Xi'an - Oh Man! -And A Happy Thanksgiving Ices The Cake

Monday morning, after much anticipation and excited fits of giggles, Stephanie and I left for Xi'an, Shangxi providence, via airplane.

We arrived at the hostel around 11am, and were very pleased with what we found. Located directly outside the Nan Dajie (South Gate) of the ancient wall that encases the city, it was a short walking distance from the famous Bell and Drum Towers, Muslim Quarter, and, more importantly, three different Starbucks. We immediately booked a tour to see the Terracotta Warriors, and then headed out with a new friend, Jia Jia, a kind and absolutely adorable woman (age 22) who worked at the hostel. She took us to a shopping area south of the gate, where foreigners where seldom seen but the locals flocked, ergo cheaper prices and more genuine atmosphere. Steph and I got manicures of the most outlandish sort for only 15 Yuan. 

Everyone at the market was [almost too] friendly and extremely curious about us, which made for some great opportunities to practice our Chinese and learn a few new phrases. Our bargaining skills, which would reach an expert level by the end of the week, began to evolve here.

The touristy Muslim Quarter was next on our list. We stood on the street, unsuccessfully attempting to hail a taxi there, when a friendly man on a scooter shouted in our direction, asking if we needed a lift. We told him our destination, and, holding up four fingers, he named his price. ‘Why not?’ we thought, the strangeness of the thing appeasing our inherent sense of adventure. Hopping on the back of his small motorized bike, we zipped and dodged quickly through traffic, the way that always makes me angry... but was actually quite revitalizing from the other point of view.

The Muslim Quarter, even after such an exciting journey, was unbelievable in comparison. Vendors of all varieties lined the street, selling a smorgasbord of souvenirs, eats, and other items. The street was busting with locals and tourists, lights arching over the walk, and an overhang of Islamic culture in the air. The food of this providence is different from that of Jinan and Beijing: a bit spicier, and the traditional moon cakes and rice pudding are readily pushed upon the passing tourist. 

There is a ton of shopping, especially in a small road curving laterally around the Main Street, advertising knock-off designer goods, silks, scarves, and loads of, ungracefully put, crap. I can say that Stephanie and I did some major damage here, quickly becoming true experts in the Art of Chinese Haggling . We walked away with some real steals. But we didn't really steal.

Tuesday, we headed to the see the world renowned Terracotta Warriors. The first stop on the tour was a museum where we watched a demonstration on how the warriors, Chinese sculptures, and traditional furniture were made. Then, at the actual site, we watched a short film, describing the history of the site, while standing in the middle of a huge room with a 360-degree television screen (only slightly confusing). The man who discovered the Warriors, named Mr. Yang, was actually at the sight that day. He was a very cranky 80-year-old man with huge round glasses, who refused take any photos or shake anyone’s hand with out the purchase of his ridiculously overpriced book.

The Terracotta Warriors themselves were surreal. The size of the army alone very impressive, but, coupled with the underlying story of Emperor Qin, astounding. Of the 3 pits, two of which contained little to fawn over, save the size of the excavation, Pit One was the most impressive. The throng of tour groups crowded the walkways, and we were asked several times for photos. I thusly checked another sight off my long list of things must-sees in China.

That night, we joined a mass of tourists and locals alike at the foot of the Big Goose Pagoda to watch a beautiful fountain show. I absolutely love fountain shows. One of my favorite memories of Spain was leaning against a carved stone perch in Barcelona, the warm air hanging lazily around the Mediterranean vegetation, watching a fountain show in front of the Royal Palace with a few close friends. There's just something about the arching water, lively instrumentals, cheery crowds, and the city lights twinkling in the background. It's all very romantic. 

For dinner, we headed (with a French woman our age, named Natasha) back to the Muslim Quarter: home of cheap, exotic, and superbly delicious food. Natasha and I conversed in French, leaving me pleasantly surprised at how much of the language I have retained since my escape from the chains and shackles of my former stay in east Paris.

