Christmas Cards

So I got this card from a friend on Christmas Eve, and it made me cry (and I haven't cried in a long time).

"谢谢你这么长时间以来对我的帮助！谢谢你在我有困难的时候陪伴我！很开心，因为有你这样的好姐妹。我感觉真的好幸福!"

translation: Thank you for so long being my help! Thank you for when I have a difficult time being with me! I am very happy, because you are such a good sister. I feel really blessed!

I also got this awesome Christmas card from one of my funniest, awesome friends:
“猪力：Merry Christmas! 圣诞节快乐！！你要多吃些哦！因为你太瘦了。”-猪第

Translation: Pig Power (what the sounds of my English name sound like in Chinese...it's a joke between us). Merry Christmas! You should eat more! Because you are too thin."-Pig Brother (what her English name sounds like in Chinese). This card also included little drawings of pigs. So funny!

Recent Life Happenings

Currently sick with a respiratory infection (blech), which, for various reasons, feels harder to deal with in China, if solely for the fact that I ride my bike everywhere, and due to lung issues, I can't currently do that. Hence I have not been eating much and am currently dreaming of juicy jaozi (dumplings) and malatang (soup that you choose your own ingredients for). I am drooling just writing that.

Anyways, Christmastime in China is different...it is celebrated more widely in China nowadays than in years past, but it's still not the same as celebrating in the States, with lights and Christmas music everywhere. Nonetheless, I enjoy this time of year and getting to share Christmas traditions with local friends.

Anyways, so some recent life happenings:

-I started studying Ancient Greek. My friend had a book and we decided to study it. In just an hour a week I am picking it up fairly well. On a personal note, it will be nice to be able to read the New Testament in its original language!

-I have also started being officially tutored in the local minority language (wasn't self-motivated enough to do it alone!). I am actually considering studying it at the university next semester, but as I also obviously want to continue to improve my Chinese, I haven't decided about that).

-I have been teaching a "Spanish Corner" in addition to the English Corner I already lead. Several students approached me about wanting to learn, and while I was surprised as that doesn't seem to be the most useful language, they are picking it up well, and it's good for me to brush up on my rusty Spanish!

-I am enjoying周杰伦's (Jay Chou's) new cd, courtesy of my knight-in-shining-armor who mailed it to me when I couldn't find it in the stores here! You should give it a listen! Tracks 7 and 10 are my faves. And it has its share of usual cheeky numbers too.

What else...for those of you who enjoy the light-hearted updates, here is an update on the saga of the cute barista. Well, he recently saved me from the advances of a drunken coffee shop patron, after which he came up to me and launched into an explanation/apology of some sorts for the inconvenience, but I'll be honest, I only caught about half of what he said, he was talking so fast. (Enter the nod and smile, hoping that he was not saying anything totally crazy.)Aside from that I wasn't really getting anywhere, aside from a conversation one night in which he told me I needed to stop cleaning up after English Corner and let him do his job. :-) “不用那么客气！”(bu yong na me ke qi--need not be so polite!)

I will admit to doing some stalking on renren (the Chinese version of facebook), but his profile was private...and renren has some features that are not stalker-friendly, such as letting a user see who has looked at their profile and when. Well, one night I was staying late at the coffee shop to have a meeting with the owner...we were discussing renren and how she should get an account (even if she is older than the typical student...I gave her the example of how all the parents are on facebook now). Anyways, I wrote down my renren account info to give her...and I guess she passed it on to her employees cause...cute barista added me! In actuality I wasn't all that thrilled because renren still has those features that mean I can't stalk him that often..and sometimes I feel more awkward as a result of social networking, because it's like added pressure. You know what I mean? Like, "well, we weren't really that close before, but now that we're friends online, I guess I should talk to you in person more."

So there you have it, my life happenings and love life here in the middle kingdom.

Traumatized?

Warning: This story may be a bit upsetting to some readers.

Friday night I got a text from a friend...I briefly glanced at it....there was one word in it I didn't know, but it said something about going to participate in a class that had to do with horses. I decided to be safe that I had better look up the word....and when I did, I discovered that yes, my friend was in fact inviting me to participate in a horse dissection class, not horseback riding (which is something we had previously discusssed). After a giggle, I decided that I couldn't pass up on something so random, so I said that it sounded interesting and that I would like to participate. I was thinking it would be fairly comparable to a veterinary science class in the States.

When I showed up Saturday morning to watch, I discovered that, 1) the class was taught in the local minority language (that I only speak a little of), and 2)a group of male students was holding down a tied horse...still alive. They then proceeded to kill it right there in front of everyone. And, I suppose since it's China and the school doesn't have a lot of funds...it wasn't done via injection like they put animals down in the States...the professor simply found the artery in the neck and proceeded to just drain all the blood from it that way.

