We're going home.
It's Sunday morning and after 10 days we're preparing to go home. Our travels in China have come to an end and although we are anxious to catch up with our families and friends, it's somewhat bitter sweet to be leaving China. It has been an exciting 10 days filled with much activity, diverse experiences, and a great deal of learning. It will be hard to say goodbye to a country we have come to understand more fully during the time we have spent here.
A wake-up call this morning has us up and preparing for what will be a very long day. We'll go to the market to pick up some last minute items and then hurry off to the airport via bus through the early afternoon traffic. Our plane will take off in just a few hours and we'll fly back through time and arrive in Chicago, about the same time we leave Beijing! Ah, those time zones!
It has been a wonderful experience being in China with others eager to explore more about topics of personal interest as well as topics related to their fields of study. It seems each experience we had spoke volumes and meant a great deal to specific members of our group. As we reflected on what we enjoyed most about the trip, the answers were different for each member of our group! For me, it is definitely the people we have met as we traveled across China including our very special guides who shared their knowledge of the cities we traveled through as well as experiences from their personal lives.
Another experience that has meant a great deal to me was visiting the countryside of China. The countryside truly shows the varied faces of China, the differences in lifestyles between rural and city life. Traveling through the countryside helped me see more clearly the traditions in place and the transformations taking place in this rapidly changing country, though the changes are exceedingly more rapid in the cities.
All in all our experiences have taught us valuable life lessons and we have made connections to people in a country we hope to stay connected to. One lost iPhone later, we are on our way home, changed, even though we came to explore changes in a country far from our own homes.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Shanghai Living
Where do you park in Shanghai? We haven't seen parking ramps as there is not a lot of space for them in Shanghai. This is another reason there are only 2 million motor vehicles in the city and over 900 bus lines. Whil Volkswagon and Buik are the two major car manufacturers in Shanghai, there are other makes on the roadways. Shanhai residents also purchase special license plates. The special "Shanghai" plates alllow them to drive on the bridges and upper level streets during rush hour. It seems the extra cost of the plates would be worth it as there are a lot of those upper level streets here!
Where do people live in Shanghai? The old hutongs are disappearing from the landscape, making way for modern apartment complexes. The massive concrete apartment buildings tower to the sky here. One such building looks as if it might house all the residents of the small town I'm from in Mississippi. The apartments within them are small and yet spendy. People in Shanghai own their apartments, but not the land on which they are built. Thus apartment owners can use the land for up to 70 years at which point they must move, or extend their agreement with the government to own their apartment in the area.
Immigrants who come here from the countryside in search of work try to find an inexpensive place to stay, but it is difficult. Working in Shanghai is a dream for many of them and the route to financial progress for them and their familes. However, work is hard to find unless you are educated for just the right position. For some, working in Shanghai becomes begging in Shanghai, which some favor over laboring on the land in the countryside.
The Pudong New Area, the Financial Zone, and the High Tech Park reflect the economic reforms have benefited many in the cities here. To some extent I;ve heard it's trickling to the countryside in the form of social security benefits and government supported reforms. China is increasingly becoming ever more open to the world and the world is becoming ever more interested in China. Tourism industries reflect this as well. I plan to travel here again some day.
Where do people live in Shanghai? The old hutongs are disappearing from the landscape, making way for modern apartment complexes. The massive concrete apartment buildings tower to the sky here. One such building looks as if it might house all the residents of the small town I'm from in Mississippi. The apartments within them are small and yet spendy. People in Shanghai own their apartments, but not the land on which they are built. Thus apartment owners can use the land for up to 70 years at which point they must move, or extend their agreement with the government to own their apartment in the area.
Immigrants who come here from the countryside in search of work try to find an inexpensive place to stay, but it is difficult. Working in Shanghai is a dream for many of them and the route to financial progress for them and their familes. However, work is hard to find unless you are educated for just the right position. For some, working in Shanghai becomes begging in Shanghai, which some favor over laboring on the land in the countryside.
The Pudong New Area, the Financial Zone, and the High Tech Park reflect the economic reforms have benefited many in the cities here. To some extent I;ve heard it's trickling to the countryside in the form of social security benefits and government supported reforms. China is increasingly becoming ever more open to the world and the world is becoming ever more interested in China. Tourism industries reflect this as well. I plan to travel here again some day.
Experience of a Lifetime!!
