Blogs of Note

Since being here in China, and even before arriving, I have been interested in learning as much as possible about the Middle Kingdom. The Internet has been a valuable source of information. There are numerous places to get facts about China i.e. Wikipedia, Ask.com, Google. There are also a few blogs that are pretty good and gives one a personal perspective. Of course there is Amanda's blog, http://www.mandachino.blogspot.com/. She usually posts a lot of her pictures there, and she and I can take the same subject and write about them from vastly differing points-of-view. You might also want to check out http://www.vivrant30.blogspot.com/. It is a newer blog, by a young lady who just arrived in China last month. Her experiences have so far been funny and insightful. I came across a German blog that is terrific, (http://www.chinasplumpsklo.blogspot.com/) other than the fact that I can't read the language. It's format has given me a lot of ideas. I use it to try to learn a little German, to look at the pictures, and to see other places in China that we might visit or other things that we might do.
Writing a blog can be a difficult process. Setting up the blog is simple. Sites, like blogger.com, do all of the formatting for you. Making it interesting is the part that takes a lot of work. (Take this post as an example.) Sometimes, there just doesn't seem to be anything of interest to write about. So I often visit this site: http://www.oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/. The purpose of this blog is to post subjects for others to write about. I like reading what is written because it sometimes will get the creative juices flowing. As for inspiration, let me pose this question to the readers. What would you like me to blog about next? What aspect of Chinese life would you be most interested in reading about? Give me your thoughts. Please post your answers by using the "comments" link. I will review them, and choose a few for a future post. - Frank
The first step in blogging is not writing them but reading them.
Jeff Jarvis

It Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time

Yesterday, we went to another one of the local parks. The weather was a sunny 15 Celsius (59 F. I finally figured out how to convert C to F. It is easy, multiply by 9, divide by 5, then add 32). We are enjoying the parks here a lot. They are great places to practice our Chinese, while at the same time savoring the beautiful vistas that they provide. While there, we happened upon some children playing on the water inside of huge inflated rubber balls. They looked like they were having so much fun that I decided to give it a try. As the pictures and video will show, there are some things that seem like more fun than they actually are. As they zipped me inside, and I caught a whiff of the sweat, breath, and B.O. of those who had been in there before me, I thought to myself “Well it seemed like a good idea at the time”. As I fell over and over again, I could hear the howls of laughter even inside my bubble. I am glad someone had fun. (Park entrance fee, 0 RMB. Fee for being inside big rubber ball on the water, 10 RMB. Being able to provide comic relief for the 20 to 30 people who stopped to watch the waigouren at play, priceless.) Whose idea was this anyway? What was the thought process? It must have gone something like this:

Boss - Okay Jerry, let's get a big rubber bag.
Jerry - Check!
Boss - We can then put a person inside it and zip them in.
Jerry - Check!
Boss - Pump it full of air until it is round and floats.
Jerry - Check!
Boss - Then we can put them out on the water, where they will try to walk but repeatedly fall down to the amusement of others.
Jerry - Check!
Boss - Finally, wait for it, we keep them locked inside this bag until they are on the verge of passing out due to asphyxiation!
Jerry - A floating, rubber, asphyxiating sphere of amusement...Brilliant!

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)


Frank






PS- As for the adjacent picture, I bet my sister thought putting those glasses on and allowing a picture to be taken was a good idea at the time too.

A Fascination with Fireworks

Chun Jie, the Chinese New Year Festival has officially begun. Amanda and I have both written about the way things were going to be, based upon reports that we have received from friends. Now we can tell you what it is like from firsthand accounts.

Back in the US, there are often big fireworks displays. I have seen some that have been pretty impressive. After the Atlanta Braves or NY Yankees won a home game, they would often have a nice fireworks show. On New Year’s Eve and Independence Day, most US cities put on some event. When I lived in NYC, I remember looking out of the window of my apartment that looked over the Hudson River, and viewing a spectacle that was quite remarkable. I state all of this for perspective. Nothing that I had seen previously, either on TV or in person, had prepared me for the amazing spectacle that we experienced last night.

Wikipedia describes fireworks as “a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes”. It also states: “Fireworks were originally invented in ancient China in the 12th century for entertainment purposes, as a natural extension of the Chinese invention of gunpowder. Such important events and festivities as Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival were and still are times when fireworks are guaranteed sights. China is the largest manufacturer and exporter of fireworks in the world”.