If it makes anyone feel better, the horse didn't seem to suffer really...but it did take a while to die, and that was sad. I then stuck around to watch them skin the horse and prepare to dissect it. My friend has invited me to come again next week...I think I might. Much as I wish they employed similiar practices to the States, I realize that this agricultural school doesn't have access to the kind of funding that universities that I am used to do.

English Corner Activity

To learn some anatomy vocabulary, at my past English corner I had them play a game where they would get into two teams and label their "model". The team with the most correct labels won...and I'm not gonna lie, it was also fun for me to observe.

感恩节 (Thanksgiving)

I lead an English Corner, and it truly is a highlight of my week...I really love the people who come, the coffee shop it's hosted at...everything. I try to make it interesting each week, and so for the week of Thanksgiving, I decided to bring them some traditional Thanksgiving food.

I let them try mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, and......TURKEY. Yep, ladies and gentleman, I made my first ever Thanksgiving turkey for them to try. Interesting fact, the word for turkey, "火鸡"　translates to "fire chicken". Awesome, eh?

Anyhow, apparently the Thanksgiving food was quite the hit...I had quite a few leftovers that I left with the owner and employees of the coffee shop...and apparently they are still talking about it. Just wait until they see what I have up my sleeves for Christmas....

Going Dutch

Me: I'll pay for dinner.
Male Friend: No, I will. (pays)
Me: Let's go dutch.
Friend: No, not this time. Americans always go dutch?
Me: Most of the time, if you are eating with your friends.
Friend: When is the exception?
Me: If you are dating. Then the boy usually pays.
Friend: Oh. *starts laughing* Uhm...next time you can buy me coffee.

Emails

I love getting emails like this from local friends...seriously, how sweet is this? Got this from a new friend after I hosted a movie night with Mexican dinner at my home.

Receive your e-mail I am glad that I was doing homework at school, I graduate
on Normal, physical education, sports since you have to do what I can find, I'm the expert, huh, huh! Yesterday saw the film in your home, the atmosphere is very good. You are ready to
eat always very attractive, because yesterday I went to eat too much before, so yesterday
did not make the stomach to taste, next time I will have the opportunity to taste. My English is not good, you say, I can understand, but I would not say it organized language, can
only say simple, I hope you understand! The day before yesterday was the first time we
met, you are very beautiful, always very smart, I hope you are in China and our days, more and more beautiful, more happy。
-A.

As a language student, I know how difficult it is to string together an email that makes sense, so I always admire their efforts! Considering we usually use Chinese when we speak, I was impressed with the effort here! :-) Cute.

Snow!

Snow has arrived....this sight greeted me this morning...before the snow gets trampled and black it is a gorgeous sight!

Texans Handle It By Straight Thuggin

It has certainly been an interesting week. If there is one thing that living overseas will force you to grow in, it's patience. But occasionally, I firmly believe, the time for patience expires and you ought to take matters into your own hands.

To give some backstory, for the last eight months or so I have been dealing with a crazy stalker...he's another foreign student, and absolutely off his rocker/unstable. Well, when he sent me a threatening text on Wednesday night, I'd had enough.

I had consulted local friends for the last few months about how to handle it...and I finally decided after talking to some of my most trusted local friends to take the matter into my own hands. Having established that his school also wanted him to leave China (they know he is crazy too) I decided to confront him and attempt to remove his ability to contact me.

One of my local friends had volunteered his services as a threatening-looking guy. He is such a nice guy, but really does look like he belongs in a gang...shaved head, strong build....intimidating guy. "You tell that guy I'm your boyfriend...I'll handle him." I had instructed him not to get physical with the stalker unless he actually got physical first.

Well, I told stalker to meet me at a place because "I have one thing I want to tell you, and then I hope this will be settled once and for all". When he finally showed up, I asked to see his phone. "I want to see that last message you sent me." I said. He agreed and handed me his cell phone. While my friend blocked me (he doesn't speak English all that well, but told stalker "I am her boyfriend. I don't like you. You have problem?" haha) I attempted to remove the back panel of his cell phone to remove the sim card...as it was cold, I was having trouble, so I eventually threw it into a puddle, stomped on it for good measure, then picked it back up and slipped it into my pocket. My friend threw an arm around me and we walked off....crazy stalker followed. We wheeled around. At this point, I had trouble keeping my friend from attacking.

Crazy stalker asked for his phone back.

"No" I said. "But it has ALL my numbers in it." "I don't care....you should have thought about that before you called and texted me a million times after I told you to stop. Now GO AWAY." He started to move towards me, looking angry. I aimed a kick at his crotch, screamed again, and he finally left....a wise decision on his part because my friend was about to lay into him, and we had another couple of friends strategically positioned nearby in case anything went wrong.

Unfortunately, later that evening, we discovered crazy stalker apparently has a second phone with my number in it. Guess I should have pushed him down and robbed his pockets.