Being in China has been an experience of a lifetime. Everything I expected was different. I was expecting everything from the movies, especially a strong religious part to everyday life. I also expected a strong resentment for us, as Americans, to even be here. I wasn't too sure what the experience for me would be like for me as an African-American. So far, most everybody has welcomed us warmly though. Beggars and vendors are at every bus stop. As soon as we get off we get swarmed. Elderly ladies will motion their palms to their mouths and then hold their hand out, showing that they need money for food. There are many beggars with wounded or amputated feet, making it really difficult to ignore them. One sat on the curbed holding her daughter outside the Forbidden City. She had a third deformed arm, but how could I know where my money was really going? It didn't matter. I was pratically in tears just from the site of it. Vendors hound you with the same products at shops only meters away. I have never been to any place in the world where you can buy a Rolex or a Gucci bag (authentic, of course) for less than 5 US dollars.At the department stores, things can get fun. In a Beijing shopping center I walk through a sea of people grabbing at my arm telling me I need a silk scarf for my mother, or a tie for my dad. One girl grabbed me firm and told me I had promised to come to her shop and buy some things when I met her earlier. This was obviously a lie and I wondered how many people actually go with it as I tried to break free. Natasha and I usually go to the market together, and it's entertaining watching her bargain. It's also a lot of fun. I have seen her drop the price by at least 80% on most occasions. I now know the tactics like starting ridiculously low, and that if you walk away and they call for you to come back you can almost guarantee any price you choose will be the final one.
I always thought China was one of the more religiously rich countries of the world. After that I learned that they were officially an atheist country. And then, after that, I learned that only the government was considered atheist and less than 5% of the population was a member of the Communist Party. We have visited the Jade Buddha Temple. It was beautiful and so peaceful! Outside the Buddhist temple there was Hindu music playing in the streets where people following Islam were gathered. The stones and concrete on the ground was old and the buildin
gs were older. Because over time streets and cities were built around it, but the temple had been undisturbed, the foundation was a few feet lower than the street where we entered in. Buddhists were buying incense and offering prayer. Others were giving fortunes to locals for a small fee. Incense burned making some of the most soothing smells I have experienced so far in this somewhat polluted (but beautiful) country. We saw statues and guardians and other significant contributors to the religion. It’s good to see these religions and buildings in tact after so many years. The taking of money is not pleasant to see all the time, especially in religious establishments, but if that’s what it takes to continue the traditions then it is fine by me. I walked with Montira for a while and she helped explain some of the customs and what they meant. It was so enlightening and peaceful. I bowed my head in reverence and prayer for a moment in the temple.
Rock Climbing Baby!!
Rock Climbing Baby!!!Today we will be taking a tour bus to the Badaling section of the Great Wall, approximately 60 kilometers from the city center. This section of the wall, built in 1505, was an important defense for the Ming Dynasty, and is 7.8 meters on average in height with a width to accommodate five horses or ten people walking abreast.There is a famous Chinese quote, "Bú dà Chángchéng fĕi hăo hàn," (You are not a real man until you have climbed the Great Wall); hence, we had to climb the Great Wall.The day started out gray and cool with the threat of rain, however the rain held off and by the time we started climbing up the extremely steep section of steps, we had shed our coats, and were taking regular breaks along the wall to capture the beauty, as well as photograph the stunning scenery.
The imagery was like nothing we had ever seen, as we experienced a part of history. We continued climbing the stairs as they led us up the mountain, down into the valley and then back up again.As we passed people along the way, we would exchange the greeting "Ni Hao" (Hello) and wave, and soon, the friendly people were aski
ng us to pose with them and their families for photographs, which we readily did. We continued climbing the Great Wall sometimes having to pull ourselves up the extremely steep sections using the railing and making new friends along the way, for more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).
ng us to pose with them and their families for photographs, which we readily did. We continued climbing the Great Wall sometimes having to pull ourselves up the extremely steep sections using the railing and making new friends along the way, for more than 4 kilometers (2.5 miles).After our morning climb, our legs were a bit stiff, and we were more than happy to ride the lift back to our starting point. We slowly made our way down the mountain taking photographs along the way, and savoring each moment of our very memorable journey.Now when BJ grows up, he or she can tell friends the story of climbing the Great Wall with mommy!!
Shanghai: Sights, Sounds, and Smells??
Shanghai is a full-on assault of smells. The wide variety of different odors mix together on the average walk down the street. Some are good; most are bad.
