Influx of American Goods

Sam's Club opened its first outlet in China in 1996. Costco came to the middle kingdom in 2019 to grand fanfare and became the place to film hilarious videos, like the aunties fighting over racks of ribs. Before Covid, Zach and I visited the Shenzhen Sam's Club thanks to a friend who worked for the Walmart brand. It was a surreal experience; as it is overwhelming in America, more so in China. Even though Sam's Club now boasts around 45 locations and Costco only has six locations, it seems that Costco has heightened the age of bulk buying on the mainland. My hypothesis being that Costco is more known to mainlanders due to family members who have immigrated to the west coast. 

With these stores plopping into the adopted motherland, more American-centric foods have become available. It has also given rise to an e-commerce niche where professional shoppers shop for people who do not live near one of the outlets and ship the requested goods to the buyer. Three weeks ago, I was able to purchase Honey Bunches of Oats as a surprise for Zach. 

With the influx of foreign food, it is always interesting to see what becomes trendy with Chinese. Before Covid, we loved the semester that cheesecake swept social media resulting in our ability to actually buy cream cheese for the first time. This semester, it has been bagels. Within the last few weeks, the number of bagels my students are posting on their Wechat moments has been staggering. Even at English corner, we had a lengthy conversation about the various ways to prepare and eat bagels. The shock that cream cheese could be put on a bagel was comical. 

The one question I was never expecting came a couple of weeks ago. 

"Do you know about a sauce called Ranch?"

I chuckled as I said yes. 

It is the sauce that divides foreigners and definitely shows who is American and who is not. I think it was at our Thanksgiving dinner, we had a lengthy debate among our mini-UN assembly about it, to which our Canadians were gagging at its existence and our Brit was flummoxed at its description. 

As for the student asking about Ranch, she was intrigued. To her disbelief, I started regaling her with all the things we eat with Ranch - vegetables and pizza, for example. She said she wanted to try it. I replied that I hoped she would get the chance. Later that night she sent me a Taobao screenshot of a bottle of Ranch and asked if I would pay for it if she ordered it. I said yes. 

A few days after its arrival, we hosted a Ranch taste testing dinner complete with Domino's Pizza (which is quite horrid in China, but felt quintessential for this purpose.) 

To our surprise, they actually liked the sauce and enjoyed dipping all the things in it. I do not foresee the extreme level of adoration that Americans have to the sauce, but we had a good chuckle that never did we expect a day to sit in China and eat pizza with Ranch. Globalization is a fascinating beast. 

An Explosive Entrance to India

I do not think we have ever faced a country with such a high level of anxiety. For those who travel extensively and are in the know, India is a category of its own. When we first moved to China, India was in our top five countries to visit.  However, the more stories we heard in hostels, on buses, and at roadside eateries in those early days of travel, it kept getting pushed further down our list. Our reasoning being that there is a lot of world to see and holidaying in chaos when we live in chaos is not enticing. 

In this year's travel discussions, I mentioned that I felt we needed to seize the moment and face our India anxiety. If anything, the wildness of 2020 showed that the world being open and mobile is not a guarantee. When we finally made the decision to go, we immediately added the caveat that at any point we felt unsafe, overwhelmed, or merely detesting the situation, we would exit the country.   

I really did not pay significant attention to the time frame in which we were planning to face India, especially the day we decided to hop from Nepal to India. Travel days are always a bit angsty, so it did not help when every transport official from check-in to boarding the plane answered our going-to response with a, "why would you want to go to India?" 

Our flight path for the day was Kathmandu to Delhi to Jaipur. Our ascent to the skies of Nepal were a vibrant blue surrounded by snowcapped Himalayas. Our descent into Delhi was a brown sludge of sky. We quickly agreed that we had made a wise choice in just having a layover, yet twenty minutes later we were questioning our life choices. 

India's airports are a disaster. 

I will not bog down this post with the details when the chaos is worthy of a post of its own, but I will say that when we landed in Jaipur, we were equal parts seething and bewildered. Our trepidation continued to grow as we made our way to our hostel, for we saw large crowds gathered and significant amounts of orange bunting and orange flags strewn across streets and buildings. 

As the skies darkened, the sparkles of fireworks could be seen. As we exited the taxi and walked to the front desk, we heard the whoops of delight. As we checked in, we asked what was instigating such frivolity. 

"The temple is open today," replied the guy. 

Oh. 

That temple.

