Feng Huang Shan

Last weekend I went hiking with a few friends in some mountains called FengHuang Shan, or Phoenix Mountain. It was 2 and 1/2 hours by train from Shenyang, to the eastern border near North Korea. The original plan was to go to Benxi, but our new friends on the train advised against it, so we changed plans, extended our tickets, and headed to Phoenix City.

The train is great for getting travel advice if you speak the language. Everyone has their opinion about where and when you should go and how you should get there. For the two hours that we were on the train, the man sitting across from me, who'd traveled all over the country as a salesperson, gave me travel advice, solicited or not. By the time we'd arrived at our destination, the people sitting around us had planned enough vacations for us to last all our remaining weekends, holidays and vacations in China.

FengCheng (Phoenix City) was a small city of 700,000 people (there are hundreds of cities in China with a population over 1 million). When we got off the train, we found a bus that would take us to the mountains. It was a rickety bus that cost each of us 1.5 yuan (30 US cents). There weren't any bus stops; the bus drove slowly and people simply waved it down if they wanted to hop on, and told the bus driver when they wanted to get off. Bicycles went faster than us.

(This wasn't our bus - the bus is in the background. This could have been our ride up into the mountain though...)

The mountains were great. The spring winding down the mountain was still frozen, and we walked along it until we reached the major trail. Many parts of the climb were more like rocks with steps carved into them, and we climbed up vertically and sideways.

In the evening after our hike, we warmed up at a local restaurant with "Sa Guo", a local dish which is a pot placed on top of fire, with broth, noodles, sour cabbage, pork blood, and pork. We also ordered eggplant, chicken, beef, and the local Yalu River Beer. The people in FengHuang Shan look different than in Shenyang; they appeared heartier, more traditional, and were definitely very interested in my "lao wai" (foreigner) friends.

We took the train back at the end of the evening. It was so crowded that many people were standing and all the seats were taken, so we walked to the end of the train cars and upgraded (2 USD / person) for the dining room, where we had the entire cabin to ourselves to play cards and drink coffee, until we were back home, at least for now, in Shenyang.

Quike

Ok, ok, I swear this is my last post of the day. There have been so many things I've been wanting to share!! When I was sick awhile back ago, co-workers and friends and plenty of medicine and fruit to offer me, to help me to recover. Here was one of them:

Before I take any Chinese Medicine, I usually try to look up the components of the medicine online and label all the boxes, so I know what I'm taking. I guess its kind of immature that I find the name of this medicine funny... But I was taking quickies to make myself feel better. :)

Red Underwear

Apparently, according to Chinese tradition, if it is your zodiac year, meaning the year with the same zodiac symbol as the year you were born, you must wear something red everyday. Yes, every day of the year, all 365 days. The thought is that one's zodiac year is supposed to be one of ill fortune, and to ward off bad luck, you wear something red. Many people choose the form of red underwear.

So this year, being my zodiac year, my aunt was adamant about taking me out to buy red underwear. Hence we undertook the mission of red underwear shopping the 3rd day after the new year. Red underwear is so popular around the new year, that many of the shops we went to were completely sold out of any red underwear, and all the red underwear was more expensive that the other colors.

And guys, you may be laughing, but this rule applies to guys too. There isn't just red underwear for girls, guys are not exempt. In the end, my aunt and I were successful in our mission, and now I am adequately equipped to ward of any bad luck for the year. I wish all of you a year of luck and fortune, and let me know if you're looking for something red to wear. I'll have it shipped from China to you. :)

Happy Rat Year!

Chinese New Year was February 7. I went to Shanghai for a week to see my family, and it was really the first time since I left for the US that I started to get to know my extended family better, and my first time in 20 years to see a Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Years is the equivalent of Christmas for westerners. It is firecrackers, fireworks, food and family. Most Chinese people don't use this time to go on vacation. Rather, they stay at home with their families and share some of the most amazing food I've ever eaten. It is the busiest time of the year for all the restaurants, stores, fruit and flower shops, etc.

For New Years Eve, I went to a restaurant with my Dad's side of the family, where they'd booked a table 3 months in advance. For the next 6 days after, I did nothing but eat - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and whatever else was forced upon me by my family. My uncle on the fouth day after the new year, prepared maybe 30 dishes for 8 people, and we simply sat and ate all day.