The natural scents are ....tolerable. Imagine this. On our way to the resteraunt for dinner and you could smell and combination of these things or all of them:
Steamed Buns, Cooking Oil, Vomit, Dead Animal, Vegetable Scraps, Dirt, Flowers, Fish, Vinegar,
Rinse Water, Turtles, Cow head, Sewage, Pee, Dog Poop, Fried Tofu, B.O. , and of course my favorite...Chicken Blood! Whew!!!
The sights, sounds, and smells are a lot to take in, in a city as busy as Shanghai! We took in all that we could, in spite of a bit of jet lag that threatened fatigue and nausea at times....from the smells. Tomorrow we are off to explore the Jade Buddha Temple and Yu Gardens before flying off to Beijing.
The natural scents are ....tolerable. Imagine this. On our way to the resteraunt for dinner and you could smell and combination of these things or all of them:
Steamed Buns, Cooking Oil, Vomit, Dead Animal, Vegetable Scraps, Dirt, Flowers, Fish, Vinegar,
Rinse Water, Turtles, Cow head, Sewage, Pee, Dog Poop, Fried Tofu, B.O. , and of course my favorite...Chicken Blood! Whew!!!
The sights, sounds, and smells are a lot to take in, in a city as busy as Shanghai! We took in all that we could, in spite of a bit of jet lag that threatened fatigue and nausea at times....from the smells. Tomorrow we are off to explore the Jade Buddha Temple and Yu Gardens before flying off to Beijing.
Shanghai Market Adventures
Someone from the states asked me if I was going shopping, and if I was going to the fabric market. "Am I gonig to the fabric market?????"Of course I'm going to the fabric market. (And for those of you who don't know, the fabric market is just that -- a three-story market in Shanghai that houses hundreds of tailors and their shops. Each shop is full of fabric -- Chinese silk, wool, linen, cotton, cashmere, knit, etc. You name the fabric, it's at the fabric market.
Blue jean? Yep, there's blue jean at the fabric market.
Corduroy? Oh yeah, lots of corduroy.
Rayon? Yep, if you really want rayon when you can have Chinese silk, you can have rayon.
Coats? Coats, coats, everywhere!!!
If you can think it, they can make it!!!
Ooh, the fabric market is a mighty seductive beast! You see all the beautiful Chinese jackets and cashmere coats and soft, linen dresses hanging about and you know that the prices are WAY, WAY cheaper than anything you'll ever find at home and suddenly, your arms are in the air and your chest is being measured by a skinny Chinese tailor.
Is it always successful? Does every skirt you order fit perfectly? Drape across your hips just the way you like? Nope. The average success rate is 50/50, but stuff is so incredibly cheap that you write off the 50 percent that doesn't fit and donate to a charity. Then you enjoy the 50 percent that does.
Aww, the inticement, but I think I'll save my shopping for Beijing. I don't want to buy an extra suitcase just yet, besides I can't carry it all :)Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Ni Hao Shanghai!
Sorry this is late. I couldn't get an Internet connection for the first two days and when I finally did my blog headers were in Chinese and I hadn't figured out how to post until now. Oh well...do you miss me :)
Day One
We arrived in Shanghai on Saturday afternoon. The flight wasn't terrible, but it was a long one. I tried to sleep for most of it, but then you get to a point where you just can't sleep anymore no matter how much you want to. I did get caught up on some movies though. They served three meals on the flight. It was an American flight, but I guess they were in the China spirit. We had chicken and rice for lunch, noodles for snack, and noodles again for dinner (they ran out of lasagna and turkey sandwiches), but I won't complain, everyone said the noodles were better :) Good thing I brought snacks. We arrived at the airport and things were smooth. I got Yuan ($) from the ATM 7 Yuan = 1 Dollar!!! I'm Rich!!!! Our tour guide Rainy met us at the airport and we road the bus back to the hotel, and what an exciting ride it was....the traffic is CRAZY! I'm not really sure what Red and Green lights mean here, and there is no such thing as pedestrian's right-away....no way. There are lots of bikes and scooters, and traffic moves fast. 10 x worse than New York. Man does this put traffic back home into perspective.
As we ride along on the bus, I notice there is a lot of construction going on. There are lots of tall building and there are very little traces of things that you and I might consider Asian architecture. The city is more modern and you can see the transition from Old Shanghai to New Shanghai. The combination of old and new is astonishing and the government even passed a bill to preserve buildings built prior to 1940s. They are preparing for the big China Expo set for 2010. Apparently there is some political mayhem (what a surprise) going on. The Bush Admin pulled the plug on funding a US pavilion for the expo and mandated that US private companies fund it. They has been no success in raising the 60 million dollars required, and there was some mix up with the RFPs for the job so the US might not have a pavilion at the Expo if we can't get out crap together in time. Go figure......even Luxembourg has a pavilion!
