Recap: Kunming

So, after a week of traveling in Southern China and then a month of being home in Seattle, I have made the long trek again back to Sias.  The flight is long, but direct Seattle to Beijing is really nice.  Plus, I severely dislike LAX.

However, before I returned to the land of good coffee, beer, and cheese, I traveled to three cities in Southern China with my friends Becky and Ole.

The first (and my favorite) was Kunming.  It is like the LA of China: sunny weather even in winter, really nice neighborhoods with interesting restaurants, really cosmopolitan compared to places like Zhengzhou.  We met quite a few French people and ate at a lot of French restaurants.

First off, we stayed in this hostel called Cloudland.  This was my first hostel experience and I LOVED it.  It had a really cool atmosphere and a lot of interesting people there.  All of the rooms opened out into the open air courtyard and was really nice to sit on the patio or in the bar.  We stayed in an 8 person dorm which was clean and functional.  There was a cute little dog that ran around that I became friends with.

In the center of down town is Green Lake, which was wonderful to walk around and the weather was sunny and warm (an nice break after the bone aching cold we had been experiencing in Xinzheng).   There were old men flying kites in the park so high that we couldn't even see most of them.

Near by was a game store (just like Blue Highway Games on Queen Anne!!!) that we rented board games at.  Rather, one board game: Ticket to Ride.  I love that game.  We played it three days in a row.  We know play it all the time here as well.  The French guy who owned it was really nice and informative and served good black beer.

The next day we made the 4 hour bus ride through construction mayhem outside of town to what was called "the Stone Forrest" which I had seen on a poster in our Hostel.  It looked really cool and I pushed for us to go.  Little did we know that it was 175 kuai to enter the park!  This may be only $26.90 to you, which is a normal fee for going into a nice natural preserve (I paid that much driving through Glacier National Park in Montana), but I am a poor English teacher who gets paid in Chinese money.  So, we trekked off into the unknown, finding some of the rocks in the countryside that were not maintained but rugged and more interesting (bright side of a really long bus trip).

It was again a really nice day and I ran around in a dress and flats (maybe I should have worn more appropriate foot wear, but I thought we would be walking around a park, not hiking into the countryside).

Where's Waldo?  I am in this picture, I swear.

On the bus ride back we got to see a Jackie Chan movie about all of these Chinese dudes trying to save/kidnap a baby.  It was funny, even if it was in Chinese.  When we got back, we were starving and I ate the best sandwich of my life: BBQ lamb with blue cheese on french bread.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it now.  Mmmmmm.

Needless to say, I want to move there.  Too bad I already signed a contract for coming back next year.  

Highlight of Kunming: getting my first Yahtzee ever.  Always go for 5s, cause that's what the picture on the box it.  

Well, there is this thing called Culture Shock...

It's been a long time since I last updated.  Sorry.

Briefly, I want to talk about something that happens to all expats living abroad.  Commonly it's called culture shock, but in long term cases it's more like culture stress because it's not really a shock.  Maybe they call it shock because it's like the pschological term for shock: a state of being disoriented, withdrawing, and being irratible or anxious.  That pretty much describes culture shock.  Culture shock is inevitable when moving or spending time in another country and usually it hits 1-3 months into your time there.  It happens.  I stopped writing my blog when it hit.  Then I never really got back because finals started.  I'll talk more about that later.

There is a list of stages of assimilating into a different culture.  The goal is to get to level 4, but it's possible to be in multiple stages in different degrees.

Stage One:  Everything is exotic and shiny.

Stage one is really fun.  It's the honeymoon phase of moving to another culture.  Everything about chinese culture was interesting and exciting.  Mainly because it was so different that novelty really gave everything a shiny glimmer through my rose tinted glasses. 

Stage Two:  Everything is confusing and annoying.