At dusk, the citizens began spasmodically lighting off smaller fireworks. Around 9 pm, they began shooting them off in earnest. Because there was no way we were going to be able to get any sleep, we decided to walk around, and see things from ground level. Everywhere we went, there were people lighting fireworks. In the States, males are predominately the ones who enjoy this mildly destructive form of fun. Here they start young, and both genders imbibe.

There were times when we thought we were in a war zone. At one point, someone did not properly set up some bottle rockets, and they went askew. We had to duck for cover as they began firing right at us. A group of teenagers came to the square with five big boxes of pyrotechnics and quickly set the standard for the night. They were setting off firecrackers that were six inches tall and about two inches in diameter. When exploded, we could feel the concussion from them in our chest. One Westerner, who was nearby, said afterwards that they made her sick to her stomach. Some of the fireworks had to be launched by mortar fire. We could hear the whistle of ordinance flying over head before exploding and blossoming into a cascade of light. Many of the building were being bombarded by shell after shell from neighboring apartments. Added to the din was the myriad of car alarms that had been set off by the multitude of blasts. We were thankful that we had our earplugs. Without them, I am sure that a couple times we would have experienced severe damage to our ears.

One magazine that I regularly read, once wrote an article about how people from just about every country are fascinated by fireworks. Here in China that certainly holds true, both for the natives and us. Although we don’t celebrate Chun Jie or New Year’s, we too were fascinated. It was amazing to be present for the sights and sounds. But I say that after day one. What will I think after 14 more days of this? - Frank
"We anoint their fuses with a tiny amount of fire, and they come alive, playing out their life span in a matter or seconds. In those few seconds a crack in the universe is opened, giving us a glimpse of the energy locked within all matter." -Bob Weaver
Enjoy the Video

"Fireworks are an art form that uses the night sky as the canvas." -Larry Crump

Black Dragon Park

The Taoist Temple in this park dates back to the Han Danasty (between 206 B.C.E and 220 A.D.). I love the architecture of it and the other buildings. It was nice to be able to see what China looked like in the past. - Frank

Take nothing but pictures.

Leave nothing but footprints.

Kill nothing but time.
Motto of the Baltimore Grotto (caving society)

很高兴(hen gao xing) – Very Happy

This has been a very good week. First of all, I got over the wicked cold that I had, so I was able to get out of the apartment. (Free at last, free at last ...) Monday, I returned to the scene of my public humiliation, the basketball court. Despite the fact that I don’t move quite as fast or good as I used to, I played pretty well. By pretty well I mean no one shook me so bad that I fell on my butt, unlike the last time. To me, that's a win. I'm happy.

Something strange also happened this week. For some reason I have been looking forward to school every day (For those of you in the know, I have pretty much dreaded school since we arrived). Every day we have to do something called Ting Xie 听写, which means listen, then write. Our teacher, Sheng Laoshi (who has nothing to do with my aversion to school, in fact she has made it enjoyable), says a word and we have to write the character. Usually my performance with this exercise is less than stellar. I don’t do poorly, it's just that I don’t do well either. So many times, I forget either one or two strokes on several words, or I simply forget how to write the word altogether. Well, today I actually got everything right. I didn’t forget anything. It was unbelievable. I contribute this unusal turn of events to the fact that this week, I have changed my routine. When I get up in the morning, I now use the two hours before class to prepare for the day’s lesson. This has helped improve not only my performance but also my attitude. On the way to class, while in class, and when I left class today, I was 很高兴。

Another great thing about this week is that I am beginning to think that studying here in China is actually going to pay off. I have stated that we often go into the city so that we can meet people and practice our Chinese. Well, this week I have been able to communicate much better. I often find myself carrying on a conversation with someone before my brain has time to figure out that this is not my native language. I took a taxi this week and for the entire trip, the driver and I conversed. I told him how to get to our place. I asked about his family and what he was going to do when the market where he picks up most of his fares closes down. On the bus just this evening, I sat next to a lady and we chatted. Yes, I actually made small talk with someone. I still 听不懂 (ting bu dong) don’t understand every word of what is said, but I am able to get the gist of it anyway and can make myself understood. So many times I find myself using the 生词 (shengci), vocabulary words that we recently studied. Occasionally, I even use them right. If I am not careful, Mrs. Bruce’s boy might learn something. That would make me 很高兴!