We sampled most of the traditional foods of Xi'an, tickling our taste buds with some exciting new tastes. We had cold noodles, covered in a sauce vaguely reminiscent of peanuts, a warm soup laden with noodles, bread bits, and beef medallions, and a fried biscuit stuffed with steamed lamb meat. It was all very delicious. The cooks on the street are very friendly and extremely helpful; we showed them phrases from our guidebooks and they pointed our palettes in the correct culinary direction.

Wednesday was a major sight seeing day around the city. Waking up early, we mapped out an efficient plan to hit a majority of the main tourist attractions. While waiting in the lounge for the day to kick off, I met two gentlemen from South America. In Spanish, we exchanged tips on touring the city, as well as places in South America that I was strictly obligated to visit. When we parted, I realized, with a proud feeling swelling in my chest, that I had spoken French, Spanish, English, and Chinese in the past two days, connecting with people from all over the world in their own language. It was truly an uplifting moment in my life, making me appreciate this gift that I have been given.

Getting to work on our ambitious daily agenda, we saw the famous Bell Tower, located in the center of the main square of Xi’an. Feeling adventurous on our sightseeing mission, we hopped in a passing rickshaw and bumped along the street through the nearby Muslim Quarter to the Great Mosque. As he dropped us off, the driver tried to charge us more than what he had previously stated, thinking us the typical pushover tourists. We berated him in Chinese for this, enlisting the aid of nearby Chinese men who also gave him an earful. He left with the hanging head of a child caught in the act of doing something naughty.

The Great Mosque might have been my favorite sight in Xi'an. The mosque is hushed and serene, a timeless bubble in this bustling city: a true oasis amid the endless bright flashing signs and thumping music of the downtown area. As we walked through the arched, traditional buildings, the leaves fell silently from the trees, and the chanting of an ongoing worship echoed around the courtyard.

Thrust inevitably back into the energetic and exotic aura of the Muslim Quarter, we strolled through the shopping street towards our next destination: the Drum Tower. We passed many of the vendors we had haggled and joked with the day before, and were most definitely remembered. Fun follow-up conversations ensued, all in Chinese, might I add. We barely made it to the Drum Tower (sister to the Bell tower, located at the entrance of the Muslim Quarter) for the daily drum show. Though the duration was short, about 15 minutes, it was still a fantastic cultural and musical performance. It was amusing seeing all of these old asian structures, complete with traditional performances, with modern American fast food chains located just outside.

Wednesday afternoon brought us to the Big Goose Pagoda. It's very pretty during the daytime, and the short climb up its 7 stories was relatively effortless after my ascent to Tai Shan the week before. We watched the sun set from the top floor through a small hole in the glass, celebrating the end of a great day by taking numerous random and completely pointless pictures, and were eventually harried out at closing time.

Thursday marked a slightly dreaded occasion on my part: Thanksgiving. To quell the empty feeling residing in the left side of my chest cavity (the area that my family’s presence should have filled with warmth and love), I took it upon myself to put my nostalgia to good use by spreading bonafide American love and good cheer. The first order of business was accomplished with the aid of the every helpful reception staff; I mastered the phrase “Ga En Jie Kuai Le!”, meaning "Happy Thanksgiving". Wishing a happy holiday to most passersby, I received many thanks, big smiles, and even return well wishes as Stephanie and I climbed up the South Gate of the city wall.

At the top of the ancient City Wall, we rented bicycles and biked along the entire length of the wall. It took just over an hour, and was a wonderful experience. The air was crisp and chilly, the wall covered in smog and nearly deserted. We did run into a tourist trio we had met earlier at the Mosque; it’s a small world, after all!

The afternoon was devoted to cramming every last thing we wanted to see into the remaining daylight hours. The Small Goose Pagoda, located in a beautiful park dedicated to the empress of the Tang Dynasty, was a pleasant sight, but nothing compared to the Big Goose Pagoda. The Provincial Museum housed many interesting exhibits, including bits on the ancient human skulls found in the area. Last, but not least, we did something I had been really looking forward to; we dressed up in traditional Chinese costumes and posed in the park of the Big Goose Pagoda. For 15 Yuan, the photographer snapped photo after photo of Stephanie and I, both of whom hammed it up exceedingly for the camera. Our modeling expertise did not go unnoticed; by the time Stephanie had finished our short photo shoot, a small crowd of around 30 Chinese people had gathered around us, taking pictures of us at a rather alarming rate.  The photos turned out great, and the experience was unforgettable!