I had read about this religious flashpoint located in Ayodhya in prior months. It was the site of a mosque until 1992 when Hindis razed the mosque and killed numerous Muslims in the process. It has been a contestation of wills since, even though the high court of the country ruled in 2019 for it to be given to a Hindu trust, with a small plot sectioned off for a mosque. Since the ruling, the largest temple dedicated to Lord Rama has been under construction. The day we arrived in Jaipur, it was the opening ceremony headed by the Prime Minister. A move that has been largely seen as politically driven, considering he is really pushing an agenda that true Indians are Hindus. A very dangerous rhetoric in a country of 1.4 billion people who are definitely not one religion. Sadly, this is a common global tactic these days for a lot of world leaders. Nonetheless, we would definitely come to feel and see this dangerous edge of nationalism in the days to come. 

Thus, the day we entered India, it was a day of great frivolity for a number of citizens and a day of great fear for many. We quickly joined the fearful group when we left our hostel in search of a SIM card and dinner. On this night, my blonde hair/blue eyes did not garner much attention, but my husband with dark hair and brown eyes drew eyes very quickly. In much of the world, Zach is seen as Middle Eastern descent, and when we are in Middle Eastern countries he fits in so well. Therefore, on this night, he was seen as Muslim and walking among the celebrations began to take on a dangerous twinge. We quickly realized it, skirted the groups as best as we could, and forewent a roadside eatery in favor of a brick-and-mortar establishment. Even upon our entry, we were viewed by the workers with skepticism, but as soon as Zach started talking, they visibly relaxed and were willing to feed us. 

Indian food definitely helped soothe our souls and hunger. We love Indian food, so our delight at finally tasting it in its homeland was not dimmed by the wildness beyond the store windows. We would actually end up eating here every night in Jaipur, much to the delight of the workers. However, on this night, we were simply happy to have such a cheerful and yummy sanctuary. 

We kept to the back alley on our return to our hostel. We decided to see what the morning would bring, but we agreed over our thalis that our exit might be sooner than expected. 

Kathmandu: Patan

It is incredible to think that at one time the distance of eight kilometers was deemed enough distance to establish two distinct kingdoms. In reading about Kathmandu and surrounding areas, it seemed a rather common occurrence for Nepalese kingdoms to pop up in close proximity. Granted, the popping up was usually instigated by an incredible, epic feat by a Hindu god or goddess. Yet, while the proximity did allow for similarity, it did not hinder unique development for each kingdom.  

Patan, also known as Lilitpur, is considered the more artistic kingdom in the valley area. It is where the artisans thrived, especially metalworkers. Today, metal is still prevalent alongside the Tibetan diaspora who have brought their incredible handicrafts, especially rugs. However, this town caught our attention because it is home to a 17th-century Krishna temple. 

Before Nepal, we had had brief brushes with Hinduism. A temple here and there. A museum exhibit highlighting Hindi artifacts. Reading books involving Hindi lore (which resulted in the elephant god, Ganesh, riding a mouse becoming one of my all-time favorite images.) However, as with many religions, there are many layers and many factions. These days in Nepal were a full immersion experience into the religion and, of course, I had a lot of questions. (Thankfully, our guesthouse owner was so gracious in answering so many of them.) However, our interest in the Krishna Temple was a bit instigated as a byproduct of our American upbringing. The Hare Krishnas have a rather rowdy legacy in the motherland, so we were very curious to see it in the context of its motherland. This was the first Krishna specific temple we have had the chance to see. 

It is located in Patan's Durbar Square. We were not sure what parts of the square required the exorbitant ticket price, so we stayed to the edges. Luckily, the Krishna Temple is along the edge so we were able to look at it for a time.

 

It does have a very distinct look compared to its neighbors, especially the Vishwonath Temple. 

The Krishna Temple is a tiered, conical design whereas the surrounding temples are square. However, all bear the stunning intricate wood carvings. I never tired of discovering what was to be found in the designs. 

We slipped into an alley once a random stranger foreigner-spotted us on the edges. Sadly, the freedom to savor a place has been eradicated in most of the world, all in the quest of trying to sell a magnet or yell hello on repeat. 

One alleyway became another alleyway. Our meandering quickly revealed that Patan was in a stage of extensive road construction. Though, considering the previous four days of treading deeply excavated roads, we wondered if it was just a Nepalese cultural trait rarely discussed. 

