Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The Most Beautiful Place in China

by Pam

After finishing our cruise on the Yangtze, we took a plane from Wuhan to Hangzhou. Marco Polo raved about Hangzhou, and we can now understand why. The beauty of the area lies around a large lake, called West Lake, which is in the heart of Hangzhou. It is about 3 square miles and is surrounded by gentle green hills with hiking trails, willow lined pedestrian causeways, beautiful gardens and landscaping, lots of lotus blossoms, and an island with reflecting pools.


Above is Dan giving pointers to some famous Chinese poet he met while visiting West Lake. This fellow is having a hard time coming to terms with Dan’s iambic pentameters (aka dribble).

Below are some beautiful shots of the gardens and lake.







I was very relieved to learn that wine making has a long tradition in China after coming upon this exhibit at West Lake. Unfortunately, after tasting their wine, I now knows why they don’t export it!


While our pictures look like we are almost the only people there, don’t be fooled as we had plenty of company. We did find a secluded spot up on a hill to quench our thirst.

We walked on day one of our visit until our feet almost fell off. It reality it was probably only about 6 miles or so, but the heat and humidity took its toll. We made it about 2/3rds around the lake and then couldn’t find a taxi to take us back to our hotel. We finally we able to take a tourist tram to our starting point and then walked back to our hotel from there. Boy, were our dogs tired! By the time we got back to the hotel, we couldn’t bear the thought of going outside to look for a place to eat, so we ordered in….and see what we got! Pizza is as bit of a luxury here and these two medium pizzas cost us about $30 USD. It was worth it, nonetheless…especially if you like corn on your pizza.

On day two of our visit to West Lake, we were a lot smarter and spared our shoe leather. Once the wind died down, we took a boat ride across the lake to Xiaoying Island. The island consists of four reflecting pools within the island, pavilions and bridges. It was a nice way to end our visit to Hangzhou as we left by train that evening for Shanghai.


Sunday, August 26, 2007

Dan Speaks

Three weeks with these two women is entirely too much time and would drive any decent to drink.


Hangzhou is a good town to drink in.


That's all.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Our Dam(n) Trip

Nimen hao, all! It feels like its been forever and 10 lbs ago that I've blogged or written something worth while.

First off, I'll start with Beijing. Parents arrived a week ago Thursday, got upgraded in their hotel room, actually moved to a different hotel altogether, and lets just say, it was quite the deal! Here is their room:

(there are a set of electric blinds separating the bathroom from the bedroom, THANK GOD!)

They visited Tiananmen Sq & Forbidden City the second day:


And I had my summer school graduation. This is my class:


Second day was the summer palace. I think it's definately one of my fav spots in Beijing. So beautiful, yet, the weather is ridiculously hot!




Third day we spent solely at the Pearl Market. While we were at the Pearl Market (for almost 6 hours), dad went to the Temple of Heaven to keep himself busy. Mom and I bargained up a storm and bought close to 20 pearl necklaces(some full pearls, some necklaces with just a few pearls), pearl earings/bracelets, 6 purses, shirts and such...



After that we spent went to Silk Street till it closed where we bought some more goodies. Even after all of that shopping, my mom vows to go back to the Pearl Market (she's having buyers remorse, and by remorse, I mean, she's remorseful she didn't buy more).

At these places I've been acting as sole negotiator. I think I've definately been earning my keep with the folks. Every negotiation usually starts with them being surprised that I'm speaking in Chinese. Then inevitably it goes to "I live in Beijing, I'm not stupid, this price is way too expensive." Then we go into hard-line negotiation. 90% of the time, simply walking away gets you your price. Also, never act too interested in an item, oh, and don't tell them you're American. When I shop, I'm officially French.

Monday we went to the Great Wall. We went to a section I had never been at, and, turns out, is the busiest section. Actually, way too busy to actually enjoy. I really wish I could have taken my parents to a different section, though the other section was farther away and more strenuous of a climb, there are way less people. Needless to say, they've now officially been to the Great Wall!