To celebrate Thanksgiving night, our hostel offered a themed meal for us Americans, an any others who might have felt inclined to celebrate as well. Stephanie and I tucked into a small pizza topped with miniscule amounts of turkey and yam, a tiny complimentary plate of dry turkey, yam, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, and a refreshingly cold beer. Though nothing compared to the American feast I was sure to be missing, there was comfort in sharing somewhat in the tradition that I have celebrated all my life.

To top it off a great day, we attended a traditional Chinese musical performance. It was beautiful, and I felt deeply thankful for being able to have this awesome experience.

Friday morning was a sad one. We said goodbye to the reception staff, who had been so helpful and so friendly to us this week. We were hard pressed getting to work on time, as our flight was delayed. However, it worked out all right in the end. This was definitely a vacation to remember, and I hope to go back to Xi’an again someday!

Mountain Climbing, Dumpling Confection, and a Whole Lotta Holiday Spirit

Though one might think that, after such a colorful excursion to Beijing, settling back into everyday life might be a bit humdrum, I’ve managed to keep the sparks flying here in Jinan.

Monday and Tuesday consisted mainly of shopping for a variety of items, from expensive electronics to Christmas decorations. The former I did not partake in, but am sorely tempted by the astounding, and certainly humbling, quality of photos taken by Andy’s new SLR camera.

  In the later activity I undoubtedly played a part. I had been a bit worried about Christmas in China; would I be able to find decorations? Would anyone in this strange secular country acknowledge the arrival of my favorite holiday? Would any of the western teachers even care?

The answers to these questions pleasantly surprised me, Christmas Lover Extraordinaire. Even in Jinan, there are a few Christmas displays up already, and plenty of Christmas goods available at the local Wal-Mart (yes, we have one of those, too!). Many of the western teachers are quite excited about the coming of this holiday as well. I bought some lights, wall decorations, garlands, and even a small tree. My apartment looks so homey! It’s a small comfort to sit on my sofa, watching the string of tiny tree lights flash warm colors on the generic white walls; halfway around the world, I feel close to my family, but removed all the same.

Wednesday, Andy, Rob, Chloe, Kat, and I headed to Tai Shan Mountain, the most sacred mountain in all of China. Not only is it sacred, but is renown for it’s stunning sunrise. Though there is a bus and cable car combo that is available to take you up the mountain, Andy, Rob and I decided to brave the steep and notoriously grueling hike up the 7,000 some steps. This first half was just a teaser compared to the second half, which looked uncannily similar to Frodo, Sam, and Gollum’s trek up to Cirith Ungl to face the terrifying Shelob (yes,  I publicly embrace my geekdom). We climbed for about 4 hours, watching passing vendors from the top of the mountain, who carried goods on either side of a long pole set across their shoulders. Some of them were quite old; I can’t even imagine making that hike everyday, down and up again, let alone carrying such a load on my back and being 3 times as old.

We reached the top shortly after sundown, and checked into a hostel. And, in what seemed like seconds, we were up and out again at 5am, ready for the sunrise. It was absolutely freezing, the temperature sitting somewhere around –20 degrees Celcius. The relentless biting cold was neither unfamiliar nor unbearable; numerous winters in Chicago had prepared me well for this moment.

We rented coats: long, green, communist looking coats that were so insulating that it felt like walking in a button-down sleeping bag (with Marxist leanings, of course). Looking out over the landscape, wrapped in multiple layers, we watched the sunrise over the valley below. Absolutely beautiful, and totally worth every physical challenge it took to experience.

Friday, I took another sort of adventure, this time into the home of a Chinese family. I had been invited over for lunch and a beginning lesson on the culinary art of Chinese dumplings. I was enthusiastically accepted into their home. The old woman, mother of Lois, the adult student who invited me, showed me how to cut the vegetables and what to add to the mixture. We mixed and chopped, and then prepared the dough. Her husband joined in too, taking the dough balls and, using a rolling pin,  flattened them into small circles, with a raised middle section. I tried and failed miserably at this several times, to the cheery amusement of the women.