After the shine wears off, the honeymoon is over and things aren't so fun anymore.  Chinese culture is really confusing on many levels and after being stared at the 10,000th time, or being yelled at in Chinese for doing something wrong that you didn't know about, or having another awkward moment with a random Chinese person, living in China is really not fun anymore.  It's dirty, and different, and this is when you really start craving food from home hard core, like cheese and not-boxed milk, turkey sandwiches, good beer and coffee,  pizza sauce that wasn't sweet, and rainbow chard (well, maybe that was just me).  Normal food.

This is where culture shock really gets you.  You start complaining and grumbling more than normal, you become irritable and annoyed constantly, you start withdrawing and watching movies alone in your room.  I was constantly tired and slept all the time.  The emotional stress takes a toll on the body and a whole bunch of people got sick.  Things are just rough.

Stage Three: Acceptance

Stage three is the light at the end of the culture shock tunnel.  Once you force yourself out of bed and out of your room, you establish routines that make life understandable and stable again.  My routine includes going to get a real milk tea latte every day.  (Maybe twice a day).  You find the things that remind you of home and make you happy.  You find the things that you like about Chinese culture (like tea to go everywhere).  You get to know your chinese friends a little more and have them explain some of the things that are confusing about Chinese culture.  You accept that the Chinese do things differently and that's okay.  Different is okay.

Stage Four: Assimilation

The goal for most people in their international experience is this level.  Assimilation is taking part of the foreign culture and adding it to your own personal culture, participating in Chinese culture as a whole.  This happens the best when you fluently speak the language (which I absolutely do not) but can happen to anyone who makes an effort to understand the culture.  Assimilation is literally a change in thinking and habits, in subtle ways you starting thinking more Chinese, seeing patterns or subtexts that you didn't see before.  You not only accept that things are different but understand why.  This understanding of the culture makes you appreciate it more.

In general, I'm in stage three moving into stage four.  However, I am still experiencing all stages depending on the event or encounter.  Some people that I know are still in stage two.  Stage two can make or break a person, living in a different country shows you many character flaws that you didn't know you had.  It's rough, but a really good growing experience.

I hope to start writing again, now that I'm on vacation in the States I have easy access to blogger, which is blocked in China.

More to come!

October Holiday: Beijing part 1

My dad come to visit me during the National (October) holiday, which was super awesome.  I traveled from Zheng Zhou to Beijing by myself to meet him and them bring him back to school.  Dad actaully ended up being a couple days late, so I tooled around Beijing by myself, eating as much foreign food and cheese as I could.  (Hello Starbucks and a real latte!!!!)

The first day I was there I walked around Tianamen Square and people watched.  It never ceases to amaze me that Chinese people do things differently than Americans.  Obviously I know this to be true, but seeing it can be a totally different thing.  Of course, I made a list.

6.  Pop a squat.  Chinese people don't sit on the ground.  The ground is gross, I have said this many times.  So, the Chinese have developed a way to sit without touching the ground.  They squat with their feet flat on the ground.  Its pretty amazing.  Ive really only ever seen little kids do it in America, it requires being pretty skinny and small boned, something Americans don't always have.  This position is also required for the use of a squatty potty, and I am getting better at it.  But I still don't find it restful.

5. Umbrellas in the Sun.  Contrary to America's obession with being tan, Chinese women are obsessed with being pale.  On sunny days there are just as many umbrellas and parasols as if it's raining.  They don't understand the concept of sun bathing or tanning (Christina, don't come to China) and they often put bleach or some sort of lightening agent in lotion or soap to make your skin whiter.  Hence why I brought lotion from home.

4. Kids in Split Pants.  I may have mentioned this already, but kids pee on the street and little kids don't wear diapers, they wear crotchless pants.  It's always funny to see a kid in his or her parent's arm with their little bare butt hanging over the side of their arm.  Parents must get peed on all the time, though I have never seen it happen.  They do have a particular way to hold their peeing baby so they don't get splashed on.  When Dad and I were in Xi'an we took the bus to our hotel and the baby next to us started peeing on the floor of the bus.  Of the BUS! Dad nearly got off, and I am so jaded that I hardly even noticed untill the little stream of pee threatened my shoes.  Needless to say, most of my shoes are not coming back to America and are not allowed in my house.