I am not advocating assault/robbery, but ladies, when you're dealing with a crazy stalker...I don't believe in showing a lot of courtesy. As evidenced by the screaming I unleashed upon him in 3 languages.

I heard from his university that he is leaving next week...I certainly hope that's true. My Texan side will come out in full force when necessary....

The Nicest Compliments

I was having a rough night...was interacting with a rather exhausting group of people (who were kind of hard to get along with), and was just tired in general.

After dinner, a good friend and I saw down to eat fruit and work on some translation. She said thoughtfully, "You know, I think you are the best foreigner I have known...I mean, you know the saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans'? Well, you really try to love and adapt to China well...I think this touches me a lot. You do this better than the other foreigners I have observed."

Tears came to my eyes a bit. "Thank you." I said. "That means a lot to me. I do love China, and I am trying to adapt...it is hard a lot...I'm always learning."

"And you don't have to adapt to everything." She added. "You know, some things in China you should not adapt to...but I mean, you do a good job of really living out that you want to be here...some people say they do, but seem to dislike everything about China...that really hurts me sometimes."

That was one of the kindest things that someone had said to encourage me that week. Sometimes I have been irritated with how blunt my friends sometimes are...but when it comes to compliments, my close friends always seem to observe and encourage in exactly what way I need, and in such a timely manner (excluding the funny compliments I get about how beautiful my eyes are, or how girls want my legs...after a while those things aren't all that meaningful).

Likewise, I really hope I am able to encourage my local friends in what they need as well...my friend was so touched when I told her "My doing this (favor) for you is not about guanxi (system of "you scratch my back, I scratch yours"), I am doing it because you are like a sister to me and I really want to." Tears came to her eyes and she said, "That means a lot to me."

I'm really thankful for friends like these....

It's Not All Harmony Here in the Middle Kingdom...

I seldom blog about the uglier side of life here in China…it does exist. Just like anywhere, I diplomatically reply when locals inquire about hardships….truthfully though, being overseas brings hardships of a different sort.

One of the things that can become emotionally draining as a foreigner here is the frequent need to determine someone’s motivation in befriending you. Motives are not always pure. That is to be expected anywhere, but some people are downright nasty about it. Just like anywhere, there are bad and good people...but unfortunately as a foreigner I stick out a bit more as a target for some of those bad people. A lot of times I get so worn out by interacting with those who just want to use me for different things…but it is on those days that I am so grateful for true, loyal friends that I truly am incredibly blessed to have…and especially those people that are protective of me. I am relatively good at handling myself, but it sure helps to have the support of my local friends!

One such friend even stepped outside cultural boundaries last night to defend me….it was an awkward, but appreciated encounter.

One person, who shall remained unnamed, has been visiting my English corner. His motivation in coming was questionable, because his English was perfect...in fact he seemed to think his was better than mine. He was arrogant, interrupted me and the other students constantly, and was just really rude, crude, and condescending. He also wanted me to come over to his apartment to lead an internet discussion (shady). I gave a very Chinese response to this request, that if he
called and I had time, I might (this is a Chinese no).

Well, he did call….and I didn’t answer. Well, he took the opportunity at the next week’s English corner to badger me about it. “I called twice and you didn’t answer…you promised.” “I didn’t promise.” I said. “I said if I had time…and I am very busy.” My friend chimed in, “Yeah, I heard her. She didn’t promise you.”

Guy: “This was a conversation between us two…how is it your business?
Friend: “We are friends. I am her big sister….it is my business.”

This escalated into an argument (conducted in English,
interestingly enough…but both of them have fluent English) in which my big sister basically called him out on all of his obnoxious behavior…she didn’t just cause him to lose face, she took his face off. She listed the ways he had acted rudely, and told him frankly, "I don't like you." While he argued at first, eventually he left, clearly irritated but also embarrassed.

Afterwards we debriefed the situation…she thought she was unnecessarily harsh…but she said she just couldn’t help it. I said I had been too passive. “I am too Chinese, and you are too American in your response.” I laughed.

Definitely awkward moments, but as he was clearly trying to play up his government job/perfect English to badger an “easy foreign girl”, I was pretty thankful to have an aggressive 姐姐。

TilT...Hyun Bin, 7th Grade Pajamas, and more...

Time for "Things I Love Thursday". I've felt a bit funky all week, so it's a good chance to recognize all the blessings and happy things of late.

• This compliment: "Julie, I think you are more beautiful and cool than Angelina Jolie." (said randomly by one of my female English Corner participants). Well, thank you...but she scares me so I don't want to compete. ha
• Teaching a lesson on Shakespeare to my ESL students at English Corner this week. I made them read some of the scenes (challenging for sure, because it's hard for native English speakers!). During a masquerade scene a friend and I ended up putting napkins over our faces/heads. Unfortunately, it was right at that moment that my Barista Love walked into the room. His eyes got really big, then he cracked up. Ah well, making a guy laugh is one way to his heart I guess...
• Speaking of Barista Boy...he keeps doing super endearing things. Such as 1) playing Hyun Bin's song "That Man" over the stereo system just for me. 2) drawing hearts on my latte again 3) just being really cute and smiley. Dang him and his cute smiley ways.
• My friend lending me 2 books on Chinese politics. He asked me to teach a lesson on Chinese politics to some foreigners so we can better understand how the system works, so I have been preparing for that (and learning a lot of course!)

