I am a Slingshot

I discovered a few days ago that I am a human slingshot.  Just go with me for a minute, okay?

When I was nine years old, my family moved from Vermont to Hungary, where my mom taught English for a year.  When we return to the States, after a short stop in Vermont, we drove across the country and moved to Oregon.  Where I have spent the majority of my days.

Now, fast forward almost TWENTY years, I just got back from 14 months of teaching English in China.  After a couple month stay at home in Oregon, I am driving across the country to move to Nashville, TN.  Yes, that is correct I am moving to the southeast United States.  Once again, uprooting myself, taking on a new city where I don’t know (hardly) anyone and continuing this adventure we like to call life.  At least they speak English in Nashville – I just need to work on my drawl.

What does this have to do with a slingshot?  Visualize it for a second… I was in Vermont – then was pulled back, across the Atlantic Ocean to Hungary – after a year, I was flung back across the ocean, past where I started, to the opposite coast of the USA.

This time, I was pulled the other way… the human slingshot stretched me back across the Pacific Ocean to Shanghai, China and I’m continuing to be hurled across the country again, until I land and settle in Tennessee.

A human slingshot.  So… if I ever decide to make my way back to living on the West Coast (which I would love to do sometime because I still don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to live in the glorious Pacific Northwest), I might just have to spend a year in Africa or something first.

This all being said… people keep asking if I’m going to continue blogging.  Well, about what?  Life in America surrounded by a bunch of Americans just isn’t as entertaining, challenging, exciting and blog-worthy as living in Shanghai.  On the other hand… I’m moving to Tennessee, I’m a Pacific NW girl, who just spent how long in Asia?  Yea, Tennessee might present me with some culture shock.   That and I just enjoy writing and having an avenue to ramble on about things for longer than the typical Facebook status message.

I cannot, however, write about life in Nashville on a blog named “Life in China” which is why I am here to announce I am starting a new blog… Life in Crazy Town that is juliakeepswriting.wordpress.com.  So please subscribe to my new blog, and continue following my life’s adventures post China.

Thoughts upon returning…

Have I really been back in the States for over 3 weeks?  My how time flies.  Culture shock is to be expected when you leave your homeland and travel abroad; yet, culture shock also works in reverse. After spending a significant amount of time in a culture different than your own, you return and are shocked at how strange things seem; things that are oh-so-familiar just seem odd.

Here are a few of the thoughts that have crossed my mind in the last weeks of being home.

Wow.  There are SO MANY white people here!  And the words ‘so many’ are relative to other ethnicities because really there is hardly anyone here.

It is empty… the airports are empty, the streets are empty, the stores are empty.

Portland is SO quiet, peaceful, clean! The air smells so good! I’m so overwhelmed!

Shhh… you hear that?  NOTHING, oh wait, there is a bird… silence is amazing.

Everyone is so friendly!

There are so many conversations to eavesdrop on… Everyone is speaking English!  I can understand it all!

Where are all the Chinese characters?

Portland (which until 2011 was the biggest city I had ever lived in) is so SMALL & cute!  Look at those quaint little buildings downtown that think they are skyscrapers… how adorable.

Clouds are so cool.  I could spend hours staring at the clouds.  They are all different types, shapes, sizes, colors… they are magnificent and beautiful.  Some bring rain, some don’t… Some are wispy, white and whimsically float through the air.  Some are big, billowing, beastly and loom over the valleys.  In China, it was often cloudy… or just smoggy, but I realized I never really saw the clouds.  In Shanghai, you get one type of cloud – the monotone, all encompassing, sheet of gray – with a hint of brown.  There is no variation, no beauty, no personality in the clouds.  But here… oh, clouds are mind bogglingly fascinating.

Can’t I just swipe my Shanghai subway card? (When looking for cash to pay for a public bus ride in Portland. Fact, a ride on the bus in Portland is about the same as the starting fare for a taxi in Shanghai.)

The freedom to drive and the open road – LOVE IT!

Wow, us Americans spend a LOT of time in the car.

People are fat.

Does everyone in America always wear that much make-up?

Holy crap this place is expensive! (When I find myself converting everything back to RMB in my mind.)

Seeing Asian babies and children makes me happy… like, an “I feel at home” sort of happy.

Was I really in China for over a year?  Was that just a dream?

I hate small talk.  Small talk after returning from Asia sucks.

“Oh wow, you were in CHINA?  For HOW LONG?”

“Yup, 14 months.”

“Wow! How was CHINA?”

Seriously?  How does one respond to that?  We have 30 seconds for small talk and you want to know how China was?  Here’s an idea… read my 96 blog posts.  Then ask me a better question.

Bubble tea in Portland sucks.  I want to go back.

You say “Chinese food” but I don’t think you mean Chinese food… at every Chinese restaurant I go by… I know they are only there to disappoint me, so I don’t bother going in.

You are 3-D? (My response to seeing my boyfriend after 4 months of video-chatting online and not seeing each other in person.)

I’m BORED… Unemployment is no fun.

I watched more TV in 3 days than I did in the past year.

Grocery stores – AWESOME.  They are huge, they have so-so-sooo much selection.  They are neat, they are organized, they have so many familiar things.  It is sort of like heaven… but a grocery store.

