An OSHA-less World

It is not uncommon to see sights such as this one around these parts. Five stories up, a man sits on an air conditioner with a rope tied around him. This was actually an improvement from the other day when I saw a man on a ledge eight stories up without a rope trying to attach an air conditioner to the building.

China's Hollywood

A few weeks ago, one of our students asked if Zach and I would be interested in visiting his hometown. From past experiences I have learned to jump on such opportunities when traveling for they tend to be the best adventures. Daniel and I plotted to surprise Zach as part of his birthday weekend celebrations, but I had to disclose the plans when Zach became hell bent on obtaining soccer tickets for tonight's game.

As a disclaimer and in Zach's defense, since the Beijing team is doing so well this year, finding tickets has become extremely difficult and ticket distribution is ridiculously corrupt. At some points, I shake my head and think, "No wonder no one takes this country seriously?!"

However, his overzealous ticket pursuit was frustrating, especially when I had to tell him to stop ranting, breathe and reveal my secret plan. I can never surprise him.

Our day started early as we were on our way to meet Daniel by 7:30am. A couple buses and one car later, we arrived at the Hollywood of China located many kilometers away from the smog and dreariness of Beijing. It is acres upon acres dappled with traditional Chinese buildings spanning the dynasties, built for the sole purpose of movie backdrops. Side by side, it is rather remarkable to note the distinct architectural differences through the years.

One of the greatest things about traveling abroad is the unusual circumstances we find ourselves. Granted we were strolling about a movie set, but never did I imagine we would actually see one in the making. Not only did we see behind the scenes, we walked on the actual set, heard the instructions and laughed at the soldiers as they poked the treasure chests with their spears. This is something we would never get to do in the states.

After being booted off the set, we kept walking. It was an afternoon of fascinating exploration as everything was open for investigation. Random props could be found throughout the buildings.

Our growling stomachs marked our end among the dynasty replica. However, our adventure wasn't finished as Daniel took us to the Two Towers of his city--two fascinating structures used for religious purposes. Sadly, they are closed to the public now so we were unable to touch them. Nonetheless, even from the other side of a wall, they were impressive and very beautiful. We kept telling Daniel and Sally to knock on the gate and say that foreigners wanted a tour.

We spent the late afternoon at Daniel's house playing Stinkers and eating yummy dumplings and watermelon. Evening fell and we made our way to the train station. I was super excited for it was my first train trip in China. Trains on this continent are the main form of long distance transportation and they are frequently crammed. Our trip was no different, so for an hour we sat on the floor as the sun set and the open landscape became the building-choked skyline of Beijing.

We fell into bed sun kissed and leg weary, content with another adventure.

Suitcase Goodies

We met up with the Diller family tonight for dinner and to receive a suitcase full of goodies. It was an amazing evening to spend with friends, as well as to celebrate the little things of life such as measuring cups, cheese and Kaden artwork. Plus, Zach is beyond excited for his four bags of coffee.

Happy Birthday, Zach!

Zach worked his birthday; I spent the day getting a pedicure and taking a nap. Granted our tasks for the day should have been switched (minus the pedi), but it was not a day of mundane. Zach's birthday coincided with our fellow co-worker, Josiah's last day, so there was a lunch party at the office complete with pizza.

Zach's one and only wish for his birthday every year is to go out to eat. This year there was an extra stipulation--he wanted a hamburger. In our hood, good hamburgers are rare (as McDonald's hamburgers don't make the cut), so we headed to to Sanlitun Village (aka expat haven) after work. On top of a shopping mall that looks as though it was dropped from New York City, is the Blue Frog. In my research for the right burger place, any foreigner that I spoke with immediately mentioned the Blue Frog as the place to go.