Our Monday trip to the Great Wall also included a trip to the Ming Tombs (which lasted maybe 30 minutes), quick visit to a Jade factory, and lunch at a traditional Chinese medicine research center. Parents got a diagnosis from a traditional chinese medicine (tcm) doctor, and mom thinks my dad's diagnosis was right on. All they did was feel our pulse and look at our tongues. Dr. said dad has a fatty liver, and perscribed him 2 months of herbs that would cost about $300US.

Tuesday we flew to Chongqing to catch our boat, even though it didnt leave till Wednesday morning. A guide picked us up from the hotel and took us to some kind of immigrant communal temple place. Even though I didnt really understand its exact function, I found it to be utterly beautiful. I loved the colors and the concept:


Chongqing is a city that really isnt on anyone's map, but my parents and I found it a little charming. Despite its ungodly humdity, it charming because is hilly like San Francisco (no bikes), on the Yangtze River, and very quiet. Such a contrast from Beijing, and so refreshing. Ok, so there, we caved and ate McDonalds. I guess we can only take in so much Chinese at once!

We got to the cruise and my parents cabin was butted right up next to the bar. Poo. It had two single beds and was quite cramped, so after negotiating (and eventually, walking away), they were able to upgrade to a suite. Now they got two single beds pushed together, and bathtub with a shower, and a living room with couch, and little kitchen. I think it made the trip 100x better and more comfortable. I still stayed in a single cabin (also, next to the bar), so here is what it looked like:


Dad and I lounging in their luxiurious cabin suite drinking, eh, water...:


Oh, and to shower, I had to pull a red curtain around the toilet and turn on the sink which would turn into a shower. Let's just say that I often visited my parents room!

Our boat:


Mom and Pop w/ the Captain:

(Oh, we had assigned seating for our meals and our table had a little sign that said the "Morgan Family", our waiter thought it cute to address my dad as "Captain Morgan")

So day 1 on the cruise we stopped in Fengdu, the Ghost City. It had a temple of hell or something. The remainder of the day we were on the boat, which didnt bother us, because the humidity was so unbearable. Temple of Hell or whatever really lived up to its name!



Day 2 we started entering the gorges. They were absoltutely beautiful. Our shore excursion this day was one where we took a ferry to some smaller lesser gorges then got in "pea pod" boats, which were commandeered by 4 or 5 Chinese "trackers". These guys were sooooo skinny, but had the bodies of gods. I couldnt believe it. Not only did they row us for an hour or two, but they also had to get out at the shallow part and "track" the boat, which requires them to pull the boat full of 11 or so fat foreigners across rocks. I was in awe.






After the excursion my mom and I went and got facials. The first thing the facial girl asked me was if I could speak Chinese (because she heard me speak it when we first got on the boat). My facial wasnt all that relaxing, because I was having to really think and constantly speak Chinese with her (Mary).

-- Begin Side Note--
Before the trip I really thougth my Chinese would suffer b/c I would primarily be speaking English with my folks, but the exact has become true. I really think that my Chinese language skills have improved very much over this past week, because my parents really rely on me. I'm always talking with taxi drivers, bartenders, and others and I dont have my friends to rely on. I really have learned that the true way to know and learn the language is through real-world practice. It is tiring, but well worth it. I've even begun to notice that I'm beginning to THINK in Chinese! Unfortunately, my English skills (as you may be able to notice) are taking a severe hit. So now, my English and my Chinese are mediocre!
-- End Side Note--

Mary and I really hit it off and the next thing I know, she calls me the next day and asks me to visit her in the beauty shop. She had no customers and just wanted to dance. So, we just bobbed around, showed her some disco moves and the electric slide, talked about Chinese music. Then she asks me to help her write a letter to an American couple who sent her twin sons some clothes. It was great because I was actually translating! She told me in Chinese, and I wrote in English.

