Photos

on flikr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59213751@N06/

黑车! Black taxi!

As a rule, the more different forms of transportation I can fit into my day, the rad-awesomer (牛B!) it is. I suppose the ultimate day transportation wise was a day in rural Shandong when Zhu and I took a cab which switched us out to another cab halfway through the journey for some reason (passengers of both cars got out and swapped on the side of the highway) then we went to the train station and wanted to take a train, but they were no tickets, so we walked to bus station and bought bus tickets the next day and took a bus to a hotel and then woke up the next morning, cabbed to the long distance bus station bussed it back to Beijing and subwayed to our respective homes. I'm only missing a plane and a boat for that 24 hour period.
Other transportation win: being stranded (well, again not being able to buy train tickets back to Beijing) in Shenyang with my roommate and her boyfriend. No plane tickets either, so with collaborated with someone on a Chinese craiglist to hitch a 8 hour ride in the back of a tiny sedan back to Beijing. This is called 拼车 (pin che) but I don't know why.

Typically, a winning day in Beijing means having a day that requires the subway, bus and a cab. (I should note, cabs in China a cheap and more of a necessity, not a luxury item or rarity like they are in the States). Having subway + cab days is pretty common, as I typically take the subway to get myself close to my destination, then cab the rest of the way. Beijing's subway system is extensive, but the city itself is much more expansive an often times the place I am trying to go is a good 10-15 cab ride away from the most convienent subway stop. (Again, expansive subway system-but going to the closest stop can mean awkward transfers and terribly roundabout routes).

Today was a winning day. Cabbed it to work (okay, this was a luxury cab ride--I was running late because I wanted to have my favorite food-炒肝chao ganr, a garlicly thick consistenced soup/gelatin with liver and intestine-with the fam for breakfast. But it was a Sunday and I was going to work-I deserved to sit). To get home I take a bus to the subway then the subway for two stops.

The whole point of this story is a video that I was on a flatscreen TV that subway cars in Beijing are equipped with. I was told that this occured around the Olympics, so that Chinese would never have a moment where they could possibly miss a minute of Olympic coverage.) Now they play ads, made for subway TV cooking shows and short educational bits featuring Leon the Frog.

I love Leon. He's an adorable little green guy that uses plenty of my favorite Chinese part of speech-modal particles.(wa:哇 la:啦 ma:嘛 o:哦,噢,喔 me:么 lo: 咯 ye:耶) and is always getting into all sorts of trouble and learning life lessons from it. Today's lesson was called: The Temptation of Beautiful Girls.

Leon needs to take a cab. He hails a legal cab, with an ugly driver and high price-13 RMB per km. Then he notices a black cab-the illegal cabs that plague Beijing-which is driven by an elephant with long blonde hair, blush, flutterly eyelashes and a pair shiny pink lips. The price is listed as 5 RMB per km. Naturally, he goes with the "beautiful girl." The screen now shows a map that displays the roundabout and circling route-nearly the final destination but never reaching it. Then we see Leon protesting, at which the beautiful cab driver removes a blonde wig, eyelashes, and make up, reavealing the hideous truth. Then we are told: "Don't get sucked in by beauty, don't talk black cabs!"

What it means to be an intern.

1. " We can't pay you much, but this is going to be a great experience. "
We can't pay you much, but are grateful for the cheap labor that you have to offer. Also, be prepared to work hard. That's what experience is all about!

2. "I don't really see this as being a 9 to 5 job, you'll be in control of when you work."
Ha! Of course this isn't going to be 9 to 5, because their is no way you can get everything we expect you do done the the few hours contained between 9 and 5.

In the same vein...

3. "I don't think this job can be defined in the terms of part time or full time."
You are going to be working full time, but paid like its part time.

3. "Since you don't really have a lot of experience doing on particular thing,"
we'll sort of just have you doing, well, everything. Look at you, young and energetic, you can learn pretty much anything on the spot, right! (This really applies to me: My original job description was marketing and promotion, now here is a comprehensive list of things I do that are not really covered by the umbrella of marketing and promotion: shopping for snacks at Walmart, acting as some sort of expert about education in the States, translating between English and Chinese and vice versa, market research, filming advertisements to put on Youtube, consulting on art, developing website content, writing articles, writing code, and recording the voices for iOS applications.)