Joined by Joey and Christy, we spent a delightful evening on the patio savoring delicious food and joking that our stomachs would not be happy with us later in the evening. The burgers were huge, my portobello mushroom sandwich was scrumptious and we all swooned over the sweet potato fries. Christy added pizzaz to the celebration by baking white chocolate-cranberry-oatmeal cookies for Zach. We have found our cookie supplier for this part of the world.

 

It was definitely a splurge night, but it was nice to sit among foreigners, hear English, read an English menu and enjoy some comfort food.

Deluge

The distant rumblings were an exciting sound to hear. The past couple of days were dismal as the apocalyptic cloud of smog and disgust had perched itself over the city. Rain was the antidote.

However, today's storm was not the typical one hour rainstorm, but rather a massive deluge. The thunder was boisterous, the lightning rather frightening and the city flooded. I was safe and comfortable at home, whereas Zach was stranded by a ping pong playing area without an umbrella and in possession of his computer. His ping pong playing partner borrowed an umbrella and walked Zach to the subway. I agreed to meet him at the Renmin subway stop with his umbrella.

I about died.

Outside our apartment, the streets had become rivers. My trek to the subway was wading through water above my ankles and dodging rogue drivers. My brush of death came in front of the Modern Plaza, the neighborhood shopping mall that had a brilliant architect who placed a marble flooring perimeter around the building. In normal circumstances, it is a slick surface; during a deluge, it is a death trap. One minute I was standing, the next I was on my right side being pummeled with raindrops. The parking lot attendant ran towards me yelling in Chinese. I waved him off, assessed my aching elbow and continued the remainder of the way to the station, sodden.

The trek back to the apartment wasn't as death defying. The rain lasted into the evening, giving the air such a nice sweet smell and turned the sky into a freakish yellow color.

Graduation: Chinese style

Graduation season has arrived. It has been fun to see robed students strolling around campuses, toting massive floral arrangements and laughing with friends.

As a foreigner, it has been intriguing to see the difference in commencement protocols as well as robe attires. Rather than a long ceremony filled with boring speeches, most universities fore go the ceremony and have students pick up their diploma in a random room. Robes are rented for the sole purpose of pictures and are rather elaborate compared to the western counterparts. For Renmin, red is for Bachelors, blue is for Masters and yellow is Ph.D.

After swimming, I ran into our friend, Nathan, who is a grad heading to Germany in three months for his Masters. We were so excited to see each other and even more excited to take some pictures together.

Pool Day!

The mercury has increasingly risen over the past week and without a thunderstorm to thwart the temperature climb or humidity, we decided to take refuge beside the pool today.

The last time I was beside the Liulang pool, I was one of ten people enjoying the oasis. Today, it was a bit livelier. I even got sucked into an impromtu hit-the-beach-ball-around-the-circle game. 

However, some of the best entertainment was the people watching. Women who will normally wear see-through dresses or shorts so short that butt cheeks can be seen on the street where completely covered as though they had teleported from Saudi Arabia. Bathing suits for the young girls aren't as modest as they are thongs. Speedos are not God's gift to mankind. 

For this man, the pool was not his happy place. 

After ample tanning and people watching, we headed home. We did take a detour to a newly discovered donut shop to kick off Zach's birthday week. We were not disappointed with our diversion.

Drum Tower

Directly north of the Forbidden City lies the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, two buildings frequently used during the age of emperors to convey messages and warn of impeding doom. Today, we visited the Drum Tower.

The highlight of the Drum Tower is the hourly performances, which are utterly mesmerizing but really the only reason to visit this site. To tour the tower takes a total of 20 minutes, as it is one room filled with replicated drums, replicated time pieces and an outdoor balcony that allows a view of the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, the majority of the balcony is blocked impeding a stroll around the tower.

Inside the tower, though fascinating and beautiful, it was evident of a makeover minus the one original drum tucked into a corner. Debilitated, dusty and destroyed by 29 knife stabs (so said the sign) it was the only taste of what the tower actually held at one time.