Later on Day 3 she even called my parents room and asked to talk to me. She wanted me to go dancing at a disco. I refused to dance, so she took me to the deck and next thing I know, its her, me, and about 5 Chinese cruise worker guys. She keeps introducing them to me and asking me if I think they're "shuai ge" (handsome guys). I respond (because it's the polite thing) "dou shi hen shai" (all of them are handsome). I slowly come to realize that I think she wants to hook me, the American, up with these boys. Needless to say, I all of a sudden became tired.


Day 3 daytime we visited the 3 Gorges Dam. Or, as all of our tour guides called it "The Dam Project." (Much to foreigner giggles). The Damn is certainly extraordinary and quite an undertaking. The night before it took our boat 3-4hours to progress through the 5 locks. Each lock took us down 20 meters (or 60 feet). Let's just say that it doesnt take a rocket scientist to see that my dad was fascinated the entire freakin time! (even almost skipped dessert!)




The 3 Gorges Dam also brings up another observation. Everyone of our tour guides mentioned, almost adroitly, about how the government has greatly satisfied the 1 million people and farmers in their relocation efforts as a result of the dam increasing water levels upstream. The repeated propoganda for the foreign tourists was amazing and quite transparent. One would have to wonder how the farmers really felt!

Oh, and this point of the trip, I will accept all the pity my mom and I can get. My dad's dribble meter went off the chart. Off the freakin chart...

Day 4 of the cruise is today. We went through one more dam and ended in Wuhan. From the boat we went straight to the airport where we sat for 4 hours waiting for our 1 hour flight to Hangzhou.

Right now I'm writing from our hotel room in Hangzhou. It's about 10:30pm and both of the parents are sleeping, undoubtedly because both have contracted colds. Our first impression of Hangzhou is one of beauty. We look forward to the next few days. We are here for 2 more days, then head to Shanghai for 3 more, then back to Beijing for 2, then parents fly home on Saturday and I start school again on Monday!

One last thought: Something I've realized is that I'm definately not in love with China. I find it interesting, yet sometimes difficult to understand. The one thing that I would say is my biggest qualm with China is the constant feeling that I'm being taken advantage of because I'm a foreigner. Taxis are automatically much more expensive, meals will be miscalculated, or you'll be taken to places you never intended of going. I just feel like I can never really let my guard down and fully relax.

Oh, and each day of the cruise started with a wake-up call. I do recall the first day having a housekeeper unlock the door to my cabin at 7:37 in the morning to clean. Actually, something I've noticed is that housekeepers walk into your room many times a day, anytime they like, anywhere... boat, hotel, wherever...

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Alive and Kickin'

Hello all! After 5 days in Beijing, and what seems like ions since my last post, just want to let you know that we're alive and kicking.

Just as a brief overview:
Day 1: Parents went to Forbidden City & Tiananmen Sq, I had graduation
Day 2: Summer Palace allllll day long
Day 3: Pearl Market (6 hours) & Silk Street (3 hours) (while mom and I were at Pearl Market, dad went to Temple of Heaven across the street)
Day 4: Great Wall & Ming Tombs
Day 5: Today, fly to Chongqing (southern/central China) to catch our cruise down the Yangtze. Will end in Wuhan on Saturday.

Right now I'm sitting with my Starbucks watching my mom attempt to shove her "Burberry" and "Gucci" purses into her suitcase. Don't really have time to get into details or post pics now, will do so later. But I'm sure many of you have already been kept informed through my parents emails.

Hope you all are staying dry, and for those of you who must return to school soon, be good!
-Ashley

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Chinese couple tried to name baby "@"

Thu Aug 16, 3:04 AM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@", claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said on Thursday.

The unusual name stands out especially in Chinese, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke characters to represent words.

"The whole world uses it to write e-mail, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming.

While the "@" simple is familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out -- which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like "ai ta", or "love him", to Mandarin speakers.