Other loves this week:

• wearing my fave pajamas. I'm glad I brought them back to China with me this year. They are super old, worn, and weird....I have had them since literally 7th grade when my grandmother bought them for me from V.S....and I have been wearing them since then (kinda sad that they still fit?)
• leg warmers. I finally bought some, and they allow me to wear dresses in the cooler weather, so I think I'm a fan.
• New cheesy pop music faves. Britney Spears "Criminal", Brown Eyed Girls "Sixth Sense", 2PM "Hands Up", and Sugababes "Denial". When you go to KTV as often as I do, you gotta keep on top of discovering and rediscovering pop songs!

Oh, and if you want to hear the Hyun Bin song that was played, here it is..it's the theme song from the Kdrama "Secret Garden" (one of my local friends and I are obsessed with that show...and him): http://youtu.be/zubnPehzKyo

Korea Must-Do: Jjimjilbang

Korea is famous for its spas (called jjimjilbangs), and for good reason! If I lived in Seoul I'd probably be spending a lot of time there...the nice thing is that they are pretty affordable!

I decided to visit the famous Dragon Hill Spa. Basically, the way it works is that you pay an entry fee (depending on the time of day it is typically about $8-$10). You are given towels, your pajama-esque spa attire, and a wristband that has the key to your lockers (one for shoes at the entrance and one in the spa area for your clothes/purse). The wristband also acts as your payment system should you choose to purchase any extra services/meals/snacks/etc.

Included in your entrance fee is access to the saunas, swimming pools, and soaks in the hot pools. You start by showering and then enter the womens (or mens) only area where you can soak in the hot pools (they also have an ice cold bath that is supposed to be good for after your hot-water soak..I only lasted about 30 seconds in that one) and enjoy some small sauna rooms.

After you finish in there, you can shower again, don your spa attire, and enjoy the rest of the jjimjilbang with its dining area, mixed-sex saunas, and recreation rooms. You can get your nails done, and in the womens area, there are lots of extra treatments to choose from (facials, massages, etc.).

Now for the uncomfortable part (well, I didn't care, but some people might): in the single-sex areas you do not wear clothing...not even bathing suits. Yep, you will be naked in front of Korean strangers. But, from my perspective, it was not uncomfortable because typically Korean adults don't stare as much as people do in the city I live in China.

To step the awkwardness up a notch, you can get one of the most popular spa treatments, which is a good scrub-down from a Korean ajumma. Yep, within the hot-soak area there is a space with tables where you can lay down (still completely naked) while an older Korean woman scrubs the dead skin from all (and I do mean ALL) areas of your body. Included in this was also a very nice hair shampoo massage. It was a little gross to see how much dead skin actually peeled off of me...afterwards I felt AMAZING though.

If you visit Korea, suck it up and DO it!

Korea

I just got back from a few days in Korea...I loved it and definitely hope to return there someday!

Overview of my trip (I will continue posting about specific places I visited):

Favorite Thing/Highlight:

Touring the DMZ/JSA. It was, I believe, the most interesting place I have ever been. The last active remnant of the Cold War. I booked my tour through the USO, and I highly recommend them. You get a lot of history/backstory that you might not get with another group. Everyone I talked to said that was the best way to go, and I think they were right! Honestly, for some reason the whole experience was really moving, because you see how war has ripped families apart. Our Korean guide escort even talked about how they haven't been able to even have a letter from their relatives in North Korea since the war. She had tears in her eyes as she shared that. It truly is a bizarre, sad situation.

Fave Areas of Seoul:

Insadong was really fun for shopping (as it a lot of Seoul!), but for walking/sitting at night, I highly recommend Cheonggye. It's the riverwalk of Seoul (and according to my friend, was designed based on it), and I think, speaking as a San Antonian, that it is even an improvement on it.

Fave Things to Buy:

When it comes to travel souveniers, coffee mugs and magnets are my items of choice. In this instance, I was also delighted to find that you can buy ANYTHING emblazened with the face of your favorite Korean star. Awesomeness. Also, Korean teas are wonderful, as is the kimchi-flavored laver! You can also pick up some metal chopsticks (I recommend getting them outside of the tourist areas...try a local grocery store).

Favorite Eats:

-no suprise, bibimbap

-rice cakes. Especially glutinous rice cakes. Yum yum yum!