Then, with a very narrow spatula, we patted the filling inside the flat dough circle, and pressed it closed with our thumbs. The amount of filling one can fit into a dumpling is symbolic to how skilled one is, and I, with my slightly competitive nature, took this as a challenge. I was a tad overzealous in my attempt to be skilled, resulting in several obese and unsealable dumplings.  We switched fillings half way through, from a pork vegetable mixture to one consisting mainly of finely chopped leek. The family and I laughed a lot together, both at my gastronomic inadequacy and in conversation about my thoughts on China and theirs on the Western world. We were a very jolly party: mom, dad, Lois, little Judy and Susan, and I.

Along with dumplings, dumpling soup (the broth of the broiled dumplings), and green tea, I was also given fried lotus root with a meat filling, all of which were delicious. The family seemed concerned that I was unable to finish a portion that was at least three times as big as my normal sized meal, and sent me home with a small cooler filled with dumplings and friend lotus root. It was such an awesome cultural experience! I’ve been given an open invitiation to return whenever they make dumplings, and I think I may take them up on that.

This weekend is Exam Week at Aston Schools. Being a substitute, I have to be at the school as a contingency in case some one is ill or, say, falls down the stairs and breaks a rib. Basically, I will be sitting in the teacher’s lounge, free to do what I please for the entire day. Not a bad deal. I have lots of little things to catch up on, expecially before I leave for my vacation on Monday. I will be heading to the city of Xi’an for four days with a friend, named Stephanie. It’s sure to be a lot of sightseeing (Terracotta Warriors, here I come!), shopping, and girl time. Though I feel like I have overused the phrase to the point of it loosing meaning, I am really very excited for this coming week!

Beijing. WOW. You should go. Totally.

If I were to sum up this weekend in one word, it would be 'WOW'. Beijing was simply amazing in so many ways.

Andy, Rob, and I (fellow Aston English teachers) left for Beijing bright and early Monday morning. As we boarded the 4 hour train, both eager and excited, we realized that our tickets didn't have seat numbers. Thinking that perhaps this meant general seating, we took seats, but near the exit to be prudent. As it turns out, there are assigned seats. Our lack of seat numbers indicated that we just didn't have one. Since the seats in the dining car, sporting an additional fee, were all full, we huddled in a doorway corner for the remainder of the ride.

Kicking off our trip to an unconventional and surprisingly fantastic start, we arrived in Beijing and found our hostel. What a nice place! It was located close to the famous Tianamen Square, and the Forbidden City, respectively, and also right beside WangFuJing, a huge commercial street lined with fun shops. We spent our first hours in Beijing hovering inside a foreign language book store, scouring though the numerous English novels and debating which ones to buy. In the end, I purchased some historical fiction on China, a book on Taoism (the boys have huge philosophical obsessions, so I felt it important to brush up on my current nonexistant knowledge on the subject), and a book on Palmistry. That's right, I can now read palms. Check me out.

The arts of fortune telling was a major theme running consistantly thoughout the weekend. We delved head first into palmistry, learning about the mounts of the hand, the fingers, and the important lines. Andy found a more general "Fortune Teller's Bible," which provided hours of entertainment through face readings, card readings, I Ching, and Ma Jongg. Most of this took place in the nearby Starbucks; I didn't realize how much I missed real coffee and the coffee shop atmosphere until now. We spent hours in Starbucks, easing our Western yearning for copious amounts of good coffee and a familiar atmosphere. It was a nice temporary regression into the comforts of home.

Tuesday morning we headed to the Silk Market, a hugely famous shopping market in Beijing. How fun! There were 4 floors, each with countless stalls and vendors, selling everything from knock-off designer clothes to electronics. As we walked through the passage ways, the vendors shouted at us incessantly in whatever English they happened to know. "Pretty Lady! Looky Looky!" and "Cute boy! You want a scarf?" were just a few examples. One rather agressive vendor even told Andy that his jeans were ripped and dirty, as to entice him in to try on a new pair, conveniently located in her shop. Some even grabbed at us, trying to physically pull us in as a last resort. 