Smile, say thank you.  Cashiers at grocery stores and other places here don’t just glare at you or completely ignore you, so you can be nice back.

What?  My ID?  Why do you want to see my ID?  Oh yea… we control who buys alcoholic beverages in this country.

Public restrooms – they have toilet paper, they have soap, many have paper towels, they don’t smell all that bad… and I even dare to sit on the seat occasionally.  Seriously, a girl could get used to this!

AHHH, I’m gonna die!  Oh wait, people STOP for pedestrians here.  Random… I mean, I know I do have the right of way, but you actually stopped for me?!?

Don’t run into people, don’t run into people… I know they are in your way, but you are in America, you need to be nice.  You can’t just bump people out of your way here.  Be polite, Julia.

Darnit… we have to tip.  The no tipping custom in China is an easy one to get used to.

Yes, I’m home.  Home in a place that sometimes seems so foreign, but only because something truly foreign became such a home.  It’s definitely an adventure, whether you are coming or going.

In Transit

I’m sitting in the Vancouver, BC airport.  It is 6:22am, Tuesday in Shanghai, and 3:22pm, Monday in Vancouver.

I woke up over 22 hours ago, stressing, worked up, anxious.  Got everything packed and ready to go.  Had an amazing lunch with a couple good friends and then had a lovely, relaxing, just what I needed, 60 minute massage, before leaving for the airport. (I think I need another one post flight!)

My flight was good, despite only getting about an hour of broken-up, interrupted, uncomfortable sleep, the 10.5 hours went by fairly quickly.

As my plane took off from Shanghai, I was full of emotions.  A mix of emotions.  A season of my life is ending, my life in China.  It was an amazing adventure, an unforgettable 14 months.  I enjoyed life to the fullest, I made connections and friends that I will never forget, I saw so much, learned so much, grew so much.  I’m sad to leave it behind, but I’m excited for the new adventures awaiting me.  I’m anxious to see what is next, where life will take me, all of the new things that are in store.

I felt it was appropriate to update the world on my life from the Vancouver Airport, I do have a history of blogging from this airport.  Normally, it is on my way TO China though, and I’m much more awake and coherent.  One year, two months and nine days ago, I sat in the Vancouver airport awaiting a flight to Hong Kong before my China adventure began, I had just learned of my grandfather’s passing minutes before getting on the plane from Portland to Vancouver and I wrote: Saying Goodbye.  Eight months and nine days ago was the last time I was in North America, as I awaited my flight out of Vancouver, I reminisced on the beauty of my sister’s wedding and my quick two weeks at home in And I’m Out.

Transitions… that is what airports are all about, right?  We think we just transfer from country to country, city to city, gate to gate, plane to plane, but really, we are transferring, transitioning from one journey to the next, one adventure to another. As one chapter of our lives ends another begins, and we find ourselves flying in a new direction, looking towards the horizon, wondering what awaits.

Just don’t forget, there may be long layovers, there may be delays (like my flight outta here), sometimes you may lose your luggage (or your mind) but enjoy the journey – cause sometimes it isn’t all about the destination.

India: Animals

India is a different world.  I was told that before I left, and after being there I certainly believe it.  One of the characteristics of India that makes it unlike any other place I have ever visited, the animals. Yes, you are correct, there are animals everywhere; and none of the animals I saw in India are specific to or unique of India.  However, in most of my experiences, animals don’t just wander the streets in the middle of cities, or towns.  There are dogs on the streets in Thailand, Mexico and many other places, we have street cats in China, and I’m sure in villages in much of the third world farm animals are more prevalent than I am accustom.  But I was blown away by the abundance of animals roaming around India.

In India, walk down any street and there are animals, all sorts of animals, and they are everywhere.  Hinduism – which is prevalent in India – says that cows are sacred which means they aren’t killed, they aren’t eaten for beef and they pretty much are free to roam and live as they please.  Walking down the street nearby our hotel we ran in to many cows.  I will never forget how odd it was to be approached by a calf in the middle of the street.

No fear in this cow, as she walked right up to me!

Yet, cows aren’t the only ones roaming around.  There are goats and sheep in front yards, store fronts filled with cages upon cages of chickens, water buffalo pulling loads down the street, and even a horse pulling a cart in the middle of the city of Bangalore – right down the middle of a busy, popular shopping street.

Nothing out of the ordinary here, for India...

I watched a women using her entire weight, pulling on a calf trying to get it to move.  I watched a man walking a goat on a rope down the road.  While sitting in house church services in villages, the sounds of sheep and goats outside the door were common.  In fact, one evening, someone had to get up and shoo away the couple of sheep that were attempting to walk in the wide open front door and join our service.  Just another day in the life when you are living in India, I guess.

Boy and goat

While the orphanage and the church both owned dogs, most dogs seemed to be strays, eating trash and looking pretty grungy.  I used my foot move a teeny, filthy puppy out of the middle of the road one day.  It was just laying there half asleep, and I watched it almost get run over twice in about a two minute time frame.

Scroungin' for lunch

This guy's not roaming far....

I even, by a stroke of luck, managed to spot a bright green parrot-looking bird chilling in a palm tree one day.  Unfortunately, it was too far away to get a good shot of on my camera.  I heard it’s cry, turned and looked in the precise direction, at exactly the right moment to spot it’s bright green feathers amongst the darker green palm leaves while we were walking down the street.