-Ginseng smoothies at Insadong. Try one, Korean ginseng is famous for a reason!

Recommendations for travelers to Seoul:

-Don't bother with taxis. Get a t-money card and do the subway system...it's easy to navigate.

-Try to learn to read before you go. It will help even if you don't speak Korean. It saved me when I was lost on an excursion outside of Seoul (the further you get from havey tourist areas, the less likely it is that people speak English).

-Try the jjimjilbang (Korean spa). Yes, you will be naked in front of strangers. But if you suck it up and get over it, it will be an enjoyable experience! You can even stay there overnight if you so desire, and thus save money on hotel/hostel (accomodation is not very cheap in Seoul).

-Get some helpful itouch apps (itour Seoul, and a metro map were very useful to me!)

There is so much to see, do, and try in Seoul...I definitely didn't get to see everything I wanted to, but I saw a lot and will have to return someday (definitely a place I wouldn't mind living...).

Outdoor Excursion #2

Being in the city, I forget sometimes that we are surrounded by mountains, just asking to be climbed. I am always vocalizing how much I want to go biking or climbing, but many of my friends aren't quite as into the physical activities as I am.

At last, however, my dear friend and 姐姐 (I call her my older sister) wanted to go, so, along with a friend of hers, we took advantage of the holiday week to go. Also, her friend is part of a road bicycling club, and he let me ride his expensive racing bike. It was terrifying at first (because he is really tall and the seat is high), but man you can fly on that thing! He also told me that I had sport bicycling potential (which I suspected I did, but alas, have not the time/money for that hobby at the moment....perhaps someday!).

It was a bit of a hazy day, but still worth it. The beauty of creation, and the opportunity for some (relative) quiet (a rarity in China) provided a great day! I love a good active day!

Outdoors

I love being outside. Well, I love being outside when the weather allows. Any day now it will be unbearably cold up here in Northern China, so for now I'm enjoying the chance I have to be outside.

First, I got to spend a lovely day at the park last week with my friend of 3+ years who came into town to visit...I hadn't seen him since 2008, even though I've been in China for the last year, I kept being out of town when he would come back to the city to visit...so it was good to see him at last. During the summer of 08 when I was on a teaching exchange program here, he and 2 of of our other friends (who I sometimes referred to as the 3 musketeers) were my best friends in the city....I have some really good memories with them, so I was so happy to get to reunite.

An interesting aspect of our visit, besides the fact that we are now older (if not wiser), is that our roles have been reversed conversationally. When I came a few years ago, I only knew basic Chinese, not enough to carry on a conversation (a fact which he gleefully recounted with laughter, marveling at how I could now converse with him in Mandarin). A few years ago we conversed in English (his third language, and one he was not particularly comfortable in). So, it was my turn to be inferior in language ability... :-)

Anyways, we had a nice time in the park and it was good to be outside.

Popular park activities in China include:

-tai chi (which I have only tried once)

-feeding pigeons (which I did...those with bird phobias steer clear)

-boating (usually an animal shaped paddle boat on some dirty green or brown water)

-fishing for goldfish (kids do this, but I always want to jump in!)

(view from our duck paddle boat)

Chinese Traditional Medicine (中医）

Today I had my first personal encounter with Chinese medicine. My friend was very concerned about some health issues I was having, and while I considered them minor, my friend was worried and insisted that she take me to see her friends, a married couple who practice traditional Chinese medicine. Since the basic underlying philosophy of Chinese medicine relies on the concept of harmony, disease is an indication that the cycles/energies of the body are not in harmony (which makes sense of why my friend was far more concerned with my health issues than I was).

As for my personal thoughts on Chinese versus Western medicine, I think my opinion on which is most effective lies somewhere in the middle. Chinese medicine is based on 2000 plus years of practices, and I don't totally discount it, however I do tend to shy away from practices that move more into shamanism. Most Chinese medicine that I have observed has more to do with observing natural occurences in the body (glands, pulse, etc) and make inferrences about what is out of balance...this usually leads to advice on healthier lifestyle, and sometimes treatments such as herbal medicines or acupuncture.

Today my appointment started with the doctor evaluating my pulse. He listened for about 3-4 minutes, then stated his observations. He then proceeded to give me a chropractic adjustment (I do feel SO much better after that). It was determined that one of my hips was rotated wrong, and one of my was oriented about 2 inches longer than the other. This was adjusted, as was my neck.

He asked me about other symptoms/concerns he had, and then looked at the bone cyst on my head. He was upfront in that the condition is rare and he wasn't sure that anything could be done about it, but that occasionally acupuncture can help bone swelling in other areas shrink, so we could try acupuncture.

When they said acupuncture, I was picturing tiny needles like I've seen in some places in the U.S....nope. He pulled out a gold needle, of the king that you need a special tool to insert because it is so big (it seemed like it was the size of a pencil), and proceeded to hammer it in one swift pound to my skull. It felt somewhat uncomfortable (it was literally making a hole in my skull afterall), but really didn't hurt much.