4. "We'd like you do be pretty independent."
We have no clue what exactly you are going to be doing.

5. "This should be really fun and you'll learn a lot."
Well, this is actually very true. As much as I loathe heading to Kitty Pad (woe is me, what I name, if only naming the company were my responsibility too...) every morning, its decent, and I am learning a lot, things that I never thought I would come across, and my collegues are mostly fun to be around (especially when we share Youku videos in the "Kitty Pad Underground Chat Room" on QQ, China's version of AIM). However, I'm glad this intern business only lasts for a summer.

Also, its true what they say about internships, that they can help you decide what you want in a career. Thanks to my life at Kitty Pad, I think I've found my calling... (Though it is almost totally unrelated to what I do between the hours of 9 to 5 or so)

On the cost of medicine.

Recently, I think due to the crazy heat and sweating all the time or something, I've been breaking out. This sort of bothers me, I mean, who isn't slightly perturbed by red things crawling all over your face, but I get by. Though, I'd like it to stop. Zhu's mom, on the other hand is very upset by this. Everytime I leave the house with Zhu, she exclaims, "Oh, Hu Juanr is breaking out!" and threatens to take me to the doctor if Zhu doesn't. She also is constantly saying, to anyone who will listen (including strangers in the elevator and cab drivers) how I used to be very pretty, very white. Yeah. Three weeks ago, I gave in, and the three of us went to the 老家 (hometown, which=Wenzhou) doctor. It was a private doctor, so he was housed in an apartment complex. There were people all over the place, sprawled out on couches and cots with IVs. Evidently, the laojia/Wenzhuo doctor is a big fan of using IVs as a method of treatment. I'm so glad he refused to see me, the forienger.

Last weekend Zhu and I tried at another place, Bei Da Yi Yuan (北大医院 or Beijing University Hospital). Interesting fact, there are two 北大s (Beida): the university and the hospital and everyone calls them the same thing, but they are on opposite sides of town. When we got in the cab, Zhu told the driver we wanted to go to 北大 (Beida) and if he didn't have a good grasp of the layout of Beijing we would have gone to the university, because that is the direction the driver initially went.

That hospital, for some reason or another, also couldn't treat me because they were out of medicine.

So today, Zhu's mom took me to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, and I was finally treated.

But first, how much does this cost.

At Beida Yi Yuan, which practices science-based Western medicine the cost to see a doctor is 6 rmb, or about $.90. Conditions not so great, but, if they have medicine, I'm sure it would get the job done (no patient rooms, you walk up to the doctor while they sit at their desk).

At the traditional Chinese clinic, which is beautiful, relaxing (important parts of Chinese medicine), has a garden-like feel and big comfy patient rooms it was 60 rmb, or about $9 to see the doctor.

And at a western clinic staffed with English speaking doctors, the cost to see a doctor is 600 rmb, or about $90.

And just a bit on my experience at the Chinese doctor. Zhu had told me a bit about the experience, that the doctor simply listens to your pulse and can tell what is wrong with you. I won't say what was wrong with Zhu, because its sort of embarrassing for him, but he once went the the Chinese medicine doctor and he knew exactly what was going on, just by hearing his pulse for awhile. He didn't mention the sillk pillow that you rest your wrist on while the doctor listens to it.

When you enter the hospital, there is a big sign board with pictures of all the different doctors (all ancient) and their specialities. You choose your doctor based on what is listed he can treat.

So what is wrong with me?

Not much. I'm breaking out because of the pollution in the air, and because I eat seafood and hot sauce and too much protein. I am also too exhausted and have a little bit of insomnia. He knew I usually woke up at around 4 in the morning without reason, so there's that. Also, it was pretty adorable, when we went in, Zhu's mom told the doctor that I was foreign. I mean, as if he couldn't tell....

So do I believe in Chinese medicine? I don't know. I need to finish my medicine first. You may ask, what is the medicine? Well, the doctor writes a personalized presciption for each patient, and prescribed a bunch of different dried herbs and what look like old mushrooms and roots and rocks and seeds. Then the "nurses"? perhaps pharmacists measure out your prescription. Its very exciting. There is a huge wall of drawers with the different names of all the medicines etched onto the wooden cabinet walls. There were about 15 pharmacists holding scales (not sure what they are called, I'll say traditional? ) and running back and forth, pouring exact amounts onto the table. Even though they used scales, they were so good that everytime the measured out medicine, they didn't have to correct their initial eyeballed guess-amazing. The mixture are wrapped up in brown paper, bundled together and taken home. Then, you do something (not sure) with the dry ingredients into a most disgusting soup. Then, you drink the most disgusitng, most bitter soup. Blech.