India: Faces

I have been home from India for four days and I have yet to post.  Honestly, I’m a bit overwhelmed by thinking about what to even say about India.  It was an amazing trip, it was spiritual, moving, uplifting, eye-opening, and, surprisingly, even relaxing.  I have been really stressed and confused in life the past couple months, but after a minor break down at the beginning of the trip, I was given this peace, a stillness in my mind, in my heart that allowed me to just BE.  It allowed me to be present in India, to relax and take in the moments.

Taking in the beauty! On the road leaving the orphanage. Not a bad shot considering it was taken while reaching my camera around someone else to take a snap out the window of a moving vehicle!

There was a bit of a cultural adjustment while we were there, the eight American adults all with a love and a drive to go-go-go were not always keen on the relaxed, we will get there when we get there, I know we said 4pm, but it will probably be more like 6pm or maybe 7pm culture.  There was a lot of waiting, a lot of sitting around being served tea and coffee when we wanted to go DO SOMETHING.  But through it all, I was relaxed, I was less impatient than I think I have ever been in my life (okay, with one or two exceptions).  I was soaking up being there!  And soaking up a bit of the sunshine.  I was enjoying the company I was in, conversations, laughs, and just getting to know the group I was traveling with.

India is full of color.

From the first day, one of the things I loved about India was the people.  Not only are they amazingly friendly, hospitable and kind, but they are beautiful.  The dark skin, dark big eyes and brightly colored clothing make them incredibly photogenic.  But it goes deeper, their lives are written on their faces.  The hard lives they live, their stories, their struggles and their burdens.  They appear older than they are, even the children sometimes look like they have so much history, so much experience and maturity but they are stuck in a child’s frame.  They are full of character, of life, of stories and of beauty.  I was in awe of the radiance I saw in each face, I longed to take a picture of every person just to capture the unique features, wrinkles, colors, and emotions distinctive to each individual.

I would love to hear all the stories behind their faces.

It wasn’t always appropriate to take a picture and sometimes I didn’t when I wished I could have.  But luckily the children were always more than willing to have their photo’s taken, at the orphanage they would beg and beg, pleading with me to take just one more shot!  With a lot of my people pictures I made a quick video to share. I have uploaded this video to Facebook, but you can access it from the link below. Please check it out to see some of the beautiful people I met in India.

http://www.facebook.com/v/2633274466538

Boys at the orphanage

A typical scene: sheep, a child and mom in front of their house.

Going to India

There are many things I want to do in 2012, one of which is to travel and see more of the world.  Of course this is always one of my dreams, one of my goals, one of my desires.  There isn’t a place in the world where I wouldn’t like to visit at least once.  In the past few months, I’ve been looking forward to the Chinese New Year because I knew I would have time of work and I wanted to take the chance to see another part of the world.  I considered taking a trip to Vietnam or Thailand, both places I really would love to see. But time flew by, I hadn’t made any plans or organized anything and I wasn’t quite sure what would be going on with my work situation or my finances.

Last month, I learned of opportunity to travel in a different way and see a completely different part of the world.  A place I really don’t know much about, but as always, any new place is a place I’m willing to go.  Somewhere where I can guarantee the sights, sounds, smells and tastes will be different from anything I’ve ever experienced.  Not necessarily to see a tourist area, not a tourism trip.  But an opportunity to see the true lives of the people, experience the true feel of the country, and a chance to serve.

I learned a couple who attend my church, and also run a non-profit organization that serves underprivileged around the world, were organizing a trip to Bangalore, India over Chinese New Year.  Travel with purpose and see some place new, that is all I needed to know, I was sold.  There were some logistical issues that needed to be resolved before I committed to the trip, but everything, amazingly, fell into place and I am leaving on Saturday for 8 days in Bangalore, India.

I decided to blog before leaving on my trip, to give you a little background information on where I’m going and what I will be doing.  Then you can anxiously sit and wait for my return to hear more and see pictures.

Honestly, we don’t really have set plans when we are down there.  The people I’m going with have many contacts in Bangalore and the surrounding areas.  We will be working while we are down there in what ever areas we are needed, but we aren’t exactly sure until we show up and they put us to work what we will be doing.  There is an orphanage where we will be visiting and serving, Lara, who is organizing the trip, has a medical background and has often provided medical care on her trips down there.  The people we will be visiting with and helping out, it whatever areas they need, are mostly Dalits in villages around the city of Bangalore. As you may know, India has a caste system. Dalits are the lowest caste in India.  They are the “untouchables”, the poorest of the poor.

Bangalore (or Bengaluru) is the capital of the state of Karnataka, which is in the southern part of India.  With a population of about 8.5 million people, it is the 3rd most populous city in India. The average high temperatures in January are 80-85 Fahrenheit or 27-29 Celsius.  The lows are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 degrees Celsius.

From what I hear, India should be it’s own continent.  Everyone I know who has been there says it is completely unlike any other place on earth.  I have been told that coming back to Shanghai is a relief because everyone is so civilized and the traffic is so calm, and there are actually traffic laws which people follow.  I hear that I will be throwing away the shoes I wear while I’m there because the streets are so vile and disgusting that my shoes will be destroyed and no amount of cleaning will make me want to wear them again.

