Apartment Hunting

Yesterday, we found ourselves apartment hunting again. This time not for us, but for some friends. It is amazing the difference five months makes. Last time we did this, I could barely understand anything that was said, and the agents could understand nothing that I said. Yesterday, however, I carried on conversations and even did translating. (Amanda had the wife with her. I had the husband with me. We divide our efforts so that we could maximize the number of apartments we could see in one day.) I still can't believe that I can actually be understood in a foreign tongue! This morning the agent for the apartment that they really like called, I spoke with her and set up a meeting with the landlord for tomorrow. As happy as I am to be able to carry off these small feats with a smattering of success, I am also a realist. I am bowing out of serving as translator while they are negotiating the contract. Legalese is hard enough for me to understand in English. In Chinese, who knows what I would be agreeing to? - Frank 付伟国

A Walk thru the City

Here are a few pictures of some of the things I saw on a brief walk thru the city today. I saw several cars decked out with flowers announcing a new marriage. There were numerous women walking around with umbrellas to shield their delicate complexions. I came across a teenage girl teaching a teenage boy some hip-hop dance moves. Usually, you can find someone selling pineapple on a stick at just about any intersection. Also, on most sidewalks, you will find public sanitation workers doing their part to keep it clean.
Outside of restaurants, you often see the 服务员 (fúwùyuán or service personnel) preparing the food for the evening. Today, I saw a young man tenderizing and breading meat using a marble pestle. The owners of one restaurant sat down to have a meal before the dinner rush. Notice, their young daughter is with them. This is a sight that we often see here, children at their parents’ place of business. This is not confined to restaurants either. No matter what kind of store you happen upon, if it is owned by the parents, then usually the children are there. If the prep work is done, sometimes you will find the服务员playing a game to pass time. Sometimes they will play badminton, Chinese chess, or jump rope. Today, it was cards. Then there was this shop owner, hard at work cross-stitching a picture to frame and sell.
No matter how long I have been here, it is still interesting to see how people get around. Notice the picture of the little boy sitting on the back of his father’s bike as they ride through traffic. This is an everyday occurrence. They were riding in front of the two mopeds being followed by the Buick down the bicycle lane. Then there is the guy on his tricycle, he was probably between delivery jobs.
On a short walk thru the city, you can see so much. The everyday sights can be mundane, or they can be full of wonder. When I have the opportunity to just wander around and watch people, I often try to think of those I meet, not as Chinese people, but just as people. They want to spend time with their children. They are being married and given in marriage. They enjoy games and dancing. They have to work to do, some as owners, some as workers. They care about how they look. All of these things can be said about people anywhere on the planet. So, on a short walk thru the city, I am reminded of something that my parents taught me long ago: people are people no matter where they come from or the color of their skin. – Frank 付伟国

I Believe In 中药 (Zhong Yao)

To follow up my previous post, just 48 hours after beginning treatment with the中药 (Chinese Medicine), I am feeling like a new man. When I first got sick here, many people emailed me or commented that I should try中药. I was a little skeptical. I was unsure whether a secret blend of herbs and spices could actually make someone feel better. If it could, I thought, I should not have gotten sick at all, with all of the KFC that I eat. But after suffering from multiple sicknesses that have often lingered, I decided to give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did! I have become a convert. That being said, I am not endorsing any particular type of medical treatment. I believe my doctor, who has over 25 years experience using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western meds, said it best when he said “For some things, Chinese medicine is best, for others Western meds work best. It all depends on what your body needs”. I think that is a balanced viewpoint. Obviously, 中药was what my body needed. In my opinion, there is one less member of that list that has Santa Claus, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Boogie Man on it, because now I believe in中药. – 付伟国
I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark.
Dick Gregory (1932 - )

A Visit to the 医院Yīyuàn (Hospital)

