Memories in Mainland

New post! Our amazing trip to China was quickly overcast with overflowing email inboxes, upcoming assignments, and exams so I apologize for the time lag.

So a few things before I delve into the events...

I LOVE Beijing! Definitely my favorite place outside of Hong Kong.

Government Administrative Building

• It reminds me a lot of home in the sense that everything is much more spread out. No skyscrapers like in Hong Kong but rather low standing government building that are somewhat reminiscent of our very own Washington D.C.
• Being the most populous city in China, I expected to see crowds like in New York or Chicago but because the space, it wasn't too crowded at all. 
• When we arrived the weather was about 40 degrees but ended up warming up (to about 65) by the end of our trip. 
• The biggest hurdle to exploring Beijing ended up being the language barrier because virtually NO ONE speaks English. One of our travelers, Ryan, is fluent in Cantonese and has taken a couple weeks of Mandarin so he was able to piece together some of what the local people were trying to say.

Adidas Store in Sanlitun

We left the airport heading into what ended up being the most bizarre cab ride yet. The driver, who spoke no English drove a black car lined with red velvet on the seats. We were skeptical at first but all "cabs" in China are owned by the government and his rate was cheaper than others so we took a leap of faith. We began the drive listening to what sounded like a U.S. light rock equivalent and listening to the driver sing without any hesitation. I almost felt like I should have been singing along too. He interrupted his own singing to talk in Chinese but he never seemed to be talking to anyone but himself (unless he thought we understood him). Eventually, while still singing, he pulled down the passenger sun-visor to reveal a small screen and DVD player where the video of this sing-along concert was playing. HILARIOUS.I had never seen one in the sun visor area and it was quite entertaining to watch. There's a first for everything I guess.

Olympic Tower

Our hotel was situated in what I would consider a small alley but is actually a TWO way street. Apparently, Beijing is known for it's cultural alleys but the government is doing away with them in order to modernize.  Getting there in the afternoon, we had some time to explore so we headed to a new shopping district for Macanese food. After, we went to the Pearl Market where Dan and Ali made a great bargain for a North Face coat. It was getting dark so we decided to take the subway north of town to see the Olympic Village featured in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Both the Water Cube and Bird's Nest were lit up and we got some great pictures although it ended up raining :(

Me, Ali and Ryan at the Forbidden City

Dan and I in the Imperial Garden

Saturday ended up being a beautiful day, both warm and sunny. We ventured out to the Forbidden City, named in ancient times to keep the emperor inside the royal palace, and everyone else, out. I never realized how expansive the entire "city" was. It extended as a succession of plazas and temples that were used for various emperor needs, like changing clothes, reading, sleeping and praying...a temple for everything. At one temple, two Chinese girls asked to take pictures with them and one told us her English name was "Sally". Adorable. The Imperial Garden surrounded the west end of the Forbidden City and was full of blossom trees and flowers. Tienanmen Square, located on the opposite end of the forbidden city was also really interesting to see especially since there were Chinese military and multiple security cameras on telephone poles. We even had to go through security to enter.

For lunch, we dined on the famous Peking duck known to be superb in China. Instead of just meat, it is wrapped in rice tortilla and served with vegetables and a peanut butter sauce. SO GOOD. With our stomachs full we bargained for a cab that took us to the Temple of Heaven where "commoners" go to pray for a good harvest. It was HUGE and obviously at one of the tallest points in Beijing. 

Dan and Ryan taking a bike break

 Sunday was really fun because we BIKED around the city. Even though Beijing has the space for people to own cars (unlike Hong Kong) they are still very expensive, meaning a large population use bikes to get around. In the U.S., it’s difficult to drive crowded roads with bikers intertwining the traffic; but in Beijing, they have wide bike lanes especially for scooters, two-wheelers and tandem bikes alike. Again, the weather was perfect and we ventured to a local rental shop to explore the city. It was great to see the sites on our own terms instead of through a cab or tour bus. We could go to parks and into alleys that cars couldn’t, making it easy to travel quickly without hassle.

After we returned our bikes, we headed to the Silk Market, known for it’s linens and clothing as opposed to jewelry and electronics. There is certainly an art to bargaining and if you can get over the hoard of people yelling “Missy, missy, looka here…newest style…best price for you” it is actually fun to explore the merchandise. Ali managed to snag a pair of jeans for $9 USD when the merchant initially quoted over $50. She’s a tough one though.