We arrive out our hotel. It's nice and very modern. The goal is not to go to sleep so that we can adjust better to the local time here, so a few of us head out to find local cell phones so we can call back home for a cheaper rate. We get directions from the front desk for the "Cyber Market" . The concierge also told us that there was a market nearby and that there might be cell phones there. She wrote it on our card in Chinese. We start out on foot, and head in the most promising direction. We have no idea where we are going, but it's an adventure and we feel like pioneers, so we just go. We stumbled into the market. Not sure if you have ever been to Mexico or Jamaica where there are open peddlers, but here they are everywhere, and they are worse. I learned very quickly how to say No Thank You in Chinese (boo yao shay shay). Sometimes it works and they move on, but mostly they are persistent and it takes 3-4 times of saying no.
Anyway, we walked around for a bit, but were unsuccessful in finding any cell phones, so we head back to the hotel to catch a cab to go to the cyber market. We get to what we think is the cyber market and we end up in a mall, with still no luck of a cell phone, so with not much left to do and when such a huge language barrier we head back to the hotel for dinner. We figure at this point, dinner trumps phone, and we will try again tomorrow. Stay tuned for Day Two....I know it's already Day four, but I'm just too tired to type anymore right now. Pea
Day One
We arrived in Shanghai on Saturday afternoon. The flight wasn't terrible, but it was a long one. I tried to sleep for most of it, but then you get to a point where you just can't sleep anymore no matter how much you want to. I did get caught up on some movies though. They served three meals on the flight. It was an American flight, but I guess they were in the China spirit. We had chicken and rice for lunch, noodles for snack, and noodles again for dinner (they ran out of lasagna and turkey sandwiches), but I won't complain, everyone said the noodles were better :) Good thing I brought snacks. We arrived at the airport and things were smooth. I got Yuan ($) from the ATM 7 Yuan = 1 Dollar!!! I'm Rich!!!! Our tour guide Rainy met us at the airport and we road the bus back to the hotel, and what an exciting ride it was....the traffic is CRAZY! I'm not really sure what Red and Green lights mean here, and there is no such thing as pedestrian's right-away....no way. There are lots of bikes and scooters, and traffic moves fast. 10 x worse than New York. Man does this put traffic back home into perspective.
As we ride along on the bus, I notice there is a lot of construction going on. There are lots of tall building and there are very little traces of things that you and I might consider Asian architecture. The city is more modern and you can see the transition from Old Shanghai to New Shanghai. The combination of old and new is astonishing and the government even passed a bill to preserve buildings built prior to 1940s. They are preparing for the big China Expo set for 2010. Apparently there is some political mayhem (what a surprise) going on. The Bush Admin pulled the plug on funding a US pavilion for the expo and mandated that US private companies fund it. They has been no success in raising the 60 million dollars required, and there was some mix up with the RFPs for the job so the US might not have a pavilion at the Expo if we can't get out crap together in time. Go figure......even Luxembourg has a pavilion!
We arrive out our hotel. It's nice and very modern. The goal is not to go to sleep so that we can adjust better to the local time here, so a few of us head out to find local cell phones so we can call back home for a cheaper rate. We get directions from the front desk for the "Cyber Market" . The concierge also told us that there was a market nearby and that there might be cell phones there. She wrote it on our card in Chinese. We start out on foot, and head in the most promising direction. We have no idea where we are going, but it's an adventure and we feel like pioneers, so we just go. We stumbled into the market. Not sure if you have ever been to Mexico or Jamaica where there are open peddlers, but here they are everywhere, and they are worse. I learned very quickly how to say No Thank You in Chinese (boo yao shay shay). Sometimes it works and they move on, but mostly they are persistent and it takes 3-4 times of saying no.
Anyway, we walked around for a bit, but were unsuccessful in finding any cell phones, so we head back to the hotel to catch a cab to go to the cyber market. We get to what we think is the cyber market and we end up in a mall, with still no luck of a cell phone, so with not much left to do and when such a huge language barrier we head back to the hotel for dinner. We figure at this point, dinner trumps phone, and we will try again tomorrow. Stay tuned for Day Two....I know it's already Day four, but I'm just too tired to type anymore right now. Pea
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