So… really I don’t know what my trip has in store for me.  I’m relying on the knowledge, connections and organization of others.  I’m going without expectations and with my only plan is to not have a plan.   Keep me and the group I’m going with in your thoughts and prayers.  It should be an exciting journey,  and I will share in detail my experiences when I return.

Below is a piece from Gathering Together‘s website about the India trip:

In the villages just outside the city of Bangalore (in the state of Karnataka), GT partners with locals to support Faith Baptist Children’s Home (FBCH), where many orphans are taken care of. Through the generous donations of our supporters, we have been able to start a vaccination program, help dig a well to provide clean water, purchase shoes for the children, and then return to give booster shots. During the service trip in September, 2009, we were also able to vaccinate the children in 3 villages and build relationships with the village leaders in order to return in June and do some more health education projects. Bangalore Baptist Hospital (BBH) also followed up on testing some villagers with symptoms of TB. BBH then registered the people with TB for the government program that provides free TB medication. There were also 2 groups of teachers sent and partially supported by GT that trained over 200 locals in the surrounding area.

This area is very impoverished and people lack the very basic necessites of life. Also, many of the people we are helping here are in the lower castes or are dalits (untouchable caste), so there is very little opportunity to improve their circumstances on their own. GT’s focus is to find sustainable ways to help people so that they can then help others. One way we are doing this is to help some of the children at the orphanage and villages obtain a higher education. Through our medical assistance we hope to improve the health of the next generation so they are able to better support their families and be educated on how to maintain their own health. This also helps families by reducing the need to spend as much money on the care for sick children and other family members.

Top 11 in 2011

2011 was a crazy and adventurous year for me.  11 days into 2011, I embarked on a journey which not only inspired this blog, but has changed my life.  On January 11, 2011, I said good-bye to family and friends and left for a year (or more) in Shanghai.  As my first year in China and 2011 come to an end, I want to reflect on some of the memories I have from the last year of my life (in China).

Of course, I will include links to my blogs which originally recorded these memories in case you missed them.

1. Hong Kong-

Hong Kong

After taking off from the States, before arriving at my destination for the year, I spent five days in beautiful Hong Kong.  Traveling alone is never easy, but I had a couple motives for being there.  First, to get my visa for China.  I left on a plane to Asia before actually having my Chinese visa needed to enter the country.  Secondly,  I managed to time my trip and my move to China to coincide with my friend Irene’s wedding in Hong Kong.

Sightseeing on my own!

When I walked off the plane in Hong Kong, alone, in a city and country I didn’t know, where they spoke a language I didn’t know, with two huge suitcases full of everything I thought I needed for a year abroad, I remember having this thought, “What the expletive did I just get myself into?”

The LONG cable car ride!

2. Chinese New Year (another post) -

Shortly after arriving in China and starting my job teaching at Kid Castle, I had 11 days off of work for the Chinese New Year holiday.  It was a difficult time as the few people I had met in Shanghai had left town, and I was in a strange place by myself with nothing to do.  But it gave me the chance to explore my new home, write lots of blogs and experience what Shanghai had to offer.  And, naturally, gaze in wonder and delight at the millions, or billions of fireworks lit off around Shanghai for the occasion.  The most remarkable fireworks I have ever seen, and they went on for hours and hours, and days and days…

Fireworks below my bedroom window!

3. Day trips & Exploring -

Whether exploring Shanghai on my own, going to Suzhou with friends or Hangzhou with my mom & Matt, I’ve had a lot of fun seeing China through little day trips and outings to explore my city and the surrounding areas.

Suzhou

Sitting on a bus with my friend Roger, counting the minutes until our train leaves, wondering if the bus driver will ever pull into the Suzhou train station he is circling, then running as fast as we can through the station only to miss our train was one of the most hilarious moments I can remember this year.  The hilarity was only magnified  as Roger captured the whole event on video on his iphone.

Finding greenery, nature and the cherry blossoms of spring in a park in Shanghai, outside the hustle and bustle of the center of the city with Adam, Yumi and friends from their school.

Zhujiajiao

Wandering around the beautiful, ancient water town of Zhujiajiao with my mom and Matt, negotiating with a rickshaw driver to get us into the center of town, finding amazing hole in the wall restaurants, taking loads of pictures, buying souvenirs and people watching.

4. Food and Beer -

I once heard that there are over 45,000 restaurants in Shanghai.  I believe it.  And there are probably two new ones opening, and one closing down just about every day.  You can get a meal for under a dollar in Shanghai, or you can pay over $100 (USD) per person.  I have eaten street food (which doesn’t even count as a restaurant) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I bought breakfast for three for under $2. I have paid about $8 for a cup of coffee, not espresso, nothing fancy just a boring cup of bad coffee.  I have paid over $12 for a glass of wine and $10 for a beer.

Coffee

Shanghai has amazing cuisine from all over China.  If, right now, you are sitting in the US thinking to yourself “I don’t like Chinese food”, you have never been to China.  Chinese food could be anything!  There are so many different amazing, delectable, weird and perhaps disgusting foods that originate from all over China.  I love Chinese food, there is so much variety in Chinese food.  The girl who never could tolerate spicy food in the first 28 years of her life picked a Sichuan restaurant for her 29th birthday dinner, and ordered bullfrog!