This week I have been suffering from a case of severe sinus congestion, headache, and a mild fever off and on. We received a care package from my mother-in-law (thank you very much) that had all the staples; coffee, creamer, and candy, but it also had over the counter medicines. Unfortunately, none of that helped. In fact, Thursday night I developed a new symptom, the cold moved into my throat. Because I will be teaching next week (a university is giving me a trial run), I will need my voice. So Friday morning I decided to visit the 医院to get some 中药(zhōngyào or Chinese medicine). Going to the hospital in China is much different than going in the US. The first step is registration. When you register you must tell them the purpose of your visit, and then pay your registration fee. In my case, since I wanted to see the doctor, it was 30 RMB. After paying my fee, I was immediately ushered into the examination room. Much to my surprise the doctor spoke English really well because he had spent 10 years in Zurich and 1 year in New York practicing medicine. His office was very new, and stocked with modern equipment. The nurse, who also spoke pretty good English, took my vitals using a digital thermometer and digital BP cuff. The BP cuff didn’t appear to be working correctly though, because it registered a BP of 168/94 for me. That is a ridiculously high number for me. The nurse didn’t believe it either so she took it herself manually. She came up with 116/68, a healthier and much more believable number. After getting that settled, the doctor asked about my symptoms, how long had I been ill, and to describe the pain in my throat. After that, he looked inside my mouth (it is interesting that even Chinese doctors tell you to open up and say ah…), and told me that I had an infection. He asked me if I wanted antibiotics, and seemed pleased when I told him I wanted to try 中药. He said he was an expert at using traditional Chinese medicine. He then ordered a blood test to make sure that he was not over -looking anything. Well, that required a return to the registration desk, where I had to pay for the blood test. This cost 79 RMB. Once that was taken care of, I was whisked away to the bloodletting room, where the same nurse took 1 vial of blood, which was turned over to a tech for immediate testing. I was then taken back to the exam room, where I waited for the test results. While waiting, the doctor explained to me how to cook the Chinese medicine, and instructed that if I had any questions at all, I was to call him personally. He even gave me his cell phone number. Fifteen minutes after they received the blood, the results were in. The doctor said everything looked fine, so he wrote my prescription. Along with the 中药, he was going to give me an antibiotic, and vitamin C. Before I could get them, I had to go one more time to the registration desk. This time the cost was 39.50 RMB. After paying the fee, I was taken to the pharmacy, where I was provided with the meds. Since the 中药needed to be cooked, they said they would take care of the first day’s dose, and I could take care of the second. I had to go home for a couple hours while they got it ready. When I returned, they gave me an antique looking bottle filled with a murky brown liquid that promised to taste absolutely vile. The nurse told me to mix honey with it if it was too bitter for me. I knew just from looking at it that the honey would definitely be in play.
My visit to the医院Yīyuàn was very interesting. It is weird that you have to pay for each everything in advance, but the prices are quite reasonable. My entire visit cost a little less than 150 RMB which is about $22 US. For the professional care that I received, the modern equipment, the blood test, and antibiotics, without insurance, I shudder to think what that would have cost me back in the States. Another difference is, in the US, most visits to the hospital require an investment of several hours even before you get to see the doctor. Once you get in to see him, if he orders a blood test, that takes some time, and you usually don’t get the results for a week. So far, my experience visiting the医院(Yīyuàn), has been really good. Now let’s just hope the 中药 helps. – 付伟国
Don't live in a town where there are no doctors.
Jewish Proverb

PS - The mess simmering in the pot is the medicine while it is being cooked. The bottle is the finished product.

No Left Leg, No Right Arm, No Problem

Tonight, on the bus, I saw something that reminded me of how resilant people can be. They were showing a video of a man missing his left leg, and a woman missing her right arm, dancing ballet. It was amazing. They were doing lifts and everything. At first, until I saw the crutch, I didn't even realize there was anything different about them. Simple amazing. I attached a link to the video. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. - Frank
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c