- 付伟国 Frank
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
Anne Frank (1929 - 1945)

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me...

After a week in Hong Kong, where they were used to seeing foreigners, followed by a week of being cooped up in the apartment, it was brought to my attention once again how different I am from everyone else here. It is not vanity or paranoia speaking when I say it seems like everyone is watching me. As we waited for the bus, a pair of young lovers took a moment to pause from whispering sweet nothings to each other to point me out. On the bus, a father bent down and turned his young son around so that he could view the painted man. As we were walking through the market two little girls unabashedly pointed at me with a look of absolute awe on their faces. It was as if they were looking at someone from a different planet. It's a Heiren (black person), an actual Heiren. I take all of this attention in stride and usually just speak to them. Amanda on the other hand, because she is shy, sometimes gets a little tired of the stares that we attract. One day when Amanda and I got on a bus and sat down, a girl of about 20 years old got up from her seat, went and sat opposite us so that she could get a better look at me. We got a good laugh at how blatant she was. Usually they try to have a little bit of decorum. It often makes me think of that song from the 80's by Rockwell. I always feel like somebody’s watching me...
Speaking of 80's music...
A few days ago we were having lunch in one of the local restaurants that caters to Westerners. They were playing music that harkens back to the good old days of 80’s love songs. You know, there is nothing quite like those sappy, moving, but sometimes inappropriate love songs from the 80’s and early 90’s. They must have had one of the many compilation cds that have been made from that era, because we heard songs from Celine, Whitney, Richard Marx and Lionel. As we were listening, we got to talking about how some of those songs, if a person actual said those words to someone today, would result in a restraining order being issued. Songs like the one by Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up". How many ex-boyfriends have said that? What about the stalker's anthem? I am sure you know the one I am talking about, the one written by Sting. It went to number one on the music charts, "Every Breath You Take". Just in case you have forgotten the lyrics, remember he says "Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you" and he also says "Oh can't you see... You belong to me". Can you say creepy? Seriously though, we travel half way across the globe and expect the music to be different but are often confronted by old standards and music that is not only familiar but also comfortable. This is sometimes very nice. Music is a vehicle that very easily transports one down memory lane, and can bring you face to face with blissful nostalgia. As we were sitting in that restaurant listening to the tunes, we relished the journey. - 付伟国

练习 Lianxi

It is funny how quickly things can change. Yesterday I still felt horrible but this morning I woke up feeling great. I waited until around noon just to make sure that this was not a false alarm, and then Amanda and I ventured into the city to 练习lianxi (practice) our Chinese. Even when you believe you are used to it, one can still be taken aback by how many people there are here. With the up coming holiday, there seems to be even more people about than normal. I guess that is to be expected. Just as they do in the US, people here go home for the holiday or sometimes travel to a big city for holiday. So there probably are more people here right now. It is crazy here, you haven't seen crowded until you have seen China crowded.

I hear that the Chinese New Year, or Chun Jie as it is called, is going to be something to see. From what I hear, we have fireworks to look forward to for 10 days, 24 hours a day. It has been suggested that we get good ear plugs if we want to sleep at all during that time period. Some people have started early. They have already begun firing a few "warning shots" over the bow for the past few evenings, and we even heard the Chinese version of the "Rebel Yell" last night. For just the briefest moment Amanda and I thought we were back in South Carolina. (What is the Chinese version of the name Jim Bob?) I guess that even in celebrating, some people feel that they need to get in as much 练习as possible. The next few weeks should be very interesting. I am glad I have a good set of noise cancelling headphones so that I don't have to try to sleep with firecrackers exploding outside our window, instead I can sleep to whatever soundtrack I desire. I might even use this as an opportunity to see whether listening to Chinese language lessons while sleeping will actually help me with retention. I will try and keep you posted. - 付伟国

PS - For more information about Chinese New Year see g70 1/8 pg. 47

Money can't buy health, happiness, or what it did last year. Unknown, Source

Sick In China

A few days ago, Amanda wrote a post that stated that I have been sick, since then I have received numerous emails and comments inquiring about my well-being, so I just thought I would give an update. I am still not feeling well. It has been about a week. I have had a sore throat, a dry cough, an almost constant headache, and the chills. On top of all of that, I feel totally fatigued. Despite that, I did manage to make it to 3 of 5 classes this week. We looked on WebMD for solutions this morning and it ordered the old standby prescription of plenty of rest and fluids, so I am staying home today. Whatever this is, it is not acting like a normal cold and it is not the flu. I hope to be over it soon. It really stinks to be sick, especially here. When all of China is at your doorstep, who wants to be stuck in bed. - Frank
One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick. Harold Kushner