Pomegranate flowers

Craving something different?  Shanghai is an international city, the choices of cuisine are endless.  I have eaten French, German, Greek, Korean, Jamaican, Mexican, American, Nepali, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Thai, Taiwanese and Turkish food in Shanghai.

I love to eat, I love good food and I love good drinks.  So many great memories are formed over delicious food and beverages.

Cheers!

I have my favorites, I have my go-to comfort food locations, I have the locations that are convenient for quick meals while I’m working, but there are so many more places to explore and try!

5. Qingdao -

For the Dragon Boat Festival in June, I was able to get out of the big city of Shanghai for a couple days and visit  the little town of Qingdao (population 8.7 million) with a couple of my friends and co-workers.  It was a great time, despite dreary wet weather, to see another part of this huge country, hang out with friends, and enjoy the beer capital of China.

Yes, this is China - Not Europe. Qingdao!

We explored the town of Qingdao, got a ride from a stranger in a downpour and thunderstorm when there were no taxis to be found, ate Shandong cuisine, drank beer from a plastic bag, explored the famous Laoshan (Lao Mountain or 崂山) and did some shopping.

Fun on the beach in Qingdao

6. Familiar Faces -

Moving halfway across the world by yourself is nerve-wracking, even for the bravest and most adventurous souls. While I have met many people in Shanghai and made many friends, it was a great pleasure to have some familiar faces in Shanghai with me for most of my first year in China.

Adam and Yumi Bray were here the longest.  Adam and Yumi both graduated from Portland State’s Master’s of International Management program with me in 2010.   They actually met in the program and afterwards got married and moved to Shanghai to study Chinese.  While we were never close during the MIM program we became great friends while living in Shanghai.  I loved going shopping and getting massages with Yumi, and when Adam was around there was always beer to drink and trouble to cause.  Unfortunately, (for me) Adam and Yumi moved back to the States just before Christmas, but they will always be a part of my 2011 memories.

Salman was also in the MIM program with us.  He came over on the same program as Adam and Yumi to learn Chinese. After about 5 months in Shanghai, Salman moved to Beijing to pursue employment opportunities there.  I miss the laughter that always comes with hanging out with Salman, but I know he isn’t too far away.  I will always remember seeing him walking towards me on Wangfujing in the middle of Beijing and telling my mom, amidst thousands of Asian faces, “He is the one right there, with the dark hair!” when my mom, May and I met up with him in September for some delicious hot pot.

Junyi is originally from Beijing, and moved back to Beijing this past year (also after graduating from the MIM with Adam, Yumi, Salman and me).  Being in a different part of the country didn’t keep him for coming down and visiting us in Shanghai, from calling me at 2am or from being a familiar face for me in China.  He showed us around Beijing, and always provides fun, excitement and laughter.

The 5 MIMers eating Sichuan food and drinking beer for my birthday in Shanghai!

I was so happy to have my early birthday dinner in Shanghai with four of my friends from grad school!

7. My Sister’s Wedding -

The biggest event of the year! And it wasn’t in China.  The end of June, I flew back to Portland, Oregon to spend two rushed, busy, crazy weeks with family and friends.  Birthdays, the fourth of July, a bachelorette party and the most amazing wedding I have ever attended.  On July 9th, 2011, my big sister married the man of her dreams.

A happy bride and groom

Gorgeous girls!

Not only was the setting beautiful, the decorations beautiful, the bride beautiful and the wedding party looking pretty hot, but it was an awesome time with spent with family and new extended family, friends and loved ones.

8. Mommy!

Another highlight of my year, was having my mom and her husband Matt come visit me in China for about 12 days.  It was really a dream come true for all of us.  My mom and Matt had both long dreamed of someday visiting China, my mom of course also has always wanted to come visit me in the places I have gone.  It was my dream to have family come see my life here, show them around and introduce them to the things and places which are part of my everyday life that I have grown to love.

Nothing was as exciting as the moment my mom and Matt appeared in the subway station by my house, me waiting anxiously to greet them! (Excuse my blurry cell phone pic)

It was an action-packed vacation!  No rest for the jet-lagged! On their first day of travel they journeyed by private car, plane, high speed train, subway, public bus, taxi and foot.

On their first full day in China, I had them out of bed and on the road before 7am, I don’t think I stopped going until after they were back in the States!  Hangzhou, Shanghai, Zhujiajiao, a bullet train to Beijing and the Great Wall.  Villages, cities, temples, gardens, historical sites, modern China, food, beer, coffee and probably a zillion photographs between the three of us shutterbugs.

My mom and me at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing

Two of my greatest weeks in China were spent with my mom, showing her around and discovering new places with her.  Now, she just needs to come back so we can do it again!

Climbing the Great Wall

9. Taiwan -

Another National holiday, another week off work, another chance to see the world!  In October, I escaped the millions of Chinese traveling for National Day and landed in Taiwan.  Whether or not Taiwan is in fact the same country as China, I will let you debate on your own.  But I happen to know they do not celebrate or recognize October 1st, the date of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Therefore, I found it the perfect opportunity to go visit friends and be shown around the beautiful island of Taiwan.