How I've come to hate "hello"

I've heard it said that the most recognized word in the world is "ma" (mom). I don't doubt it for a second, after all is the same in the the three most widely spoken languages, Mandarin, Spanish, and English. But I think the most widely recognized English word has to be "hello." Who doesn't know what "hello" means? The trouble is, in China, or at least, according to my experience in China, "hello" takes on a new meaning that I don't exactly love. That's not to say "hello" can't be used as a warm greeting in China, in fact I hear it all the time. Young people often answer cell phone calls with a freakishly American sounding "hello" that used to leave me stunned to hear the conversation switch into Chinese, and not perfect English. (Side not on answering cell phones, the Japanese greeting, "mushimushi" is also seems to be quite popular).

The trouble arises, ironically, when "hello" is used with a native English speaker. "Hello" becomes aggressive, loud, and harsh, and can take on any number of meanings, subsituting whole paragraphs, most of which would begin with, "HEY! FOREIGN PERSON!"

For example: "HEY FOREIGN PERSON! You must speak English because you don't look like me! And because you are foreign and in China you must have lots of money and not spend it wisely! Come look at my overly priced goods so I can make a lot of money! HELLLO! If I speak louder are you more interested!?"

Or: "HEY FOREGN PERSON sitting in my cab! I know you just spoke to me in fluent Chinese, but I still won't use the same language to ask you which way to turn.

Or: "HEY FOREIGN GIRL! You are blonde, that's unusual around these parts! I've seen blonde girls on TV and they are promiscuous! Don't you think its fun to be the butt of my joke right now? You see, here I am in front of my friends, we are all mid twenties or so with seemingly nothing better to do but stand around all day! They think its really hilarious when I say "hello" at foriegn girls! Why aren't you responding? Gosh you are rude. I'll say "hello" again, that should do the trick, "HELLO!"

And finally the one that really yanks my last straw out from under me: "HEY FOREIGN PERSON! You are doing something stupid right now and this is how I am going to get your attention! Gosh you are stupid! I don't know how to communicate with you in English so I am going to repeat what I just said a few more times, "hello," "hello!" I won't make any attempt to use my native tongue to communicate what I need to say to you, because being in China and understanding Chinese, well that would just be plain silliness! You don't understand what information I am trying to get across by saying "hello" and making awkward gestures? Why not! Stupid foreigner!"

Which brings to me an interesting point about a difference between the US and China. In the States we don't only expect foreigners to speak the language, we demand it. Whereas in China, if a foreigner can respond to yes/no questions with the appropriate monosyllabic grunts and modal particles, it is usually met with genuine awe. Why?

I think there might be a few reasons. First of all, Chinese is a genuinely extremely difficult language. English is said to be difficult as well, but I think Chinese might be harder. I have a lot of reasons for this belief, which I may or may not expand upon later, but for now just take my word for it. I also think Chinese people hear a lot of foreigners attempting Chinese and butchering it, while American hear a lot of foreigners speaking English extremely well.

Also, the US is very much composed of foreigners, where in China they really stick out. I would like to here a foreigners' experiences in the States, but under a lot of circumstances one might pass under the foreign radar. Most (if not all) Asian Americans that I have known in China have stories of being spoken to in Chinese, and difficulty explaining their Americanness and lack of Chinese language skills.

Or is it because the US is so self centered that it thinks that everyone should just speak English already? We don't tend to worry about foreign language so much. I've been asked, "so what foreign language are you required to study in school？" Foreign language requirement, HA! (开玩笑）In China, their seems to be a greater respect for the difficulty of learning another language.

Maybe. I'm still not sure which take I prefer. Really, I just don't like being "hello"ed at.

Advice taken from Chinese facebook.

Getting more and more into social networking in China.

This is a caption from and album called "Advice for Young People." I might translate the whole thing later.