One of the funniest pieces was the sign explaining the replicated drums. It was the first sign we have seen that actually acknowledged a 'cultural relic storage station'--a secret warehouse that creates and distributes the fake. I am currently trying to discover its location and tour times.

Pay Day

Getting paid in China is bewildering. It has elements of a bank heist, appearances of a drug exchange and the adrenaline rush to the likes of winning the lottery. After a brief exchange with the bookkeeper and signing a paper acknowledging that we have picked up our pay, a brown envelope filled with yuan is in our possession and we feel as though we have robbed the Bank of China.

Xiu Xi: Take a Break

Every afternoon between the hours of one and four, an audible hush is heard in the city. Granted there are still smatterings of bleating horns, revving engines and the random squall of Chinese phrases, but instead of being the norm, they are a disturbance. It is the Chinese xiu xi or afternoon break. It is not uncommon to see people asleep in their cars, sprawled on park benches or even perched in a reclining chair on the sidewalk. I have even seen a mother and child curled up in the back of a bike wagon with plastic bottles as their mattress.

One thing I have always loved about traveling the world is the common perception (outside of the US) that an afternoon rest is beneficial. I have fully embraced the xiu xi in this country on the afternoons when I am not working. It is definitely one reason why living overseas long term is on my list. 

Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

Zong zi is everywhere! It is the traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival, so it has taken over stores and street vendors like candy canes at Christmas. During our adventures this weekend, we stumbled across a street vendor making the treats and I stopped to watch the process. Extremely simple, entertaining to watch (especially when she tied it with a string that was attached to the back of her motorcycle) and she was entertained that a foreigner was interested in her work.

Nanlugu Xiang: A Portlandish Hutong

After lunch and a rather hot stroll along the Olympic Green (aka the Olympic Concrete), we weren't ready to go home so we traveled to a reconstructed hutong to discover a red (something dealing with the Cultural Revolution) remnant.

The Beijing hutongs are in danger. Yes, there are thousands of hutongs in this massive metropolis but many of them have been razed only to be rebuilt for tourists. The original charm is lost and in its place is overpriced storefront imposters. Every so often, the allure of the original structures can be found, such as the entryway into a coffee shop.

In the demolition of these hutongs, a lot of history is being uncovered...then destroyed. However, for some reason, within the Nanlugu Xiang hutong a propaganda remnant was discovered written on a wall and it was decided to leave it. It is fairly worn and hard to decipher, but still visible. Supposedly it reads, "Learn industry from Daqing, agriculture from the model villages, and the whole nation should learn from the People's Liberation Army!" The funny thing was the information board in front of this wall talked about the pawn shop business in the city.

Since we found the propaganda note rather quickly, we decided to browse the alley. It was extremely pleasant and reminded me a lot of Portland with its graphic design shops, stationary and occasional coffee shop or bar. Of course, we found the typical Chinglish that makes everyday life so entertaining in these parts.

A definite highlight to this journey was our evening meal. We stumbled across a Vietnamese place that didn't cost two months salary per dish. It wasn't as good as Joel's cooking, but for our deprived stomachs it was bliss on chopsticks.

Even Joey walked away full, which never happens.

Imperial Eunuchs and Fake Murals

Nestled within a impoverished hutong on the far western rim of Beijing is Tian Yi's tomb, an imperial eunuch during the Ming Dynasty that was favored and respected by Emperor Wanli (who commissioned the cemetery to be built.) It isn't gaudy or excessive, but rather a beautiful example of Chinese simplicity and respect for the deceased. If we had not been on the hunt for it, it easily could have been missed. In hindsight, that would have been a tragedy.

I can't remember how this site plopped onto my Beijing to-do list. Though weird, odd and disturbing on many levels, eunuch-hood is rather fascinating. While the emperor frolicked with his harem in the Garden of Harmonious Pleasures or handled the ritualistic deeds of the day, the imperial eunuchs were running the country and exploring beyond the borders. Some of the greatest discoveries for China were made by eunuchs appointed by the emperor for such tasks. This tomb was for one those eunuchs.