Sun Moon Lake

Five days in not enough to see all Taiwan has to offer, and it certainly isn’t enough to eat all the food they have to offer (although I tried…) Despite being a quick trip, I was able to enjoy a relaxing vacation in Taiwan.  I saw bits of Taipei (even though the weather tried to keep me from it), I had dinner with more MIM alumni living in Taiwan, I visited Taichung (the home town of my friend May who I was traveling with), I explored the village and surrounding area of Houli by bike, I saw my co-worker and friend Osteen’s home town of Caotun, the beautiful Sun Moon Lake and the town of Jiji, famous for being rocked by a horrific earthquake in 1999.

10. New Friends -

I have met so many wonderful people in Shanghai.  Chinese and foreigners like me.  Some grew up here, some came for a short time, some came for a long time, some have come and gone in the year that I have been here.  I have gotten to know amazing co-workers at Kid Castle, like my Chinese colleagues who always make me laugh, and the other foreign teachers who are each on their own adventure in a place so different from their homes.

Some co-workers and me at Qiandao Lake

May and me on the Bund

I have created amazing friendships and a church family through both of the churches I have attended in Shanghai, Shanghai Community Fellowship and Abundant Grace International Fellowship.  They have been my support and my lifeline in 2011 and I know I have found some lifelong friends in them.

I stumbled upon the perfect apartment on smartshanghai.com and in doing so found a great friend and roommate who I have lived with for the past 11 months.

All my new friends in Shanghai have given me wonderful memories of 2011!

11. My Kids -

I came to China with a job, a job to teach Chinese kids English.  I had never taught before in my life, I had been around kids, worked with kids, dealt with kids, but never had to control a classroom of 20 children that didn’t understand my language.  My students have been a huge part of my life for the past year.  They have made me smile and laugh, they have made me angry and frustrated, they have made me cry and they have made my day.

How can you not love this face? He is also about the sweetest most loving boy in the world.

There are students who I only taught for a short time, subbing for another teacher, there are students who I have taught all year.  There are students I will greatly miss when I’m not longer teaching them, and students that I honestly probably won’t remember.

Brian, Howard, Gland, James, Jerry, Henry, Judie, Amy, Alina, Maxine and Lisa!

I have students who run across the school screaming my name to give me a hug every time they see me.  They can be delightful, they can be little spoiled brats, they can test my patience like nothing else, they can cause me to lose my voice.  Some of them I don’t think have ever retained or learned a word I told them, others are so smart they blow me away each day.

My year was full of memories at work with all my little Chinese students and my fantastic co-workers who made my job worthwhile.

I hope 2012 brings more memories and fantastic adventures in China and where ever life may take me.  Happy New Year!  I wish the best for you and your families this year as well!

Buses, Boats, Boas & Lady Boys? Part II

Day 2: Boats, Beautiful Scenery and …

On the second day of our trip, we actually got to see the beautiful Qiandao Lake.  Qiandao Lake (千岛湖) is actually a huge man-made lake (covers 573 square kilometers or 221 square miles) with literally thousands of islands (the name translates to Thousand Island Lake).  There are 1078 larger islands and thousands of smaller islands.  The islands were once actually the tops of mountains and hills in the region.  However, after a flood in the 1950′s, the Chinese decided to build a dam and hydro-power station on the Xin’an River which created the lake as a reservoir. The lake is know for its clear and clean green and sometimes drinkable waters.

Green water

After an early breakfast at the hotel, it was a short (yet bumpy) bus ride to the main touristy area of the lake, where we were able to board boats to go check out the lake. On the way over, a tour guide told us a lot of facts and interesting tidbits about the lake, in Chinese.  I did, however, understand when he said about 8-10 times that it was a very big lake.

A beautiful day at 千岛湖！

After quick stop to pose for pictures at the little fake waterfall and large gates by the entrance of the tourist area, we boarded three boats to go visit a couple of the islands.  At first when we boarded and asked if we could go upstairs on to the deck of the boat, we were told it would be an extra 30rmb.  When we took off the price had dropped to 20rmb, and about 15 minutes into the ride the extra charge went away, and we allowed upstairs to see the view and take pictures.  Oh, China!

On the boat, zippin' along between the islands.

It was a beautiful morning, and zipping along between the islands, sometimes coming within a couple meters of the land on either side was delightful and relaxing.  We soon stopped at the first island for the day (I was hoping to see at least thousand, but alas, had to settle for three.)

Chairlift up the island!

As we got off the boats and walked up a short hill, we found ourselves waiting in line for a chairlift to the top of the island.  Beautiful views, blue skies, wooded areas and short walks through nature were enough to make it worthwhile.  We had about an hour to spend exploring the island before we had to be back on the boats to go to island #2.

View from the top of the island

My Royal Branch Kid Castle coworkers!

The second island of the day was the snake island.  Apparently, when you have over a thousand islands you should create themed islands for the enjoyment of your tourists.  The monkey island sounded like fun to all of us, but it was closed.  (I heard rumors of high waters making it hard to access, monkeys not being friendly to tourists and monkeys swimming away to escape to other islands…)

Snake Art Show = Lady Boys

Upon arrival to the snake island, I heard talk of there being a snake show – complete with “Thai trannies”.  Personally, I did not know what Thai trannies had to do with snakes, but after being underwhelmed by the pit of poisonous snakes 0r the “Venomous Snakes Pool Civilization Ornamental”, I decided to pay the 15rmb to see the snake show.