We'll see what effect it has on the bone growth. All that to say, an interesting experience.

What are your thoughts on Chinese medicine? (and you can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_medicine )

Love Letter #2

It's time for another chronicle in the love life of a foreign exchange student (or rather lack thereof). Yes, it is time for another stalker love letter. You see, after my Korean crush moved to a higher class (dang studious guy!) and I didn't see him much anymore, I was forced to move on.

Luckily, fate provided the perfect stalk-worthy guy in the form of a coffee shop barista. Now, I have waited a few months to prove that my love is in fact true, and not motivated by the potential free lattes that I might get from our relationship.

I sought affirmation from a friend that he was, in fact, a good potential choice, and she agreed that he had a wholesome sort of a vibe, and good looks in an unassuming way. And thus the stalking began.

I noticed right off that he greeted my by name (I guess the boss told him my name?) and was pretty good at deciphering me when I would botch the names of the drinks I was ordering in Chinese. Eventually I started just having my stand-by latte, which became a bit of an inside joke since I never really branched out (hey, I like an intense caffeine kick).

Finally, I decided to make my move. (Insert explanation: I do not know how to flirt. Hence why what follows is my version of making a move).

Cute Barista: "What would you like today? A latte?"

Me: "Ah, yes." *sheepish grin* *awkwardly clear throat and attempt a casual tone* "So, what's your name?"

Cute Barista: "_____" (Yeah, I'm not posting that in the blogosphere. But his last name is Hou.)

Me: "Ah"

Cute Barista: "My English name is Peter."

Me: "Oh, that's a good name."

(He grins and goes to get my drink)

*************************************************************

Yeah, I know, that was almost too hot for the blogosphere, right?

Since then we have had other such awkward interactions, most of which I will not share here since I have already established that when it comes to flirting, I am in fact stuck in junior high.

However, on my birthday, this is what he drew on my latte:

Thus, here is my love letter, which I don't think needs to be particularly elaborate.

Dear Peter,

As it so happens, my dream guy can pull off a baseball cap, looks a bit like Hyun Bin (Korean film star), and knows how to properly brew espresso. Let's get married. If you want, we can go on a date first.

Love, Julie, aka the foreign girl who always drinks a latte and creepily glances at you (but hey, I've seen you glancing at me too)

A Conversation at the Hair Salon

Somedays to be perfectly honest, I don't really feel like conversing with people. I answer the same questions over and over, and a lot of times I don't actually really need to listen to what people are asking because it is nearly always identical:

-Which country are you from? 你是那个国家的？

-How long have you been here? (This is usually followed by the encouraging, but completely unfounded statement, "Oh, your Chinese is so good!" or "You have learned so fast"...even though in reality at this point they have only heard me speak really basic phrases....my Chinese is so-so..definitely not super impressive. haha)

-What do you do here? Are you a teacher?

If it's a longer conversation it will also include:

-Do you like Chinese food?

:-)

However, on days when I actually do get into longer conversations with people who are patient with my bad grammar, it really is fun. Today was such a day...I spent the afternoon at the hair salon...I was long overdue for a cut (it had been almost a whole year!), and my friend was also there to get her hair chemically straightened.

Now, mind you, my hair vocabulary is not particularly extensive, but with the help of the amazing itouch Chinese dictionary, and a lot of describing things/hand gestures, we got things done. Having a photo with you of the cut makes all the difference too.

Some interesting things about hairdressing in China:

-it is still dirt cheap to get a haircut. As in under $4.

-the hairdressers are almost exclusively men. I've had my hair washed by women, but men always seem to do the cutting.

They did get me to spend a bit more money by selling me a giant bottle of conditioner that you leave there and then can come in and get a free hair wash/head massage with it anytime you want for as long as the bottle lasts (and judging by the size, mine will last until I die).

Anyhow, the conversation with my hair dresser started with the basics and got more and more amusing. At one point, he leaned down. "How old are you?" (In China this question is often considered impolite, but as I am a foreigner I usually have to answer). "24" I answered. In reality, because of how Chinese usually count years, I would actually say I am 25...but I never own up to that. "How old are you?" I countered. "About the same as you." he answered somewhat evasively. The conversation got more amusing from there. By the time my haircut had ended, I had given English names to all the employees, and even an Arabic name to one. As I was waiting for my friend to finish her chemical straightening procedure, my hairdresser, "Tom" called my name in English and patted the chair next to him. I sat down.

"So, why did you pick your Chinese name?" He asked, supressing a giggle. (my Chinese name translates to White Moon)

"Because...." I rolled my eyes. "It's easy to write. And it's an old name...it is fitting for my personality."

"Hm. It is pretty...but....not very modern. I think I should give you another name."

"Ok".

