to check out, mostly because it’s right down the street from my house and people like Paul van Dyke and Oakenfold have played there. Trust me, after going there, I would be pissed if I were those guys. The whole place is set up so nearly no dancing can take place and everyone who thinks they’re cool needs to reserve a table and shout at each other all night long over some actually good music. Local crowd, good music… who knows if I’ll go back there but now I know what it's like.
Saturday was spent with the Chiner-ized version of going to the beach. We had an event for work in support of a pet food group that is promoting US imported pet food. Fun right? Dogs, sun, sand…that was all there but in a different context. People in China like pets. Because you only get one kid and that’s a huge time and money investment, some days it’s easier having a dog. Who’s going to argue that one with me? Well, the Chinese really know their pets, but they are not always fully aware of what their pets are capable of. I saw a few German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and endless Labs and Golden Retrievers. Well these dogs like being outside, but they don’t always like being around other dogs. Tough call where there are about 200 in a small area. I saw numerous near dog fights and one lady sitting right in front of me got bitten, bad enough that any Westerner would have gone straight to the doctor. It broke the skin and didn’t look so good. Instead someone put some “Chinese medicine” (aka Iodine, the concept that just because something is written in Chinese makes it Chinese medicine still amazes me) and she was there for the rest of the day. Now for the beaches. (Some people who will remain nameless may remind me that I’m a little beached out and they would be also after this.) So after lunch the people from my office ventured over to the “beach” area that was really a bunch of white sand that had been hauled in and a fence at the edge to prevent anyone from going into the water. I saw the water. You didn’t need a fence to keep me away. It was someone had siphoned off all the stagnant water from a bunch of sloughs/marshes and brought it to China. Yuck!
As you may or may not know, or in my case, you may or may not care, the Rolling Stones were in Shanghai last weekend. This was only a big deal if you are in the expat community. Many Chinese did not even have a clue. Tickets were outrageous and I explained the reason I did not go as thus:
“Did you see the Super Bowl? Do you think Keith Richards had any idea what planet he was on? I’m not paying $150 to see that. Got that show for free.”
I didn’t hear any rave reviews and my guess was that it was for one of the following reasons. 1. They’re old and aging rockers are not always on their game. 2. The concert goer didn’t really know who the Rolling Stones were. 3. The ticket was a status symbol and the people would have bought that ticket weather it was the second coming of Christ or Yanni, as long as people said it was THE event to go to.
Oh yeah, Sunday was Easter. Now the string of consecutive holidays away from home is 4 (or 5 depending if you count Christmas as two days). I went to Sunday brunch with my friends Beth and Meghan and didn’t go to church because I found out the time too late to go. It was a beautiful sunny day and the only downside is that I did not eat any ham. Plenty of salmon sashimi though. (Yum!)
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Socially awkward dinner theater...
I've been a bit tired lately (result of no sun?) so certain people can just get off my back (not naming names).
Sunday my landlady came over. Ms. Sun is a nice lady, but she kind of looks like the landlady from Kungfu Hustle sans hair rollers and standard nightgown. From what my roommate has told me she's pretty tight with the money, but always helpful. So we have a scary stove in the kitchen and were recently told that there was a gas leak (not uncommon in China). Ms. Sun waited for the repair man and then came into my room to say goodbye. I was in the middle of rearranging my room so I won't continue to be startled in the middle of the night by my reflection in the vanity mirror. She helped me move a few things then invited me to supper. She had told me that she would eventually do this, so I grudging obliged full well knowing that this could be a bit taxing. She doesn't speak much English and my Chinese is barely passable. We go to a place just down the street that is supposed to have good food, so off we go. As we are escorted to the table she informs me that we will be joined by 4 other people. This doesn't startle me as much as it should, as I know Shanghainese are big on status and having a foreigner at your table at a restaurant is highly regarded. Even when that foreigner is me. We order some dim sum (Cantonese appetizers) and have an awkward conversation. She asks me the usual stuff including if I have a boyfriend. Lately I've taken to inventing stories rather than telling the truth as my language skills are lacking in the finer points of explanation. Even though I tell her I have a (pretend) boyfriend in the states, she still encourages me to have a Chinese boyfriend too (soooo not going to happen). When the other guests arrive (2 middle aged men, 1 woman, 1 girl a bit younger than I) arrive I am a bit relieved to have a translator. She gives me some background on the situation (one of the men is her father, the other two aunt and uncle) and tells me that the aunt and uncle are trying to fix her up with my landlady's son, who is studying in Australia. Wow, still playing matchmaker/arranged marriage in this day an age.
The aunt, uncle, and father are impressed at my Chinese (did I mention it's barely passable?) and ask me another round of questions including how much it costs to get married in the US. How should I know that? Americans don't ask personal money questions as a general rule. They ordered and I ate pig's ear, what I believe to be liver, and a soup of unknown origins. The pig's ear was about what you'd expect; something suitable for a dog, but not this girl. I had to eat it as they kept piling food on my plate despite my protests. There were some good things, so I made out ok.