By tradition, on New Year's Eve, you eat "nian fan" or dinner for the new year. You spend the first few days visiting your family. On the fourth day after New Year, people go out and visit friends and neighbors, or walk the streets. Here are some pictures of "Qi Bao Lao Jie" or Seven Treasure old street, an old traditional street in Shanghai where they sell Shanghainese delicacies and treats, on the fourth day after the New Year. Enjoy!

Wall Street Journal and Election '08

I try to keep up with the news in the US by reading what sources I can online. One of the articles I read today about the elections regarding race bothered me... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120044560487392853.html?mod=googlenews_wsj. I mean, I know that its just a commentary, but I think that the stance that the writer takes is a bit extreme. I think people are sensitive about race for a good reason, and the writer simply writes it off.

I don't think there is anything wrong with what Hillary said, and I agree that people are making a big deal out of nothing, but when the author states that

"To be able to hold in one's mind the notion that Mrs. Clinton would attack King suggests a bone-deep hypersensitivity that overrides sequential reasoning. "We have to be very, very careful how we speak about that era," Rep. Clyburn explains.
But why so very, very careful? What effect does it have on anyone's life if that era is occasionally discussed in less than perfectly genuflective phraseology?... There is a willful frailty, a lack of self-confidence, in this kind of thinking. It suggests someone almost searching for things to claim injury about, donning the mantle of the noble victim in order to assuage a bruised ego."

I agree with McWhorter that the reaction is a reflection of insecurity, but contrary to his suggestions, I believe that these insecurities are not unreasonable. or unfounded Racism is a sensitive topic because of the history behind it, and because people continue to experience racism and other forms of discrimination on a daily basis. It is because of racist and discriminatory experiences that minorities encounter in nearly every aspect of life that they develop a sensitivity to this issue. I don't think people "don the mantle of noble victim" if they haven't been discriminated against in their personal lives. People only become sensitive to such issues (and in some cases, hypersenstive) only when they have been impacted by discrimination, and such a reaction shouldn't be so easily written off. It is unrealistic to believe that racism is a resolved issue when the civil rights movement only occurred less than 50 years ago, and such a reaction is only an indicator that much more progress is to be made in this arena.

Girls' Locker Room

I went to work out a couple of weeks ago, and I've been wanting to write about it ever since. I went to Bally Fitness (not very Chinese, I know), but the rest of the experience was! Since the gym was members only, I waited for the tour guide to come out to give me a tour of the gym. The membership fee is 5000 RMB / year, which is about 700 dollars, which is more than an average american would pay at a normal gym in the US. The gym is 3 floors: the first floor is the pool, the second floor is the locker room, offices, and juice bar, and the third floor is the workout area.

But what I really wanted to write about was the girls locker room. You have to go through the locker room to get to the rest of the gym, and my first walk through the locker room was a shock. I have never seen so many naked people in one place in my life. I guess the American culture is very conscious of nakedness, more so that other countries. Countries in Europe or Japan for example, are much more comfortable with the birthday suit, or at least that is my impression. But I never would have thought I would see so much nudity in a conservative culture like China. It makes sense though, there are public baths, and the genders are generally split up. The girls in the locker room were completely comfortable. I mean, drying their hair naked, putting on lotion naked, and simply just prancing around without any clothes. It didn't matter the body shape - tall, skinny, short, fata, everyone was just comfortable. I think in America, there are more self image issues - we are afraid of what others will think of our bodies, and no one ever thinks that their body is perfect, and it was strange yet nice to be in an atmosphere where everyone was comfortable whith who they were. I'm just not sure I can do the same as them...

New Years

In Chinese, we say "Xin nian kuai le, wan shi ru yi", which means Happy New Year, and may 10,000 things go well. So, happy new year everyone, and I hope that you were able to spend it with the people you love, and may all your wishes and resolutions come true!

It was my second New Year in Shanghai; I was there on vacation for 2007, but I wouldn't have guessed that I'd be in the same place at the same time in 2008. I missed and thought about my family and close friends that are halfway across the globe, but I was grateful for my Shanghainese family and some new and old friends that I have met here in China.

Christmas in China

I was at work today, and I looked down on my computer, and the date was Dec. 25. It's the first Christmas that I've worked. Most of the other expats have gone back to their home country, and our shuttle that usually has 25 people is now down to 3. I got to my office at 8:00, and it felt so quiet, and I felt so alone, since the locals don't get to work until 8:30.