He proceeded to think for a long time, scratching out various names and soliciting the advice of the other hairdressers. At last he settled on one. After renaming me, he shouted "Boss! Change the name on her conditioner bottle!" In case you were wondering, my new Chinese name is "何佳欣" (He Jia Xin) Jia=excellent. Xin=happy. Honestly I am known by so many names that I am really beginning to lost my sense of self. ha

We chatted about travel.

"Where do you want to visit next in China?"

"Xinjiang"

"Oh, I have been there...it's no good. Winters are extremely cold, summers extremely hot."

"But it's beautiful."

"If you want beautiful you must visit Hebei."

"Where are you from?"

*sheepish grin* "Hebei"

"Ah"

"Where in America is the best?"

"Texas."

"What other places?"

"Hmmm....I can't think of any. Texas is the best." (Sometimes I just have to say that). "No, many parts are good. Texas is just my favorite."

"May I?" He twisted my ring, examining it, then said, "It's probably made in China right?" Yep, I'm sure it was. Still looking at my finger, he bit his lip awkwardly and proceeded to ask..."Ahhh...in America...at what age do a girl and boy, uhm, you know, get together?" Oh dear. In America, you almost never have to worry about accidentally flirting with a male hairdresser....but in China, most of them are straight. "你的意思是。。什么时候结婚。。是吗?" Your meaning is, what time do they get married?" I clarified. I wasn't about to answer if the meaning was more awkward. "Yes yes." I launched into a discussion about how people in the south often get married younger, many right out of college. "So, you are from the south?" He said. "Why aren't you married?" "I'm not old!" Laughter.

"Do you like your work?" I asked to change the subject. His answer was really sweet. "Yes, I really, really love it...because I can see so many people change to be even more pretty, and to get to help with that! I love it." He beamed. It was a sweet answer.

"So what do you like to do for fun?" He asked.

"Uhm...karaoke...uhm....is there anything else to do here?"

"No. But I really love to sing. Every week I go to KTV."

"Me too."(I did not add, "against my will". Haha. truthfully, KTV has grown on me and now I love it as much as the next Chinese person). I added, "I really love Jay Chou."

He grinned. "Which songs?"

"All of them"

"Which do you know how to sing?"

"Silence"(the name of a song)

"Ah. Your friend is almost done with her hair...sing it now! Sing for me. I want to see how good you are."

"No. I don't want to."

"Pleaseee"

I murmured a few lines under my breath, and was saved by my friend's hair being finished and her needing me to translate something.

*****************************************************************************************

As a foreigner, I love the moments of random...making instant friends because of curiosity. As much as I usually hate all the stares, I remember that I am grateful for those friendly people that I get to stumble through conversation with. And I can't get to come back for my free hair conditioning scalp massage!

A Walk

A few nights ago I rode my bike to a section of the city at about 2 a.m.....sounds weird right? I walked my bike through the streets, strolling around in thought, observing the different side of my city that emerges at night. It's a great experience in a city normally overflowing with people, traffic, and noise.....the streets are nearly empty, and it's remarkably quiet (which is incredibly rare in China).

Taxi drivers are stopped at various street corners, taking advantage of a slower time to wash their cabs. Some sit outside small hole-in-the-wall restaurants, smoking, sipping tea, and conversing animatedly with other taxi drivers.

Some staggering drunks stumble their way through the streets. The train station, normally bustling with activity, stands silently, an imposing tall structure in the dark. The restaurants and convenience stores are locked, their insides dark.

By 6.am., the honking of cars, yelling of street vendors and salesman, and music blaring over various loudspeakers has begun again...but the moment of solitude under a clear night sky are precious moments of stillness in a city of millions, the majority of whom were slumbering.

A Chinese Apartment

Many people are curious about my living arrangements here in China, so I thought I'd give you a little introduction to the new apartment my roommate and I have for the year....it was an awesome deal, came furnished, and is in a great location close to our universities. Here are some snapshots of our new place, which is a fairly typical example of a Chinese apartment.

(front door...a double door..good for security, but also for wintertime)

(a touch of home in the form of TX pot holders!)

(decor in our dining room...photos of our city)

(decor)

(more decor in the dining room)

(another awesome touch of home)

(decoration in the living room)

(view from our living room windows)

(dining room and kitchen)

(living room...our landlords have a traditional Chinese style going on)

(fridge fun: Shakespeare word poetry magnets!)

(view of the dining room looking towards the living room)

(view from our kitchen window)

(kitchen...the red thing is our oven!)

(propane stove top)

(view of the kitchen)

(bathroom: the machine on the bottom right is the washing machine...no dryers here! the thing above the toilet is the water heater)

(ceiling in the hallway)

(shower room...everything just drains into the floor)

(no air conditioning, but fans work!)

(and the most important feature of an apartment in our region: heating!)

We're definitely grateful for this place to live, close to our local friends, small enough to be suitable, and large enough to host people!