Li told a news conference on the state of the language that the name was an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Chinese, as commercialisation and the Internet break down conventions.

Another couple tried to give their child a name that rendered into English sounds like "King Osrina."

Li did not say if officials accepted the "@" name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals, foreign languages and symbols that do not belong to Chinese minority languages.

Sixty million Chinese faced the problem that their names use ancient characters so obscure that computers cannot recognise them and even fluent speakers were left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a transcript of the briefing on the government Web site (www.gov.cn).

One of them was the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name had a rare "rong" character that gave newspaper editors headaches.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oukoe_uk_china_language

Monday, August 13, 2007

GORGE-ously Crossing Boundaries

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!

Ok, enough of that jazz.

As in every other weekend, as soon as our Friday test concludes, we head out to see some sight.

This time we went to a Chinese "Ethical Culture Exhibition." I think it was supposed to be like an ethnic Chinese culture fair, but who knows. They had beautiful lights made of silk, performers, and fair games.

Here is a hot-dog stand that I found.

Hot dogs in Chinese are litterally translated. "Regou" Re= hot, gou=dog. I always knew my dog was hot stuff!

Oh, and for all of you who have heard about the story of cardboard being mixed with meat and put in baozi (breakfast buns w/ meat in them) in China, well, the reporter who wrote the story was just sentenced to a year in jail for fabricating the story.

On the way home I found these curious handle bars in the ditie (subway)


We went to bed pretty early because our goal was to leave CET by 5:30 the next morning and head about 2-3 hours outside of Beijing to Longqinxia, a beautiful gorge. We hopped on a bus that was possibly the most umcomfortable bus ride of our lives. My friend Stephen is quite tall and he unfortunately got stuck in a middle seat, where his legs didnt fit at all! The bus was so packed, that Chinese people were squeezed in the aisle and had to stand for the whole 2 hours! Luckily, most of the people got off at the Great Wall stop, and our stop was the last and we were able to sit the whole time!

Once we reached the gorge, we were greeted by this:

We were ready to enter the dragons mouth and hike up this exhausting hill, but instead were wonderfully surprised that the dragons innards consisted of many escalators!

Phew!

We then took a boat around the gorge and it let us off at a spot where we can hike. The weather was absolutely beautiful, the scenery was equally perfect, and we were so happy to reach the top!




Our time was limited at the Gorge because we had to make it back to CET for "China Night", where every class performs a skit and people sing Chinese songs and stuff... but we mangaged to squeeze in some canoeing at the Gorge, we just couldnt resist!




Needless to say, the gorge was absolutely beautiful, and if next week's Yangtze River Cruise (to the 3 Gorges) is anything like this one, I'm sure we'll be in awe!

Speaking of my parents, they're in Tokyo right now. 3 days and 2 tests in counting till their arrival!

After a very uncomfortable 3-hour bus ride later, we make it back for China Night, which was fun. Since I wasn't able to make it back for the rehearsal, my lines got cut significantly, which didnt hurt my feelings in the least bit, I was actually quite relieved!

Since China Night was basically the culmination of everything, of course, afterwards was supposed to be one big party. EVERYONE went out that night. 1/2 of us just so happened to end up at the same bar/club. As the night progressed I realized that there definatley are different standards of student-teacher boundaries in China.

As I mentioned before, one of my teachers went out dancing with my friends (I didn't go because they took too long to figure out where to go). This time, someone who works in the front office, who we practically treat as a teacher, was dancing quite intimately with one of the students (who, by the way, will only be here for another week). Next thing we know, I turn around and she and the student are kissing passionately! WHAT?!?! She's only a few years older than us, but still, it's hard to get used to seeing your teachers or whatever in that kind of setting in that kind of state!

Ok, so enough of that. I don't know when this will get posted b/c our internet has been down for 5 days in counting...

Thursday is our final kaishi (test), Friday is our final koushi (oral test). Can't wait for the semester to end to and to get my travels started!

Bon voyage,
Ashley