That night, Daniel, Ryan and I went with another group of students to a traditional Chinese dinner in the city. Chinese food here, as I expected, is much different than back home. There are more dishes with raw vegetables, and parts of animals that you would never see on a menu in the states. Also, the food in Beijing was surprisingly spicy and almost all the restaurants used hot red pepper as a main seasoning. 

Climbing the uneven steps at the Great Wall

Monday was our last day in Beijing and it was also jam packed with activities. We started bright and early with a private tour and tour guide that spoke English! She was very smart and began telling us about the Great Wall on our hour long ride to see it. In all, it stretches over 5,000 miles and unites regions and provinces of China that were once under different dynasty rulings. The wall has been restored continuously and the place where we were was in good shape. We entered in a valley and decided to walk up the less steep mountain to get a view from the top. Future Visitor Warning: Going to the Great Wall is NOT a spectator site. You have to WORK to get there. Not only were there a TON of steps but it was challenging because they were of uneven heights. One time I was climbing and trying to take a picture at the same time and almost did a face-plant because the next step was 6 inches taller than the one before, thus pay attention. Our group got some great shots and a great workout while there. 

The next stop on the tour was the Jade factory. Jade is very popular in China both for jewelry and sculptures. Many women wear jade bangles passed down from the matriarch of the family to signify their continued presence. It’s also worn on the left hand, closest to the heart. Needless to say Jade is also very expensive so I kept my eyes from gazing too far.

After the Jade market we enjoyed a traditional Chinese lunch then headed to the Silk Museum where we observed the life cycle of silk worms and how they develop the thread used in many of the final products. Silk is one of the strongest threads and both a summer/winter material.

Next we headed to the Summer Palace, a village of temples where the emperors would go in the summer to avoid the heat of the city. The temples overlook a beautiful, lake that host ferries to take visitors from one side to the other. Here, Ali had an onlooker as to have his picture taken with her. Our tour guide explained that some elderly people have not been exposed to white people as much. Also, common toys for Chinese children of the older generation were white dolls. She said that Ali reminded him of a doll with her fair skin and blond hair. 

Summer Palace from across the lake

The last event on the day’s agenda was a stop at Dr. Tea, a well-known tea retailer in Beijing. We had a tea tasting and drinking demonstration with the tea specialist who explained that different teas are for different remedies and depending on where you are in China, there are varying methods to drinking the tea. I had never been a fan of tea but I’m thinking about trying to get into the one that makes you look younger! (Jasmine I think).

A couple other things about Beijing and maybe China in general: 

Disclaimer- the following might be gross/strange but I’m here to share everything!

Look closely, you can see the rip

For being as developed as they are (in terms of their economy) some aspects of their culture surprised me: 90% of the toilets I encountered were not toilets at all but rather pits in the ground. This may sound strange but even in homes I think this is the case. And you have to supply your own paper. Along the same lines, we saw a young boy (about 1) playing in the Forbidden City and he had a massive rip in his pants along the crotch seam from the front to back. Our group laughed because we wondered if his parents knew they ripped. A couple hours later we saw another boy with a rip in the same place! At this point I stopped wondering why children’s pants were so poorly made and started understanding that parents cut the holes so they don't need to use a diaper…the kid would just do his business wherever. When we were at the Silk Market I saw an older man pick up his son, yank down his pants and the boy did his thing basically on command! And right in public. Obviously rural areas are going to be much worse but I didn’t imagine this for the capital.

Interaction with locals was extremely limited mainly because of the language barrier. We could barely get a cab driver to understand out hotel name, let alone carry on a conversation. Ordering meals was done by picture pointing and for everything else we ignored because we couldn’t understand. (I knowingly admit I am an ignorant American who only knows my native tongue…terrible). Even though there was a communication issue, the people we encountered were not as friendly, accepting or welcoming of us…even without knowing we were Americans. We got more scowls and stares than smiles and waves which was a stark contrast to the way natives treated us in the Philippines and Hong Kong.  I can’t help but wonder what perceptions these people carry and what information they have about what nationality they though we were. Or maybe it’s a form of ethnocentrism and disdain on any foreigner regardless of nationality. It was funny to see many building and signs influenced by Russian culture, though. 

Even with snubs, going to China was nothing like I expected (but what did I expect?) in that I came back to Hong Kong thinking I could spend years there and not see everything. Although our time there was so busy, we could have done so much more had time permitted. I hope I get to go back before the semester ends…maybe to Shanghai, a large financial center and then compare the cities. All I know is that I loved my time in Beijing. The China that I saw is so different from the controversial, feared and publicized China in the media. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to experience the difference firsthand.