你为什么来北京？有一千万个北漂就有一千万个理由，为了上学为了赚钱为了理想为了姑娘为了事业为了看一眼天安门……

Why did you come to Beijing? There are a thousand Beipiao (term for people who come to BJ and are just floating about) with a thousand reasons, for school, to make money, for a girl, for employment, to lay eyes on Tiananmen...

Ha.

Friday Night Lights

Last night my have been one of my favorite Friday nights "out" in Beijing yet.
I went with Zhu to the neighborhood hair salon in an attempt to work out something decent looking for the progressively wider (in humidity, my hair grow out not down) mess of blonde things on top of my head. My second haircut in Beijing, worse than the first, though bearable because I sort of new what was coming. The haircut was okay, though I miss the days in the States when I could say something really obscure like, "I don't really know what I want, maybe something a little funky, thin out the back, and and sprinkle some slightly conservative pzazzazz because, you know, the way my hair is textured." Who even knows what that means, but it usually works. This time, upon entering the shop every haircutting "teacher" (its whats there called just stared. Zhu had buzzed his hair there last week, and as there was nothing left to cut on his head, they were thoroughly puzzled. "She wants to cut her hair? Is she sure?" Probably should have left after that.

Afterwards I was feeling a little tired and a little homesick. Zhu has brought his new book, a cartoon explanation of "金刚经“ (the Buddhism book）with him to read and was dying to explain some new things that he had just learned about Buddhism. So, we parked under a street lamp near the subway station and talked about Buddhism for a few hours. Here is a time where I need to make a shout-out to my Lewis & Clark education. My freshman year I took a class called “Intro to East Asian Religion.” I was brand new on campus and very intimidated by the class as well as the professor, who was also, coincidently my advisor. I think I maybe spoke once in class full of pretentious and wiser than me seniors. At the end of the semester, I was sort of left thinking, “did I even learn anything about East Asian Religion?” Well, if we are talking about religion in practice or what people do, I didn’t learn much at all. My original intention in taking the class was to learn why Tomb Sweeping Day was celebrated or what all the statues that I saw in Buddhist temples meant. But I’m now realizing a class like that would be a total waste. I’m going to a Liberal Arts school after all. So what that class did prepare me more that adequately to do was to have intellectual conversations about Chinese religion and beliefs. It made me a good, inquisitive Liberal Arts student, giving me a basis of understanding and a knowledge of how to ask questions on the subject. Incidentally, it also taught me the crucial things that most Chinese know, and that art good for me to know, like who Huineng is, without me even knowing it. What’s even better, is the fact that now my Chinese is at the level to have these conversations, too.

A few weeks after I arrived in Beijing I went with Zhu and Johnny (if I’m not with my roommate, I’m with these two) to one of Zhu’s friend’s houses for a small gathering. Eventually a Buddhist poet/musician showed up and did some performing and reciting and chatting and some deep conversating with Zhu about Buddhism. I sort understood. In China, people always ask me what percent I understand. I estimate that that conversation, I understood 60 parts out of one hundred, nowhere near being able to contribute.
Suddenly now, I can understand conversations that are out of the daily norm, “What do you want to eat?” “Megan, what do you think about the American education system?” and talk about Buddhism!

That’s not to so that my Chinese is perfect though. Last night we took turns reading to each other from the book. (Its called a 漫画(cartoon), but really, its all text and excerpts and poetry). I could read it, but every line or so there would be a character I didn’t recognize and my pacing was off. (Though I high moment was when Zhu asked me what “涅槃” meant). But I really do sometimes read out loud awkwardly. To make me feel better about it, Zhu shared with me this story.
In elementary school, everyone in the class (just like America) often had to read outloud. He read this sentence:
不知不觉中学的知识 (“the knowledge learned unconsciously” ) as
“unconscious middle school knowledge.”

He said his teacher made him read it maybe five or ten times before he figured out where he was wrong. I’ll try to explain it, though if you don’t know Chinese it could be tricky. I’ll put lines where should have paused, 不知不觉中｜学｜的知识 but this is what he did： 不知不觉｜中学｜的知识. The problem was the 中, which means middle. He paired it with the 学 (study) to mean middle school instead of the 不知不觉 (subconscious) which would be the correct meaning, “in the middle of unconsciousness
” which I’m saying is “unconsciously.”

The more you know.