The key to shopping here is haggling, which also happens to be the key to making shopping fun. Because we could speak a little chinese, the venders would usually give us the lower version of the starting price. However, you can usually, with a bit of skill and tough skin, get the price down to about 25-40 percent of the original asking price. I bought a purse, hoodie, scarf and hat, coming away with some great bargins in the form of uber cute stuff.. The vendors were not always happy that we, unlike normal tourists, knew these secrets; Andy bottom lined the price for my hat at 50 yuan, and, after following us around for about 5 minutes desperately shouting ever decreasing prices, the vendor finally gave in. She glared straight at Andy as she handed over the hat, and, with a menacing finger, declared that she did NOT like him.

Later on Tuesday, we saw the Forbidden City. The best part of this experience was, honestly, waiting outside for our friend Stephanie, also in Beijing, to show up. We sat anonymously along a curb, inconspicuously attracting hoards of tourist photographers. People were snapping photos from their phones and cameras, urging their children to stand next to us for a photo, and even smoothly stepping behind us to get us in the frame. One man even approached Andy and asked him to stand and pose for the camera. It was so much fun and quite hilarious. I found one Chinese family, who had taken numerous photos of me, again inside the City, and definately got a photo with them.

Entering the Forbidden City was a bit anti-climactic, to be honest. The fog was so bad that it was hard to appreciate the former glamour of the place; the fact that there was little furniture or other relics left also took away from the overall effect. The place is enormous, though. It's very pretty too; It was what I expected, which is always a bit disappointing. The 'Chinglish', however, was absolutely hysterical. A bit dramatic, don't you think?

Wednesday, we headed to the Great Wall. Instead of going to the most touristy section of the wall, we opted to hike 10 kilometers along as more deserted part, and the most beautiful section, Sumatai. The hike was the really difficult, given the steep up and downs that the wall is made of, but totally worth it. Zip lining across a wide lake at the end, I couldn't believe that I was here. In this moment it truely hit me; I am in China!

Thursday, after lunch at The Kro's Nest, home of the gargantuan pizzas, we headed to do some DVD shopping. We tried on trendy (borderline just-plain-wierd) asian fashions, and found some more books. Then, we headed back to WangFuJing to meet our daily destiny: bugs. The scorpians are displayed on sticks, still alive and wriggling. Grasshoppers, even larger scorpians, lizards, worms, and cockroaches were all for sale for eating. We ate scorpians and grasshoppers, which were actually not that bad tasting laden in spices. I think I would do it again, perhaps branching out to the larger lizards and starfish. But cockroaches, NEVER.

Coming home was hard. The weekend seemed much longer than usual with the lack of sleep catching up to me and the long work hours going on forever. However, I made it though. All in all, fantastic week in Beijing. When can I go back again?!

Dreams Come True; The Unforeseen Effects of Palm Readings and Chinese Lessons

So much has happened since I last posted that I don't know where to begin. After much deliberation, I have decided that I shall proceed in chronological order, being the most logical and story-like.

This past weekend, work was hectic like always. I really enjoy working with kids, but being a substitute is a whole other story. I only see these children for 2 hours once, and they clearly understand that I have no real power over them. This is a far cry from my student teaching, when I taught the same class, six hours a day, five days a week. I absolutely loved that, and I definately miss it. 

Anyway, Sunday night I headed over to a Chinese family's house to help their kids with their English. The family was so friendly! They fed me this strange fruit and simultaneously drilled me on life in America and how I found life in China. One woman casually mentioned that she was a fortune teller, and if I ever wanted my palm read she would read it. I replied with an unsure, "um, well.... YES, DO IT NOW!". 