 

True to its branding, art did thrive in the area. We saw numerous metalworkers pounding in their shops, which were surrounded by shops holding heaps of local textiles or the stacks of the quintessential tourist paintings. We especially enjoyed finding the wall murals. 

As it was the weekend, it was amusing to see where the locals hung out. We were fascinated by the popularity of the corner potato chip shop, though we did not taste because Zach had just tried a local donut and coffee. 

By late afternoon, we decided to return to Kathmandu - grateful that eight kilometers would not require hours of travel, but rather a mere twenty-minute taxi ride. Again, amazed that two distinct kingdoms at one point in history were now a quick jaunt from each other. 

Photojournal: Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival quickly became one of our favorite Chinese holidays once we moved to China. While the days around the Lunar New Year tend to be similar to an American Thanksgiving (very family and food focused), the days around Lantern Festival tend to take on a communal frivolity akin to America's July 4th. Every city we have lived in has celebrated it differently. While it is typically held on the fifteenth day after the new year, some villages plus-or-minus the festival by a few days which means the celebrations can span days. 

When we moved to Zhongshan, we learned the city holds a massive parade. It brings together nearly every organization, club, business, government office, school, and local cultural troupe within the city. 

Each group tends to have a unique look, from business suits to company uniforms to bygone dynasties cosplay.

Then, each group tends to add pizazz to their look using a variety of methods from witty placards to squawking instruments to mascots to folktale characters handing out candy (Zach's favorite method.)

The parade is a massive ordeal and we get to be a part of it thanks to a local government office who asks us to participate. 

Before the parade began, Zach and I walked around to take pictures and laugh with fellow walkers. Post-Covid there are fewer foreigners, so there was a bit more foreigner-gawking and RFPs being taken than four years ago. Yet, many want to take photos with us and we happily oblige, especially because many of them we want to take pictures of as well.

Many of the cultural troupes especially like our attention. I can say that after living in Vietnam and Thailand, China is definitely the best in wanting to share and explain their traditional heritage with foreigners. Quite a few times over the years, I have experienced a Chinese person being very rude or abrupt quickly change to the most hospitable human upon me asking about something local. 

I especially love when the lion dancers realize that I adore the lions. The result is them showing off their amazing skills. 

In our pre-parade stroll, Zach ran into a few football friends. It always takes them a few moments to realize who the other is because, out of the context of a football field, it is a shock.  

Once the parade began, the atmosphere became even more jovial for the crowd adds another level. It is not a fast walk, often frequented with a lot of pauses, so we get time to interact with the crowds. We love taking photos of them as much as they love taking photos of us. 

I absolutely adored the interaction between kids and the costumed participants. These birds got a lot of attention and garnered a lot of laughter when they would peck at some of the children. 

An interesting feature to this parade is that it runs on both sides of the road, so while two families could be at the same parade, depending on what side of the road they stand, they get a completely different experience. The same goes for us, so during our pauses, we are often at the median looking at what is passing by us. 

At the end of the route, we decided to stay to see what was behind us. It was the best decision for we had another hour and fifteen minutes of frivolity. Initially, the police tried to stop our loitering, but every time they approached, a group would walk by, get excited about our presence, stop to take photos, and welcome us to China. Eventually, the police gave up and let us stay. 

We obviously saw groups that we had interacted with before the parade. 

Yet, many groups walked past that we had not seen nor knew about their existence. Did we know we had a bike trick group in town? Nope. Did we get super excited to see miniature piaosi (a tradition we have not seen since Zhanjiang)? Yes, we did! Did we interact with the group of football kids? Yes, and took a lot of pictures with them. 

I loved the China Post contingent carrying oversized stamps. I asked to take a picture and the woman gave me the dragon stamp. 

While every year has an animal associated with it, I feel the year of the dragon gets extra oomph in its celebration and decorations. These mythical creatures were definitely out in full force for this parade and it was delightful.

After the parade, it is humorous to see what pictures of us makes it onto the internet via news sites or social media. We joke and call these our 'foreigners spotted in the wild' snapshots. (Our boss loves our nickname for them and has taken to sending us ones that she finds and labeling them as such.) I know we see a miniscule amount of the ones that get taken, but it is fun to see what is captured. 

This year, Zach won the award for best headline. He was interviewed during the parade, but we really do not know when he obtained this credential. 

We are continually grateful for this life we get to live and especially for these type moments. Being an expat can be very isolating and hard at times, but getting to join such celebrations is a privilege for us. I believe we will take part in this parade for how ever many years we get to live here.