There’s a Place for Us

For those of you who don’t know, the title of this post is a reference to the Rogers and Hammerstein musical The Westside Story. It is set in the 50s in New York City. It was about Tony and Maria, two people from different parts of town. Tony and Maria’s brother were members of rival street gangs. Theirs was a forbidden love. It was R&H’s spin on Romeo and Juliet.
You know, it is funny the things that can come into one’s head. After our wonderful visa run to HK, as we were riding in a cab from the airport to our apartment, the lyrics to that song came into my head. It is really strange because I haven’t seen the Westside Story in over 20 years. But as the familiar streets and buildings of our new place flashed past my window, in my mind, that song was the background music. (FYI, this is not new. Most of the time there is background music being played in a corner of my mind.) I have listed the lyrics below. In these few lines of prose, it pretty much sums up my feelings about being here with Amanda. Things could have ended like they did for young Montague and Capulet or Tony and Maria. But here we are, living in China, waiting for the upcoming happy ending. Somehow, some day, somewhere. – Frank

There's a place for us,

Somewhere a place for us.

Peace and quiet and open air

Wait for us Somewhere.

There's a time for us,

Some day a time for us,

Time together with time spare,

Time to learn, time to care,

Some day!

Somewhere.

We'll find a new way of living,

We'll find a way of forgiving

Somewhere . . .

There's a place for us,

A time and place for us.

Hold my hand and we're halfway there.

Hold my hand and I'll take you there

Somehow,

Some day,

Somewhere!

Rogers and Hammerstein

Light Show

I was able to get some video of the light show that we saw in Hong Kong. The quality is not the best but I hope you enjoy it anyway. - Frank

Victoria Harbor Light Show

We spent one afternoon in Hong Kong at the harbor. They have an avenue of the stars that commemorates many of the Chinese movie stars of past and present. I took a couple pictures of ones that you may recognize. That night we viewed the famous lights show that is put on every night. It was a pretty good show. The one disappointment for us was that they did not end the show with fireworks. I guess you can't always get what you want. We could however get a view of the city from Victoria Peak. The view was tremendous. A few days later, we went to a small island called Tap Mun. Once again, the sights of nature were breath taking, as was the hike up the mountain. In a previous post I said that HK was similar to NY. More accurately, it is like NY meets Hawaii. Even though I have never visited there, I say that because it reminds me of what I saw of Hawaii watching Magnum PI. The only thing missing is Magnum, Higgins, and the gang. I even saw a Ferrari. -Frank