I have always wanted to have my palm read; Dream Come True #1  this week. Some of what she told me was strange, and some just as strange in how true it was. Now, I feel much more prepared for the future, knowing vaguely what will happen. The results of my reading include (but are not limited to):

1. I am very honest.         (True)

2. I am a sincere friend.       (Totally True)

3. I will have only one serious relationship, which will end in marriage.      (True/ Perhaps)

4. My marriage will be very stable and happy.       (Totally True)

6. I will get very sick between the ages of 55 and 60, but will live beyond this in health after I recover.       (Perhaps)

7. I am a picky eater.         (Not even close to the ball park)

8. I prefer, and should, eat hot foods for better health (like soup and spicy foods, which I LOVE)      (Totally True)

9. Apparently there's a problem with my kidney.        (Perhaps [I Should See a Doctor])

10. My 'Wisdom Line' is unbelievably long.           (Utterly Undoubtable)

As you can see, I rated each foretelling on a scale ranging from "Not Even Close to the Ball Park," to "Utterly Undoubtable".  From these findings, I can see my life in a nutshell; a great friend, superb wife, and spicy food lover, falling suddenly ill at 55 from a broken (much more dramatic than failing) kidney and then miraculously recovering! And, all the while, shocking the world with her 'utterly' infinite wisdom.

Overall, not a bad eulogy. I think I should rather enjoy living from now on.

Moving on, the week has been just as eventful. Tuesday, it was one foreign teachers' birthdays. Missing desperately the divine taste of western foods, we headed to celebrate the occasion at Crown Plaza Hotel, breakfast buffet extraordinaire. They had everything, ranging from museli and yogurt to sushi, to french toast and baked beans (which they apparently eat for breakfast in England). Our group stayed for about two and a half hours, eating enough food to feed a small army of grown men. Later, we raided the DVD mart, where you can buy tons of DVDs for dirt cheap. This operation, run out of a small corner at the end of a hallway, was obviously illegal, but that word has no meaning here. I bought about 10 movies, beginning the massive stash of stuff I am sure to bring home with me from China.

This week I also went to a cultural market with a friend. This was so much fun! There were tons of paintings and statues, among other cultural things. I bought a few paintings, which were on really thin paper and pretty cheap. Great decorations for my room, plus I figure I can frame them when I get back to the States. What made this experience so much better was that I could use my new Chinese haggling skills: Dream Come True #2 this week. Seriously, being able to speak and be understood makes me almost freakishly giddy. I bargained, understood, told a woman that I was going to look around more and then come back, and then even asked for change. Overall, I think the word I would use to describe myself would be awesome. Utterly Awesome.

After this, we climbed up the small nearby Hiro Mountain and admired the picturesque scenery for a short time. Then, we headed to meet with a Chinese woman who wants to help me learn Chinese. Sitting in her cozy home, we were nearly force fed soup, with dried dates and duck eggs insistantly thrown in, and learned some very useful chinese phrases. We even got a private piano performance from her daughter. So much fun! The Chinese people are quite friendly and sometimes oddly enthusiastic about helping out Westerners. Not that I mind; it's a great way to really get in touch with the culture. Next week we're going back to learn how to make dumplings! And, again, I feel myself becoming freakishly giddy!

Chinese learning is going very well. I've learned many useful phrases, like "What time is it?" and "I want this one, please". In addition to the useful, I've mastered the absolutely necessary; "You're a slut!", "I will hit you!",  and "I have superpowers!" have allowed me to survive safely in China thus far. What's even more hysterical is when you translate it online, and put the translations back through to English. For example "I will hit you!"  becomes "I will agressively attack you in the face!" Also, if you asked me, I would tell you that the direct translation of 'manwhore' is 'duck lips', and 'plastic' is 'white pollution'. So, now you don't have to ask me because I already told you. You're welcome.

This weekend, I'm staying with a friend who lives in an apartment across the city. I'm substituting at Aston 3, which is way out of the way from Lixia Dasha, where I live. Everyone who teaches at that school lives closer to there, separating them somewhat from the rest of the group. Now, I can get to know them a bit better, and I won't spend a small fortune on taxi fees. Win Win Win.

Next week I'm going to Beijing for a few days, so we have some preparation to do for that. I've very excited to see the Great Wall! Dream Come True #3 is quickly approaching, most likely occurring amidst a wild fit of freakish giggles.