3. Picture taking.  Chinese people, like Japanese people, are intense about their photo poses.  There is always a peace/victory sign involved, usually on both hands.  They also need to stand right next to whatever it is they are taking and point to it.  They also don't wait for you to finish your picture before walking in front of your camera.  I have had my picture taken by many people, some with me and some from afar.  My friend Jess with blonde hair attracts more attention than I do, which I'm kind of grateful for.  Though I do get asked if my hair curls naurally pretty often.

2. Purse Holding.  When couples go shopping or out together, the man always carries his woman's purse.  For extended periods of time.  Even if it's frilly and pink.  I think it's a way for him to stake his claim.  But men in the US would never get caught dead holding a woman's purse for more than 2 seconds.  For the most part.  That's something that I appreciate about Chinese culture: men are not threatened by things like holding purses or other things that would be stereotypically 'gay' in the US.  Of course it can go a little too far, like pop stars in pleather playing sparkly guitars (yes, it IS too far, Jess).  It does through off my gaydar but I don't mind.

1.  Matching Couple T-Shirts.  I have mentioned this in one of my early posts about campus, but my favorite thing that I have seen here have been couple t-shirts.  Chinese valentines day was right before I moved here so I saw a lot at the end of August, but I did find a few in Tiananmen Square.  There appears to be a rule that couple t-shirts cannot be innocuous.  They need to be a bright color (mostly purple or yellow and ocassionally pink!) and very distinctive.  I took this picture of the first couple after seeing two other couples with matching shirts and being too afraid to take their picture.  I shouldn't have been shy, I think they like the attention more than I do (which isn't too hard).  I found the second at snack street (more about that later) and asked if I could take their picture.  They got one with me too, so I guess it was a fair exchange.

The next day I went to go see the pandas at the zoo.  Needless it say it was a zoo with all the people there (get it? yeah? yeah?... it was a zoo at the zoo...?  I hear you laughing Holly Allan).  But seriously, it was crazy.  Expecially in front of the pandas.  Below is a picture of the area when you first get into the zoo and it was packed like that as far I could see over them. I fought the valient fight to get in to see the pandas and the big ones were boring.  They just slept while a thousand people took their pictures.

However, the baby pandas were freaking ADORABLE, I wanted to take one home in a basket.  They had just gotten fed so they were chowing down on their bamboo leaves and rolling all over themselves while doing it.  These were the pandas who were from Sichuan where the earthquake hit before the Olympics.

This post is turning into a beast, so I'm going to leave you with one final thought before taking a break.  That thought is: PANDA HATS.  They are amazing and I bought three.  I first saw this girl wearing one at the summer palace and I HAD to take a picture with her.  It turned out she spoke pretty good English and she told me that they were selling them all over Beijing.  I found one not ten minutes later and picked two up for 30 RMB (less than $5 for both) and wore it all day.  Amazing.  I still have it and I wore it to my first couple classes after the trip and my students thought it was hilarious and crazy that their teacher would wear such a cute panda hat to class.  It has come in handy when we sit on the roof to talk and drink beer.  Very warm and fuzzy.

Things you shouldn't do with chopsticks

The first time I ever went to China, we were coached in Chopstick edicit.  If you have a bowl of rice, don't stick your chopsticks in it, that's what Chinese people do when they leave rice for their ancestors.  Don't use them as drumsticks, especially at a banquet.  Don't let the tips touch the table, always keep them on your plate or your bowl.  Never stick them anywhere inappropriate, the like.

Wellllll....  sometimes it's too much fun to resist.

Aaron and Winston are culture partners and because Winston and Jessica (my culture partner) are dating, we go on double dates.  Or whatever it is when only two out of the four people are dating.  A four wheeled date?  Half a double date?