Hong Kong - Where East and West Are One

As we have gotten to know this interesting city over the past few days, the mixture of its past comes through in its personality. As you probably know, until 1997 Hong Kong was a dependant territory of the United Kingdom. The treaty signed after the First Opium War stated that total control of Hong Kong would return to China after 1997. So for over 100 years, Eastern and Western culture have not only coincided but have fused to form a unique identity on this small island. The influence of the British can be seen just about everywhere, beginning with the roads. There are only a few places in the world where it is the law that everyone must drive on the wrong side of the street. Thanks to “Jolly Ol’ England”, Hong Kong is one of them. This has caused me much angst over the past few days. When I come to intersections, I constantly want to look the wrong way. I am so grateful that most intersections have “Look Right” stenciled on the ground. (I wonder how many tourists they had to lose before they started doing that.)
Another way you can see the influence of England is in the language. Officially, the language spoken here is Cantonese but of course many speak English, and by that I mean the “Queen’s English”. Well at least “Her” English with a Chinese accent. It seems very strange to hear people who are obviously Chinese sounding like they just stepped off a lorry in London. Something else that has been odd for us is seeing so many Chinese faces but not being able to understand the Chinese that they are speaking or read the words that are written (They use Traditional characters instead of Simplified). To us, Cantonese is harder to understand than Mandarin. It has nine tones. Mandarin only has five. This trip has been really good for us though. It has helped us realize that we are actually making progress in learning Mandarin. The thing that really drove this point home is the fact that on several occasions we have had dinner with people that our host has set us up with who speak little or no English. On these occasions the only common language that we could all understand was Mandarin. So for entire evenings we communicated mostly in Mandarin. It was not easy. There were times for all of us when we really had to struggle to get our point across, but we did it. There were times when some of the things said were funny and we actually could genuinely laugh. (Unlike our usual nervous courtesy laugh.) They say that humor is one of the hardest things to understand in a different language, so it felt good to really get it. Of course Amanda did even better than that. She even said some of the funny things. (Sure people often laugh when I speak but that is for an entirely different reason.) I was so proud of her. She is really doing well, and of course everyone loves Amanda. Amanda says that she could tell the improvement in my Chinese. After that night I truly felt that I could learn this language. I felt like shouting like Frederick Frankenstein “It, could, work!”
Speaking of our host, she is 最好“zuihao”or the best. From the minute we arrived, she has taken care of everything for us. She has made sure that we have someone with us to make sure we get where we are going or she has written out directions for us to make sure we knew which bus or train to get on and where to get off. She planned a big dinner for us the second night we were there, her brother and his wife took care of us the next night, and then she took us to a small island in the South China Sea for seafood. The amazing part is that we just met her. We were set up with her by a friend. As I said, she is definitely 最好, the best.
Another interesting aspect of visiting here is riding public transportation. The public trains here are very efficient but a little on the pricey side. No matter what city you go to, subways systems have got to be one of the easiest ways of getting around. The bus though is another matter. Due to the aforementioned habit that they have of driving on the wrong side of the road, combined with the fact that many of the intersections are “round-a-bouts” it is easy to get disoriented. I often had trouble determining which direction we were travelling. One day I was going by bus to meet Amanda and a friend, when I found out an interesting fact about the buses here. Sometimes they don’t stop at the bus stops. It seems that at certain times one must push the button if the bus is to stop. What is more, on that particular bus they were not even announcing what stop you were at or what the next stop would be. Apparently you had to use “The Force” to know which stop to get off at. (Help me Obiwan Kenobi, you are my only hope!) Needless, to say I got lost.
To sum up my thoughts on Hong Kong so far, I like it. It is a beautiful city. It reminds me a lot of New York but is much cleaner. It has all of the trappings of the Big Apple but with a decidedly Oriental slant. It is a wonderful place to visit but I miss China. I miss the simple life that we have there. I guess it is true what they say. There really is no place like home, wherever it is that you call home. – Frank 付伟国
England and America are two countries separated by a common language.
George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950

Another Year, Another Flight, Another Destination

It is January 1, 2009. Another year has come and gone, and we find ourselves sitting in another airplane, waiting to takeoff for Hong Kong. For me, there is always something special about being in a plane. Maybe it is that sense of wonder and amazement that comes from know that an accumulation of several tons of metallic alloy and electronics, properly combined can enable modern man to do what men throughout antiquity have dreamed of; flying. I love looking down on the countryside, seeing things from an eagle’s vantage point. As I admire the varying landscapes pass by, I am struck with the thought that, viewed from above, things look much the same every time. Sure there are differences, but in the grand scheme of things, they are minor. Whether it was over the Great Plains of the American Midwest, the beautiful French and German countryside, or the vast expanse of Asia, everything seems to fit together like the pieces of some colossal puzzle. From way up high, what I see is that even with mountains and oceans separating us, we are all living in the same housing development.
Another reason why I enjoy flying so much is that every time I have boarded an airplane it was either conveying me to or from a special destination. Paris France, Berlin Germany, Poznan Poland, Chengdu China, Alaska USA, and New York New York are all places to which I have flown, and each time it was special. Just the anticipation of stepping off an airplane in a new and exotic place, hearing a variety of languages, sampling international cuisine, and mingling with diverse cultures is exciting for me. It is kind of like when you open a nice Bordeaux of a good vintage. You can’t just drink it. After pouring it, you have to let it breathe for a while. Then, as you raise the glass to your nose, and you smell the amazing bouquet, even before tasting it , you know that what is to follow is going to be worth the wait. So as we sit in this air plane on our way to another destination, the time spent in transit is like “letting it breathe” while my mind savors the bouquet. I can’t wait until we arrive in Hong Kong (which means “Fragrant Harbor”) but I know that it will be worth the wait. – Frank

“The century of airplanes has a right to its own music.”

Claude Debussy quotes (French composer, 1862-1918)