The apparent charm of this site was its lack of tourists. Since it is far from the must-do tourist attractions, the government hasn't gussied it up. The shrubs and grass were on the verge of going wild, stone markers leaned against the surrounding walls or were strewn across the green space. It felt real--a rare thing in China.

To the right of the entrance were three museum buildings explaining the cemetery, its commission, outlining the eunuchs of the dynasties, detailing the process of becoming a eunuch (egads!) and what items were buried with a eunuch (including his jar of 'treasures'). Our greatest surprise was in the last museum, the mummified skeleton of Tian Yi was on display.

It was entirely unexpected and rather shocking. It was fascinating. After moments of speechlessness, we exploded in rhetorical questions--"Is this Tian Yi?", "Is he legit?", "It has to be legit, he is on a dehydrator thing!", etc. I am really surprised the attendant didn't investigate the commotion, but we have learned initiative is not a Chinese trait.We finally moved away from the mummy.

This may sound redundant, but I never tire of the entrances of Chinese places. The longer we are here, the more I understand the significance of their design. I really can spend hours meandering through an entrance.

  

Upon entering the final courtyard, I noticed to the right of the path an opened door with stairs leading underground. We decided to play stupid foreigner (since we couldn't read the sign) and descended the stairs. We emerged in the actual tomb! 

It was AMAZING! Our excitement was excessive and it grew exponentially upon discovering that we actually got to go into Tian Yi's tomb, as well. Where the Ming Tombs had failed, Tian Yi Ling was excelling. 

We inspected the tombs, every nook and cranny as though we were archeologist who had discovered the greatest thing since a mango smoothie. Eventually, we re-entered the harsh daylight to resume our tour of the ground level. The number of domes indicated that at least six people were buried in this cemetery.

After departing the cemetery we took a side jaunt (which resembled a lot of U-turns) to Fahai Temple. According to my trusty Beijing guide, this temple was overlooked during the Cultural Revolution thus saving some of the oldest Buddhist murals. It has been renovated (which by Chinese standards means a lot of it was rebuilt and embellished) and the entrance fee is a bit steep considering what we actually got to see.

A large sign in the first courtyard revealed that the murals have deteriorated over time due to light and have now been ensconced within a windowless building. It is 100 yuan to see the 'real' murals, but replicas are placed in the original locations.

The replicas were satisfying enough for us, but we have a theory that all the murals are actually fake and they have a money scam established. It is China and a motto we have heard frequently is: "Most Chinese things are fake; embrace the fake."

If our main destination had been Fahai Temple, it would have been a great disappointment. However, since it was a side show we appreciated it for its unique location (it is built into the side of a mountain so each courtyard is higher than the previous one), its view, the newly painted columns and ceilings were beautiful and the replicated murals were a sight--they are huge.

Hidden Treasure: Liulong Pool

Located near the southern gate of the Summer Palace is a hidden treasure that I stumbled across today--Liulong Pool. I had initially heard about an outdoor pool from a student at the English Corner. Of course, my interest was piqued. Since today was my day off and it was sunny and upper 80s, I searched and found my summer haven.

I spent hours lounging by this beautiful oasis, interrupted only by the need to cool off and reapply sunscreen.

Daily Commute Sight

Every day I walk past this garden. Over the past few weeks I have seen a petite, elderly gentleman diligently hoe the dirt, create the rows, plant the starts and tend his small plot of land with great care. I am enjoying seeing the fruits of his labor, though I am a bit envious of his plot of dirt. 

Wanted: Nice Family

Every Wednesday night we jaunt to the far east of Beijing to teach Business English. It has become one of our favorite nights, not just because we enjoy the students, but we have spotted a couple signs that make us bust out laughing. Tonight, we actually jumped off the bus to capture one in particular.

Our reaction: Who wants a mean family?