This is Sarah, who is the teacher of the culture student program, who is now teaching sophmores that the culture program is done for the summer.  She's doing 'two fingers,' a ninja sign that the culture students made up when playing our favorite game called Ninjia Star.  It's like Big Booty only with ninjia signs.  It's pretty awesome.

This is Eileen doing wolverine, our shout out to Hugh Jackman in Ninjia Star.

Either a bumblebee or a new creature from the Star Trek universe.  (I had been watching some Star Trek movies before this dinner.)

I'm going to say this picture is the most attractive one of me, ever.  This also got the most laughs out of the culture students.  Erin is practicing her vampire fangs because she gets to play Bella in the upcoming Twilight skit for Culture Week.  And for those of you who know Erin (hi Erin's mom!), it's really ironic because we all hate Twilight with a fiery passion.  The fire of a thousand suns.  But they are doing a parody, so I guess that makes up for it.  A little bit.  Matt Hux is going to be Edward (hi Matt's mom!).  I can't wait to see it.

Faith jumped in on this action too, as a pretty convincing walrus.  An interesting note: that's Aaron in the yellow shirt before he shaved his head.  Good before and after of him in this blog.

There will more more, in the future, but I thought I would post these now.  I don't think they have been a major fau-paux (is that how you spell that word?) and I have been on my best behavior at the banquet I've been to. 

We just had our opening ceremony at Sias, and there was a banquet with the bigwigs of the university before hand.  Some of the foriegn teachers needed to go, so Jess and I volunteered.  It was a great idea, because there was a four course meal.  First was salmon and bacon with a quasi Ceasar Salad with REAL olive oil!!!  Next was a great tomato soup with cheesy garlic bread.  Then there was chicken and mashed potatoes and tiramisu for dessert!  And Jess and I got all dolled up to go, which was half of the fun part.

We have both volunteered to go to a banquet on Wednesday in Zhengzhou of university leaders and the govenor of Henan provience.  I have a feeling that will be more of a traditional chinese banquet (hello fish eyes and chicken feet) but it will still be pretty fun.  My parents (and Jess's (hi Jess's mom!)) taught me how to be polite and smooze, so why not practice and get some good food in the process?  I'll let you know how it goes.

T Minus 20 Hours

This is my luggage pile that I will be taking with me.  The trunk and purple duffle are checked (50 and 40 lbs) and the brown/grey roller and the backpack are my carry-ons.  I'm pretty impressed over all.  The only thing that I didn't get to pack that I really wanted to was a black briefcase.  Maybe Dad can bring it when he comes to visit me in September.  (Noted:  everyone is welcome to visit me.  Please come!)

This morning was the first time I really felt excited about going.  So much of moving is hassel and stress and anxiety that I had no room to feel excited.  People would find out I'm moving to China and say "You must be so ex-CI-ted!!" and I would smile and nod even though I didn't.  Theoretically I was excited, but the emotion wasn't there until this morning.

HOLY CRAP I'M MOVING TO CHINA, TOMORROW!

But I'm not looking forward to the 24+ hours of traveling.  But I am excited at getting to my appartment and putting away all my stuff and having my new friends come over for tea.  And meeting my students and making them all think I'm crazy because I talk too much and smile too much and they have never had an English teacher like me.  On the whole, Chinese English teachers are pretty solem.

I'm excited about buying a hot plate and figuring out what I can cook (and what I can't).  And baking baby pizzas with no cheese and no tomato sauce.  So like... bread and olive oil and cherry tomatoes.  Something like that.

I know that I am going to break down and cry in the airport tomorrow when I say good bye to my family.  I nearly cry just thinking about it.  But this is what I'm called to do, so that's the way it needs to be.  As Donald Miller would say, a great story is not without tears.  Well, paraphrased.

Today:  ate baked brie for lunch and am eating mozzerella and tomato salad for dinner.  Have eaten pizza for the last three nights in a row.  More cheese tomorrow.  Then...  rice.  Will USPS ship cheese through the mail to China?