I did not make up that name! Chinglish.

Upon entering and sitting down in the small outdoor auditorium for the show, we quickly discovered that photos were not allowed.  Holding up a cell phone would get you yelled at by security, and a friend who merely had a camera sitting on her lap was approached by a security guard who took the lens of her camera and turned it away from the stage.  Apparently, the three pretty boys in dresses, high heels, wigs and make-up singing and dancing for us did not like their pictures taken.  We watched them sing and dance without any snakes.  Next another beautiful lady-boy came out and did a duet for us, singing beautifully both the woman and man’s parts of the song in Chinese, his voice changing instantly between the higher and lower sections of the song.

Lots of snakes!

Just as we were beginning to wonder why this was featured on the snake island as a snake show, some Chinese(?) girls (they were actually girls) came out with snakes around their necks for a quick dance.  A 30-second display by a Chinese man and a cobra, another song and dance by the lady-boys and the show was over.  It was rather disappointing, but also quite hilarious.  They certainly managed to get our money!  However, when the show came to an end and we were suddenly allowed to have our pictures taken (for a fee) with the lady-boys, we opted out.

A boa - as promised.

Walking around the island, they had other pits full of a variety of snakes, and a few boa constrictors that you could hold and for a price (as always) have your picture taken with.  A co-worker of mine managed to get one on her shoulders before she let them know she had no interest in paying – and I managed to snap a couple shots before getting pushed out of the way by the woman trying to get us to pay for the opportunity.

I felt bad for the boas, obviously getting way to much human attention.  The one in the picture below was unusually lethargic, I know snakes aren’t the most energetic of creatures, but this one almost seemed dead for part of the time.  As it was picked up, poked, prodded and wrapped around yet another tourists shoulders.

Char with a boa around her neck.

As we boarded the boats we saw that a meal had been laid out for us.  Oh yay!  Fish.  More fish dishes of every variety.  Luckily, there was one chicken dish again and white rice to fill up empty space in my stomach.  Everyone was sick of fish after dinner the night before and this lunch.  After lunch we went to our final island of the day.

Mmmm.... Fishy!!

Lunch on the boat!

I avoided the head of the chicken...

This island was connected to another smaller island by a large bridge which you could walk across, for a small price!  I decided to stay put, spend my money on an ice cream and soak up the sun instead.

Bridge connecting islands

Staying put also gave me the opportunity to be the tourist attraction of the day for a large group of Chinese who arrived to the island shortly after we did.  Pictures with the blond for everyone!  The real excitement for the Chinese came when they learned that the blond and the black girl were BOTH Americans and we let them take pictures with both of us.  One Chinese man was so delighted to have both of us in a picture, that he squeezed my head and Char’s head up against his for a picture of a nice colorful sandwich of ethnicity.

Soaking up the sun!

After taking the boat back to the main dock, we climbed back aboard our buses for the 5+ hour ride back home to Shanghai.  I could have stayed a couple extra days, but it is always nice to be home.

Buses, Boats, Boas & Lady Boys?

Day 1 – Buses, a Bamboo Boat and Beer

If you are ever hanging out in Zhejiang province and have a spare day or two, I would highly recommend visiting Qiandao Lake (千岛湖) or Thousand Island Lake.  If you visit and are blessed with beautiful blue skies, 70-75 degree (Fahrenheit) weather  (22-24 degrees Celsius) and not too much humidity – then consider yourself extra lucky, like I was last week.

After the fact, I can’t believe I was hesitant about accepting a company paid trip for 2 days when I first learned about it (which was just over a week in advance).  Missing Chinese class the day before my midterm, and getting up at 5am to sit on a bus for 4-6 hours with 150+ coworkers with no idea what we would be doing.  I wasn’t completely sold.  Perhaps I was just in a grumpy mood because now I am so glad I remembered why I am here.  I want to travel and see the world; therefore, I should take any opportunity I get.  Especially when someone else is paying.

I got up early on Halloween morning, to go meet some 140 or so Chinese Kid Castle employees and 15 other foreign teachers to hop on a bus and head out of Shanghai.  Many of the Chinese teachers had gotten a very basic itinerary for the trip, us foreigners got nothing of the sort.  We just were along for the ride… about a 4 hour ride is what we were told, but my roommate told me it took her 6 hours to get to Qiandao Lake by bus.

We all piled into three big tour buses, the Chinese teachers passed around bags of snack food they had purchased for the trip and after probably 20 minutes most of them fell asleep.  I was in the back of one of the buses with six other foreign teachers and we got to know each other a bit more, chatting about China, jobs and life.

After a few hours, we stopped at our first stop for a typical Chinese lunch.  My co-workers were proud of me for leading the way in using the men’s restroom.  When your are traveling with a large group of the people, the guy to girl ratio is less than 1:20, and there are only 2 stalls in the woman’s bathroom, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!