It's strange here because even though most of the Chinese aren't religious, on Christmas Eve, everyone goes out to eat at the restaurants and to go shopping. Some of the Chinese interpretations of Christmas are very interesting, and for a mostly secular country, there are an amazing amount of christmas decorations, trees, and girls dressed in santa outfits with short skirts, despite the fact that it is -15 degrees Celsius outside. Each of the major hotels and restaurants have large Christmas trees, but instead of nativity scenes, which I have not seen here yet, there are often cartoon characters used as Christmas decorations. For example, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs seem to be a staple in Chinese Christmas decorations. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are also quite commonly found.

Tonight, in the name of Christmas, the Chinese technicians in the shop that I work for invited the three expats that are remaining to go to dinner. After work, we took a shuttle with them to a restaurant called "Little Fat Lamb", where we ate an Inner Mongolian meal. Each person had a pot and a stove in front of them, with a broth, and a lot of raw vegetables and meats were ordered. To eat, you simply dipped the vegetables and meat in the boiling broth at ate it. I was really touched by the hospitality of the people, for the fact that they thought of the expats and wanted to be sure that we had a good holiday away from home and a warm welcome. We ate together, and during the meal, we played drinking games. After we were done eating, there was a TV and Karaoke machine in the room, and each person took turns singing. It was such a warm feeling to spend Christmas with all of them.

However, there is nothing that could make me not miss my family and friends back in the US. I miss by parents, my brother, my dog Savannah, my boyfriend, and all of my friends. I feel so far away from home, and it is my first Christmas in my memory away from my parents. I called one of my friends tonight, and as soon as I heard her voice, I started crying unexpectedly, and not for any particular reason other than feeling homesick and missing my loved ones. Sometimes, you don't realize what you have until you don't have it. I always took Christmas with the family for granted, but this year, I envy those who are able to go home and spend it with those that they love. It is truly a blessing that none of us should take for granted.

So here, I want to wish all my friends and family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and know that I am thinking of all of you as this holiday passes for me in Shenyang, China.

Weekend in Shanghai

I went to Shanghai for the weekend to visit my family, and it was a weekend full of surprises. We'll start with the most dramatic one. On Friday nightin Shanghai, I went to a restauarant, and a western bar afterwards to meet some friends. It was 3 am when I took a taxi home from the bar. I got in a taxi and gave the driver directions to my grandfather's apartment. Upon our arrival, because the gas pipes were getting replaced, the taxi was only able to go so far into the neighborhood. So I got out somewhat close to the gate entrance.

As I exited my taxi and closed the door, a guy came up from behind me and started to grab me. I screamed "What do you want?" in Shanghainese, and ran around to the other side of the taxi. He looked straight at me and started walking quickly away. He was dressed all in black.

I stood shaking for a few seconds, with my heart pounding, and I started to run in the opposite direction that he went. I looked back to see him turn around and follow me. I ran around the building and to the front gate, where I found the security guard.

Me: There's a guy following me
Guard: Where do you live?
Me: In here, in the fourth quarters.
Guard: Where is your apartment?
Me: I can't remember. I can't remember the number right now.
Guard: Ok, calm down, I'll walk you to your apartment. We usually don't have people follow others in here. Do you have valuables on you?
Me: No, no valuables
Guard: I saw a car come in after your taxi. They must have followed you from where you came from. They must have seen something on you that they must have wanted.
Me: I don't know what they wanted.
Guard: Ok, just calm down, and I'll walk you until you recognize your apartment.

I was shaken to tears. I've heard that Chinese New Years is coming, and there are many poor people who don't have money for their families, and they are resorting to stealing. I just happened to be a victim, and easy one at that, because I was a lone girl coming from a Western bar in the middle of the night. I will be more careful now.

Now, we'll go back to the beginning of my journey. To go catch my flight, I left my apartment and got into a taxi and asked for Tao Xian Airport. I was caught off-guard by his greeting:

Me: Tao Xian Airport please.
Taxi driver: Do you want to take the highway?
Me: Yes, its quicker isn't it?
Taxi driver: Yes, but there are 15 yuan of tolls.
Me: No problem. I can pay it.
Taxi driver: How much in total are you willling to pay? 80 yuan?
Me: 80 yuan? Why aren't we using the meter?
Taxi driver: Well you have to help me pay for my way back because there aren't return customers.
Me: No way... (I start to get out of the taxi)
Taxi driver: Ok ok, we can negotiate
Me: 60
Taxi driver: That's too low, you have to pay me for my way back, and the 15 yuan of tolls. How about 70?
Me: 60. Let's go.
Taxi driver: 65. Just 5 more.
Me: Ok. Let's go.