Back to the Land of my Birth

I am currently home in the U.S. for a month. It's been a bit weird, but natural, to be back in my homeland. I love the place I live in China, but being back in the States has reminded me of some things that I really do miss (besides the obvious things of friends and family):

• My chihuahua, Oliver.
• Cleanliness
• Open internet!
• Movies, cable
• Texans. I love my home state....they really are friendly people.

And finally......ENGLISH BOOKSTORES/wide availability of English reading. I am a voracious reader, and I have SO missed my library.

Of course, there are things I've missed about China as well....my faithful "steed" (bicycle), my friends, etc. One more week to enjoy the States, then back to China I go!

Zoo

Recently I went to the local zoo with a couple of friends. It's actually called the "Zoo and Safari Park"....and by most standards, it wasn't all that great....but, for a smallish town and less developed province, it's decent. And it's something to do, which I am always searching for here.

The highlight?

Monkeys. They had some that were out and about that you could feed. If I look somewhat wary in this photo, it's because a huge monkey had just lunged at us baring his teeth angrily because we didn't give him some food (I was trying to give it to this little guy). It reminded me of these moments during my trip to Thailand:

In Thailand, this baby monkey enjoyed pulling my hair, eating the flower in my hair, and sticking his fingers in my ear. Cute, but monkeys and I are not exactly bff.

City At Night

Disclaimer: This photo is not mine...it belongs to a friend of mine. But this is a view of my city at night (panoramic shot, so it's small....but you get the idea!).

Thank You Western Media..

....not.

An example of a conversation I had at English Corner:

Student: But I have seen in movies that girls will often call each other "bitch" and it is not a mean word.

Me: Well, maybe if you are an immature high schooler you call your friends that. Most people do not.

Student: But I have seen it in the movies.

Me: ............... You shouldn't believe everything you see in movies. People will always be offended if you call them bitch.

Sometimes, my response to these type of discussions is.... "Does everyone in China know kung fu? No? Well, not everyone in America lives in NYC....drives a Mercedes.....etc."

A Rainy Night in Shanghai

Another thing crossed off the bucket list! I finally got to see my favorite Korean pop/R&B singer in concert (he is like the Usher of Asia...but better!). He came to Shanghai, so I worked it into my 3 day Shanghai vacation.

Interesting things about concerts in China:

• the environment didn't seem quite as crazy as a concert would be in the States...this might also be that Rain's fans seem to be pretty great...seriously, they were so friendly! They were so excited to meet an American fan! And they clearly do a lot to support his career...he is a lucky guy!
  

• Plain clothes security made people stop filming on the racier songs (I know, crazy right?). And by racy...I mean songs where people moved their hips. ha
  


• They did not have a fan go up onstage like they do at many Rain concerts...so I didn't get to meet him. And I was too tired when it ended to hang out and try to meet him....lame. haha
  

Overall, it was a really fun concert.....I was actually really, really impressed by how good he sounded live....even better than the cds, and this while dancing around quite a bit.....the guy has got stamina, that's for sure. My favorite things:

• Listening to him speak a little Chinese....funny. He is working on learning it, but spoke mostly in English or Korean with a translator.
  


• The fact that, unlike some performers, he is still totally in love with his job....and it shows.



• The ending! As an encore, he and his dancers came out and started a huge dance party....to Kriss Kross "Jump". Awesome. I also like that he has worked with many of the same dancers for years, and he is really gracious about spotlighting them. As a dance enthusiast, I loved that!
  

I am still quite sad that he will be enlisting at the end of the year (required military service for all Korean men), but if I have a chance to see him again, I definitely would!

Sharks in Shanghai

If you are looking for something unique to do in China, I have a recommendation!

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Shanghai, and as part of my whole "conquering my fears" quest, I decided to sign up for an aquarium dive...in a shark tank. The dive is run by "Big Blue" company in Shanghai (see their website http://big-blue.cn/trips/shanghai.php).

One interesting part of the experience is that non-certified divers (or, as was the case with me, first-time divers) are allowed. There wasn't really any instruction, they just strap you into the gear and say go (but not before the aquarium manager gave a statement that did not help ease my fears of sharks.. "The sharks are very aggressive today, so please stay with your dive guide...stay in a group." Uhm, thanks).

Once I got into the water and figured out how to breathe (and worked on slowing down my breathing), it was actually a really relaxing, incredible experience. Although I preferred to hang out near the sea turtles that they have in the tank, I did accidentally kick a shark in the head at one point (I wanted to yell "sorry, please don't bite me.").

(I am the one in the blue flippers hidden partially by the shark in the first pic, and facing the camera in the one below it)

You stay in the water for about 30 minutes, and it was the perfect amount of time. If you get a chance to visit Shanghai and would like a more controlled environment for your first shark encounter, I recommend this experience! It was worth every 毛！