About an hour or so afterwards we stopped again at the Fuchun Taoyuan scenic area. Rumors about hiking, caves and a mountain had been circling, none of us knew what to expect.  But I was certain it wouldn’t be too much to handle as I have found hiking in China normally refers to a paved path up a hill.  It turns out there was a cable car to go up the hill (much like the one to the Peak in Hong Kong).  We climbed aboard in small groups, it was a quick trip up the hill, where we found the cave – Bi Yun Dong (or 碧云洞 in Chinese).

The pictures don't do this place justice - it was massive

Of course we had tour guides, who thoughtfully explained everything in Chinese, but it was way to much for me to understand and I was separated from the other teachers at my school who perhaps could have translated a bit for me.  Instead, I just wandered and looked for myself, taking in the sights without getting all the interesting facts.

At the very bottom of the picture you can see little heads of people... a bit of a reference point for the size of these formations

The cave was unlike any other I have ever been to.  Forget small enclosed spaces to crawl through – other than a few areas when I had to duck my head, this was a massive open area inside of the mountain.  By massive – I mean massive!  The sign by the entry said the largest open area in the cave could hold over 1000 people at a time.  The cave was lit up by colorful neon lights strategically placed, perhaps not the most natural look for the cave – but it was beautiful and well lit enough that I could at least attempt to get some decent pics.

On a bridge with several of my Chinese co-workers

After the tour through the cave and posing for hundreds of pictures with my Chinese co-workers, we took a short walk through the woods and a long tunnel to where we had to decide if we wanted to hike down the hill, or take the little precarious-looking Chinese made sled-like-things down the rickety metal roller-coaster like track for 20 rmb.  I will do the precarious, dangerous, adrenaline pumping option please!  Who needs exercise?  Unlike the long luge-type slide on the Great Wall at Mutianyu, this slide is above ground and fits 2 people on a seat.  The one in back (me) controls the speed.  I went with my Chinese colleague Cathy, and despite it being a quick trip down the hill, I think it was rather exhilarating for both of us.

My friend Char posing with the greenery

At the bottom of the “roller coaster” there was this large obstacle course type thing in the middle of the woods with rickety bridges, rope bridges, and all sorts of things to make your way across and take pictures on.  A quick boat ride, on a dammed lake and then back to the buses for a couple more hours.

The "boat" of the day... if you call tied together bamboo that leaks a boat.

Pretty mountains! All the green trees and mountains almost made me feel like I was back in Oregon!

That evening we made it to our hotel, got all checked in and met for dinner at the hotel restaurant around 7pm.  Dinner was Chinese style again, but unfortunately, not my favorite of the Chinese cuisine I have eaten.  When about 12 of the 15 dishes are fish, even people who like fish long for some variety.  Not being a fan of fish myself, I was delighted when the lone chicken dish and the bullfrog came out from the kitchen.  (The wild hare was too boney, not much meat.) We also got to drink (endless amounts) of the local beer, CheerDay, hardly any flavor or alcohol content, but it kept us hydrated for the long dinner and hours of karaoke afterwards.

One of many fish dishes. Julia the fish hater actually ate this one! I stopped before I got to the head and eyeball though...

Cheerday - has about as much flavor as it has color. Won't ever become my beer of choice.

Don’t worry… I will explain the lady boys in my day 2 segment.

1999 Taiwan

At 1:47am on September 21st 1999, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Taiwan.  It killed over 2,400 people, injured over 11,000 and caused over US $10 billion in damages.

Why am I telling you about something that happened in Taiwan over 10 years ago when there are so many natural disasters striking other parts of the world on a regular basis (for instance the huge earthquake that just hit Turkey a couple days ago)?  When I was in Taiwan, I visited Jiji, a small town in Nantou province which was the epicenter of the earthquake.  Twelve years later of course, you don’t see the destruction the earthquake caused.  However, Jiji still has one reminder of the powerful earthquake.

The town has left one building, a temple, in the condition that it was in after the quake.  If you have never seen the power of mother nature it is quite the sight to see.

The town is building a new temple which is not yet completed, in a site right next to the old temple.  This is the new temple – and apparently the old temple was just as tall (about 3 stories).

May and me in front of the new temple

Behind it is the old temple.

The three stories of the old temple basically just collapsed onto the first floor.

The temple crushed by the earthquake.

You can walk all the way around the temple, see how the building fell and also the cables and ropes that have been added to keep the temple from continuing to fall apart.

Notice the concrete columns essentially broken in half

When you walk around the back of the temple, it is amazing to see up close the destruction from the strong force of the earthquake.  The concrete columns between the first and second floor of the temple have completely bent in half, as the top of the temple moved forward and collapsed down.

The concrete column between the first and second floor, crushed and the reinforcing (steel?) rods bent in half.

Another view - the second story - laying flat on top of the first story.

The statue in front of the temple

This is just one building that was affected by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck 8 kilometers underground.  I can’t fathom the original destruction caused by this quake, or the destruction caused by many of the recent quakes of an even larger scale.  This temple serves as a reminder that the destruction, loss and terror caused by mother nature doesn’t just go away with the news reports or when there is another story that hits the front page.  The disasters caused by mother nature can be indescribable, the healing and recovery can last for years.

My friend, Doug, who is living in Japan, wrote about this in his blog (http://www.dougbonham.com/) after he had the life changing opportunity to go volunteer with clean-up in Japan – six months after the tsunami.