The evening ended with a round of "Pictures with the LaoWai (foreigner)." I know people are always worried about getting their picture put on the internet. This concerns me but in another fashion. I surmise that there are many pictures of me on the internet looking scrubby (I had intended to stay at home and do some reading) and slightly awkward with a forced smile. They will never have my name, but I'll know. This was no exception. Everyone has a picture of me (and a few with the daughter) on their camera phone and digital camera. Isn't technology great? Now I likely have to do the whole thing again and take my landlady out for supper to "save face" though I still have to consult my roommate on this to see if I can get out of it.
The adage is true: There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially in China.
Sunday my landlady came over. Ms. Sun is a nice lady, but she kind of looks like the landlady from Kungfu Hustle sans hair rollers and standard nightgown. From what my roommate has told me she's pretty tight with the money, but always helpful. So we have a scary stove in the kitchen and were recently told that there was a gas leak (not uncommon in China). Ms. Sun waited for the repair man and then came into my room to say goodbye. I was in the middle of rearranging my room so I won't continue to be startled in the middle of the night by my reflection in the vanity mirror. She helped me move a few things then invited me to supper. She had told me that she would eventually do this, so I grudging obliged full well knowing that this could be a bit taxing. She doesn't speak much English and my Chinese is barely passable. We go to a place just down the street that is supposed to have good food, so off we go. As we are escorted to the table she informs me that we will be joined by 4 other people. This doesn't startle me as much as it should, as I know Shanghainese are big on status and having a foreigner at your table at a restaurant is highly regarded. Even when that foreigner is me. We order some dim sum (Cantonese appetizers) and have an awkward conversation. She asks me the usual stuff including if I have a boyfriend. Lately I've taken to inventing stories rather than telling the truth as my language skills are lacking in the finer points of explanation. Even though I tell her I have a (pretend) boyfriend in the states, she still encourages me to have a Chinese boyfriend too (soooo not going to happen). When the other guests arrive (2 middle aged men, 1 woman, 1 girl a bit younger than I) arrive I am a bit relieved to have a translator. She gives me some background on the situation (one of the men is her father, the other two aunt and uncle) and tells me that the aunt and uncle are trying to fix her up with my landlady's son, who is studying in Australia. Wow, still playing matchmaker/arranged marriage in this day an age.
The aunt, uncle, and father are impressed at my Chinese (did I mention it's barely passable?) and ask me another round of questions including how much it costs to get married in the US. How should I know that? Americans don't ask personal money questions as a general rule. They ordered and I ate pig's ear, what I believe to be liver, and a soup of unknown origins. The pig's ear was about what you'd expect; something suitable for a dog, but not this girl. I had to eat it as they kept piling food on my plate despite my protests. There were some good things, so I made out ok.
The evening ended with a round of "Pictures with the LaoWai (foreigner)." I know people are always worried about getting their picture put on the internet. This concerns me but in another fashion. I surmise that there are many pictures of me on the internet looking scrubby (I had intended to stay at home and do some reading) and slightly awkward with a forced smile. They will never have my name, but I'll know. This was no exception. Everyone has a picture of me (and a few with the daughter) on their camera phone and digital camera. Isn't technology great? Now I likely have to do the whole thing again and take my landlady out for supper to "save face" though I still have to consult my roommate on this to see if I can get out of it.
The adage is true: There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially in China.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
What will be done with Maria...
April 2-5 I was in Lijiang city in Yunnan province. It's near the city of Kunming and very close to Tibet and Myanmar (Burma!! Why did you say Burma? I don't know, I panicked.) Why would one travel to the other side of the country, you ask. Because I had to for work. Rough I know. Each year we take a retreat for work and I am fortunate enough to be brought along.Lijang has been named as one of the UNESCO historical sites, so there has been much care to restore the old town portion of the city. But it is not quite enough to stay in the old town, one must also venture out to see the beautiful scenery. Lijang is located in the foothills of the Himalayas and not too far from Shangri-la, a common jumping off point to travelers going to Tibet.
My trip to Lijiang was great because it wasn't somewhere that I would have traveled by myself. Now that I have seen Yunnan, there is so much more to be seen there. If you've heard of the Three Gorges Dam, the huge project that dams up the Yangtze River, this will make you just as sad. The Leaping Tiger Gorge, one of the most famous landmarks in China, is going to be dammed up as well. The plans are to blow up the rock formation that looks like the leaping tiger and then make a huge dam. This is such a tragedy I don't even have words. I was out voted on the choice of seeing this or the Snow Mountains, so looks like I'll have to plan another trip to see the Tiger Leaping Gorge before it gets destroyed.
Nothing like breaking out into show tunes or the Monty Python theme with your colleagues. Through out the weekend I was here, on of my bosses and I traded Python quotes. While in the Snow Mountains, we could not help but singing bits from the Sound of Music. This was unfortunately lost on our Chinese colleagues, but the hills were alive, what could we do?
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