I didn't expect to negotiate, but it seems the norm here to go to the airport. We did go through several toll booths, although I'm not sure if it cost 15 yuan. The meter read 40 yuan, so I'm assuming I just paid 10 yuan extra, which isn't too bad. The way back was worse.

I arrived at the Shenyang airport, and went straight to the line of taxis waiting there. As I exited out of the airport, I had guys start to follow me, soliciting me to follow them and they would give me a ride. I've heard that they are illegal taxis, who usually end up ripping you off, or even worse hurting you. I wave them off and ignore them. They continue to follow.

I ask the first taxi in line to take me to my neighborhood. He says, 80 yuan. I say no, how about 60. He refuses. I go to the second taxi. Will you take me to my neighborhood? He shakes his head. The illegal drivers are still hasseling me. I walk to the third taxi, and I tell him my destination. He says that he can't go until the two taxi's in front of him go, because they are waiting in line.

One of the illegal solicitors tells me, I'll take you home for 4o yuan. You shouldn't stand here, a lone girl like you, it doesn't look good. I turn and walk straight back to into the airport. They follow me.

I get inside and call a co-worker. I ask him what I should do. He gives me directions to a bus that I can take near my house. It costs 10 yuan. It stops within a 10 minute walk from my apartments. I find the bus, the guys start to follow me again. I ask the bus driver if I am on the right bus. He says yes, and I sigh with relief.

Sometimes, I feel so vulnerable and so alone here, more than I ever have in all my travels.

Curture Differences at Work

During my training class, I received a phone call from a plant engineer that I'd been working with on a project. He said that it was urgent for me to meet his manager as soon as possible. At 5pm, I met the manager, who confronted me regarding an email that I wrote to my manager regarding the status of a project. In the email, I stated that one of the shop technicians would contact central enginnering outside of the plant for more advice.

The dialogue went something like this (in Chinese):
Manager: "It's not customary for someone from the shop to contact central engineering. That is the plant engineer's job."
Me: "I didn't contact central engineering. I just wrote an email saying someone else would. If you have a problem with that, you should talk to the shop technician."
Manager: "Well we will talk to him too, but you should know that we don't do that here."
Me: "Sorry, I still don't understand why we are having this conversation."
Manager: "Well you shouldn't have written the email. This may upset the foreigners [a.k.a his manager] because we are breaking the rules. Do you have any other questions?"

I walked away frustrated for the following reasons:
1) He did not deal with root cause, that perhaps people don't understand this "rule", or that it is not well controlled or communicated.
2) He put the blame on the messenger of the situation (me), who was trying to improve communication between different parties, while he tried to hide something that was done "incorrectly".
3) Rather than spending his time on value added work, he wasted my time and his to deal with something that gives the company absolutely no gain.
4) The confucianist ideology prevented the engineer that I was working with to talk to me directly about something that he was not confortable with. Rather, he went through his manager to talk to me.
5) The bureaucratic and heirarchical way of working causes people to work through many different people, rather than going directly to the source (the most efficient way)
and finally, 6) I talked to the western manager of this manager and asked if this rule was true. He said, "No its not a problem for you to contact central engineering, as long as we don't duplicate work."

From just this one instance, you can tell that in the culture, the concept of saving face is perhaps more important than moving forward with an issue at hand, and because of that, there is a strong lack of communication between the chinese and western managment. Also, the Chinese still operate in a very bureaucratic system, often leading to undefined relationships and roles and inefficiencies.

Growing up in the Chinese culutre, I can parially understand the importance of saving face, but my American upbringing makes me believe that if projects, timelines, and investments are on the line, then you shouldn't spend time covering mistakes, but rather move forward. It seems that for the Chinese, if a mistake is made, it is personal and very shameful. In America, it is more often seen as a learning experience for someone to grow. The cultures between the west and east are drastically different, and both will have to adapt to accomplish the challenges to come.