What a Man Wants

By now many of you have probably read the list of things that Amanda suggests packing when moving to China (http://mandachino.blogspot.com/). Her list is very well put together and quite extensive. Instead of trying to give a list of similar items, I have decided to make a list of things from a man’s perspective. As a man, what do I want?
1. Laptop – Amanda stated that a computer is a must, and she is exactly right. To take it a step further, I suggest you have a laptop. Laptops are portable but they can come with almost the same capabilities as a desktop. If you get a laptop, make sure it is Wi-Fi ready. If it does not have a wireless card built in, ones that connect externally can be purchased for relatively cheap. Why is a computer such a necessity? We have found that we use our computers every day. We use it to study, communicate with family and friends, teach, and even to watch TV and movies. Skype is the program that we use to chat with friends and you can also use it to do a live video conversation. The best part is that it is a free service. It has helped stave off home sickness because we don’t feel so isolated. (FYI – My laptop is an Acer that came with all the bells and whistles for less than $700 new. Amanda’s Compact Presario cost half that used.)
2. Wireless router – Since we have internet access in our home, and use our computers so much, I am glad I brought a wireless router from the States. You can get them here, and several of my friends have them, but I like being able to set it up and configure it myself. One of my friends has a local one and has had a lot of trouble setting up his network because the router’s setup page is in Chinese. It is not a must have but it is a reasonable want.
3. Pleco - If you have been reading my blog for anytime, you have heard me refer to Pleco before. To quote directly from its homepage: “Pleco Software is a cool little New York company focused on exactly one thing: creating the world's best tools for learning Chinese”. I believe they have. I love mine. It has helped me sooooo much. It has a feature that lets you create flashcards that you can use to study characters. I use this feature almost every day. (When I get out of class each day, I create new flashcards using the new vocabulary of the day.) Another great feature is the character recognition feature. When I come across a character that I don’t know, I can write it and the program will give me the pinyin and definition. Of course it is also a Chinese/English dictionary. If I can’t think of a word, I can type it in and it will give me the Chinese word. It also has the best tech support that I have encountered. I have had several technical questions about it, and I have gotten replies within hours, answering my questions and providing solutions. On top of all that, it will even pronounce words for you, which helps with tones. The downside is that you must have a PDA to run it. However, you can usually find them for a relatively cheap price on Ebay. Back home, Amanda and I bought Palm E2’s for about $70 apiece. Depending on which package you get, the program cost $70 - $150. We have the $150 dollar package and for me it was worth every penny! (When we purchased Pleco it was cheaper but they have since come out with a newer version which we were able to upgrade to for free.) http://www.pleco.com/ (A cell phone is a must here as well. If you can find an unlocked PDA phone for a good price you may want to buy one. This way you can kill two birds with one stone. I have a Palm Treo 650.)
4. Entertainment:
A. Movies & TV - Sometimes after spending a whole day in China, speaking, reading, and thinking Chinese, it is nice to get away from it all. We do this by watching TV shows and movies in English. Of course you can bring your movie collection with you but that takes up a lot of space. There is software available that will legally allow you to copy your DVDs to your hard drive. This is a very convenient way to take your movies with you. You can sometimes find the latest TV shows on the internet, so should be able to keep up with any shows that you like.
B. Video Games – OK. I recognize this is definitely not a “need” but if you will look at the title of this post, I did call it “What a Man WANTS”. Before coming to China, I sold my PS2. Now, I wish I had not. There are days when I wish I could kick back and play a little Tiger Woods golf or NCAA football. Oh, well. I hope Sylvia and the kids are enjoying it. A nice alternative to bringing a gaming console may be to bring the PC version of your favorite game.
C. MP4 Player – These handy devices are not as expensive as they use to be (thank you EBay), and they have a number of useful applications. For the 20 plus hour flight, I enjoyed having my own music with me; ditto, for the overnight train and bus rides that I have been on. Besides music though, you can load language lessons on them (I have Pimsleur Mandarin and German loaded on my Zune), and I listen to my lessons every day. I also have a few movies loaded on mine. Amanda and I each got a 30g Zune for less than $100 on EBay.
5. Electronics – Just a small point on electronic and electrical devices. The voltage of standard electrical outlets here is considerably different from the US (220v compared to 110v). For many major electronics this is not a problem, but for smaller items it is. For the times when needed, I bought a power inverter in the US for $15 - $20. Check and see whether or not the device in question needs a power inverter by looking on or around the plug. If it says 110/220 on it, then it should be fine. Devices such as battery chargers and electric razors bought in the States usually cannot handle more than 110v. Be sure to check this out. When we were in Berlin our battery charger burnt up when it was plugged directly into the outlet.
As you can see, besides the necessities, in my opinion there are few needs for a man here. But as for what a man wants, they fall along the same lines as they did back home – electronics. I don’t know what it is about electronics. Why do they draw men to them like moths to a flame? Whatever it is, it is a pandemic. - Frank
“Man is a game playing animal and a computer is another way to play games”
Scott Adams quotes (American Cartoonist, b.1957)

唱歌(chànggē) – Sing

Last night, after playing my weekly game of basketball, we met some friends at one of the many卡拉OK (Karaoke or KTV) places for an evening of唱歌. I have written a few times about how many people sing in the parks, well that must just be practice for when they go for an evening of KTV. These places are usually very popular. At some of them you can get dinner and full bar service along with the entrance fee, but they tend to be expensive. At one such establishment, they have 10-12 beautiful young women stand at the front door, dressed in white flowing dresses, elegantly made up, with a tiara topping their perfectly set hair. As you walk in the front door they bow and give you a warm welcome. Needless to say, we did not stay there. It was 太贵了 (tui4 gui4 le5) too expensive.
The place we went last night is a place we have gone to before. It is relatively nice, and the prices are not too bad. It cost about 120 RMB for six hours, which is a little over $17 US. When I told the lady at the desk that we wanted to唱歌, she said it would be 400 RMB per hour. I told her that that price was different from the last time we were there. She asked me what we paid before and when I told her, she quickly retracted and gave us the usual price. It seems our language lessons are starting to save us some money.
Another nice thing about this place it is that it has a decent selection of music in English, and we have our own private room so that we can sing as loud and poorly as we want because we are amongst friends. That really appeals to Amanda. Back home, I could never get her to sing when we went to Karaoke. Once we got things setup, we had a wonderful time singing, listening to each other sing, and as always with Karaoke, laughing with and at each other. I have recently been learning a Chinese song to sing, and last night I gave it a shot. Once again, the Chinese lessons proved their worth because even though the words were totally in characters, I was able to do a decent job of following along. I am going to keep practicing until I can sing the whole thing by reading. One of the methods that we were taught at our TESOL class for teaching language was through the use of music. I am going to use that method on myself, because everyone who knows is aware of how I love to唱歌. - 付伟国
PS – The song that I sang is called Putong Pengyou by David Tao. Here is a link to the site that I use, it has lyrics and music, and if you allow your cursor to hover over the characters, it translates for you. Enjoy.
http://www.chinese-tools.com/songs/song/94/putong-pengyou.html

“The fish in the water is silent, the animals on the earth is noisy, the bird in the air is singing. But man has in him the silence of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the air.”
Rabindranath Tagore quotes (Indian Poet)